Reforestation AFTER HURRICANE MICHAEL By G.B. Crawford, Director of Public Relations
(PHOTO COURTESY OF AFM)
A Long-Term Project:
ONE OF HURRICANE MICHAEL’S lasting impacts has been the destruction of forests in Florida’s Panhandle. The storm turned much of the rich, green expanse that once extended from Tallahassee to Bay County into broken tree trunks and piles of branches. Restoring timber acreage in this region is a monumental task that will require years of work and investment. The success of this reforestation will largely determine the long-term condition of natural resources, wildlife habitat and economic opportunity in a number of rural communities. The Florida Forest Service has reported that more than 2.8 million acres of timber suffered damage due to the hurricane, ranging from moderate losses to complete devastation. Agency officials identified an area stretching westward from Port St. Joe to beyond Mexico Beach and northward to Blountstown as a “catastrophic zone.” Chuck Mathis, region manager for American Forest Management (AFM), a timber, 8
FLORIDAGRICULTURE | APRIL/MAY 2020
resource and land consulting firm, said, “I have never seen anything like this. It was like one huge tornado.” Lost timber value exceeded $1.3 billion. In addition to the immediate cost in timber, producers affected by the storm must invest in clearing destroyed trees and replanting. Once these tasks have been completed, many of them will have to wait for another 20 years of growth before they will receive a return from their properties. AFM district manager Ray Sharp pointed out that the most valuable trees suffered the most. “The more well-managed the stands were, the more damage they absorbed,” Sharp noted. “Trees at age five and under did okay. Stands older than that were devastated.”
Bill Waller is one of many local foresters still recovering from the massive destruction caused by Hurricane Michael.
The process of land clearing is also a necessary for wildfire control. Dead and dying wood create fuel that can transform a small burn into a massive conflagration. Florida Forest Service officials have repeatedly expressed warnings about this potential wildfire threat. As foresters began their recovery efforts, they salvaged what wood was left. Bill Waller, a local consultant who manages sites in Calhoun, Jackson and Bay counties, noted that the initial
