Message from Stewardship Program

Oklahoma's landscape is one of the most diverse of any state, ranging from windswept prairies on the high plains to hardwood forests in the northeast, and southern pine forests and bald cypress swamps in the southeast. Trees and forests play an invaluable role in our environment and the state's economy. Because nearly 90% of Oklahoma's forests are privately owned, it is very important for individual landowners to recognize the benefits their forests provide and opportunities to enhance those benefits.

The state encourages landowners to use the services of professional foresters and natural resource specialists to obtain the best information and technical knowledge available for their lands. Landowners with the foresight to use professional assistance and follow a long-range management plan on their lands, such as those prepared in Oklahoma's Forest Stewardship Program, will enjoy healthy and sustainable forest resources for the future.

State Forestland Statistics:

• Total forested acres = 7.7 million acres
• Privately owned = 5.2 million acres
• Forest Industry = 1 million acres
• Forest Service = 450,000 acres
• Other Federal/State/Tribal = 1 million acres

Stewardship in Oklahoma:

• Number of stewardship plans = 975
• Acres covered by stewardship plans = 239,230 acres

Links:

• Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Forestry Services
• Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
• Southern Region Extension Forestry
• The Nature Conservancy, Oklahoma Chapter
• EPA: Global Warming Impacts on Oklahoma
• Ouachita National Forest
• USDA Forest Service, Southern Region
• Mammals of Oklahoma
• Oklahoma's Natural Heritage Inventory
• Oklahoma Forestry and Conservation Laws

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