484
Resources Inventory (NRI), which is conducted periodically by the Natural Resources Conservation
Service. This inventory provided an indication of
soil erosion potential from agricultural sources. The
universal soil loss estimates, together with the NRI
data, were used to calculate an average erosion rate
for each county.
32.6.4 Social, Cultural, and
Economic Resources
Natural resources have value because of their utility and esthetic or intrinsic qualities that come from
the human culture. Thus the importance of natural
resources is directly related to people. Early in this
century, the Southern Appalachian people suffered
from widespread poverty and an undereducated,
undernourished, and underemployed population.
Today, although pockets of poverty still exist, the
mountains are considered an excellent place to
visit, settle and raise a family, and retire.
The federal lands that once were purchased so
cheaply have now become an enormous asset to
visitors and residents. The increased scarcity of
these lands, with respect to the demands placed on
them, is now the source of frequent controversy.
The primary purposes of the assessment were to
determine the condition of the natural ecosystems
and to provide data that would help determine how
the public land would be used, protected, and managed.
To accomplish the social, cultural, and economic
analysis, the team established four subgroups. One
would address the human dimensions component.
A second would analyze the timber economy. The
third would address recreation supply and demand.
And the fourth would describe roadless areas and
designated wilderness. These four groups evolved
from the issues raised at the public meetings and
also from the common interests among the study
team.
Human Dimensions
Most of the social issues dealt with the pattern of
population change and the way this is affecting people's use of natural resources. During the last 20
years, economic development was more rapid in
the Southern Appalachian Mountains than in the
immediately surrounding areas. As the economy
grew, it became more diverse and less dependent
on manufacturing. Meanwhile, the proportion of
families living below the poverty level decreased
from 20% to about 10%. The analysis focused
heavily on the changing patterns of economic and
Southern Appalachian Case Study
population growth. It also examined the values and
attitudes of people in the area.
In-migration is a significant component of the
region's population growth, and newcomers to the
region are dramatically changing the social climate
for management of public land. Attitudes about the
use of public lands are now influenced by retirees,
resort owners, and employees in service industries
who are more interested in scenery and recreation
than in resource extraction. Today, the feelings of
residents within the study area toward natural resources are not much different from those across
the nation. Most agree that the Endangered Species
Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Clean Air Act
are needed to protect the region's ecosystems, but
should not excessively restrict people's rights.
Increasing popUlation in all counties, especially
low-density residential development associated
with retirement and second-home development, is
removing forests and pastures as habitat for many
species of wildlife and fish. The resulting land-use
fragmentation is believed to be adversely affecting
animal habitat, especially for some neotropical migratory birds. Landownership fragmentation is adversely affecting the availability of timber from private lands and the opportunities for effective forest
management.
About two-thirds of the land in the assessment
area is forested and, of this, almost three-fourths
is privately owned. To learn more about how and
why private landowners manage their land, the
assessment team analyzed data from two national
questionnaire surveys (the National Private Landownership Study and the National Resources Inventory). From these, they learned that most rural
landowners place higher priority on the natural condition of their land than on making money from it.
About a third of rural landowners derive income
from their land, mainly from agriculture and timber. Recreation is the dominant noncommodity use.
Timber Economy
Logging, sawmilling, and other forms of wood processing have long been an important part of many
Southern Appalachian communities. The region's
timber economy has been generally stable during
the last two decades, although sawlog production
(mainly hardwoods) has declined somewhat and
pulpwood production has increased. More than 17
species of hardwoods comprise the hardwood
saw log production, but the most important are the
oaks and yellow poplar. Real prices for highquality hardwood sawlogs have risen over the last
20 years, with northern red oak leading the group.
Resources Inventory (NRI), which is conducted periodically by the Natural Resources Conservation
Service. This inventory provided an indication of
soil erosion potential from agricultural sources. The
universal soil loss estimates, together with the NRI
data, were used to calculate an average erosion rate
for each county.
32.6.4 Social, Cultural, and
Economic Resources
Natural resources have value because of their utility and esthetic or intrinsic qualities that come from
the human culture. Thus the importance of natural
resources is directly related to people. Early in this
century, the Southern Appalachian people suffered
from widespread poverty and an undereducated,
undernourished, and underemployed population.
Today, although pockets of poverty still exist, the
mountains are considered an excellent place to
visit, settle and raise a family, and retire.
The federal lands that once were purchased so
cheaply have now become an enormous asset to
visitors and residents. The increased scarcity of
these lands, with respect to the demands placed on
them, is now the source of frequent controversy.
The primary purposes of the assessment were to
determine the condition of the natural ecosystems
and to provide data that would help determine how
the public land would be used, protected, and managed.
To accomplish the social, cultural, and economic
analysis, the team established four subgroups. One
would address the human dimensions component.
A second would analyze the timber economy. The
third would address recreation supply and demand.
And the fourth would describe roadless areas and
designated wilderness. These four groups evolved
from the issues raised at the public meetings and
also from the common interests among the study
team.
Human Dimensions
Most of the social issues dealt with the pattern of
population change and the way this is affecting people's use of natural resources. During the last 20
years, economic development was more rapid in
the Southern Appalachian Mountains than in the
immediately surrounding areas. As the economy
grew, it became more diverse and less dependent
on manufacturing. Meanwhile, the proportion of
families living below the poverty level decreased
from 20% to about 10%. The analysis focused
heavily on the changing patterns of economic and
Southern Appalachian Case Study
population growth. It also examined the values and
attitudes of people in the area.
In-migration is a significant component of the
region's population growth, and newcomers to the
region are dramatically changing the social climate
for management of public land. Attitudes about the
use of public lands are now influenced by retirees,
resort owners, and employees in service industries
who are more interested in scenery and recreation
than in resource extraction. Today, the feelings of
residents within the study area toward natural resources are not much different from those across
the nation. Most agree that the Endangered Species
Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Clean Air Act
are needed to protect the region's ecosystems, but
should not excessively restrict people's rights.
Increasing popUlation in all counties, especially
low-density residential development associated
with retirement and second-home development, is
removing forests and pastures as habitat for many
species of wildlife and fish. The resulting land-use
fragmentation is believed to be adversely affecting
animal habitat, especially for some neotropical migratory birds. Landownership fragmentation is adversely affecting the availability of timber from private lands and the opportunities for effective forest
management.
About two-thirds of the land in the assessment
area is forested and, of this, almost three-fourths
is privately owned. To learn more about how and
why private landowners manage their land, the
assessment team analyzed data from two national
questionnaire surveys (the National Private Landownership Study and the National Resources Inventory). From these, they learned that most rural
landowners place higher priority on the natural condition of their land than on making money from it.
About a third of rural landowners derive income
from their land, mainly from agriculture and timber. Recreation is the dominant noncommodity use.
Timber Economy
Logging, sawmilling, and other forms of wood processing have long been an important part of many
Southern Appalachian communities. The region's
timber economy has been generally stable during
the last two decades, although sawlog production
(mainly hardwoods) has declined somewhat and
pulpwood production has increased. More than 17
species of hardwoods comprise the hardwood
saw log production, but the most important are the
oaks and yellow poplar. Real prices for highquality hardwood sawlogs have risen over the last
20 years, with northern red oak leading the group.