Ready to purchase some acreage? Forest land? Undeveloped stands? Consider these steps before making your purchase. Decide exactly what you want before you start your search. Write everything down on paper, including what you want the property to be used for (residence, industry, recreational, investment), how far the property is from a municipality and the amount of development that the property will need, if any, to become what you ultimately intend for it to be.  Make a list of the... Read Full Story

With the evolving “green” movement in the United States and in the world economy, comes a new set of cause-and-effect considerations.  While the idea of “going green” and the widespread use of biofuels and ethanol sounds great in theory, there are many factors that must be considered.  Just because one aspect of a process produces less hydrocarbons than it did previously does not mean that the net effect of the entire process will result in fewer greenhouse gases.  Thi... Read Full Story

Did you know that there was a centralized database that listed state and local wildfire programs? The national database of state and local wildfire hazard mitigation programs serves as a clearinghouse of information about nonfederal policies and programs that seek to reduce the risk of loss of life and property through the reduction of hazardous fuels on private lands.  The database is searchable by state, jurisdiction (city, town, etc.), and even by program type. The site is sponsored by the... Read Full Story

The USDA Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture. The U.S. Forest Service administers the 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands in the United States. Major divisions of the agency include State and Private Forestry, the National Forest System, and branch responsible for Researc... Read Full Story

(by Linda Wang, Forest Taxation Specialist and John L. Greene, Research Forester, Southern Research Station) This bulletin summarizes key federal income tax provisions for forestland owners, foresters, loggers, forest product businesses, and tax practitioners. It is current as of October 1, 2008, and supersedes Management Bulletin R8-MB 130. Consult your tax and legal professionals for advice on your particular tax situation. TIMBER SALES If you have held standing timber for over 12 months, ... Read Full Story

Got Trees? Forestry 101 Conference Earlier this month, GFA mailed program and registration materials for a major landowner conference to be held on November 8 in Atlanta.  The conference is designed for active and absentee landowners and investors and will feature an expert array of speakers and facilitators. If you fall into this group, you are highly encouraged to attend. For information on the conference and to register early, log on to www.gfagrow.org  and click on Got Trees? Suggestion:... Read Full Story

Amendment 1 The next fifty days will be critical to our initiative to finally establish a property tax program in Georgia that is friendly to large forest landowners, regardless of ownership type and acreage.  GFA’s statewide promotional campaign is underway to achieve voter approval in November of Amendment 1 to implement the GA Forest Land Protection Act of 2008. The campaign has raised $247,000 to date - all from just 20 contributors. The goal of the Georgia Forestry Association is... Read Full Story

One often overlooked effect of a hurricane is its effect on forest ecosystems.  Coastal forests are obviously the most directly affected. Forests can undergo significant damage on many levels, occurring primarily within close proximity to the coast. According to the USDA Forest Service, for instance, nearly 90 percent of all forests damaged during Hurricane Katrina, were within 60 miles of the coast, predominantly in Mississippi. (1) Of the damaged trees, nearly 60 percent of the damage to tr... Read Full Story

Timber markets just can’t seem to catch a break these days. Lingering drought, poor housing markets, mill downtime, and rocketing fuel costs have conspired to push prices for most timber products down, or at least not allow them to rise. Even pine pulpwood prices, recently somewhat of a silver lining in the market, have suffered some lately. This is primarily due to record fuel prices and government mandated boiler maintenance at Georgia-Pacific’s pulp mill at Cedar Springs, Georgia. Lumber, ... Read Full Story

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved a draft rule prohibiting anyone from hunting in or near a permanent duck blind on four lakes near Tallahassee. The lakes are Miccosukee, Iamonia, Carr, and Jackson. Following final review of the draft rule at the FWC’s September meeting, the rule will take effect prior to the fall waterfowl season. Under the rule, no one can duck hunt within 30 yards of a permanent blind. A permanent blind is defined as anything that provide... Read Full Story