Georgia Forestry Today Jan-Feb 2014

GEORGIA FORESTRY TODAY Volume 10, Issue 1 January | February 2014

PRESCRIBED FIRE IN GEORGIA

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January | February 2014

Georgia Forestry Today

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On the Cover:

GEORGIA FORESTRY TODAY Printed in the USA PUBLISHER: A4 Inc. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Alva Hopkins ahopkins@a4inc.com PRODUCTION MANAGER Pamela Petersen-Frey p.frey@a4inc.com

Depending on your management goals and the way this tool is applied, prescribed fire can be used to help improve forest stand health, increase wildlife diversity or improve access for hunting and recreation.

Today, prescribed fire is a safe way to apply a natural process, ensure ecosystem health, and reduce wildfire risk. See story on page 8

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EDITORIAL BOARD Wendy Burnett Alva Hopkins Jesse Johnson Stasia Kelly Sandi Martin Roland Petersen-Frey Brian Stone Steve McWilliams

GEORGIA FORESTRY TODAY is published bi-monthly by A4 Inc., 1154 Lower Birmingham Road, Canton, Georgia 30115. Recipients include participants of the Forest Stewardship Program and the American Tree Farm System.

Opinions expressed by the authors are not necessarily those of the publisher, A4 Inc., nor do they accept responsibility for errors of content or omission and, as a matter of policy, neither do they endorse products or advertisements appearing herein. Part of this magazine may be reproduced with the written consent of the publisher. Correspondence regarding changes of address should be directed to A4 Inc. at the address indicated above. Advertising material should be sent to A4 Inc. at the e-mail address: p.frey@a4inc.com. Questions on advertising should be directed to the advertising director at the e-mail address provided above. Editorial material should be sent to A4 Inc. or to Alva Hopkins.

GEORGIA FORESTRY TODAY 1154 Lower Birmingham Road, Canton, Georgia 30115

January | February 2014

Volume 10, Issue 1

January | February 2014

Georgia

FORESTRY TODAY P.08

Prescribed Fire in Georgia Part I | Burning’s Many Benefits

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Message from the Georgia Forestry Commission Director

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GFC News

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Chestnut Restoration Takes Root in Georgia

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Winter is a Great Time for Small Game Hunting

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GFT News

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Help Wanted: How Warnell is Prepping Students to Go from the Classroom to the Field

How Forest Landowners Connect Us to the World

Forestry Calendar February 12-14 Forestry Day at the Capitol, Atlanta, Georgia Info: www.gfagrow.org/FDAC

March 27 GFF Longleaf Classic Golf Tournament Hawkinsville, Georgia

June 3-6 If you have a forestry event you’d like to see on our calendar, please contact Alva Hopkins at ahopkins@a4inc.com with the subject line ‘Calendar Event.’

2014 National Conference of Private Forest Landowners Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans, LA Info and Registration: www.forestlandowners.com

June 16-20 Georgia Teacher Conservation Workshop Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center Info and Registration: www.gfagrow.org

June 21-24 Association of Consulting Foresters National Conference, Savannah, Georgia Info: www.acf-foresters.org

July 19-20 2014 GFA Annual Conference & Forestry Expo Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa Info: www.gfagrow.org

Georgia Forestry Today

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January | February 2014

List of advertisers American Forest Management......................................30

International Forest Company .......................................4

Arborgen........................................................................6

LandMark Spatial Solutions ...........................................3

Beach Timber Company Inc. .......................................30 Lanigan & Associates ...................................................24 Blanton’s ........................................................................7 Bodenhamer Farms & Nursery ....................................28

Meeks’ Farms & Nursery ....................Inside Front Cover

Canal Wood LLC.........................................................30

Outdoor Underwriters .................................................28

Cantrell Forest Products Inc.........................................30

Plum Creek....................................................................5

Davis - Garvin .............................................................24

Rivers Edge Forest Products .........................................30

Farm Credit Associations ...............................................3 UPC | Georgia 811 ........................................Back Cover Flint Equipment Company ..........................................29 Forest Resource Services Inc.........................................30 F&W Forestry Service..................................................28

Georgia Forestry Today

Weyerhaeuser ...............................................................23 Yancey Brothers ...................................Inside Back Cover

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Prescribed Fire in Georgia

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January | February 2014

Part I

Burning’s Many Benefits

By Shan Cammack | Department of Natural Resources

magine a vast longleaf pine forest in Georgia several hundred years ago. On a sultry summer afternoon, a thunderstorm moves through and lightning strikes a tall pine tree on a remote sandhill.

Spanish moss ignites and falls to the ground, initiating a fire in the wiregrass below.

The fire spreads gradually. It’s slow-moving and mild fire, burning across the landscape—picking up speed in grassy areas, slowing down in thicker hardwood areas. The fire burns for days or even weeks.

Ahead of the fire, small creatures scurry into gopher tortoise burrows or fly into the canopy. Larger animals, like bobcats and deer, trot up to the line of small flames, hop over and continue into the black. The fire clears the underbrush, leaving the canopy trees relatively unharmed. It burns hundreds, maybe thousands of acres before going out by running into the floodplain of a river or being doused by a storm. The rain washes the ash into the soil, recycling the nutrients back into the ecosystem.

Imagine what that looked like. And imagine what the forest floor looked like a few weeks later as the bright green shoots of the native groundcover burst into the sunlight.

Hard to imagine? Maybe. But this kind of fire was a common occurrence across our state years ago-from the

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mountains to the coast. It was and is a natural disturbance that has helped shape our ecosystems. Fire is a natural process that Georgia’s plants and animals evolved with.

As our state became more developed and the forests became fragmented, natural fires could not move through the landscape without negatively affecting humans. Natural fires were suppressed, resulting in harmful effects on native plants and animals.

Today, however, fire has reemerged as a powerful management tool that many Georgians use to restore and enhance habitat.

It’s called controlled or prescribed burning, named so because the land

manager chooses the day and the conditions under which a fire is set. Prescribed fire is a critical tool for managing many of our natural communities. In fact, it is one of the most effective, efficient and economical ways to manage Georgia forestlands.

Depending on your management goals and the way this tool is applied, prescribed fire can be used to help improve forest stand health, increase wildlife diversity or improve access for hunting and recreation.

Prescribed Fire

is a safe way to apply a natural process, ensure ecosystem health, and reduce wildfire risk.

