G e o r gi a 'FOR ESTRV FIRST SOIL BANK COMMERCIAL THINNING ICE STORM HITS STATE'S MID -SECTIO N NATION'S FIRST MANAGEMENT PLAN Georgia FORESTRY March, 1964 No. 1 Vol. 17 Frank Craven Editor PubIished Quarter! y by the GEORGIA FORESTRY COMMISSION Box 1077 Macon, Georgia GEORGIA FORESTRY MAILING ADDRESS Route 1, Box 85 Dry Branch, Georgi a RAY SHIRLEY - DIRECTOR Members, Board of Commissioners : CHAIRMAN C. M. Jordan, Jr. -Vidalia Andrew J. Aultman L. H. Morgan W. George Beasley Alexand~r Sessoms -Sy Ivester -Eastman -Lavonia -Cogdell DISTRICT OFFICES GEORGIA FORESTRY COMMISSION DISTRICT 1--Route 2 Statesboro DISTRICT 11--P . 0. Box 26 Camilla DISTRICT 111--P. 0. Box 169 Americus DIST~ICT IV-P. 0. Box 333 Newnan DISTRICT V-P. 0. Box 96 McRae DISTRICT VI--P. 0. Box 881 " Mi lledgev i lie DISTRICT VIIP . 0. Box 2136 Rome DIST~ICT VII--P . 0. Box 1160 Waycross DISTRICT IX--P. 0. Box 416 Gainesville DISTRICT X-Route 2 Washington On the Cover From the elements a sead obtains energy to produce a tree. A tree, plus man's ingenuity and knowledge to cultivate and manage it, results in varied fores\ products that benefit all mankind. ~GL '-" .. .,..,.;--. . .Mor. em. ber of the Georgia. Press Association t Second-class postage paid at Dry } Br6nc;b, Ga. , rc. . . , CONTENTS First Soil Bank Commercial Thinning ..................................................] Trees Are Reward ing ..................................................................... ..4 Home Beautification ........................................................................5 The 'Fishing Tree'.........................................................................5 Nation's First Management Plan..... :.......... . .......................................6 1963 Services and Activities........................................................ ,... ] Retirement, E. H. Terry ................................................................... ? Ice .Storm Hits States Mid-Section ..................................................... 8 'Checkerboard' Fire Fighti ng........................................................... 9 FFA, 4-H Youth Receive National Recognition .................................... 10 "Foresters and What They Do" ........................................................ 11 Rangers of The Quarter, Troy Floyd-Ray Thomas ................................. 71 Trees Are Security ..................................................................... 12-13 Letters ....................................................................................... 14 Logging The Foresters........................................... Inside Back Cover Cruising the News Brighter News On Tree Damage Things ore brighter on the weather front. The ice storm that threatened Middle Georgia failed to materialize and Ray Shirley, director of the Georgia Forestry Commission, has advised that damage to the state ' s pine forests in the New Year's Day storm is nat as great as first feared. The director says that many young trees which initially appeared badly hurt will straighten by spring. "Leave trees that wi II not die within the next 90 days, and acquire professional assistance before salvaging any timber," is the gist of the advice from Mr. Shirley. Either the county forest ranger or an industrial forester should inspect timber stands and advise on cutting practices. The pine trees of Georgia are productive of a large segment of the industrial income of the state, and the announcement that timber damage in the recent ice storm is not as great as first believed is welcome news indeed. (From the Macon Telegraph) The Spark Our Forests Need A small spark of fire, properly placed, could kindle destruction of millions of dollars worth of resources in the vast forests of the Centra I Savannah River Area. A small spark of enthusiasm, properly placed, could reap millions of dollars worth of benefits through proper development of those same timber resources. That essential spark of enthusiasm could well have been generated during the course of a forestry seminar conducted here Tuesday. The 150 business and civic leaders from 11 CSRA counties heard forestry and development experts descriobe the glowing, untapped potential that is ours in the woodlands that surround us. CSRA counties already are deriving substantial benefits from the sale of timber and the operation of timber-consuming industries. In the area of saw-timber production, for example, the area showed an increase of 33 percent between 1953 and 1963, whi le the state as a whole gained only six per cent. But the most exciting part of the story is the undeveloped forest potential. A wide range of new wood products is now being perfected, many of them utilizing the pine which dominates CSRA woodlands. Improvements in finished lumber for conventional wood uses also are returning forest products to a better competitive position in relation to synthetics. These trends, together with virtual elimination of any waste in raw timber, open broad new avenues of possibility for individual woodland owners and for the CSRA counties in which they reside. For the timber producer, these developments promise new markets, which in turn mean new dollars, new jabs and new investment in forestry resources. For the area, they hold out the prospect of new industries to produce and dis tribute these latest wood products. This also creates the possibility of allied industries and retail outlets within the same geographical area. The mere fact that 65 per cent of the total land area of the CSRA is under forestation indicates the immensity of our forest resources. That their economic value potentially matches their size is reflected in the facts brought out at the forestry seminar, co-sponsored by the CSRA PI ann ing and Development Commission and the University of Georgia Agricultural Extension Service. The rest is up to leaders of the counties involved. The goa I of translating potential into prosperity is not simple. But it is attainable (From the Augusta Chronicle) FIRST SOIL BANK COMMERCIAL THINNING The first commercial pulpwood thinning of pines planted under the Soil Bank Program has been completed on the land of Walter F. Hinson of Hazlehurst. Approval for the improvement cutting was given by the Jeff Davis Agricultural Stabilization Committee. The initial Soil Bank plantings by Hinson, 25-acres of slash pine, were made at the outset of the