To understand the Northern Forest issue we must look closely at the land and the ownership patterns which have defined the area as distinct from surrounding forest lands in the four-state region. The Northern Forest issue was born out of the concern that a change in land use could result in a reduction of public values from these forests. The public values clean air and water, recreational opportunities, jobs from the wood products economy, biodiversity, hunting, and fishing and many other things we take for granted that come from this mix of forest ownerships.
The land ownership patterns depicted on the map below and the individual state maps tell part of the story. Other parts are told through the other pages on this Web site.
Land ownership pattern maps for:
New York
Vermont
New Hampshire
Maine