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- Info
Sustainable use of non-traditional forest products: Alternative forest-based income opportunities
| Author: |
Hammett, A. L.; Chamberlain, J. L. |
| Date: |
1998 |
| Periodical: |
In: Natural Resource Income Opportunities on Private Lands Conference. [Publisher unknown]. 141-147. |
| Abstract: |
For generations, residents of Central Appalachia have supplemented their income by processing and marketing non-traditional forest products (NTFPs) gathered from forest lands. The NTFP business is growing rapidly-perhaps faster than that of timber. Some estimate that NTFP markets had grown nearly 20 percent in the last few years. The size of Virginia's NTFP industry has been estimated at $35 million. In 1991, Virginia exported nearly 6.5 tons of ginseng collected from its forests, worth more than $1.8 million. However, little is known about the extent of harvesting or the long-term effects of extraction. Much less is known about the multitude of products found in our forests but not widely marketed. Information is needed that draws attention to critical issues related to non-traditional forest products. Recent increased demand for NTFPs may have serious long-term effects on the forest ecosystem and will slow efforts to ensure sustainable management of the regions forests. Virginia Tech has embarked on an effort to learn more about these products and how they would support increased incomes for landowners in the region. Through interviews with stakeholders, and structured and unstructured focus meetings with local communities, we have begun to gather the data needed to better understand this burgeoning forest use. Before developing policies to sustain forest resources, local management practices, the value and volume of products traded, and the scope of NTFP markets need to be documented. Those who gather, market, and manage NTFP resources are involved at all stages of the research. Early indications show that NTFPs offer good opportunities for increased income in rural areas, especially in those hard hit by recent declines of traditional timber industry and the region's coal mining, and should lead to the sustainable management of forest resources. |
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