A 1994 study estimated that 440,000 families and individuals own three-fourths of the forestland in Alabama. Many of these private landowners own small parcels, averaging 80 acres. According to a more recent study, the non-industrial private forest acreage increased by 12 percent since 1990. The forestland cover is 46% hardwood, 34% pine, and 20% pine-hardwood. Most of the success of forestry in Alabama is the result of these private landowners who have taken active roles in managing their forestland.

Forestry in Alabama is a great success story! Today Alabama’s forests are growing more trees than ever previously recorded. These forests support 70,000 people that are directly employed with forest-based companies and 100,000 people that are indirectly dependent upon the forest industry. Because of strong markets, the South’s timber production more than doubled over the last fifty years. Even with this demand for wood, forestland and timber volumes increased.

Hunting and fishing are extremely important activities in Alabama. In 1940 there were only 14,000 deer and 11,600 turkey. Today, there are an estimated 1.4 million deer and 350,000 turkey! In 1996, 1.3 million Alabama residents 16 years old and older engaged in fishing, hunting, or wildlife-watching activities. Wildlife-associated recreation in Alabama generated $1.8 billion in 1996, including trip-related expenditures, equipment purchases, licenses, contributions, land ownership, leasing, and other items and services. The five most hunted game species are deer, squirrel, dove, turkey and rabbit. The top species fished in Alabama are bass, bluegill, bream, catfish, and crappie.

Alabama ranks fourth in the nation for its incredible biological diversity. Alabama has more species of fish, mussels, snails, and crayfish than any other state. There are more than 800 species of vertebrate animals and 3,400 plant species in Alabama. These species live in more than 280 unique ecosystems that cover Alabama’s landscape.

There are many recreational opportunities in Alabama. The state has 24 state parks and 4 national forests, with 13 national forest recreation areas. In addition, there are three state forests that offer some recreational opportunities to the public. Many forestland owners manage their property for recreation. The citizens of Alabama and tourists who visit may choose from a variety of activities, including: camping, fishing, backpacking, rappelling, white water rafting, swimming, hunting, photography, scuba diving, golfing, spelunking, sailing, and bird watching.

There is significant public interest in encouraging and promoting good stewardship of Alabama’s natural resources. Because landowners play the primary role in maintaining and enhancing their forestland, it becomes extremely important to the people of Alabama that these landowners are supported in carrying out their objectives. Forest Stewardship is a program that provides technical, educational, and financial assistance to these landowners.

Background and Purpose of the Forest Stewardship Program

Legislative authority for the use of Forest Stewardship funds is provided for the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978, as amended. Through the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act, the USDA Forest Service provides funding to state forestry agencies “to encourage the long-term stewardship of non-industrial private forest lands by assisting owners of such lands to more actively manage their forest and related resources by utilizing existing State, Federal, and private sector resource management expertise and assistance programs.” The purpose of the Act is to assist in:

(1) the establishment of a coordinated and cooperative federal, state, and local forest stewardship program for management of the non-federal forest lands;

(2) the encouragement of the production of timber;

(3) the prevention and control of insects and diseases affecting trees and forests;

(4) the prevention and control of rural fires;

(5) the efficient utilization of wood and wood residues, including the recycling of wood fiber;

(6) the improvement and maintenance of fish and wildlife habitat;

(7) the planning and conduct of urban forestry programs;

(8) broadening existing forest management, fire protection, and insect and disease protection programs on non-federal forest lands to meet the multiple-use objectives of landowners in an environmentally sensitive manner;

(9) providing opportunities to private landowners to protect ecologically valuable and threatened non-federal forest lands; and

(10) strengthening educational, technical, and financial assistance programs that provide assistance to owners of non-federal forest lands.

Natural resource managers face new challenges as land use and ownership patterns change. Urban growth into traditionally forested acres is fragmenting land into smaller parcels with a greater number of landowners. These landowners have diverse objectives and attitudes that are not addressed by traditional forestry practices. Natural resource managers are responding with new management recommendations that meet non-traditional landowner objectives. Additionally, protecting homes and natural resources from wildfires becomes more difficult with increased wildland/urban interface communities.