These before (right) and after (left) photos illustrate fire’s restorative power in a seepage bog with pitcherplants in south Georgia. However, carrying out a prescribed burn requires careful planning, preparation and execution.

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Why Should I Burn?

There are a number of reasons to conduct prescribed burning. One result of not burning at all is an increase in the amount of fuels—litter, debris, shrubs, etc.,—that can lead to a devastating wildfire.

This is seen all too often in the catastrophic wildfires that occur in the western U.S. each year. While summer 2013 was not a record year in the number of wildfires or acres burned, it was devastating in the number of wildland firefighters killed, particularly the Yarnell Hill tragedy in Arizona. The area that claimed the lives of 19 Hotshots – specially trained firefighters – had not seen fire in more than 40 years. It was a tinderbox ready to explode. We’ve seen that in Georgia as well, as natural fires left the Okefenokee Swamp in 2007 and 2011 and hit upland areas with high fuel loads built by years of fire suppression. Some of these upland areas were devastated by intense fire.

Besides reducing hazardous fuels, there are a number of management goals that can be achieved with prescribed fire.

Management Objectives Can include: • Reducing hazardous fuels

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Preparing seedbeds

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Suppressing woody vegetation

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Recycling nutrients

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Increasing forage

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Increasing herbaceous diversity

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Enhancing wildlife habitat

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Enhancing rare species habitat

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Removing litter and debris

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Promoting fire adapted species

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Controlling disease

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Controlling exotic or invasive species

Where Do I Start?

Prescribed burning is an effective but potentially dangerous tool that carries a lot of responsibility. To bolster your own skills and knowledge of fire, take the Prescribed Fire Certification Course. You’ll find information on available classes at www.gfc.state.ga.us/forest-management/prescribed-fire/prescribed-firecertification.

The Georgia Prescribed Fire Council is another place to learn and grow.

The council’s mission is “to protect the right, to encourage the use of, and to promote public understanding of prescribed fire.” The group’s annual meetings are a great place to meet other people interested in fire and learn about various aspects of prescribed fire. The council’s last annual meeting covered a number of important topics, including air quality, wild turkey management, new permitting technology, public relations, fire weather forecasts, effects on hardwood understory and ATV safety. Join the council online at www.garxfire.com.

The next step in prescribed burning is to have a plan. This begins with choosing an area to burn and outlining your management objectives. Consider what kind of fire you need to achieve those objectives and then choose the weather and fuel conditions that will produce those fire effects. Is this a first entry burn? Are there sensitive elements to consider?

Would mechanical treatment ahead of the fire make it more effective?

I manage habitats for rare species.

This adds a layer of complexity to the things you must consider. I may be dealing with duff accumulation around fire-suppressed longleaf pine or need-

ing to reduce the heavy shrub layer in a pitcherplant bog. I must be careful in the weather that I choose. Each of these examples requires a conservative prescription for weather so that the fire does not get too hot. It’s helpful to get advice from other resource managers that have successfully dealt with these issues.

Key Components of a Prescribed Burn Plan • Author/burn boss (name and contact details)

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Important contacts (Georgia Forestry Commission, local law enforcement, medical, fire)

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Purpose of burn (ecological, fuel reduction, etc.)

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Unit description (fuel types and loading, hazards, surrounding fuels)

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Previous burning events (prescribed fire and wildfire)

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Weather parameters (winds, temperature, rH, mixing height, record onsite!)

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Smoke management plan (sensitive areas and distance, downdrainage)

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Burn management (firebreaks, ignition, holding, mop-up, map)

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Contingencies (escape routes, secondary control lines)

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Post-burn monitoring (objectives met, fuel consumption, problems)

Georgia DNR considers prescribed fire its most important habitat management tool on state lands, such as at Seminole State Park near Bainbridge.

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Smoke can get you in trouble fast. It is very important to choose a weather prescription that manages your smoke. Identify major roads and smoke sensitive areas (like schools and hospitals) and only burn on a day when the wind carries the smoke away from these areas.

Carrying out a prescribed burn requires planning and preparation. Once you have decided what area you would like to burn and what weather is appropriate, you prepare your firebreaks in order to keep the fire contained. I burn on state parks and nature preserves, so I often use existing trails and roads as well as creeks and rivers as my firebreaks. Sometimes a simple pass with a backpack leafblower is all I need to prepare a firebreak. However, I often use fortified harrowed or plowed lines on the property boundaries.

Make sure your firebreaks are clear of fuels and check for dead snags that might cause problems later. Those pesky dead snags have a knack for catching on fire when you least expect them and can shower embers across your firebreak.

Managing the burn will require ignition devices as well as tools to suppress the fire, and enough help to run

the burn as well as patrol your firebreaks. If you feel like you need help, there are a number of private forestry consultants that can assist you. The Georgia Forestry Commission can also help you conduct your burn. And don’t forget to call GFC to get a burn permit before you strike a match!

Who Else Is Burning?

Land management agencies across Georgia are increasing their use of prescribed fire statewide to manage a variety of habitats. Federal and state agencies as well as private organizations are collaborating more and more to achieve their fire management goals. A number of wildlife species— plants and animals alike—are benefitting as natural habitats are improved.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources considers prescribed fire its most important habitat management tool. In the past year, for example, DNR conducted prescribed burning on a record 59,000 acres of state land.

But, as an agency charged with managing natural resources in a state that is more than 90 percent privately owned, DNR must reach out to you, the forest owner. We strongly promote

the use of fire by private land managers. The more that fire is safely applied in our state, the healthier our forests will be for generations to come.

Wildlife will benefit and you can achieve a myriad of management objectives.

Read more about this important tool in the second column of our twopart series in the next issue of Georgia Forestry Today.

Shan Cammack is a natural resource biologist for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and chair-elect of the Georgia Prescribed Fire Council.

Learn More • The Southern Fire Exchange Web-

site, http://southernfireexchange.org, offers a comprehensive resource online, with information on every aspect of burning, from planning to training to fire science. Fact sheets include “Cypress Mortality Following Wildfires: Information and Recommendations for Fire and Natural Resource Managers;” “Nests Under Fire: Does it Matter? Growing-season Burns and Groundnesting Birds;” and, “Situational Awareness: Nighttime Smoke and Fog on Prescribed Burns.”

