FORESTRY USPS No. 217120 June, 1980 No. 2 Vol. 32 George Busbee - Governor A. Ray Shirley Director BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS H. E. Williams, chairman, Woodbine Felton Denney, Carrollton Eley C. Fr azer, II I, Albany Jim L. Gillis, Jr., Soperton Robert Simpson, II I, Lakeland STAFF Frank E. Craven, Editor Howard E. Bennett, Associate Editor Thomas B. Hall. Artist DISTRICT OFFICES Coosa V alley P. 0. Bo x Z, Mt. Berry 30149 North Georgra Rt . 7. Box 83, Canton 30114 Atl anta 7 Martrn Luther KtnCJ, Jr . Dr. Room 545. Atlanta 30334 Chattahoochee Flrnt P. 0. Box 1080. N ewnan 30263 Mel ntosh Trarl Rt. 7, Box 4 55. Grrffrn 30223 Lower Chattahoochee 6250 Warm Spgs. Rd. , Columbus 31904 Mrddle Flrnt Rt . 1. Box 23A, Amencus 31709 Coastal Plarn Rt. 2. Ashburn 31714 Southwest Georgia Rt. 2, Box 215, Camilla 31730 Georgia Southern Rt. 2. Statesboro 304 58 Coastal P. 0 . Box 113, Mrdway 31320 Slash Prne Rt. 6, Box 1670Waycross 31501 Central Savannah River Rt. 20 Box 266, Washington 306 7 3 Georgra Mountains Rt. 110 Box 37 0 Garnesvi lle 30501 Northe ast Georgia Rt. 40 Box 168Ao Athens 30605 Heart of Georgia Rt. 10 Box 46, Helena 31 037 M1ddle Georgia Rt. 80 Columbus Rd.. rv1acon 31206 (J, 1ee Hwy. 490 Mrlledaeville 31061 Georgia Forestry rs publrshed quarter ly by the Georgia Forestry Commission, Rt. 10 Box 181 0 Dry Branch, Ga. 3102 0. Second class postage pard at Rome, Ga. Cruising The News RURAL PROTECTION URGED Several months ago after the Revis MeDonaids lost their second rural home to fire, we described in this space the ef fective countywide fire protection af forded to residents of Pulaski County. As Ben Hill residents again protest the lack of such protection in the aftermath of the loss of the James Merritt home, let's look at one of our neighbors to the south- Colquitt County. The citizens of Colquitt, under the leadership of L. C. Manning of the Northside community and others, worked with county and state officials in establishing a countywide system of fire protection ...We called volunteer Northside Fire Chief Manning and asked him about the Colquitt set-up, which he explai ned thusly: Colquitt commissioners contributed $1,000 each to nine areas of the cou nty, which each raised an additional $2,500 to purchase from the Georgia Forestry Commission the pumps and tanks mounted on two-ton trucks provided by each area. Also raised was $500 to pur chase equipment for each of the nine "fire knock ers," and a building was erected in each area at a cost of from $200 to $500. M anning said his co mmunity bought a surplu s military building for $200. Each sta tion is manned by three to eight volunteer firemen equipped with pagers. At the heart o f the commun ica tion s system is the central dispatcher situ ated at the count y f arm. ... "1 don't think anybody in Colquitt County would consider doing away with our system," Manning sa id. "At Northside we answer about three calls a month and save two o r th ree houses each year. 0 In two recent ca lls we confined mobile home fires to the area where they st arted, which we consider real accomp lishments... Colquitt Countians are for this thing one hundred percent," he added. "They see what it has done for them." ...We hope this problem will be solved in Ben Hill County before we are motivated by the same type o f tragedy which spu rred them to action in Colquitt County. (From the Fitzgerald Herald) FIREFIGHTERS PRAISED On three occasions recently we have had a chance to observe first hand the service the Georgia Forestry Commission performs in Pe ach County. Each of these three fires that Orvin Bergman and Eddie Steiber fought were small fires, but they could have been extremely destructive. Two of the fires were in remote areas, close to the railroad tracks. It took a lot of careful driving to get the fire fighting equipment to the fires. On these three occasions, and others in the more distant past , the personnel at the fire tower were very qu ick to respond. There is never a suggestion that the ca ll is interrupting a delicious supper or some other equally important occasion. The only concern transmitted from the forestry personnel is o ne of how to get the equipment in to a fire in the quickest manner possible. We hope the fire fighters are ab le to get a sense of satisfactio n out of the job th ey do, for they are certainly appreciated! (From the Leader Tribune, Ft. Valley) CONTENTS Fell And Leave, Salvaging Beetle-Killed Timber. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 What Are Christmas Trees Growers Doing This Time of Year?.................. 4 The Commission's Georgia Fire Equipment Show........................... 5 Annual Forest Festivals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 The Tree Farm System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Tree Nurseri es Plan Increased Production .................................. 8 Company Plars $91 Million Wood Energy System........................... 9 Canadians Visit Commission Facilities.................................... 10 Commission Records New Low In Spring Fires. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Miss Forestry Pageant Winners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Feature Page........................................................ 13 Letters............................................................ 14 Awards............................................................ 15 ON THE COVER - Georgia Forestry Commission personnel aid the U. S. Forest Service as a comprehensive statewide forest survey gets underway. See story Page 9. ----_ - -~- GREENE A "Fel l and Leave" pilot project to h elp control the spread o f the South ern Pine Beetle is being conducted in Greene a nd T a li afer ro Counties by the Forest Management Depa rtment of the Georgia Forestry Commission. Entomologists said the two-county program is concerned with small spots of beetle-killed timber, ranging from 10 to 50 trees. They pointed out that it is not profitable for timber buyers to move expensive harvesting equipment from one spot to another when o nly a few trees are found in each spot. For that reason, they said, the Forestry Commission has obtained fel ler bunchers and has trained crews to go into the counties and take down the trees killed by the insects, as well as a buffer zone of green trees around the infested spots. They said Greene and Taliaferro Counties were selected because of the great number of sm a ll and scattered spots of dead a nd dying trees in those are as. Commission foresters contact landowners for permission to cut th e brood trees. The trees to be felled are th e n m a rk e d by th e Commission pe rsonn e l a nd felled with the feller bunchers at no cost to th e landowner. No sha de tre es or lawn trees a re involved in the project. Th e title of th e pr o ject -F e ll a nd Lea ve - refe rs to c utting th e tree and lea ving it o n th e fo res t flo o r. JUL 14 1980 DOCUMENTS UGA LIBRARIES FEll AND LEAVE Commission Entomologis t Kerry Thomas examines the peeling bark on a pine that had just been sheared by a feller-buncher. -w 1C ~w-<-wc.e.(..... .<....(::l V) Recen t ae rial an d ground surveys revea l th at th e re is a gene ral decl in e state wid e in South e rn Pi ne Beetle act ivity, according to Druid Preston, Chief of the Co mmissio n's Fo rest Management Departme nt. He sa id fewer spots of infestation and less fad ing are being observed. Prest o n poin ted out, however, that the re are st ro ng indications that an inc rease in insec t activity will be evident late r this y ea r in North and Northeast Georgia. This prediction , he said, is based on findings by the Commission entomologi sts. The results of a May survey show that there are now 14 counties with beetles in epidemic proportions and 90 counties are infested. More than 3,815 spots were observed and the total volume of timber kill ed since January, 1979, now stands at 1,148,091 cords. Total salvaged during the same period is 893,699 cords. 