Georgia forestry, Vol. 34, no. 1 (Mar. 1981)

Received
i APR 0 6 1981
DOCUMENTS UGA LIBRARIES

Georgia

FORESTRY
USPS No . 217120

Mar. 1981

No. 1

Vol. 33

George Busbee Governor A. Ray Shirley - Director

BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Jim L. Gillis, Jr ., chairman, Soperton Felton Denney, Carr ollton Eley C. Frazer, Ill, Albany Robert Simpson. Ill, Lakeland Henry E. Williams, Woodbine
STAFF
Frank E. Craven, Editor Howard E. Bennett, Associate Editor Thomas B. Hall, Artist
DISTRICT OFFICES
Coosa V alley P. 0. Box Z, Mt. Berry 30149
North Georgia Rt. 7, Box 83, Canton 30114
Atlanta 7 Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr . Room 545, Atlanta 30334
Chattahoochee FIint P. 0. Box 1080, Newnan 30263
Mel ntosh Trail Rt . 7, Box 455, Griffin 30223
Middle Flint Rt. 1, Bo x 23A, Americu s 31709 Coastal Pl ain Rt . 2, A shburn 31714
Southwest Georgia Rt . 2, Box 215, Camilla 31730
Georgia Southern Rt . 2, St atesboro 30458
Coastal P. 0 . Box 113, Midway 31320
Slash Pine Rt. 6, Box 167, Waycross 31501
Central Savannah River Rt. 2, Box 266, Washington 30673
Georgia Mountains Rt . 11 , Bo x 37, Gain esv ill e 30501
Northeast Geo rgi a Rt. 4, Box 168A, Athens 30605
Heart of Georgia Rt. 1, Box 46, Helena 31 037
Middle Georgia Rt . 8, Columbus Rd., Macon 31206
Oconee Hwy. 49, Milledgeville 31061
Georgia Forestry is published quarterly by the Georgia Forestry Commission, Rt. 1, Bo x 181, Dry Bran ch, Ga. 31020. Second class postage paid at Manchester. Ga .

Cruising The News

ARBOR DAY APPROPRIATE

It is very app ropri ate that Georg ia o bserve Arbor Day on Feb. 20. This observation shou ld cause every Ameri ca n to pause, reflect upon the past, evaluate the present and plan so that the future will hold promise.
The early settlers paid litt le attentio n if any to the total value of the forest.
The cold steel of the axe laid waste to the forest. Habitat for game was destroyed, erosion took place and the streams became polluted . Wildlife, including fish, w as destroyed or their kind decreased in large numbers. Part of the food supply and the timber potential were destroyed or decreased. The lost beauty of the forest and the unclear streams were anot her result of the early settlers not thinking of the future.
Tod ay, we are blessed with a beautiful countryside, with new stocks of wildlife and strea ms that have been cleared and restocked with fish .

For this reason we should remember the importance of conservation. Howeve r, the economic f actor should weigh heavily in our thinking and act ion. The products of the forest provide many jobs directly and indirectly for our people. The products and by-products bring comfort and happiness to Americans everywhere.
If you hunt, travel the trails through the forest, work in the forest or from the forest receive economic gains, then think of the importance of conservation. Remember the great cost caused by the forest being destroyed by fire .
Help prevent forest fires and help save the forest for all. It is your future that you are protecting.
(From the Columbia County News)

AGENCY TEAMWORK PRAISED

We often give the bureaucrats a whack on the backside because we believe they deserve it . We would be most unfair if we didn 't pin roses on them when they do something right .
Roses are due. This week, four state agencies joined forces to try to do so meth i ng extremely worthwhile - saving lives.
The st ate Department of Transportat ion, the Georgia Forestry Commission, the State Patrol and the State Agricultural E xpe riment Station at Tifton teamed up to try to keep any more lives from being lost along a particularly hazardous stretch of Interstate 75 in Cook County . If you have read your paper lately, you know that smoke from a smoldering peat bog has reduced visibility to zero at times and four people have died in two separate traffic acci dents.