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“Introduction to Prescribed Fires in Southern Ecosystems” is a fantastic booklet that covers general information on prescribed burning as well as explanations of environmental effects, weather and burning techniques. View or download the booklet (by Thomas Waldrop and Scott Goodrick) at www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/41316.

Prescribed fire, like this one at Doerun Pitcherplant Bog Wildlife Management Area in Colquitt County, is a one of the most effective, efficient and economical ways to manage Georgia forestlands.

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January | February 2014

Georgia Forestry Commission

Robert Farris

Message from the Director

Dear GFT Reader,

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ave you broken your New Year’s resolutions yet? I hope if they were truly important to you that you are holding steadfast. If you’ve taken a different approach and are continuing the efforts that brought you success in 2013, I’m with you, too. Slow and steady often wins the race!

That’s the good news in our industry right now, as the Georgia Forestry Commission compiles data from a number of sources documenting the sustainability of Georgia’s forests. In the last GFT issue we talked about the many positive actions and opportunities for forestry in Georgia. Since then, Georgia Tech has completed our annual “Economic Benefits of Georgia’s Forest Industry” report, and it strongly validates the steadily improving trends.

The full report can be reviewed on our website, but a few impressive highlights that show our industry is packing a stronger economic wallop include: Direct Impacts from 2011-2012: • Output: 8.5% increase to $16.35 billion.

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Employment: 6.7% increase to 49,497 jobs.

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Wages and salaries: 3.08% increase to $3.08 billion.

Georgia Forestry Today

Total Impacts from 2011-2012: • Output: 15.88% increase to $28.94 billion (the highest increase since tracking began and a nearly $4 billion increase over 2011.)

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Employment: 14.58% increase to 135,732 jobs (roughly 17,000 added jobs over 2011.)

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Wages and salaries: 15.48% increase to $7.49 billion (the highest since tracking began.)

As we see positive growth in forest industry and increased utilization of Georgia’s greatest renewable resource, we invariably experience increasing concerns from a wide variety of stakeholders about the sustainability of our forests. The GFC’s mission and vision are centered on the long term sustainability and health of Georgia’s forests. We are currently wrapping up work with a diverse group of forestry interests to update the 2008 “Sustainable Forest Management in Georgia Report.”

The report utilizes data and input from various sources, including the Forest Inventory Analysis, Timber Product Output survey, Economic Benefits of the Forest Industry report, and Georgia’s Forest and State Wildlife Action Plans. We will be presenting this information to the governor and state legislature this session and

the report will be available on our website at GATREES.org.

The updated sustainability report substantiates how Georgia’s forests are being sustainably managed to meet the numerous needs of our state today and how they can continue to meet the challenges of the future. Documenting our many successes and diligently addressing our challenges are more and more important as Georgia increasingly competes in domestic and global markets with our traditional and emerging industries. I urge you to review the sustainability report to learn more about these challenges. We will be highlighting these challenges and our actions in future Georgia Forestry Today issues, and we look forward to working with our many partners throughout the year to ensure success.

As always, I hope you’ll share our forestry story with the people around you.

Every single Georgian has a stake in ensuring its happy ending is never ending.

Sincerely,

Robert Farris GFC Commissioner v 13

GFC News Landowners in 22 northeast Georgia counties have been busy planting 300,000 pine seedlings, courtesy of Huber Engineered Woods LLC. Huber donated $20,000 for purchase of the seedlings and GFC personnel assisted with applications and distribution. Applicants were required to follow professionally written reforestation plans for the work performed on 10-50 acre planting sites. e

When it comes to staying organized, computers, smart phones, and even sticky notes have their places. But for many of our customers, there is no substitute for the annual GFC Planner. The planner contains 18-months of two-page calendars, valuable information about forestry in Georgia and GFC services, along with plenty of beautiful photos and space for making notes on the go. The 2014 edition is available now from your local GFC district office.

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Barbecue, friendship, and forestry tales marked the Swainsboro celebration honoring the incomparable “Mr. Jim L” in December. Jim L. Gillis Jr. was recognized for his continuous service to the GFC and the forestry community at a special luncheon during which he received numerous accolades. The festivities were enjoyed by a host of Gillis’ colleagues and friends, including former directors of the Georgia Forestry Commission and GFC Director Bob Farris, political dignitaries and other GFC Board members. Gillis joined the GFC Board in 1977 and served as its chairman for 20 years. At age 97 he regularly attends GFC Board meetings and remains a vibrant and beloved contributor to Georgia’s forestry community. e 14

January | February 2014

By Lynne Womack, GfC forest Health specialist & dr. Martin Cipollini, science Coordinator, Ga-taCf and dana Professor of Biology, Berry College

Volunteers measure the height of newly planted Restoration 1.0 chestnut seedlings.

Chestnut restoration takes root in Georgia e Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC) and the Georgia Chapter of e American Chestnut Foundation (GA-TACF) have teamed up to plant a progeny test orchard of advanced, potentially blight-resistant American chestnut seedlings at the Dawson County Georgia Forestry Commission site in Dawsonville, Georgia. e specially-bred chestnut seedlings, called Restoration Chestnuts 1.0, are part of a unique breeding program led by TACF to restore the American chestnut to the eastern forests of America. e Georgia chapter’s partnership with GFC represents another huge step in TACF’s chestnut restoration program. With projects like this, the organization is finally beginning to test and evaluate hybrid chestnuts, the result of more than 30 years of scientific research, for blight- resistance and growth characteristics in Georgia. GFC is equally excited to be a part of testing the blightresistance of the latest backcross progeny from TACF. e idea for a GFC/TACF partnership was conceived in 2011, when former Director of Field Operations, Rick Hatten, presented

the concept to GFC’s Forest Health staff. Scott Griffin, then Forest Health Specialist, approached TACF with the agency’s interest in helping restore blight-resistant chestnuts in Georgia. A location in Dawson County on the former Hightower Educational Forest tract was selected. e establishment of a test orchard at this location fit well with GFC’s mission of providing leadership, service and education in the protection of Georgia’s forest resources, and TACF’s goal of restoring the American chestnut throughout the forests of the eastern U.S. to benefit the environment, wildlife and society.

An original test orchard pure American chestnut seedling in its protection tube, ready for planting.

