Matching Local Resources to Local Needs: Forestry and Community Development in Alabama’s Black Belt

Conner Bailey, Mark Dubois, and Arnold Brodbeck

Auburn University

Abstract:

We trace the history of technological change in the forest products sector and the impacts of such change on owners of small parcels of timberland. We explore technical and economic alternatives that can provide market access to such owners in the context of rural Black Belt Alabama, a region characterized by persistent rural poverty. We further explore opportunities to promote a linkage between scale-appropriate harvesting and processing technologies and local needs for improved housing and economic opportunities.