 OverviewKatrina caused the largest single devastation of forests in our Nation's history. According to the USDA Forest Service, Hurricane Katrina caused damage to 5 million acres, with 4 million acres in Mississippi alone, and most of it on private lands. This represents 19 billion board feet of timber with a value of $5 billion. This is enough timber to build 800,000 homes and make 25 million tons of paper and paperboard. Much of the downed timber is now worthless due to splintering of the logs and degradation of the wood structure. Experience with Hurricanes Ivan and Hugo suggest that about 1/3 of the downed timber will be salvageable; that will only partially defray the costs of clearing, site preparation and replanting. Region 178 counties in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi were declared primary presidential or secretarial disaster areas in 2005 because of hurricane Katrina. Forest landowners experiencing losses in these counties are eligible to apply for assistance under the new and existing federal aid programs. More Information from Wildlife Mississippi 
Initial USDA Forest Service Hurricane Katrina Damage EstimatesScientists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service have found that approximately 19 billion board feet of timber spread over five million acres in Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama have been destroyed as a result of Hurricane Katrina. Full Story
Tips for Landowners Attempting to Salvage Hurricane Damaged TimberHurricane Katrina’s impact on the forests of south Mississippi was catastrophic. The challenge for landowners, loggers and consuming mills is to salvage as much of the volume and value from those forests as possible. This process is not going to be easy, and raises special problems for those buying the timber and conducting the necessary operations. Landowners can expedite the process by doing some preparatory work. The items listed here by Mississippi State University are just a few suggestions to make the process less stressful and flow easier. Full Story |
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