Page 25 - Georgia Forestry - Issue 1 - Winter 2023

is proud to announce the merger and acquisition of
lack of labor in the woods. Those are huge challenges we’re facing,” said Parker.
As inflation continues to increase, the underlying cost of operations follows. The expensive heavy machinery required for harvest operations is only getting pricier, and the gas that powers it is just the same.
“The money has to come from some- where, and it’s typically coming out of the pockets of the landowners. I can look at it from both ways — working as a procure- ment forester buying timber and working with mills, as well as a landowner. We’re all in it together. The landowner, the log- ger, the mills, we all have to lean on each other to make it all work,” said Parker.
There’s Something Special About Georgia
Fortunately, the industry has a tremen- dous ally in the place they call home. Leaders in Georgia’s state government have led the way for the success of the forestry industry here, setting a standard of excellence.
“Hats off to the state of Georgia. You look at the national average of privately owned forest land versus publicly owned, Georgia kills every- body. Georgia’s business climate makes managing and keeping land much easier for us. The state sets a great example for the rest of the nation to follow,” said Parker.
The state continues to look for ways to support the industry. Just last fall, voters chose to pass a referendum that will pro- vide an annual ad valorem (property) tax exemption for equipment used for man- aging, harvesting and replanting forests.
What makes forestry so unique com- pared to other industries is that it can be seen almost everywhere you look in your daily life.
“The light poles that hold up the power lines to your homes, the beams in the walls that support your home, the paper on your desk — there’s something to do with forest products in nearly anything and everything we do if you really think about it,” said Parker. “I think this indus- try is one of the most important things we have in this country and we need to do everything we can to protect it and make sure it prospers.”
JOHN CASEY IS A STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTANT WITH A PRIMARY FOCUS ON JOURNALISM, POLITICS AND PUBLIC POLICY.
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