The Forestry Comm ission is flooding the bog and the DOT is su pplying m anpowe r and coordinating the effort. The experiment station provided irrigation pipe for the effort and the state patrol is m ak ing sure traffic either slows down or avoids the area altogether.
In addition, the DOT is studying the fe asibility of buying the bog to keep any more fires from getting into it.
Th at's nice but it's a long w ay off. We 're happy to see the efforts by these state agencies now to prevent any more loss of life and serious injury.
It would be great if all public agencies would steal a page from this episode and move as quickly when the need ar ises.
(From Valdosta Daily Times)

CONTENTS

Market Found for Inferior Timber.... . .. ....... . ....... . .... .. .. .. . .

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Wood to Heat Franklin School. ...... ....... . ..... . . . ... ..... .... .. .

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Commission Fights Stubborn Bog Fire . ... . .... . .. . .. ... ..... . ... . .. . .

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Retirement Time for Two. . . . . . ... ........ .. . . .. .. . ....... . . .. . . .. .

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Debris Burning Leads Fire Cause List............. . .. .. . ....... .. ... . .

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Report Reflects Energy Emphasis. . .... ................... . ... .... . . .

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Death Claims Pilot, Retired Forester. .. . ..... . . ...... .............. . . .

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Cut and Leave Project Successful ... . .. .. . .......... ..... .. . . . .. .. ... .

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AI Smith Honored by Society ...... ..... ................ . .. ... ... .. . 10

Two Districts Combine....... . ............ . .. ..... . .... .......... . 11

County Forestry Pageants Held..... . .. ...... ...... .. .. . . ... . . ... . . . . 11

Letters, Logging the Foresters. . ... . ..... .. .... ..... ... .. ... . . . . ... . . 12

Feature Page . ......... . .. . . ... .... . . .. ................ ......... . 13

Awards...... .. . ..... . . . ..... . . .. .... . . . ..... . .... . ... ... .. . .. . 14

ON THE COVER - Arbor Day was reinstituted at Fort Benning this year under the leadership of Major General David E. Grange, Jr., Commanding General. Taking part in the Arbor Day celebration were, left to right, Floyd Cook , forester, Georgia Forestry Commission; Julie Mcleod, a 5th grade student at E. N. White School located on the Base; and Mrs . David Grange .
Georgia Forestry Commission/March 1981

Thomas Alexander's 300 acres of scenic mountain forestland has towering Brasstown Bald -Georgia's highest mountain peak - as a dramatic backdrop and at first sight, you would probably consider it a crime to cut even one tree from such a picturesque setting!
On closer examination, however, it becomes obvious that the Union County la ndowner's forest is not unlike al l others in th at nature does not allow eve ry tree to be a perfect specimen.
For many years, Al exander had to watch crooked, stunted and otherwise undesirable trees grow on the mountain slopes alongside straight and healthy timber. There was no market for such species and cost of removal for the sake of stand improvement would have been prohibitive.
Last summer, however, the waste material became an asset. Thank s to a revival of wood as a source of home heating, Alexander's defective poplars, oaks, and other hardwoods were destined to heat many of the homes of nearby Blairsville and the countryside. Some would end up on the Atlanta market.
Alexander is not directly in the fuel wood business, but se ll s cull logs to an organization some eight miles from his property that cuts and splits the material into firewood. The processing plant is owned by Gold Kist, a farmer cooperative which markets the product.
Crawford Cooper, a graduate forester with the Georgia Forestry Commission, works in cooperation with the Southern Solar Energy Center and the Tennessee Valley Author ity in dealing with Alexander and other landowners in the area in developing an incentive for providing wood for the processors who are now cutting wood from log lengths, splitting and in some instances, bundling the wood with steel straps.
Forester Cooper, coordinator of the pilot fuel wood program which is sponsored by the Southern Solar Center, sa id the project has many advantages. He said Alexander and others who own hardwood can now se ll logs that were formerly con sidered non -merchant a bl e and at the same time improve th ei r st ands by th e thinning process.
He pointed out that the harvest of fuel wood also increases e mploym ent in the area and provides the consumer with a convenient supply .
Alexa nder said cu tting and re moving logs from the steep mountain slopes of his property "is no probl e m" as he is used to working on th at type terra in. He said he has been farming and logging all hi s adu lt life, except for several war y ears
Georgia Forestry Co mmission/ M ar ch 1981

