USDA FS and Southern Group of State Foresters have begun a 12 month project focused upon developing a strategic action plan addressing the gap between availability of capacity and existing need for the utilization and marketing of southern timber resources.

Efforts will include identifying new and existing uses for low-value, small diameter, otherwise underutilized trees, identification of alternative markets, and making recommendations for new research & development opportunities for value-added fiber resource utilization across the 13 State Southern Region.  Focus will also include identifying those factors affecting the marketing of hardwood forest products.

Input will be solicited from members of the forestry community in identifying constraints and opportunities related to marketing forest products in the south.

Tommy Loggins, a 1970 graduate of the  School of Forest Resources, and 1974 graduate of the College of Business Administration, both at UGA,  is onboard with the consulting assignment to assist in fulfilling the objectives of the project.  He began working with us in the Southern Region on November 17. He comes to us supported by a one-year personal services agreement with a third-party service provider.  

While serving in Georgia state government, he was involved with an array of projects and activities including supporting rural community assistance, utlilization and marketing of traditional and non-traditional forest products, engineered wood bridge program, strategic planning and finding uses for wood waste both urban  and exurban sources.

It is expected that both near-term and long-term environmental, economic, and social benefits will accrue from the efforts of this Region 8 partnership with the Forest Products Laboratory and the State Foresters.

Tommy’s contact telephone number is 404-347-2451 in the Cooperative Forestry office in R-8 Headquarters in Atlanta.  Email is t_loggins@hotmail.com.

Below is a briefing paper developed for this initiative:

Technical Assistance for Region 8 from Forest Products Lab.

Shifts in global wood markets are impacting the management, and utilization of the South’s forest resource and resultant fiber flows.  This reality has consequences affecting forest management, and impacts general economic and environmental well-being across the Southern Region.

Background: 

Concerns have been raised by private forest landowners and others on how best to utilize and market small-diameter pine.  At the same time, concerns are being voiced about the long-term sustainability of certain sectors of the hardwood furniture industry which depends upon high quality hardwoods as an input.  Imports of furniture from offshore sources threaten wood manufacturing in parts of the South.   State and federal U&M capacity has been diminished in the last decade due to a variety of factors including reassignments, retirements and attrition. This fact has impacted ability to offer assistance to forest-based businesses as global competition has intensified.

Discussion:

The one-year technical assistance project Objectives are:

• Identify technical assistance needs to help forest product businesses create and retain jobs
• Recommend mechanisms to deliver technical information
• Create linkage networks for businesses and communities
• Identify market opportunities and alternative markets for southern forest resources
• Fill void on lost utilization and marketing opportunities in the South

Areas of Emphasis:

• Identify alternative markets for low-valued trees and small diameter pine, thinnings and forest fuel reduction activities, and dead, dying and damaged forest resources
• Focus on factors driving change in the furniture and hardwood industry
• Evaluate biomass energy opportunities
• Focus on short-term accomplishments, while identifying long-term opportunities.

Roles & Responsibilities:

FPL

• Provide funding for the position as well as travel funds
• Co-supervise employee
• Provide technical support as needed

Region 8

• Prioritize Regional needs
• Co-supervise employee
• Provide office space, telephone, computer access

Southern Group of State Foresters Executive Committee

• Work with Region 8 to identify and prioritize work including project development, prioritization of tasks, and related.