Land Mature May 2026

The USDA Forest Service and BLM manage approximately of forest land in the United States.

: Account for roughly 32 million acres (18% of total federal forest land).

In 2023, the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) published the first-ever national inventory of on federal lands. This report was a requirement of Executive Order 14072, which aimed to identify and protect these critical ecosystems to combat climate change. Core Findings of the Inventory land mature

: Account for roughly 80 million acres (45% of total federal forest land).

: Abundance of large, older trees that have moved past the initial "self-thinning" young stage. The USDA Forest Service and BLM manage approximately

: The Forest Service manages the majority, with 67.4 million acres of mature forest and 24.4 million acres of old-growth. Defining "Mature" Land

: More open and complex canopy structures compared to dense young forests. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

Mature lands are vital for because older trees store vast amounts of carbon.