Forestry officials hope a comprehensive study will determine if Southern forests are really in danger. About 200 people attended a public hearing yesterday afternoon to discuss the Southern Forest Resource Assessment, a two-year study initiated recently by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service. There are perceptions out there on the part of all parties that may or may not be accurate.
Some environmental groups say the Southeast is in a forestry crisis.
The number of chip mills in the region has grown from less than 40 to more than 140 in the past decade. To determine if current management practices can meet resource demands without compromising future use, officials will study social and economic factors, timber markets and forest management, forest conditions and wetlands and the effect on landscapes. The Environmental Protection Agency, Fish and Wildlife Service and Tennessee Valley Authority also are involved in the study of forests in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. Associated Press content is Copyrighted by The Associated Press.