Why Midwesterners Should Participate in National Forest Week

• National Forest Week begins July 11, 2022, and serves to remind sportsmen and women throughout the Midwest of the invaluable benefits of our nation’s National Forests and Grasslands.
• Officially launched by the National Forest Foundation, a non-profit partner of the United States Forest Service, the week occurs during the second full week of July each year.
• There are more than 193 million acres of National Forest and almost 4 million acres of National Grassland across the nation, with more than 18.8 million acres across the Midwest.
• Through the “Making Public Lands Public” Access Initiative, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) has led the fight to ensure that sportsmen and women can access and enjoy public lands, including National Forests.

Why It Matters: Access to public land is coveted by American hunters and anglers. Under the Public Trust Doctrine, federal and state governments alike hold natural resources, such as fish and wildlife, in trust for the use and enjoyment of the public, and public lands provide great opportunities to participate in our time-honored outdoor traditions. Most Midwestern states provide a constitutional right to hunt and fish, and Midwesterners have exercised that right within National Forests and Grasslands for more than a century. Sportsmen and women should take this week to reflect on the resources and opportunities that these forests have to offer.

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