Collection of Nontimber Forest Products from State Forests in the US South

Little is known about the harvest of nontimber forest products (NTFPs) in state forests of the US South. We asked the state forestry agencies in all 13 southern states about the products harvested and the policies regulating harvest, as well as evidence of illegal harvest and the effects of harvest on biodiversity. Of the 12 southern states that have state forests, 7 allow some harvest of NTFPs and 6 of those have evidence of illegal harvesting. The most common products cited were pine straw, pine cones, and live plants used for transplants into nurseries and landscaping. Only two states had enough data on the impacts of harvest to say that there is no negative effect on biodiversity.