Issuu

Alabama

Spring 2014

FORESTS IN THIS ISSUE:

How a Little Cooperation Saved Forest Industry

Big Bucks Happy 20th Rural Studio Architect Tour Builds Relationships Log A Load Shifts into High Gear

Contents 25 Alabama Forestry Association, Inc. CHRIS ISAACSON, Executive Vice President OFFICERS FRED T. STIMPSON, Mobile, Chairman JEFFERY P. LEDBETTER, Andalusia, President BARRETT B. MCCALL, Mobile, Secretary BEN SMITH, Phenix City, President-elect GRAY SKIPPER, Fulton, Treasurer DISTRICT DIRECTORS Black Belt District WENDELL LINDSEY, Demopolis Capital District CLARK SAHLIE, Montgomery Delta District FRANK MOZINGO, Toxey Longleaf District TRIPP WINTERS, Chapman Mountain District TODD LANGSTON, Stevenson Piedmont District MARK TUGGLE, Alexander City Valley District STEPHAN TOMLINSON, Tuscumbia Vulcan District VAUGHN STOUGH, Mountain Brook Warrior District GEE ALLGOOD, McShan Wiregrass District EARL KETCHUM, JR., Clayton ALABAMA LOGGERS COUNCIL CHRIS POTTS, LaFayette FORESTFUND WINSTON BRYANT, Heflin AT LARGE DIRECTORS PAUL LOHMAN, Prattville HANK BAUER, Perdue Hill RICK COZINE, Columbus, Georgia PAT HOLLEY, Millport JIM KING, JR., Tuscaloosa MASON MCGOWIN, JR., Chapman JOE W. MCNEEL III, Montrose VIRGINIA MACPHERSON, Fulton DR. JAMES P. SHEPARD, Auburn TOM BRADLEY III, Mobile ALABAMA FORESTS EDITOR SAM DUVALL Alabama Forests (USPS #025-358) is an official publication of the Alabama Forestry Association, 555 Alabama Street, Montgomery, AL 36104-4359 and is published five times a year. The AFA reserves the exclusive right to accept or reject advertising or editorial material submitted for publication. Advertising rates quoted upon request. Periodicals postage paid at Montgomery, Ala. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Alabama Forestry Association, 555 Alabama St., Montgomery, AL 36104-4395.

SFI-01273

A brand spanking new John Deere skidder greeted participants at Kimberly Fullerâ€™s Piedmont District sporting clay/turkey shoot event.

Alabama

FORESTS Communicating news and information of, about, and for the Alabama forestry community.

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FEATURES Cooperation with ALDOT Saved $2 Million and Kept the Wood Flowing

Rural Studio Celebrates Its 20th Birthday!

Architect Tour: Building Relationships

Especially for our tree farmers/landowners: Green Horizons

DEPARTMENTS From the Executive Vice President

Contributors

Log A Load

Forestry News & Views

Products & Services

Wildlife & Outdoors

ADVERTISERS Index to Advertisers

Come explore our web site! alaforestry.org

33 Cover: The lighter shoots on this loblolly pine are known as candling and, just like the candles on a birthday cake, signify another year of growth and renewal. Photo by Tes Jolly

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From Executive Vice President

“We Shall Fight”

hen I graduated in forestry from Auburn, I knew that I had received a good education and would be able to hit the woods running. After all, I knew that when you plant a pine tree, the green side ALWAYS goes up. What I didn’t realize was that 90% of the problems I would deal with would have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with technical skills and everything to do with working with people and adapting to a changing business environment. Some 35 years later I realize that managing timber is the easy part. We know how to site-prep land, plant and grow trees, and harvest and process timber. It’s all the other STUFF that makes our job tough. During my tenure at the Alabama Forestry Association, I’ve become convinced that the source of almost all of the other STUFF is our political system. Now, before you dismiss this conclusion as the ranting of someone who makes his living in the political arena, allow me to offer the following thoughts. In February, 2007, the national average price for a gallon of No. 2 diesel was $2.46/gallon. Diesel prices peaked in July, 2008 at $4.73/gal and have since settled back down to a “modest” $3.92/gal last week. That’s better than in 2008 but still 60% higher than 7 years earlier.

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These higher fuel prices have had a ripple effect throughout the forestry economy—loggers have gone out of business due to higher operating costs, cost of raw material to the mills has increased impacting decisions on staffing and capital allocation, and stumpage payments to landowners have been affected. None of these results had anything to do with the technical aspects of growing trees and manufacturing products and everything to do with an external factor—higher fuel costs. So, what caused higher prices? Many of the factors impacting oil prices and subsequently fuel prices have their origin in policy decisions made by governments. Presidential decisions to restrict offshore oil and gas leases, federal agencies refusal to allow companies to develop oil and gas reserves on federal land, federal regulations that increase refining costs, taxes that are levied on fuel and foreign policy that impacts the flow of oil from around the world all serve to impact the price paid by the consumer. All of these factors result from decisions made by officials who are elected and agency heads who are appointed and us poor schmucks in the woods have to live with the consequences. Consider also the decision to list the northern spotted owl by the US Fish and

Wildlife Service and the devastating impacts on the loggers, landowners, sawmills and their workforce, schools and the overall economy in the Pacific Northwest. Or the “We have to pass this bill to see what’s in it” Affordable Care Act which the Congressional Budget Office now says if implemented fully will result in the loss of 2.0–2.5 million

Chris Isaacson

At AFA, we’re in the fight. Are you? jobs between 2017–2024. Or the projected impacts of the recently announced CO2 emission standards on electric rates and the subsequent impacts on the prices of goods and services. I could go on, but I hope you see my point. STUFF happens, most often as a direct result of the decisions of the people we choose to run our government and we suffer the consequences. Although WE see the higher costs of operating and lower profit margins, this STUFF ultimately results in fewer jobs, lower wages, and higher costs to consumers. So, why doesn’t the average American stand up and say “ENOUGH!”? Because the compliance costs of STUFF is hidden from view; consumers pay a few dollars more at the cash register, homeowners notice their power bills are a little bit higher, paychecks are a little smaller and the grocery

cart isn’t quite as full as it used to be. And, if they do notice, they blame it on the greedy corporations. So, should we throw in the towel? NEVER! Despite the challenges, there is ALWAYS an opportunity to change course. In his address to Parliament during the early days of World War II, Sir Winston Churchill rallied the troops, “We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender!” At AFA, we’re in the fight. Are you? ▲ 3

SAFET Y TIP No.34

ANOTHER GROUNDBREAKING TIP FROM THE POWER COMPANY. By Mike Barnes Alabama Power Lineman

Here are a few very important things you should know about underground power lines and how to work safely around them.

Color codes for marking underground utility lines White

Proposed excavation

Pink

Temporary survey markings

Red

Electric power lines, cables, conduit and lighting cables

Yellow

Gas, oil, steam, petroleum or gaseous materials

Orange

Communications, alarm or signal lines, cables or conduit

More and more power lines are being buried underground. This poses a considerable threat for both construction workers and do-it-yourself homeowners. Even if you’re undertaking a seemingly harmless job, such as digging a hole for a new fence, the risks are still there. You’ve probably heard the “Call before you dig” mantra many times. But take it to heart. Nothing good happens when a shovel plunges into a live power line. The number to call is easy to remember: just dial 811. You call, preferably at least 48 hours in advance of your project, and the

Blue

Purple

Reclaimed water, irrigation and slurry lines

Green

Sewers and drain lines

representative will notify all the appropriate utilities. Pretty easy. Soon after your call, various technicians will come out and

Potable water

put colored spray paint in the places where they have lines. I’ve included a chart here so you can tell which one is which. Please take this simple step before you start digging. It’s easy. And it’s free. You’ll save yourself a lot of headaches – and maybe even your life.

Call before you dig. For more electrical safety tips, visit AlabamaPower.com/safety.

Dial: 811

Contributors Stewart Abrams

Ericha Nix

Stewart Abrams has been a conservation enforcement officer with ADCNR’s Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries assigned to Coosa County in District II since August 2013. He was a Wildlife Biologist I with Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries from June 2008 to August 2013. Stewart has a B.S. in wildlife science from Auburn University, acquired in 2006. He lives in rural Coosa County with his wife of 2 years, Heather, and their 2 dogs, Jolene and Sarge.

Ericha Nix is a northern Virginia native who cultivated an appreciation for the outdoors from her father, an avid fisherman and outdoorsman, and her mother, who has a passion for birding and wildflowers. She served in the Virginia Army National Guard as an army medic and then worked for private practice in the medical field. With her heartstrings pulling her back to the outdoors, she went back to school, pursued a B.S. in wildlife management at Auburn University and graduated magna cum laude in 2002. She is a certified wildlife biologist with ADCNR’s Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries and works in several areas including providing technical assistance to landowners in managing wildlife, the deer management program, the youth dove hunt program, teaching hunter education, and working on management areas. In her spare time, she enjoys hunting, fishing, hiking, kayaking, and outdoor photography.

