The Southeast Farm Press posted a story today about the negative impacts of the exceptional Southeast drought on the timber industry in Alabama (although the comments are generally true for the rest of the Southeast as well).  It points out that the drought and fires will have take a severe toll on forests this year in lost productivity and lost trees.  The drought will also prevent new trees from being planted until soil moisture improves.  However, it has allowed foresters to harvest in areas that are normally too wet to get equipment into.  You can read the story here.

Source: Bureau of Land Management / Commons Wikimedia
Source: Bureau of Land Management / Commons Wikimedia