MOUNTAIN FORESTLAND OWNER DISCOVERS

READY MARKET FOR UNDESIRABLE TREES

when he served with an armored division of the U. S. Army in Europe.
He recalled driving three different tanks a total of 5,500 miles during his service time in Europe and most of the mileage was in combat zones. Th e Union County native said on at least two occasions his tank was the only one to survive in some of the most fierce battles .
Alexander returned home and worked as a hay farmer and logger after th e war and later began to turn some of his pro perty into a camping area. It didn't take long for word of his mountain retreat to

spread and now he m ainta ins four cot tages and 77 scenic camp sites. Some are tucked in a valley, while several are on
slopes. He flatt ened the peak of a moun tain to provide several sites with a spectacular view of a dist :mt mounta in range.
In cl e aring th e campsites an d trails for his tourist business, Al exander uses some of th e wood to split and se ll to th e ca mpers. Th e qu ality oak logs on his property usu ally go for cross-tie production.
Alexande r, who was the first resident of Union County to have a butane gas system instal led on his p lace, has now swi tch ed back to wood for his home heating.
Ale xa nd er, a nd hi s wife, Martha, each winter load up their camper and head for Florida for a few weeks. T hey visit many of th e camping fri ends who have found accomod ati ons at their mountain campgrounds through the years.
Upon hi s return, the hard working logger will again take his chain saw up the mountainside and begin felling trees for the rapidly growing firewood industry. He estimates it will take a bout ten years to cut out all the timber on his property that should be utili zed for firewood.
Top photo: Landowner Thomas Alexander, left, and Forester Crawford Cooper pause on a mountain slope to discuss Christmas tree planting on cleared area. At left, they survey timber to be cut for firewood.
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Workmen install heating equipment for Franklin County school. A building was later constructed around the installation.

At two o'clock on the afternoon of January 19, Patrolman James Abbot glanced across the flat South Georgia landscape from his vantage point in the fire tower at the Cook County Forestry Unit in Adel and saw white smoke rising just beyond a tract of tall pines.
The seasoned observer and firefighter immediately knew the location of the fire and the type fuel that was feeding it, but he didn't know that it was the beginning of a stubborn battle that would take four lives and attract national attention before its smoldering embers were dead out.
The tower operator reported to Ran ger John Mainor that the fire was in Heart Pine Bay, a 110-acre peak bog just
750 yards off Interstate Highway 75. Normally, fire in the dry swamp would burn across the top of the bog and was easily controlled, the ranger said, but when the report came this time, he knew that the prolonged drought in the area could mean real trouble.
Men and equipment were immediately dispatched to the scene and as firebreaks were being plowed around the big swamp, Ma inor wa s on the phone a lerting Sheriff

SCHOOL TO HEAT WITH WOOD

Equipment has been installed at the b1g Franklin County Comrrehensive High School at Carnesville to convert means of heating from electricitY to green wood chips.
Work on the Georg1a Forestry Com mission project was recently completed and the system will be operational at the beginning of the fall heating season, ac cording to John Mixon, Chief of the Commission's Research Depa1 tment.
Mixon explained that the wood fired system, which was built by Energy Re sources Systems of M1nneapol1s, Minn., will replace an electrical system that formerly heated water, which in turn heated the classrooms and other areas of the school complex. He said the electrica l system, however, would be kert intact for use as a back-up system.
The research chief sa1d the Franklin County Board of Educat1on cooperated 1n the project and financial assistance came from the Georgia Office of Energy Resources. He sa1d the 100 hp direct fired voocl ~ystem would be closely monitored
dPt rrrmw ts effic1ency and savings t E r fuPIS , 111 1t s bel1eved the system t w \1 hool from 1/3 to 1/ 2 of 1 rPVIOU~ pPnt for the electri

