Clearcutting in the South: Issues, Status, and Trends

Clearcutting has been the most controversial and enduring forest management issue since its widespread adoption on public land in the 1960s. Public opinion generally opposes clearcutting, but foresters and forestry firms have adopted it widely. Despite the controversy, we have little data about the extent of clearcutting by region in the South. Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data indicate 5.2 million acres are harvested annually in the South, with 39 percent being clearcut. This includes 1.67 million acres in the Southeast (85 percent clearcut), and 3.52 million acres in the South Central (17 percent clearcut). Measurement discrepancies among these regions may account for some of these differences. Including seed tree and salvage cuts, about half the timber harvests in the South are made by clearcutting. The large clearcut area, especially in the more populous Southeastern States, will continue to evoke concern about harvest practices and forest management. This issue must be addressed by careful logging and attention to public concerns, safety, and esthetic considerations in forest harvesting.