program in 1956. An additional 85-acres were planted under the program in 1959. In Georgia there were 558,449,420 tree seed Iing s purchased under the Soil Bank Program. In the peak year of 1958, woodland owners bought 298,077,500 tree seed Iings. Walter F. Hinson, center, Jeff Davis Co. Ranger Kenneth Puree// and Assistant Fifth District Forester, Management, James Castleman, compare growth of Soil Bank areas planted at the same time. As a result of exceptional growth, some 18 of the 25 acres planted in 1956 hove been commercially thinned. An average of 84 of the poorer quality and diseased trees were removed per acre in the thinning operation. The cutting yielded approximately three cords of pulpwood per acre. Georgia Forestry Commission Assistant Fifth District Forester in Management James L. Castleman, who marked the timber, states that 12 to 15 years is usually required to produee a merchantible thinning on the average plantation site. Castleman pointed out that the remaining seven acres of the 1956 planting will not require thinning for another three to five years. By this time, the 18 acres just thinned will be ready for another thinning. Hinson's entire woodlot ' of 400 acres includes 225 acres in pine plantations. Of this acreage 110acres is in the Soil Bank Program. The remaining 115-ocres consisted of spot planting in old fields and hardwood control areas, and planting on site prepared areas. Hinson stated that he is putting a II his forest acres under a sy sternatic management plan prepared by the Georgia Forestry Commission. He pointed to the recent thinning of his Soil Bank plantation as part of this plan which will help him reap the full benefits of his timber. Data from the management plan shows that approximately 740 trees were planted per acre. Survival at the time of cutting was 77 percent. This left some 540 trees per acre. Following the cutting Hinson hod 460 higher quo.lity trees for future growth. Castleman added that the management pI on inc Iude s a type mop and stocking and growth data from which recommendations are being made. Plans are being formulated for a prescribe burning program in cooperation with the Jeff Davis County Forestry Unit. This program includes rough reduction and cu II specie control. Hinson praised the Commission's management program and the local unit, headed by Kenneth Purcell, for their fire prevention and suppression activities. He pointed out that the management services offered enable a landowner to grow a better stand of timber. The poorer quality and diseased trees were removed in the thinning operation. Forestry Commission Assistant Fifth District Forester, Management, James L. Castle- man points out a tree infested with fusiform rust to Wal- ter F. Hinson, Hazlehurst. Georgia Forestry Commission Chief Sam Thacker, Macon, Ga., Assistant Fifth District Forester, Castleman, McRae, Ga., collect ture growth for use in the management TREES ARE RE\NA RDING Arbor Day around the corner makes us know that it is time toremind our readers to plant at least one new tree in their own environs. Few of us take time to reflect on the wonderful heritage of trees that is ours. Somehow we seem to accept them and take them far granted. However, trees should be thought of as our horticultural legacies to leave far future generations. They are our friends - not only because they are beautiful, but they are useful and resourceful as well. We need their shade-giving qualities. We eat their fruit-bearing products. VIe need them economically. They are a permanent asset to us, sa we should select the one we plant with knowledge and care. It is necessary to know the nature, size, shape and resulting use of the trees we plant. Trees can be oval, round, vaseshaped, pyramidal, column, horizontal or weeping. In deciding an the place to plant trees, we must remind ourselves that shade does nat stand sti II. So this involves a decision as to when we need shade. A tree must be pi anted between the sun and the area where and when shade is desired. A rule of thumb is: "For morning shade, plant to the east. Noon shade falls directly underneath. For afternoon shade, plant slightly south or west." It is difficult and almost impossible to get two trees exactly identical. They, Iike people, are influenced by environmental conditions. Exposure, parasites, nutrients, all play and react differently on every plant. Botanists list 80 or mare parasitic plants which prey upon other specimens. In the never-ending strugg Ie far survival it is interesting to know something about these enemies that have their favorite trees upon which to prey. We think of these parasites as parallel to burdens and trouble that beset us as humans. Some trees carry these burdensome pests valiantly--others give to their life-sapping work and crumble beneath them. Guthrie said "As in nature, as in art, so in grace, it is the rough treatment that gives souls as well as stones their lustre. The more the diamond is cut, the brighter it sparkles; and in what seems hard dealing, there God has no end in view but to perfect His people." by :Ars. Florence Hill Marris f ugusta Chronicle-Herald Garden Ed. A Georgia superior lob/ally pine finds its way to Washington, D.C. Senator Richard Russel/ plants the pine, presented ta him by Georgia forestry Commission Director Ray Shirley, an the capitol grounds. HOME Beautification "The City of Brotherly Love", " The Citj of One Million", "The Windy Cit y" , these cities are fami1iar; but, what about "The Beautiful city"? Macon, "The Beautiful City" is possible says Mrs. Harry Layman, president, Macon Federated Garden Clubs, Inc. A concentrated, coopera- tive effort by civic minded citizens can fulfillany good it wishes to accomplish she pointed out. Recently 1,500 members of 47 Ma - con Garden Clubs took a ste p forward in beautifying Macon. Some 4,000 dogwoods and 4,000 cypress seed- lings were distributed to Macon ho me owners. The trees were purchased from th e Georgia Forestry Commi s sion with local funds and the Sears Roebuck Home and Neighborhood Development Sponsors fund. Mrs. John S. Schofield, chairman , Civic Improvement and Beautification Committee, stated that this is the fourth consecutive year that seedlings have been distributed in Macon. In the past 7,500 dogwood, redbud and sweet crab apple trees were given away. It was recommended that the dogwood be pi anted in front or side