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GFC Coosa District Manager Ken Masten protects chestnut seedlings from wildlife with plastic tubes.

e American chestnut tree was once found on more than 200 million acres of eastern woodlands from Maine to Florida, and from the Piedmont west to the Ohio Valley. An estimated four billion American chestnuts, one-quarter of the country’s hardwood tree population, grew within this range. e American chestnut tree was an essential component of the entire eastern US ecosystem. A late-flowering, reliable, and productive tree, unaffected by seasonal frosts, it was likely the single most important food source for a wide variety of wildlife from bears to birds. Rural communities depended upon the annual nut harvest as a cash crop to feed livestock and the chestnut lumber industry was a major sector of rural economies. It was devastating on many levels when, during the first half of the 20th century, these trees succumbed to a lethal fungus infestation known as “chestnut blight.”

In 1983, a group of prominent plant scientists founded e American Chestnut Foundation. ese scientists recognized the severe impact the demise of the American chestnut tree had on economies in rural communities and on the ecology of forests 16

within the tree’s native range. e group’s goal was to breed blight-resistance from the Chinese chestnut tree into the American chestnut tree, while maintaining the American chestnut’s characteristics. e American Chestnut Foundation’s backcross breeding program took Chinese chestnut trees, naturally resistant to the blight, and crossed them with their American cousins, resulting in trees that were 50-percent American and 50-percent Chinese. ese trees were then backcrossed to the American species, resulting in trees that were 75percent American. e procedure was repeated to produce an American chestnut tree that retains few Chinese chestnut characteristics other than blight-resistance.

Backcross breeding has continued, producing a cross that is 15/16ths American chestnut, which shows the growth form of the American chestnut and high levels of blightresistance (called B3F3 for the backcross process). In 2005, TACF harvested its first potentially blight-resistant chestnuts, and the first B3F3 seeds available for widespread field tests were given the name “Restoration 1.0 Chestnuts.” ese seeds are now in a phase of rigorous testing and

trial in both forest and orchard settings, including the progeny test orchard in Dawsonville. e partnership between GA-TACF and GFC to bring blight-resistant chestnuts to Georgia started with the planting of 20 pure American chestnuts seeds in a test plot at the Dawson unit in March, 2012. is test plot was used to determine if the site was suitable to grow chestnuts. More than half of the seedlings survived several hurdles the first year, including heavy deer browse and extremely hot, dry weather. e deer browse was so great that Dawson GFC staff came to the site one morning to find all of the seedlings’ plastic protection sleeves scattered across the site. Some of the deer were actually sighted with tubes stuck on their muzzles! ese seedlings were then further protected with fencing, and by the end of the year, 13 of the original 20 were still surviving.

In the summer of 2013, aer determining the test plot a success, plans moved forward to start the Progeny Test Orchard with Restoration 1.0 Chestnut seedlings. is test orchard at the Dawson Unit is the third of its kind in Georgia. One is located in Blue Ridge on the Chattahoochee National Forest and another is near Lake Allatoona on US Army Corps of Engineers land. e Dawsonville planting initiates what is designed to be a 30-year experiment that will evaluate the performance of B3F3 trees from various families under field conditions. e main difference between GFC’s planting and the two other plantings in Georgia is that both the Blue Ridge and Lake Allatoona sites are in cutover forest areas, while the Dawsonville site is in an old field. e main challenge at this site is keeping competition from grasses to a minimum during the first couple of years of growth— and, of course, reducing animal damage.

Site preparation during the fall of 2013 included mowing and burning the old field, a broadcast spray with herbicide and subsoiling each row. e orchard was then planted in late November by a combined total of over 50 GA-TACF volunteers and January | February 2014

GFC employees. All 600 seedlings came from TACF’s Research Farm in Meadowview, Virginia. ese seedlings included about 20 families of the latest B3F3 crosses and several families of control trees (pure American, pure Chinese, and intermediate crosses). e orchard is set up in 25 blocks of 24 trees each. is experimental design randomly distributes seedlings from the same 24 families in blocks throughout the orchard to account for micro-environmental differences in location within the orchard or differences in planting. All trees were tagged, and the locations of each tree and height at planting were recorded for future research purposes. e goal for the orchard is to provide data on field performance (growth rate, growth form, blight resistance, etc.) of individual trees to TACF’s Research Farm. is will help TACF further select and breed lines for use in reforestation projects throughout the region. e fungus that causes chestnut blight survives on other

host species (including oaks, which are not susceptible to the blight) and is now naturally present throughout the chestnut range. is means blight will naturally find its way into the orchard and in the next five to 10 years we will begin to see which trees show signs of blight-resistance. Although none of the families in this orchard were bred from American chestnut trees in Georgia, the findings will help determine which families at TACF’s Research Farm show the most blight-resistance and how well the various lines grow in this part of Georgia.

Efforts are underway by GA-TACF to create backcrosses of trees that contain native Georgia American chestnut genetics. is state-level program has been working to develop regional lines of B3F3 trees and to increase the overall genetic diversity of American chestnuts involved in TACF’s breeding program. e first round of blightresistance tests using Georgia- bred trees have just been completed in backcross orchards at Berry College in Floyd County

and at the Georgia Mountain Research and Education Center in Union County.

It is hoped that this progeny test orchard marks the beginning of an enduring relationship with GA-TACF in helping breed blight-resistant American chestnuts and return this historic tree to the wild in Georgia. While work continues to add genetics from native Georgia trees, it is exciting to know that research is already underway with trees that may soon be ready for use in reforestation projects in Georgia.

Projects such as the one in Dawsonville are designed to be run as natural experiments, so the spread of seeds by wildlife from blight-resistant trees in the orchard to adjacent woodland areas would be seen as a welcome event. As the relationship grows, GFC hopes to be able to use this information to educate landowners on the status of TACF’s research and how they can be involved in restoring this magnificent tree back to Georgia’s forests. v

TACF’s Restoration. Chestnut seedlings in tubes and trays, ready for planting.

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Winter is a Great Time for Small Game Hunting

By John Trussell 18

January | February 2014

Many hunters consider the fox squirrel Georgia’s small game trophy because it comes in so many color combinations.

Georgia Forestry Today

o you remember your first game animal taken with bow or gun? It is usually an event one never forgets, and it is a special memory that always harkens you back to a younger, simpler place in time. When I was about ten years old, I had a Crossman pump pellet gun that I had gotten for Christmas, and soon squirrels were my chosen targets as they dug up seeds from my dad’s garden. ey also tried to eat their way into the attic of our house and chewed on our plastic water hoses, thus they not welcome or “persona non grata” around my house. On the plus side they were very plentiful and once cleaned and fried, darn good eating.

