Georgia Forestry OCTOBER 1950 .p lA STS GREEN . Every Acre Forest Fire Valuable Protection (from the Dawson News) Pays Off With winter just ahead, and the hunting season not too far away, the hazard of forest fires caused by carelessness increases. There was a time when we did not consider too seriously the fact that every acre of land is valuable. Eros~on was no~ an uncommon thing, and poor land had no potentialities_. The picture is different now. Go where you will in the South, and you can see forests of young pines planted for the purpose.of reaping a rich harvest in the future. Land which is not adaptable to the growing of many products adapts itself ideally to this valuable source of income, and in recent years millions of seedlings have been planted with good results. In order to get what we want from the planting of pines, caution must be used to protect them, and each one should take this as a personal respons i bi li ty. Many people may not have an awareness of the laws in Georgia which deal with forest fires. To willfully set fire to a plot of woodland in this state is a felony, and one not _to be lightly dealt with. Many people who burn trees do not mean to be malicious; they are simply careless, but the harm is done and some one is answerable for the deed. Due to a scarcity of rain, wooded areas are so dry that a match or a lightedcigarette carelessly thro~n on the ground can cause loss 1n dollars and cents which is tragic. Let's protect our woodlands and not only help ourselves, but those who in the future will reap the benefit of our thoughtfulness. (from the Manchester Mercury) Organized protection against forest fire paid big dividends in Georgia last year. Official figures for 1949 show the rate of forest fire loss on unprotected woodland was 26 times greater than on protected land. This was revealed in a report published by American Forest Products Industries. Based on official U. S. Forest Service statistics, it shows comparative fire loss figures for all states. National sponsor of the forest fire prevention program Keep America Green - AFPI is a nonprofit organization supported by the country's leading wood-dependent industries. Last year 21,538 fires burned 2,093,039acres of Georgia timberland. Of this loss, 1,964,323 acres occured on the 7,626,000 acres of unprotected state and private land. Incendiarism, willful burning of the woods, continued the major cause of forest fires in the state. Georgia Forestry Vol. III OCTOBER, 1950 No. 10 A monthly bulletin putlished by thE Georgia Forestry Commission, 43~ State Capitol, Atlanta. Fntered as second-class matter at the Post Office, Atlanta~ Ga., under the act of August 24, 1'112. Member, (eorgia Press Association. October, 1950 Page Two Keep Green .Project Goes Forward; 106 Counties Now Participating Governor Herman E. Talmadge has taken ''the lead'' in the project of the Georgia Forestry Association to erect signs along the state's highways to remind motorists and wayfarers throughout Georgia of their personal responsibility in helping to ''Keep Georgia Forests Green''. Governor Talmadge endorsed the project in a statment calling for active particifation and support on the part o key organizations and individuals throughout the state. The Governor's statment read as follows: "I, Governor Herman E. Talmadge, am happy to take the lead in the project of the Georgia Forestry Association to erect signs on the highways of the state urging one and all to help ''Keep Georgia Forests Green''. Our a1m is to make forest fire prevention a byword on the highways of the state, and this undertaking represents another step forward in our program directed toward the protection and development of Georgia's greatest natural resource, her forests. ''The large contribution of our forests to the economic welfare of the State is evidenced by the fact that the yearly returns realized by Georgia's forest owners and forest industries is almost $300, 000,000, more than 120,000 Georgians are employed in forest activities, and many thousands more are indirectly dependent upon the forest for a livelihood. Every county in the state has one or more forest industries and every citizen of the state is affected by the manner in which our more than 25 million acres of woodland are protected, managed and utilized. ''I wish to congratulate the Georgia Forestry Association, the civic clubs of the state, and the other cooperating organizations and individuals who are aiding in this very excellent and outstand- ing endeavor. I wish further to urge the wholehearted cooperation and active participation on the part of all groups and individuals throughout the state, bothin erecting the signs, and in helping at all times to ''Keep Georgia Forests Green'' Keep