eorg1 a -.=ORE ST RV "A tree means birds singing and squirrels crackin~ nuts. A tree means sticky pine needles. A tree means beauty in a shady forest." r By Bill Tanner See Page 3 Georgia Forestry Mar. 1974 No.1 Vol.29 Jimmy Carter- Governor A. Ray Shirley- Director BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Alexander Sessoms, Cogdell chairman W. George Beasley Lavonia Hugh M. Dixon Vidalia L. H. Morgan Eastman H. E. Williams Woodbine STAFF Frank E. Craven - Editor Thomas R. Fontaine, Jr.- Assoc . Editor Thomas B. Hall - Artist DISTRICT OFFICES GEORGIA FORESTRY COMMISSION COOSA VALLEY DISTRICT P. 0 . Box Z, Mount Berry 30149 NORTH GEORGIA DISTRICT Route 5, Box 83, Canton 30114 ATLANTA DISTRICT 7 Hunter St., S.W., Room 545, Atlanta 30334 CHATTAHOOCHEE FLINT P. 0. Box 1080, Newnan 30263 MCINTOSH TRAIL Route 7, Box 455, Griffin 30223 LOWER CHATTAHOOCHEE DISTRICT 6250 Warm Springs Road, Columbus 31904 MIDDLE FLINT DISTRICT P. 0 . Box 1369, Americus 31730 COASTAL PLAIN DISTRICT Route 2, Ashburn 31714 SOUTHWEST GEORGIA DISTRICT Route 2, Box 215, Camilla 31730 GEORGIA SOUTHERN DISTRICT Route 2, Statesboro 30458 COASTAL DISTRICT P. 0. Box 113, Midway 31320 SLASH PINE DISTRICT Route 2, Box 127B, Waycross 31501 CENTRAL SAVANNAH RIVER DISTRICT Route 2, Box 266, Washington 30673 GEORGIA MOUNTAINS P. 0. Box 293, Oakwood 30566 NORTHEAST GEORGIA DISTRICT 650 College Station Road, Athens 30601 HEART OF GEORGIA DISTRICT P. 0. Box 96, McRae 31055 MIDDLE GEORGIA DISTRICT Columbus Road, Route 8, Macon 31206 OCONEE DISTRICT P. 0. Box 881, Milledgeville 31061 Georgia Forestry is published qual'terly by the Georgia Forestry CommiSsion, Box 819, Macon, Ga. 31202. The Georgia Forestry mailing address is Rt. 1, Box 85, Dry Branch, Ga . 31020. Second class postage paid at Dry Branch, Ga. CONTENTS Arbor Day 1974...... ........................................ .. ........... ..... ........... ..... ................... 3 10-Year Reforestation Experiment To Demonstrate Increased Growth ................ 4 Main Street By The Blade Not The Blaze .................................................... ...... ... 5 District Forester Named Lanier Countian SCL Forestry Project Winner ..... .. .......... ......... ............. ...... ... . 6 Georgia Extends Pulpwood Production Leadership.... .......................................... 7 Forestry Services Highlighted .... ... .... ........ ...... ...................................................... 8 . Cooperative Self-Supporting Program Initiated....................................... ............ .. 9 Forestry Faces and PI aces........ ...................... ...................................................... 10-11 Fire Fighting Techniques Tested On Mock Fires ................................................ . 12-13 Logging The Foresters.......................................................................... .... ....... .... 14-15 Cruising the News Congress Authorizes Program For Forestry .. Federal legislation has been passed providing for a forestry incentive program that would en courage private landowners to plant trees and improve existing forest stands in order to help meet the rising demand for forest products in the years ahead. The program, labeled a Forestry Incentives Program, was contained in the Farm Bill which the President signed into law recently. The incentives effort will be a cooperative program with the Forest Service as the lead agency . John McGuire, chief of the Forest Service, said his agency will work through the State Fores try and other agencies in implementing the program. The Forest Service and the states already have a number of cooperative programs which are working well. McGuire pointed out that the latest National Timber Review made by the Forest Service stressed that the best opportunity for increasing timber supplies to meet future demands at acceptable prices was intensification of growth rates on the nearly 300 million acres of private, non-industrial commercial forest lands. These lands comprise about 60 percent of the nation's commercial forest land base. Under the program, landowners will be encouraged both to plant trees on non-stocked land 1 and to perform forestry practices to improve the condition of existing forest stands. The meas- ures are part of a long term effort to insure an adequate supply of timber and other benefits from the Nation 's forests in the years ahead. The program has a cost-sharing feature under which the government will share the cost of establishing plantations and other approved forestry practices with private landowners who meet eligibility requirements. Details of approved practices and eligibility requirements are being worked out and will be