It was shortly aer I got my pellet gun that I spotted a squirrel in our back yard, and as I approached, it scurried up a small oak tree and seemed to disappear. But soon I spotted a few hairs from its tail as it laid flat against a branch.

Every time I moved around for the shot, it slid around to the other side of the tree. I knew I needed to outsmart this squirrel. Eventually, I decided that if I threw a small limb to the other side of the tree, it might think that I had moved, and show itself for a shot. Trying that technique, I was soon rewarded with a target, and a well-placed pellet brought the squirrel tumbling to the ground. I was one proud hunter!

As I triumphantly carried my prize to show my parents, my mom’s brief comment was, “that’s great son, now go clean it; don’t expect me to do it!” us my first cleaning was sort of a hatchet job on the squirrel, but a couple of nights later at supper, my mom announced with a smile on her face and a wink in my direction, that we were having fried squirrel and chicken. I was glad to have put some meat on the table. I’m sure you remember your first game story with equal fondness.

Although deer hunting gets a lot of press time, small game hunting in Georgia is nothing short of outstanding. In this article we will focus on squirrels, rabbits, quail and will start on the proper loads for each species.

Although there are several gauges of shotguns, I have always been partial to the 12-gauge

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semi-auto with screw-in chokes. It’s very versatile and throws the most lead, but a smaller gauge, if you’re accurate with it, can be just as effective. Number 6 shot is very good for both rabbits and squirrels out to 40 yards when using a modified choke. For quail, the shots may be closer, and number 8 shot is generally preferred. Use an improved cylinder choke for close-in shooting that you might find at a quail plantation.

For quail in more open areas, a modified choke that holds a tighter pattern, is a better choice.

For rabbits, the best places to hunt are normally cutovers with vegetation in the early stages of regeneration with lots of brambles and briars. Private properties with little hunting pressure will usually reveal the most rabbits. But don’t overlook public hunting areas. Down in central Georgia, both Oaky Woods and Ocmulgee WMAs offer pretty good rabbit hunting, says Kevin Kramer, Regional Managing Biologist with the Ft Valley office. ick, cutover areas usually offer the best cover for rabbits, says Kramer, and just driving around the WMAs will quickly reveal some likely areas to explore—like the cutover across from the cell phone tower on the main road going to the Oaky Woods check station. Another spot is the cutover behind the school bus body, shown on the WMA map. Many of the upland pine areas have been thinned in the last two years, and as the understory vegetation develops, the rabbits will move back in, says Kramer. Bobby Bond, DNR’s rabbit Biologist, says rabbits are in normal numbers and hunters should have average to good success with a little work. “Look for that successional habitat that is 3-5 years old and the rabbits will be there, but you might have to work at finding them.”

In southwest Georgia, Julie Robbins, wildlife biologist says that Chichasawhatchee WMA is her top pick for rabbits. It has a good mix of uplands, oaks, and water that holds good numbers of rabbits.

Other choices might be Albany Nursery, River Creek, or Elmodel. Greg Nelms, biologist from Fitzgerald, says that although the flatwoods of south Georgia can be hard to 20

On very cold mornings, bobwhite quail will sometimes tightly huddle in the corn stalks or thick grasses until the sun warms up the woods and they begin to feed.

Can you spot the quail? Quail hunting of wild birds has declined, but the GA DNR is making efforts to bring them back.

January | February 2014

Brad Gill, an avid rabbit hunter from Madison, holds up a nice Georgia cottontail rabbit that was brought into gun range with the help of several well trained beagles.

hunt, his top choice would be Dixon Memorial Forest WMA as some areas have been burned over and are regenerating good browse for rabbits. “Look for that successional habitat that is three-to-five years old and the rabbits will be there, but you might have to work at finding them. Now let’s take a quick look at squirrel hunting.

Imagine, if you will, a game animal that is not only under hunted, but is very abundant all over the state—and the open season is almost seven months long. In addition, the daily limit is a generous ten per day, and they can be hunted with both shotguns and rifles, as well as with or without dogs. It would seem as though squirrel hunting offers something for most hunters.

Squirrels are also a fine game animal on which to train young hunters. Under the watchful eye of an adult, youngsters can deGeorgia Forestry Today

velop the searching, patience, and stalking skills which are so important to all hunting activities. And because squirrels are so plentiful, a young hunter’s chances of success are high. ere’s nothing like a few squirrels in the game bag and pleasant memories of the hunt to fuel a kid's desire to return to the woods. Back home, a mess of squirrel and dumplings will give the young hunter a wholesome meal that he can be proud to provide for the family.

To get started, just head to any good woodlot with pretty of acorn and hickory nut trees, and the squirrels will be there. If you can sit still for about ten minutes, the squirrels will reveal themselves and you’re in business. I like to use a scoped 22 rifle for squirrel hunting, but a young hunter will get better results with a shotgun. A single shot 410 makes a fine first gun.

Now let’s consider quail hunting. I used to have a great time quail hunting as a kid, but today I can hunt all day and be lucky to run across a single covey of quail. Biologists may point to modern farming methods, poor habitat, or too many predators like foxes, armadillos, bobcats, and coyotes as reason for the decline. Too many ants may also be a factor too. A baby quail coming out of the shell had better get moving quick because something’s trying to eat it! If I really want to have a great quail hunt, I head to one of Georgia’s 94 quail plantations that specialize in planning the best quail hunting experience for Georgia sportsmen. You can count on having a great hunting trip with good friends, and they put some great food on the table. v 21

How Forest Landowners Connect Us to the World

By Yenie Tran, Jacek P. Siry, Thomas G. Harris, Bob Izlar | UGA Center for Forest Business | Athens, Georgia

Trees are more than just part of a forest. They make up 751 million acres of forest land in the United States, which is about 30 percent of the total U.S. land area (Smith 2009). They provide us with lumber, panels, and engineered wood products used to build houses; poles used for electricity and communications lines; pulp for paper products; performance fibers used in diapers and flat screen television screens and cell phones; and are sources of renewable energy in the form of pellets. They are part of our ecosystem, providing wildlife habitat, watershed protection, clean air, and recreational opportunities. Trees are part of our history and our everyday lives; they connect us with people in our community and around the globe.

