Member Agencies
The Southern Group of State Foresters (SGSF) is a non-profit organization consisting of State Foresters from across the South. We believe that strong, healthy forests are important to a stable economy in the South.
Our forests, which are predominately owned by private individuals and families, are rarely recognized for the many benefits they offer. They improve the landscape, clean air and water, enhance recreational activities, shelter wildlife, and provide a renewable resource that supports daily existence. State Foresters are available to assist you and answer your questions.
In addition to recreational benefits, Southern forests provide employment for approximately 570,000 families, paper goods, furniture products, and more to millions of families across the South.
By working together, we promote sound practices such as thinning forests to reduce the potential impact of a catastrophic wildfires, and diseases and utilize wood products to promote economic vitality and stability in communities.
Alabama Forestry Commission
P.O. Box 302550
Montgomery, Alabama 36130-2550
Telephone: 334.240.9304
State Forester: Linda Casey
Florida Division of Forestry
3125 Conner Boulevard
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1650
Telephone: 850.488-4274
Division Director: Michael Long
Kentucky Division of Forestry
627 Comanche Trail
Frankfort, Kentucky 40601-1798
Telephone: 502.564.4496
State Forester: Leah MacSwords
Mississippi Forestry Commission
301 North Lamar Street, Suite 300
Jackson, Mississippi 39201
Telephone: 601.359.2800
State Forester: Charlie W. Morgan
Oklahoma State Department of Agriculture - Forestry Services
P.O. Box 528804
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73152-8804
Telephone: 405.522.6158
State Forester: John C. Burwell
South Carolina Forestry Commission
P.O. Box 21707
Columbia, South Carolina 29221
Telephone: 803.896.8800
State Forester: Gene Kodama
Texas Forest Service
301 Tarrow, Suite 364
College Station, Texas 77843-2136
Telephone: 979.458.6600
State Forester: James Hull
U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture
Estate Lower Love, Kings Hill, St. Croix
U.S. Virgin Islands 00850
Telephone: St Croix: 340.778.0997/8
St Thomas: 340-774-5182
Dr. Louis Peterson
USDA Forest Service - Region 8
1720 Peachtree Road N.W.
Atlanta, Georgia 30367-9102
Telephone: 404.347.4177
Regional Forester: Charles "Chuck" Myers
Deputy Regional Forester, State and Private Forestry: Kenderick" Ken" Arney
Arkansas Forestry Commission
3821 West Roosevelt Road
Little Rock, Arkansas 72204
Telephone: 501.296.1941
State Forester: John Shannon
Georgia Forestry Commission
P.O. Box 819
Macon, Georgia 31202-0819
Telephone: 478.751.3480
Interim State Forester: Bob Farris
Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry
P.O. Box 1628
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70821
Telephone: 225.925.4500
Deputy State Forester: Kirk Casanova
North Carolina Division of Forest Resources
1616 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1616
Telephone: 919.733-2162
State Forester: Wib Owen
Puerto Rico Department
of Natural & Environmental Resources
P.O. Box 9066600
Puerta de Tierra
San Juan, Puerto Rico 00906-6600
Telephone: 787.724.3647
Director - Forest Service Bureau: Edgardo Gonzalez
Tennessee Department of Agriculture - Division of Forestry
P.O. Box 40627
Melrose Station, Nashville, Tennessee 37204
Telephone: 615.837.5411
State Forester: Steven Scott
Virginia Department of Forestry
900 Natural Resources Drive, Suite 800
Charlottesville, Virginia 22903
Telephone: 804.977.6555
State Forester: Carl Garrison
USDA Forest Service - Southern Research Station
P.O. Box 2680
Asheville, North Carolina 28802
Telephone: 828.257.4832
Director: Jim Reaves
USDA Forest Service - International Institute of Tropical Forestry
Jardin Botanico Sur
1201 Calle Ceiba
San Rios, Puerto Rico 00926-1119
Telephone: 787-766-5335
Director: Ariel E. Lugo