Impact of Forestry-Related Ordinances on Timber Harvesting in St. Tammany

The proliferation of forestry-related ordinances is a growing trend in the Southern United States, with the greatest expansion of regulations in regions with growing populations that are in close proximity to urban areas. St. Tammany Parish in Louisiana is an excellent example of an increasingly exurbanized area that has passed ordinances deemed by many in the forestry community as being excessive both in terms of cost and regulatory rigor. In this study, we investigated if the passage of such ordinances has had an effect upon pine sawtimber harvesting activities in St. Tammany Parish. Results indicate that a significant negative relationship exists between a $10,000 road bond ordinance and the level of sawtimber harvest in the Parish.