In South Georgia, a small group of legacy family forest landowners collectively own about 800,000 acres of land in Georgia, managed primarily for timber (Figure 1). The uniqueness of these landowners is that their land has remained in the same

family ownership for three to four generations, surviving the Great Depression, two World Wars, the Great Recession, and countless natural disturbances such as wildfire. Over the years, each family has structured their operations in different ways, but they are all tied together by their common location near the Okefenokee Swamp. They also echo similar themes of ecological values, land use practices, market access, and social values. Representing these families are John Wesley Langdale, III with The Langdale Company, Dotty Sessoms Porter with Sessoms Timber Trust, Miles A. (Andy) Stone with Superior Pine Products Company, William Varn with the Varn Companies, and Joe Hopkins of the Toledo Manufacturing Company.

Wildfire Fire is an important silvicultural tool as well as a natural, ecological disturbance in the Okefenokee Swamp, but it also can cause great devastation to neighboring pri-

vate lands if unchecked. An unchecked fire in the Okefenokee could mean hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars in lost assets on private land. For instance, Varn suffered a loss of 11,500 acres of timberland during the 2011 fire season. Wesley Langdale, a resident of Valdosta, explains that “Wildfire is an active part of managing this land. We have been fortunate enough to have relationships to help.�

Langdale refers to the Greater Okefenokee Association of Landowners (GOAL), an organization of private landowners in partnership with nongovernmental organizations, state and federal agencies, and forest industry. GOAL has been twice awarded the Pulaski Award, a federal award that recognizes outstanding contributions to wildland firefighting. It has never before been awarded to private landowners, but it has been awarded to GOAL once in 1998 and a second time in 2005.

Georgia Forests and Market History With more than 24 million acres of forest-

FAMILY FORESTED OWNERSHIP

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January | February 2014

OWNERSHIP OF FORESTED LAND 2008 MILLIONS OF ACRES AND PERCENT TOTAL

land, Georgia ranks third in the United States with the most forestland. Georgia also leads the nation with the largest percentage of forestland owned privately by family owners (Figure 2). The forest industry provides $28.7 billion of economic impact and is the second largest employer in the state (GFC, 2012). The economy of South Georgia is particularly dependent on timber markets, using Savannah as a major port for exports of forest products such as pulp, panels, dimension lumber, and pellets.

During the early 1900s, South Georgia was a leading producer of turpentine, a product derived from the resin of pine

Georgia Forestry Today

trees. Most of the panelists spoke about the beginnings of their family businesses as being heavily reliant on turpentine production. The business was so significant in South Georgia that Wesley Langdale’s great grandfather, Judge Harley Langdale helped to start the American Turpentine Farmers Association in 1936. Will Varn, who works out of Hoboken, asserts that “Ample labor was available after the Depression, and turpentine production was labor intensive.”

As labor markets evolved, so did labor production costs, thus turpentine production decreased significantly by the mid-1960s.

As a result, landowners shifted more management into timber production, mainly

in slash, loblolly, and longleaf pines.

Market Challenges Having accessible and nearby markets was and continues to be an important part of sustainable forest management today. Over time pine timber prices and hunting leases were unable to sustain the management of these forests. Cogdell native, Dotty Porter, says “At one time, revenue from hunting leases paid for the property taxes. This is no longer the case.” Sessoms Trust has looked at different ways to remain competitive, including thinning of tracts, direct sales to nearby mills, and establishing a pine straw operation. Porter also has incor-

23

porated more technology to improve inventory control. In addition to exploring new markets and navigating through complicated tax regulations, each family business implemented some form of forest certification to address the increasing need to recognize sustainable management.

Superior Pine converted into an SCorp from a C-Corp structure to reduce the tax burden and also incorporated a GIS system, growth and yield modeling, and soil mapping into their management practices. They also established blueberry crops; and Georgia today represents the fourth largest blueberry state in the nation.

Although this operation has been profitable, Andy Stone says “Everyone should be in the perishable products market at least once. If you don’t like the price of timber, leave it on the stump. If you don’t like the price of blueberries, tough.”

fast growing young pines, forest markets have evolved from turpentine to today’s diverse markets for pulp, plywood, OSB, MDF, pellets, and lumber. Despite this history of success, many factors complicate today’s forest markets. After the aggressive divestiture of timberlands by vertically-integrated timber companies from the 1990s through early-2000s, land ownership has changed dramatically, and large private holdings have become increasingly fragmented. Coupled with declining paper markets and the recent decrease in large softwood sawmill capacity, challenges abound for these families to keep their land intact. Each panelist mentioned future challenges in firefighting abilities, increased government regulations in the

form of endangered species and tax laws, and perhaps most importantly, keeping all of the shareholders and family members knowledgeable and moving forward cooperatively.

“Families and businesses can both be complicated by themselves: successfully combining the two over multiple generations, as our panel companies have done, is difficult and rare,” notes William J. Lawrence III, the chairman Superior Pine Products. This is how the turpentine business transformed into what it is today—a dynamic business of trees and forests, connecting us to global markets and people around the world. v

Conclusion History has shown that the tenacity and innovation of these families have weathered many devastating blows—from the Great Depression, two World Wars, numerous fires, and to the most recent Great Recession. With the invention of the Herty cup and the discovery that paper, cellulose, and rayon could be made from

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NEWS Land management for trophy bucks takes years Bronson Strickland, wildlife specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said bagging a trophy buck is the successful result of time and careful implementation of a management plan.

“To reach your full potential for producing trophy bucks on your property, start by establishing good deer density and then work to create a good buck age structure, manage deer habitat and conduct selective harvests,” he said.

At the recent Row Crop Short Course, Strickland told producers, crop consultants and land managers that raising trophy bucks is a long and careful process. e first part is getting the right deer density.

Too many deer will overbrowse existing forage and bucks will not reach their full antler potential. Strickland said landowners can maintain deer density by shooting the correct ratio of does to bucks relative to the habitat’s population capacity. e next step is creating a good buck age structure through selective harvest.

“Selective harvest manages the deer herd on the property by protecting the best younger bucks and harvesting the older bucks,” Strickland said. “You’ve got to get deer to five, six, and seven years old to consistently produce trophy bucks.”

