Forest Champion: Colin McDonald
Mobile, AL - Forest champions are not always who we picture them to be. These individuals can be considered “outsiders” to the traditional forestry industry, but have significant impact on people who make decisions that impact the entire sector. Colin McDonald, Senior Policy Analyst for the Texas Water Foundation, is a forest champion.
On a calm, clear December morning, McDonald set out on a charter with the Keeping Forests team across the Tensaw River in search of the Champion Cypress tree. Throughout the adventure, McDonald was able to share many of his thoughts about what makes forests one of the hardest working ecosystems.
“Nothing happens in Texas without water,” said McDonald. “It’s the base of our oil and gas industry, it’s the limiting factor on population growth. Access to affordable, high-quality water will help Texas continue as the economic powerhouse that it is.”
In the knee-deep swamp, McDonald and company made their way to the base of the Champion Cypress tree. Over 27 feet in diameter and an estimated 300 years old, this mighty tree is a symbol of how forests impact our lives every day. Storing atmospheric carbon and holding sediments together, this tree and the surrounding forest provides a suite of ecosystem services including cleaning our air and water, providing recreational opportunities and habitat for wildlife. While this tree stands under the management of the State of Alabama, 86 percent of the 245 million acres of forest land in the South are owned and managed by non-industrial private landowners.
Providing economic viability to private landowners is one of the most important ways to keep forests as forests. The active harvest, management, and regeneration of our southern forests leads to cleaner water and reduces the wastewater treatment costs at the plant. Southern private landowners are providing these services free of charge, as a natural bi-product of the forest’s life cycle. The water treatment cost savings can then be passed on to the customers.
As Keeping Forests reported last fall, Texas has had water problems due to a ‘perfect storm’ of an ongoing drought plus the estimated 1,000 new people moving to Texas every single day.
“Our goal is to help Texans understand the importance of water and elevate the conversation in Texas so we can work towards a more secure water future,” said McDonald. “Texas runs on water. There are towns in Texas that don’t exist anymore because they lost their water. We don’t need to learn that lesson again.”
Colin McDonald is a true champion for forestry, seeking opportunities to better understand the relationship between Texas’ responsible forest management and water quality and quantity. Keeping Forests has included his interview as a part of our Messaging Guidelines - an online resource for Environmental Non-Governmental Organizations (ENGOs) and Land-Grant institutions to use in promoting pro-forestry communications.
Want to learn more about the Texas Water Foundation? Visit their website here: https://www.texaswater.org/
Linked Resources:
‘Texas Runs on Water” Campaign - https://www.texasrunsonwater.org/
Keeping Forests Messaging Guidelines - https://www.keepingforests.org/messaging-guidelines
Zach Clifton
Keeping Forests Communications Specialist
Zach supports Keeping Forests via its partnership with the Georgia Forestry Association. Zach and the other communications staff at GFA lend support to the partnership both strategically & tactically.
