How is the management of American hardwood forests regulated?
The United States operates an effective and fully enforced regulatory framework to deliver sustainable forest management. The U.S. approach to forest regulation is adapted to a national forest environment in which there is a well developed private industry sector, a very long history of private forest management, and a strong civil society. The management of Federal and state-owned forest land is directly controlled by publicly accountable government forestry services subject to detailed legal requirements for sustainable forest management. All forest owners in the United States are subject to Federal legislation designed to protect habitats for threatened species. Regulations affecting other aspects of forest management on private land are the responsibility of individual states. The 2000 RPA Assessment reports that these regulations have been increasing overall. Some 44 States now have best management practice legislation intended to promote better management of lands, especially whe
