Louisiana Forestry State Assessment

The following nine broad issues were identified at the Louisiana Stakeholder meeting held in May 2009. The meeting participants represented numerous forest and natural resources stakeholders in Louisiana. The work accomplished at this meeting offers a solid foundation to begin the Louisianan Statewide Assessment of Forest Resources.

1. Sustainable Development
Sustaining Louisiana’s natural resources, while balancing economic development with quality of life, poses huge challenges to resource managers and economic developers. Critical resource decisions revolve around sustainability of forest products industries, water quality and quantity, urban development, landscape planning, and the desired conditions of Louisiana’s forests and wildlife.

	Low Importance	Less Than Moderate Importance	Moderate Importance	More Than Moderate Importance	High Importance
How important to you is this issue in regard to Louisiana’s forests and related natural resources?	Sustainable Development Sustaining Louisiana’s natural resources, while balancing economic development with quality of life, poses huge challenges to resource managers and economic developers. Critical resource decisions revolve around sustainability of forest products industries, water quality and quantity, urban development, landscape planning, and the desired conditions of Louisiana’s forests and wildlife. How important to you is this issue in regard to Louisiana’s forests and related natural resources? Low Importance	Less Than Moderate Importance	Moderate Importance	More Than Moderate Importance	High Importance

2. Resource Utilization
Fully utilizing Louisiana’s abundant forest resource will require the development of new and diverse markets for forest products, in addition to expanding existing markets for wood fiber, wildlife and outdoor recreation, ecosystem services, carbon sequestration, and all other natural resource products.

	Low Importance	Less Than Moderate Importance	Moderate Importance	More Than Moderate Importance	High Importance
How important to you is this issue in regard to Louisiana’s forests and related natural resources?	Resource Utilization Fully utilizing Louisiana’s abundant forest resource will require the development of new and diverse markets for forest products, in addition to expanding existing markets for wood fiber, wildlife and outdoor recreation, ecosystem services, carbon sequestration, and all other natural resource products. How important to you is this issue in regard to Louisiana’s forests and related natural resources? Low Importance	Less Than Moderate Importance	Moderate Importance	More Than Moderate Importance	High Importance

3. Land Ownership Policies
Sixty-two percent of Louisiana’s forestland is in non-industrial private ownership. Maintaining a productive and sustainable future for Louisiana’s forests and other natural resources may very well be dependent on the development of a natural resource policy structured to promote and maintain private ownership.

	Low Importance	Less Than Moderate Importance	Moderate Importance	More Than Moderate Importance	High Importance
How important to you is this issue in regard to Louisiana’s forests and related natural resources?	Land Ownership Policies Sixty-two percent of Louisiana’s forestland is in non-industrial private ownership. Maintaining a productive and sustainable future for Louisiana’s forests and other natural resources may very well be dependent on the development of a natural resource policy structured to promote and maintain private ownership. How important to you is this issue in regard to Louisiana’s forests and related natural resources? Low Importance	Less Than Moderate Importance	Moderate Importance	More Than Moderate Importance	High Importance

4. Invasive Species
The spread of non-native invasive species greatly impacts the productivity of the forest resource and creates significant challenges for the natural resource manager and landowner. Invasive species, tree damaging insects and pathogens pose a serious
threat to the overall health of Louisiana’s forest resource.

	Low Importance	Less Than Moderately Importance	Moderate Importance	More Than Moderate Importance	High Importance
How important to you is this issue in regard to Louisiana’s forests and related natural resources?	Invasive Species The spread of non-native invasive species greatly impacts the productivity of the forest resource and creates significant challenges for the natural resource manager and landowner. Invasive species, tree damaging insects and pathogens pose a serious threat to the overall health of Louisiana’s forest resource. How important to you is this issue in regard to Louisiana’s forests and related natural resources? Low Importance	Less Than Moderately Importance	Moderate Importance	More Than Moderate Importance	High Importance

5. Renewable Energy
With an abundance of readily available biomass material, there is great potential for the development of energy from renewable natural resources in Louisiana. Effective utilization of the biomass resource and continued advancement in biofuel technology will help Louisiana address present and future energy challenges.

