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The Eastern Forest Partnership is helping educate federal officials to appreciate the need for enhanced federal conservation investment in the many eastern forest landscapes (see map) that are being rapidly parcelized and compromised by sprawl development. Some of these priority conservation areas, like the Northern Forest and Southern Appalachians, are wild, rugged, and remote beyond the expectations of most Americans. Others, like the Highlands greenbelt and Catskill Mountains/Berkshire Plateau, are so close to home that they are almost underappreciated for their role providing clean drinking water for millions and convenient recreational access for millions more. Still other areas like the Cumberland Plateau/Allegheny Plateau and Southern Coastal Forests surprise us with their biodiversity. These forested landscapes are not luxury items for America, they are the natural resource base upon which our future depends. In the crowded eastern states, these undeveloped forests are critically important sources of clean drinking water, improved air quality, interconnected wildlife habitat, outdoor recreation, and wood products.
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