How sustainable forestry can help the legacy of African American Landowners

[WhiskeyWulf]

This is an interesting article about a subject I don't know well. Just passing it along.

http://www.treehugger.com/corporate-responsibility/how-sustainable-forestry-can-help-legacy-african-american-landowners.html

For over 150 years, forest stewardship and farming have been an important part of African American history. Following the Civil War, many African American families took to the land to seek their future. By 1910, black landowners had accumulated 15 million acres across the US South and by the 1920s, 14% of all farms in the US, nearly one million properties, were owned by black families.

However, due to lack of legal resources, many landowners either never prepared a will or prepared a will naming all of their children as heirs. As these properties were passed down through the generations, the land became “heirs’ property,” and lacked clear title of ownership. Unable to unlock the equity in the land, the property became a financial burden as opposed to an asset. Frequently, this resulted in heirs selling off their interest in properties for a fraction of the real value. Even forestlands that are retained as heirs’ property frequently lack appropriate management, and thus fail to reach their potential for recreation, timber production, or wildlife habitat.

This is why the Sustainable Forestry Initiative has partnered on three projects to help reverse this trend by providing sustainable forestry education, access to timber market opportunities, and legal support.

(more at link)