Certified Forests: preparing private landowners for the future

Project Overview

LS05-171
Project Type: Research and Education
Funds awarded in 2005: $102,000.00
Projected End Date: 12/31/2008
Matching Non-Federal Funds: $18,331.00
Region: Southern
State: Mississippi
Principal Investigator:
Glenn Hughes
Email
Mississippi State University Extension Service

Annual Reports

Commodities

  • Additional Plants: trees, ornamentals

Practices

  • Crop Production: forestry
  • Education and Training: extension, workshop
  • Farm Business Management: feasibility study, market study
  • Sustainable Communities: new business opportunities

    Proposal abstract:

    We propose a combined research and extension effort to identify the potential for certified forest products in Louisiana and Mississippi. The research component will survey major home retail centers to identify the current and potential future certification systems acceptable to these companies. We will survey private landowners to determine their knowledge of certification. The outreach component will consist of 6 workshops for private landowners designed to increase their understanding of certification, how it is applied on the ground, and if certification is worth pursuing for their forestland. Each workshop will include a significant evaluation component. A "Private Landowner's Guide to Forest Certification in the South" will be published and provided to workshop participants. The guide will also be available for other landowners across the South.

    Project objectives from proposal:

    We propose a combined research and outreach effort on the potential for certified forest products in Louisiana and Mississippi. The goal of this two-year effort is to a) determine the current and future acceptance of forest certification systems among major retailers, and b) help PNIF landowners make informed decisions about whether or not their lands should be certified, and by what system(s). Products and results from this effort can than be used in other southern states. Specific research objectives include:
    1. identifying current certification systems accepted by major retailers;
    2. determining if major retailers will recognize additional certification systems; and
    3. determining PNIF landowner familiarity with and knowledge of forest certification.
    Specific outreach objectives include:
    1. conducting 6 workshops for PNIF landowners on forest certification;
    2. preparing a forest landowners guide to forest certification for southern states;
    3. enhancing landowner access to markets for certified forest products; and
    4. developing and implementing instruments that will measure outreach effectiveness.

    Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.