Forest Industry's Increasingly Problematic Journey Into The Future

The southern wood products industry has been committed to establishment of the southern pines in plantations for over 70 years. Likewise, the industry has been applying genetic principles to improving the growth of the trees in these plantations for over 40 years. The goal, of course, was to produce fiber to be consumed in company mills. An investment in plantations lasting about a quarter of a century is justifiable if sustainability of supply is assured as well as the maintenance of a competitive advantage. Until recently, growing highly productive forests for harvest was looked upon favorably by the public. Now, the industry is increasingly berated for its cutting and intensive management practices. This includes the use of genetically improved planting stock. The ever lengthening list of business and environmental issues facing executives in segments of the forest products industry make it increasingly difficult to choose a profitable path to the future with a reasonable level of risk and a competitive rate of return. This paper reviews a number of these interacting issues. The research community can buffer the risks by assuring that the genetic integrity of the industrial high yielding plantations is beyond question.

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Author(s): Ronald A. Woessner

Publication: Tree Improvement and Genetics - Southern Forest Tree Improvement Conference - 1993

Section: Theme-Vision for the Future