Welcome

The concept of sustainability is embedded in the Forest Service mission to “sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations.”

For more than 100 years, the Forest Service has been committed to caring for the land and serving people in a manner that encourages a shared stewardship responsibility among our partners and visitors and sustains a full suite of public benefits—ecosystem services that are essential to our quality of life.

The Forest Service, which is comprised of over 28,000 full-time employees and over 10,000 temporary employees in over 850 offices, can demonstrate a commitment to good stewardship by conducting its activities in an environmentally, fiscally sound, and sustainable manner in accordance with Executive Order 13423 [PDF] and the Energy Policy Act of 2005 [PDF] .

EO 13423 identifies six areas for reducing our environmental footprint. Find more information about each Footprint Focus Area in the Articles below.

• Energy
  • Improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, through the reduction of energy.
  • Shift toward renewable energy such as solar power and biomass.
• Water
  • Reduce water consumption in our buildings, grounds and related facilities.
• Green Purchasing
  • Increase the sustainability performance of purchased goods and services, and the performance of our suppliers, contractors and partners.
  • Increase the number of Forest Service buildings that are Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified.
• Fleet and Transportation
  • Improve our transportation and travel practices, which in turn will reduce harmful emissions, increase operational and fuel efficiency, and reduce the use of non-renewable fuel.
• Waste Prevention and Recycling
  • Minimize waste generation and reduce landfill use. Reduce, reuse and recycle materials.
• Sustainability Leadership
  • Make strong efforts to meet or exceed the requirements of Executive orders and policies related to sustainable operations.
  • Leadership and management have a commitment to communicate the agency’s vision for sustainable operations.