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An Imperiled EcosystemShortleaf pine forests and associated habitats once covered a vast area of the continent stretching from eastern Texas and Oklahoma to the eastern seaboard from New Jersey down to Florida. Early settlers and Government Land Office surveys describe these pine dominated and mixed pine-oak forests as open woodlands where sunlight reached the ground and a diverse assortment of native wildlife flourished.
Over the last 30 years, this extensive shortleaf pine ecosystem has lost over 50% of its former acreage with most of the significant decline taking place east of the Mississippi River. Massive pine beetle outbreaks in poorly managed stands, changes in timber management practices, altered fire regimes, disease, and land use changes have contributed to this rapid decline. These forested landscapes across twenty two states represent an extraordinary diversity of cultural, ecological and economic values centered on wildlife and recreation, water quality, and a high-value wood products industry. With millions of people depending on the values and benefits of this imperiled ecosystem, the need to develop a range-wide conservation strategy is more compelling than ever.
Our HistoryIn 2010, a diverse group of natural resource leaders from across the region established the Shortleaf Working Group (SWG) to address the alarming and widespread decline of shortleaf pine habitats and their associated ecological and economic values. In response to the group’s early efforts, the inaugural Shortleaf Pine Conference was held in 2011 in Huntsville, Alabama, drawing more than 120 resource professionals from across the region. The success of this conference underscored the urgent need for a coordinated, range-wide conservation strategy. To meet this challenge, the Shortleaf Pine Initiative (SPI) was officially launched in 2013. SPI represented a collaborative network of public and private organizations, including key state and federal agencies, all committed to restoring and conserving shortleaf pine ecosystems across their historical range. After a brief hiatus in the early 2020s, the Initiative was formally reestablished in 2024 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Guided by a seven-member Board of Directors, SPI is focused on convening the biennial Shortleaf Pine Conference in odd-numbered years and supporting a network of regional working groups across the 23-state range of the shortleaf pine. To further strengthen collaboration and momentum, the Shortleaf Partnership Council was also formed in 2024 to succeed the former SPI Advisory Committee. This Council brings together 21 key organizations—spanning state and federal agencies, NGOs, and public and private partners—who are collectively committed to advancing the restoration and conservation of shortleaf pine ecosystems across their native range. A Chronology of Highlights in Shortleaf Restoration and Related EffortsThe SPI builds on the past efforts of federal and state agencies as well as other shortleaf proponents. Here's a brief chronology of some key developments that ultimately led to the launch of SPI in the spring of 2013.
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