It might surprise you to learn that the 13-state Northeastern United States is the most heavily forested region in the country.
Nearly two-thirds of this region, ranging from Maine to West Virginia, is blanketed by woods. And it is home to hundreds of species of birds, fish, amphibians and mammals, many of which are dependent on healthy, diverse woodlands for their habitats. But, according to a new report by the American Forest Foundation (AFF), hidden under the veneer of this bucolic landscape lies an unfortunate truth.
Many northeastern forests are “out of balance.” Essentially, they are "middle aged," lacking young forests and older, more mature forests, which are needed to sustain healthy and diverse wildlife populations. In addition to the threat to wildlife, this also affects the forest’s ability to respond to other looming threats, like insects and disease, and an uncertain climate future.
This is not the result of poor management of today's landowners and land managers, but a result of history. This is a history that we now have the ability to change because of another little-known fact--who owns them.
The study found that more half of these woodlands are owned by families and individuals. These owners are responsible for the stewardship of 11 million acres the Report finds are critical to wildlife. This means that, to a large extent, the future of sustainable wildlife populations lies in these owners’ hands.
Fortunately, these families and individuals want to act.
AFF researchers surveyed 20,000 family woodland owners in the region and 1,400 responded. They found 85 percent say protecting and improving wildlife habitat is an important reason they own their land. However, fewer than half are actually managing for wildlife on an ongoing basis and 90 percent acknowledge they could do more.
These owners represent a “hidden opportunity” to do more to improve these woodlands. But even those landowners who take steps to restore their land face challenges that need to be addressed by policymakers.
Art and Barbara Eve, and their growing family, represent one example of what can be done and the hurdles that remain. When they purchased their 360-acre tract in 1973, it was a cut-over property in Deerfield, Mass. The land was going to provide space for their family’s recreation. But as they began to learn more about their land and woods, they recognized its potential for helping area wildlife.
They reached out to a forester and developed a management plan that would create good habitats for birds and other wildlife. It would also allow them to grow quality timber to pay for their wildlife management costs.
Soon the family partnered with Foresters for the Birds, a program to improve habitats for declining songbird species. They were so successful in diversifying their woods and providing more of the trees that songbirds need that their land was selected as a demonstration site to help educate other landowners on best practices for bird habitats.
Their woods were also certified in 2003 by the American Tree Farm System and several other certifications, to showcase their sustainability efforts and add value to their timber. In fact, one harvest of pulpwood (low quality pine and some hardwoods) was able to be shipped up to a Maine pulp mill because of their certification.
During the summer of 2016, the family was working on creating mid-height brushy habitat to offer cover for nesting songbirds and safety from predators. The project would require some selective cutting of low-quality timber. But when it came time to harvest, they could not find a logger or a mill that was interested in buying the wood.
Without a buyer, the family did not have the funds to pay for the project and had to put it on hold.
The problem the family faced last year is an increasingly common one in the Northeast as forest product markets change or disappear in many cases. It's counterintuitive to many, but ensuring markets for forest products is one of the most important strategies we can pursue to protect wildlife in the region.
There are many actions that will help encourage forest products markets. AFF recommends the new Secretary of Agriculture can play a key role by markets for forest products that help families and wildlife. By using the various tools available to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, we can better ensure that families have a market for their trees, while creating jobs for rural Americans.
In addition to solving the market problem, we need to encourage more woodland owners to be like the Eves, who support the local economy, create jobs, and protect the environment. The Eves great work, and the work of many of landowners like them, is made possible because of federal and state programs and policies designed to keep woodland ownership affordable and stewardship assistance accessible. The Agriculture Department and Congress can help ensure these programs remain strong and they can be targeted to the places where they will have the greatest impact.
Now that these opportunities to improve our northeastern woodlands have been discovered, it is up to us to take the necessary steps to improve these lands.