When it comes to agriculture, very few people in Habersham County think about forestry. Forestry ranks as the second largest industry in the state of Georgia in terms of employment and salaries. When you look at Georgia’s land cover, over 67% of Georgia’s 37 million acres are covered in forests. Of that, an astounding 14 million acres or 56% is managed by private land owners. Here in Habersham we are blessed with an abundance of private and public forest lands. In an effort to assist these land owners, UGA Extension Forestry Specialist Ben Jackson is teaming up with local partners including the Georgia Forestry Commission and Natural Resources Conservation Service to provide an educational program on March the 10th.
The program will be hosted at the old Courthouse in the Commissioners Conference Room. The program will begin at 2pm with a session taught by Dr. Ben Jackson entitled: The Development of Forest Management Plans: How To and Why? Next, Georgia Forestry Commission professionals will discuss Cost Share Programs Through the Georgia Forestry Commission. We’ll also have a forester from the Natural Resources Conservation Service on hand to speak on the 2014 Farm Bill. The 2014 Farm Bill featured a major focus on forestry. We’ll also hear from our local Natural Resources Conservation Office about local programs hosted through their office here in Clarkesville. The program is slated to run from 2-4pm on Tuesday, March 10th at the old courthouse in Clarkesville.
It is our hope that the program will give you some real insight on how to manage your property, whether you have just a few acres of forest, or hundreds of acres of forest land. Knowing your options is key to making the most of your time, and especially your money. Some of the emerging opportunities highlighted by the Georgia Forestry Commission lie in the emerging bioenergy industry, of which Georgia is emerging as a leader. Forbes Magazine ranked Georgia 3rd in the nation for potential biomass energy as measured by the amount of biomass available in the state. The marketing of bioenergy products along with traditional products should increase the value of forests. Dr Jackson would like to encourage land owners to consider proper reforestation and management of timber crops to maximize your bottom line, and to maximize their value to our local community and environment.
Trees are a valuable renewable resource that provide clean air, clean water, habitat, and also an abundance of products. Georgia’s commercial timberlands grow 19 million tons more wood each year than is harvested. This results in overall growth exceeding harvest by 38%. Georgia’s timberland coverage has remained somewhat stable since the 1950’s. The losses in urban areas have been offset by converting marginal cropland in to timber reserves across the state. Few realize that our stands of timber in Georgia are greater now than they were in the 1930’s. Knowing how to properly manage these forests is key to not only maximizing your present, but also Georgia’s future. We hope to see many forest landowners at the meeting on February 10th. For more information contact your local Extension Office at 706 754-2318 or [email protected].
