Transcript Economic/Environmental/ Social Benefits of Working Landscapes Robert Farris

Economic/Environmental/
Social Benefits of Working
Landscapes
Robert Farris
Interim Director
Georgia Forestry Commission
What is a Working Forest?
 Think of it as a factory:
• Land produces number of goods and
services
• Each product or service has a
corresponding value
Challenge: assessing value of the many
services forests provide
Benefits of the Working Forest
 Economic: Current/potential impact
 Environmental: Clean air, water, wildlife
 Social: recreation, aesthetics
GFC in unique position to influence every
category.
VISION
Healthy, sustainable forests providing
clean air, clean water, and abundant
products for future generations.
MISSION
To provide leadership, service, and
education in the protection and
conservation of Georgia’s forest
resources.
Forestland Ownership in Georgia
24.2 million acres of commercial timberland
Public 8%
(1.9 million acres)
ForestIndustry
Industry 18%
Forest
(4.3
million acres)
18%
Non-industrial
Private 74%
(18 million acres)
Source: USFS FIA 2004
Georgia’s Population
 2000 Census:
8,186,453
 Projected to double by 2030.
Urbanization Outcomes





Smaller parcel sizes
More difficult management (e.g. smoke)
More recreational pressure
Conversion to non-forest
Economic disincentives to own and
manage
 More biocentric ownerships and citizenry
 More public resistance to harvests
 More local regulations and ordinances
(346 in 2000 vs. 141 in 1992 in South)
Source: SFRA; So. WUI Assessment
Economic Impact of
Forestry in Georgia
Forest Industry Economic Variables in Georgia 2001 - 2005
35,000,000,000
250,000
30,472,391,839
30,000,000,000
25,972,228,986
25,359,632,252
25,000,000,000
150,000
20,000,000,000
15,000,000,000
100,000
10,000,000,000
50,000
5,000,000,000
0
0
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
Employment
22,729,379,114
20,199,375,514
Dollars
200,000
Output
Income
Employment
Economic Viability
Source: Wear and Newman 2004
Biomass from the Forest
The Biomass Solution  Economic
• Income for forest landowners
• New manufacturing & new jobs – Local
level
• Multimillion dollar impact
• Money at home…… not overseas
 Environmental
• Carbon Neutral
 Energy
• Dependence on foreign sources
• Independence
How much ethanol can we
produce in Georgia?
750 million gallons ethanol =
15% of GA’s gasoline use
 18 million green tons unused
southern pine available per year
(sustainable)
 Could generate $1.5 Billion/Year
• 750 million at $2.00/gal
Additional Advantages
 Less energy to produce:
 Less expense to produce – due to rising
energy costs
 Georgia is in the best position to develop a
new regional industry.
Sam Shelton, Director of the Strategic Energy Initiative
Environmental Benefits of the
working forest
 Air
 Water
 Human Health
Nature Services
The public expects forests to
continue supplying aesthetics,
recreation opportunities, clean air
and clean water.
What’s Needed?
Systems to capture value of ecosystem
services provided by forests
Air
 Trees remove dust, ash pollen and
smoke from air
 Trees removed 1.2 metric tons air
pollution in 1994
• Est. value of service: $6.5 million
 Trees sequester CO2; give off oxygen
• Carbon Sequestration Registry protocol
Carbon Sequestration
 Pine plantations sequester 5 metric
tons CO2/yr. = $25./ac/yr (@$5./metric
ton)
 Regional/national CO2 Cap & Trade
system would create market/improve
air quality
 GA. Registry protocol open for public
comment at www.gatrees.org
Water
Infiltration rates for forested areas are 10-15
times greater than for turf and grass areas.
During a heavy rain, a single acre of good soil
with proper ground cover can absorb as much
as 20,000 gallons of water per hour!
Watershed Protection
Payment Examples:
 New York City - $1.5 billion to protect
upstate watershed avoiding $5 billion to
build and $300 million annually
 Virginia – municipal funding in lieu of water
treatment systems (experimental)
 The USDA Wetland Reserve Program
invests $275 million per year for private
landowners to manage land for watershed
protection
Social
 Health:
• Trees reduce UV-B exposure by 50%;
almost 1 million cases skin cancer/yr.
• 45% drop in emergency asthma cases
during ’96 Olympic games when traffic
volume decreased 30%
 Recreation opportunities
 Real estate: Higher home values in
neighborhoods w/trees; more
consumer spending in tree-lined retail
districts
Georgia’s Land Conservation
Act – HB 98
 Encourages long-term conservation and
protection of the state’s natural resources.
 Encourages partnerships between local
governments, state and federal agencies,
and the private sector.
Georgia Land Conservation Program
www.gadnr.org/glcp/
Administer Forest Legacy
Program
 Purpose - Give landowners conversion
options
• Enables Georgia to leverage federal
monies to protect lands from conversion to
non-forest use
• Provides for purchase of threatened land
or the purchase of development rights
through conservation easements
Forest Legacy Lands in Georgia
 Broxton Rocks –
- fee purchase
 The Preserve at Callaway Gardens –
 -easement purchase
 Tarva Plantation - donation as a conservation easement
 Flat Tub WMA –
- fee purchase and donation
Current Budget Proposal
 $50 million enhancement for Land
Conservation program
 Provide tax breaks on materials and
equipment to bioenergy-related
businesses
What’s Needed?
 Systems to facilitate legal
preservation of working forests,
including:
• Statewide system to formally trade
development rights
• County administrators’ training
• Recognition that Georgia’s Forest
“Factory” deserves our protection and
action
Robert Farris
Interim Director
gatrees.org