Forests are a valuable resource that needs to be managed. Historically, the best way to manage forests is through property rights. When people are holding trees as an investment, they are more likely to plan the sale of timber to the market.
When the forests are viewed as a commons. People are likely to trash the forests to get money now regardless of the price.
The United States had the experience that loggers trashed the forests on public lands. Once ownership was better established the industry matured. So, there are more trees in the United States than there were a hundred years ago.
Interestingly the biggest problem in the US is that environmentalists prevent proper forest management; so we have been experience really bad fires.
The fire is another problem entirely and might downplay the wins of ownership. I really hope proper forest management is effected through relevant policies moving forward. My country is far behind the US in almost every aspect, except poverty of course.
When people actually own a forest, the owners generally do a better job protecting the resource from fire than collectively owned land. This is especially true when the resource is owned by locals.
As for poverty, I would not be surprised to see the US catching up with Nigeria in that area. The ruling elite have mismanaged the US economy for decades. City streets are lined with homeless camps and millions of people are but a paycheck from hunger. The only thing holding the US together is the fact that the US Dollar is held as a the reserve currency.
If that stops things in the US will get bleak fast.
BTW: It gets cold here. Our poverty might start with people freezing.
!BEER
The US has a strong military. I don't think the country will degenerate to the level of Nigeria. She will rather find countries with resources to invade and make use of their resources to boost their economies. I don't even know what I am saying.