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Thomas J. Vilsack, Secretary of agriculture,
united states Department of Agriculture, United states of america
A century ago, Gifford Pinchot, a conservation leader in the United States, realized that both peace and
prosperity depended on access to natural resources, including the forests that sustain so many people
around the world. He reasoned that forestry and conservation should therefore be world priorities.
His reasoning still rings true today. Forests cover about 31 per cent of the world’s land area, supplying
drinking water to billions of people worldwide. They provide habitat for wildlife, sequester and store carbon
and furnish livelihoods for communities around the world. These are just some of the many benefits that
people receive from forests.
Today, forestry and conservation have indeed emerged as world priorities, as reflected in the events
associated with the International Year of Forests, 2011. The theme for these events, ‘Forests for People’,
highlights the central role of forests in the lives of people around the world – and the key role that people can
play in sustaining forests for the benefit of all.
As we look to the future, we would do well to remember that key insight made a century ago: conservation
of natural resources through sustainable forest management is central to human peace and prosperity.
Thomas J. Vilsack
Secretary of Agriculture, United States Department of Agriculture
United States of America