Ray Clifton Ray Clifton works for Baseline Forest Services, Inc. Prior to taking the job with Baseline, Ray worked for several years at the Alabama Forestry Association as director of the Alabama Loggers Council. Ray started his career at Union Camp Corporation and has worked in both land management and wood procurement. He also worked as a timber buyer and logging supervisor with W.J. Sorrell Lumber & Pulpwood and Auburn Timberlands, Inc. Ray holds a B.S. in forest management from Auburn University and an M.S. in forestry from Louisiana State University. He is from Sylacauga, but currently resides in Opelika with his wife, Becky. He has two adult sons, John and Kyle.

Stuart Goldsby Stuart Goldsby has been the regional hunter education coordinator for North Alabama since joining ADCNR’s Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries in 1995. He works out of Cullman. Stuart has a B.A. in criminal justice (1979) from University of Louisiana at Monroe. He and wife, Patty, have 4 children. Stuart is responsible for outreach and education in hunter education, archery in the schools, and community archery strategy.

Kenneth McNabb Ken McNabb is the Mosley Environmental Professor, Extension Specialist, and International Program Coordinator for the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, Auburn University. Ken’s areas of expertise include outreach methodologies and administration, international education, plantation establishment, and nurseries and international forestry. His previous appointments include serving as interim special assistant to the Provost for International Education, Office of the Provost, Auburn University (2007-2010); forestry & wildlife extension coordinator, Alabama Cooperative Extension System (2003-2007); director of the Southern Forest Nursery Management Cooperative (1994-2004); Artificial Regeneration Extension specialist (1989-present); Farm Forestry Research advisor for the USAID Pakistan Forestry Planning & Development Project (1985-1988); and research forester for Jari Forest Products, Monte Dourado, Pará, Brazil (1974-1980).

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Ashley Smith Ashley Parkman Smith currently serves as director of education programs for the Alabama Forestry Association. Ashley’s roles for the association include forestry education/outreach and membership development. She also serves as the SFI State Implementation Committee coordinator. Prior to the AFA, Ashley worked six years with urban tree non-profit Trees Columbus and 11 years with MeadWestvaco in fiber supply and forestry education/outreach. Ashley graduated in 1995 from Auburn University’s College of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences with a B.S. in forest operations. Ashley and her husband, Ben, have two children and reside in east Alabama. (Ben serves on the AFA Board and is president-elect of the association.)

Allen Varner Allen Varner is the stewardship coordinator for the Alabama Forestry Commission (AFC) where for the last eight years he has managed the Stewardship and TREASURE Forest programs. His background includes 24 years with forest industry in various capacities that include roll tracking, wood procurement, landowner assistance, and forest management. Allen holds a B.S. in timber management and an M.S. in biometrics from the University of Georgia.

AFA 2014 Annual Meeting! Come toss around some ideas at the beach Register on line at www.alaforestry.org

Perdido Beach Resort Orange Beach, Alabama September 7-9, 2014

The view down State Highway 108 on the old Pigeon Creek Bridge, with the temporary bridge being constructed on the right side.

Cooperation Saved the Industry Big Bucks and Kept the Wood Flowing By Ray Clifton and Sam Duvall

Government agencies and the businesses they serve occasionally find themselves at odds, which is how this story begins. However, if you like happy endings, read on. This is a story about how communication and cooperation helped keep wood flowing to an Alabama sawmill and prevented $2 million in additional costs to the forest industry. That happy ending was made possible because Gov. Robert Bentley and Transportation Director John Cooper found a way to replace a bridge in south Alabama without impacting a major log truck route.

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Tripp Winters steps onto the temporary bridge, checking on construction progress. Winters, procurement manager for Coastal Forest Products at Chapman, was a happy camper when the bridge project worked out as it did.

News generally travels slowly within Alabama’s logging community; that is, until an issue arises that affects their immediate livelihood. From all outward appearances, Alabama loggers tend to mind their own business and focus their attention on long hour days doing what they do best; cutting and moving timber. But don’t be fooled; logging is a competitive business and while they appear focused on their own business, loggers keep an eye out for what their peers are doing. It is not often that an issue comes up that warrants a shift of focus from their day-to-day logging operations. Time is a valuable commodity in this business. None is wasted. But when an issue does arise, it’s amazing how fast the news travels and how quickly these competitors come together. And one thing is for sure, if loggers have an issue and they band together as one, you don’t want to get in their way! One such issue, which is the subject of this story, emerged in Butler County, Alabama in early June 2013. A bridge replacement project was announced by the Alabama Department of Transportation for State Highway 108’s Pigeon Creek crossing just outside Georgiana. Usually a project of this magnitude involves months of public meetings and opportunities for comment. This project, however, received a notice in the newspaper a mere three weeks prior to commencement of construction. 8

Why the hurry? We’ll get to that a little later on.

The Pigeon Creek Bridge Project On May 28th (the day after Memorial Day), the Alabama Forestry Association was contacted by one of its members asking if the Association was aware of the “Pigeon Creek Bridge Project.” Ray Clifton, AFA’s Logger Council Executive Director at the time* immediately began contacting loggers and ALDOT personnel to determine what was going on. “I had several conversations with very angry and despondent loggers regarding the project. Angry because there had been no input opportunity and despondent because they had been told that the project was moving forward regardless of any objections,” Clifton said. The project, he learned, would break ground on Monday, June 10th. Bids had been let and the contractor was already moving in. So, ok, the project is moving forward and granted, nobody had a chance for input, but it is a bridge that needs replacement, right? So what’s the big deal? “Everyone I talked to thinks the bridge needs to be replaced and is glad to see the state addressing it,” said Clifton. “The problem is how they are going about the project. While the construction is going on, the bridge will be out of service and the A L A B A M A F O R E S TS | S p r i n g 2 0 1 4

alternative route to mills adds 13 miles each way.” Thirteen miles one-way is an additional 26 miles round-trip. While that may not sound like that much, the mileage increase translates to an increased cost of almost $2 per ton. With margins as tight as they are, this kind of increase is not sustainable in today’s timber markets. But we are talking about rural Butler County, aren’t we? There can’t be that big of an impact caused by this project, right? Not so fast… . “Just our procurement alone results in nearly 150 loads per week coming across that bridge,” says Tripp Winters, procurement manager for Coastal Forest Products in Chapman. “That is our only reasonable means of access to timberland holdings east of our mill.” He went further adding, “I wouldn’t be surprised if there weren’t 250 loads per week coming along that route, when you add everyone else in. “They estimated that the project would last at least 6-8 months; that would dramatically affect our procurement strategy. We would change our procurement to taking wood from the west, and all the landowners and loggers to the east would lose our market both short term and long term.”

Cost = $12,000 a Day, $2 Million Over Life of Project Based on the 250 loads per day estimate, the detour around the bridge would cost more than $12,000 per day or more than $2 million over an 8-month period. This additional cost would be borne by either the logger through additional fuel costs or the landowner through lower stumpage. In either case, this would have been an added cost to the wood supply chain. So in comes Clifton and the Alabama Forestry Association. Having worked closely with DOT recently with its $1 billion road and bridge program, Clifton had developed a good working relationship with Cooper, the ALDOT director. When contacted, Cooper affirmed the project was on a fast track. Could anything be done? “Probably not, but I will certainly come down and meet with the loggers to see if there is a better way,” Cooper said. A meeting was held at Corley Land Services offices on Monday evening, June 10th. Cooper attended the meeting, as well as his Chief Engineer for the ALDOT District overseeing the project, and about 20 loggers. Cooper acknowledged that the project

Coastal Forest Products would have been hard hit by the original plan which involved a 26 mile (round trip) detour and would have cut Coastal off from wood from the east. The detour would have cost loggers and landowners about $2 million to continue supplying Coastal, something many of them would not have been able to afford.

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would have started that day, but rain kept the contractor from working. Groundbreaking was scheduled for the next day. After listening to the loggers’ concerns and admitting that the notice was brief, Cooper agreed to put off the start date until the first of the year. This would allow the loggers to adjust their strategies and plan for the outage better. This alternative was well received and everyone left the meeting, perhaps not totally happy, but acknowledging that Cooper and ALDOT had been responsive and helpful.

Funds Had to Be Used Immediately for “Shovel-Ready” Projects Back to the previous question: why the hurry? As it turns out, federal funds for the project became available at the last minute. The only catch was that the funds had to be used immediately for “shovelready” projects. The Pigeon Creek Bridge project had been on ALDOT’s plans for quite some time and it was ready to go, and bridge replacement projects are a top priority. Unfortunately, the quick nature of the decision to accelerate the bridge replacement resulted in an admittedly brief advance notice of only three weeks.

ALDOT Director John Cooper worked with loggers and community leaders to keep the bridge replacement from disrupting forestry and other commercial activity in the affected area.

