In 1951. the Keep Tennessee Green 

 Association was formed, with the 

 encouragement of the Tennessee 

 Conservation League, an affiliate of 

 the National Wildlife Federation. 

 Impetus for its formation was a 

 disastrous fire season in east 

 Tennessee and the urgent need for 

 greater State fire protection. 

 Founding fathers included Louis 

 Williams. Chattanooga businessman 

 and prominent conservationist, and 

 Tracy City weekly newspaper 

 publisher Herman E. Baggenstoss. 

 The latter also created the Keep 

 Tennessee Green-affliated Tennessee 

 Forest Festival, now in its 35th year. 



Keep Tennessee Green's principal 

 role was to promote forestry 

 education, to increase recognition of 

 the present and potential value of the 

 State's forest resources, and to work 

 for statewide fire protection. Its 

 activities included publication of a 

 magazine and staging of the annual 

 forest festival. In 1970. Keep 

 Tennessee Green's efforts became 

 more formal when it was reorganized 

 as the Tennessee Forestry 

 Association, with headquarters in 

 Nashville and employment of a full- 

 time paid executive secretary. 



For the record, there was a feeble 

 and short-lived effort to establish a 

 Tennessee Forest Association in 

 1901. and in 1941 a Tennessee 

 Timber Growers Association was 

 formed which preceded creation of 

 the Keep Tennessee Green 

 Association. The Timber Growers' 

 principal goal was to increase 

 appropriations for the division of 



forestry and to strengthen fire 

 protection (Williams 1971). 



Since 1970. the Tennessee Forestry 

 Association has been very active in 

 national and State forestry policy 

 issues. In 1984 it led a successful 

 effort to place the former State 

 division of forestry under a newly 

 created, seven-person forestry 

 commission, which includes at least 

 three professional foresters, and with 

 members serving 5-year staggered 

 terms. The commission is expected to 

 strengthen the State's forestry 

 program greatly. 



Recognizing that North Carolina's 

 hardwood forests and the industries 

 they support are the backbone of the 

 State's wood-using businesses, the 

 North Carolina Forestry Association 

 in 1953 created a Furniture. Plywood 

 and Veneer Council. By 1963 it had 

 grown to such an extent that it was 

 incorporated as a separate entity, the 

 Hardwood Research Council. 

 Objectives of the council, which now 

 numbers well over 100 members, are 

 to promote research and education on 

 hardwood species, including their 

 regeneration, management, and 

 utilization. Its headquarters were 

 originally in Statesboro. and Howard 

 J. Doyle was the first council 

 forester. Upon Doyle's retirement, 

 headquarters were moved to 

 Asheville. Robert L. Scheer is the 

 current executive director. W T hile the 

 furniture industry continues to 

 provide the organization's major 

 support, its membership base has 

 been greatly broadened and now 

 includes a wide variety of groups and 



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