McIntosh SEED Community Forest

In the coastal flatwoods of Georgia, a project that demonstrates our focus on community and the environment is unfolding. McIntosh SEED, a nonprofit community-based organization, partnered with The Conservation Fund to acquire 1,148 acres of land in Long County, creating the state's first community forest. This precedent-setting acquisition involved many “moving parts” carried out by an incredible array of partners that included rural community leaders, landowners of color, faith groups, conservation groups, birdwatchers, graduate students and the US Department of Defense. McIntosh SEED’s board and staff engaged community members in developing a masterplan that blends community economic development, cultural preservation, landowner education, environmental protection and restoration, and community-based recreation.

The Fund’s Working Forest Fund, Resourceful Communities and Conservation Loans programs, as well as the Conservation Acquisition team provided support and continues to partner on implementing this innovative natural resource-based model for rural community development. Thanks to this unique partnership, the McIntosh SEED Community Forest will protect and enhance the natural resource base, create jobs and business opportunities, and strengthen long-standing cultural connections to the land for residents and visitors of all ages.

What is a Community Forest?

A community forest is a working forest that is permanently protected—offering the community value and benefits from the land, access and rights to the forest resources, and involvement in decision-making. McIntosh SEED partnered with Duke University graduate students to engage community members in Long and McIntosh Counties in identifying residents’ interests and values related to the forest. In a series of surveys, focus groups and interviews, residents emphasized a love of nature and outdoor recreational opportunities, as well as a need for economic growth through jobs and small, locally-owned businesses.

Some of America’s most valued natural resources can be found in rural areas where communities are struggling with poverty, unemployment, discrimination, food insecurity and health disparities. In southeast Georgia, landownership is directly tied to economic empowerment for African Americans, but many do not have access to the resources, support and capacity to acquire, own and manage land in a sustainable manner. Community forests provide an opportunity to overcome these challenges, and McIntosh SEED Community Forest has been designed to strengthen the local economy, maintain a healthy environment, and empower the next generation of this community. This forest will provide: Revenue through timber and crops; workforce training and sustainable landowner management educational opportunities; protection and restoration of important longleaf pine and wetland habitats; and water quality protection and improvement. The site will also reduce encroachment that might otherwise impact military training missions at nearby Fort Stewart.

Features of the Forest

During the community forest masterplanning process, residents requested several key features for the forest, including: a retreat center for educational activities; camping sites; bird watching stations; archery facilities; and a network of trails. Cultivation of sweetgrass will support the basket-making traditions that were brought to the region by enslaved Africans for use in rice production, and have since evolved into an art form and a significant economic driver. Longleaf pine restoration is another priority: the McIntosh SEED Community Forest is located in between major longleaf regeneration sites, and establishing longleaf pines here will restore the native habitat and contribute to a "corridor" of the habitat.

The Future of the McIntosh SEED Community Forest

The McIntosh SEED Community Forest is a project that is timely and relevant. It is an important rural development model that is leveraging our partners’ cultural connections to the land and adding value to the economy, the environment and the community. It will provide educational opportunities for young people who will be the next generation of community leaders, and for landowners wishing to manage their properties and access technical assistance and other resources. It is community space that is providing a vision and demonstrating the future of the conservation and community development movements today.

Community ownership and management of forestlands are proven strategies for environmental protection, and the McIntosh SEED Community Forest is taking the model to the next level. The partnership between McIntosh SEED and The Conservation Fund is setting new standards for collaboration – and real results – that truly meets the needs of the community: conservation that works for all Americans.

Photo Gallery

McIntosh SEED Community Forest, comprised of 1,148 acres of land in Long County, Georgia, offers an opportunity to strengthen the local economy, maintain a healthy local environment, and empower the next generation of this community.

All photos by Steve Orr unless therwise noted.
McSEED Georgia Steve Orr 134 McSEED Georgia Steve Orr 134
Our partnership with McIntosh SEED has been critical to the success of this project. Left to right: Andrew Schock (TCF), Terrance Haywood (McIntosh SEED), Mikki Sager (TCF), John Littles (McIntosh SEED) and Cheryl Peterson (McIntosh SEED) discuss future plans for McIntosh SEED Community Forest.
McSEED Georgia Steve Orr 61 McSEED Georgia Steve Orr 61
McIntosh SEED Community Forest’s extensive network of trails will be available for hiking, birdwatching, environmental education and more.
McSEED Georgia Steve Orr 54 McSEED Georgia Steve Orr 54
Left to right: Cheryl Peterson, John Littles and Terrance Haywood of McIntosh SEED share with Andrew Schock of The Conservation Fund the proposed locations of birdwatching sites and archery targets.
McSEED Georgia Steve Orr 102 McSEED Georgia Steve Orr 102
McIntosh SEED Community Forest is the first of its kind in Georgia. A community forest is a working forest that is permanently protected—offering the community value and benefits from the land, access and rights to the forest resources, and involvement in decision-making.
McSEED Georgia Steve Orr 172 McSEED Georgia Steve Orr 172
Sweetgrass basket-making was brought to coastal areas of the Southeast by enslaved Africans, and has continued as an important cultural tradition that is threatened by development of wetland areas. The masterplan for McIntosh SEED’s community forest calls for propagation of this native grass to support the preservation of this art form and strengthen the livelihoods of the tradition-bearers who have kept the basket-making traditions alive. (Photo of baskets courtesy of Geechee Kunda Cultural Center)
McSEED Georgia Steve Orr 183 McSEED Georgia Steve Orr 183
Native to the coastal plain of the southeastern United States, Gopher tortoises such as the one pictured here live in extensive subterranean burrows. "Gophers" look for habitat that includes longleaf pine sandhills, xeric oak hammocks, scrub, pine flatwoods, dry prairies, and coastal dunes.
McSEED Georgia Steve Orr 173 McSEED Georgia Steve Orr 173
McSEED Georgia Steve Orr 175 McSEED Georgia Steve Orr 175
McSEED Georgia Steve Orr 188 McSEED Georgia Steve Orr 188