The Franklin County syste m is o n e o f several school heating p ro jec ts b e 1ng pl a n ned by the Com m ission. A sys tem was comrleted last year at Union Co unty Junior High School in Bla 1rsvi ll e t o replace a fuel oil system.
NEWSPAPERS PUBLISH
FORESTRY EDITIONS
T wo newsrapers las t month publi sh ed special "Keer Georgi a Gree n" editions in a salute to forest ry a nd its impact on the economy and we ll be in g o f th e ir com munities.
In its specia l ed it io n , Th e Adel Ne ws used the the me: " Our Fo rests The Lifeline of Cook Co unty. " The paper featured various activ iti es of th e Com missio n's Cook Co unty Fo restry Unit and a survey of woo d us ing indu stri es in th e area.
The Colu m bia News in Martine z pub lished a special Arbo r Day se ction to coincide with the annu a l obse rva nce. Columbia County Fo restry Unit personnel worked closely w ith the new spape r and public schoo ls in p rovi ding tr ees for rl a nt ing cere m onies th rou ghout th e county .
The Co mmi ssion's Education Department aided both pape rs in compiling materia l for the specia l editions.

A peat bog is characterized by partially carbonized vegetable tissue formed by partial decomposition in water of certain plants. The remains of sphagnum mosses, the grayish plants found in such swamps or bogs, become impacted with other plant debris to form peat. In some areas of the world, dried hlocks of peat are used as fuel. Peat moss is often used for packing plants for shipment.
Charles Bryant of the fire near the high way. The Cook County sheriff in turn notifi ed the State Patrol and the Depart ment of Transportation. The ranger's ac tion was in keeping with the Commission's po licy of notifica tion when fire or smoke threatens to impair visibility on a high way .
Th e ranger said his men spent five hours at the fire scene during their initial visit. He e x pl a ined that the dry peat moss smoldered beneath the surface, but by nightfall the fire was under control and very little smoke was visible.
Meantime, the State Patrol closed a section of th e Interstate adjacent to the bog and heavy traffic was detoured onto se ve ra l s tate and county roads. The Geor gia De partment of Transportation moved in to help with tr affic warnings and some of the DOT bulldozers were pressed into se rvice to aid Ma inor and his men in plow ing in the swamp. The local sheri ff a nd

Georgi a Forestry Commission/ March 1981

other law enforcement people in the area also helped direct traffic .
Mai nor said his unit continued to man itor the scene and when smoke intensified, the trouble spots were plowed. He sa id thick smoke drifted onto th e nearby highway several times an d the busy traffic artery had to be closed.
"Although we plowed firebreaks a round th e bog three times, walked it many tim es and called in our ai r patrol to make sure the fire was contained," the ranger said, "we couldn't entirely suppress the smoke ...the peat moss was burn ing three feet underground in so me places and only water, and lots of it, would ever put it out."
A Commission helicopter dropped thousands of gallons of water on the bog, but it continued to smoke. The Commis sian arranged with a landowner to t ap in to two of his irrigation wells and pipelines were laid to the swamp. They were soon pumping 2,500 gallons of water per minute into the area.
The worst day of the long ordeal ca me on Sunday, January 25, when three pea pie were killed on the highway during the ea rly morning hours when it was said that a combination of smoke from the bog and heavy fog brought about poor visi bility. Eleven people were injured in the series of accidents that occured that morning, according to law enforcement officers.
At this point, Geo rgia and Florida newspaper and television reporters and camera crews began to converge on Mainor's office. Th e story w as televised on the CBS Evening News through a network affiliate in Jacksonville . Th e fir e that the towerman had spotted seven days before had become a national news story.
Some rainfall came on the seventh day of the fire, Mainor said, but it was not enough to extinguish the burning peat moss. The around-the-clock flow from

