Key Partnerships
Sustaining southern forests through the power of partnerships
The long-term vitality of southern forests relies on effective cross-boundary partnerships.
The Southern Group of State Foresters facilitates collaboration among state, federal and local governments, and other key partnerships. Leveraging our collective resources, subject matter expertise and innovation, allows us to better and more effectively collaborate to reach common goals.
Through these valued partnerships, SGSF provides leadership, coordination, expertise and resources to sustain the economic, environmental, health and societal benefits of southern forests.
U.S. Forest Service
The State and Private Forestry (S&PF) program, administered by Region 8 of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, works in partnership with SGSF to help sustain the South’s forests and protect communities and natural resources from wildfires.
Additionally, the U.S. Forest Service Southern Research Station leads research to develop the science and technology needed to sustain and enhance southern forests.
Jump to Programs
U.S. Forest Service Programs
Cooperative Forestry
The Cooperative Forestry staff of the U.S. Forest Service works with states, private landowners and other partners to promote healthy forests and livable communities.
Landowner Assistance
Landowner Assistance Programs help private landowners protect, improve, restore and sustain forests. These include:
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- The Forest Legacy Program (FLP) protects private forest lands from being converted to non-forest uses.
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- The Forest Stewardship Program (FSP) helps private forest landowners develop plans for the sustainable management of their forests.
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- The Forestland Enhancement Program (FLEP) provides educational, technical and financial assistance to help private forest landowners implement their sustainable forestry management objectives.
Economic Action
Economic Action Programs such as Rural Community Assistance programs help rural communities and businesses dependent on forest-based resources become sustainable and self-sufficient. The Forest Products Conservation and Recycling program helps communities and businesses find new and expanded business opportunities based on forest resources and the Market Development and Expansion program helps develop new markets for forest-based goods and services.
State Fire Assistance
State Fire Assistance provides financial and technical assistance to states and local fire departments for wildland fire management. Through state partners, the Forest Service also helps rural and volunteer fire departments with grants, training, and equipment.
Forest Health Protection
Forest Health Protection (FHP) program protects and improves the health of America’s rural, wildland, and urban forests. Through Forest Health Management, Forest Health Monitoring, Pesticide Use Management and Technology Development programs, FHP provides forest insect, disease and invasive plant survey and monitoring information, and technical and financial assistance to prevent, suppress and control outbreaks threatening forest resources.
Urban & Community Forestry
Urban & Community Forestry promotes the creation of healthier, more livable urban environments by maintaining, restoring, and improving the health of urban trees, forests, greenspaces and sustainable forest ecosystems.
Conservation Education
The Conservation Education program helps people of all ages understand and appreciate our country’s natural resources — and learn how to conserve those resources for future generations. Smokey Bear, Woodsy Owl, and Junior Forest Ranger, as part of the National Symbols program, are included in the CE program’s responsibilities.
Southern Research Station
The Southern Research Station is part of the Nation’s largest forestry research organization – USDA Forest Service Research and Development – the leading organization for research on natural resource management and sustainability in the United States. Headquartered in Asheville, North Carolina, SRS conducts forestry research that emphasizes measuring and monitoring forest resources; understanding ecosystem structure, function, and processes; managing resources for sustained and enhanced productivity; and protecting environmental quality. The Station conducts forestry research in the 13 Southern States.
SGSF is in partnership with SRS on several research programs including Forest Inventory Analysis, the Southern Forest Futures Project and Wood to Energy.
Forest Inventory & Analysis
Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) is an ongoing census providing information to protect forest sustainability. SGSF member states, in cooperation with the FIA Research Work Unit, conduct a continuous inventory to measure the status of the South’s forest resources and evaluate effects of changes. Data to determine forest area, growth, volume, removals, composition and mortality of forests, as well as land-use changes and potential for wildfire. Data is collected annually on 10-20% of a series of permanently established plots among the region’s woodlands
FIA provides objective and scientifically-credible information, and is part of the universal benchmark for measuring the sustainability and success of natural resource and land management practices.
National Association of State Foresters
NASF’s membership is composed of the directors of forestry agencies in the 50 states, five U.S. territories, three nations in compacts of free association with the U.S., and the District of Columbia.
NASF advocates for federal legislation and national policies that support state forestry agencies and promote the health, resilience, and productivity of both rural and urban forests.
While NASF represents and serves the interests of state foresters at the national level, three regional state forester organizations, including the Southern Group of State Foresters, serve their respective state forester members within the region. SGSF collaborates closely with NASF to provide the southern perspective on national issues of importance to state foresters.
NASF Website
