Wildfire Threat:
Unplanned urban sprawl is exposing homeowners to increased risks from damaging wildfires. Many new
homes are built next to flammable vegetation without any consideration to protect them from wildfires. Recent
research estimated that 803 Alabama communities are at a high risk of wildfire damage, and 6,683 communities are at a moderate risk! More than three-quarters of all forest fires occur within two miles of a structure.

Economic Loss:
The economic benefits from the forest industry in Alabama are significant and directly dependent on our forests. There are more than 900 forestry-related facilities, generating 18.3 percent of the state’s total manufacturing output of 11.1 billion dollars in sales and employing nearly 54,000 people. The continued development of agricultural land carries significant risk, too, as our local farmers also need land to raise livestock and produce agricultural crops.

Loss of Critical Habitat:
Alabama’s forests provide critical habitat for a multitude of plants and animals including many of those that are threatened and endangered (T&E). T&Es are of particular importance as many scientists consider them to be indicators of the current health status of our environment. Certainly the continued unplanned push of urban sprawl will fractionalize our forests and marginalize the habitat for all species, with T&Es being especially vulnerable.