Forestry

Overview

Georgia forests, located in the heart of the nation's "wood basket," cover some 24.8 million acres. In the past 10 years, total forest land has been gradually increasing. Forests now cover 67 percent of the land area statewide, making Georgia the largest timber-producing state in the southeastern U.S.

In 2004, 131 out 159 counties were greater than 50 percent forested.

Georgia is home to nearly 1,400 forest products manufacturers. The state is consistently ranked near the top in pulp and paper production and in the top ten lumber-producing states.

Artificial and natural reforestation and afforestation averages more than 406,000 acres per year. At the same time, the annual final harvest averages less than 322,000 acres. In spite of increasing demands on Georgia's forest, the state's timber inventories are higher than they were 10 years ago.

Through professional forest management, Georgia's largest renewable resource can meet society's demands well into the 21st century.

Georgia's forest-products industry is environmentally friendly, based on a renewable resource wisely managed by professional foresters. Forest products are recyclable and biodegradable, making them a natural choice for today's environmentally conscious consumers.

Publications

Commercial and Professional Publications

• Georgia Farm*A*Syst: Forest Resources Management
• Land Application of Pulp Mill Lime Mud

General Publications

• Forest Farming - Forest Gardening Growing Alternative Crops Under a Forest Canopy

To see other publications, go to the CAES Publications site or the FACS Publications listing.

News

For the latest news about Extension, visit Georgia FACES. News you can use about Georgia family, agricultural, consumer and enviromental sciences.

• Check with a consultant before planting specialty trees for profit
• Georgia grown Fraser fir Christmas trees on the horizon
• UGA's Southeast Energy Options Conference features Jimmy Carter and alternative energy experts
• 2013 Ag Forecast to focus on agricultural exports
• Fall is the perfect time to plant shade-providing trees
• Pest lays eggs in the tips of tree branches causing them to break
• UGA researchers in agriculture and forestry receive $2 million in grants to study biofuel crops
• Bark beetles attack drought-stressed pine trees
• Spring is best time to discover invasive cogongrass

Websites

UGA-affiliated sites

• Forest *A* Syst
  Tools to manage your private woodlands
• Impact Statements: Forestry
  Descriptions of Extension efforts to improve knowledge and practices related to forestry.
• Silvopasture
  An online course on the establishment and management principles for pine forests in the Southeastern United States
• UGA Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health: Forest Resources Information
• Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources
  This college homepage includes resources targeted to students, researchers and communities with ecological concerns.

External sites

• Georgia Forestry Association
  Promotes the interests of Georgia's extractive and wood products industries on regulatory and legislative issues. Provides some educational resources, links and contacts.
• Georgia Forestry Commission
  Includes extensive information on forest fires, forest management, and forest products.
• Society of American Foresters
  Provides education, certification, career, and community resources for current and future forestry professionals.
• US Forest Service
  Provides resources for forest protection and management, forestry research, local and federal government programs and government forestry employees.