Sixty-five leaders from the forestry and drinking water sectors gathered in Savannah on Nov. 17 and 18 for the first Georgia Forests and Drinking Water Forum to explore the connections between forests and drinking water and how the two sectors could work together to sustain Georgia’s forest and water resources.
After a timber company makes its plywood or paper, there’s leftover sawdust and wood shavings. These leftovers are called woody biomass and in Georgia, they’re becoming a big source of renewable energy.
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) recently announced that it is reopening the comment period on its proposal to list the Northern Long-Eared Bat (NLEB) as endangered.
The impact of privately owned forests on the quality and quantity of Georgia’s drinking water is remarkable, and well understood within the forestry community. However, it is unlikely that the state’s citizens and leaders often make the connection between a glass of clean drinking water and Georgia’s forests.
After 15 years of studies, lawsuits and bureaucratic delays, on Oct. 8, state and federal officials signed the final paperwork necessary for the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project to begin, ensuring that larger cargo ships arriving via the soon-to-be-expanded Panama Canal can reach the state’s busy port.
On Oct. 6, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that it would extend the comment period for the second time on the proposed “Waters of the United States” rule. The deadline to submit comments has been extended from Oct. 20 to Nov. 14.
The potential for U.S. forests and forest products to mitigate the effects of climate change will play an unprecedented role in a policy agenda announced on Oct. 8 by the
Building With Wood updates.
Read October, 2014 issue of the The Advocate Newsletter.