Pigeon Creek Bridge During the course of the meeting on June 10th, discussions were held regarding the alternatives for going around the project. A temporary bridge was discussed but dismissed because of the additional cost. A temporary bridge would allow construction of the new bridge to occur without the need for the additional mileage required with the selected alternative route. After the meeting, the Association contacted Gov. Bentley with an additional request. Acknowledging that Director Cooper had already made a very generous concession, the Association asked the governor if he could use economic development funds to pay for the temporary bridge. Why did AFA feel that this project qualified as economic development? In the previous year, Coastal had purchased the mill in Chapman that had been mothballed by the previous owner, International Paper. “We invested nearly $50 million in purchasing and upgrading the mill,” said Winters. “In addition, we ended up re-hiring over 250 employees.” In making the purchase and upgrades, Coastal had not

asked the state to provide any incentives. The governor agreed that the State should do what it could to help, and he sat down with Director Cooper and resolved the matter. A temporary bridge would be purchased by the state, and once the project was complete could then be reused in future projects.

Working Together Solved What Would Have Been a Big Problem The temporary bridge was constructed directly adjacent to the old bridge, so there was no interruption of the traffic flow in the area. Once the old bridge is rebuilt, the temporary bridge will be disassembled and can be used elsewhere as needed by ALDOT. Without the gathering of the logging community, a little guidance from the AFA and a lot of understanding and help from the State, this project would have gone forward to the detriment of a local sawmill, loggers and landowners. With quick action, the governor proved that he was indeed a leader concerned about protecting and encouraging job growth in Alabama.

Governor Robert Bentley used economic development funds to pay for the temporary bridge that keeps wood flowing to Coastal Forest Products and other companies affected by the bridge replacement project.

“The forest products industry is a major part of Alabama’s economy,” Governor Robert Bentley said. “The jobs produced by the industry are significant. We worked on the Pigeon Creek Bridge project to protect the jobs that are critical to the success of the forest industry. With the help and support of many individuals, we were able to find a solution.” ALDOT Director Cooper noted that his agency routinely works with local officials and industry to overcome obstacles such as those involving the Pigeon Creek project. “The Department of Transportation is committed to providing the best road and bridge network possible, and sometimes that requires replacing bridges or resurfacing busy roadways,” Cooper said. “We recognize the need to balance our system preservation work with minimizing the impacts to our customers. The Pigeon Creek Bridge project is an example of how we look for better ways to do things.” Meanwhile, the industry gives Gov. Bentley and ALDOT high praise for finding a way to replace the bridge with minimal impact on local traffic. “The Alabama Forestry Association remains committed to enabling an efficient supply chain for timber in Alabama. Without our loggers and landowners, we would not be the leader in forest product manufacturing that we are,” said Chris Isaacson. “We will continue to focus on providing adequate rural road and bridge funding and opposing regulations that unduly burden our logging force. “We have the best loggers and resource base in the country and we will continue to be diligent to ensure it stays that way,” Isaacson added. ▲ Editor’s Note: Ray Clifton left his AFA staff position as ALC Director and went back to work in wood procurement business with Baseline Forest Products. Working in the woods is something Ray has done most of his life and he was eager to get back to it. SD

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RURAL STUDIOlebrates

By Ashley Smith

Leaving Auburn Universityâ€™s campus and heading west to rural Hale County for one semester, architect students in their second year of studies immerse themselves in the community and culture of the area. During their semester in the rural setting, students design and build charity homes. Thesis-level architecture students move to Hale County for a full year to design and build community projects. Outreach volunteers find their way to Hale County to help and assist, working alongside architecture students. All of these individuals collectively come together to form Auburn Universityâ€™s Rural Studio.

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Its 20th Birthday! uch like forestry summer camp for foresters, Rural Studio provides architecture students with handson, educational experiences of designing and building for communities in a rural area of Alabama’s Blackbelt Region. Tyler Allgood went to Rural Studio in 2008 as a second year student for her first design build project. Her enthusiasm and dedication to the overall efforts of Rural Studio inspired Allgood to seek the help of others, specifically Alabama forest products companies. Growing up in a sawmill family, Allgood understood the importance of local Alabama resource based businesses. She initially sought support from her family at McShan Lumber in McShan, Alabama. Her interest and excitement over Rural Studio moved them to participate. Over the years, contributions of lumber and building materials from McShan Lumber as well as from Farley Forest Products, Jasper Lumber, Scotch Plywood, Sudduth Land and Timber, Westervelt Lumber, and Weyerhaeuser helped complete numerous projects in Hale County and the surrounding communities served by Rural Studio. “Putting our products in the hands of these young architects allows them to use what they have learned in school along with their imagination to build homes and complete community projects to meet the needs of others,” says Scotch Plywood’s Gray Skipper. “We are happy to take part in these ongoing efforts.” With Rural Studio’s focus on using local, sustainable materials in their builds, Alabama Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) companies realized the potential for a partnership. The companies certified to the SFI support Rural Studio with materials and financial support. Support for Rural Studio is now part of the SFI

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Rural Studio celebrated their 20th anniversary with food and music festivities to accompany the ribbon cutting of new homes and community projects. Grover Allgood, daughter Tyler, and wife Melissa (L-R) pause for a photo outside the Boy Scout Hut. Opposite: Donations from Alabama’s forest products companies like Scotch Plywood help put wood first on the minds of young architects at Rural Studio.

State Implementation Committee’s annual budget. Since becoming involved in 2008, the partnership between Rural Studio and these companies includes visits to the rural Blackbelt Region where the work is accomplished. Students update the companies about projects, sharing photos and social media communications. To celebrate their recent 20th anniversary, Rural Studio marked the occasion in a momentous way. In addition to designing and building eight $20,000 houses, completing a number of community projects, and hosting a lecture series, Rural Studio celebrated with food and festivities. What better way to celebrate than by gathering community to visit, talk, spend time together, share a table and a meal! One of the community projects, the Boy Scout Hut, a headquarters for local troops, opened to the public at the anniversary 13

Rural Studio

event in April. “Our daughter, Tyler, worked on a number of projects through Rural Studio,” says Grover Allgood. “Years ago, our sons Gee and John Hunter enjoyed Boy Scouts and eventually achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. My wife, Melissa, and I realized then the good work accomplished through Boy Scouts. We are pleased that through Rural Studio, Tyler and her team helped provide a place for Scouts in this community to meet, learn, and grow.” The Boy Scout Hut project, designed and built with wood from Alabama’s forests, comes full circle in that Boy Scouts support environmental education and sustainability of natural resources. As Rural Studio builds on their reputation of recycling, remaking, and delighting in using local materials, the Alabama forestry community looks forward to Rural Studio providing good design to communities in Alabama’s Blackbelt Region and doing so with products grown and made in Alabama. Marking their 20year milestone with food, music, and festivities encourages the community spirit and makes sustainability real and important to all. ▲

Rural Studio marked their 20-year milestone with a pig roast and other locally grown food. Bottom: Showcasing sustainably grown Alabama wood, the interior of the Boy Scout Hut is warm and inviting.

The Boy Scouts of America and SFI signed a memorandum of mutual support in 2012 agreeing to work together to demonstrate forest stewardship and environmental education for America’s youth.

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Building Relationships Forest Products Tour for Auburn Architect Students By Ashley Smith 1

“

hanks for visiting our facility and learning about our products,” said Steve Bush of Structural Wood Systems. “We hope you will consider incorporating wood products into your future designs. You do that, and I know we will all get to be good friends in the future.” As Bush addresses the large tour group, he teases them ever so slightly. All 55 students smile, eager for the day when they will have the opportunity to become architects after graduating from Auburn University’s College of Architecture, Design, and Building. Bush smiles too. After 30 years in the business, he understands that the more architects learn and know about building products made from trees, the more likely they are to use them. With financial support from the Alabama SFI State Implementation Committee, Auburn architect students were afforded the opportunity in February to spend an entire day touring several Alabama forest products facilities where sustainable building materials are produced. Offering a preview of the types of materials to be seen later in the day, students first gathered inside the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences building where wood detailing beautifully graces the entrance. Dr. Jim Shepard, dean of the school, welcomed the students and introduced them to their day in the forestry community. Afterwards, students traveled by charter bus to Greenville for a tour of Structural Wood Systems. At Structural Wood, students divided into smaller groups led by knowledgeable employees. Tour guides explained and showed students a variety of unique

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projects underway at the glued laminated timber facility. Students learned how glued laminated timber, also called Glulam, optimizes wood’s structural values. Following lunch provided by SWS, the architect students toured Southside Baptist Church. Wood covers the entire sanctuary ceiling, granting a warm ambiance that proves to be both beautiful and inviting. With the church being located just blocks from the mill, students gained an immediate perspective of how SWS beams and other wood products could be used in design. After lunch, the excursion traveled south to Chapman to visit Coastal Forest Products LLC. Tripp Winters and his team gave tours to the students of both their plywood mill and lumber mill. Being able to see the many steps in the production of making round logs into square edged lumber proved interesting to all of the students. Students seemed equally absorbed by the process of taking thin sheets of veneer, cross-graining the sheets, and gluing them together to create plywood. From a materials perspective, both lumber and plywood are cost-effective options for safety and performance. While it was fundamental from a building and design perspective for students to see how these 2 materials are created, the tour provided the perfect opportunity to share the sustainability message. When forests are managed sustainably, the resource provides an indefinite source of products. Using sustainable products from Alabama’s mills boosts local businesses, helping to keep communities alive and healthy. Building connections between architect and design students and Alabama’s forestry community lays a foundation for knowledge, trust, and future growth. ▲ 1 Tripp Winters, right with hands on plywood, talks to students visiting Coastal Forest Products in Chapman. 2 Students found the glulam beams at Structural Wood Systems fascinating.

