Page 19 - Georgia Forestry - Issue3 - Summer 2021

lost faith in the idea of forests as timber farms, despite current tribulations.
“While low timber prices can be frus- trating,” he says, “they’re also attracting mills. In big swaths of south Georgia, we’ve had so much investment in mills. The moving of mills near the forests gives us comfort and confidence that the forests will stay there in the future.”
Another article of faith is the dedi- cation of the landowners, as well as the conservationists and capitalists — once a most unlikely alliance — banding together to support them.
“We can confirm that forest owners love having forests,” Mendell says. “They like to replant their trees and manage them productively. We know this. We have the data. The land ethic and the commitment families have to the land is a beautiful, important piece of the forest story.”
ELIZABETH LENHARD, A FREELANCE FEATURES JOURNALIST, FREQUENTLY WRITES ABOUT SOUTHERN FOOD AND CULTURE. SHE LIVES AND WORKS IN DECATUR, GEORGIA.
DEFINING SUCCESS
A diverse and functional collaborative that serves as a model for complex conservation initiatives everywhere.
Local & engaged leadership working at multiple scales throughout the project area.
Vibrant public/private partnerships aligned around the long-term economic and biological sustainability of Southern forests.
Policy and related enabling conditions that support and encourage the view of forests as critical infrastructure are in place and under development.
Healthy markets exist for all forests-related products, from lumber to water to wildlife habitat.
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