Conventional logging practices can have a hugely detrimental impact on our planet’s forests. While timber companies defend selective logging practices, these methods often lead to severe disruption of ecosystems. Improved forestry management techniques aim to reduce the negative environmental impact of forestry activities while continuing to produce ample timber benefiting local economics and livelihoods.
Spanning a vast area of almost 17,000 hectares, the Boone Forestlands project sits in one of the most ecologically diverse regions of North America; the Southern Appalachia. Characterized by its steep, forested mountain slopes and narrow valleys, the region's unique geology and evolutionary history has led to a rich assemblage of plant and animal species. Focusing on sustainable forestry management practices, the project aims to protect and preserve species including deer, black bears, bats, elk, and many rare and threatened species that inhabit the woodlands.
By employing a suite of sustainable harvesting techniques, the project both reduces GHGs as well as any ecological disturbance that comes with conventional logging practices. Protecting these forestlands plays a vital role in ensuring landscape connectivity and ecological resilience throughout Southern Appalachia, allowing populations of many animals such as elk, deer and black bears to thrive.
To learn more about the Sustainable Development Goals verified by the standard for this project, please check the registry link.