Georgia Green commit tees have already been formed in 106 of Geor~ia's 159 counties for the purpose of sponsoring the erection of the signs. The committees are being selected from the civic clubs, chambers of commerce, and other service, fraternal and conservation organizations in the counties. The number of counties actively participating in the project is being increased daily as organizations in the various counties volunteer for local. sponsorship of the pro~ct. Hugh W. Dobbs, Atlanta, Pres1dem: of the Georgia Forestry Association, has expressed thanks to the cooperrating organizations and individuals. Dobbs said, ''The current sign project of the Georgia Forestry Association is receiving enthusiastic coope-rating throughout the state. This is one of the most important ''Keep Georgia Green'' projects to date because the 318 attractive metal signs - two in every county in the state -will be a constant reminder to Georgians and all tourists that there is a concerted, organized effort in Georgia to prevent and suppress forest fires. _ ''This project is made possible through the splendid cooperation of Governor Talmadge, R. H. White, Jr., President, Southern Wood Preserving Company, Guyton DeLoach and field personnel of the Georgia Forestry Commission, the Chambers of Commerce, and the Kiwanis, Rotary, Optimist, Lions, Civi tan a~_Exchange Clubs of_ the st~te. ''The GeorgiaForestryAssociation sincerely appreciates the active participation in the project by so many groups. This cooperation will give considerable impetus to the the Georgia Forestry Association in its efforts of more than forty years to develop and use - but not abuse-our great forest resource.'' Governor Herman TaLmadge "kicks off" the Georgia forestry Assoctation project to erect Keep Green signs aLong roadways in all counties of the state. The Governor LookS on admiringLy as Hugh W. Dobbs, Left, Forestry Association president, dispLays one of the attractive signs. Page Three Georgia forestry Georgia Leads South in Pulpwood Cut; Furnishes 10 Percent of U.S. Output For the second consecutive year, Georgia led the south in pulpwood production during 1949 with an all- time high of 1, 790,486 standard cords. This production accounted for ten percent of the total na- tion's supply. Camden County was the leading county in the south in production with a total of 82, 1Q5 standards cords and let the next largest county producer by 6,000 cords. InCam:len, pine accounted for 7.3,351 cords and hardwoods amounted to 8, 844 cords. Two other counties in Georgia produced more than 50,000 cords. Bryan County cut 5Q,016 cords and Effingham 50,379 cords. The south produced nearly 56 percent of all pulpwood cut in the nation in 1949 with a total of 9, 923,100 cords. Southern produc- tion declined 12.6 percent below 1948, but in Georgia there was an increase over 1()48 production of 20,000 cords or 1.1 percent. Georgia was the only state, aside from Oklahoma, where production increased. Pulpwood production for 1949 in standard cords for Georgia counties was as follows: Appling, 23,280; Atkinson, 22,209; Bacon, 5,619; Baldwin, 7,079; Banks, 742; Barrow, 1,865, Bartow, Q16; Ben H~ll, 12,200; Berrien, 8,210; Btbb, 16,076. . - Bleckley, 3,849; Brantley, 20, 693; Brooks, 6,767; Bryan, 59,016; Bulloch, 30,900; Burke, 9,746; Butts, 5,128; Calhoun, 4,487; Cam:!en, 82 , 195 . __ Candler, 9,731i Carroll, 1,470; Charlton, 36,05Q; Chatham, 25,444; Chattahoochee, 5,085; Chattooga, 1,101; Cherokee, 501; Clarke, 1,248;Clay, 4,184; Clayton, 4,743. - Clinch,- 35,184; Cobb, 3,518; Coffee, 13,602; Colquitt, 16,037; Columbia, 10,781; Cook, 10,525; Coweta, 13,5Q4; Crawford, 17,679; Crisp, 7,111; Dade, 85; Decatur, 30, 486; DeKalb, 1, 032; Dodge, 23,385. Dooly, 2, 2Q8; Dougherty, 7, 977: Douglas, 316; Early, 10, 316; Echols, 11, 568; Effingham, 50, 379; Elbert, 8,145; Emanuel, 29,856; Evans, 6,144; Fannin, 16,727; Fayette, 2,654; Floyd, 3,096; Franklin, 1,330; Fulton, 1,952; Gilmer, 3,194; Glascock, 100; Glynn, 20,814; Gordon, 3,491; Grady, 14,983; Green, 22,952; Gwinnett, 5,94Q; Habersham, 3,635; Hall, 3,627. Hancock, 14,351; Haralson, 5,187; Harris, 20,720; Henry, 14,238; Houston, 10,949; Irwin, Q,365; Jackson, 7,857; Jasper, 16, 797; Jeff Davis, 21, 093; Je Herson, 12,000; Jenkins, ,8,368; Johnson, 8,572; Jones, 18,391. Lamar, 11,068; Lanier, 10,718; Laurens, 19,111; Lee, 2,000; Liberty, 33,432; Lincoln, 700; Long, 16,389; Lowndes, 27,084; McDuffie, 4,169; Mcintosh, 38,982. ~a~on, 3,763; Madison, 7,140; Marion, 6,934; Meriwether, 22,306; Miller, 5,143; Mitchell, Q,151; Monroe, 35,240;Montgomery, 12,8QO; Morgan, 18,065; Murray, 408; Muscogee, 4,46.3; Newton, 17,093. Oconee, 3,061;0glethorpe, 12,784; Paulding, 387; P.each, 4, 000! Pickens, 1,017; Pterce, 