The National Association of State Foresters has adopted a new position in support of emerging wood markets critical to the active management of our nation’s forest resources.
WASHINGTON—The nation’s 59 state and territorial foresters have agreed to a national policy position supporting emerging wood markets and the important role they play in encouraging active forest management.
“Privately owned forests—which make more than 60 percent of the nation’s forestland—provide essential economic, environmental, and social benefits to society as a whole,” said Arkansas State Forester Joe Fox, who serves as NASF treasurer and chair of the Forest Resources Management Committee. “Diverse and ample markets for wood ensure private landowners are able to generate the necessary revenue to not only retain ownership of their forestland and keep forests as forests, but also to manage it in ways that benefit all Americans.”
With this resolution, state foresters have agreed to support the research and development of new markets for wood fiber in all its forms, as well as the institutions and enterprises that provide forest management expertise, including professional foresters and the myriad natural resource agencies, non-profits, and certification bodies that are critical to realizing sustainable forest management.
“Having highly diverse wood markets increases options for forest management on state and federal lands as well,” said Scott Bissette, head of the North Carolina Forest Service and chair of the NASF Forest Markets Committee. “When markets are capable of accepting and processing all kinds of wood, land managers are empowered to remove undesirable growth that curbs forest productivity and fuels wildfires. Over the short- and long-term, these planned management activities improve the health and vigor of affected forests and even bolster the resiliency of surrounding forests.”
Media Contact: Whitney Forman-Cook at wforman-cook@stateforesters.org or 202-624-5417