US Forest Service

Mission Statement

Caring for the Land and Serving People is our mission. And we're committed to upholding it through everything that we do. We are mandated by law to achieve quality land management under the "sustainable multiple-use management concept" to meet the diverse needs of people while protecting the resource. It might sound like a complicated concept, but for Forest Service employees, it means participating in the following tangible activities every day:

• Advocating a conservation ethic in promoting the health, productivity, diversity, and beauty of forests and associated lands.
• Listening to people and responding to their diverse needs when making decisions.
• Protecting and managing the national forests and grasslands so that they best demonstrate the sustainable multiple-use management concept.
• Providing technical and financial assistance to State and private forest landowners, encouraging them to practice good stewardship and quality land management in meeting their specific objectives.
• Providing international technical assistance to cities and urban communities to improve their natural environment by planting trees and caring for their forests.
• Helping States and communities to use the forests wisely in order to promote rural economic development and a sound and healthy rural environment.
• Developing and providing scientific and technical knowledge aimed at improving our capability to protect, manage, and use forests and rangelands.
• Providing opportunities for work, training, and education to the unemployed, underemployed, youth, senior citizens and disadvantaged through partnerships and volunteer projects that support our mission.