Authored by: Kevin Owens
Edits by: Pierce Young
89% of forestland in Mississippi is privately owned totaling over 16.5 million acres across the state. Forestland ownership is a significant asset for many families, in which owners may have a wide variety of objectives for managing their land. Balancing those objectives can be difficult. Wildlife management is often a top priority objective for most landowners in Mississippi, and MDWFP offers technical guidance through the Wildlife Private Lands Program to help make plans while balancing all of the landowner's objectives. Common objectives of forestland owners include:
Timber Revenue: Maximizing timber income through thinning to maximize timber yield.
Wildlife Habitat: Creating and managing habitat that is more appealing and suitable in order to attract wildlife for viewing or hunting purposes.
Aesthetics/Privacy: Maintaining the beauty and scenic views of a forest for appearance an privacy purposes and for some; protecting nature.
Streamside management: Maintaining a healthy riparian buffer of vegetation along streams and rivers helps protect water quality.
Carbon sequestration: Leaving old growth forests helps maximize carbon storage.
Fire management: Managing forests properly by implementing proper timber harvests and prescribed burnings helps to mitigate and prevent wildfire risks.
Non-hunting outdoor recreation: Managing lands for non-game activities such as bird watching.
To contact a biologist to help manage your forestland, visit our webpage at