yards for the public to se e. Mrs. Schofield emphasized that all clubs were placing emphasis on maintenance in the distribution and care of seed Iing s after pi anti ng. She pointed out that many trees are killed where they do not receive proper care. Drying out is the most prominent killer of the trees, she added. For distribution, the garden clubs wrapped the trees individually in peat moss and polyethylene bags. Home owners were encouraged to plant the trees immediately and take proper measures to keep them from drying out. Mrs. Layman cited the HAN DS program as invaluable to the garden clubs. Their contribution has made it possible for clubs to carry out beautification projects that would have otherwise been impossible to carry on or curtailed. Sears R oebuck and Macon Gorden C lub o fficials ore s hown custom-grown , high qual ity seedlings by B ibb County Fores t Ranger Milton Robert s , left. Examining the seed/ ings ore Mrs. Harry Layman , president, Macon Federated Garden Clubs; W. E . Thompson, Maco n Sears represen t ative for HANDS progr am; R. E. Russell, assistant director, HAND S pro gram, Atlanta, Ga.; and Mr s. John S. Schofield, chairman, Civ ic Improve ment and Beautific a t ion Committee. ' ~ ,-._, Macon garden clubbers prepare tree see d lings for d istribution . Packaging the seed/ ings ore, front row, Mr s. R obert Appleby and Mrs. Myrtle Bras swell. Second row , Mr s. P . 0. Hoi/ iday, Mr s. John Schofield, Mrs. Jo Johnson, Mr s . Harry Layman and Mrs. E Ia in e Wh it e h urst. Third row, Mrs. Robert Thomb ley, Jr., Mrs. E d Roberts and Mr s. J ac k West. THE "FISHING TREE" Citizen and South e rn Notiona l Bank cu stomers were recently the s ur prised recepients of a c a t a lpa t ree or 'Fishing Tre e' . C & S bought and distri buted 20,000 Georgia Forestry Comm ission grown catalpa seedlings through its 54 offic e s in 14 cities, stated project coord inat o r Ro bert E. Sibl ey of Atlanta, Go. Re forestation Chief San- ford P. Darby represented the Com- mission in t he project. Th e cata lpa tree is fa mous among the fishi ng gen tr y for th e cater pillars that fee d on th e cat a Ipa le aves. It seems 1' e y ar e a delicac y fish ha rdly can re s ist. Sanking customer Faye Wi ll iam s receives her catalpa seedling from Georgia Forestry Commission Reforestation Chi e f Sanfo rd P . Darby, left, and James C. Mullally, assist- ant vice-president, C & S Notional Sank, Atlanta, Ga. Nation's First Management Plan Today, all Georgians point with pr ide to t heir forests. However, in the early days, when our forests were not considered to be a top money crop, there only were a few Georgians who had the foresight and init iativ e t o seek improved manag ement pra ctices. One of these, E. C. Fancher of Pearson, Ga., was the first landowner, not only in Geo rg ia, but in the United State s, to have a wri tten man a gement plan prepared fo r hi s fo rest by a pro ject forester. E. N. Cooper, pro ject forester, Georgia Division of Forest ry, and C. W. Chapman, SCS tech n ician as- sisted Fancher in organ i zing his management plan for his 175 forest acres. This was in November, 1940. The initial plan called for a 35year rotation. It established a system of pre-commercial thin ni ng, improv ement cuttings, naval store s operations and harvest cuttings. The naval stores plan included working two faces, one at a time for five year periods. The minimum requ ired s ize was 10" d.b.h. Other recommendations included prescribe burning every five years (just prior to cutt ing } and the construction of fire lan es. Fancher stated that the ma jor changes inserted in the plan in c lud e the elimination of cull species and the control of cattle in wooded areas. Th e firs t wood cut under the p lan wa s 26 un its of hardwood pulpwood. The two carloads of black gum pulp- wood sold for $4. 75 per unit load ed. This was the first hardwo od pu lpwood ship ped from Atkinson County. Fancher ol so was th e firs t to blow acid on his naval stores faces. He used a one pint gl ass bottle with an 18" tube with spray nozzle. This was 1943. Fancher, now retired, h a s 21 1 forest acre s hard at wo rk. This represents a volume of 109,000 board feet of p in e and 88,000 board feet of hardwood sawtim ber and 541 cords of pine and 488 cords of hardwood pulpwood. There are 2,800 trees of which 695, 10" d.b.h. and larg er, being work ed fo r g um that are ready for another face. There ore 58-acres of desirable lob lo lly and slash pine reproduction; 84-ocres of sw amp that ne eds improvement, favoring yellow poplar, loblolly and slash pine; 51 -acres that needs spot thinning; 12-acre s need cu II specie control; and 8-acres are burned over and need planting. Fancher pointed out that the be st money spent by the county was in 1951. That was the year the county came under organized forest fire protection. Y.1ith this prote c tion and i1n proved management pra ct ices our fo rests of today are payin g off our m1 stakes of the past, he added. Commis s ion Ass istant Eighth District Forester, Management, Lewis A. Gill is, E. N . Cooper and E. C. Fanch er check growth of Fancher' s timbe r. Fancher was first landowner to place timber under a written management plan. ."...,:._..\. Fancher's 27 7 forest acres include 58 acres of loblolly and slash p1ne repro- ducti on. In addition, there are 695 trees being worked for gum that a re ready for another face. 6 1963 Services and Activities Forest resource data avai lobi Iity, completion of insect program, Accelerated Pub Iic Works Progr uon, and reduction in forest acres burned high Iight the Georgia Forestry Commission's 1963 annual report. The report cites Georgia as one of the first States in the South to place forest resource data on data processing cards. This enables information on forest area, ownership, annual volume cut and growth to be obtained for any one or group of counties. Emphas is was placed on the completion of the Southern Pine Beetle Control Program. The 14-month program, costing s Iightly more than one million dollars, was one of the most efficient and economical programs of its kind, according to the U.S. Forest Service . The funds were provided on a cooperative basis between the State and Federal Government. The effective control of the beetle eliminated the threat of destruction of our pine forests in 34 Middle and North Georgia counties. In this area there are ten