UGA Report: Georgia forests provide $37 billion in ecological benefits to state

 A University of Georgia researcher has found that Georgia’s forestlands provide essential ecosystem services to the state worth an estimated $37 billion annually. This is in addition to the value of timber, forest products and recreation. This is the first time these indirect benefits of Georgia’s private forests have been estimated.

Rebecca Moore, an assistant professor in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, studied the 22 million acres of privately-owned forestland in Georgia to estimate the benefits of water filtration, carbon storage, wildlife habitat and aesthetics.

“People value these things,” Moore said, “but because they aren’t like other goods in that people don’t go out and buy them, it’s difficult to estimate just how much we value them. The purpose of our research was to do just that—estimate the value of the ecosystem services provided by private forests in Georgia.”

Moore’s study was conducted with funding from the Georgia Forestry Foundation. The findings of her study were announced at the state capitol on Feb. 9.

“We have had studies for some time that tell us what the economic benefit of wood and fiber manufacturing in the state is,” said Steve McWilliams, executive director of the Georgia Forestry Foundation. “This new study allows us to place a dollar value on those services we receive from the standing forests, and they are many.”

Moore’s final report, which can be found at http://www.warnell.uga.edu/news/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Final-Report-1-24-11.pdf, focused on six types of ecosystem services forests provide: gas and climate regulation; water quantity and quality; soil formation and stability; pollination; wildlife habitats; and aesthetic, cultural and passive use.

Moore and her collaborators—graduate students Tiffany Williams andEduardo Rodriguez and Warnell Assistant Professor Jeffrey Hepinstall-Cymmerman—analyzed Georgia forestlands by identifying key forest characteristics that affect ecosystem services and estimating per-acre values for each different type of forest.These values were estimated from survey data the team collected and from the results of previous published studies. What Moore found upon concluding her three-year study is that Georgia’s private forests provide an estimated $37 billion annual benefit to Georgia residents. The values can vary widely—between $200 to $13,000 per acre—depending on the location and ecology of the land, Moore said.

“Understanding the value of these benefits of forestland is important,” Moore said, “because it allows us to make better land use decisions. The ecological services forestlands provide are incredibly beneficial to Georgia, and you receive these benefits whether or not you own forestland. Many people think of them as free. But if we lose forestland, we risk losing these benefits.”

McWilliams said he hopes the results of Moore’s study focusing specifically on Georgia will result in public policy decisions that help us conserve Georgia’s working forests. “It carries a lot of weight when we can talk about Georgia forests to Georgia legislators and Georgia opinion leaders,” McWilliams concluded.

The Georgia Forestry Association is a conservation organization based in Forsyth. It works with landowners to adopt sound land management practices so that their forests will help provide clean air and water, soil conservation, wildlife habitats, recreation and timber products.

For more information on the Georgia Forestry Association, see www.gfagrow.org.

For more information on the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, see http://www.forestry.uga.edu/.

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Sawtimber Prices Expected to Recover in 2010-2011 for US South, yet Results Vary by State

/PRNewswire/ -- Turbulent times characterized by plummeting pine sawtimber prices could soon be over for timber sellers. A new stumpage price forecast published by Forisk signals climbing prices for pine sawtimber in the US South beginning in 2010. The ForiskFORECAST pine sawtimber price forecast and "Forecasting Timber Prices" workshop provide insights for timberland owners, investors, and wood procurement managers in planning future pricing and management strategies as lumber and plywood markets recover.

Despite positive indications for the US South as a region, results vary across the 11 states covered in Forisk's models. For example, between 2010 and 2011, Georgia pine sawtimber prices rebound 17% while prices in North Carolina increase less than 1% over the same timeframe according to the ForiskFORECAST. "The key is understanding the local, state-specific relationship - the elasticity - between wood demand and prices," explains Dr. Tim Sydor, Forisk's Forest Economist. "Pine sawtimber demand declined 32.6% South-wide between 2006 and 2009. Yet these declines varied by state. In the next few years, as lumber demand recovers, our historic wood demand and price analysis suggests a strong stumpage price recovery in several Southern states, while others will take longer to respond."

"Timber markets are uniquely local," says Brooks Mendell, President of Forisk. "Our clients are less concerned about national prices, and directly focused on their local options. South Georgia differs from North Alabama which differs from East Texas. Our basin studies, workshops and the ForiskFORECAST focus on the idea that successful investments in forestry or wood-using facilities rely on detailed knowledge of localized markets."

The ForiskFORECAST-Pine Sawtimber predicts annual pine sawtimber stumpage prices across the US South through 2020. It is available as an interactive Excel model or as individual forecasts for 11 states. For more information, visit www.foriskstore.com and click "Stumpage Price Forecasts."

In addition, two upcoming short courses on February 10th from Forisk - "Timber Market Analysis" and "Forecasting Timber Prices" - teach specific skills and strategies for forestry, procurement, bioenergy, investment and appraisal professionals who must evaluate pricing and demand in specific local wood markets today and looking forward. To learn more about these Atlanta-based courses, visit www.forisk.com and click on "Continuing Education."

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