A Front Seat to the Power of Family-Owned Forests and Their Legacy

I had the opportunity to spend an afternoon with the Keeping Forests coalition and preview filmmaker Jennifer MacArthur’s newest work, “Family Tree,” a film inspired by our changing climate and two African American families, the Williams and the Jeffries, who double down on their commitment to manage 40 acres of inherited forests in North Carolina. Their goal: Do what is best for the environment and introduce the younger generations to the land that is part of their families’ legacy.

This story is not an uncommon one. Thirty-three percent of our nation’s forests are contained within the geographic boundaries of the U.S. South. Nearly 50% of those forests are in the hands of family landowners. The stewardship of these lands supports our collective environmental, economic and social sustainability goals.

Rita Hite, President of the American Forest Foundation, was at the movie premiere and we had a chance to talk. She agreed the movie reflected what she has always believed --“family-owned forests are vital to conservation efforts. They can increase carbon storage, mitigate catastrophic wildfires, improve wildlife habitat, protect our water, increase sustainable wood supplies and support rural communities.”

Because private and family-owned forests represent the largest portion of U.S. forestland, their contributions are essential. Especially today, as these landowners are facing growing threats from drought to development. According to Hite, it’s never been more critical for family forest owners to actively steward their land.   

Landowners can’t do it alone. Family landowners across America work with scientists, conservationists, government and paper companies to make long-term plans that contemplate the next 10, 20 and even 100 years of soil, water and biodiversity on their land. In the film, the Williams and Jeffries families tap into the expertise of the Roanoke Cooperative - Sustainable Forestry & Land Retention Project and the Natural Resources Foundation at NC State University in creating a long-term plan for their land.

Another fact that many people don’t realize is that it takes money to manage the land and generate income. That’s where a healthy market for forest products comes in. The paper and packaging industry is a source of income, providing landowners with resources to keep their lands as forests and not sell them for development or agricultural uses. 

We’ve highlighted some of these challenges as well in our own mini-documentary series, “Faces of the Forest” that features family landowners who care for the land, nurture the trees as well as foresters and the industry that makes the paper and packaging products.

Watch the “Family Tree” trailer here.