6,610, Pike, 2, 904. Polk, 3,596; Pulaski, 2,~45; Putnam, 12,200; Quitman, 3,093; Rabun, 3,583; Randolph, 4,368; Richmond, 3i032; Rockdale, 1,697; Schley, 2, 00; Screven, 29,146. Seminole, 3,204; Spalding, 10, 948; Stevens, 1,576; Stewart, 13 771; Sumter, 7,238; Colquitt, 19:956;Taliaferro, 6,323;Tattnall, 5,401; Telfair, 18,196; Terrell, 200. Thomas, 22,666; Tift, 12, 557; Toombs, 20,381; Treutleh, 17,975; Troup, 22, 703; Turner , 3,346; Twiggs, 18, 183; Union, 9,340; Upson,12,672; Walker, 818; Walton, 4,986. Ware, 24,601; Warren, 1,446 Washington, 12,403; Wayne, 37,489 Webster, 3,792; Wheeler, 13,9Q5 Whitfield, 233; Wilcox, 13,653 Wilkes, 9,080; Wilkinson, 12,288 Worth, 13,638. October, 1950 Pap Jlbur Union Bag Awards Scholarships UNION BAG AND PAPER CORPORATION NANES fCR ES'!R! SCHOLARSHIP fiiNNKRS. Pictured above, front row, are Alan Herndon, left, Snellville, andRichard Darden, LaGrange, who kan the 1950 Union Bag Scholarships to the University of Georgia. Othe~s pictured in back row are left to right, Dean Don R. lt'eddeH, University of. Georgia S~hooloffores~ry, '!.G . lt'alter~, Atlanta, State SupervisorofAgricultural Educat~on, and L. R.Dunson, Athens, Assistant State q-H Club ~eader. Forest Fire Protection Pays Dividends The forest fire loss on unprotected woodland in Georgia was 26 times greater than on protected land during 1949 accord1ng to a report by American Forest Products Industries. Last year 21, S38 fire s burned 2,093,039 acres of Georgia timberland. Of this loss, 1, 964,323 acres were burned on unprotected land. There were 5,019 fires on protected land accounting for a loss of 128,716 acres. Incendiarism- willful burn1ng of the woods - continued as the leading cause of forest fires in Georgia, with 1,577 fires being attri- buted to this origin. Twenty-two fires resulted from lightning, 351 from railroads, 51 from campers, 403 from smokers, 983 from debris burning , 108 from lumbering and 1, 524 from miscellaneous causes. Eighty-six counties in Georgia are protected with a total of 15, 981,434 protected acres. The aver- age fire on protected lands burned 25.6 acres. This is five acres less than the average for the per- iod 1945 through i949. Almost 40 percent of the fires burned over 10 acres. The AFPI report was based Forest Service statistics. on JU. . S. C. McClellan, AFPI Forester, called for intensified forest fire pre- vention education in Georgia, saying, ''The Keep Green program, now active in Georgia and 27 other states, provides an effective vehicle for citizens interested in combatting forest fire losses. All Americans must be made aware of the importance of fire preven- tion,'' he added. ''Every woods fire that burn destroys resources this country needs to remain strong and prosperous.'' McClellan stressed the need for full public support of federal and state fire control agencies a.Od called for continued cooperation between in- dustry, the public and woodland owners in preventing fire. Paac f-ive Geortia for~stry Georgia Leads in October, 1950 Pace Six Nursery Production Georgia led the 11 southern states in reforestation during the 1949- 1950 planting season with 44,487, 075 pine seedlings produced in state nurseries, according to a survey by Southern Pine Associa- tion, New Orleans, Louisiana. South Carolina had the next highest total with 34,460.~55 seedling produced. Georgia's three state nurseries accounted for 21 percent of the 212,749,317 seedlings pro- duced in 19 state nurseries through- out the Sout~ This southern total is 50 million seedlings more than were produced last season. . The 337 southe;n industries re~ P?rting purcha!"P.d 116,715,000 seed- 11ngs from state nurseries, or 55.1 percent of the total state produc- tion. The southern lumber indus- try planted or distributed a total of 50,317,700 seedlings. The lum- ber companies distributed 1, 647 300 seedlings to farmers and 48, 670 '300 ~eedlings were planted on 58,856, OOC acres of COilll?any land. The lumber industry purchased 19.6 percent of the total state nursery stock. The pulp industry purchased 24.3 per- cent of state nursery production and other industries purchased 11.2 percent. . Eighty-three industries in Geor~ gia purchased 23,177,100 seedlings from the three state nurseries for a total of 52.1 percent of the total state production. The 23 lumber companies 1n Ueorgia reporting, 'planted 7, 831,000 seed! in~s on 9,025,000 company acr~s and ftve of these compunies distribut~d _J9,00U seedlings to farmers. Th1rteen pulp and paper companies purchased 10,228,200 seedlings from the state nurseries and four companies dis- tributed 3,229,800 seedlings to ~rivate owners. Forty-five other 1ndustries purchased 1,849,000 seedlings from the state. Eighty-one Georgia companies planted 