With Mississippi’s timber industry as the second highest producing agricultural commodity in 2019, the Winston County Forestry Association is aiming to grow its membership and help local landowners manage their lands to earn a portion of the agricultural commodity dollars.
Timber had an estimated production value of $1.15 billion in Mississippi. Timber’s value of production is estimated by monthly severance taxes collected by the Mississippi Department of Revenue.
“I want to increase the membership and awareness of the Forestry Association so local landowners can earn some of this market as well as be better informed and educated on timber management and conservation,” said Stevie Herrington, the new Winston County Forestry Association President and a forestry instructor for the Louisville Municipal School District.
With Mississippi as a timber-rich state with 63 percent of its land area covered in forests and with Winston County’s own economy strengthened by forestry, Herrington sees the potential for landowners and his students in the market.
“We are promoting forestry planning and conservation as well as wanting to grow the association,” said Herrington. “We want to grow our younger ranks especially since they will be taking over these lands and finding a career through forestry,” he added.
With seventy-seven percent of timber owned in Mississippi by private, nonindustrial landowners, Herrington’s plan to grow the association and get landowners more involved in timber and land management can help everyone in the county.
“Landowners with as little as 10 acres can plan timber management that helps conservation and proper use of lands,” said Herrington.
In addition to the education and information gained from the forestry association sessions, Herrington noted that the connections developed in the group are key to success and improving. He said that those contacts can help each person generate ideas, gain the answers they may have timber and land management or maybe the encouragement they need when plans are not succeeding as aimed for.
Herrington noted that his forestry students have also gained a lot with their participation in the association.
“It has exposed the students with a vast array of careers the industry has available and has allowed them to see the difference proper forestry techniques can make in conservation as well as income for land owners,” said Herrington.
Find out how you can become a member of the Winston County Forestry Association by calling the Winston County Extension office at 662-773-3091.