pulp mills, 400-saw- mills and 217 other forestry industries which depend wholly or partly, and upon which many thousands of landowners and employees depend for a major part of their income. A film, "The Southern Pine Beetle Epidemic" was produced. This emphasized the danger of the beetle attack. The Commission was able to proceed with needed construction under the Federal Public Works Acceleration Act. The projects, including new headquarters, equipment and shop facilities, a training center and other repairs, were bui It on a 50-50 matching fund basis between the State and U.S. Government. Forest area and percent burned were reduced for the fourth con secutive year and average size fire for the third straight year. During the 1962-63 fiscal year, 9,501 wildfires burned 48,066 forest acres. This is an average of 5.06-acres per fire and only one-fifth of one percent of the State's 23,563,000 protected forest acres. The report shows that a severe fire danger period occurred during March and April in which Georgia had the lowest average s ize fire and percent burned in comparison with ten other southern States. The 36,252 forest acres burned was the second lowest figure. The average size fire was 6. 13-acr es and percent burned was one-seventh of one percent. In other areas of service, the Commission received a 17 percent increase in seedling orders over the prev ious year. Approximately 3,357 landowners planted 51,579,000 tree seedlings. Management assistance was provided 8,744 landowners on 686,308acres. Personnel worked with the FHA in establishing standards and procedures for obtaining information on forest land for participation in the three percent farm forestry loan program. The 21-watersheds given forestry assistance in Georgia led the nation. There were 1,130 acres of critical area planted on nine watersheds. Inspections and recommendations for cultural treatments were provided other State agencies on 7,975 forest acres. Through these and other programs the Forestry Commission strived to emp Ioy the best means to assist Iandowners and forest product processors in better forestry and utilization pract ices. RETIREMENT E. H. Terry, security officer for the Georgia Forestry Commission, has retired. His retirement became effective March 1, 1964. A native of Forsyth County, Terry 's retirement culminates 42 years serv ice as a peace officer of which 19 years were spent with the Commiss ion. Other peace officer jobs included eight years service as policeman for the cities of Cornelia and Toccoa, t wo years as inspector for the Commodities Division of the State of Georgia, and 15 years as detective for the Tallulah Falls and Southern railroads. Terry came with the Commission in 1945 as investigator in the Commission's N inth District at Ga inesville . In July 1946, Terry was made chief investigator in charge of law enforc e ment. He became special investigator in 1956. It was in the capacity of chief m- vestigator that Terry made his greatest contribution to the Commission. He was in charge of hiring and training each investigator in fire investigation work. Through this work he instilled the importance of educating the first offenders so they would not turn up in court a second time. Terry said, " the rising value of timber and public acceptance that timber is their bread and butter is one of the principal reasons in the reduction of mal iciously set fires." Georgia Forestry Commission Director ~ay Shirley stated that Terry has served the Commission in an effective and valuable capacity for 19 years. "His assistance rendered as chief and special investigator was of greatest importance in the reduction of willful and maliciously set fires," Shirley added. Shirley pointed to his years of service as a credit to both his State, commun ity and family. The State has lost a man with the highest integrity and regard for responsibility. Terry and his wife, the former E. H. Terry Frances Powell of Roswell, are members of the Stone Creek Baptist Church at Macon. He is a member of Woodmen of the World and Masons at Toccoa, the YAARAB Shrine T emple of Atlanta and the Peace Officers Association. 7 Ice Storm H its State's Mid-Section Leave trees that wi II not die within the next 90 days ond ocquire professional assiston ce before solvaging timber. These ond other guides were recommen ded by Georgia Forestry Commis sion Director Ray Shirley. Shirley emphasized thot domage wa s not os wide spread as first thought. Many of th e young trees which appear badly damaged wi II in most cases, straighten up by Spring, he added. Those that don't can be cut later when the timber market is more favorable. The Naval <;ter e s belt escoped any serious damoge. A survey by Commission personnel indicates that the Commission's Third, Fifth ond Sixth Districts, with headquarters in Americus, McRae ond Milledgeville, respectfully, took the brunt of the storm. The Middle Georgie orea was struck hardest by winter's icy finger. Coun1 ies hardest hit in the Third District were Chattahoochee, Macon, Marion, Schley, Stewart, Sumter, Talbot, Taylor and 1Aiebster. Fifth District counties hard hit were Bleckley, f)odge, Houston, Laurens and Pulaski. Baldwin, Bibb, Crowford, Jones, Monroe, Peoch, Twiggs and \1/ilkinson Counties were severely effected in the Sixth Dist rict. In order to preven t depressed and glutted morkets, only trees that have no chance of survivol within 60-90 days shou ld be salvaged, occording to Commiss ion Monagement Chief W. H. McComb. These trees are those that are broken off below the crown Trees with any live limbs remaining should not be cut at this time . Bent trees with roots still intact, can be left. or up-rooted. McComb pointed out that trees with any Iive Iimbs remaining should not be cut at this time. Bent trees, with roots sti II intoct, can be left. Shirley emphasized that a morket should be determined and a commitment made fqr sale of the timber before cutting. Specifications, time of delivery ond price information should also be determined. Shirley ad vi sed woodland owners to contact their county forest ranger or industrial forester to inspect the timber stands ond advise on cutting practices before beginning their salvage cut. McComb pointed out thot the downed timber does not pose any immediote threat from insects due to the cold weather. However, he urges landowners to closely check their domaged trees this