AFF’s effort to help more land owners care for their forests
Last week I trekked South with AFF's Southern Forest Conservation Director, Paul Trianosky, to southeast Mississippi to test the waters for the Foundation’s latest pilot project.
The purpose of the trip was to host several stakeholder meetings with Tree Farmers, other landowners, County Forestry Association members, Mississippi Forestry Association members, Extension leaders, the Mississippi Forestry Commission, the Natural Resource Conservation Service, and the Nature Conservancy. During these meetings, Paul introduced the plan to work with the southern 16 counties in southeastern Mississippi to engage more landowners in forest management, knowing that many of these landowners are likely to harvest or actively manage their forest at some point in their lives. We welcomed reactions and opinions and assessed overall support for the project, ensuring that communication between AFF and local groups would always be open.
All of these organizations are already working to reach forestland owners in southern Mississippi, and all recognize that their efforts, though successful, fall far short of meeting the need. To build on these efforts, AFF would like to engage and partner with existing local institutions to create a landscape scale collaborative effort which will work more effectively to reach new forestland owners. The hope is to gain greater efficiency and impact of shared resources by developing new strategies and tools to target, reach and support the forestland owners with the greatest potential for engagement and impact on the land.
Southern Mississippi is the perfect site for a pilot project addressing this age-old concern. They have a strong, active network of county forestry associations, Extension leaders, concerned landowners, and a beautiful landscape that will benefit tremendously from conservation efforts.
Nothing exemplifies this more than Brookewood Family Forest, where Paul and I stayed during our visit. Owned by Tree Farmer Judd Brooke, Brookewood includes nearly 4,200 acres about 20 miles north of Gulfport. Since Hurricane Katrina, Judd has ramped up his longleaf restoration efforts and the payoffs are really starting to show. Longleafs planted since the hurricane are now nearly 15 feet high and growing, his wildlife habitat is more diverse and better than ever, and the risk of future storm loss is reduced.
Although many of the currently “unengaged” landowners may not have the same acreage, resources, and priorities as Brookewood, they can and will benefit tremendously by AFF’s pilot project. Despite their end goal, some form of management will be better for the landowner, the health of their forest, and conservation of the unique Southern Mississippi landscape.
