Date: May 17, 2011
>
>                                                  Contacts:  Steve Bekkerus
>                                                               404-347-7240
>
>                                                                  Zoë Hoyle
>                                                               828-257-4388
>
>
>  Forest Service unveils first comprehensive forecast on southern forests
>  Urbanization expected to reduce forest area in South during next 50 years
>
> The USDA Forest Service and the Southern Group of State Foresters released
> the first phase of the Southern Forest Futures Project report on Tuesday,
> May 17, which identifies areas forest managers will focus on to maintain
> southern forests in the coming years.
>
> According to the report, urbanization, bioenergy use, weather patterns,
> land ownership changes and invasive species will significantly alter the
> South’s forests between the years 2010 and 2060.  About 23 million acres of
> forest land are projected to decrease.  People are also expected to
> influence water resources, wildlife, recreational opportunities, fire and
> other issues.
>
> Project team members used computer models and expert analysis to develop
> the report.  It will serve as a guide as Forest Service personnel seek to
> maintain the vitality and efficiency of forests in the South.
>
> “The agency is poised to respond to the implications of the findings in the
> summary report,” according to Forest Service Southern Regional Forester Liz
> Agpaoa, “The summary report clearly demonstrates the urgent need for
> developing a collaborative strategy to conserve and restore southern
> forests. A healthy and prosperous America relies on the health of our
> natural resources, and particularly our forests.”
>
> The technical and summary reports completes phase one of the two-phase
> project and begins a 60-day public comment period, wherein people can
> submit remarks via the Futures Project website at
> http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/futures/.
>
> Forest Service employees can view the summary report and other materials at
> http://fsweb.srs.fs.fed.us/comm/futures/index.shtml
>
> To put the report’s forecast into perspective, Rob Doudrick, director of
> the Forest Service Southern Research Station, said the potential decrease
> in forest area is equivalent to the state of South Carolina. “Urbanization
> along with population growth equates to more demands for additional goods
> and services from a declining forest base. This could have a dramatic
> impact on our Southern forests,” he said.
>
>         Additional key findings are:
>       o  Population growth will bring more runoff from roads, buildings
>          and parking lots as well as increased pollution, impacting
>          supplies of clean drinking water and the quality of aquatic
>          habitats
>       o  More numerous and severe wildfires are forecasted
>       o  More frequent and intense wildfires will pose additional
>          challenges to community and forestry wildfire organizations
>       o  The spread of plant, insect and disease pests could severely
>          affect native species, forest productivity and wildlife
>       o  More than 1,000 plant and wildlife species of conservation
>          concern could be threatened by urbanization, climate change and
>          invasive species
>
> “Over the next 50 years, multiple forces will interact to determine the
> future of southern forests,” said Charlie Morgan, Mississippi State
> Forester and chairman of the Southern Group of State Foresters. “This
> report will give state foresters information they need to inform their
> programs and make decisions in their respective states.”
>
> More than 30 scientists, researchers, foresters and other experts with the
> Forest Service, state forestry agencies and universities contributed to the
> study.
>
> “The Forest Service was well positioned to undertake this complex project,”
> said Dave Wear, project co-leader and economist with the Southern Research
> Station.  “In the South we have a network of scientists from the various
> scientific disciplines needed to address all of the issues and forest
> managers dealing with them on a day-to-day basis.”
>
> John Greis, the other project co-leader with the Southern Region of the
> Forest Service, added that “we reached out to the broad public to identify
> the important issues and subjected all the work to independent scientific
> review.”
>
> Beginning in Fall 2011, the Forest Service will release separate reports
> that detail the findings and implications for forest management and
> conservation for five sub-regions of the South, which are the Piedmont,
> Coastal Plain, Appalachian/Cumberland, Mississippi Alluvial Valley and
> Mid-South. The 13 southern states included in the study are Alabama,
> Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North
> Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
>



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Kier Klepzig
Assistant Director for Research
Southern Research Station, USFS
200 WT Weaver Blvd.
Asheville, NC 28804
(828)257-4307
kklepzig@fs.fed.us
TTY 828 259-0503
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