Spring for signs of in sect activity. The removal of fallen tops and slash will help decreose insect in- vas ion and a severe fire hazord. The foil en tops ond slash moke it difficult to operote equipment in oddition to providing odditionol fuel on the ground. Shirley urges oil citizen s to exercise extreme caution with fire in the stricken area. The heavy losses in the forests in oil probability will not be transferobl e to the tax sheet. A USDA publication, approved by the Department of the Treasury, points out that whether a deduction is recognizable is based on the difference between the adjusted basis for depletion of the damaged timber and the sum of the salvage value plus ony insurance recovery. Unless the salvage value is less than your bosis for loss, you do not have a recognized loss and can claim no deduction. A copy of the publication, Determining Timber Losses ... for Income Tax Purposes, may be obtoined from your Iocol county forest ranger. r-- - _____L_ { TAc60 I 8 '( RR( LL LE [ .' W ILC OX Most Extensively Damaged Approximate Damage Area Fire fighters from six southern states recently spent three weeks batt Iing forest fires in all types of terrain and under various adverse conditions without getting near the woods. The men were from the U.S. Forest Service's nine southern national forests and state forestry organizations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carol ina, Tennessee and Texas. The personnel fought the 'checkerboard fires' in a Fire Control Simulator, a 30 X 40 foot enclosure, at the Georgia Forestry Center near Macon, Ga. The Simulator is hailed as one of the major break throughs for realistic fire training by forestry officials. The Simulator, the only one of its kind, was built by the International Electric Corp. under contract from the USFS. Instruction was given 84 men of which 20 acted as instructors. Six men were from New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Virginia. The Simulator can accomodate 16 trainees at one time. The training period for each group is three days. The trainin-g includes classroom and Simulator work. 1 n Fire conditions that might arise anywhere 1n the 11-state region, whether in the mountains of Georgia or the piney woods of Mississippi, can be created in the simulator. While the fire fighters are looking at a forest scene, a 'fire' springs up with all the realism of an actual forest fire. Smoke, flames and spotting confront the armcha ir fire fighters. The drone of an air tanker, diving to drop retardant chemicals on the f lames, and fire breaks appear at the fire boss' command. The personnel know the weather and wind conditions. They have telephone and radio communications to call for reinforcements or move crews from one location to another. The simulator operator can make the fire move, change the volume and drift of the smoke. The forest scene, where the fire occurs, is projected on a 5 X 8 foot curved screen. A pro jectionist puts flame and smoke on the screen and tape recorder operators produce background noises to make the training more realist ic. An umpire decides if the action taken by the fire fighting team would have controlled the blaze. The fire teams from the state and national forest organizations were given the opportunity to view the work being done by the Georgia Fore stry Commissicn, Georgia Forest Research Council and the Southern Forest Fire Laboratory. A four man team pits their skill against the 'checkerboard fire'. Team members are Billy P . Barber, Camilla, Ga.; 3ennie B. Brant, Milledgeville, Ga.; Terrell L. Brooks, Newnan, Ga.; and A. T. Mauldin, Jr., Washington, Ga. 9 FFA, 4-H YOUTH RECEIVE NATIONAL RECOGNITION Patsy Hussey A fire prevention and control project, started in 1956, hos brought 16 year old Patsy Hussey of Sparta the Southern Regional Forestry Award. Miss Hussey was presented the oward at the Notionol 4-H Club Congress in Chicago. Her oward winning project, F ire Prevention ond Control, wos divided into three parts, Prevention . Preporedness..and Suppress ion. This work included the distribution of fire pre- vention posters over a three year period and giving tolks and demon strations on the proper tools for o landowner to have o n hand in cas e of fire. F orestry exhibits, depicting f ire lone construction, olso were prepored and presented. In addition she ma naged a 244ocre woodlot. Planting, improvem ent cuttings a nd fire break construction were c arr ie d out. Her p lant ings cons isted of 2,000 slash and 7,600 lob- lolly seedlings on mo re thon 14 acres. Her improvement cutting s amounted to a volume of 366 cords of pulpwood which brought in $2, 200. Miss Hussey says the money wi II go t oward her college e ducati0n. Sh e hopes to attend the Wom en's C ollege of Georgia and become a n e le mentary school teacher. The Sparta High School senior wos president of the Hancock County 4-H Club and vice president of the county council in 1963. She is vice-president of th e Be ta Club ond reporter for th e FT A this year. In her climb to the Region award, Miss Hussey received th e Hancock County, Northeast District a nd State 1-JI Club Congress awards. v A "controlling undes irable hardwood" project wo n th e boys' State 4-H Forestry oward for .Jim White, Jr. The 16 yea r ol d Armuchee High School Juni or fr om Fl oyd County won a trip to the Notion o l 4-H Congress at Chicago, Ill. with his 20-acre project. Robert Wright, Ill, of Crisp County has won the 1963 Nationol oword for farm forestry . Wr ight accepted the award at t he Nat ional F F A c onventio n in Kansas City. This mor ked the second consecut ive year that a Georgia youth has won the na t ional award. T he 1962 winner was Danny Fender of Lanier County. Wright's award winning forestry project included reforestati on, c ull specie control, fire contro l, nava l stores and wildlife. In his reforestat ion work, Wrigh t planted 159,000 slash pine seedlings. He used a spacing of 6 X 10 feet. In ad diti on t o seedlings he plant e d bi-c olor lespedeza for quai I, dove, tur key and other wildlife. Wright stated th at since he began his project in 1959 he has harvested 40,000 board feet of sawtimber, 24 cords of pulpwood and 595 fence post s . His naval stores project brou ght in three and a hal f ba rr els per thousand tree s. He reported that White's project included the use of three control methods, sproying, girdling ond