Across Appalachia, the future of the forest economy depends on collaboration that crosses state lines, sectors, and disciplines. Over the past three years following the closure of the Pactiv-Evergreen paper mill in Canton, NC Land of Sky Regional Council and Southwestern Commission have been convening a growing interdisciplinary and multi-state Forest Sector Stakeholders group monthly to do just that—bring together economic developers, foresters, industry leaders, researchers, workforce organizations, and state and regional partners from North Carolina, Tennessee, and South Carolina.
This group has been funded to grow and expand through Appalachian Regional Commission’s ARISE Planning grant. This stakeholder group has served as a consistent forum for shared learning, problem-solving, and strategy development. Monthly meetings have focused on understanding regional supply-chain challenges, identifying emerging market opportunities, and aligning workforce, research, addressing Helene Recovery, and economic development assets across the Southern Appalachian forest basin. The group reflects the full forest value chain from landowners and first processors to advanced manufacturers, community colleges, universities, and public agencies ensuring that solutions are grounded in real-world conditions and regional capacity to encourage a circular economy that benefits the entire spectrum across the three-state region.
This sustained collaboration has been complemented by technical and economic analysis led by RTI International and North Carolina State University’s SOFAC. Together with stakeholder input, these partners conduct supply-chain and market analyses, conducting industry interviews, and regional assessments that helped clarify both the challenges facing the sector and the opportunities for transformation.
The culmination of this work is the submission of a Southern Appalachian Forest Economy Cluster (SAFEC) ARISE Implementation grant application. The proposed cluster builds directly on the planning effort and reflects the same ARC counties across North Carolina, Tennessee, and South Carolina, recognizing that the forest economy functions as an interconnected, multi-state system. SAFEC proposes a coordinated approach to modernizing the forest sector supporting advanced materials, industrialized construction, workforce development, and value-added manufacturing while strengthening resilience across rural communities.
Equally important, SAFEC represents a shift from planning to action. The Forest Sector Stakeholders Partnership will continue to play a central role as the initiative moves forward, providing governance, regional alignment, and on-the-ground insight to guide implementation.
This work demonstrates what is possible when Appalachia invests in long-term, cross-sector collaboration. By aligning research, industry, workforce systems, and regional leadership, the Southern Appalachian region is positioning its forest economy for sustainable growth—rooted in local assets and driven by shared purpose.
Stakeholders and partners are encouraged to stay engaged and watch for updates as the SAFEC proposal moves through the ARC review process and the region prepares for the next phase of coordinated, multi-state implementation.