For generations, Georgia’s 22 million acres of forestland have been the backbone of rural communities, fueling jobs, industry and culture. But as global markets shift and new technologies emerge, state leaders are looking for ways to build on forestry’s strength and unlock its next era of growth.

That was the mission behind the Georgia Senate’s Advancing Forest Innovation Study Committee — a bipartisan group tasked with exploring how the state can unlock new markets, protect landowners and position itself as a global leader in sustainable forestry.

Senator John F. Kennedy (R-Macon), who chaired the committee, called the effort “an immense privilege” and said it reinforced forestry’s role in Georgia’s long-term economic growth.

“Georgia has a unique opportunity to leverage its vast natural resources and thriving forestry sector to drive continued economic expansion,” Kennedy said. “By prioritizing innovation, we can maintain our competitive edge in global markets and ensure we remain the best state to do business.”

​Senator Russ Goodman (R-Cogdell), a forest landowner and lifelong advocate for rural Georgia, believes the stakes couldn’t be higher.

“We’re growing 50% more trees than we are currently utilizing,” he said. “And when you look at the contributions that our timberland owners make in terms of the tax base — funding rural schools, counties, municipalities — it’s clear we’ve got to find new uses in the modern era for the wood products that we’re growing.”

Kennedy echoed that urgency, citing both the industry’s scale and its potential. “Our state cultivates and exports more trees than any other in the country,” he said. “With over 1,100 secondary mills and 205 manufacturing facilities, forestry
is a major economic engine—and we must continue investing in research, workforce development and infrastructure to sustain that momentum.”

Securing Forestry’s Future
For Goodman, who lives in Clinch County — where 95% of the land is forest — this work is personal.

“I’m probably the only member of this General Assembly that’s planted a quarter million acres of pine trees in my life,” he said. But he warns that without new economic opportunities, many landowners may not see a future in trees. “You could take timberland, sell it, pay the capital gains taxes on it, and put it in the stock market and make twice as much money every year as you do growing trees.”

He’s not alone in calling for a transformation. Senator Sonya Halpern (D-Atlanta), who served as the lone urban voice on the committee, said the experience was eye-opening.

“I didn’t realize that our forestry industry was top ranked in the nation,” Halpern said. “That baseline really set the stage to better understand the opportunities that exist — and to start thinking about how we take such an important, robust existing industry and set it up for the future.”

For Halpern, who grew up hearing stories of her grandfather working at a paper mill in Louisiana, the work is also
deeply personal. “I understood how important the industry was in terms of people’s livelihoods,” she said. “What I didn’t know was just how large the industry is in Georgia.”

The Potential of Sustainable Aviation Fuel

The committee looked at several areas where forestry and innovation intersect -- especially sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), mass timber and bio-based energy.

During a presentation to the committee, Delta Air Lines’ Chief Sustainability Officer, Amelia DeLuca, said she sees a
massive opportunity for SAF. “I really believe in the potential of Georgia to be a major player [in SAF],” she said. “I think we’re all very excited to see the woody biomass conversation start to pick up in earnest because I think it’s
just one that’s a little bit of an untapped potential.”

Ben Chambers, director of sustainability and external affairs at RYAM, underscored SAF’s economic potential in his
remarks.

“Given the potential scale of these projects, there are multiple billions of dollars in socioeconomic benefits for Georgia,”
he said. “This wouldn’t only be direct contributions from the investments and the operations, but there are broader economic development benefits to rural Georgia.”

Goodman agreed that SAF represents a compelling new use for Georgia’s surplus forest products — and emphasized
the urgency.

“There’s a real opportunity in taking wood products and being able to convert them into a fuel source — especially in
light of the European Union’s decision that by 2030… a percentage has to be biofuel.”

He’s seen similar innovation firsthand. “I had the opportunity to go to France to see a cellulose plant,” he said. “They’re
taking wood products and making handles for Craftsman screwdrivers — and using the residuals to make ethanol.”

“Expanding the use of sustainable aviation fuel and mass timber in construction will ensure Georgia is poised to lead the way in forestry-driven economic growth,” Kennedy said. “But we must also address challenges like declining timberland investment returns and natural disasters, which threaten our ability to compete.”

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Exploring Opportunities for Carbon-Neutral Products

Mass timber and advanced wood products also captured the committee’s attention, with Georgia Tech leading the way in research and development.

“We’d like to use Georgia’s working forest as an engine for de-fossilization of the chemical industry,” said Dr. Carson Meredith, executive director of Georgia Tech’s Renewable Bioproducts Institute, during his presentation to the committee.

“We want to turn the challenge of excess forest feedstock, such as mill residues, ​into an opportunity for next-generation carbon-neutral products.”

Halpern said innovation like this could be transformational for the state’s economy.

“There are so many other products that Georgia is well-positioned to take advantage of,” she said. “Being part of an ecosystem in manufacturing and production is really exciting.”

Even in metro areas, Halpern sees opportunities. That kind of thinking, she said, is what the committee hoped to spark.

“We intentionally didn’t say, ‘Oh, the answer to this question is A, B, C, D.’ We
said we need to do more investigation. We need to loop in additional partners… and the time in the very near term is to take action so we keep the conversation going.”

For Kennedy, keeping that conversation going means action. “The committee meetings provided invaluable insight into the steps needed to support this industry,” he said. “Continued collaboration between industry leaders, policymakers and research institutions will be key in turning ideas
into solutions. With a strategic approach, Georgia can solidify its leadership in
forestry innovation.”

How Recovery Fits Into the Picture

Still, the lawmakers agree: innovation won’t matter if Georgia can’t protect its
forestland.

Hurricane Helene delivered a brutal reminder of that vulnerability, wiping out an estimated $1.28 billion in forests.
“We really got knocked,” Halpern said.

“We absolutely need to continue to do the recovery piece, the replanting piece, and have people feel like we got our sea legs back under us.”

Goodman, who has spent the session focused on hurricane relief, underscored the urgency: “The future of this country
is tied up and woven with the fortunes of rural America,” he said. “Faith, family, hard work, resilience — those are the
values that the ag and forestry industry bring to our culture.”

The committee’s final recommendations include launching a deeper formal study, engaging the Department of
Economic Development, and finding ways to strengthen Georgia’s forestry infrastructure in the face of climate and
market pressures.

“If we were to have a focus on forestry and innovation,” Halpern said, “I have no doubt that we will find all kinds of
opportunities to match company or idea with existing industry. If there’s one thing I know about Georgia, it’s that we
are innovators and we are people who can actually make magic happen.”

“By fostering innovation, investing in workforce development and maintaining a business-friendly climate,” Kennedy
said, “we can ensure Georgia remains not just the best place to do business, but the best place to live, work and raise a family.”

In Goodman’s words, it’s time for another breakthrough. “We need another Charles Herty moment,” he said, referencing the legendary innovator who helped birth Georgia’s pulp and paper industry over a century ago.

Now, it’s this generation’s turn. ■

John Casey is a strategic communications professional who supports clients through the art of storytelling. In his downtime, John can be found hunting and fishing on his family’s centennial farm in Northwest Georgia.

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