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Old-growth forest provides many unique benefits for fish and wildlife, recreation, scenery, and overall biodiversity. On the Jefferson National Forest, the Forest Service has done a preliminary inventory of "possible" old-growth forest to identify stands to consider for protection under the revised plan. The inventory used two sources. The first is the agency;s computer records for older forest, based on ages that correspond to the half-life for each forest type-for example, stands generally over 130 years in age in upland oak-hickory forest. The second source includes forest identified through aerial photos as generally undisturbed, done in a study by Forest Service biologist Jesse Overcash. These combined acres of possible old-growth total about 60,000 acres. This report notes the acreage of these tracts found in each area.