Culling is intentionally removing the least desirable deer from a herd, but highgrading is unintentionally removing the best. High-grading a herd results in capping Georgia Forestry Today

the antler potential of the herd’s bucks.

“People managing for trophy bucks oen can’t get over the hump. eir bucks reach 3 1/2 years old, but the antlers don’t get bigger and they don’t know why,” Strickland said. “What happens is they keep taking the best bucks at 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 years, leaving the lower quality bucks to get old.

“Harvest of the younger, large-antlered bucks typically sets the glass ceiling,” he said.

“Bucks with the most potential for growing large antlers must be protected when they are young and harvested only when they reach maturity if trophy management is your goal. It’s your resource to manage, but you have to understand the consequences of taking young bucks before their antlers have fully developed.” roughout the process, careful land management is key to the development of trophy bucks. Location makes a big difference in antler size.

“Antler size potential is defined by the soil,” he said. “ere is a 30-inch antler difference found between the Delta and the Gulf Coast.”

Good soils produce good forage for deer, and the state’s best soil is found in the Delta. Land managers in other areas can take steps to improve the nutrition available to deer, improving the quality of trophy bucks.

Bobby Cole, president of Mossy Oak BioLogic in West Point, said deer nutrition

relates directly to soil quality.

“You’re better off spending money on lime and fertilizer so you see more success,” Cole said.

He said hunters and land managers need to learn the soil management skills that experienced farmers use.

Cole encouraged land managers to amend the soil and follow sound agricultural practices to produce the most forage for wildlife.

“We want to overwhelm the deer with groceries,” Cole said.

He recommended that land managers install utilization cages on the food plots.

These devices are very small, fenced-in areas that prevent wildlife from feeding in one spot.

“Utilization cages tell the story,” Cole said. “You can see how much an area has been browsed and whether or not you need to shoot some more does.”

While creating the environment to develop trophy bucks may be the goal, good land management practices also create habitat for other wildlife, such as ducks, bobwhite quail and turkey.

“Having wildlife diversity on your property is important,” Cole said. “It offers something for everybody who goes hunting.” v From: Mississippi State University 25

Grants to help UF researchers grow pine trees faster, produce more energy University of Florida researchers will use $1.45 million in federal grants to develop trait-prediction models and accelerate the growth of loblolly pine trees to produce more bioenergy.

In his grant application, UF associate professor Matias Kirst, the principal investigator for the study, said Southern pines can be used as renewable biomass for bioenergy and renewable chemicals. However, for pines to meet their potential as a bioenergy crop, researchers must develop more productive cultivars that can be efficiently converted into liquid fuels, said Kirst, who teaches in the School of Forest Resources and Conservation, part of UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

Traditional breeding typically takes 15-

25 years to develop a new improved cultivar, Kirst said. is makes the industry less competitive compared to other forest species grown overseas. “ere is a lot of interest in the industry in breeding trees that grow faster, and with lower inputs,” Kirst said, particularly among paper manufacturing businesses.

Researchers hope to reduce the breeding cycle to four to five years. To do that, scientists must use new breeding techniques that accelerate cultivar development suitable for bioenergy, said Patricio Muñoz, UF assistant professor of agronomy, and co-investigator in the studies. Using a process known as genome-wide selection, UF researchers plan to use analysis of DNA to create fastergrowing trees, he said.

Kirst plans to develop models to predict which seeds will be most likely to grow quickly.

Kirst published another study in 2011 that he says serves as a precursor to this grant. e UF grants, along with more than a dozen others totaling nearly $9 million, were announced Nov. 15 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

Nationwide, the grants will support research into issues affecting plant breeding and production, leading to improvements in plants critical to the sustainability and competitiveness of American agriculture, according to the NIFA press release.v From: University of Florida

Paper industry votes yes for e Paper Check-off e paper industry has voted overwhelmingly to create the Paper and Paper-based Packaging Promotion and Research program (Paper Check-off ). e U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the referendum results (concluded on November 8), in which 85 percent of the companies and 95 percent of the production voting to support the measure.

“Today’s announcement represents a seminal moment for our industry to stand together and promote the benefits of paper and paper-based packaging to customers and consumers,” said Paper Check-off Panel Chairman John Williams, president and CEO of Domtar. “Our industry produces recyclable products from a renewable resource. e Paper Check-off will allow us to inform consumers of the sustainable products we make and the responsible manner in which we make them.” e successful referendum concludes a three-year journey for paper industry lead26

ers, who conducted research, identified the opportunity to improve customer and consumer knowledge about our products and worked to develop the program and inform the industry of the benefits the Paper Check-off could provide. At the request of the industry, USDA issued the proposed Paper and Paper-based Packaging Promotion Research and Information Order for public comment in January 2013. e second proposed rule was issued in September, announcing the Oct. 28-Nov 8 referendum, in which all covered companies were allowed to vote on the proposal. e Paper Check-off joins numerous other agricultural based products in using the Department of Agriculture’s program structure to fund product promotion, education and research. e initiative will cover four segments of the paper industry: printing and writing; Kra packaging paper (used for products such as grocery bags); containerboard (used to make shipping con-

tainers); and paperboard (used for food and beverage packaging, tubes, etc). Newsprint and carbonless papers will not be included in the program.

The program will be administered by a 12-member board of directors and funded by an assessment of 35 cents per short ton on companies producing or importing 100,000 short tons or more annually of the covered grades. Producers and importers under the 100,000 short ton threshold, along with converters, will not be assessed but will benefit from the promotion program. “is new $25 million program reaching across the paper and paper-based packaging industry offers a tremendous opportunity for improved marketplace information and decision making about our products,” Williams concluded.

For more information about the program, visit papercheckoff.com.v From: papercheckoff.com January | February 2014

HELP WANTED: HOW WARNELL IS PREPPING STUDENTS TO GO FROM THE CLASSROOM TO THE FIELD

By Sandi Martin | Media Relations | Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources

Daniel Atkins thought he knew what he was getting into when he enrolled at the Warnell School. “Go to class, pay attention, memorize notes, pass exam,” he said.

Most schools at UGA teach you to do one thing, he said: Pass tests. But he quickly learned that Warnell was “one of a kind,” and certainly not what he expected. “The goal of every teacher is to prepare you to be a leader within your chosen profession,” Atkins said. “The faculty and staff at Warnell is top tier, second to none in their backgrounds, experience, and overwhelming desire to mold young professionals into future leaders of our natural resources.”

