The past history of Forest Service management on the Bankhead National Forest can be characterized as controversial and without general public support and trust. In an attempt to change this pattern and move forward in a spirit of cooperation the Bankhead Community Liaison Panel was established in 2000 to provide a forum for interested parties to meet face to face and discuss issues. Past mismanagement in the Bankhead, mainly the practice of clear-cutting the indigenous hardwood forest and converting it to loblolly pine plantations, had contributed to serious forest health problems, such as the southern pine beetle epidemic of the last decade.

The Bankhead Liaison Panel is made up of individuals that represent a diverse cross section of public interests on the Bankhead National Forest, including recreationists, loggers, resident/landowners within the Forest, researchers, conservation organizations, state and federal agencies, and the general public. Members include local elected officials and individuals from key groups of interested parties (stakeholder groups), who agree to represent their own and their organization's viewpoints and interests. Wild South has occupied a seat on this panel since its inception.

The Bankhead Liaison Panel provided important input to the development of the Forest Health and Restoration Initiative, out of which came the 2004 Land and Resource Management Plan and the Bankhead Health and Restoration Project, which attempts to address the forest health issues created by past mismanagement and restore six native upland forest community types. The Panel continues to meet quarterly to learn about projects, plans, health and status of the Bankhead National Forest, and to consider, discuss, and provide possible solutions to a variety of issues. The role of the Panel's timber/thinning working group has been assumed by Wild South's Restoration Monitoring Program, funded in part by a grant from the National Forest Foundation, and we continue to conduct quarterly field trips, monitoring the effects of restoration management practices.

The public is encouraged to attend the quarterly meetings of the Liaison Panel, which alternate between Moulton and Double Springs. Participation in the restoration monitoring field trips is also welcome. The next meeting will be on Thursday, April 29 in Double Springs at the Traders and Farmers Bank upstairs meeting room in the Bernice Hilton Walker Building in downtown Double Springs. To get on the Forest Service's mailing list to receive notifications about the meetings and ongoing work in the Bankhead, call the Bankhead District Ranger's Office at 205-489-1111. To learn more about the history of the Bankhead Community Liaison Panel visit http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/agecon/nrli/bankhead.html.