Forests Defined

Although often used interchangeably, there are differences between forests and woodlands. The term woodland is commonly associated with forest types located in drier climate regions; for example, the pinyon-juniper woodlands of the southwest United States.  The term forest is widely used to describe any landscape with trees, but is more commonly associated with regions that receive adequate precipitation to support dense stands of trees. 

View a map of the forested land managed by the BLM in the lower 48 states.

Map of forested lands managed by the BLM in the lower 48.

View a map of the forested lands managed by the BLM in Alaska.

A map of the forested lands managed by the BLM in Alaska.