Forest Abundance - Ancient mountains of the Appalachian Forest feature abundant mixed hardwood and red spruce forests, where mountain microclimates and northern and southern species converge to create some of the most biodiverse forest ecosystems in North America

Crucible of Isolation - People from many cultures came together in the Appalachian Forest, where geographic isolation and the rough mountain terrain fostered a distinctive Appalachian culture of self-reliance and connection to the land, expressed through folkways and living traditions that enrich America today.

Logging Boom Builds the Nation - On the cusp of the 20th century, the expansion of railroads opened widespread harvest of the Appalachian Forest in a logging boom that helped fuel industrial expansion for the Eastern United States but devastated the landscape and altered mountain economies.

Resilient Forest -Recovery of the landscape from the logging boom shows the resilience of the Appalachian Forest, with scientific management today conserving forestlands for multiple purposes including ecological stewardship, recreation and tourism, and sustainable harvest of forest products.

• Power of Place - Engagement with places, land, and communities shape how we live, who we are, and what we consider significant to care for and preserve.

• We the People - Inclusion of all people, especially diverse people that have often been excluded (including women, free and enslaved African Americans, Indigenous people, immigrants, people with disabilities, the poor, and many others), is essential for full participation and representation in the nation’s political, economic, and cultural life.

• Democracy and Justice - From the Declaration of Independence, through progress and setbacks in the fights for rights and justice, our society evolves in understanding and expressions of equity, democracy, and civic engagement.