JFR Benefits

The natural world is an amazing and wonderful place. Learning about the environment is so much fun. The more you know about it, the more amazing it seems. The best thing about being a Junior Forest Ranger is that you get to learn all about forests and how you are a part of the environment.

Do you know what national forests are? They are America's great outdoors. They cover 191 million acres (77.3 million hectares) of land, an area as big as Texas. National forests provide opportunities for recreation in open spaces and natural environments. With more and more people now living in urban areas, national forests are becoming more important and valuable to Americans.

People enjoy a wide variety of activities on national forests, including backpacking in remote, wilderness areas where there aren't any roads, mastering an all-terrain vehicle over a challenging trail, enjoying the views along a scenic byway, or fishing in a great trout stream.

Junior Forest Rangers know how to stay safe in the forest and how to protect it. When you visit a forest, as a Junior Forest Ranger, you'll know what to do, and what not to do.

You'll discover a whole new world in our nation's great forests, and in your own back yard!

To learn more about our national forests, visit www.fs.fed.us/recreation/map/finder.shtml