At one time, vast areas of the country were covered with forests. Today, much of that forestland is gone. To prevent further diminishment of the nation's timberlands, you can take important steps in your home and neighborhood to improve land management and reduce the need to harvest forests. By following the suggestions below, you and your family can help create a zero-deforestation future.

How You Can Protect the Forests

1. Choose Paperless Billing

Choose paperless billing and receive all your utility and credit card statements via email instead of by post. Just think about how much paper the world could save over the course of a year if everybody opted for electronic notifications instead of hard copies.

2.  Recycle

Recycle all the paper products that come through your household and office cubicle. Newspapers, junk mail, magazines, shredded documents, and appropriate grocery packaging should all go into the recycling bin instead of the garbage, so it can be repurposed.

3. Print Less & Smarter

Do you really need to print that document or could you get away with saving it digitally? Could you email it to your colleague instead of handing them a hard copy? Think of ways you can avoid printing if it's not essential. If you must print a document, can you print on both sides of the paper? The smarter you print, the more you promote responsible land management.

4. Look For the FSC Logo

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international nonprofit organization that promotes responsible forest and land management throughout the U.S. and across the globe. Products featuring the FSC logo are guaranteed to come from environmentally responsible sources.

Forestland is one of the country's most important and valuable resources, and your efforts to protect it will benefit everybody. Neeley Forestry Services in Camden, AR, is an experienced land management company that can help you make the best use of your privately held forests. They can assist with timber appraisals, hunting leases, harvest design, and other forest planning services. Visit their website to learn more about their services, or call (870) 836-5981 to speak with a knowledgeable professional.