Dogwood Alliance and New Alpha Community Development Corporation Launch Justice Conservation Fund to Protect Forests from Industrial Logging in Under-Resourced Communities Across the South
The Justice Conservation Fund helps Native American and Black communities purchase properties that will serve as community-owned hubs of forest conservation, outdoor recreation, and eco-tourism. The Fund purchased its first property on April 1 in Laurens County, South Carolina
Florence, South Carolina. Dogwood Alliance and New Alpha Community Development Corporation have launched the Justice Conservation Fund (JCF). The fund is a pioneering multi-million dollar initiative. It invests in community- and tribal-owned forests. It focuses in areas of the South lacking the resources for land protection.
The Future of the South
The JCF provided its first funding to the Lower Eastern Cherokee Nation in Laurens County, South Carolina. The tribe purchased forested land adjacent to its cultural center. The land sits in the heart of commercial logging country. The JCF has raised over $1 million so far. The goal is to secure $5 million over the next few years. The JCF will invest in forest protection across the South. The fund focuses in communities that have borne the brunt of the negative health, economic, and climate impacts of industrial logging and wood production. Local environmental justice groups or Native American tribes will own and manage each project. They will establish community-led hubs of forest preservation, outdoor recreation, and eco-tourism.
Reverend Leo Woodberry is the Executive Director of New Alpha. He said:
“The Justice Conservation Fund is focused on protecting forests in low-income, rural communities of color like mine that have been disproportionately impacted by the commercial logging and wood pellet biomass industries. There is no justice in the environmental destruction and pollution these industries cause, but there is justice in land conservation, climate protection, and clean air. Our vision is restorative forested justice where communities build local economies that respect and allow nature to thrive for generations young and old.”
A Better Economic Model
Local governments often prioritize commercial logging and wood pellet biomass industries over preserving forests. All in the name of economic growth. For a decade, under-resourced communities across the South have suffered the impacts of the rapid expansion of the biomass industry.
However, studies show that standing forests are worth 15 times more than logged forests. Outdoor recreation is a proven better economic alternative to industrial logging. Nationwide, outdoor recreation contributed $640 billion to GDP in 2023. Compare that to Forestry and Agriculture combined at $274 billion. The outdoor industry created 500,000 jobs compared to only 90,000 in the forest sector. Additionally, wetland forest ecosystem services are worth more than $500 billion. This includes water filtration, protection from extreme weather events, food, and pollination.
Danna Smith is the Executive Director of Dogwood Alliance. She said:
“Communities want to protect their forests and grow their local economies. We’re creating a new economic model in the South that’s designed to keep forests standing and rooted in community, outdoor education and recreation and climate resiliency. Currently the South is the world’s largest wood-producing region. Logging rates here are estimated to be four times higher than in the South American rainforest. The climate, health and economic impacts have been devastating for local communities. The Justice Conservation Fund is funding a new model for creating local economies that work in harmony with nature. We envision a day where our Southern forests and people thrive together.”
Commercial logging leaves communities more vulnerable to hurricanes, flooding, and extreme heat. Wood pellet biomass facilities drive the clearcutting of forests. They also emit significant levels of pollution, specifically volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and hazardous air pollutants (HAPS). These can cause cancer, brain disease, and respiratory problems.
Rev Leo Woodberry added:
“The Justice Conservation Fund will also ensure that communities can control their own destiny and grow their local economies.”
Each property purchased through the JCF will be in the hands of the communities that own them.
Lower Eastern Cherokee Tribe Project
On April 1, the JCF provided its first grant to the Lower Eastern Cherokee Tribe in South Carolina. The tribe purchased 13.5 acres of forested land in Laurens County. The tribe already owned an adjacent 9.25 acres. With this new purchase, the tribe now owns 22.75 acres.
The tribe has named the property “Tribal Forest of the Lower Eastern Cherokee Nation of South Carolina.” They will create a 2- to 3-mile hiking trail around the perimeter. The trail will have storytelling stations about their history and culture. It will have replicas of the tribe’s traditional canoes, baskets, tools, housing materials, jewelry, and other cultural items. The land sits within the wood pellet biomass company Enviva’s sourcing radius. This project helps the tribe protect their land from industrial logging. It will also generate tourism revenue and enhance their connection to the land.
Chief Dexter Sharp of the Lower Eastern Cherokee Nation of South Carolina said:
“The opportunity to own and protect this land represents an exciting new chapter in our tribe’s history. It’s in our blood to be responsible stewards of the Earth. In the years to come, our tribal forest will not only be a popular hiking experience, but a showcase of our rich history and cultural practices. I envision generations young and old leading hikes, making food and souvenirs, and leading presentations about our way of life. It will be a bustling local economy that reflects our tribe’s values and deep respect for the land.”
Justice Conservation Projects
Prior to purchasing the tribal forest, Dogwood Alliance and New Alpha raised over a half a million dollars. The money supported the purchase of two properties. These projects were the catalyst for the Justice Conservation Fund.
Freedom Land
Freedom Land is a 305-acre forest along the Pee Dee River in Britton’s Neck, SC. New Alpha owns and manages this property. It will host an eco-lodge, hiking trails, and outdoor recreation activities like fishing, boating, and horseback riding. A majority of Britton’s Neck residents are descendants of people once enslaved on the property. The land will be put into a trust for those descendants.
Pee Dee Indian Tribe Project
In 2022, Dogwood and New Alpha helped the Pee Dee Indian Tribe find funding. The tribe lost all of its tribal land during colonization. They were able to purchase 77 acres of wetlands adjacent to 16 acres they already owned. The tribe is restoring the wetland. They have created an environmental education center on the property. The center focuses on Native American culture and heritage. It also educates about the importance of preserving wetlands.
“The Cherokee tribal forest is the third conservation project built on the Justice Conservation model. Economic growth by keeping our forests standing. That’s what the future of the South looks like,” said Smith.
Media Contact: Carina Daniels
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