Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) are secondary or specialty non-wood products that can support a full or supplemental income for a forest owner. It should be noted that using all things of the "forest" is the traditional source of human survival since the prehistoric. Hunter/gatherers depended on a bountiful forest ecosystem long before developing tools for tree harvesting.
These alternate products of the forest are as diverse as the forest itself. They can be collected off the forest floor, off the trees or at the forest edge and are very much considered a product of the forest. They are not, however considered a timber product directly manufactured out of wood. Examples of NTFPs include but are not limited to nuts and fruit, pine straw, mushrooms, botanicals, decorative greenery, honey, syrup and aromatics.
A Black Walnut Harvest, Photo by Steve Nix
Comments
Perhaps the greatest or most valuable forest product was the American Chestnut which provided a ready source of cash money for residents of the Appalachian region along with mast for fattening up hogs and wild game. The demise of that one tree species had and continues to have a very great detrimental affect on the lives and fortunes of the regions residents to this day. Though I’m not a big goverment person by a long shot I do believe in funding APHIS so that they can continue, as much as possible, their work in keeping foreign insects, diseases and pathogens from establishing themselves in our country. There are still a lot of non-timber forest products out there for the individual that wants to harvest them. Too bad though that there never has been a great market for hickory nuts. They are a great tasting nut. Just tough to crack.