frilling. White stoted that he obtained best results with sproy on smoller stems. The girdling and frilling methods were best for the lorger trees, White said. The species being controlled were sweet gum and red ond white oaks. White odded thot with s proying two yeors of oppl ication gove the best results. He used o troctor mounted s proyer. He pointed out that beinp o Boy Scout stimuloted his interest in forestry. White pions to ottend the University of Georgio School of Fort.stry on graduating from high school. Since becoming a 4-H Club member in 1958, White hos planted 11,500 pine seedlings, thinned five-ocres of pine ond harvested 13,400 boord feet of sawtimber. This post yeor he joined Tr~e Farm, Inc. As o 4-H member White has received the Forestry Medol and the County Award of Excellence four times. In district competition he hos won the District Award of Merit and District Aword of Excellence twice. In school, he is o member of the Junior Beta and Key Clubs. In 4~, he is the local vice-president, County Council president ond North District president. White is the son of Mr. ond Mrs. Jim M. White of Route 1, Calhoun, Georgia. most of the trees had two faces. In putting his acres on a product- ive basis Wright has begun a progrom of cull specie control work on som e 66-acres. An improvement cut was made on another 40-ocres. In oddition opproximately six miles of fire breaks have been constructed The National Award copped four ye ars of vocational agricultural work in which Wright was recognized for his forestry activities. These oward s included the Governor's Award for Outstonding Work in Forestry in 1962, State Junior Conservationist of the Year, and the FFA Chapter Forestry Award . Other rec ognition in 1963 c ame in the form of a $500 scholorship by Rayon ier, Inc. and a prize of $275 from the Seaboard Airline Railroad. Wrigh t served a s reporter for the Crisp County FFA Chapter during his senior year . He now is attending Abraha m Ba ldw in Agricultural Colleg e in T ifton, Ge orgia. ''For~sters And What They Do'' DeKalb County Forest Ranger George Lyon is the subject of a chapter in the book, Foresters and Vlhat They Do, by Perry and Perry. The chapter title is What is a "Professional" Forester? The chapter is given to Lyon out1in ing the duties of the personnel and explaining the operation of the Georgia Forestry Commission's fire suppression program. These remarks are a prelude for comparing professional forestry in the United States with England and Europe. It is pointed out that the British forester may spend his full time managing several thousand acres, whereas the American forester is prepared for a variety of duties, not silviculture alone. Upon graduation the European forester at once becomes a forest manager. The American grad becomes a junior member of a professional team. He is expected to obtain experience before earning managerial responsibi Iity. Perry said, "as management becomes more intensive, and the need for trained men increases, there will probably develop a group of "vocational foresters." Lyon's job is an example of what a vocational forester could do. Such posts may some George Lyon day be filled by sub-professionals who have had the technical training after high school." RANGERS OF THE QUARTER The value of timber in Gwinnett County has increased with the development of the pulpwood industry. This in- dustry has developed and expanded due to the better man- agement practices put into use. The growth of Forestry in Gwinnett County, 143,100- acres in 1953 to 182,300-acres in 1961, is attributed to two factors. One, the farm-city trend. Second, the real ization of a forestry program that is aimed at serving the woodland owner. Heading the local program is Forest ~anger Ray Thom- as. Thomas states that the heavy population, being spread out, puts a heavy burden on fire suppression activities. It is the rule ra- ther than the exception for more than one wildfire to be going at one time. There are 3,500 individual farms 1n the county. The Notification of Inten- Ray Thomas tion to Burn County Option Law , passed in 1957, has en- abled Thomas and his staff to reduce the average size fire from 7.20 acres in 1953 to 2.78 acres in 1963. Thom- as says the observance of this law is evidenced by the fact that many times fires are reported by landowners be- fore the smokes are spotted. Thomas pointed to the recent Southern Pine Beetle Control Program as an example of the value placed on forestry. Although there only were a few spots, the Com- mission's thorough investigation and control measures received pub Iic acclaim. Ranger Thomas has been head of the local unit since its organization in 1953. From a one room office located in Lawrenceville, the unit has its own office, and equip- ment and shop facilities constructed by the unit's per- sonnel. However, each Gwinnett Countian has a personal share in the unit as it was bui It with money and material from a c.ounty wide fund raising campaign. Other personnel of the unit are Assistant Ranger Glenn Edwards, Patrolmen B. C. Bagby and J. H. Jones, and T owermen John T. Kirby and Curtis B. Hudgins. Bagby and Kirby are ten year men. Troy Floyd came with the Forestry Commission as a patrolman in his native Chattooga County. He became ranger of Haralson County in 1951 when that county came under organized protection. In 1963, with the combining of Haralson and Polk Count ies, Floyd was made Ranger of Floyd County. During his brief period in Floyd County Ranger Floyd has established a weekly radio program stressing the importance of fire prevention. In addition school and scout groups are being acquainted with forest conservation. A reforestati on program with local garden clubs also has been carried out by Troy Floyd F Ioyd. As ranger of Haralson County, the county 's forest acreage increased 20-per- cent to 150,400-acres. During this period it is estimated that over 1,000,000 seedlings were planted 1n the coun- ty. Haralson County's fire record points to the import- ance Haralson Countians place on forestry. In 1952 there were 102 wildfires that destroyed approximately 2,100- acres. In 1962 the number of fires had been reduced to 83. However, only 409 forest acres were burned. One of the most outstanding management services provided Haralson Countians was in 1961. An early March ice storm presented serious timber management problems. The Commission organized a series of meetings of which one was held in Haralson County to advise landowners on proper practices to undertake. Floyd was instrumental in organizing the local meeting and present- ing fire prevention guides. In Floyd County, Ranger Floyd is available to take requests for management work and assist landowners in fire prevention measures such as fire break construction and control burning techniques. Other Floyd County Unit personnel include Assistant ~anger Bill Lawson, Patrolmen D. W. Smith and J. C. Lanham, Dispatcher R. G. Cordle and T owermen L. G. Hicks and W. W. Marchison. 