With increased land purchases come new landowners unfamiliar with resource management practices. This creates a challenge to ensure that new landowners are provided proper information and education. There is a growing effort to empower non-government interest groups to educate these landowners. In addition, government agencies must find efficient methods to serve more landowners with fewer employees.

Smaller ownership parcels create an additional problem with economy-of-scales of traditional forest harvesting operations. Before equipment can be moved, timber purchasers frequently must locate several small parcels of timber to harvest in a local area. This creates further complexity in their operation. Landowners are responding by forming cooperatives and local landowner groups to advertise their timber products on general mailing lists, including web-based sites. The same process is happening with recreational hunting. Hunting groups are forming by leasing several properties for a single hunting club.

Nationwide, governments are passing new laws and local regulations to ensure natural resource protection. Everyone must respond appropriately to these laws, whether they are based on uninformed public perception of land management and ownership or sound principles and research. Facts should be provided if these laws and regulations are based on false information. Natural resource managers must educate landowners in properly applying these practices where research has shown that protection efforts are needed.

The United States now lives in a global economy. Timber producers in the South are facing new competition from imports. In addition, global markets are in a recession and the demand for wood products has decreased. Landowners must find new markets for their natural resource products. Research efforts should be increased. Additionally, startup business ventures producing new products or moving into new market areas should be supported where they are economically sound.

There is a growing public demand for certification programs that recognize wood products harvested from properly managed forestland. Several certification programs exist in Alabama that recognize multiple-use, sustainable forest management. Certification of Alabama forestland will promote better land management that improves Alabama’s natural resources and will improve the marketability of landowner’s wood products.

Forestry is a long-term investment. Many times landowners receive significant revenue only once in their lifetime. Expenses, such as annual taxes, timber stand improvement practices, or reforestation can quickly offset revenues. In order to promote sustainable, long-term management, landowners need assistance to reduce their expenses and equate their forestland investments to alternative investments. Avenues to accomplish this include low property taxes rates, capital gains, tax credits, and cost-share incentives. Subsidies should continue to be used to offset catastrophic losses, such as those caused by Southern Pine Beetle.

There is great interest in maintaining all plant and animal species in the State. One hundred and fifteen plants and animals are listed as either threatened or endangered in Alabama. Landowners must be informed of these species, whether or not they are located on their property, and management practices that should be implemented to protect them.

The Alabama Forest Stewardship Program will focus on identifying and motivating landowners to actively manage their land under the multiple-use stewardship principles. The program will also explore all avenues to protect, utilize, and enhance the natural resources of the State of Alabama. Alabama’s Stewardship program will use the following strategies to meet the program’s purpose:

• Promote the development of interest groups (landowners and stakeholders) that increase efforts towards assisting landowners to maximize stewardship goals. These groups will contact and mentor landowners, provide information, and refer them to resource providers.
• Develop a database listing all forest landowners in Alabama. Utilize the database to contact landowners. Increase information available to landowners.
• Develop and implement strategies to contact and assist underserved/minority landowners. Determine special needs and provide appropriate support.
• Set challenging goals for resource providers (foresters, biologists, etc.) to contact landowners and provide assistance.
• Provide training for preparing multiple-use stewardship plans, working with landowners, and inspecting/certifying Stewardship Forests.
• Collaborate and support all recognized certification programs in the State, including Tree Farm, Treasure Forest, and Sustainable Forestry Initiative, to maximize acres managed under the stewardship principles.
  