3 ost people in June consider Christmas too far down the road to even think about, but to the Christmas tree grower the holiday is just around the corner! One grower took time out the other day from pruning four acres of pretty cone-shaped pines to tell how the trees have to be pampered throughout the year to get them ready for the marketplace. That care, of course, covers several years as it takes from four to eight years to produce a tree of merchantable size. Olin (Preacher) Witherington of Americus declared that "growing Christmas trees is hard work and I mean really hard work!" He pointed out quite emphatically that you can't set out a seedling, ignore it for several years and come back and expect to find a healthy, perfectly shaped tree ready to set up in somebody's den and decorate. "If you're not willing to work, you're in the wrong business, "Witherington said. He ought to know. He grew his first Christmas trees 32 years ago. "My first planting was Arizona cypress back on the Laurens County farm where I grew up," he said, "It was on an experimental basis." In the years that followed, Witherington grew and experimented with several other species and became expert in the growth of Christmas-type trees that are best suited to Georgia climate and soil. It all sta rted out as sort of a hobby, but upon his retirement as Americus District Forester, Geor gi a Forestry Comm ission, several years ago, th e growing of Christmas trees beca me a full time business for Witherington. He curren tly tend s 18 acres of trees. One section is planted in white pine and a smaller section is in sand pine. When asked why trees grown for the Christmas market require so much maint en ance, the grower gave a step-by-step account. First year- Plow land, harrow, hottom pl o w, smooth plow, lay o ff rows in checks, plant seedlings, plow with cu lti va tor 12 times and hand hoe around see d lings seven ti mes before year's end. Second year - Apply chemical to retard weeds, apply che mical to kill briars, spray for insect con tro l, she ar lightly twice to begin shaping t rees, hoe weeds. Third year - Shear each tree three times to cut back unsightly growth, examine for insects and diseases, hoe weeds and hope for sufficient rain. As the trees reach the fourth year, some become marketable. Most take longer. The frequent shearing must continue as long as the tree remains in the plot. "See that tall one," Witherington asked. "It's growing too fast and when I get through with it, it will be about half that size." Indeed, it was. The retired forester made about five slashes from top to bot- tom with a long blade as he walked around the tree. He said trimming the tree is the toughest part of the business and he has found no short cut for the chore. He sells many of his trees wholesale to dealers, but reserves a section of his Christmas forest for retail sales. "Families come out with the axe and choose and cut their tree...the kids have a great time playing around the trees." Witherington said a recession that economists now predict for this year will not greatly reduce Christmas tree sales. "People buy for Christmas," he said, "they will buy a tree for the kids even when times are hard." He predicts a good future for Georgians who are in the Christmas tree growing business and those who will get into it "if they are willing to work at it." Long Time Til Christmas? IF YOU ' RE A GEORGIA CHRISTMAS TREE GROWER , THE HOLIDAY SEASON IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER! Olin Witherington examines a tree that will be ready for the Christmas market 4 this year. -THIRD FIR E SHOW HELD- More than 1,000 volunteer fir e men, fire c hi efs, and others interested in the fire defense of rural Georgia attended the recent Georgia Fire Equipment Show at Macon Co li seu m. Commendation awards were presented to several firem en for outstanding services to the people of their communities and fir e equipment dealers from several states provided a wide array of exhibits at the show, which was sponsored by the Georgia Forestry Commission. One of the highlights of the program was the presentation of a national award the Award for Outstanding Service in Fire Management - to James C. Turner, Jr., Chief of the Commission's Forest Protection Department. The prestigious award, one of only five presented nationally ea ch y ea r, was presented to Turner by Thomas C . Nelson, Deputy Chief of the National Forests System, Washington, D.C. Turner, who assumed his present position in 1957, was cited for playing a key role in the inauguration of air tankers and later bucket equipped helicopters in fi ghting forest fire s. He was also praised for many other innovations that have helped make Georgia one of the leading states in efficient fire prevention and control. Turner also served as moderator for th e program and special guests were in troduced and awards to firemen were presented by Ray Shirley, Commission