Address Forest Health or Invasive Species

Managing for forest health is one of the most important things you can do to protect what you value—whether that’s passing your land to your children, enjoying its beauty and privacy, harvesting timber or non-timber products from it, or supporting wildlife.

Without healthy forest conditions, these goals become harder—sometimes impossible—to achieve.

Forest Health Affects Everything You Value

• Wildlife need healthy, diverse forests to find food and shelter and to raise young. Overcrowded or degraded woods reduce habitat quality and may not provide the right conditions for wildlife to live there.
• Scenic beauty and privacy decline when trees are sick, dying, or taken over by invasive plants.
• Non-timber forest products like mushrooms, herbs, and berries thrive in healthy, balanced ecosystems.
• Family legacy value depends on passing down land that’s in good condition—not one that’s in decline or full of dying trees and invasive species.
• Water quality requires robust forests to filter out pollutants and maintain healthy ecosystems.

Many problems—like invasive plants, disease, or poor regeneration—can go unnoticed until they’ve done real damage. Once a forest loses its health, it takes some combination of time, effort, and money to recover.

Healthy Forests Are More Resilient

Storms, pests, and drought are part of life in Tennessee. A healthy forest is better able to withstand and bounce back from these challenges—reducing risk to your land and legacy. Prioritizing forest health means protecting your woods today so they can continue to provide privacy, beauty, food, wildlife, and value tomorrow. Even small actions now can make a big difference in keeping your forest strong for future generations.

So What's Next?

Ready to explore forest management strategies tailored to your property to promote forest health? Reach out to a consulting forester or your local TDF area forester today.