The forestry profession in America is young-less than half as old as America itself. Although borrowing some roots from European forestry, it has largely developed in its own way to enable forests in the widely differing climates, soils and topographies of our huge country to serve a different and ever-changing clientele, which collectively is the American people themselves. Despite its relative youngness, this forestry profession is in many ways more advanced than any in the world. The Society of American Foresters defines forestry as the science, the art and the practice of managing and using for human benefit the natural resources that occur on and in association with forest lands. Currently, such lands comprise one third of the nation's land area. The resources include trees, other plants, animals of all descriptions, the climate, the soil, and related air and water.