19,908,200 seedlings on company land and nine companies distributed 3,268,800 seedlings to private owners in Georli(ia . Southern state forest tree seed- ling production is expected to reach almost 227 million during the 1950-1951 season. NATIONAL fiRE PftYENTION WEEl~IS OCTOBER 8-lij. A Wild Jfoods fire Did This. Pictured is ~e and tiber destroyed on Baxley-Surrency Highway during record outbreaks of fires in southeast Geor_gia during the )J.JSt sPrinf!. Nany EYERY WEEK SHOULD BE fOREST fiRE PREYEN!I0/1 'ifEEK. such tragedies occur yearly and people still cause ost of Georgia's wild fires. fire prevention 111ust be a watchword when fire is used in and around the woods . Twenty Rangers and other personnel from throughout the state gathered in Columbus recently to attend a special repair and maintenance course on theMonroeHydraulic lift. The all-day school was given for employees of the Georgia Forestry Comnission and representatives from forestry districts all over the state were present. The Rangers were guests at a barbecue in the late afternoon. Rangers Marshall Lord, Laurens County, and Therman Strickland, Baldwin County, will have forest fire danger rating. stations in their respective counties by the beginning of the fire season. The two new stations, expected to be completed by November 1, will aid in giving more accurate danger ratings for the area covered and will help determine not only the chances of forest fires but the speed fire will travel if it breaks out. you get, take it out and look it over. I think you will find it very interesting reading, and ~acked with valuable informat1on' '. Ranger Al Davenport, Lamar County, emphasized to his landowners that ''to save ourselves this needless waste (from forest fires) in Lamar County we must use our head as well as our feet in stamping out forest fire.'' In his weekly column in the Barn- esville News Gazette he says, ''An old and learned citizen of Lamar County recently informed your Ranger that a barbed wire fence, kept away fromfirewilllast around 20 years. CAl the otherhand, he says the same fence, when burned by fire, will retain its usefulness for a maxinun of five rears. This is just another exce lent example of the unthought of waste created on our farms each year by fire. Ranger H. G. Collier and the Grady County Forest Protection Unit have been placing leaflets and booklets in cars parked in town on Saturday afternoons. The litera- ture has been specially chosen for interest and enjoyment by both adults and children. Simple, easy to read booklets have been selected that contain tactual information for adults and illustrations that will interest children. T. M. Strickland and the Baldwin County Unit are looking forward to the completion of a headquarters building located at the Hopewell tower on the lower Macon road. The building wi 11 be wooden with asbestos siding and will be trimmed in green to emphasize ''Keep Baldwin County Green' '. The 16 by 32 foot building will house the ranger's office and garage as well as a workshop. Collier tells the car owners that ''we think it will be to your advantage if you take the time to look this literature over, and not just throw it away. It contains information concerning Fire Protection and Better Forest Management. When you find this booklet in your car Saturday afternoon, put it in your pocket. Then, the first chance Ranger Jack Ma~sey advises Crisp County woodland owners to start planning now for forest improvements Massey says in his weeklY. column in the Cordele Dispatch, Now is the time to plan to plant trees and to provide protection for those that you already have, and look over those unproductive farm acres to decide which you will put back into trees:' Octcbe.,-, 1950 N ew Personnel Appointments Jack E. Sykes, Thomasville, has beeo named Calhoun County Ranger succeeding Robert L. Cox who resigned. Sykes is a Marine Corps veteran of Worl9 War II and a graduate of the University of Georgia School of Forestry. David Groom has succeeded Miles S. Koger as Decatur County Ranger, Fainbridge. Pe is an Army veteran, an August graduate of the University of Georgia School o f Forestry and has spent the summer surveying tower sites throughout the state for the Engineers' Office at Faxley. Groom, a native of Avondale Estates, ismarried and th ... father of two children. Robert H. Tift has been made Dougherty County Ranger. He succeeds Turner Barber, Jr. who was promoted to Assistant District Forester in charge of management in the Third District, with headquarters at Americus. Tift is a veteran, a June graduate of the University of Georgia and a native of Albany. He spent the surmJer in forestry management in this district. M. W. Farr has been promoted to Assistant District