Landscape Level Forestry

The Appalachian region is home to beautiful forested spans that unroll over majestic mountains.  Western North Carolina alone is fortunate to have over a million acres of public land, but the majority of the forested land is privately owned.  Which makes helping this group of landowners critical to our landscape level approach to forestry. EcoForesters works with tribal, private, conservation trust, and public landowners to ecologically restore forests.  This assures that our region is better prepared for future generations to enjoy the benefits we rely on today.

Roughly 25% of the private Appalachian forestland owners have a forest management plan. This means that many forests have been left untended and degraded. Most landowners want to be good stewards of their forest. Every benefit that forests bring is enhanced when stewardship occurs. Streams remain clear and cool, wildlife habitat is intact and prepared for a changing climate, carbon is sequestered, and legacies are preserved. EcoForesters is committed to an advocacy approach that restores Appalachian forests, keeps them connected, and better prepares them for the changes on the landscape.

By spreading the word about ecological forestry, the public better appreciates the benefits forests provide and landowners better plan for their forests future. We accomplish this by holding landowner workshops and through innovative funding. We engage communities and help fund stewardship activities on conservation land. We participate in advisory councils that advise the US Forest Service in the management of public lands. And we believe that the public is very interested in keeping our forested ecosystems strong and capable of supporting the growth and beauty of the region.

It is critical that we do this now. Neither development pressures nor climate change are slowing down. Non-native Invasive Species are literally growing like weeds and must be controlled. Each year brings either drought and fire or rain and floods. Strong forests mitigate against both. By supporting our advocacy, you help advance the knowledge of ecological forestry to landowners while restoring native ecosystems. Can we count on your support?

We welcome the opportunity to discuss the challenges facing our forests with anyone. If you have questions about our mission, would like us to come and speak to your group, or to find out more how you can best support EcoForesters, please email lang@ecoforesters.org.