The Great Forest Campaign
Using SAFC's Return the Great Forest: A Conservation Vision for the Southern Appalachian Region as a blueprint, we initiated the Great Forest Campaign as the vehicle to fulfill the Coalition's long-term goal of a protecting a network of forests linked across the region's landscape. This network would provide future generations with clean drinking water, recreation, wildlife habitat, and filter pollution from our air. At the core of our vision is the protection of our National Forests, namely their roadless areas, watersheds, old growth forests, and unprotected cultural areas. At its periphery are significant tracts of high-priority private lands that could be added to the public trust.
Together our Coalition has created this regional conservation vision to lead us towards better health for our forests, our lands, and our people. In order to achieve our goal, SAFC works diligently on six major proactive Campaigns. These Campaigns are: Wilderness, Roadless, Old Growth, Land & Water Conservation Fund, Restoration, and Fire. In addition to our Campaigns, SAFC monitors and responds to ever-changing Public Land Policies and Legislation that affect our National Forests.
Our regional headquarters, based in Asheville, NC, provides GIS mapping, scientific analysis, and campaign, financial and administrative support to our member groups and dozens of conservation initiatives throughout the region.
Return the Great Forest - A Conservation Vision
Endorsed by almost 200 diverse stakeholders including: Jimmy Carter, Mike Dombeck, Terry Tempest Williams, Republicans for Environmental Protection, Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics, and Business for Wilderness, the Conservation Vision seeks to establish an interconnected network of wildlands, over 2.8 million acres of some of the most ancient temperate forests in the world.
Permanent protection within our public lands is needed to establish wildlife corridors for migration and habitat; to meet the increasing demands for backcountry recreation; to ensure clean drinking water; and to provide a sustainable economic future for the region. The Great Forest Campaign works to do this.
Please learn more about this vision by downloading the Return the Great Forest: A Conservation Vision for the Southern Appalachian Region (Warning large file: 4.5M).