Perspectives on America's Forests is the result of an effort by the Roundtable on Sustainable Forests, a network of individuals and organizations committed to furthering national dialogue on the future of our nation's public and private forests. Roundtable participants agreed to launch a special effort to solicit from the forest community diverse perspectives on the critical messages that emerge from the data in the National Report. The result of that effort, Perspectives on America's Forests, is intended to engage an ever broader array of people in discussions of forest sustainability and, in so doing, enhance our common understanding of the multiple dimensions of sustainable forest management.

In a collection of seven papers, authors representing a broad spectrum of perspectives from the forest community offer their thoughts on the data in the National Report and steps to improve our understanding of the environmental, economic, and social factors affecting our country's forest resources. The basic outline of each paper is similar: central messages that emerge from the data in the National Report, gaps in our understanding, and suggested refinements to future reporting efforts.