In the wake of Hurricane Helene, sprawling forests that once stood as symbols of resilience and prosperity lay broken and quiet. Through a unified effort involving the University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, the Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC), and UGA Cooperative Extension, the state’s forestry community is rallying to rebuild stronger than ever.
Archive for 2024
12.23.2024
Understanding Price Dynamics Among Pine Products in the Southeast
The Southeastern U.S. timber market is a dynamic system where pine sawtimber (PST), chip-n-saw (CNS), and pulpwood (PP) prices interact in complex ways. A recent study by Misztal et al. (2024) used 40 years of TimberMart-South data to explore these relationships across 14 regions.
12.22.2024
South Georgia timber prices plummet in Q3 2024; Impact of Hurricane Helene looms
In the third quarter of 2024, Georgia’s timber markets showed mixed trends. Stumpage prices for major timber products in South Georgia, except for hardwood pulpwood, fell from the last quarter. Pine sawtimber and pine chip-n-saw (CNS) prices in the region dropped significantly after three consecutive quarters of growth. Sawtimber prices in North Georgia continued to rise modestly.
12.17.2024
Rethinking Timber Truck Safety: What Georgia’s 95,000 lbs Permit Study Tells Us
A recent 2024 study by Joe Conrad and Chad Bolding analyzed the impact of a temporary increase in Georgia log truck haul weight permits, from to 84,000 lbs to 95,000 lbs, issued during the COVID-19 pandemic. The result? Heavier log trucks did not lead to more crashes or more severe incidents.
11.14.2024
Student Spotlight: Thomas Black
After Thomas Black graduates with his MFR in Forest Business in December 2024, he will head to Atlanta, GA to work as an Investment Analysist with Weyerhaeuser. Thomas interned with three forest and timber management companies while enrolled in the Center for Forest Business, and supported Dr. Bolding and Dr. Conrad on logging and mill weights research.
10.28.2024
After Hurricane Helene: How to Claim Timber Casualty Losses and Defer Taxes on Salvage Timber Sales
As of October 21st, 2024, 91 Georgia counties have been declared federal disaster areas (DR-4830-GA) eligible for individual and/or public assistance.
08.13.2024
Rethinking Green Density: What New Research Means for Southern Pine Forestry
In the southeastern United States, loblolly and slash pines are the economic backbone of the forest industry. Many mills and landowners use weight-based systems for their loblolly and slash timber transactions. However, converting between weight and volume requires accurate green density values, but how accurately are we estimating their green weight and volume?
07.19.2024
Langdale Center for Forest Business names new director
The Harley Langdale Jr. Center for Forest Business at the University of Georgia welcomes industry expert Erin Lincoln on August 1.
07.01.2024
Assessing the Sustainability of Forest Biomass Harvesting in the Southeastern U.S.: A Review
As European renewable energy goals drive up demand for wood pellets, the southeastern U.S. has become a key supplier. But are our forests ready? A recent UGA research paper in Biomass and Bioenergy offers a comprehensive review of the environmental impacts of forest biomass harvesting, especially for wood pellet production.
05.25.2024
The Hidden Cost of Ignoring Terminal Value in Forest Planning
In timberland valuation and harvest planning, one often-overlooked factor can make or break your bottom line: terminal value. A new study by Silva et al. (2024) shows that failing to account for the value of unharvested timber at the end of a planning horizon can lead to significant undervaluation.
03.21.2024
Enhancing Wood Property Prediction with Machine Learning and Synthetic NIR Data
As mass timber construction continues to rise, artificial intelligence tools like machine learning can help ensure the right wood goes in the right place—making buildings safer, more sustainable, and more cost-effective. A 2024 study addresses this challenge by using artificial intelligence to generate synthetic data to augment and improve existing datasets and results.
03.08.2024
Georgia Sawtimber Prices Held Steady in Q4 2023
Pine sawtimber and chip-n-saw stumpage prices in Georgia stabilized during the fourth quarter of 2023 following three consecutive quarters of decline. However, pine pulpwood stumpage prices continued to fall during the quarter.
03.05.2024
Improving thinned loblolly, longleaf and slash pine stand growth with a herbicide or a fertilizer treatment – making the right choice
Thinned loblolly, longleaf and slash pine stands often respond to a woody competition control treatment and/or a fertilizer treatment. Deciding which treatment may be the best choice depends on several factors.
02.29.2024
J. Todd Petty named dean of Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources
J. Todd Petty, chair of the department of forestry and environmental conservation at Clemson University, named the next dean of the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Georgia.
02.23.2024
Natural Resources: Forest Foundations
Stephen Kinane MS ’14, PhD ’20, taught an algorithm to recognize a pine sapling in an image of a forest. To properly program an algorithm, researchers teach AI to understand different backgrounds and lighting patterns, detailing what differentiates a sapling from other vegetation and the forest floor, and more.
