Ensuring a Sustainable Future for Longleaf Pine Ecosystems
The Longleaf Alliance works throughout the Southeast U.S. to guide longleaf restoration, stewardship, and conservation using science-based outreach, partnership engagement, and on-the-ground assistance.
Longleaf pine once towered majestically on 90 million acres from Virginia to east Texas. The iconic trees and the sensitive ecosystems which they anchor are home to the rarest and most imperiled plants and animals on the continent. These same forests provide an economic avenue for landowners looking to leverage their land for opportunities such as premium wood markets, pine straw, carbon markets, or expanding recreation.
Unfortunately, at its lowest point, less than 3 million acres of this iconic landscape remained. Today, thanks to ongoing support and restoration by The Longleaf Alliance and our partners, more than two million acres have been restored, but much work remains to be done.
The Longleaf Alliance was established in 1995 by Rhett Johnson and Dean Gjerstad as interest in longleaf ecosystems and the longleaf pine tree itself was growing rapidly, but there was no outlet available for people to connect, learn, and share their efforts. TLA was created with the express purpose of coordinating a partnership between private landowners, forest industries, state and federal agencies, conservation groups, researchers, and other enthusiasts interested in managing and restoring longleaf pine forests for their ecological and economic benefits. Today, The Longleaf Alliance remains the only organization focused solely on the restoration, stewardship, and conservation of longleaf pine forests.