(Pho to by Ann e O 'Conn or, Adel N ews)
THE GREAT BOG FIRE
IRRIGATION PUMPS WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK FLOODED THE AREA WITH MORE THAN 20,000,000 GALLONS OF WAT ER

the irrigation lines, howeve r, gradu a lly turned the bog are a into a fl o od ed po nd. Pockets of smok e continu ed t o rise in some of the higher spots a nd a he lico pte r was again called in to mak e wate r dr o ps.

It was we ll into February a nd afte r con sid e rable ra infa ll in th e area before Ra nge r Ma inor decla red th at th e big bo g fir e was fina ll y ext ingui shed .

Above, a Com missi on helicopter drops water on the !Jig swamp. Below left_ Ranger Mainor checks underground frre and photo at right sho ws bog after irrrgation p umps had begun to flood it.

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VETERAN FORESTER, RANGER END CAREERS

John Clarke, urban forester of the Macon metropolitan area for the past eight years, has retired from the Georgia Forestry Commission after 27 years of service.
A native of Florence, South Carolina, the forester began his career with the Commission in 1954 as forester for Geor gia's state parks and later served in the Management Department in the Macon office.
Clarke attended Clemson University and later entered the University of Georgia, where he graduated with a degree in forestry in 1939. Following graduation, he worked with the South Carolina State Commission of Forestry until he entered the U.S. Army in 1941.
He served in combat zones in Africa a nd Italy during World War II and following discharge, he again worked with the state agency in South Carolina. H-: resigned to become forester for a lumber com-

Forester John Clarke, shown at left, attends to some last minute details in his office in Macon as he prepares to retire from the Commission. At right, Ranger Ed Richardson wraps up his business at the unit office in Mt. Vernon prior to his retirement.
rany in his native city for six years prior to his association with the Georgia Fo restry Commission.
The forester and his wife, the former Miss Ophelia Hardy of Washington, have
a daughter, Dottle , who now l1ves 1n Carrollton.
Clarke and his wife a re members of Ingleside Baptist Church. They plan to remain in Macon.

A dinn e r in honor of the retiring for ester was held in Maco n by Commi ssio n fri e nd s.
Forest Ranger Ed Richardson of the Montgomery-Treutlen-Wheeler Unit retired from se rvice with the Commission March 1.
Richa rdson came with the Commission in J a nu a ry o f 1953 as a patrolman and was na med assista nt ranger the following year.
A native of Lumber City, he graduated from Montgomery County High School and attended Brewton Parker College for two years. He se rved four year s in the U.S . Army .
The retired ra nge r and hi s wife, Clara, have thre e children, Mary, Eddie Sue and Milton. They a re me mbers of the Ba ptist Church in Mt. Vernon.
Fellow workers and other friends of Richardson honored him at a dinner Feb. 26 in Dublin.

DEBRIS BURNING AGAI~~ TOP CAUSE OF FOREST FIRES

A f1re summary for calendar y ear 1980 revealed that debris burning was again the Number One cause of forest wildfires.
Jim Turner, Chief of the Commission's Forest Protection Department, said de bris burning accounted for 3,425 fires durin g the yec; and burned 13,082 acres.
Turner said fires from all causes burned 44,718 acres, and th e avera ge fire was hel d to 4.37 acres.
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The annual statewide summary showed incendiary fir es ranked second last year with 2,496 fir es destroying 14,078 acres. Other causes were smoking, with 959 fires burning 4,293 acres; mi scell a neous, 775 fires burning 1,832 acres; equipment, 511 fires burning 1,756 acres; lightning, 471 fires burning 4,763 ac res; an d campfires, 77 fir es burning 408 acres.
The G eorgia su mm a ry a lso included a

five y ea r f ire occurrence record which revealed a total of 65,1 13 fir es for the period, with an annual average of 13,022.
Georg1a Fo rest ry Commission/March 1981

