The U.S. Forest Service has protected one million acres of forest through its Southern Pine Beetle Prevention Program. The milestone was reached this fall, on private land in New Kent County, VA. The program spans 13 states and crosses boundaries from privately owned land to state and national forests, aiming to prevent future outbreaks and losses. More than 13,000 individual landowners have participated in the program, together with hundreds of loggers and contractors across the South, to improve the health of southern forests.