Urban growth is the main cause of forest loss in southern America according to a study headed by the US Forest Service.
It concludes that while southern forests are healthy and being sustainably managed, they are under potential threat from continued development.
Between 1982 and 1997, developed land in the south increased by 45%, representing 12 million acres of forest land lost forever to development. The Southern Forest Products Association (SFPA) has found that another 12 million acres could be developed by 2020.
SFPA president Lionel Landry said: “There is a delicate balance between appropriate protection and over-regulation. I think we’ve struck that balance and this report concurs.
“Private landowners are regulated about all they can take right now and if we start adding new laws and regulations on top of the existing ones, as some groups are calling for, we may see a mass exodus from the tree growing business. The end result will be more parking lots and fewer forests in the south.”
