Some 1.5 billion trees are planted in the U.S. every year, about 5 trees for every American.

Annually, U.S. forestland owners plant about 6 trees for every tree harvested.

About one-third of America's original forest - some 300 million acres - have been converted to other uses, principally agriculture.

There are 26 million more acres of forestland in the Northeast than there were in 1900.

Today, forests blanket about one-third of the U.S. land base and about half the U.S. East.

U.S. annual growth rates have exceeded harvest rates since the 1940's.

Timber harvesting is forbidden on 50% of all National Forest lands in the U.S.

National Forests account for 20% of the nation's forestlands and 19% of its timberlands.

National Forests hold 46% of the nation's softwood timber inventory but only provide 6% of the annual harvest.

Since 1986, the harvest of timber from America's national forests has declined 70%.

In the West, 34% of all forestland and 54% of all timberlands are in national forests.

National forests in the Pacific Coast and Intermountain West regions hold 68% of the nation's softwood timber inventory, but provide less than 28% of annual harvest.

Forest density has increased 40% in the U.S. over the last 50 years.

The Evergreen Foundation is a non-profit forestry research and educational organization. We were incorporated in Oregon in 1990 under Internal Revenue Service 501 (c)(3) guidelines which govern the conduct of all non-profits incorporated for religious, scientific, educational and charitable purposes.

Our mission is the help advance public understanding and support for science-based forestry and forest policy. To this end, we operate this website and we publish Evergreen Magazine, a periodic journal designed to keep our members, students, elected officials, grass roots groups and the news media abreast of issues and events that are impacting forestry, forest communities and the forest products industry.

For more information, please contact James D. Petersen, Evergreen’s co-founder and Executive Director at editor@evergreenmagazine.com.

For information concerning membership click here.

James D. Petersen, Biography

Jim Petersen is a co-founder of the non-profit Evergreen Foundation, and publisher of Evergreen, the Foundation’s periodic journal. The Foundation was established in Medford, Oregon in 1986 to help advance public understanding and support for science based forestry and forest policy. The organization’s original sponsors were all members of the Southern Oregon Timber Industries Association.  

Jim is the recipient of many prestigious awards, including the 2003 Society of American Foresters National Journalism Award, for his work on “The New Pioneers,” a special Evergreen report profiling entrepreneurial solutions to the Southwest’s forest health crisis. Among Jim’s other awards: Best Forestry Public Relations Program in the Nation, American Forest & Paper Association, 1991; Whistle Punk of the Year, Southern Oregon Timber Industries Association, 1994; National Public Service Award, Association of Consulting Foresters, 1996; Outstanding Contributions to Forestry Education, Northeastern Loggers Association, 1999; Outstanding Forestry Activist in the Western United States, Forest Resources Association, 2000; Woodpecker of the Year Award, Hoo-Hoo International, 2002 and Communicator of the Year Award, Montana Wood Products Association, 2004, for his leadership in the national forest health debate and, in particular, his role in congressional ratification of the Bush Administration’s Healthy Forests Restoration Act.

Jim grew up in Kellogg, Idaho. His family roots are in logging, sawmilling, cattle ranching and mining. He is a graduate of the University of Idaho, where he majored in journalism and broadcasting. He was a newspaper reporter and editor for several years before founding his own public relations firm. He is a member of the Society of American Foresters, the Forest History Society, the Intermountain Logging Conference and the Pacific Logging Congress [President, 2007].  He and wife Kathleen live in Bigfork, Montana.

Evergreen Foundation Board of Directors

Mack Brown, Board President, Wood Chip Manager, Roseburg Forest Products, Roseburg, Oregon

Sharla Moffett-Beall, Secretary-Treasurer Portland, Oregon 97201

John Manz, retired, Director of Applied Technology, Forest and Wood Products Operations, Weyerhaeuser, Seeley Lake, Montana

Greg Miller, Director, Government Relations, Oregon and California, Weyerhaeuser Company, Salem, Oregon

Con Schallau, PhD economist, U.S. Forest Service, retired, Spokane, Washington

The Hon. Robert Smith, Chairman [retired] House Agricultural Committee, Smith-West Consulting, Medford, Oregon

Bruce Vincent, founder, Provider Pals, Libby, Montana

Rikki Wellman, Executive Director, Pacific Logging Congress, Maple Valley, Washington and Executive Director, Oregon Logging Conference, Eugene, Oregon

Ed Hanscom, logging contractor, HM, Inc., Eagle Point, Oregon

Troy Reinhart, investment advisor, Bend, Oregon