Many landowners in rural areas of the southeastern United States have farmed their land for decades.
But as they age and worry about their family's future, some people feel the financial need to sell some of their land—perhaps to someone willing to develop it.
Now, the American Forest Foundation is giving some farmers another option—planting trees.
Tomcho: “They were used to farming the land, and trees could be considered a crop.”
Aimee Tomcho is involved with the foundation’s Fields to Forests program.
It pays landowners in Georgia to convert at least 40 acres into forests planted with loblolly pine, a tree species native to the Southeast. As these trees grow, they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere that causes planet warming.
Landowners commit to planting trees for at least 30 years. They are allowed to cut limited timber, which can provide additional income if the wood is sold. If they harvest more, they will have to replant the trees.
Tomcho said the plan helps protect the climate and protect rural America.
Tomcho: “If you ask these landowners what their goal is, their goal is really to keep their land open…to continue their legacy as farmers and foresters.”
Report source: Ethan Freedman / ChavoBart Digital Media
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