Di rector . Pet e Gunn, Chief of Whitfi e ld Coun ty Fire Department, Dalton, ou tlin ed so me of the operat iona l procedures used by the eight departments within his county -wide protection syste m . Carl Pu ckett, Fi e ld Rating Representa tive of the Insurance Services Office, At lanta, spoke on th e requirements for Class 9 insurance. Tom Perdue, Executive Secretary to Governor George Busbee, warmly congratulated th e fire men during a bri ef address and asked that they and the span soring Forestry Commission continue the momentum the program presently enjoys. The Commission administers the Rural Fire Defe nse Program in Geo rgi a and the vo luntee r fir e men attending th e show represented departments that are equ ipped and trained under the program. The firemen, numbering some 7,000 statewide and serving more than 500 fire stations, last year saved property valued at more than $89,133,000. The Georgia Fire Equipment Show was held to acquaint the rural firemen with the latest equipment and techniques in fire fighting and at the sa me time honor those who have made outstanding contributions in their home co mmunities. T he Commission held similar shows in 1976 and 1978. Firemen presented Commendation Awards are shown with Eley Frazer , m ember o f the Commission's Board, standing at left, and Commission Director Ray Shirley, front row, right. The firemen are, first row, left to right, L. C. Manning, Moul- trie; H oyt L umpkin, Cuthbert; and Herbert Widener, Thom - son. Back row are Cliff Crews, Dudley; C. 0. Coggins, Hart- well; Jimmy Brown, Waycross; Trammell Carmichael, Canton; Carl Bowen, member of th e Dooly County Board of Commis- sioners, Vienna; and Julian Mingledorff, Hinesville. Joe Collins, Macon, was unavailable for the picture. In the other photo, James C. Turn er, Jr. is accompanied by his wife, Jane, as he accepts the coveted national award from Thomas C. N elson of the N ational Forests System while Director Shirley l ooks on. Other photos include meeting scene, display floor. 5 [!J wo Georgia Counties- Emanuel and Ware- have long set aside a time each spring for the observances of forest festivals, gala celebrations featuring street parades, banquets and beauty pageants. This year, the festivities in Swainsboro and Waycross were more elaborate than ever before. The citizens of Swainsboro and Emanuel County celebrated the 35th annual Pine Tree Festival the first week in May and Ware Countians attended a series of events in Waycross May 5-10 in celebration of the 23rd annual Ware County Fest ivai. Both counties are in rich pineland regions ANNUAL of the state and the annual celebrations serve to spotlight the tremendous role the forests play in the economic life of Emanuel and Ware. Ranger Leon Ray of the Emanuel County Forest Unit and Ranger R. T. Kirkland of the Ware County Unit, Georgia Forestry Commission, are active in the observances each year. Festivals Tammy Martin, daughter of Mr . and Mrs. Jack Martin of Swainsboro, was named Miss Emanuel County Forestry during the festival at Swainsboro. Beside the pageant, a colorful parade was held under the direction of Edwin Canady. The theme this year was BIGGER THAN EVER! "Pine Tree Pride- the 35th Time." The pageant queen selected during the Ware County celebration was Paula Simmons, daughter of Rev. and Mrs . David Simmons. The 4-H award went to Michael Green and the FFA award was won by Sammy Sweat. Other awards and the winners were the Ware Master Tree Farmer Award, Joel Tanner; Woodman of the World Conservation Award, Robert Peagler; Forestry Promotional Award, William Denton and Cecil Tanner; School Posters Awards, Christopher Cooper and Randy Wiggins. Above: Robert Peagler of War e County, left, is presented the Woo dma n o f the World Conservation Award by Donald Outlaw. Above, right, Tammy Martin, wmner of Mtss Emanuel Coun ty Forestry at the Swainsboo celebration. In photo at right, Joel Tanner, right, is p resented the Ware Master Tree Farmer A wa rd by Charles Walker. Far right, Paula Simm ons 6 1\ crowned Mtss Ware County Forescry. t he Georgia Forestry Commission joins industry and other forestry organiza- tions in the state and throughout the nation in the pro- motion of the American Tree Farm System. Last year, Mr. E. E. (Gene) Yawn of Eastman was named Geor- gi