THANKS, PHIL. “We shall hereby be launching on a program of growing trees.”

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NEWS & VIEWS

From My Neck of the Woods… ell it is official; we have just completed the 2014 Alabama Tree Farm assessment. I cannot say enough about how proud I am of Alabama and the Tree Farm landowners who represent this great state. It was a monumental task once the selections were made to contact, schedule, plan the itinerary, plan the route, pickup the auditors, make the visits, and return the auditors to the respected airports on time. Karen Boyd and Matt Vines are to be commended for their hard work and dedication to making this assessment flow effortlessly. The assessment showed only a few areas that need addressing. Some of which dealt with wrongly reported acreage and others with inadequate or missing elements in the management plans. With that said, it is all-in-all not a real problem to address. The database is an ever changing thing and we, as landowners, must take a moment to look over those pesky mail outs that seem to always show up in our mailboxes. Taking a few minutes to

look over the mail out may help to catch a mistake that is easily fixable. If you haven’t had a visit from your field forester in a while, give him a call and ask him to help you make sure that your management plan and inspection is as current and up-to-date as possible. Your Tree Farm committee has worked really hard over the last year getting ready for the 2014 assessment. We have hosted management plan workshops across the state, conducted a mail out to help update your information, and written several articles on what is needed for the current management plan standards. All this was done to make Alabama stand out among the other states being assessed. In a recent trip to a neurosurgeon’s office, my friendly certified Tree Farmer physician told me that he was retiring from his practice and planning on spending more time on his Tree Farm. I know that decision to retire was a hard one for him to make, but I also know that he will find plenty of things on the farm

to occupy his time and attention. He will have the ability to go to the farm to work, or as we Tree Farmers like to refer to it as rest and relaxation. It is truly a God-given blessing to have that ability to just go immerse yourself in something that you truly love. Also in our recent conversation was discussion about some wild hogs that I had discovered that I had on my farm. Since being discovered, I have caught or shot 11 piglets and one grown female fresh with attitude. I when I say attitude, I mean a real dislike of the NRCS guidelines for wild hog traps. My fellow Tree Farmer told me that he didn’t have any wild hogs and I politely told him it’s only a matter of time. Until next time, I am, Paul E. Hudgins, R.F.

By Paul Hudgins, Alabama Tree Farm Chairman

Alabama Tree Farm Committee State Chairman Paul Hudgins (334) 376-9114 Black Belt District Bart Adams (334) 410-0608 Capital District Rick Oates (334) 613-4305 Delta District Paul Hudgins (334) 376-9114 Longleaf District Mike Older (334) 222-0379 Mountain District Todd Langston (256) 434-4712 A L A B A M A F O R E S TS | S p r i n g 2 0 1 4

Piedmont District Bruce Eason (334) 864-9357 Valley District Karen Boyd (256) 637-7223 Vulcan District Jason Dockery (256) 734-0573 Warrior District Tim Browning (205) 367-8232 Wiregrass District Heather Wierzbicki (334) 855-5394

Northern Vice Chairman Tim Browning (205) 367-8232 Southern Vice Chairman Heather Wierzbicki (334) 855-5394 At Large Directors: Tim Albritton (334) 887-4560 John Boutwell (334) 365-9221

Tom Carignan (334) 361-7677 Lamar & Felicia Dewberry (256) 396-0555 Don East (256) 396-2694 Chris Isaacson (334) 265-8733 Doug Link (251) 564-6281 Salem & Dianne Saloom (251) 867-6464 Charles Simon (334) 222-1125

Jim Solvason (334) 372-3360 Carolyn Stubbs (334) 821-0374 Allen Varner (334) 240-9308

Green Horizons

State Award Winners Gather 2014 Alabama Natural Resources Council Awards Banquet By Ken McNabb and Allen Varner ll across the state of Alabama

are hard-working individuals

and families dedicated to the wise stewardship of our forests and natural resources. Sometimes their contributions are entirely voluntary, sometimes it improves on their own land management and provides an example for others. These citizens and leaders deserve to be recognized for their contributions to the sustainable management of our precious state resources. To that end, the Alabama Natural Resources Council (ANRC) sponsors an annual event to gather these special individuals and provide the public recognition they deserve.

The ANRC is made up of the heads of various natural resources agencies throughout the state. Their mission is to “promote stewardship of Alabama’s forest resources” and the Council actively interacts and coordinates with a number of programs to further that mission. These programs include the Tree Farm Program, the promotion and establishment of local natural resources planning committees, the TREASURE Forest program, and the W. Kelly Mosley Environmental Awards Program, among others. The Awards Banquet provides a forum for these ANRC partners to recognize their most deserving participants and reward their contributions and leadership. The 2014 Awards Banquet was held at the Marriott Prattville Hotel & Confer-

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ence Center on Friday, February 7. There were several enjoyable components to the event for anyone interested in forestry and natural resources. First was a two-hour Outreach Symposium which provided technical information on difficult site preparation cases, forestry taxes, wild hog control, and forest certification. There was also a brief update on Tree Farm advocacy issues. Exhibitor booths were a second component of the event with nine organizations providing information about their products and services. There was a cocktail reception, and finally the banquet itself with a plated dinner and awards ceremony attended by over 100 people. The dinner was kicked-off by the chair of the ANRC, Dr. Gary Lemme, director of the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service. After a fine dinner provided by the Marriott Kitchen, Dr. Richard Brinker, Dean Emeritus of Auburn’s School of Forestry & Wildlife Sciences served as the award program master of ceremony.

Family of the Year Award went on to also win the regional and national Tree Farm Family of the Year, so Alabama has a proud history in this program. This year’s winner of the Alabama Tree Farm Family of the year was the Dr. Robert Parker family of Elmore County. A special video prepared by Kelvin Daniels and Paul Hudgins, of the AFC presenting the many accomplishments of the Parker family, was shown during the ceremony. This beautiful video presented the many activities of the Parker property management including hardwood establishment and management, a very active prescribed burning program, on-site individual tree harvesting and sawing, heritage trees, and even highlighted Dr. Parker’s unique wooden bowlmaking talents.

Doug Link Leadership Award

Alabama Tree Farmer of the Year

This year’s banquet saw the presentation of several Tree Farm Program Awards. One of the most anticipated of these is the Tree Farm Family of the Year. Two previous winners of the Alabama Tree Farm

The Doug Link Leadership Award is given to an individual who has significantly contributed to building Alabama’s Tree Farm program. This year’s award went to Chris Erwin for his dedicated service as Alabama’s Program Administrator over the past six years. Generally recognized as the driving force behind many recent Tree Farm activities, he has also been a strong supporter and advocate of

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Project learning Tree, the Teacher Conservation Workshops, the AFA Architectural Tour, and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. His talents and dedication will be sorely missed as he moves on to the national office of the American Forest Foundation.

program and willingness to work with forest owners and their families is required. This year’s Inspector of the Year Award was given to Jacob Brown of the Alabama Forestry Commission. Jacob serves as an example and inspiration to other volunteers in the program.

Gold Plus Award

Helene Mosley Memorial TREASURE Forest Award

The Hard Hat Award recognizes voluntary Tree Farm Inspectors who meet the national requirements of completing a minimum number of initial inspections and certificates. This requires not only the inspection, but also landowner contact, education, and technical assistance. Mr. Mike Older has won the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Hard Hat Awards in the past. This year he received the Gold Plus Award for completing more than 150 new Tree Farm Certifications.

Tree Farm Inspector of the Year

This award recognizes an individual voluntary inspector who has completed more initial and follow-up inspections than any other volunteer in the state. Considerable dedication to the Tree Farm

This award seeks to recognize outstanding TREASURE Forest owners who not only manage their forest land with multiple-use objectives in an exemplary fashion, but also dedicate their energies and avail their property to educate others in their community about proper forest stewardship. This year’s winner of the HMMTF Award was Mr. Charles Holmes and family of Perry County. Not only are the Holmes’ TREASURE Forest owners actively engaged in forest management for timber, wildlife, and recreation, part of their property has been certified as a Century and Heritage Farm by the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industry. Mr. Holmes has served on a number of local, state, and national agriculture and forestry committees. And, the Holmes family has hosted a number of educational programs on their property including Fall in Folsom, federal agency training tours, a television show, and the Boy Scouts of America.

