Message from Stewardship Program

The State of Georgia is blessed with a vast forest resource covering nearly 24 million acres or 66% of the state. The timberland acreage (the acreage available for harvest) is the most of any state in the country. Due to changes in timber harvesting opportunities in other areas of the United States, wood using industries have turned to the South and our forest resource to fill the void.

Forestry is the number one industry in Georgia with an economic impact of nearly $20 billion annually. The industry accounts for more than 177,000 jobs.

Since 1989, the area of timberland increased 6 percent on non-industrial private forest (NIPF) land and totals 17.1 million acres. Timberland controlled by the NIPF sector accounts for 72 percent of the total timberland in Georgia. Timberland under forest industry control dropped 17 percent to 4.9 million acres. Public agencies control 1.8 million acres, or 7 percent of total timberland, an increase of 6 percent.

Currently, 3500 landowners, owning 910,000 acres, are enrolled in Georgia's Forest Stewardship Program. Seventy-eight percent of these participants have selected Timber Management as their primary objective for the property. Wildlife Management ranked as the primary objective for about twenty per cent of the landowners. Enrollment in recent years has shown an increase in the number of participants selecting Recreation and Aesthetics as their primary objective.

State Forestland Statistics:

• Total forested acres = 24 million acres
• Privately owned = 17.1 million acres
• Industry = 4.9 million acres
• Public Agency = 1.8 million acres

Stewardship in Georgia:

• Number of stewardship plans= 3500
• Acres covered by stewardship plans = 910,000 acres

Links:

• Georgia Forestry Commission
• Georgia Virtual Forests
• Extension Service
• Southern Region Extension Forestry
• Forest Health Protection, Southern Region
• EPA: Global Warming Impacts on Georgia
• The Nature Conservancy, Georgia Chapter

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