Florida's Forest Resources
Are there forests in Florida's future? We’re planning on it!
Florida's Forest Resources: Action Plan for 2006-2010;
Final, 32 pages (pdf, 2.5M)
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Since the 1930's, as population increased, nearly 6 million acres of Florida's forested land has been converted to other uses. With over 10 million more people expected by 2030 the state will likely see another two to three million acres cleared and converted.
In 2005 , through a collaborative effort between citizen workshops, conservation groups, forest industry leaders, government agencies, forest landowners, and others, a comprehensive list of action items to help ensure a successful future for Florida’s forests has been completed. After assessing the current “state of the forests”, the groups defined what the future of Florida’s forest resources should be, studied barriers to achieving that desired condition, and then developed recommended courses of action to get there. These actions focus on the need for a comprehensive forest education program; lack of financial incentives for landowners, lack of a diversified forest industry, better funded public lands management, development and sprawl with associated fragmentation of forests, control of non-native invasive plant species, and the need for research and clear forest policy in the state.
Contact Us
Forrest Watson
Telephone: t 850/414-0842,
Email: watsonf@doacs.state.fl.us
Florida Division of Forestry
3125 Conner Blvd.
MS C-23
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1650
Project Timeline
February 2005: Mike Long, Director of the Division of Forestry, has announced a project to better define Florida’s future forests and the role of the Division to help get us there.
March- April, 2005: The first step in the project was an assessment of our forests’ present condition and a look at some of the trends that will likely impact our forests between now and the year 2030. You are encouraged to read this important report entitled “Present Condition of Florida’s Forest Resources: An Assessment, 2005” (pdf, 1.6M) or its companion document "Florida’s Forest Resources: Condition and Trends, 2005-2030, Summary" (pdf, 112k).
The second step in the project was a series of statewide regional workshops open to the public where participants helped us define the condition we want our forests to be in at 2030 and some of the actions that will have to be undertaken to get us there.
Online participants responded to the same questionnaire as workshop participants until April 7, 2005, and the results were then co-joined with the workshop results.
May, 2005. Results posted as "Summary Report of Public and Division of Forestry Comments on the Desired Future Condition, Barriers and Actions" (pdf, 167k) and "Appendix: Individual Reports of Each Workshop" (pdf, 124k)
September 2005: For public review and comment: 31 page DRAFT of
Florida's Forest Resources: Action Plan for 2006-2010 with deadline for comments on October 31, 2005. The Division of Forestry was specifically looking for comments relative to the accuracy of the data in the report and welcomed feedback regarding any additional issues of critical concern related to conserving forest resources.
January, 2006: Final Plan- Florida's Forest Resources: Action Plan for 2006-2010; 32 pages
(pdf, 2.5M)
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