	Low Importance	Less Than Moderate Importance	Moderate Importance	More Than Moderate Importance	High Importance
How important to you is this issue in regard to Louisiana’s forests and related natural resources?	Renewable Energy With an abundance of readily available biomass material, there is great potential for the development of energy from renewable natural resources in Louisiana. Effective utilization of the biomass resource and continued advancement in biofuel technology will help Louisiana address present and future energy challenges. How important to you is this issue in regard to Louisiana’s forests and related natural resources? Low Importance	Less Than Moderate Importance	Moderate Importance	More Than Moderate Importance	High Importance

6. Education
Providing effective natural resource education is vital to raising the level of environmental awareness in both youth and adults. Learning the importance of the forest and related natural resources at a young age can lead to the pursuit of a career in natural resources. Also, a better understanding of the wise use and stewardship of natural resources leads to policy makers and other individuals making sound, informed decisions in regard to natural resource public policy issues affecting the economic and ecological values of Louisiana’s forest resources.

	Low Importance	Less Than Moderate Importance	Moderate Importance	More Than Moderate Importance	High Importance
How important to you is this issue in regard to Louisiana’s forests and related natural resources?	Education Providing effective natural resource education is vital to raising the level of environmental awareness in both youth and adults. Learning the importance of the forest and related natural resources at a young age can lead to the pursuit of a career in natural resources. Also, a better understanding of the wise use and stewardship of natural resources leads to policy makers and other individuals making sound, informed decisions in regard to natural resource public policy issues affecting the economic and ecological values of Louisiana’s forest resources. How important to you is this issue in regard to Louisiana’s forests and related natural resources? Low Importance	Less Than Moderate Importance	Moderate Importance	More Than Moderate Importance	High Importance

7. Urban Development/Urban Sprawl/Canopy Loss
Urban development in the areas surrounding major cities/communities is an issue that has not been significantly addressed by the public and private sectors. Forested areas are becoming fragmented and are being converted to urban development projects without consideration to energy conservation, air and water quality and land use change. Education and communication are the necessary components needed to address these issues to the public and private sectors.

	Low Importance	Less Than Moderate Importance	Moderate Importance	More Than Moderate Importance	High Importance
How important to you is this issue in regard to Louisiana’s forests and related natural resources?	Urban Development/Urban Sprawl/Canopy Loss Urban development in the areas surrounding major cities/communities is an issue that has not been significantly addressed by the public and private sectors. Forested areas are becoming fragmented and are being converted to urban development projects without consideration to energy conservation, air and water quality and land use change. Education and communication are the necessary components needed to address these issues to the public and private sectors. How important to you is this issue in regard to Louisiana’s forests and related natural resources? Low Importance	Less Than Moderate Importance	Moderate Importance	More Than Moderate Importance	High Importance

8. Fire Management and Suppression
The occurrence of wildfire directly affects air quality, forest health and the value of the resource. Urban sprawl (Wildland Urban Interface) places more lives and property at risk from wildfire while complicating the management of wildfires and prescribed fires. The health and vigor of Louisiana’s forest are dependent on fire management and suppression.

	Low Importance	Less Than Moderate Importance	Moderate Importance	More Than Moderate Importance	High Importance
How important to you is this issue in regard to Louisiana’s forests and related natural resources?	Fire Management and Suppression The occurrence of wildfire directly affects air quality, forest health and the value of the resource. Urban sprawl (Wildland Urban Interface) places more lives and property at risk from wildfire while complicating the management of wildfires and prescribed fires. The health and vigor of Louisiana’s forest are dependent on fire management and suppression. How important to you is this issue in regard to Louisiana’s forests and related natural resources? Low Importance	Less Than Moderate Importance	Moderate Importance	More Than Moderate Importance	High Importance

9. Other Issues
In addition to the issues presented in this survey, there may be other issues you believe are important to the forests and natural resources of Louisiana. Please review the additional issues listed below and identify any other issues you think should be addressed in the Louisiana Statewide Assessment of Forest Resources.

	Land Stewardship	Prescribed Burning	Rural Forest Health	Coastal Forest Loss	Climate Change	Biodiversity	Ecosystem Restoration/Rehabilitation	Other
Rank in order of importance 1-8, 8 is the most important.	Other Issues In addition to the issues presented in this survey, there may be other issues you believe are important to the forests and natural resources of Louisiana. Please review the additional issues listed below and identify any other issues you think should be addressed in the Louisiana Statewide Assessment of Forest Resources. Rank in order of importance 1-8, 8 is the most important. Land Stewardship	Prescribed Burning	Rural Forest Health	Coastal Forest Loss	Climate Change	Biodiversity	Ecosystem Restoration/Rehabilitation	Other

Other (please specify)

10. Comments concerning Louisiana Forestry issues:

Comments concerning Louisiana Forestry issues:

1. Louisiana Forestry State Assessment

10. Comments concerning Louisiana Forestry issues: