Page 10 - Georgia Forestry - Summer 2017

Working Forests
SPONSORED BY
Working People
Story by Matt Hestad
Georgia’s working forests are not here by mistake. They are supported by a strong system of ordinary people who provide truly extraordinary services.
Georgia’s private forests deliver daily benefits to the state’s 10.2 million citizens. When you stop to think about it, virtually every part of your day is supported by the 22.2 million acres of privately owned forests that make up nearly two-thirds of the state. From the air you breathe and the water you drink to the beauty and recreation you enjoy and the 5,000 products that sustain your life, Georgia’s forests are working for you.
But, Georgia’s forests haven’t been here forever, and they aren’t here by accident. No, working forests are supported by working people — more than 600,000 landowners and 135,000 individuals employed by the forest industry.
These individuals are embedded in our communities. They are moms and dads, rec-league baseball coaches, civic leaders, hunters and anglers, football fans and BBQ enthusiasts. They believe in an honest day’s work; they take pride in their hometown; they believe in building trust through honesty and integrity; and, most of all, they enjoy what they do. Whether they are a landowner, forester, logger, log truck driver or mill owner, they are ordinary people who provide truly extraordinary services to our state.
8 | GEORGIA FORESTRY