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Tennessee’s trees are in good hands, thanks to the Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s Division of Forestry.

Celebrating a century of service in 2014, the division has been instrumental in forest conservation, protection and enhancement in the state. When it was founded in 1914, the initial focus was on wildlife control and reforestation of “waste” land. While those issues are still important today, they’ve taken on added responsibility, including promoting forestland values and benefits, forest health and forest productivity.

Viewing the anniversary as a chance to reflect on their accomplishments, the division is pushing forward with the Plan 2020: Harvest Plan for Sustainable State Forests. The plan is designed to create healthier state-owned forests by establishing sustainable harvest levels and diversifying age classes. Their goal is to keep forested land healthy and productive.

For more information on the plan and what the division is doing, visit state.tn.us/agriculture/forestry.