What is one key goal of the Forest Stewardship Program?

The Forest Stewardship Program focuses on promoting responsible management of forest lands, ensuring that forests are maintained in a sustainable and healthy manner. This program encourages landowners to adopt management practices that protect soil and water resources, enhance wildlife habitats, and maintain the ecological integrity of forest systems. By fostering responsible management, the program also supports the economic viability of forestry, promotes recreational opportunities, and enhances the aesthetic value of forested landscapes, thus benefiting both the environment and local communities.

The other choices do not align with the core mission of the program. While increasing timber yield might be a part of forest management, it is not the primary goal of the program, which emphasizes overall stewardship. Urban development contradicts the aim of conserving forest land, as it seeks to replace natural habitats with human-centric environments. Additionally, while forest fire management is essential, the complete elimination of forest fires is impractical and contrary to natural ecological processes where fire can play a role in maintaining healthy ecosystems.