This dataset consists of polygon features representing forest lands defined as Community Forests (Frey et al 2024). The polygons were sourced from several areas, including the USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US) and from the individual governing organization of some of the Community Forests (CFs, hereafter).  In some cases, the boundaries were heads-up digitized using state tax lot data and maps of the Community Forest.  

There is not a formal definition of CFs, rather they are loosely defined as forest lands that are under the local control of the adjacent communities.  They may be governed by the local government (city, county), non-government organizations.  There are an estimated 136 CFs in the US (Hajjar et al 2024).  This data set is a subset of 18 of those CFs which are the subject of on-going research by USDA Forest Service, Oregon State University, and North Carolina State University scientists. 

Frey, Gregory E.; Hajjar, Reem; Charnley, Susan; McGinley, Kathleen; Schelhas, John; Tarr, Nathan A.; McCaskill, Lauren; Cubbage, Frederick W. 2024. “Community Forests” in the United States – How Do we Know One When we See One?. Society & Natural Resources. 37(8): 1240-1252. https://doi.org/10.1080/08941920.2024.2361413.

Reem Hajjar, Kathleen McGinley, Susan Charnley, Gregory E Frey, Meredith Hovis, Frederick W Cubbage, John Schelhas, Kailey Kornhauser, Characterizing Community Forests in the United States, Journal of Forestry, Volume 122, Issue 3, May 2024, Pages 273–284, https://doi.org/10.1093/jofore/fvad054