W. Kelly Mosley Environmental Achievement Award Winners of the Achievement Award are selected by the Steering and Selection

Committee of the W. Kelly Mosley Environmental Awards Program. The Program seeks to recognize the voluntary efforts of unsung heroes who have contributed to the management of Alabama’s natural resources. Mr. Howard Gillum of Talladega County was recognized at the ANRC banquet as an Achievement Award winner. Nominated by Joel Glover of the Alabama Department of Game and Freshwater Fisheries, Mr. Gillum has unselfishly given of his time and personal resources to promote public hunting on his property and a state wildlife management area adjacent to his property. He regularly mentors others in his community regarding the use of prescribed fire and wildlife management techniques, and volunteers his property for public meetings and educational purposes.

Outstanding Natural Resources County Committees One of the most effective ways the ANRC promotes its message is through the county Natural Resources Outreach Committees. Each committee is unique and strives to meet the needs of local constituents while promoting the ideas of sound natural resource stewardship promoted by the Council. In 2013 three regional committees were selected by the ANRC as outstanding in their programming. The Blount County Natural Resources Planning Committee was selected from the northern region. This committee was responsible for conducting a regional field day at the Mountain Shadows Farm with over 130 attendees. Issues on timber management and wildlife, native grasses,

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Green Horizons

invasive species and wetland management were presented. Other Committee activities included FFA forestry judging events, the county Water Festival, Tree Giveaway, and Kidâ€™s Day on the Farm for all second graders in the county. Walker County was selected as the Central Region Outstanding Planning

Committee. This committee has a unique arrangement with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Alabama Forestry Commission to comanage the local county public lake. This has enabled practices such as fire lane installation, prescribed burning, invasive species control, and nature trails to assist with outdoor classroom activities. Other projects include Groundhog Job Shadow for 9th graders, FFA judging, hunter education, estate planning, landowner tours, outdoor classroom, middle and elementary school career day presentations. The southern region selection for Outstanding Planning Committee is from Covington County. Their latest project was the Walk in the Forest at Blue Lake Recreational Area which provided 350 elementary school children an outdoor field day covering a variety of natural resource related topics. Other projects include an annual TREASURE Forest Award Dinner, annual tree sale, invasive plant workshop, cogongrass Initiative project, and an annual landowner tour.

Looking to the Future The ANRC sponsored Alabama Forest Landowner Outreach Symposium and Awards Banquet is open to anyone interested in management of forest-based natural resources. The objective of this event is to celebrate and learn from citizens who have shown significant accomplishment toward management of Alabama natural resources. They have earned and deserve our recognition. Please feel free to join us in the future to celebrate the best of Alabama!

Photos by Kelvin Daniels of the AFC

Got the rainy day blues? Earn CFEs & PLMs while you wait for the sunshine.

www.alaforestry.org/cfe 20

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Update Your Management Plan our forest is constantly changing. Timber markets change, trees grow and die, natural disasters or pests can destroy part or all of a forested area. The American Tree Farm System (ATFS) Program is now an internationally recognized certification program with specific requirements. For both of these reasons, now is a good time to review and update your management plan. Take time to look back on last year, and think about what you will choose to do this year. Are the activities detailed in your management plan still valid, or will some activities need to be changed to reflect changes in the forest or changes in your objectives? The best way to monitor your property for changes is to take a walk in your forest at least once a year. Review the condition of all the resources on your Tree Farm—including trees, other vegetation, soil, water, roads, drainages, and wildlife. You will want to take a look at the following: ● Property boundaries—Are they marked? Are there signs of trespass? Are fences in good shape? ● Threats to your Tree Farm—Invasive species or pests. Will you need to treat them and how? ● Past treatments for invasive species or pests—Were they effective? ● Sales and acquisitions—Have I sold or purchased property? Will I need to update my maps and inventory information? ● Harvests—How many acres and how much volume did I harvest last year? ● Best Management Practices (BMPs)—Do my stream crossings, streamside management zones, roads and skid trails

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By Karen Boyd

meet Alabama BMPs? ● Reforestation or afforestation—How many acres and trees did I plant? ● Seedling survival—Is it adequate? ● Wildlife—Are my management activities promoting the wildlife habitat and wildlife I am targeting? ● Roads and trails—Are they in good condition? Are you meeting the requirements of the ATFS Standards of Sustainability for Forest Certification? One of the major requirements of the ATFS Program is a written management plan that addresses the following: ● Forest Health ● Soils ● Water ● Wood and Fiber Production ● Threatened and Endangered Species ● Special Sites (historical sites, cemeteries, springs, cliffs, caves, etc.) ● Invasive Species (Privet, Kudzu, Cogon Grass etc.) ● Integrated Pest Management (Example: herbicide treatments, and washing equipment to prevent spread of seeds and roots) ● High Conservation Value Forests (forests of critical importance, usually determined at a landscape level) Your management plan must also clearly state your objectives for the forest, describe your desired forest conditions, and spell out the management activities that are planned to meet 21

Green Horizons your objectives. A timeline for management activity implementation, and tract maps must also be included as part of the plan. Once you’ve walked your Tree Farm, considered these questions, and reviewed your management plan for completeness and compliance with the ATFS Standards of Sustainability, you can update your plan. It can be as simple as adding a few handwritten notes if the plan addresses all of the requirements. If your management plan was written before 2010, it may not have all the management plan elements required of the current ATFS Standards of Sustainability. Visit treefarmsystem.org/Standards to obtain a copy of these standards. A Management Plan Addendum that can be used to update your plan to the current ATFS Standards can also be downloaded from this website. Visit MyLandPlan.org for online tools and resources to update your plan. You can also call the Tree Farm Committee district chairman for your county to receive guidance on how to update your management plan to meet the current standard.

The McGiffert Tree Farm, Tuscaloosa County

Tell Us About Your Tree Farm! ll Tree Farms and Tree Farmers are special and unique. We would like to hear what being a Tree Farmer means to you, and what would you like to share with others about your Tree Farm? ● Have you held an educational event for landowners or students on your Tree Farm? ● Do you make something from the resources on your Tree Farm? ● Is there a special site or unique area on your Tree Farm? ● Why are you a Tree Farmer? ● What makes your Tree Farm special to you and your family? Please send your stories to kboyd@alaforestry.org, and you may see your Tree Farm in an upcoming issue!

Signs of Sustainability promoting sustainable forestry since 1949

Look for these signs of sustainability in the woods & on your products.

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Is Your Tree Farm Information Current? If Not, Let Us Know! lease help the Alabama Tree Farm Committee keep the Tree Farm Database as current, complete and accurate as possible. If you need to make any changes based on the following criteria, please complete the form below and return to Alabama Tree Farm Committee. A Tree Farm Committee member will contact you to complete the database update process. ● Individual Tracts (non-contiguous tracts) are now required to have individual Tree Farm numbers. If you have non-contiguous tracts under one Tree Farm number, please tell us how many individual tracts comprise your Tree Farm. We will contact you for more information (location and acres of each tract), and assign a unique Tree Farm number to each one. The largest tract will retain your original Tree Farm number. Non-contiguous tracts are those that cannot be walked from one side to the other without

leaving the tract. A property is also considered non-contiguous if adjacent parcels are not held under the same legal ownership name. ● Tree Farm Acres should reflect forested and wildlife management acres, and not include acres used for agricultural purposes (cropland or pastureland). If your Tree Farm acreage includes acres in crop or pasture, please let us know. An inspecting forester will review your information, and determine the acres to be reported in the Tree Farm database. ● Update your Tree Farm information for any of the following: • Have you added forested acres, or sold all or part of your Tree Farm? • Do you have GPS lat/long coordinates for your Tree Farm? • Has your contact information changed? • Do you have an email address and cell phone number? Thank you for keeping your Tree Farm record up-to-date!

CALLING FOR

Alabama Tree Farmer of the Year Nominations ach year, the Alabama Tree Farm Committee recognizes superior stewardship of its Tree Farm members through the Alabama State Tree Farmer of the Year Award. These landowners are chosen for their remarkable efforts to demonstrate, communicate and spread sustainable practices. The winner will be recognized at the annual Alabama Natural Resources Council Awards Banquet scheduled for February 6, 2015. To nominate a Tree Farmer for his or her outstanding efforts, please visit www.alaforestry.org/ treefarm and download the State Tree Farmer of the Year Nomination Form. The deadline for nominations is September 1, 2014.

✁ Tree Farm #:

Tree Farm County:

GPS coordinates if available:

Tree Farm Name:

Tree Farm Organization (if LLC, etc.)

Contact Name:

Contact Address:

Phone:

Cell Phone:

Email:

City/State: ZIP:

Non-contiguous tracts?

If yes, how many tracts?

Forested acres change?

If yes, estimated forested acres:

Please return to Alabama Tree Farm Committee Attention Matt Vines 555 Alabama Street Montgomery, AL 36104

For more information contact Karen Boyd at 256-810-6807 or Matt Vines at 334-481-2128.

