A&T Study to Help Farmers Capitalize on Woodlots

For Immediate Release
November 13, 2001

Greensboro, NC: Researchers and Cooperative Extension specialists at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University want landowners without extensive acreage and financial resources to capitalize on the financial and ecological opportunities presented by their woodlots.

“Woodlots, if managed properly, can contribute substantially to a farmer’s livelihood,” said Dr. Godfrey Ejimakor, coordinator of the new effort and an associate professor in A&T’s Department of Agribusiness, Applied Economics and Agriscience Education. “Not only can they make money, they can contribute to the overall quality of the environment through improved water quality, diverse wildlife and beauty.”

Those potential benefits are the reasons behind a new project involving faculty from A&T’s School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. Their goal is to understand the woodlot management situations of limited-resource landowners, so that they can devise strategies to help these landowners capitalize on their assets.

“Under proper forest management, water resources can be protected and enhanced, while stands grow faster and are healthier,” said Ejimakor. “Proper management can also lead to income opportunities through recreation and enhance the value of harvestable timber. On the other hand, poorly managed stands can result in reduced growth and profit.”

In the project, researchers are collecting data from North Carolina landowners, which they will then analyze and correlate to woodlot ownership policies.

Drs. Benny Gray and Bob Williamson from A&T, and Drs. Erin Sills and Sarah Warren from North Carolina State University are collaborating on the project. The project is funded by the Southern Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program.

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