COMMISSION REPORT

REVEALS PROGRESS

IN ENERGY PROJECTS
Th e ut iIiza t ion o f for es t was t es as a source of economical ene rgy continued to be the major goal of the Georgia Forestry Commission in fisc a l ye a r 1980, according to th e Commission's a nnu a l report.
The report emphasized that a conce ntrated campaign to alert Georgi a ns to the great w ealth of forest m a t e ri al a va il a ble for heating and other energy purposes was begun two ye a rs ago a nd e nc o ur aging results are now being seen.
The Commission, during the year, spearheaded several resea rch, engin eering and conservation projects aimed at providing efficient heating systems.
A 25 million BTU gasification syste m using gre e n wood chips as fuel h as b ee n installed at the Northwest Regiona l Hospital in Rom e . Th e syste m will rep lace natural gas a nd fuel oil prese ntly be ing used.
In other wood e nergy de ve lopme nts, a three million BTU hot a ir crop d ry e r h as bee n developed. The chip furn ace, moun ted on a trailer, will be used to dry va rious types of grains and soybeans .
A pilot wood chip h ea ting sys t e m h as been inst a ll ed a t th e Union County Jun ior High School and a 3 .3 milli o n BTU wood chip syste m h as just be e n in st all ed at the Franklin County High School. Oth e r wood chip he ating sy st e m s w ill be installed a t correction a l fac iliti es in Dodge and Walker Counties and at the Tre utl en County High School. In a ddition , th e report pointed out th a t most Geo rgi a fo res t industry now uses w oo d f o r pa rt o r a ll o f their energy ne eds.
The annual re port revea led th a t t he Commission achi e ve d th e bes t fir e s up p ression record in it s hi st o ry w hen the aver age s ize fir e w as he ld to o nly 3.92 acres . Th e re were 7,422 for es t f ires in th e Sta te compared to 14,455 the p re vi ous year. Debris burning was the numbe r one cause of forest fire s for th e fou rth consecutive year .
The Commi ssion -s pon sore d Rura l F ire Defense progra m, involving vo lunteer fir e departme nts, saved prope rty valued at $73,000,000. A total of 10,464 fire responses were m ad e to fac ilitate th e p lan ned expansion of fir e fighti ng effo rts countywide. Commi ss ion for es t er s co m pl e ted m aster fir e pl a ns in 32 counties .
Fo rest m a nage m e nt ass ist ance was giv-
Georgi a Fo restry Comm iss ion / March 1981

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BENJAMIN WAT KINS

FRANK PULLEN

T he Commi ssi on re gr ets t h e lo ss of Aircr aft Pilot Benj a min Wa tk in s and re t ired Fo res t e r Fr a nk Pu ll en in recent weeks and express es symp a thy t o t h e fa mili es of th ese two fi ne m en.
Be nj a m in Wa t kins , J r., a pi lot stationed in the Commissi on' s Sta t es boro Dist ric t , di ed in a p lane c ras h in the line of duty.
A n a t ive o f Monroe, Wa t ki ns came wi t h the Commission in 1965 on te m porar y sta tu s and became a fu llt im e pilot t h e fo ll owing ye a r. He a t tended Norwich U n iversity in Ver m o nt and Georgi a Milit a ry Co ll ege in Milledge vil le.
Watkins, w h o is survived by his wife, Marga ret, a nd t wo so n s, Be nj a min , Ill , a n d S tep hen, se rved more than 22 years in th e U.S . Air Fo rce. He was a member o f th e Baptist Church.
Fra nk Pu llen, w h o came with the Commi ss ion in 1940, began hi s long ca reer in t h e Ca lh o u n District office. A gradu a te o f th e U.live rs ity of Georgi a , th e fo rester a lso had assignments in th e Commi ssi on's nurseries and see d o rc h ards and served as Dist ri ct Forester in Rome. At t h e t ime o f h is retire m ent in 1979, h e w as a m a n ageme nt fore st e r sta t ioned in the Colu m bus District.
He died sudd en ly o f a heart a ttack Febru a ry 6 a t h is h o m e in T a lbotton. Fo res t er Pu ll e n, a n at ive o f Cohutta, is surv ived by hi s w ife, Ge rt r ude, and o ne son , J oe.

