assessment of sustainability of our forests

Southern Forest Resource Assessment

 Below is the original wording of one of the preliminary questions and public suggestions or concerns submitted about it--for details see our Public Input or Methods pages
 
 

"How have land uses changed in the South and how might changes in the future affect the forest land base?"
  1. It should look at how regulations restricting either region population growth or local land use conversion would affect both the communities and the forests.
  2. Within the scope of the assessment, what was the productive capacity of forestlands that have been converted to non-forest uses?
  3. In private forests there either is conversion to homesites or ranches.
  4. Further urbanization of the forest will continue. There will be more sterile pine plantations intensively managed with low biodiversity. There will be more eroded streams with septic tank contamination.
  5. Assess the impacts of different land uses.
  6. Conversion of forestland to non-forest uses constitutes the biggest threat for forest fragmentation, with associated negative effects on the forests and associated plant and animal habitats.
  7. The Assessment should document the actual causes of forest loss, land use change, and fragmentation. The magnitude of this loss of forests and associated values should be contrasted with the positive influences of ongoing forest management, harvesting and regeneration.
  8. Past and future land-use changes affecting the forest land base is directly related to fish and wildlife habitat.
  9. How have land uses changed, and how might changes in the future affect the ecological sustainability of forest ecosystems.
  10. What is the impact of the comparative advantages between forest economics and agricultural economics on the availability of forestland?
  11. What is the impact of Federal subsidy on agriculture land on the availability of forestland?
  12. Assessment should document the actual causes of forestland loss, including land use change and fragmentation.
  13. Assessment should document the relationship between income from forest management and maintaining forestland in the face of urban encroachment.
  14. The Southern Assessment should document the actual causes of forest loss, land use change, and fragmentation. The magnitude of this loss of forests and associated values should be contrasted with the results of ongoing forest management, harvesting and regeneration.
  15. FIA information indicates that forest acreage losses are occurring around rapidly growing urban centers, thus causing deforestation, changes in land use, and forest fragmentation. Thus urban encroachment will continue to result in significant changes and long-term impacts on the forests of the South. Assessment should document the relationship between income from forest management and maintaining forestland in the face of urban encroachment, and the associated benefits to other forest resources.
  16. We hope the Assessment will look at the relationship between available markets for forest products and forest fragmentation. In other words, do areas with good markets for forest products tend to have less forest fragmentation? Is there less clearing of land for pasture, row crops, etc.? How does this compare to regions without good markets? How has large ownership by forest industry contributed to preventing fragmentation of the Southern forest?
  17. How have land uses changed in the South and how might historical trends indicate that the forest land base may be affected in the future?
  18. What will the impact be of the urban sprawl problem combined with the chip mill expansion in the Southeast?
  19. How much native hardwood forest has been converted to softwood agriculture in the last 20 years and how much will be converted in the next 20 years? Is this conversion occurring to supply the local industries and benefiting the local economies or is it going to more distant value added industries? Use all available imaging from Dept. of Agriculture, USGS, TVA, satellite and aerial photos to determine land use changes. Predict future changes by considering increased population, consumption, and decreased supply in other areas--SERTS MODEL.
  20. What areas are most likely to have to limit their population growth due to water shortages or water quality and could intact forests allow for greater population growth? loss on clearcuts and roads of various slopes and how persistent is this soil loss over time?
  21. What attracted existing industries to the area and does the industrial forestry in the area inhibit other industries from locating in the region?
  22. Type conversion to market commodity production should be qualified and its impacts identified.
  23. We must remember that not every country is economically or technologically able to manage their forests as well as we manage the Southern forest. It would be irresponsible of us as global citizens to place undue pressure on the forest resources of developing countries simply because we have a poor understanding of how our forest system works.
  24. Impacts of conversion of agriculture lands to forest and other habitats.
  25. Ecotourism makes a significant, and rapidly growing, contribution to the Georgia economy. It has the potential to reverse the downward slide in the economic status of many rural communities. The growth of this industry had already been compromised by our short-sighted forest policies.
