| | Partnerships for Southern Forests
Partnerships for Southern Forests will work to strengthen the sustainability of Southern forests and stem the predicted fragmentation and loss of forest habitat in the South.
In 2008, Partnerships for Southern Forests (PSF) will concentrate on three major initiatives:
Conservation and Restoration of Longleaf Pine Habitat for the Gopher Tortoise:
Longleaf pine is a unique forest habitat that once covered 90 million acres in the South. This range has been reduced to less than 3 million acres and as a result the numerous species that utilize this habitat, such as the gopher tortoise, have experienced population decline. With private forestlands accounting for over 69 percent of land cover in the South, involvement of family forest owners is critical to restoration efforts.
Through outreach and education, such as demonstration field days and the development of a landowner-friendly management handbook, PSF aims to increase the number of family forest landowners who are actively managing habitat for the gopher tortoise and associated species and also encourage landowners to consider planting and managing longleaf pine.
PSF will also partner with other organizations that promote longleaf restoration and active forest management on family forestlands. In collaboration with the Conservation Incentives programs, the role that market-based incentives may play in encouraging habitat restoration for the gopher tortoise will also be explored.
Habitat Management for Declining Bird Species
Birds provide important ecological services (such as pollination and insect control) and at the same time are widely appreciated by many family forest owners, as well as the general population. Unfortunately, close to one-quarter of the 448 North American bird species are included on the Partners in Flight watchlist, which documents declines in bird populations.
Habitat loss and degradation are the primary causes that have led to these species being “watchlisted”. Active forest management by family forest landowners can create important habitat for many of these bird species and help to prevent further decline. PSF will partner with other conservation organizations and family forest landowners to increase outreach and education to landowners on habitat management that benefits watchlist species.
Working Forest Conservation Easements and Family Forestlands
The South is facing increasing development pressures which may lead forest landowners to sell their property. Conservation easements can be an important tool to stopping the development of land but may not be attractive to forest landowners who are active stewards of their property and rely on occasional timber revenue.
Working forest conservation easements, which allow active forest management, for timber, recreation, and other ecosystem services, may have a broader appeal for some forest landowners. However, there is a limited understanding of the extent that these easements have been used, the interest or acceptance among the forestland owner community, and potential needs of both landowners and land trusts in considering if a working forest easement is appropriate.
To better understand the role working forest conservation easements can play in conserving family forestlands in the South, PSF will undertake landowner and land trust survey efforts and seek funding opportunities to pilot projects that can put lessons learned from the survey into action.
In addition to these three initiatives, PSF will continue work with state and local resource agencies, as well as other nonprofits, to increase the availability of information for family forest owners on management for imperiled species.
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