Forest Service Timber Program Loses Millions, Yet Administration Pushes for Expansion

The U.S. Forest Service's timber program has been a financial burden on taxpayers for decades.

According to the Government Accountability Office, the program lost over $2 billion between 1992 and 1997, and by 2001, its annual cost was 'no longer determinable.'

In fact, Taxpayers for Common Sense calculates that the Tongass sales alone have cost the public more than $1.7 billion since 1980.

Despite this, the current administration is pushing to gut historic conservation laws and regulations in an effort to boost the program's revenue.

The problem is, the Forest Service's own documents show that private forests supply over 90% of U.S. forest products, while national forests account for just four percent of total timber harvests.

In fiscal year 2025, the timber cut across every acre of the Forest Service's 193 million-acre portfolio generated only $135 million in revenue, which is less than two Home Depot stores' worth of sales.