ABSTRACT
Forestland, at least 10% stocked with trees, covers about one-third (32%) of the total land base in the United States or about 731 million acres. Some forestland is found in every state, but the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas have less than 5%, while more than 50% of the area in 21 states is forested (U.S. Department of Agriculture [USDA] 1989). Nationally, 482 million acres are commercial forests capable of growing economically valuable trees in excess of 20 ft3. Of the total commercial land, three-fourths is in the eastern United States, equally divided between northern and southern states.