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Log A Load 2014 = Guns & Golf

he 2014 Log A Load For Kids program started off with a great big bang this year, with a sporting clays and turkey shoot combo at the Oaks near LaFayette, Ala. on April 5, in the Piedmont District. This was a fantastic event, with great attendance at both of the shooting events and the live auction that followed. Our congratulations to Kimberly Fuller and her helpers in putting on a fantastic event and really getting 2014 off to a great start! Kimberly’s event raised $36,500! Shannon White’s Annual Sporting Clay Event at the beautiful course at Selwood Farms on May 2nd was also well attended. Shannon and his helpers raised more than $10,250 at the event. The third event of 2014, the annual Wiregrass Trail Ride overseen by Angie Sherrill near Abbeville, raised $6,140. Not a bad start for the 2014 fund-raising season.

Another shooter prepares to perforate his card at LaFayette turkey shoot.

Houston “Rabbit” Adams (center) takes a close look at the shot cards to determine a winner at Piedmont turkey shoot.

A high steppin’ swamp buggy ride of one of the participants in Piedmont shooting events.

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Log A Load

First place team at Shannon White’s event was, L-R, Joey Holley, Gavin Stockli, Brian Walker (works for event sponsor Blackridge Land Company), Janet Ison (state Log A Load chair), Tiny Aldridge and Earl Edmondson.

Greg “Tiny” Aldridge (center) was “Top Gun” at the Selwood shoot, breaking 99 out of 100 targets. Tiny receives his award from Shannon White (left) and State Log A Load Chair Janet Ison.

For outstanding service to Log A Load for his annual sporting clays event at Selwood, Shannon White receives a plaque from Janet Ison, LAL state chair.

Following the shooting and horseback riding events were a pair of outstanding golf tournaments. The first of these was the annual Capital District Golf Tournament at Lagoon Park in Montgomery on May 20th. Terry Bussey and his crew had a great day for their event and raised almost $30,000. Way to go guys. Terry and his compatriots always do a fine job at their Lagoon Park tournament. Two days later, on May 22, the Delta District held its annual golf event at Deerfield in Chatom. Chuck Reynolds daughter Karen Sansing and her husband Glenn, worked hard and turned out 19 teams for their event. While they weren’t sure exactly how much they raised, Chuck said the event would do better than the $15,000 they raised last year. Another great event that took place right on deadline (June 11) was Jeff Gossett’s Piedmont District Golf Tournament at Greystone near Birmingham. We will give you a more full report in our newsletter, AFA Newsroom, and in subsequent issues of Alabama Forests. 26

Participating in the Annual Wiregrass Trail Ride is, L-R, Maddox Robertson, Aubrey Watford and Leigh Watford.

Showing off the really big check for funds raised at Angie Sherrill’s Trail Ride was, L-R, Mike Hankinson, Angie and Leigh Watford.

All-in-all these first events of 2014 have been outstanding for Log A Load. Major events still to be held include: • Sept.19 Annual Kronospan Event at Silver Lakes, Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. Contact: Jeremy Oliver at (256) 2822559. • Sept. 20 The Annual Archery Shoot sponsored by the Auburn University Forestry Club will be held at the Sportsman’s Outpost in Waverly, Ala. Contact: Tom Gallagher, tgallagher@auburn.edu. • Nov. 7 Westervelt Sporting Clays & Skeet Shoot, at the Westervelt Lodge near Aliceville. Contact: George Franklin at, (205) 562-5699 or Lydia Fields at (205) 562-5482. Other events that are being contemplated are a sporting clays event for the Capital District at Lower Wetumpka Shotgun Sports Club in Montgomery; a Wiregrass District Golf Event; and possibly a dove hunt, also for the Wiregrass District. If anybody knows of other events that might be in the planning stages this year, please shoot the information to Sam Duvall at 334-481-2129 or at sduvall@alaforestry.org. ▲ A L A B A M A F O R E S TS | S p r i n g 2 0 1 4

Standing tall under the pavilion at Chatom are Children’s and Women’s Hospital crew, L-R, Travis Grantham, Vickie Akers, Beth Mattei, Nancy Calhoun and Cassandra Odom.

The TR Miller team at Chatom consisted of L-R, Gaden White, (Danny White’s son), Danny White, Larry Wiggins, and Tony White, Danny’s little BIG brother.

Finishing 3rd at the Delta event was the Children’s and Women’s Hospital team of Kirk Simm, Dr. Joe Busta, Travis Grantham and Danny Rickert. Third place at Capital golf event went to, L-R, Jim Dryman, Snuffy Pate, A.J. Pate and Tom Pate.

Taking second place at Capital golf tourney was, L-R, Kirk Sanders, Chris Gorman and Joel Byram.

Taking first place at the Capital District golf event at Lagoon Park was, L-R, Teddy Brown, Edwin MaDan, Dustin Jones and Greg Pitts.

Danny White gives the ball a tap from 12-feet away, as son Gaden looks on from behind…

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…And in she goes!

Gaden was so impressed he almost fell over backwards as his daddy casually reached for his ball marker!

Forestry News & Views Alabama Ag Credit Returns Record Patronage to Customers

Lockaby Named Interim Dean of Auburn’s School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences AUBURN—Graeme Lockaby, associate dean of research in Auburn University’s School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, has been named interim dean of the school, announced today by Provost Timothy Boosinger. “Dr. Lockaby will provide excellent leadership for the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences,” Boosinger said. “He has been at Auburn for 28 years and is a nationally respected authority for his work in forest sustainability.” A national search will begin in July for a permanent dean. Lockaby succeeds Jim Shepard, who is returning to the faculty fulltime as a professor. “We have outstanding faculty, staff, and students and I look forward to working with them to enhance their research, education, and outreach experiences,” Lockaby said. “Collaboration with alumni, federal and state colleagues, industry, forestry, wildlife, and natural resource associations and other stakeholder groups, is also very important to the success of our School and completion of our mission.” Lockaby, who has worked at Auburn University since 1986, is director of the school’s Center for Forest Sustainability and is the Clinton McClure Professor of Forestry. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in forestry at Clemson University and his doctorate in agronomy at Mississippi State University.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama Ag Credit, a rural lending cooperative serving southern Alabama, recently declared a $6.1 million cash patronage to its customers. This record amount was based on the co-op’s strong 2013 financial results and was approved by the Alabama Ag Credit Board of Directors. Patronage payments are based on the amount of business a borrower does with the co-op and lower the borrowers’ cost of borrowing. As a cooperative, Alabama Ag Credit is owned by its borrowers-stockholders. When the co-op performs well, it shares its earnings with its stockholders. “Our association again achieved very strong financial results — loan volume grew, credit quality continues to improve and earnings and capital remain strong,” said James L. Bassett, chairman of the Alabama Ag Credit Board of Directors. “This financial strength allows us to leverage our cooperative principles in a great way.” As a member of the nationwide Farm Credit System, Alabama Ag Credit has a long history of sharing earnings with its customers. The co-op has returned more than $36 million in cash to its borrowers since 2006. Alabama Ag Credit provides financing for farms, timber and forestry operations, agribusinesses, recreational land and other rural property in 40 counties in southern Alabama. The financing co-op operates offices in Demopolis, Dothan, Enterprise, Loxley, Monroeville, Montgomery, Opelika, Selma and Tuscaloosa. For more information, contact Grace Ellis, Director of Marketing and Public Relations, at (334) 270-8687.

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Graphite Mining on Coosa WMA By Stewart Abrams, Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries

n Alabama, graphite is generally found in the Piedmont Plateau and occurs as flakes within metamorphic rocks. One of the largest graphite deposits in the country spans much of Clay, Coosa and southeastern Chilton counties. Graphite is used in everything from common electronics to pencils and lubricants. Graphite was mined in Alabama from the early 1900s into the 1950s and reached peak production during World War I. There were more than 40 mines and 30 processing plants in Alabama that produced almost half the United States domestic graphite output. The invention of artificial graphite and less expensive imports of foreign graphite lead to mining closures in the 1950s. Due to modern technological innovations, there is a new demand for graphite. uring the summer of 2012, Alabama Graphite Corporation began the early stages of graphite exploration on property they own the mineral rights to within the Coosa Wildlife Management Area. Alabama Graphite started the “Coosa Graphite Project” with the intention of being America’s first domestic supplier of graphite in more than 60 years. Their goal is to supply the United States with up to 40 percent of its demand for graphite. Currently, 100 percent of the graphite used in the U.S. is imported. Alabama Graphite plans to continue the Coosa Graphite Project because initial drilling and surface exploration have shown promising potential. After test drilling, they will obtain the necessary permits, finalize planning and begin construction. They hope to have the plant constructed and the mining operation underway by early 2016. So what does this mean for Coosa Wildlife Management Area and the local community? Coosa WMA will continue to be a public recreational wildlife management area with some of the best hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreational opportu-

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nities that Alabama has to offer. When mine construction begins, some acreage, approximately 500 to 700 acres, will be removed from the WMA, but the actual amount has not yet been determined. There is potential for the mining operation to expand in the future depending on demand for graphite. It is possible that the initial mining operation could produce graphite for the next 30 years without any expansion. Many people are concerned about the impacts the mining operation will have on the environment. While there will be the obvious impact of clearing land for the open-pit mine, the greatest potential for negative impact is the possibility of storm runoff into Weogufka Creek. All waste material from the mill will be placed in a tailings pond constructed in accordance with Alabama Department of Environmental Management’s regulations. The tailings pond will allow harmful material to settle and be contained in one location. Only clean water that has gone through an on-site water treatment plant will be discharged directly into Weogufka Creek.

