Publications

Fire in the South 2

This publication explains the objectives of the Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment, presents the key findings, and demonstrates through case studies some of its practical applications.

Fire in the South 2 PDF

 

Human Influences on Forest Ecosystems

The future sustainability of southern forests and the ability to manage for forest benefits, goods, and services are challenged. The Southern Wildland-Urban Interface Assessment examines critical wildland-urban interface issues with topics including population and demographic trends, economic and tax issues, land use planning and policy issues, urban influences on forest ecosystems, challenges for forest resource management and conservation, social issues, and themes and research needs for the wildland-urban interface.

The Southern Forest Futures Project: Using Public Input to Define the Issues

The Southern Forest Futures Project builds on the Southern Forest Resource Assessment (SFRA; Wear and Greis 2002a, 2002b) which identified several forces of change reshaping forests and the potential implications for economic conditions and ecological services. The Futures Project examines how these changes and emerging factors could reshape forests over the next half century and beyond. This first-phase report presents an overview of the Project, a description of the public participation process and how public comments have provided the foundation for subsequent phases of the effort.

Strategic Factors Driving Timberland Ownership Changes in the U.S. South

The U.S. South has experienced an unprecedented change in timberland ownership over the past decade with over 18 million acres of timberland changing hands. This publication presents research on the primary factors impacting this change in timberland ownership and a discussion of how such ownership changes impact silvicultural decisions, fire suppression support and activities, and expenditures on forestry research.

Southern Forest Resource Assessment

The Southern Forest Resource Assessment provides a comprehensive analysis of the history, status, and likely future of forests in the South. Twenty-three chapters address questions regarding social/economic systems, terrestrial ecosystems, water and aquatic ecosystems, forest health, and timber management; two additional chapters provide a background on history and fire. Each chapter surveys pertinent literature and data, accesses conditions, identifies research needs, and examines the implications for southern forests and the benefits they provide.

Guiding Principles for a Practical and Sustainable Approach to Forest Carbon Sequestration Projects in the Southern United States

Key issues surrounding the development and application of forest-based offset projects in the southern region of the United States are examined in this paper. It provides the Southern Group of State Foresters’ recommendations for how these issues should be addressed in federal climate policy, should legislation be enacted.

Implementation of Forestry Best Management Practices: A Southern Region Report

This regional report on forestry BMP implementation monitoring is the first in a planned series to be published every three to five years. The report provides information for the purpose of continuously improving monitoring methods and BMP implementation, and promotes consistency among southern states for this activity.

Methodology for Assessing Forest Biomass

Recent concerns with energy security, energy costs, rural economies, and environmental concerns have increased interest in the use of forest biomass for energy. Forest biomass can be obtained directly from the forest in the forms of trees and portions of trees, and from forest product manufacturing facilities in the form of by-products such as bark, sawdust, shavings and other residues. This report provides instructions on the use of various Forest Inventory Analysis data to perform forestry biomass assessments and lists several methods of estimating the availability of biomass from forest sources.

Recommendations to Assist Federal Regulatory Agencies in the Determination of Ongoing Silviculture in Bottomland Hardwood and Cypress Swamps

The SGSF Water Resources Committee developed this general guidance document to assist Environmental Protection Agency and other federal regulatory agency representatives in making field level distinctions between ongoing silviculture for bottomland hardwood and cypress swamps and other land uses that may have similar operational aspects.

SGSF Disaster Response Handbook

This handbook presents an overview of key activities for state forestry agencies to consider when dealing with all types of disaster response, from hurricanes and wide-spread tornado outbreaks, to wildland fire and ice storms. Information is compiled into three main categories for consideration: State Agency Issues when dealing with preplanning, response and recovery, Forest Damage Assessment, and Forest Recovery Operations.

The Southern Perspective

The Southern Perspective, a quarterly e-newsletter of SGSF, shares stories about southern forestry and its complex issues.