In the U.S. South, a Forestry Project Helps Black Families Keep Their Land

by Carey L. Biron (Reuters) ... Many of the families were poor but rich in land, offering an opportunity today for those who still own property, said Alton Perry, a former U.S. government forester who works as program manager with the Sustainable Forestry and Land Retention (SFLR) project.

Through the SFLR program, the brothers have been working with a forester from Enviva, a biomass pellet producer, to identify the trees growing on the land, offer management options, and get the forest certified as sustainable - raising the price of their timber.

“The whole key is for this to add value to the property,” said Chris Brown, a community relations manager with Enviva. “And then you can keep it in the family.” READ MORE