VICKSBURG, Fla.– This year, in partnership with the Florida Forestry Association, the Florida Forest Service will be celebrating Florida Forests Week the week of October 23 – October 29, 2022. This is an opportunity for Floridians to learn about the benefits of actively managed forests and understand the importance of healthy forests to their daily lives. From raw materials for wood products, clean air and water, wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities, and carbon sequestration; Florida’s forest are a source of many benefits and products we enjoy daily. Nearly half of the State of Florida is forested, and these working forests employee over 124,000 people and contribute more than $25 billion to the State’s economy.
Florida Forests Week was created in 2015 in partnership with the Florida Forestry Association and is celebrated annually. “We look forward to working with everyone to display the importance of the forest industry.”- Mike Mathis, Chipola Forestry Center Manager.
This year it will be celebrated with a workshop on October 26th at 9:00a.m. at the Washington County Agriculture Conference Center, located at Jackson Avenue Chipley, FL 32428. This workshop will focus on forestry-related programs offered to landowners and education on these forestry practices. Participants will have the opportunity to voice what works well and how the presented material/programs can improve and develop during an open forum discussion. In addition, a field visit and forest product mill tour will take place at Rex Lumber in Graceville. Participants will see the industry’s many efforts to maximize the effective and efficient use of resources from sound forest management practices.
Registration is requested of the free event online at Florida Forests Week Tickets, Wed, Oct 26, 2022 at 8:30 AM | Eventbrite. Only 30 spots are available at the Mill Tour, participants must wear pants and boots. For additional questions contact Tyger Adams, (850)373-1813 or Tyger.adams@FDACS.gov.
The Florida Forest Service, a division of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, manages more than 1 million acres of state forests and provides forest management assistance on more than 17 million acres of private and community forests. The Florida Forest Service is also responsible for protecting homes, forestland, and natural resources from the devastating effects of wildfire on more than 26 million acres. For more information and educational resources, visit FDACS.gov/FLForestService or FLForestry.org.