specified in program guidelines. . McGuire said a shrinking forest resource base and rising demand for forest products and relat- ed benefits point to the need for more efficient management of the nation's forest lands. He pointed out that public forests are under increasing pressures to emphasize non-timber uses and J that industry forests are producing at near capacity now. Thus, he said, the best opportunity to meet the needs of increased timber supplies that will be needed in the future lies with small, pri- vate landowners. The forestry Incentives Program is designed to encourage private landowners to make invest- ments in long term forestry practices that benefit the entire nation. (From the Baxley News Banner) Arbor Day 1974 Governor Jimmy Carter proclaims Arbor Day 7974. Witnessing the signing is Ray Shirley, director, Georgia Forestry Commission. Bill Tanner , ten year old son of Mr . and Mrs . W. V. Tanner, Macon, has been named State winner in the "What A Tree Means To Me" essay contest. Taking second place, statewide, was Valerie Nettles, ei ght year old daughter of Mr . and Mrs . Richard M. Nettles, Eastman. Third place was won by J im Halstead, ten year old son of Mr. and Reviewing Bill Tanner's winning essay is Ray Shirley, director, Georgia Forestry Commission. Judges, 1-r, were Frank Crawford, executive vice president, State Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisors, Rockmart; Ms. James R. Jones, president elect, Macon Junior Woman's Club, Rev. David Davenport, Curate, Christ Episcopal Church, Joe Pahram, editor, The Macon News, all of Macon; and Ms. Clarence Dodson, conservation chairman, Garden Clubs of Georgia, Plains. Mrs . Wade Halstead, Americus . Tanner is a fifth grade student at the Walter P. Jones Elementary School, Nettles is in the third grade at the Eastman Elementary School. Halstead attends Southland Academy. The State winner received a $100 Savings Bond for taking first place statewide . The second and third place winners received $50 and $25 Savings Bonds, respectively. In addition they were presented a plaque . On the District level, first place win- ners received a $25 Savings Bond and the second and third place winners received $10 and $5 cash awards . All county winners received a certificate and a packet of tree seedlings. All prizes were awarded on Arbor Day, Feb. 15, 1974. In Georgia, Arbor Day is observed on the third Friday in February. The contest, open to all third -fifth graders in Georgia, was co-sponsored by tfie Georgia Forestry Commissi on and the Georgia Forestry Associatio n. Ap proximately 100,000 youngsters entered an essay in the contest . Tanner's essay reads : "A tree means birds singing and squirrels cracking nuts. A tree means sticky pine needles. A tree means beauty in a shady forest." Bill Tanner, 10, took first place, statewide, in the "What A Tree Means To Me" essay contest. He is the son of Mr. and Ms. W. V. Tanner. Listening to Bill explain about the "sticky" pine needles are, 1-r, W. V. Tanner, Bill, Ms. Tanner and Walter Jackson, ranger, Bibb-Monroe Forestry Unit. Thousands of Georgia school children are raising their own slash pine tree seedlings. On Arbor Day the Geo rgia Forestry Commission distributed 142,000 Arbor Day Seed Kits. Each kit contained a peat block, three slash pine seed and a set of instructions. The kits were furnished by local banks, businesses, civic anrt garden clubs and other organizations. Forestry Commission field personnel assembled the kits for distribution . 3 10-Year Reforestation Experiment To Demonstrate Increased Growth With the chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry planting the first seedling, Interstate Paper Corp. has begun a 10-year-long demonstration to dramatize the increased growth that can be obtained through modern reforestation methods . Approximately 30 acres hLve been set aside at the Interstate complex at Riceboro for the experiment. Half of the area will demonstrate the results 4 Georgia Senator Herman E. Talmadge, center, chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, prepares to plant the first "super tree" seedling to launch Interstate Paper Corp.'s reforestation demonstr~tion. Assisting the Senator is Interstate President Howard D. Epstein, left and William J. Verross, right, vice president and general manager. of reforestation through natural regeneration. Senator Herman E. Talmadge, who heads the Senate Agriculture and Forestry Committee, helped to launch the project by dibbling in the f irst "super tree" slash pine seedling in the continuing demonstration. Talmadge said the Interstate Paper forestry project will provide an "ongoing, living demonstration of the dramatic timber growth that