Forest and Water in the 21st Century: A Global Perspective

The linkages among forests, water, and people have long been recognized by natural resource professionals and policymakers in the United States. Indeed, among the primary purposes of the US Forest Service Organic Act in 1897 was securing favorable conditions of water flows, and to furnish a continuous supply of timber for the use and necessities of citizens of the US; the 1911 Weeks Act was prompted, at least in part, by observations of the need to protect and restore degraded forest watersheds in the eastern United States. Over the next 100+ years, forest research resulted in recognition evolving into understanding and understanding evolving into developing and implementing best management practices that allow for multiple use management while protecting or enhancing the nation's water resources. The IUFRO assessment is an important document that captures much of our current understanding of the linkages among climate, forests, water, and people. Climate projections suggest that drier regions in the United States will become even drier, and other regions will experience greater precipitation variability.