This Nov. 11, 2008 photo released by ArborGen shows a field of genetically engineered eucalyptus trees in Sebring, Fla. South Carolina-based ArborGen has received federal approval to plant about 250,000 more trees in locations around the South for use by International Paper, MeadWestvaco and Rubicon LTD. (AP Photo/ArborGen)

According to this AP report, the commercial paper industry is going forward with plans to “plant forests of genetically altered eucalyptus trees in seven Southern states.” The plant was developed by ArborGen, a biotechnology company “affiliated with three large paper companies,” and is designed to grow faster than other native trees.

Critics of the plants are “worried that such a large introduction of a bioengineered nonnative plant could throw natural ecosystems out of whack.”

“Australian eucalyptus trees grow faster than native hardwoods and produce high-quality pulp perfect for paper production, but thus far, they have been able to thrive only in very warm climates. ArborGen genetically altered the trees to withstand freezing temperatures, and the idea with the test forests is to see how far north they can now be grown,” says the report.

One critic, Anne Petermann, executive director of Global Justice Ecology Project, noted that the eucalyptus tree is “is quite a dangerous tree to be mass planting,” as it requires “vast amounts of water that could reduce groundwater levels, and increase the wildfire risk because they are so flammable.” ArborGen counters that “eucalyptus trees have not proven invasive in dozens of tropical countries where they are widely grown on plantations. Also, ArborGen genetically modified the trees to limit their ability to disperse seed and spread.” The company also calls the introduction of the plants into seven states “very confined research.”