Study shows Tennessee has maintained same amount of forest cover since 1961, but different species; TN

Forest coverage steady; changes in tree species : Local News : Knoxville News Sentinel
By Morgan Simmons (Contact)
Monday, June 8, 2009
Saul Young/News Sentinel
The amount of forests covering Tennessee has held steady for decades, but declines have occurred in some species and in the amount of younger tracts of trees.
That's according to the latest report issued by the U.S. Forest Service and the Tennessee Division of Forestry. The report, which looked at statewide forest conditions from 1999 to 2004, also cites a decline in the number of wood products jobs in that period.
The Forestry Inventory and Analysis program has surveyed Tennessee at five- to seven-year intervals since 1950. The latest report was delayed because of the time needed to analyze the large quantity of data.
The report found 52 percent of Tennessee's land base to be in forests - essentially the same percentage that has covered the state since 1961.