ABSTRACT
As earlier chapters have indicated, there are important and often difficult problems associated with many of the country’s natural resources. For this reason, it is nice to be able to conclude on a soundly optimistic note. The private forests of the United States, a sometimes overlooked but still important resource, appear to be in good shape. Some problems exist, of course, but they appear manageable. As a whole, forests are growing more wood than is being harvested, hence inventories of standing timber are accumulating rather than being drawn down.
