Interface Between Man and His Forest Environment

Forest environments, covering one‐third of our nation, have multiple uses and benefits of increasing value to our growing population. In addition to the well‐known uses for wood, water, wildlife, range, and recreation, our forests enhance man's general welfare. Among other benefits, forest environments provide shelter from climatic extremes, screens to hide unpleasant views, interesting and pleasing landscapes, and biological air conditioning. Everyone receives these benefits whether he lives near the forest or in a crowded city. While these benefits are sizable today, they can be increased substantially in the future. Environmental forestry offers service, production, and enjoyment for mankind. Scientists, the citizenry, and legislators shape the practices and standards that professional foresters follow in managing and protecting forest environments. Environmental forestry, because it is more than production forestry, provides new challenges for research. More interdisciplinary attention must be given to environmental impacts of production programs in forests. Ways must be found to augment multiple outputs from forests. Managers of forest environments need new value systems and decision‐making procedures. A new Pinchot Institute of Environmental Forestry Research exemplifies a cooperative, multidisciplinary approach to solving current problems of environmental forestry. Through forestry research we can find better ways to manage and protect forest environments for the future of all Americans.