Mississippi Society of American Foresters
MS SAF Position Statement on Regeneration Harvesting and Forest Health on Mississippi National Forest
Position:
The Mississippi Society of American Foresters recommends an increase in regeneration harvesting in overly mature stands on the Mississippi National Forests to correct a growing, over abundance of older, less vigorous stands, especially pine stands. This should be done within guidelines to protect endangered species such as the red-cockaded woodpecker, but it does need to begin. It will take decades to achieve the desired balance between older and younger forests. The alternative is to allow Mississippi’s National Forests to become excessively over mature and risk severe Southern pine beetle or disease outbreaks.
Background:
For several years the MS SAF has recognized that a large proportion of forests on the Mississippi National Forests are becoming over mature. Both pine and hardwood forests are becoming over mature but the largest forest health problem is in the pine forests. Statistics now show, over mature pine stands are beginning to pose a potential forest health threat, while at the same time, potential revenues from harvesting are curtailed to those counties located within the National Forest boundaries.
Loblolly, slash, and shortleaf pines reach their peak growth at about 45 to 55 years. Longleaf pines reach their growth peak at about 60 years old. After 60 years, these southern pines begin to lose vigor. The oldest individual southern pine trees have lived to 200 plus years old but unmanaged, pine stands of 80 to 110-plus years typically decline to less desirable composition and structure. Unlike forests in the Pacific Northwest, where many species can live 300 to 500 years or more, southern pines have a much shorter life and most won’t survive past 150.
Research shows that older pine stands are more susceptible to Southern pine beetle attack. In fact, losses to insects and diseases on the National Forests have been increasing in recent decades, mainly because pine stands have become too densely stocked (due to inadequate thinning) and, on average, pine stands have become older. Approximately 53 percent of all pine stands on the Mississippi National Forests are now over 60 years old.
The fact is that too little regeneration harvesting has been accomplished on Mississippi’s National Forests in recent years. According to the current forest management plan, the pine regeneration objective for the period 1986 to 1995 was 187,736 acres. The acreage actually regenerated to pine was 104,072 acres. This was 10,407 acres per year or 55 percent of the objective. The amount of regeneration has been further reduced. From 2001 to 2005 regeneration was 2,260 acres per year. This level of regeneration would allow stands to reach an age of over 500 years. This is biologically infeasible. This situation raises concerns for forest health and proper stewardship. In 1995, 140 million board feet of pine timber was lost to Southern pine beetles, of which 110 million board feet was salvaged at reduced prices. These type events will become more prevalent without increased attention to forest regeneration.
On August 29, 2005 most National Forests in Mississippi received damage by Hurricane Katrina. The DeSoto, in South Mississippi, encompassing over 500,000 acres, received the heaviest damage while the Bienville, Hommochitto and Tombigbee received lesser damage. It is estimated that approximately 3 years growth was blown down or broken off by the heavy winds on the DeSoto. Approximately 75 percent of this amount was salvaged. Much of this volume was in intermediate and older stands as well as older hardwood stands. While this event could further impact timber sales, it is almost a moot point since the Mississippi National Forests are so far behind their harvesting schedules. From the standpoint of forest health, the reduction in basal area could actually be beneficial in the next few years.
The annual volume growth of Mississippi’s National Forests, both pine and hardwood, is about 359 million board feet and annual sale volumes from 2001 to 2005 averaged about 66 million board feet per year. This means that annually, the National Forests are growing more than five times the sawtimber volume than is being harvested while the distribution of age classes progress toward old, less-healthy forests. In addition, Mississippi’s National Forests are growing 684,000 cunits (units of 100 cubic feet) of small roundwood (pulpwood) annually.
In spite of heavy losses to insects and diseases, hurricanes, tornadoes, ice storms and natural mortality, the National Forests in Mississippi are still capable of producing 200 million board feet annually in commercial timber sales. Even this amount will not head off the biological disaster that is bound to occur in the future unless the present trend toward less thinning and regeneration is reversed.
MS SAF recognizes the importance of managing to maintain some portion of the National Forests in older age classes for endangered species and diversity objectives, but the proportion of older, over mature stands must be closely controlled to safeguard forest health. While some people shrink from talk of harvesting trees, most people want responsible management of our National Forests so they produce the desired mix of benefits while keeping the forest healthy. These benefits include water, wood, wildlife, air quality, carbon capture, recreation, income and many others.
Originally adopted by Mississippi Society of American Foresters (MS SAFAF) on October 18, 2000. This statement will expire December 31, 2012, unless revised by the MSAF.
Bay St. Louis, MS
April 29, 2009