  26. Project under various demand senarios how many acres of native forest will be converted to agricultural tree plantations and the effect of intensive harvest on soil fertility and productivity.
  27. Please address exports of raw forests in the form of chips and pulp to the global economy. How many jobs equivalent are exported annually from the southeast in raw forest exports (chips and pulp). How many jobs have been shifted by pulp and paper industries out of the southeast US. to cheaper labor markets outside of the US.? What is the trend of companies like Champion, LP and others increasing production levels to South and Central America?
  28. 6 What market forces determine conversion to other land uses?
  29. Evaluate definitions of forestland (continuum between suburban and forest). Look at effects of forest policies on LU.
  30. The economic and human impacts of conversions from native forests to other land uses.
  31. What’s causing the permanent conversion of forests to other land uses.
  32. Over-development in rural lands; over-conversion to meet growing urbanization.
  33. Focus on changes in land use changes, e.g., used to be forest to agriculture, which is reversible, but to an interchange isn’t reversible.
  34. Impact of timber markets on decisions to keep land in trees.
  35. 6 What market forces determine conversion to other land uses? Impact of timber Irreversibility of land use change.
  36. Conversion to non-forest and the impact of it. Trends – what’s going to happen in the future, i.e., conversion of land to non-forest?
  37. How land use has affected availability of timber and forest management options rather than its presence, e.g., prescribed burning.
  38. Forestland to residential, power right-of-ways and fragmentation of forestland; changes in tax laws forcing people to sell off land - fragmentation.
  39. Low timber markets encourage landowners to keep their lands in forest. The ability of landowners to do this vs. fragmenting it, selling to uses. Keep land in trees.
  40. Emphasize how much forestland has changed to other uses & AG.
  41. How has science and technology affected the land base?
  42. Consider genetically altered crops and effects on land use.
  43. The demands from public are also a driving force in land use changes. Need to examine them.
  44. Activities for forest management vs. similar activities for other uses. Make sure you attribute the impact to the right use, e.g., forest clearing for harvest vs. for a Walmart lot. Forestland – all these questions are carefully defined - agriculture vs. timberland. Careful in land use change questions and answers vs. habitat.
  45. Development per se: commercial, residential, retirement, fragmentation, forest mortality, and forest health influences land changes.
  46. Discuss how energy crops may increase demand for wood and pressures on land use.
  47. Excluding conversion of land from agriculture to forests, the forest land base is decreasing.
  48. Shopping center impacts on forest land base.
  49. How do global markets affect land use changes.
  50. Look at connection between population, density and availability.
  51. What factors does industry evaluate when making location decisions? (Especially demographic factors)
  52. Urban versus rural. How do attitudes differ based on people who grew up in rural vs. new there – “exposure.”
  53. Focus on absentee vs. on site owners. (Corporate vs. individuals).
  54. Take a look at how industry evaluates where to locate mills, e.g., illiteracy, lack of zoning, economically distressed, low salary, minority, and low voter registration rates. What demographic criteria does industry use?
  55. Useful to have a demographic profile of foresters, private and public land managers, who are making decisions. Assistance foresters – loggers, not necessarily foresters. The population in or near urban areas appears to be changing upward whereas in many rural areas the population is declining. As farmlands continue to decline how we reuse or reforest these lands becomes extremely important. Neither mono-cultural plantings nor pure time succession is the answer to this reforestation problem; we must find site-specific solutions.
  56. Look at demographic and community social structure difference. Countries with strong timber extraction industry to those without.
  57. Compare demographics of county with high timber with a county with low timber extraction.
  58. On research - encourage results to be stratified at least by urban and rural population.
  59. Look at two parts of demographics: Absentee ownerships and inheritance.
  60. Look at correlation between promoting, enhancing and strengthening of forest products industry and controlling urban sprawl.
  61. Demographic profile of private forest land managers, assistant foresters.
  62. Address those who don’t use technical assistance (and who is and why/demographics).
  63. How does local zoning/land use restrictions impact the ability to manage forest resources?

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Question as revised in response to these comments

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  modified: 1-MAR-2000
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