Urban Development

Incidence of Public Lands At least 78 BLM and USFS Land Use Plans are Now Being Actively Worked - How Many with Formal DoD Input?

Where and What Are Southern Forests All or parts of 13 states 215 million acres 89% privately owned Profoundly changed since European settlement Still immensely important But undervalued by nation

Forest area and ownership

Now Changing Very Rapidly Sale of large industrial ownerships Urbanization in eastern portion of region and coastal plain: a million acres a year Recreational pressures Rapidly rising land prices Global competition for industry New waves of forest pests

Forecast land use change (2020)

EPA Southeast US Ecological Framework

Joint Use Regional Airspace Extends to Jacksonville & connects with Camp Blanding Restricted Airspace

Potential DoD Corridors with Florida Forever and Managed Lands The Nature Conservancy Florida Department of Environmental Protection Okaloosa Economic Development Council Air Armament Center

A Southern Forest Coalition Beginning groups –American Forest Foundation (Tree Farm) –Environmental Defense –National Wildlife Federation –Southern Environmental Law Center –The Nature Conservancy Dialogue with State Foresters and others Developing a strategy for southern forests Key elements will include regional cooperation and incentives for private landowners

Obtain private, state, and federal funding to support action on all three axes - incentives for private landowners vital Leverage existing state and federal programs Develop scientific consensus on objectives, data and planning Modify state and federal regulations and legislation as required Base private, state, and federal conservation efforts on shared objectives, data, and planning methods Biodiversity protected Other values protected Public-private cooperation Regional cooperation