The Northern Forest is one of the United States' greatest forests, located in the northeastern region of the country. The forest covers more than 26 million acres — larger than Vermont and New Hampshire combined — and stretches from the northern woods of Maine down through New Hampshire and Vermont and into the Adirondack Mountains and Tug Hill regions of New York. Most of the Northern Forest is undeveloped forest that supports the region's economy and boasts a unique ecosystem.

The forest is made up of a mixture of hardwood and boreal forests. The hardwood forests (which include oak, sugar maple and beech trees) are found in the southern areas of the Northern Forest. The boreal forests (which include spruce and fir trees) extend to the north and continue into Canada. The boreal forest in the Northern Forest is part of a much larger forest region that extends from Canada, across Scandinavia and Russia and parts of northern Scotland. These two diverse forests contain a mixture of mountain ranges, rivers, lakes, and wetlands that provide habitat for many wildlife species, including moose, pine marten, Canada lynx, peregrine falcons and bald eagles.

The Northern Forest is not only vital to the survival of wildlife, but is also the starting point for many major rivers in the northeast, including the Hudson, Penobscot and St. John's. These rivers provide water for one quarter of the people in the United States. More than seven thousand lakes and 2.5 million acres of wetlands are found in the Northern Forest. These bodies of water act as filters and sponges for toxins that would otherwise pollute valuable drinking water. This water source must be preserved and restored where possible in order to maintain critical habitat for wildlife and abundant sources of water for everyone.

Another reason why the Northern Forest is so important is because it is one of the biggest U.S. reservoirs of carbon. Trees absorb carbon which slows global warming.

What threatens the Northern Forest?
More than 84 percent of the Northern Forest is privately owned, meaning the majority of the decisions that affect the region are made by individuals and corporations. Increased pressure from development threatens the Northern Forest. While much of the region has been and continues to be used for growing timber, the high demand for development encourages private owners to subdivide and develop their land. The continued clear-cutting of land has fragmented the forest, making it difficult for migratory songbirds to survive in the region.

NWF promotes forest certification, encourages the use of SmartWood products, and works with many conservation, recreation and forestry organizations as part of the Northern Forest Alliance which works to increase funding for Northern Forest conservation.