In the coastal flatwoods of Georgia, a project that demonstrates our focus on community and the environment is unfolding. McIntosh SEED, a nonprofit community-based organization, partnered with The Conservation Fund to acquire 1,148 acres of land in Long County to create the state’s first community forest.  This precedent-setting acquisition involved many moving parts and was carried out by an array of partners that included rural community leaders, landowners of color, faith groups, conservation groups, birdwatchers, graduate students and the Department of Defense. McIntosh SEED’s board and staff engaged community members in developing a master plan that blends community economic development, cultural preservation, landowner education, environmental protection and restoration and community-based recreation.

TCF’s Working Forests, Resourceful Communities and Conservation Loans programs, as well as the Land Conservation team provided support and continues to partner on implementing this innovative natural resource based model for rural community development. Thanks to this partnership, the McIntosh SEED Community Forest will protect and enhance the natural resource base, create jobs and business opportunities and strengthen long-standing cultural connections to the land for residents and visitors of all ages.

What Is a Community Forest?

A community forest is a working forest that is permanently protected — offering the community value and benefits from the land, access and rights to the forest resources and involvement in decision-making. McIntosh SEED partnered with Duke University graduate students to engage community members in Long and McIntosh counties in identifying residents’ interests and values related to the forest. In a series of surveys, focus groups and interviews, residents emphasized a love of nature and outdoor recreational opportunities, as well as a need for economic growth through jobs and small, locally owned businesses.

Some of America’s most valued natural resources can be found in rural areas where communities are struggling with poverty, unemployment, discrimination, food insecurity and health disparities. In southeast Georgia, landownership is directly tied to economic empowerment for African Americans, but many do not have access to the resources, support and capacity to acquire, own and manage land in a sustainable manner. Community forests provide an opportunity to overcome these challenges, and McIntosh SEED Community Forest has been designed to strengthen the local economy, maintain a healthy environment and empower the next generation of this community. This forest will provide revenue through timber and crops, workforce training and sustainable landowner-management educational opportunities, protection and restoration of important longleaf pine and wetland habitats, and water-quality protection and improvement.  The site will also reduce encroachment that might otherwise impact military training missions at nearby Fort Stewart.

Features of the Forest

During the community forest master-planning process, residents requested several key features for the forest, including a retreat center for educational activities, camping sites, bird-watching stations, archery facilities and a network of trails. Cultivation of sweetgrass will support the basketmaking traditions that were brought to the region by enslaved Africans for use in rice production and have since evolved into an art form and a significant economic driver.  Longleaf pine restoration is another priority; the McIntosh SEED Community Forest is between major longleaf regeneration sites and establishing longleaf pines here will restore the native habitat and contribute to a habitat corridor.

The Future of the McIntosh SEED Community Forest

The McIntosh SEED Community Forest is a project that is timely and relevant. It is an important rural development model that is leveraging our partners’ cultural connections to the land and adding value to the economy, the environment and the community.  It will provide educational opportunities for young people who will be the next generation of community leaders and for landowners who want to manage their properties and access technical assistance and other resources. It is community space that is providing a vision and demonstrating the future of the conservation and community-development movements today.

Community ownership and management of forestlands are proven strategies for environmental protection, and the McIntosh SEED Community Forest is taking the model to the next level. The partnership between McIntosh SEED and The Conservation Fund is setting new standards for collaboration and real results that truly meet the needs of the community — conservation that works for all Americans.

Learn More

• Our work in North Carolina