By Laura Calandrella // Executive Director, Keeping Forests
Southern Forests are a quiet force in America’s economy and environment. They produce nearly 60 percent of the nation’s timber, filter our drinking water, support rural economies, and capture carbon. But these benefits don’t begin in Washington or Wall Street. They begin at the kitchen table—where families gather to talk about their land.
For generations, private landowners have quietly stewarded the forests that power our region. But today, landowners face unprecedented pressures: rapid development, volatile markets, and the hard conversations that come with passing land to the next generation. And it’s those family decisions—made one property at a time—that will shape the future of the South’s forests.
Keeping Forests is Working to Tip the Scales
At Keeping Forests, we work across the South to sustain our region’s private and working forests—forever. Our mission is to keep forests as forests by creating conditions where landowners are empowered, markets are aligned with sustainability, and communities see the value of keeping forests intact. We are a cross-sector coalition that brings together conservationists, business leaders, forest advocates, and scientists to do what no single entity could or would do alone: keep our forests as forests.
That means focusing not just on ecology or policy, but on people. Because the Southern forest landscape is nearly 90 percent privately owned, and nearly two-thirds of that is family-owned.
According to the latest National Woodland Owners Survey,
- 53 percent of private forest owners in the South are 65 or older
- 60 percent intend to transfer their land within the next 10 years
- But only 21 percent\ have a written succession plan
Even if timber markets are strong and development slows, the transition between generations is the moment when land is most likely to be sold, divided—or lost entirely. Whether land stays forested often comes down to one thing: a family conversation.
Forest Values Go Far Beyond Timber
Landowners already know the worth of their woods. But there’s power in remembering the full spectrum of benefits they provide—not just to the owner, but to the broader community.
At Keeping Forests, we highlight Forest Values to express what makes these landscapes so vital. For example, forested watersheds filter more than 50 percent of U.S. drinking water. Forests supply paper, lumber and countless-wood-derived products. They provide habitats for wildlife and pollinators. They provide recreation opportunities. They capture carbon and improve our physical and mental well-being while sustaining regional culture and heritage. And, last but not least, working forests generate jobs and family income across generations.
These values only endure when forests do—and that means supporting families in keeping their land intact.
Why Legacy Conversations Are Conservation Conversations
Land retention is more than a legal process—it’s an act of stewardship. When families plan for the future of their land, they are engaging in one of the most meaningful forms of conservation.
That’s why Keeping Forests supports community-based partners like the Sustainable Forestry and Land Retention Project (SFLRP) at Roanoke Cooperative. These trusted local organizations are essential to our mission. By being embedded in the communities they serve, they build relationships, offer hands-on support, and provide landowners with the tools to make informed decisions about their land.
Since Keeping Forests’ strategies are co-created in collaboration with our partners, this direct connection to the ground is essential. It is the only way that we can collectively turn a regional vision into real outcomes at a local level.
The thread that wove all of the panelists’ responses together was this: tell your story.
To strengthen this partnership and our shared message, Keeping Forests worked with the Arbor Day Foundation, SFLRP, and filmmaker Jennifer MacArthur to bring the documentary Family Tree to the big screen in Atlanta in November 2024. The film follows the journey of two North Carolina families as they take on the challenge of building intergenerational wealth while raising healthy forests.
The SCAD Theater was filled with nearly 100 attendees from Raleigh to Washington, D.C., Atlanta to Colombia, S.C. A 20-minute panel discussion followed the screening with the families and major characters in the documentary:
- Jennifer MacArthur, Filmmaker
- Nikki Jefferies, NC Forest Landowner
- Mavis Gragg, “Death and Dirt” Attorney and Conservation Professional
- Bradley Brandt, Senior Reforestation Manager | Arbor Day Foundation
- Alton Perry, Director | Roanoke Cooperative’s SFLRP
- Tyrone Williams, NC Forest Landowner | FourTee Acres
- Sam Cook, Executive Director of Forest Assets | NC State University
The final question posed to the panelists was this:
“If there is one thing that you hope the audience does when they walk away today, what would it be?”
The thread that wove all of the panelists’ responses together was this: tell your story.
As Mr. Williams said, “Go home tonight and talk to your family. Even if you don’t own land, you are still leaving a legacy behind. For your family to carry that legacy on, they have to know what it is.”
To view a short video recapping the documentary’s screening, click here.
The future of Southern Forests depends on the choices that each of us make today – and those choices can start with something as simple as a conversation. We don’t need to wait for events like we hosted last November for those conversations to begin. And even though topics like inheritance, stewardship, and purpose may sound heavy they don’t have to be hard. They can be full of hope, knowing that we can shape the next chapter for our families and our lands.
We at Keeping Forests are honored to be able to lift up these stories and forge partnerships across the South. Together we’re building a strong, more resilient future for our forests and the people who call them home.
You can find more stories of Southern Forests and landowners on our blog or YouTube channel – including a feature story on Alton Perry, Director of Roanoke Cooperative’s SFLRP.