Southern Group of State Foresters to meet in San Antonio
June 18, 2015—COLLEGE STATION, Texas—What’s your question?
Trees are the answer. That is what several hundred forestry experts who are
converging on San Antonio June 21 – 24 would say. The Southern Group of State Foresters is
holding its 2015 conference in the Alamo City.
Alongside colleagues from numerous state and federal
agencies, forest-based industries and non-profits, attendees have an
opportunity to learn, share and consider the unique challenges and opportunities
ahead for southern forests.
Texas State Forester and Director of Texas A&M Forest Service Tom Boggus said these meetings give state foresters a chance to come together and very
powerfully speak with one voice.
Interaction and collaboration with other agencies and
organizations engaged in sustainable forest management is a big part of the
four-day meeting.
“It’s all about people and relationships. The problems and
issues are too big for us to tackle by ourselves and that is why it’s important
that we come together as a group. We come out of this with stronger
relationships and new opportunities,” Boggus said.
Known as the “wood basket” of the world, the South is
responsible for more than 55 percent of U.S. timber harvests by volume,
generating more wood products than any other country outside of the U.S.
Globally, southern forests make up only 2 percent of the
world’s forest cover, but produce 25 percent of the world’s pulpwood for paper
and 18 percent of its industrial timber according to the World Resources
Institute’s Southern Forests for
the Future website.
“What we aim to do is lead the forestry community in the South.
We are trying to pave the way for bigger and better things in the future and we
also want to tell the story of the good we are already doing,” SGSF Executive
Director Wib Owen said.
Southern forests are a vital natural asset, not only for the
South but the world. Once a year, state foresters from 13 states, the U.S.
Virgin Islands and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico come together to discuss
common problems and solutions and look at issues facing the forestry industry.
Forest Inventory and Analysis and water quality and quantity
are the hot topics this year. FIA is the nation’s only forest inventory system
for assessing the health and sustainability of our forests. Data collected is
used by everyone from economists to environmentalists—but FIA isn’t given the
credit it deserves.
“Everywhere you look,
people are using FIA numbers to make or strengthen their point—but they rarely
give credit to where they got their numbers. Because of that congress
fails to understand the fundamental importance of this program to almost
everything we do. State foresters need to promote FIA and shine the light
on where this data comes from,” Boggus said.
As one of the fastest growing states in the South, Texas
knows the importance of clean water and the effect not having it would have on
a growing economy. Most of America’s clean water comes from forested watersheds
which is why the South has guidelines called Best Management Practices for
landowners and loggers to follow to help keep water clean.
The South is no stranger to weather extremes. Record
flooding recently brought Texas out of a historic drought. Texas Division of
Emergency Management Chief W. Nim Kidd will welcome the group to Texas and address
managing for extremes such as these.
The mission of SGSF is to provide leadership in sustaining
the economic, environmental and social benefits of the South's forests. State
foresters and committee members work together to identify and address existing
and emerging issues and challenges.
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Texas A&M Forest Service
Contacts:
Brooke Catalena, Communications Specialist
979-324-0708 c, 979-458-6605 o
newsmedia@tfs.tamu.edu
Jessica Jackson, Communications Specialist
979-255-0591
newsmedia@tfs.tamu.edu