RTs, follows, mentions do not equal endorsement. The Tongass National Forest sustains the lands and people of Southeast Alaska, managing 16.7 million acres of public lands to protect its unique ecological values while supporting a robust, diverse economy for the 75,000 people who call the Tongass home. The National Forest Foundation, chartered by Congress, engages Americans in community-based and national programs that promote the health and public enjoyment of the 193-million-acre National Forest System, administers private gifts of funds and land for the benefit of the National Forests. http://www.nationalforests.org/
The Forest Service manages a system of 155 national forests, 20 national grasslands, and 222 research and experimental forests, as well as other special areas, covering more than 192 million acres of public land. The Forest Service has evolved into a 30,000 employee agency that manages the national forests for a number of multiple uses, including recreation, timber, wilderness, minerals, water, grazing, fish, and wildlife.
