New study finds gaps in programs that connect women with their land It’s a story Warnell student Jacqueline Miner hears again and again: Women come to own forestland through a family member but don’t know what to do with it. Selling the land is one option, but they know it might not be the best one—keeping forests as forests is a more sustainable solution. But because women often aren’t included in conversations about forestland management, they don’t know where to turn for resources or guidance when they become landowners. This issue is especially pressing as a growing number of women are owning forestland in Georgia, the top forestry state in the country. The majority of forestland in the state is owned by families, and about 20% of these landowners are female—a percentage that will get even bigger in coming years due to changing demographics. Establishing and promoting programs specifically for women interested in forestry, says Miner, can go a long way toward engaging a new generation of landowners and also in keeping America’s forests as forests. Read more on the UGA Today website.
