Department of Agriculture
Ken Givens, Commissioner

Purpose:

The 2008 Farm Bill amended the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978, directing States to develop a long-term Statewide Assessment and Strategies Plan for Forest Resources.

The purpose is to determine the status of the forest resource through an assessment — what’s there, who owns it, what are its threats, and how can federal funds help to manage it. A strategy plan then needs to be developed to address issues raised from the assessment.

This assessment and strategies plan must be completed for a state to be eligible to receive funds under the Act, and must be submitted to the Secretary of Agriculture no later than June 18, 2010.

It is a goal of the Division of Forestry for this assessment and strategies plan not only to address national private forest conservation priorities, but also to be a useful tool to a wide range of organizations and individuals in Tennessee to address our forest resource issues. Where possible the plan will compliment other state agency assessments, such as the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency’s State Wildlife Action Plan, with a particular focus tied to maintaining water quality & quantity.

The Assessment:

The Tennessee forest resource assessment will provide a comprehensive analysis of the forest-related conditions, trends, threats, and opportunities within the state using a combination of qualitative, quantitative, and geospatial data to provide information relevant to key issues to the state while also addressing national priorities of conserving, protecting and enhancing the forest resource. The assessment will be done collaboratively with key partners and stakeholders to ensure that critical issues are captured, and to allow focus of federal and state resources on priority landscape areas with the greatest opportunity to address shared management priorities and achieve measurable outcomes.

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Strategies:

Tennessee’s forest resource strategy will provide a long-term, comprehensive, coordinated plan for investing state, federal, and partner resources to address the management and landscape priorities identified in the assessment. It will incorporate existing statewide forest and resource management plans, and provide the basis for future program, agency, and partner coordination.

With the aide of resource professionals with proven skills in addressing the issues identified in the assessment, strategies will be developed to seize opportunities and minimize threats to Tennessee’s forest resources, including:

• Minimizing the impact of wildland fire
• Identifying and managing insect, disease, and invasive species threats
• Managing high priority forest landscapes
• Influencing urbanization, fragmentation, and loss of forestland
• Enhancing forest market opportunities
• Maintaining forest productivity and sustainability
• Supporting energy conservation through utilization of wood products
• Adapting to changes in the resource resulting from climate change

These strategies when utilized in cooperation with our partners will help to:

• Conserve working forest landscapes
• Protect forests from harm
• Enhance public benefits from trees and forests