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A Regional Assessment of the Non-Timber Forest Products Industry |
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Abstract. This study is addressing an urgent need
to better understand the importance of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in
the South. To better understand the impact on sustainability, forest
managers need information on the volume of NTFPs that are collected and
traded. Managers lack knowledge in all areas concerning NTFP management. The
amount of product available for collection has not been determined, nor
monitored. The market channels, through which NTFPs travel, are not well
understood. Unlike the timber-based industry, the demographics of the NTFP
market players has not been examined nor described. Further, the volume of
NTFPs being processed through the various market channels has not been
estimated, nor tracked. With development of this knowledge, our
understanding of the regional economic impact of NTFPs would be greatly
improved. Coupling this output information with future inventory data will
help us answer question on sustainability for important NTFPs. Development
and articulation of a regional assessment will provide a synopsis of NTFPs
that will serve to define the products, their geographic distribution and
challenges that will affect regular monitoring of market conditions. The
study is designed to help federal and state personnel, decide products in
need of further study and priority action. Recommendations will be made on
needed tracking studies and methods and approaches to conduct such studies.
Last Modified:
06/13/07
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