Photo courtesy of the Brigham Young University Department of Geology. Photo by Andrew Silver.

A mining operation in rural Coosa County is bound to make a significant impact on the local economy. When construction of the mine infrastructure begins, it will create several temporary construction and laborer jobs. Once mining is underway, there will be approximately 50100 permanent jobs. These will include geologists, mine managers, equipment operators, engineers, office managers, truck drivers, security and laborers. Local economies around the plant in Coosa County will likely improve. Approximately two-thirds of Coosa WMA is privately owned with the remaining one-third being state owned public land purchased through the Forever Wild Program. For more info, contact Stewart Abrams, Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. Stewart.Abrams@dcnr.alabama.gov.

ForestFund Leadership Changes Announced

ohn Braswell has resigned his position as chairman of the ForestFund Board of Trustees effective Feb. 28, 2014 but will remain on the Board until his current term expires in December of 2018. Steen Traylor was elected as chairman to replace him and Winston Bryant was elected as vice chairman. Both Steen and Winston have served in leaderBraswell Traylor ship capacities in both the Association and at ForestFund. Steen has been on the AFA Board of Directors for a number of years and Winston also served as a Board member several years ago. As a result of Winston’s election as vice chairman, he will join the AFA Board of Directors as the representative of ForestFund, the position previously held by Traylor. 29

Forestr y News & V iews

Charles Daniel Kelley Is ASHOF Distinguished Alabama Sportsman BIRMINGHAM—The Board of Directors for the state of Alabama Sports Hall of Fame named Charles D. Kelley as 2014 Distinguished Alabama Sportsman at the 46th Annual State of Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Induction Banquet on Saturday, May 17, 2014. Mr. Kelley was the first executive director of the Alabama Wildlife Federation. In 1959 he was appointed director of the Game and Fish Division (now Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries) of the state Conservation Department. He held the position for 39 years. Under Kelley’s leadership, the state implemented aggressive restocking programs for deer and turkey. He also implemented a very successful non-game wildlife program to increase the populations of the bald eagles, blue birds and osprey. Through his efforts the state of Alabama is recognized as a destination state for hunting and fishing and also for having one of the best nongame wildlife programs in the country. Charles joined fifteen others who have been named Alabama

Pictured here, left to right, are Charles Kelley who is being presented with his award by Lt. Gov. Kay Ivey and ASHOF Board of Directors Chairman Edgar Weldon. Sports Hall of Fame Distinguished Alabama Sportsmen. They are, Hall Thompson, Jack Warner, Ray Scott, Dr. James Andrews, Dr. David Bronner, Dr. Wilford Bailey, Tom York, Dr. Larry Lemak, Bill Legg, John Croyle, George Mann, David Housel, Mal Moore, Ronald Bruno, and Mickey Newsome.

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IN MEMORIAM: Mr. Dan A. James

r. Dan A. James, age 77, of Brent, died May 2, 2014, at DCH Regional Medical Center. The funeral was held May 6, 2014 at Brent Baptist Church. Burial followed in Bethel Cemetery. Mr. James was a respected leader and landowner and was instrumental in the creation of the Alabama Forestry Planning Committee (now the Alabama Natural Resources Coordinating Council) and the Alabama TREASURE Forest Association. Mr. James and his wife Romaleta (Roma) were active in most forestryrelated groups, including the Alabama Forestry Association. In 1989 they were named Alabama Tree Farmers of the Year. Some of you may recall the ad campaign conducted by the AFA a number of years ago featuring Mr. James and his grandson planting a tree (see photo). The campaign was entitled From One Generation to Another and ran in numerous periodicals across the country. Mr. James was a unique individual with a unique outlook. In penning his biography a number of years ago, he explained his philosophy thusly: “A man is not prepared to live until he’s prepared to die…, then, he can live life to the fullest, with no anxiety, uncertainty or hang ups.” He also wrote: “After graduating from Bibb County High School, I left home for Alabama Polytechnic Institute (now Auburn University). I had promised my mother I would not get married until I graduated from college. “I was ready to get married my second year in college. But the girl I loved said she’d wait on me. She did! Romaleta Turner and I were wed on December 27, 1959 at Northport Baptist Church. As much as I enjoyed ‘the single life’ I never knew what happiness was until I got married! We were blessed with a boy and a girl, four grandsons and a granddaughter, along with two greatgrandsons, plus two great-granddaughters. Glory!” Dan’s wife Roma wrote of her husband: “Twenty-five years ago, he (Mr. James) and his logger went into the Cahaba River bottoms and felled a cypress tree, hauled it to Olon Belcher Lumber Co., in Brent, where Mr. Olon’s crew sawed it and planed it. A fellow Baptist Deacon, Clyde Mitchell, was a mechanic with a hobby of woodworking and he built Dan’s coffin. “In lieu of a casket spray of flowers, Dan wanted to use two panels of hand-carved dogwood. This was done by Ivan Kronberg, who worked for (the late) Jim and Jan Seaman at Seaman Timber Company. Dan always said that Jesus must have loved wood because he was a carpenter,” Mrs. James wrote. Congratulations to Mr. James for a life well-lived! Our prayers are with Roma and the James family for their loss.

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Hunter McShan Talks about His Company Weathering the “Great Recession” Editors Note: Business Alabama Magazine recently reported on what a number of Alabama CEO’s had to say about surviving the so-called “Great Recession.” One of the CEO’s is Hunter McShan, president of McShan Lumber Co. Below, Hunter explains how McShan adjusted to the struggling economy in order to survive and keep their business afloat.

hen the housing market fell so did the lumber industry. Domestic orders for wood products dwindled at McShan Lumber, a family-owned sawmill operating in Pickens County for more than 100 years. Foreign countries routinely called to place orders, but before the recession there was no incentive to fill them, company President Hunter McShan says. When domestic housing construction dried up they began taking foreign orders, increasing the company’s export business from 15 to 70 percent. Customers are in North Africa, Norway, Mexico, the Caribbean and many other parts of the world. “We ship to more countries than states, but we’re still small, 60 employees at one plant,” says McShan. No employees were let go during the recession and retention is exceptionally high with several generations within families working at McShan Lumber. “U.S. construction is stronger today, and so is the export market so we try to serve both. We learned a lot during the recession and became more market sensitive,” says McShan.

WOODLEY H. BAGWELL, SR. Managing Director, Investments woodley.bagwell@raymondjames.com

WOODLEY H. BAGWELL, JR. First Vice President, Investments woodley.bagwelljr@raymondjames.com

7460 Halcyon Pointe Drive // Montgomery, AL 36117 T 334.213.4104 Raymond James & Associates, Inc., member New York Stock Exchange/SIPC

Products & Services New Tire Pressure Sensor

Kenworth Names 2014 Service Council

MARCO ISLAND, Florida—Doran Manufacturing introduced a new tire pressure sensor specifically designed for OTR tire applications in mines, quarries and off-road construction during a TPMS panel discussion at the Tire Industry Association’s OTR Tire Conference. “This sensor was meticulously designed and manufactured to combat the extreme operating conditions of OTR tire applications.” says Jim Samocki, general manager. “The strong performance and reliability results that we’ve seen during on-vehicle field testing combined with successfully passing tests to meet or exceed rigorous SAE standards at an independent a2La accredited testing facility confirms our intention to offer a great new alternative for our dealer partners and TPMS customers in the OTR tire market.” The OTR tire pressure sensor includes a seal design with a built-in filter to protect internal sensor components from rim conditioners and other liquids present in most OTR tires. The innovative seal design provides consistent valve core depression and temperature resistant seals. A high performance lithium-ion battery is also included. The Doran OTR tire pressure sensor incorporates a high-impact nylon housing with a spin-welded cap and proprietary potting material which encapsulates and protects the internal components from vibration, impact and extreme temperature changes. The sensor also provides the capability to be scanned with the Doran SmartLink™ hand tool to provide digital pressure and temperature data during walk-around tire inspections. You are also welcome to visit their website at www.doranmfg.com. Contact: Jim Wahl, Wahl Marketing Communications, Phone, 513-561-2002 or at jim@wahlmarketing.com.

