Gov. Kemp, DNR Announce 2025 Forestry for Wildlife Partners

ATLANTA, GA

Gov. Brian and First Lady Marty Kemp joined Georgia Department of Natural Resources leaders today in recognizing four corporate forest landowners for stewardship and land management practices benefiting Georgia wildlife. Georgia Power, Weyerhaeuser, PotlatchDeltic and Forest Investment Associates were named DNR’s Forestry for Wildlife partners for 2025.


Forestry for Wildlife Partnership is a voluntary, 30-year-old program that promotes wildlife conservation and sustainable forestry as part of forest management. Partner projects are coordinated by DNR’s Wildlife Resources Division and focused on improvements synced with the Bobwhite Quail Initiative and State Wildlife Action Plan, two statewide strategies. Work varies from restoring habitat for red-cockaded woodpeckers to preserving wetlands used by rare amphibians and prairies harboring endangered plants.

This year’s partners were introduced at the state Capitol by the governor, first lady and DNR leaders. DNR Commissioner Walter Rabon noted that work by the 2025 Forestry for Wildlife partners benefited wildlife on nearly 1 million acres.

“Working lands can also work for conserving native wildlife and natural habitats,” Rabon said. “With more than 90 percent of Georgia lands in private ownership, the Forestry for Wildlife Partnership has teamed with large landowners for over three decades to restore and protect Georgia’s wildlife and wild places. These partners today show how forestry and conservation can work together to help meet that shared responsibility.”

The Wildlife Resources Division honored Weyerhaeuser, PotlatchDeltic, Forest Investment Associates and Georgia Power for:

  • Incorporating wildlife management into land-use planning and timber management practices. 
  • Supplying valuable data for Wildlife Resources Division research projects.
  • Providing internal training opportunities for employees on how to blend forestland management with wildlife-friendly practices for multiple natural resource benefits. 
  • Offering public recreational opportunities on partner forestlands. 
  • Participating in partnerships with conservation organizations. 
  • Managing riparian forests for wildlife use and water quality protection.

More specifically, partner projects included: 

  • Surveys and management benefiting the rare and beautiful Chapman’s fringed orchid. 
  • Donating land to help conserve protected species, including red-cockaded woodpeckers. 
  • Coordinating with DNR to conduct prescribed burns on properties bordering conservation lands. 
  • Monitoring and protecting bald eagle and swallow-tailed kite nests on company lands. 
  • Helping survey and preserve habitat for endangered fringed campion. 
  • Restoring priority habitats such as longleaf and shortleaf pine savannas. 
  • Managing land to conserve and increase populations of gopher tortoises, a keystone species and Georgia’s state reptile. 
  • Providing public opportunities to enjoy the outdoors via hunting, fishing and wildlife viewing.

Abundant, healthy woodlands are essential for wildlife. Georgia has more than 24 million acres of forestland, and more than 22 million acres are privately owned. Landowners with at least 10,000 acres can take part in the Forestry for Wildlife Partnership.

For information on recent and ongoing partner projects, see the annual report of DNR’s Wildlife Conservation Section (https://georgiawildlife.com/conservation/annualreport). 

All conservation enhancement components in the Forestry for Wildlife Partnership are compatible with Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc., a voluntary approach in the forest industry to maintain high environmental standards in land management.  

FORESTRY FOR WILDLIFE/AT A GLANCE

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