• Provide opportunities and encourage landowners to get involved in current issues affecting their lands.
• Communicate success stories to the general public and other landowners. Describe how landowners implement activities to accomplish their objectives. Recognize landowners that excel in their management efforts. Find new avenues to communicate these stories to people living in urban communities.
• Develop demonstration forests showing innovative management practices and new technologies. Provide periodic tours for the general public and landowners.
• Provide training workshops for landowners. Support continuing development and distribution of technical resource publications. Support conferences that bring landowners and resource managers together to increase awareness of available management practices.
• Utilize distance-learning techniques, such as satellite videoconferences, Internet, and public service announcements, to provide educational opportunities to landowners and resource managers.
• Work with public leaders to gain support of the stewardship program. Provide leaders with knowledge of the multiple-use stewardship principles and landowner success stories.
• Promote assistance programs, reduced regulations, and increased tax credits that reduce landowner’s expenses and promote long-term sustainable forestry practices.
• Provide support for programs that will better educate students about the benefits of multiple-use management.
• Increase education efforts targeted for loggers.
• Continue efforts and show accomplishments in protecting water resources using Alabama’s Best Management Practices.
• Continue efforts and show accomplishments in protecting threatened and endangered species.
• Emphasize importance of AFC county offices as “forestry centers.”
  

• Provide financial support for the development of responsible resource technical groups/organizations designed to support landowners.
• Increase efforts to effectively implement management plan recommendations. This includes finding new methods to link landowners with service providers.
• Provide cost-share assistance to landowners that are otherwise unable to complete practices by supporting the existing federal and state cost-share programs. Utilize private entities in providing cost-share related technical assistance to landowners.
• Provide quality seedlings for reforestation using private and state nurseries. Support tree improvement programs.
• Seek opportunities to partner with agencies and interest groups to provide technical information to both landowners and professional resource providers.
• Seek new marketing strategies to advertise Alabama’s natural resources. Find new markets for existing products. Market non-traditional products. Aggressively promote economic development to ensure markets are available for natural resource products.
• Organize efforts to more effectively prevent and control forest insect and diseases on private forestlands. Utilize cost-share assistance to increase prevention and salvage efforts.
• Organize efforts to more effectively prevent and control wildfires on private forestland. Work with interested groups to promote wildland/urban interface planning.
• Organize efforts to address forest health, water quality, and threatened and endangered species concerns.
• Work with environmental groups to reach agreements relating to landowner assistance provided and management recommendations that are acceptable to all interested groups.
• Increase efforts among interested groups to locate and purchase sensitive properties to protect natural resources. Support land acquisition programs including but not limited to Forest Legacy, Forever Wild, and The Nature Conservancy. Support new programs as they are developed.
• Cross-train resource specialists to be able to provide technical advice and recommendations for multiple-use management.

Birch, Thomas W. 1995. The Private Forest-land Owners of the United States, 1994. USDA Forest Service Resource Bulletin.

Bliss, John, Tamara Walkingstick, and Mary Sisock. April 1996. Alabama Treasure Forest Landowner Workshop. Report to the Alabama Forestry Commission. 65 pp.

Dumont, Dan and Mark Bailey. July 2002. Alabama Forest Legacy Program Assessment of Need. Alabama Forest Resources Center. 80 pp.

Esseks, J. Dixon and Robert J. Moulten. February 2000. Evaluating the Forest Stewardship Program through a National Survey of Participating Forest Landowners. Center for Governmental Studies, Northern Illinois University. 113 pp.

Hartsell, Andres and Mark Brown. January 2002. Forest Statistics for Alabama, 2000. USDA Forest Service Southern Resource Bulletin SRS-67. 18 pp.

Hilton, Jarel. Summer 2000. Alabama’s Natural Diversity. Alabama Natural Heritage Program, Available on website: www.alawild.org <http://www.alawild.org>. 3 pp.

Nix, Steve. Spring 2001. Alabama Forest Inventory Completed. Treasure Forest Magazine. Page 10.

SGSF Forest Management Chiefs. June 2001. Rural Forestry Assistance Strategy for the South. 18 pp.

Waters, Robert E. 1994. Some things you should know about Wildlife in Alabama. Available on website: www.pfmt.org <http://www.pfmt.org>. 9 pp.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Threatened and Endangered Species System - Listings by State. Available on website: www.fws.gov.

Wear, David and John Greis. 2001. The Southern Forest Resource Assessment - Summary Report. USDA Forest Service. Draft available on website: www.srs.fs.fed.us <http://www.srs.fs.fed.us>. 89 pp.

The photographs on the front cover are courtesy of the Alabama Forestry Commission.