This study provides an overview of nontimber forest products (NTFP) programs on national forests in the United States. We conducted an email survey in 2003 to obtain data on NTFP management activities on national forests across the country. Program characteristics examined in the study included important NTFPs managed on national forests, presence of NTFP coordinators and law enforcement programs on ranger districts, incorporation of NTFPs into forest planning documents, presence of NTFP inventory and monitoring programs, managers views on barriers to and opportunities for including NTFP harvesters in NTFP inventory and monitoring efforts, and managers perceptions of barriers to expanding commercial NTFP harvesting. The data indicate that the agency is constructing a foundation for scientific NTFP management. The study identifies lack of funding and internal administrative capacity as key barriers to adequate incorporation of NTFPs in Forest Service planning, inventory, and monitoring.

Special forest products (SFPs) are gathered from more than 200 vascular and fungal species on the Green Mountain National Forest (GMNF) and Finger Lakes National Forest (FLNF). This report documents those SFPs and proposes an approach to managing them in the context of legislation directing the U.S. Forest Service to institute a program of active SFP management. Based on the literature and primary research conducted on and around the GMNF and FLNF, we offer a system for classifying SFPs according to the likely sustainability of harvesting practices and present a suite of possible management strategies for each category. The report also includes suggestions for development of sustainable harvest guidelines, design of permit programs and fees, and opportunities for collaborative management. These suggestions incorporate insights from 40 individuals interviewed for the research. We dedicate a section to discussing results in terms of five key provisions of the U.S. Forest Service rule pending at the time of press. Objectives of the approach recommended here include effectively allocating scarce management resources, fostering voluntary compliance, and broadening the benefits and beneficiaries of forest management.