11 U. S. Ar my Photo In the field of securities for which no "stock certificates" are issued, the United States government holds "futures" which bid fair to yield excellent dividends, tax free. These "futures" or "green gold" are tangible assets; 50,695 acres of timber resources valued at ap- proximately 3.5 miII ion dollars. The estimated value at the end of the up-coming twenty years may exceed 20 million dollars. Some 4,268,000 pines have been planted on the government's reservation at Fort Gordon, says Major J. D. Gallivan, Ill, post engineer. Already 15.5 million board feet of sawtimber and 19,000 cords of pulp- wood have been harvested since 1953. This has netted "Uncle Sam" about $633,000. There are enough fire breaks which, if laid end to end, would reach from Fort Gordon to St. Louis, Mo. Approximately 500 miles are plowed each year to provide access routes, control burn, prevent erosion and to protect the area. Fire is the greatest hazard to forests and presents a continuous problem. Fallen leaves and ground cover killed by winter frosts ignite easily. Hot, dry days of summer w it h h ig h w ind s are e qua II y a s per i1- ous. The fi seal year 1962 was the hot- test in years. The foresters sup- pressed 56 fires which burned 437 acres. The timber damage was es- timated at $3,933. Extensive military training on the firing ranges and excessive dryness increased fire hazards and caused most of the year's fires. Direct seeding by helicopter was originated at Fort Gordon. A "chopper hopper" was designed by the post forester H. V. Barnett. Several other Army posts have since adopted the idea. Forestry personnel cru1 se and mark all timber before it is sold. Some 3.1 million board feet of saw- timber were harvested this past fiscal year. Through progressive timber marlagement, Fort Gordon receives for its timber products the highest prices in the Third U. S. Army area. Trees to be sold are selected with ,tJ.r, rnec of 1.,350 acres of cull spec1es has been sprayed to impro ve the tim - ber stands. 12 the idea of i mprovement cutting. The goal of the forestry branch is to control burn approximately 5- 8,000 acres each year to reduce fire hazards in training areas, eradicate undesirable scrub species, and prov i de for natural reforestation. Control burning is accomp Ii shed under the rigid supervision of the pc, st forester, when weather conditions are such as to minimize any timber damage. All control burning has prior approval from the Third Army Headquarters and is done in accordance with existing regulations. A 100-foot lookout tower is maintained for fire detection. Fort Gordon works cooperatively with local civi I ian authorities. The fort may call for assistance from any one of several State fire towers located near the military reservation. This communication is made possible by a radio hook-up with the Georgia Forestry Commission. The use of heavy bulldozer tractors with special fire line plows has improved fire suppression work. A 1,000 and 200-gallon water tanker are used to support the tractor units. Dense underbrush and scrub oak eire cleared over several acres every year to permit greater uti Ii zation of troop training areas .A brush cutter pulled by a bulldozer is used for this clearing, chopping down and chopping up all underbrush and scrub oak up to four inches in diameter. An area of 1,350 acres of scrub oak has been sprayed to improve pine timber. Pines are the real money crop at Fort Gordon. During the past year, the Third Army forestry program brought in two million dollars to the U. S. Treasury. Fort Gordon Post Engineers say that the post had an in- crease of $68,000 from timber sales. They expect the total for the present year to be close to $110,000. Fort Gordon's forestry branch is staffed by Harold V. Barnett, post forester; J. Reid Beasley, assistant forester; Morris B. Veneklasen , forestry technician; Alex Kish, foreman; Hugh Camp, heavy equipment opera- tor; and Wi II ene Stewart, tractor driver. F ore sters suppressed 56-fires that burned 437-ocres 1n fiscal year 7962 . U. S. Army P hoto. by Ruby Mabry McCrory Some 500 miles of fire break s ore plo wed each year to protect the ar ea. U. S. Army Photo. 13 .E.:[T E; s ~L I ~ ~ ~ ~il c . c; ~T~ :R ~ ~ u! ] I . ) Mr. R ay Shirley Georgi a Forestry Director Macon, Georgia Dear Sir: During restorati on of telephone service in th e re cent ice storm an employee of yo ur org anizatio n perfor med a very thoughtful a ct in o ur beh a lf, O n We dn esday, Ja n uary 15 at approximat ely 2:00 p.m. a telephone crew wos fo ur or five miles West of For t Valley o ff t he Reynolds Highway. In attempting to negotiate muddy di rt roads t hey beca me st uc k and were unable to get out, A wreck e r d i spatched to aid a l so became s tuck, Dur ing t his time one of your aircraft had been ci rcl ing over-head a idi ng g round fo rces figh ti ng a woods fire, Seeing the di ff iculty our truck was in t h e pilot dispat ched one o f your trucks with tractor to assist our people after the fire was out, They were able to get our crews on t heir way immediat ely. We c o mmend t h is p ilot fo r his thoughtfulness and ex press our appreciat ion to him and the group on th e ground for th eir aid. Yours truly, W. L. Ware Plant Ma nager So u. Bell Te l, and Tel. Co, Lamar-Pike-Spalding Forestry Unit Gr iff in, Georg ia Me ri wether County Forestry Unit Gree nvill e, Georgia Gentlemen: We wish to thank you for your prompt response and a ssi stance in putting o ut the fire when a trailer load of cotto n burned at our warehouse in Gay. Had it not been for your efforts our loss would have been much great er. Again, thank you for your a s sistance in our time of need, Sincerely your s, A. G. Estes, Jr. 14 Mr, Lawrence T on dee Crisp County Forestry Stati on North U. S. 41 