Forester, Sixth District, in cha r ge of Management. Farr served as JohnsonCounty Ranger for ten months. He was graduated from the University of Georgia School of Forestry in August, 1949. He served 26 months in the U. S. Navy Reserve. William E. Lisenby has assumed duties as Johnson County Ranger. Lisenby is a native of Soperton and received his B. S. degree from the University of Georgia School of Forestry in August. K. B. Felker took over duties September 1 as DeKalb County Forest Ranger. Kelker is a resident of Decatur and a graduate of the Universi ty of Georgia School of Forestry. He will maintain his headquarters in the Agriculture Bui !ding, Decatur. HOPALONG CASSIDY JOINS fORCiS WITH SMOKiY TO PRiYiNT fiRiS . Happy has t.,-anscribed a series of pubLic service messages on fire prevention that are now being used on Georgia U. radio ger, stati Left, ons. Actin gInCha~pepfreocf~atthieon C. M. GranS. forest Service, presents Roppy with a pLacaf"d. Smokey himseLf is present at the ceremonies. Ruea'I.Cit. SooUJ~ Meei4 The Florida-Georgia-Alabama Section of the Forest Products Research Society will begin its annual meeting at 1:30 Friday October 13 at Valdosta. The sessions will be held in the Hotel Daniel Ashley and will run through 12:30 Saturday. Several well-known speakers, movies, and papers on a wide range of subjects of interest to persons associated with forest products industries wi 11 be featured. Bruce Anderson, vice-president of the Don Gavan Company, Atlanta, has served as chairman of the group for the past year and J. A. Vaughan, research engineer, Southern Wood Preserving Company, has been secretary-treasurer of the sectional organization. Page Nine Georgia fonstry The Harris County Commissioners of Roads and Revenues have posted a reward of $100 to be paid any persor. presenting evidence sufficient to lead to the conviction of any persons violating Georgia forest fire laws. The reward, posted by the Commissioners in an attempt to reduce destruction caused by forest fires, will cover each individual fire set in woods within the boundaries of the County. The Harris County Farm Bureau recommended this action to the Co~issioners after deciding on th1s as a means of helping combat the incendiarism and carelessness. The Commissioners posted the reward as an economic measure designed to cut down on losses from forest fires inasmuch as one of J:Iarris ~ounty's major sources of 1ncome 1s from the sale of timber for lumber and pulpwood. "JOE BEAVER" By Ed Nofziger Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture "Some people just have to be educated by law enforcement." October, 1950, Citizens, Army to Fight Forest Fires More than fifty citizens representing ten towns in counties bordering on the Camp Stewart reservation have signed a pledge to help the U. S. Army combat forest fires. The meeting, held in August at Post Headquarters, was called by Colonel Kenneth M. Barager, commanding officer of Camp Stewart. Colonel Barager addressed the group and stressed the importance of fire control and prevention both from the view point of civilian property owners and the United States government. A general discussion followed on the best means of combatting and preventing forest fires. The land and cattle owners present signed the following pledge: ''We the undersigned, land and cattle owners in the counties which border upon the Camp Stewart Reserbation, do hereby wish to pledge our cooperation to the Commanding Officer, Camp Stewart, Georgia' and to the .United States Army in the matter of forest fire control and prevention, in carrying out any measures which he or they may determine necessary and advisable and, specifically, to do the following: Smokey Says: ''(1) To report all fires immediately upon their discovery to the Camp Stewart Fire Department, giv~ng exact location and extent of f1re or area burning. ''(2) Not to set fire to any area on or adjacent to the Camp Stewart reservation unless I have previously notified the Commanding Officer of Camp Stewart and have his per- mission~ ''(3) To make every effort to control Forest Fires discovered by me until the arrival of the fire department of Camp Stewart and then to assist them as they might desire or direct .. ''(4) To report to the Commanding Officer, Camp Stewart, any person caught or seen setting fire to any part of the Camp Stewart reservation or the area immediately adjacent thereto. '' Towns represented at the meeting were Hinesville, Glennville, Daisy, Ludowici, Fleming, Richmond Hill, Flemington, Claxton, Lambert and Ellabell. Smokey Says: Fall Season is the dangerous time in the woods--especially if you're smoking. Georgia Forestry OCTOBER 1950 Entered as second-class ~~~at.ter at t~e Post Office, Atlanta, Ga.