Maybe it’s because I’m getting older but I find myself thinking more and more about the things that made a real impression on me when I was a child. I was born and raised on a dairy farm in the mountains of Southwest Virginia in a small community called Coon Ridge. I think about the nights my sister, cousins, and I caught lightning bugs, and times with my dad pointing out the Milky Way and different stars in the sky. There were few neighbors and a lot of pasture and forest for all of us kids to play. There were always chores that had to be done and we were often told that, “if you don’t work in the garden, we won’t eat this winter.” It was a hard life but a good life.

Those were very formative years for me. In the Virginia hills I learned the value of hard work, grit, and the rewards of meeting new challenges. It also gave me a love and appreciation for the land and the belief that we all share a responsibility to be good stewards of our natural resources. In fact, it’s one of the reasons I earned a degree in forestry and have spent the past 35 years working in forest industry and now as Alabama’s State Forester.

As I enter my second year in this position, I realize that today I stand on the shoulders of many dedicated people who have made Alabama’s forests a true success story. In 1936, our state was 58% forested. Today, it stands at 71% or 22.6M acres. Getting to this point was not easy. Wildfire, overcutting, pests, and occasional misuse of our forests were challenges that had to be met head on. It’s a good thing there were people who did respond, because all of us benefit.

Today, Alabama’s forests face its newest and arguably most difficult challenge. Urban and land development is consuming forested acres by the thousands. The impact should concern everyone. For example, we are seeing forest stands fractured into smaller, isolated, less functional parcels. Also, forest resource managers and landowners are struggling against a rise in exotic and invasive plant species that have roots in urban land use.

The unfortunate long term result of fragmentation of our timberland resources is a negative impact on functionality such as clean water and air quality, soil erosion control, wildlife habitat, scenery, recreation, and wood products. Additionally, the potential of damage to homes and structures from wildfires increases in the urban-rural interface areas. Whether you make your living from the forest, own forested land or just like to spend time in the forest, no one among us is unaffected.

How we respond to this challenge to our state’s forests is very important. It’s the only way we will make a real difference. We can either react to the changes or be proactive. We can confront others or work together. We can stay in the here and now or prepare for the future.

For me, I believe this is an opportunity for Alabama and our forests. In other parts of the country, states are trying to correct the mistakes of urban development after the fact. Their approach is more costly and less effective. Here in Alabama, we still have a huge forest resource to consider before urban development occurs. Our goal should be to find ways to promote urban development that supports economic growth and improves quality of life, while accommodating forest sustainability. I think it can be done. It won’t be easy, but we can succeed if we do three things.

First, let’s make urban development and Alabama’s forests a public issue. Effective state agencies always work best when the people they serve are well-informed about state and local issues. The Alabama Forestry Commission is currently carrying out an educational campaign to help get the word out.

The next step is better collaboration. State agencies, homeowners, landowners, developers, planners and other groups interested in our state’s natural resources are much more effective when they work together. The Alabama Forestry Commission is in the process of initiating meetings with landowner’s, other government agencies, associations, and professional groups to find common ground for us to work together on this issue.
And lastly, we need a statewide initiative. Good intentions only go so far. Ultimate success will require a statewide commitment from all groups and interests working around a common goal to incorporate a functional forest in new urban development.

The old saying is true, “you can never go back home.” Not long ago, I went back to where I was born and raised and the change was profound. The dairy farm where I grew up no longer exists. Instead of fields and forests there are rows of houses occupied by a new generation of people working to make their families’ lives better, much the same way my father did for me and my family.

We can’t stop progress and shouldn’t even try but Alabama is at a crossroads. We can choose to be proactive and develop partnerships to collectively address this issue or we can choose to ignore it. The message of successfully addressing Urban Sprawl will be the heritage we leave our kids and grandkids. If, today, we accept this challenge to make Alabama’s forests a part of urban development, then everyone wins. That’s an opportunity we can’t afford to pass up.

Linda Casey
State Forester
Alabama Forestry Commission