Cordele, Georgi a Dear Mr. Tondee: Just a note to ad v ise that th e planting came off success ful ly, an d I want to extend my appreci ation for the services offered by yo u an d your men, They were all most coo perat ive , and I wish you the best of luck in th e for e stry work that you are so abl y pe rforming in Crisp County, Sinc erely, J e rry A. Sing er C ity Manager Douglas-Carro ll County Unit Douglasvil le , Ge org ia Gentlemen: We wish to t ha n k you for your very efficient service at the Arnold Services Incor porat ed fire November 26. It was very re- a ss uring to find the fire complete ly under c ontrol when we arrived, Your ass i stance in training the Whitesburg men a ls o is g re atly appre ciated and is bearing fruit . Sincerely, G ib son LaFoy Mr. Alton Bowe n, Supervisor Glynn County Forestry Unit 4143 Norwich Street Extension Bruns wick, Ge orgia Dear Mr. Bowen: On January 22nd, 1964, whil e Mr. Phillip s was flying a Forestry Department plane in the vicinity of B laden, Ge orgia, he ob ser ved th at which appeared to be a hot box on our Tra in E xtra 1969-North, In add it ion to noti fy in g Mr. Bu nkle y , the radio operator a t Brun s wi c k, who in turn notified our Age nt at Th a l man n, Mr. Phillips signalled to the crew o n this Extra t hat something wa s wrong with the train. Th is e na bl e d them to stop the Train ond in spection developed the brakes were sticki ng bad ly on car in this train and crew released them, This could very easily have been a hot bo x or other e qu ipme nt troub le that c o ul d hove caused a n oc cident. I apprec iate the e ffort s of both o f you gentleme n in thi s matter a nd your intere st in our company. Very truly yours, J, H. Hester Super intendent Georg ia Forestry Commission Macon, Georg ia Dear Sirs: Our troop, No. 165, Junior Cadettes re cently went to the Nature Trail on Tobacco Road. It is kept up by the Richmond County Forestry Unit. We went down the Trail to Windsor Springs and found it very interesting. On our return to the unit Mr. Strickland told us something about the care of trees, He explained how they put the forest fires out ond how to tell how old a tree is by boring into it with a certain tool. He told us of the tower and two-way radio uses and many other things. In addition he gave us each a "Native Trees of Georgia", I have partially read the book and find it ever so interesting, Also, while our family was spending the night at Crawfordville, Alexander Stephens State Park, I noticed o poster with Smokey praying, "And God, please help people to prevent Forest Fires..." I thought it was beautiful, l"ve noticed several other very pretty ones, also. After going on that hike {although I Iive in the country) and hearing Mr. Strickland, I appreciate our natural forests and wildlife so much better. I only hope everyone will try to help keep America's forests in hi g hest condition. Thank you for reading my letter, Sincerely, Susan Bell Mr. Loyd Mann Mr. Terrel 3 rooks Forestry Unit P. 0. Box 195 Carrollton, Georgia Gentlemen: We want to commend you on the e xcellent job your men did in saving our garage building and trucks in the explosion yesterday in our shop. Had it not been for th e m our loss would hove been much g reater. There is no way to measure what you did in dollars and cents but we would like to at least pay you for the material you used and ask that you please give us a bill on this. Sincerely thanking you for your kindness and with best wishes, we are Cordially yours, Arnold Services, Inc. Mr s . J, M, Arnold the foresters Williom W. Neal, president, Liller, Neo/, Battle ond Lindsey, occepts an oward for outstanding public service in forest fire prevention. The oword is from the Advertising Council , Association of Stote foresters ond the USDA forest Service for work in preparing fire prevention messages for the southern port of the notionol Smokey Beor campaign. USFS photo. J-l-~~~ ... - f! ' - ~... - r' Artist's sketch of the Brass to wn 3old Visitor Information Center to be built 1by the U.S. Forest Service on the Chattahoochee Notionol Forest in North Georgio. The Center will be the first of its kind to be constructed by the USFS in th e 17 southern stotes. The USFS estimates thot some 100,000 tour- ists annually visit Brasstown Bald. USFS Photo. BIRD SANCTUARY 1: ~~~~~R~~~ ~,,,,,I I'' '--l I.:, SAND ClUB RICHMONDCOUKTY FORESTRY UNIT ... s:.:.;.. {~ 4- ~ ' 'JATURE TRLI.IL. .. Pock 2, sponsored by the Porent's Club Forest Hill ~c hool, is putting bird feeders olong the Noture Troil locoted ot the Richnond County Forestry Unit . With the fe eders, above, ore, 1-r, Oovid Mor tin, :ti ff and Michoel Steed and Ken Hoir. Forest Ronger T. M. Strickland reports hot 2,500 people . hove visited the Nature Trail since it opened in April, 1963. Mrs. Nesbit Teogue is president of the Sond Hills Garden Club. A group of youth conservationists toke port in Arbor Ooy activities ot the Mocon Youth Museum. The planting exercise wos under the direction of Chorles Place, Jr., GFC I & E assistant, right, ond Miltor-. Roberts, Bibb County forest Ranger. MEETINGS... Soil Conservation Society of America at Rock Eagle 4-H Center, Apr. 10-1l...State FFA Forestry Field Day Meet at State F FAFHA Camp near Covington, Ga., May l...Georgia Chapter SAF and the University of Georgia School of Forestry Alumni at Center for Continuing Education, Athens, Ga., May 7-8 ... Georgia Forestry Association at Jekyll Island, June 21-22... FF A Forestry Camp at AI exander Stephens State Park, week of June 28... NFA Camp at Camp John Hope, week of July 5. NEW DIVISION ... The Division of Economics, Marketing and Uti Iization Research has been formed at the Southeastern Forest Experiment Station in Asheville, N.C. Walton~. Smith, head of the Division of Forest Utilization ~esearch for more than ten years, has been named chief of the new division. All station research in the fields of forest survey, economics, products marketing and uti Ii zation wi II be carried out in the new division. OFFICERS... Philip A. Briegleb, Portland, Ore., has been elected president of the Society of American Foresters for 1964-65. He succeeds Paul M. Dunn of New York City. B. E. Allen, Savannah, Ga., was re- elected vice president. Briegleb is director of the Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. Alien is manage r of the Woodlands Division of Union Bag-Camp Paper Corp. 15