Iowa's landscape is dominated by agriculture, but beyond the fields of corn and soybeans lie 2.7 million acres of hardwood forests owned largely by 138,000 private landowners. Iowa's forests provide critical wildlife habitat, conserve our valuable soils, and protect our streams, rivers, and lakes. Iowa's forests employ over 20,000 Iowans in the wood products industry, providing over $1 billion in annual economic activity. Our forests provide boundless opportunities for outdoor recreation, from hunting and fishing to camping and hiking. What Iowan can resist the brilliance of Iowa's trees in fall color, the fragrance of spring wildflowers in bloom, the shade of a strong maple tree in the summer, or the warmth of wood stove burning native oak during an Iowa winter day?