They’re also determined to help students find jobs. Atkins, who earned his BSFR in 2012 and is now wrapping up his master’s degree in forest resources, has had three internships, the latest with Plum Creek Timber Company. And he credits the people working behind the scenes at Warnell with helping him land all three— and the full-time job that awaits him. “Because of the time and effort the Warnell staff put in, I seized an opportunity and was hired full-time at the completion of my academic career,” he said.

College students—and their parents—are understandably concerned about job prospects once graduation rolls around, as the United States’ unemployment rate has been tied to the rocky economy. And while a college degree at one time all but guaranteed employment, that’s not the case anymore, with the percentage of college graduates out of work hovering around the national unemployment rate.

Although other colleges on campus try to help students find jobs post-graduation, Warnell has been stepping up its efforts to put jobs and employment opportunities out there—it’s just up to students to take Georgia Forestry Today

advantage of it all. Warnell may be one of the few colleges on campus who has student services staff members dedicated to helping students find jobs—and that’s before the professors, alumni relations, and graduate student staff gets involved.

And the list of what they do is long.

Warnell’s student services staff sends out information about internships, post job openings on Warnell’s job board, hold professional development workshops and classes, and encourage students to join the professional societies—all year long. Staff members will even look at a student’s—or alumnus’—résumé and give advice on how to improve it. Even better, they also recruit alumni to mentor current students and bring employers, who are often alumni, here to recruit for jobs. Networking, said Student and Career Services Coordinator Ami Flowers, is absolutely key to landing a job after graduation, and every year she urges students to attend Roundtable. Held every year by the student chapter of the Society of American Foresters, Roundtable is a popular networking event where students can meet the professionals out in the field now—who may be looking to hire. If a student isn’t taking advantage of all of Warnell’s job-related services, she said, they’re missing out. “Their tuition funds the student services staff, which is put in place for them to use,” Flowers said. “We are free to them, so if they’re not taking advantage of it they are not taking advantage of the benefits of attending a major university. We are literally here for them.”

Will Burge certainly took notice. Last spring, the senior said, it hit home that he really needed some experience on his resume. He’d wanted to do an internship the summer before that, but had to take a class. Staff members like Flowers, Burge

said, are pretty persistent in letting students know about internships and jobs, which include frequent e-mail reminders, so it was hard to ignore what was literally “right at your fingertips.” So Burge took advantage of it, and landed a part-time job at the Westervelt Company in Statesboro.

He’s cruising timber, working with GPS If a student isn’t taking advantage of all of Warnell’s job-related services, she said, they’re missing out.

and doing office work two days a week until he graduates in December with his BSFR. After that, he said, he plans to attend graduate school, possibly in Maine.

“Internships are very beneficial, and it exposes you to the field of study, and it’s very practical,” Burge said. “In class you are learning about the concepts, but with internships, you’re tying it all together.”

A recent study proves the importance of internships. Although the unemployment rate for college graduates over the past several years has hovered as high as the ten percent mark, some degrees are worth more in the job market than others, according to a recent study by Georgetown University. The study found that graduates holding degrees in agriculture and natural resources, as well as those in the sciences, had better luck finding jobs than those in other fields—and those unemployment numbers dropped considerably with experience and graduate degrees. A recent graduate in agriculture and natural resources, for instance, would fall into a group with 6.1 percent unemployment rate. Add in experience, and that number drops to 3.4 percent. With a graduate degree, the rate drops to 2.3 percent. “Employers like to see applicants who have a degree in their 27

discipline but also have first-hand experience in the field as well,” Flowers said. “Internships allow you to gain that professional experience while you are pursuing your degree. That study proves what we’ve known all along—internships are essential to getting hired.”

Kristen Black, a junior from Peachtree City, is already thinking about helping herself get hired after she graduates in the fall of 2015 with a degree in wildlife. She recently attended the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies as a student worker, networking for four days with potential future employers and seeking out advice. And she’s already applying for internships for next summer, even if it means missing out on an optional field course, because that’s what’s going to help her land a job, she said. “What are my future employers going to look for?” she asked. “A field course or an internship?”

In Warnell, the one major that practically guarantees employment is forestry. “We have more forestry jobs than we have students,” Flowers said. Emily Saunders, Warnell’s alumni relations and student leadership director, agreed. “Most forestry majors can easily get a job in forestry as a forester—whether it’s pursuing an MFR in forest business and working in a high rise in Atlanta or managing forestlands as a consultant. Our forestry majors are very

28

marketable, especially if they are willing to travel.”

Many of Warnell’s forestry undergraduates do seek out a master’s degree, and that works out to their benefit, particularly if they earn an MFR through the Center for Forest Business. “The Center for Forest Business has compiled an enviabletrack record in graduate placement,” said Bob Izlar, director of the CFB. “Since the Center’s founding in 1997 and even before, we have been able to place 99 percent of our forest business graduate students in jobs.

Many have had multiple job offers even before graduation. This speaks to the regard with which our degree program and graduates are held. At a recent meeting, I heard the cadre of our forest business alumni in the timberland investment world referred to as the ‘Warnell mafia.’ I take that as a complement to our efforts.

It is a reflection of dedicated faculty and staff, an active advisory committee and supportive employers.”

Michael Westbrook (BSFR ’05, MS ‘08), the Atlantic Region Manager for the Westervelt Company, has come back to Warnell to recruit future potential employees. Warnell students, he said, certainly have an advantage—although he admits to being biased toward his alma mater. The recruitment of alumni to be mentors is a huge benefit to both student and alumni,

he said. “I think alumni mentoring is a great way for students to see insight into business, but also a great way for alumni to see the continued growth of their school,” Westbrook said. “Higher education has allowed alumni to become the person they are today and where they are today, so I think it is important they stay involved. The school we graduated from was defined by those who graduated before us, so we must refine it for those who graduate next.” v

January | February 2014

GEORGIA FORESTRY TODAY DIRECTORY OF PRODUCTS & SERVICES

Georgia Forestry Today

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GEORGIA FORESTRY TODAY DIRECTORY OF PRODUCTS & SERVICES

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chad@hippenterprises.com January | February 2014

GEORGIA FORESTRY TODAY DIRECTORY OF PRODUCTS & SERVICES

Georgia Forestry Today

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