Southern Forest Resource Assessment led by the USDA Forest Service's Southern Region and Southern Research Station in collaboration with the USEPA, US Fish & Wildlife, TVA, and state forestry agencies of the Southern United States

Public Inputs on the Preliminary Questions Assessing the long term vitality of the South's forest resources is a complex undertaking. To focus our efforts, we drafted a set of preliminary assessment questions in June 1999 for public review, organized around five broad categories. The categories and original questions are listed below. Links next to each preliminary question take you a page which reports the suggestions, concerns and issues submitted by the public about that question. Listed last is a section for questions or suggestions about the overall assessment or its process. All of the inputs were considered in constructing the proposed questions. Please see the Methods Page for details on how the original comments were summarized and reported. All of the public comments pages along with this page are also available as a single PDF file, public-inputs1.pdf 1.7 MB in size, which may be more convenient for printing or off-line viewing. Using the file requires a free Adobe Acrobat Reader. Landscapes/Terrestrial Ecosystems Social and Economic Factors Timber Markets and Forest Management Forest Extent, Conditions, and Health Watersheds, Aquatic/Riparian Ecosystems, and Forested Wetlands Landscapes/Terrestrial Ecosystems 1. What is the history, status, and likely future of terrestrial wildlife habitat types in the South? 2. What conditions will be needed to sustain plant and animal habitat associations in the South? 3. What are the likely effects of expanding human populations, urbanization and infrastructure development on habitats, animals, and plants? 4. How has forest management and access shaped terrestrial ecosystems in the South? General comments on this category Social/Economic Factors 1. How have land uses changed in the South and how might changes in the future affect the forest land base? 2. What is the demographic profile and attitudes of Southern citizens toward forests and their management and how have they changed? 3. How do current policies, regulations, and laws (for example, Best Management Practices) affect forest resources and their management? 4. What motivates private forest landowners to manage their forest land and how are their management objectives formed? 5. What role do forests play in employment and local economies in the South? 6. What are the supplies of and demands for forest based recreation and other uses of forests in the South? General comments on this category Timber Markets and Forest Management 1. What are the demands for and supplies of wood products in the South? 2. What are the status and trends of forest management practices in the South? 3. How might new technologies influence timber harvesting and conditions of forests? 4. What are the management approaches of various forest ownership classes in the South? General comments on this category Forest Extent, Conditions, and Health 1. What is the history, status, and likely future of Southern forests (area, ownership, and location)? 2. What is the history, status, and likely future of the structure of forests in the South (age, species composition, stand size, stand origin, fragmentation)? 3. What factors (insects, disease, fire exclusion, environmental stressors) have and could continue to influence the overall health of the South's forests? General comments on this category Watersheds, Aquatic/Riparian Ecosystems, and Forested Wetlands 1. What is the history, status, and likely future of water quality in Southern forested watersheds? 2. What is the history, status, and likely future of forested wetlands in the South? 3. How have forest management activities and other forest uses influenced water quality and aquatic habitat in forested watersheds? 4. What are the implementation rates and effectiveness of BMP's in the South? 5. What is the history, status, and likely future of aquatic habitats and species in the South? General comments on this category Study or Assessment Process 1. Assessment methodology 2. Scope of assessment analysis 3. Project data management 4. Public involvement process 5. Sub-regional focus areas Proposed Questions | Assessment Home | SRS Home

  modified: 1-MAR-2000
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