"A complete look at America's National Forests--their triumphs, challenges, controversies, and vital programs--and the dedicated people who keep them alive."--Provided by publisher.

Discusses the importance of forests, the parts and cycles of trees, the functions of flowers and fruits, the distinctive features of conifers, and the forest regions in the United States.

"Most of us remember the magic of a certain forest, or a favorite tree. Our children, says writer and conservationist Charles E. Little, probably won't. The forests are declining. The trees are dying. Little shows how logging in the Northwest is far from the whole story, how virtually everywhere in this country our trees are mortally afflicted - even before they are cut. From the "sugarbush" of Vermont and the dogwoods of Maryland's Catoctin mountains...

"Provides a popular, illustrated, compact reference for identifying important and common trees in the forests. Drawings, descriptions, and keys serve for identification. Maps show where each species is native or grows wild."--Verso page