can be achieved through proper management and modern technology ." William J . Verross, vice president and general manager, Interstate Paper, said the 10-year demonstration was undertaken to help encourage greater production on Georgia's privately -owned forest lands by showing "the spectacu lar growth gains that are possible in much of south and coastal Georgia through modern forestry practices. The forestry demonstration area lies on both sides of the access highway linking the Interstate mill with U.S. Highway 17 just south of Riceboro. The area is a natural woodland, typical of much of coastal Georgia , from which all commercial pine and hardwood timber recently was cut. The area on the south side of the highway has been divided into 10 oneand -one-half acre experimental plots to be reforested one at a time over a 10year period . Each plot will be cleared of scrub trees and undergrowth, prepared with heavy bedding harrow equipment and planted in superior slash pine seed1ings grown by the Georgia Forestry Commission . By contrast, the cut-over area to the north of the access highway will be left untouched during the 10-year period and allowed to reforest itself through natural regeneration. "I am willing to predict now that by the time the 1Oth experimental plot is planted in 1983, the first plot we are planting this year will be ready for its first commercial thinning," Verross said. " "By giving nature a helping hand, a new forest can be brought into being in a relatively short time," Verross added . "Thus beauty is restored to the land, a protective habitat is provided for wildlife, and the land becomes productive for society and profitable for for the owner." "We believe this is resource conserva tion at 1ts finest," Verross added. The smoke is being taken out of urban development. A curl of smoke in an urban community is usually the first signal of a new subdivision, shopping center or new highway. Recently, in Cobb County, a subdivision had its beginning, not by the blaze, but by the blade. Tree harvesters were systematically operated up and down designated streets removing timber of all shapes and sizes. Following the bite of razor sharp hydraulic shears, the full length trees were dragged to the "chip harvester", reducing the tree length stems to domino size chips. Miller Davis, rresident, Woodland Chippers, Inc ., Smyrna, said by chipping up the trees you eliminate the smoke problem in cutting and burning, and, in cases where the trees are piled and left, you eliminate the problem of spreading insects and diseases. Miller added that the chipper is capable of chipping approximately 2,500 board feet of timber per day. The machine will take trees up to 22 inches in diameter. The mobile chipper costs about $100,000 and approximately $8,000 per week to operate. In the past the trees have gone up in smoke not to return; today, the trees may return in the form of bags and cartons or other paper products. The chipper is capable of chipping about 2,500 board feet of timber per day. The machine will take trees up to 22 inches in diameter. Trees are scissored to the ground, food for chips. 5 Nelson District Forester Named L. Garland Nelson Ray Sh irley, director, Georgia Fares try Commission, has named L. Garland Nelson to the position of district fares ter for the Atlanta District. The district office is located in the State Agriculture Building in Atl anta. The Atlanta District includes Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, South Fulton and Gwinnett Counties. Nelson came with the Forestry Commission in March 1971 as a forest tech nician. He was promoted to forester in July 1972 with assignment in the Forestry Commission's Metro Forestry Pro gram . The native of Fort Valley is a grad - uate of the University of Georgia School of Forest Resources. Prior to coming with the Forestry Commission , Nelson was branch manager, Home Fede ral Savings and Loan Association, Cumming. Nelson served in the U. S. Army Reserve from 195966. Nelson and his wife, the former Mildred Anne Grahl, Macon, have two children, Matthew, six, and Anne, three. The family is a member of the Snellville United Method ist Church where Nelson is a member of the Administrative Board . Wh ilden Don Whilden of Stockton has been named the Georgia winner of the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad's Forestry Lanier Countian SCL Project Contest for FFA students. While a student at Lanier County High School, unde r the guidance of Vo Ag teacher Forestry Proiect Winner W. H. Keene, young Whilden planted 2,100 seedlings, site prepared for plant- ing seedlings on three acres, controlled scrub hardwoods on nine acres, thinned two acres of trees and prun