Community Forests and Public Health: A Research Agenda
Trust for Public Land conducted a systematic analysis of 351 peer-reviewed studies and 24 full-text articles to explore what’s currently known and what knowledge gaps remain about the relationship between community forests and public health.
Forests and green spaces are known to support human health — improving physical activity, reducing stress, and enhancing mental well-being. However, most research has focused on urban parks and forests. Very little data exists about how community forests (CFs), which are owned by or on behalf of a local community, contribute to public health. These wooded lands, usually in rural areas, are locally governed and managed to deliver multiple, often overlapping benefits including outdoor recreation, outdoor and nature education, economic opportunities, social connection, and conservation.
Community forests may represent a cost-effective but under-recognized strategy for supporting rural health and well-being. However, without rigorous research that measures health outcomes, policymakers and practitioners lack the evidence needed to invest confidently in CFs as public health resources.
Building the Evidence Base
Trust for Public Land conducted a systematic analysis of 351 peer-reviewed studies and 24 full-text articles to explore what’s currently known and what knowledge gaps remain about the relationship between community forests and public health.
Only one U.S. study met our criteria for inclusion. Published in 2022, it described 70 community forests in the Eastern U.S. and highlighted common uses such as recreation — which is a known health-promoting behavior — but did not measure health outcomes directly.
The dearth of existing data demonstrates the opportunity and need to build a strong research agenda. The following page summarizes key findings of our analysis and offers a proposed research agenda.
Key Findings
The majority (93%) of community forests in the U.S. cite recreation (e.g., hiking, biking, horseback riding) as their primary purpose. Many also highlighted ecosystem benefits, such as clean air and water, carbon storage, biodiversity, education, and sustainable timber and non-timber products. These uses align with known pathways linking nature to health, even though rural health outcomes have not been not directly measured.
International studies offer insights to how CFs influence health. Although international studies were excluded from this review due to its U.S. focus, research from other countries suggests that community-managed forests and green spaces can support well-being, particularly when designed and programmed through cross-sector collaboration. These findings offer useful hypotheses for U.S. research but cannot be assumed to apply directly due to differences in governance, land tenure, and social context.
Community forests are an underrecognized public health resource. Because they are often located in rural communities that face persistent health disparities, including limited access to recreation, healthcare, and climate resilience infrastructure, proximity, public access, and community-driven governance uniquely position community forests to support health, even though this potential has received little scientific attention.
Opportunities for Future Research
Because existing evidence is sparse, we propose a research agenda that explore the following topics and questions.
Direct Health Benefits of Community Forests
- What activities happen in community forests, who participates, and which features or programs encourage activity? Does forest activity replace sitting or other exercise?
- Does forest time improve mood, reduce stress, or ease anxiety/depression? Which features or programs work best, and for whom?
- How can international “forest bathing” approaches be adapted and tested in U.S. forests?
Motivations and Barriers of Community Forest Use
- What helps or stops local residents from using forests?
- How can schools, clinics, and community groups encourage visits, e.g., outdoor ed, nature prescriptions, or organized activities?
- Do outreach, events, or programming improve physical or mental health?
Climate & Economic Benefits of Community Forests
- How do forests’ climate services (cooling, clean water, carbon storage) improve local health?
- How does economic growth from forests affect community well-being, and who benefits most?
Social Connections
- Do forests strengthen community ties, sense of belonging, and local identity?
- How do stronger social bonds relate to health outcomes?
Equity & Access
- Who has access to community forests, and who benefits most?
