Tax Tips for Forest Landowners for 2012

Each fall, Linda Wang, national timber tax specialist, and John Greene, research forester for the U.S. Forest Service Southern Research Station (SRS), prepare tax tips specifically for forest landowners. These tips are published as a Technology Update by Forest Service Southern Region. Federal income tax law contains provisions to encourage stewardship and management of private…  More 

Eucalyptus Symposium: February 22-24, Charleston, SC

Register now:  Symposium on the Assessment and Management of Environmental Issues Related to Eucalyptus Culture in the South Eucalyptus species are among the most widely planted tree species in the world and of increasing interest in the United States for bioenergy. In the South, non-native Eucalyptus species have the potential to produce much more bioenergy…  More 

Sustaining Young Forest Communities

The recent SRS publication Sustaining Young Forest Communities: Ecology and Management of Early Successional Habitats in the Central Hardwood Region, USA, addresses a variety of concerns raised by Forest Service managers and natural resource professionals regarding early successional habitats. An in-depth look by ecologists, conservationists, and land managers, the book defines early successional habitats and…  More 

The Future of Forest Watershed Research

Featured Research Article:   Vose, J.; Sun, G.; Ford, C.; et al. 2011. Forest ecohydrological research in the 21st century: what are the critical needs? Ecohydrology 4(2):146-158. Ecohydrology involves understanding the interactions among vegetation, soils, and hydrologic processes at multiple scales. The article focuses on threats to the structure and function of forested watersheds—and to…  More 

WNC Receives Mixed Report Card on Forest Sustainability

A report card recently published by SRS and the University of North Carolina at Asheville gives Western North Carolina (WNC) mixed grades on forest sustainability. The Western North Carolina Report Card provides an assessment of current economic, ecological and social conditions in the region relative to the sustainability of the areas forests, focusing on 18…  More 

Bioenergy: New Ways to Operate

When serious discussions about producing energy from woody biomass first started, the costs of harvesting and hauling the small-diameter wood and residues proposed as feedstocks presented a major barrier to making the wood-to-energy market work. For over a decade now, scientists at the SRS Forest Operations Research unit in Auburn, AL, have been field testing…  More 

Bringing Longleaf Pine Forests Back to Louisiana

Now is a good time to help bring back longleaf pine forests to Louisiana. That was the message for the 186 people who came from across the state and Texas to attend the Longleaf Restoration Field Day held this fall in the aptly named Long Leaf, LA. Longleaf pine forests once covered some 90 million…  More 

Southern Pine Beetle II

Featured Publication The southern pine beetle is the most destructive forest pest in the southern United States, causing more than $60 million in damage and lost timber income annually. The most recent outbreak of the native insect (1999-2003) caused over $1.5 billion in damages across eight states. SRS recently announced the publication of a new…  More 

One Million Acres Protected, One Acre at a Time

Feature Story Miles Cary Johnston lives in the rolling countryside east of Richmond, Virginia, on land thats been owned by his family for more than twelve generations. His acres in New Kent County stretch down to the Pamunkey River and include open fields, mixed hardwood forests—and 16 acres of loblolly pine he planted for timber…  More 

Forest Service Chief Honors Southern Pine Beetle Prevention Program

News Flash Today, December 5, the Forest Health Protection (FHP) Southern Pine Beetle Prevention Program received the 2011 Chiefs Honor Award for Sustaining Forests and Grasslands. FHP entomologist John Nowak, who serves as team leader of the program, accepted the award at the celebration held in Washington, DC, with fellow team members FHP unit director Wes Nettleton, FHP program…  More