KIRKLAND, Wash., Feb. 18, 2014—Kenworth Truck Company has named its 2014 Kenworth Service Council. The council’s mission is to help promote service and product improvements to further enhance Kenworth’s World’s Best quality. Members of the council: Chairman—Michael Donnelly, MHC Kenworth, Little Rock, Ark.; Wayne Beal, Kenworth Sales, Spokane, Wash.; Chris Bowers, Worldwide Equipment, Abingdon, Va.; Adam Burrough, Edmonton Kenworth, Edmonton, Alb.; Grant Easton, Kenworth Truck Centres, Concord, Ont.; Kyle Platt, Fort Wayne Truck Center, Fort Wayne, Ind.; Richard Williamson, Truckworx Kenworth, Birmingham, Ala.; Mike Yow, Kenworth of South Texas, San Antonio, Texas; and Kenworth Dealer Council representative Vince Tarola, Kenworth Truck Centres, Concord, Ont. Kenworth dealers sell genuine Kenworth parts and provide all makes parts and service through more than 345 locations in the United States and Canada. Information on the Kenworth PremierCare® parts program is available at www.kenworth.com under Parts and Services. Kenworth Truck Company is the manufacturer of The World’s Best® heavy and medium duty trucks. Kenworth’s Internet home page is at www.kenworth.com. Kenworth is a PACCAR company.

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Wildlife & Outdoors

Archery By Stuart Goldsby, Regional Hunter Education Coordinator, Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries

A Lifestyle for Your Community

choose to use established archery proany communities, and more specifi- Archery club activities, including competitive tournaments and fun days in the grams as a wholesome option for their cally local park and recreation park, revolve around community archery members. departments are looking for new and parks. If you are looking for an activity where interesting ways to engage citizens in Park and recreation departments teach the entire family can participate together, family oriented lifestyle activities. Disc various levels of archery skills to the very check with your local park and recreation golf, aquatic centers, dog parks, and young through senior citizens. In addition department to see what archery activities health centers are fairly new ideas comthey offer in your area. Join the archery peting for time and space with sports such to what the archery parks offer, schools that teach the National Archery in the community for a lifetime of fun, friends as football, baseball, basketball and socSchools Program (NASP) bring an activity and entertainment. For further discussion cer. What these new activities offer that to their students who otherwise may not or information about this subject and prothe “ball” sports do not is putting the grams presented by the Alabama Division entire family on the playing field together. participate in organized sports. This can lead to positive accomplishments beyond of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries, conThe Alabama Division of Wildlife and the school gymnasium and the schoolyard. tact Stuart R. Goldsby at (256) 737-8732; Freshwater Fisheries continues to develop Churches looking for activities may stuart.goldsby@dcnr.alabama.gov. ▲ archery parks in partnership with local parks and recreation departments. Locations that currently have community archery parks include Athens, Cullman, Decatur, Demopolis, Dothan, Heflin, Lincoln, Ozark and Tuscaloosa. Archery parks are places where family and friends can comfortably shoot archery at a variety of targets at variable distances. Additionally, the parks and recreation departments provide programs to enhance the archery shooting experience. Archery is recognized as an activity in which anyone, any age, with any physical capability can participate. Archery is truly a family and lifetime activity. Archery can be a competitive sport, a form of exercise and relaxation, a means of putting food on your table, or simply a way to get the entire family together into the great outdoors. A bow hunter practices at one of Alabama’s community archery parks.

The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources promotes wise stewardship, management and enjoyment of Alabama’s natural resources through five divisions: Marine Police, Marine Resources, State Lands, State Parks, and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. To learn more about ADCNR visit www.outdooralabama.com.

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Attracting

Bluebirds

to Your Backyard

By Ericha Nix, Certified Wildlife Biologist, Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries

Photo courtesy of Laurie L. Schaerer

he Eastern bluebird is a sign that spring has arrived. A member of the thrush family, the Eastern bluebird is commonly found throughout Alabama. Unlike other species of the thrush family, bluebirds regularly use cavities for nesting and readily take to manmade nest boxes. The male bluebird is bright blue with a rust-colored breast and white sides and underparts. The female is a much paler blue than the male. Bluebirds inhabit both rural and urban areas, and open habitats such as gardens, parks, golf courses, orchards, roadsides and farms are preferred. Bluebirds are highly beneficial because they consume large quantities of insects such as grasshoppers, crickets, beetles and cutworms, all of which may be considered pests in certain situations. Attracting bluebirds to your yard is quite easy, but there are a few things to consider. Offering food, water and nest boxes will increase the likelihood of attracting bluebirds to your area. The first consideration is to determine if you have enough open area to support the bird’s diet of insects. Bluebirds are mainly insectivores, meaning they eat insects. In fact, 60 to 80 percent of their diet comes from insects. They also occasionally enjoy berries and suet from suet feeders, but do not frequent seed feeders. If you want to view bluebirds up close and personal, you can feed live mealworms either from a feeder specially made for serving up mealworms or out of any container that will keep mealworms in one place. Live mealworms can be purchased from online birding sites or directly from a local pet store. You will find much

enjoyment in watching bluebirds load up on as many mealworms as possible to feed their young. The many other species of birds that also eat insects will be attracted to the mealworm feeding site. They, too, will be common visitors and could become pests by consuming everything and keeping bluebirds from the feast. Fruit and berry trees are also welcome additions to the bluebird’s habitat. Intersperse berry and fruit trees among open areas to provide additional forage opportunities. Dogwood, cedar, sumac and bayberry are some species to plant where appropriate. The next step is to evaluate your area for nesting habitat. Bluebirds are cavity nesters and utilize natural tree cavities and abandoned woodpecker holes. Make an inventory of snags (dead trees) on your property; you may already have natural cavities on site and be pleasantly surprised as to what is living there. If you do not have natural cavities available, try putting up a nest box. Bluebirds readily take to man-made nest boxes. However, nest boxes need to be built according to spe-

cific dimensions. You can either build the bluebird box yourself (plans for building one are found on the Alabama Cooperative Extension website, www.aces.edu), or you can purchase one from a hardware store. Mount bluebird boxes on a fence post or pole roughly 4 to 5 feet from the ground. If placing your box along a woodland edge, situate the opening toward open land. If possible, keep your nest box as far away from human disturbance as possible. Bluebirds will make hundreds of trips from where nesting material is found and back to their nest box. Providing nesting materials such as fine grasses, pine needles and dog hair, just to name a few, will further entice a pair of bluebirds into using your nest box. Place the collected nesting materials either in an empty suet feeder or gather small bunches of nesting materials and place in the bark and crevices of a tree trunk. Before you know it, bluebirds will be setting up home! Finally, do not forget to offer plenty of water. During the hot summer months, fresh clean water can become a scarce commodity for backyard wildlife. Although bluebirds get moisture from insects, fruits and berries it is still a good idea to provide clean watering stations throughout your backyard. If you plan and manage your property to meet the life requirements of bluebirds, then you will most likely have bluebirds as backyard neighbors. For more information on bluebirds in Alabama, contact the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Wildlife Section or visit the North American Bluebird Society’s website at www.nabluebirdsociety.org. ▲

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SAVINGS

Discounts U Steady Pricing U Dividends U Low Overhead ForestFund works in three ways to save you money every day. First, administrative costs are lower than any competitor. Second, ForestFund helps you control costs related to your account by investigating serious or questionable claims. Professional claims adjusters work with employers and injured workers to expedite a return to work. Medical expenses are reduced because doctors and hospitals have agreed to discounted prices for workers covered by ForestFund. Third, drug-free workplaces and Professional Logging Managers qualify for discounts. ForestFund is QRW IRU SUR¿W VR DQ\ IXQGV OHIW RYHU DIWHU H[SHQVHV DUH SDLG EDFN WR WKH SDUWLFLSDQWV 1R FRPSHWLWRU has ever paid a dividend. ForestFund is in its fourth decade of providing workers’ compensation cost savings for employers and employees who harvest, transport, manufacture, buy or sell forest products. Sure there are other programs that provide workers’ compensation coverage, but do they measure up to ForestFund when it comes to Stability, Savings, Service and Safety? Make the call to ¿QG RXW *HQHUDO /LDELOLW\ TXRWHV DUH DOVR DYDLODEOH For a quote, call Kelly Daniel at ForestFund: (334) 495-0024

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Alabama Land Banks Associations ▲ AlabamaAgCredit.com ...........................11, 30 COMMERCIAL TRUCK SALES

Truckworx Kenwerth ▲ truckworx.com.........................................Inside Front Cover CONSULTANTS—FORESTRY

F&W Forestry Services ▲ fwforestry.com ..............................................................32 Larson & McGowin ▲ larsonmcgowin.com ...........................................................36 FINANCIAL SERVICES

Raymond James ▲ ramondjames.com..................................................................31 FOREST PRODUCT MANUFACTURERS

Cooper/T.Smith ▲ coopertsmith.com .......................................................Back Cover Jasper Lumber Company ▲ jasperlumber.com ......................................................28

PLANT RAYONIER’S

PREFERRED SEEDLINGS

FORESTRY EDUCATION

Alabama Forests Forever Foundation ▲ alaforestry.org ..................Inside Back Cover Forestry Continuing Education ▲ alaforestry.org/ce..............................................20 McKinley & Lanier Forest Resources, Inc. ▲ mlforestresources.com........................32 Project Learning Tree ▲ plt.org.............................................................................27 INSURANCE

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LANDOWNERS (COMPANIES, INDIVIDUALS & TRUSTS)

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SAWMILL

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UTILITIES

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