Indicator 6.43: percent of forests managed primarily to protect social, cultural and spiritual needs and values, 2010–2024

Abstract

This indicator measures the area and percentage of protected forested land that could be used to fulfill social, cultural, and spiritual needs and values. Cultural connectedness to forests can be tangible or intangible. For example, hunting, chopping firewood, hiking, or other tangible acts embody forest-related cultural practices. On the other hand, simply the existence of forests—whether or not an individual has physically been there—can shape personal and community values (Halla et al. 2023). People can attribute meaning to natural phenomena of forests but can also be connected to forests via cultural knowledge, shared experiences, or worldviews (Halla et al. 2023).

Citation

Thompson, Michelle J.; Bruck, Sonia R.; Chizmar, Stephanie J.; Henderson, Jesse D.; Frey, Gregory E. 2025. Indicator 6.43: percent of forests managed primarily to protect social, cultural and spiritual needs and values, 2010–2024. FSIndicator-6.43-2030. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 8 p. https://doi.org/10.2737/FS-Indicator-6.43-2030.