The U.S. National Park System (83 million acres) preserves natural features, exceptional beauty and areas of historical interest. It includes battlefields, lakeshores, memorials, monuments, preserves, recreation areas, scenic trails and wild and scenic rivers. Unlike national forests, national parks do not allow any timber harvesting or hunting. The National Forest System (191 million acres) was established “…to furnish a continuous supply of timber for the use and necessities of citizens of the United States…” and to improve and protect the forest, securing favorable conditions of water-flows. Twenty-five percent of the gross receipts from timber sales by the National Forest System go directly to states for county roads and schools, which amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars each year.
Information from the Hardwood Forest Foundation (www.hardwoodforest.org).