White Oak Restoration
The Tennessee White Oak Initiative supports landowners in the long-term management and restoration of white oak and associated species in Tennessee’s forests.
Tennessee White Oak Initiative partners need your help in actively managing and restoring white oak and associated species across the state.
White Oak management and restoration are crucial to Tennessee. Learn how you can help stop the impending shortage by actively managing or restoring White Oak or collecting acorns for future reforestation efforts.
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White Oak (Quercus Alba) is a keystone species in Tennessee’s hardwood forests, providing food to over 180 species of birds and animals, fall colors to Tennessee, and highly valuable wood used in furniture, flooring, cabinetry, and the spirits industry. The pores of white oak wood are impervious to liquids making it a preferred species for tight cooperage or whiskey barrels. White Oak wood also imparts distinctive flavorings during the aging process of whiskeys.
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Currently, White Oak trees are abundant in eastern hardwood forests and across Tennessee, but current management practices are not suitable to support the next generation of oaks. Without action, we will see a drop in White Oak numbers in our forests in the next 40-50 years.
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Raise awareness about the impending shortage of White Oak in our forests. We must increase the active management and restoration of White Oak across Tennessee. Private forest landowners hold the key to actively managing and restoring White Oak forests for the next generation. Most have indicated a need for assistance from forestry professionals to achieve this goal.
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The Tennessee Forestry Association and its partners are raising awareness of the impending shortage of White Oak trees in our forests. We are offering educational opportunities for landowners to learn more about the problem and solutions. We are also offering technical and financial assistance to private forest owners to assist them in managing or restoring White Oak on their property.
Continue to the bottom to learn how you can collect white oak acorns for restoration.
White Oak & Shortleaf Pine Restoration on Family Forests Grant
The Tennessee Forestry Association has engaged a broad set of partners for the purpose of directly engaging family forest landowners across Tennessee and supporting, with educational opportunities and technical and financial assistance, sustainable forest management on their land to improve and/or restore white oak and shortleaf pine ecosystems.
Partners in the effort include Brown Forman, Jack Daniels, Old Forester, Land Trust for Tennessee, University of Tennessee-Tree Improvement Program, University of Tennessee Extension, National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, Tennessee Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry, White Oak Initiative, Dendrifund, USFWS Partners for Fish & Wildlife Program, and others.
Financial Assistance
Available to landowners for the establishment (site preparation and planting), maintenance, or enhancement of White Oak or Shortleaf Pine on their property.
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Any privately owned land in the counties of Bedford, Benton, Bledsoe, Campbell, Claiborne, Coffee, Cumberland, Decatur, Dickson, Giles, Hardin, Henderson, Henry, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Marshall, McNairy, Montgomery, Moore, Morgan, Perry, Rhea, Sequatchie, Stewart, and Wayne is eligible.
Limited funding will be awarded on a first come, first served basis until exhausted.
Maximum of $20,000 reimbursement per ownership.
Funding for any forestry practice that will establish, maintain, or enhance White oak or Shortleaf pine in the opinion of the Project Coordinator or representative.
In any planting of mixed stands, White oak (Quercus Alba) and/or Shortleaf pine (Pinus enchinata) must constitute 25% of the planted stand.
50% reimbursement of reasonable and customary costs identified on landowner receipts.
TFA will make the final decision on awarding and reimbursement of funds.
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Any privately owned land in the counties of Bedford, Benton, Bledsoe, Campbell, Claiborne, Coffee, Cumberland, Decatur, Dickson, Giles, Hardin, Henderson, Henry, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Marshall, McNairy, Montgomery, Moore, Morgan, Perry, Rhea, Sequatchie, Stewart, and Wayne is eligible.
Limited funding will be awarded on a first come, first served basis until exhausted.
Maximum of $20,000 reimbursement per ownership.
Funding for any forestry practice that will establish, maintain, or enhance White oak or Shortleaf pine in the opinion of the Project Coordinator or representative.
In any planting of mixed stands, White oak (Quercus Alba) and/or Shortleaf pine (Pinus enchinata) must constitute 25% of the planted stand.
50% reimbursement of reasonable and customary costs identified on landowner receipts.
TFA will make the final decision on awarding and reimbursement of funds.
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TN White Oak Acorn Collection
Learn how you can support white oak reforestation through our acorn collection program.