Much of the forestland in the Central Appalachians is in nonindustrial private forest ownership often unmanaged or poorly managed. Yet, we’re dependent on our forests to protect our water quality, soils from erosion, and provide spaces for wildlife and recreation. Managing on the basis of landscapes and watersheds is now a critical need as the nation becomes increasingly dependent upon our region for food and fiber. An immediate need is to create a management team to inventory the private forests of landowners and create long-term management plans. Harvesting when appropriate and designing harvest roads to avoid erosion and mixes of species to avoid invasive species, the stability and resilience of our landscapes can be secured.
In cooperation Grayson LandCare and the BRPI and supported by the Claire and Jack Matthews Foundation, Katie Trozzo, graduate student in the Virginia Tech Department of Forestry, completed her dissertation following a two-year study of the potential of non-timber forest products to serve as an environmentally sustainable and financially profitable engine for landowners. Coupled with on-the-ground demonstrations, a number of species were found to be viable in existing markets given quality and volume demands could be met. More recently, Appalachian Sustainable Development has received funding with market backing to protect existing species from extinction and establish sustainable management systems. On October 29, 2020 in a zoom conference with Appalachian Sustainable Development, the BRPI, and others working in the Central Appalachians exploring the creation of a plan for natural resource management, a follow-up zoom conference will be held on November 19, 2020.
Further, the BRPI in surveying the large sawmills in Grayson and Carroll counties in Virginia discovered considerable expenditures in removing woodchips and sawdust from the region because no other uses were available. We’re searching for partners to explore with us alternative uses for energy, soil amendments, or other value-added products from what is currently considered waste.
