Southern Forests and You.

and You.

Keeping Forests ensures that Southern Forests have a future. We focus on solutions that promote, expand, and catalyze markets for the landowners who steward 86% of the region’s forests. Our mission is to create economic incentives that encourage forest conservation while supporting local communities.

Keeping Forests is a diverse coalition of scientists, forest advocates, conservation experts, and business leaders conserving actively managed Southern Forests.

Urbanization and land use change data shows that 23 million acres of Southern Forests are facing immense pressure for development. By 2060, we could lose enough forests to fill 19 Grand Canyons.

We’re working together to create the conditions that will ensure a future for the 245 milion acres of forests across a 13-state geography in the U.S. South.

We identify the market gaps and barriers for working forest landowners, tackling the tough challenges that none of our partners could take on alone. We test and scale the solutions with the greatest potential to create systems-level change.

Strategies

We promote and expand markets for timber and non-timber southern forest products that deliver benefits for climate, nature, and people.

We catalyze opportunities to compensate southern forest landowners for sustaining the health of the ecosystem and the services that it provides.

We activate a network of influential leaders with diverse audiences to champion southern working forests and the crucial role they play in all of our lives.

Join Us

Partnership isn’t just the heart of who we are, it is our greatest asset to address the cross-cutting challenges facing Southern Forests.

We need leaders from across business, government, nonprofit, academia and the conservation community to create lasting change.

EJ Williams and the American Bird Conservancy

Most mornings, you can find EJ Williams, Vice President of the Southeast Region for the American Bird Conservancy (ABC), in the forest. Williams has been a proud advocate for working forests and the role

Alton Perry of Roanoke Cooperative

Meet Alton Perry, the director of Roanoke Cooperative's Sustainable Forestry & Land Retention Project where he works with landowners looking to increase the asset value of their forest land.

Southern Group of State Foresters

SGSF's 15 members within the southeastern United States, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands collectively provide leadership, coordination, expertise and resources to sustain the economic, environmental, health and societal benefits of Southern Forests.

Support Southern Forests

Stay connected to the future of Southern forests by signing up for our monthly newsletter. Each edition will highlight the efforts of the broad coalition working to deliver multi-use benefits across 245 million acres of Southern forests.

Get the latest insights, success stories, and opportunities to get involved straight to your inbox. Join us today!