e n to m o re th an 5 8 ,000 Georg ia la ndo wn e rs a nd a id was p rov id ed 1,424 for es t processo rs and manufacturers. Some 4,500 forest mana ge m en t pl a n s we re p repared t o help landowners bette r m ana ge t he ir t imbe rl a nd s. Co m mi ss ion fo res t e rs se rviced 1,6 21 requ ests from la ndown e rs unde r the Forest Incentives Progr am ( F IP).
Com m iss ion entomologi st s coope rated in severa l rese arch p roj e cts t o de velop new control techniqu es fo r t he southern p ine beetle. Bee tl e- ki lled trees tota led 878,89 1 cords of wood a nd the insect w as f o und ac t ive in 8 9 co un ties during th e yea r. A p pro x imate ly 421,867 cords we re ha rves ted a nd m a rk eted through sal vage operat ions encouraged by the

Commiss io n . T h is epidem ic of the sou t he rn p in e bee t le was brought under control.
More than 77 percent of the seedling crop o f 6 1,785,000 seedlings were of the ge net ical ly im prove d type which will prod uce about 20 percent more fiber per acre. About 77 million seedlings were planted for the 1980-8 1 planting season to meet the anticipated deman d by Georgia landowner s.
Ray Shirley, Commission Director, said th e comprehensive report refl ects a y ea r of consi der able progress in the many fore stry programs administered by the agency. Geo rgi a is one o f the nation's lea der s and severa l projects undertaken in 1981 should furth er enhance its standin g.

FOR FELL AND LEAV E TO BE EFFECTIVE, ALL INFESTED TREES AND BUFF ER STRIP TREES SHOULD BE FELL ED WITH THE TOPS TOWARD THE CENTER OF THE SPOT.
STUDY TERMED SUCCESSFUL
ENTOMOLOGISTS COMPLETE TWO COUNTY CUT AND LEAVE PROJECT TO CONTROL BEETLES

They explained that for each replicate, six trees containing larvae as the predominate southern pine beetle life stage were selected for study.
These were randomly designated as treatment trees and three control trees. All trees in the infestation except the three control trees were then felled according to standard cut and leave procedures. Disc shaped bark samples were re moved from four sample heights (6, 12, 18 and 24 feet) on all study trees. The bark samples were then taken to the laboratory where x-rays were made to determine total adult gallery length of each sample.
Five days after the cut and leave procedure, 18-inch bolt sections at nine and 21 feet on each infested tree were cut. These were placed individually in rearing containers and held in sheltered outdoor insectaries to evaluate brood emergence.
Treatment affects were evaluated for ten replicates established in eight infestations. Nine of the ten showed a mean net reduction in brood production.
The entomologists pointed out that cut and leave is more effective during summer months when temperatures and day length are at their maxima and that site and stand factors relating to aspect, stand density, area cleared and bark thickness of treated trees also modify treatment effects.
In addition to mortality induced, the cut and leave tactic serves to disrupt beetle dispersal patterns. The investigators referred to an earlier study which concluded that surviving beetles apparently have a difficult time focusing new attacks and re-establishing spots after such treatments.

A pro jec t to determin e t he e ff e ctive -

Th e two counties chosen for th e de-

ness o f c ut a nd lea ve as a techniq ue for mon stra tion were among the 44 that were

co ntr o lling so uthern pin e beetle infesta - e xperiencing epidemic infestations in Feb-

tions h as been co mpleted in a two -county ruary of 1980 . The majority of spots in

a rea o f Geo rgi a a nd Co mmi ssi on e ntomo- the two counties ranged in the 26 to 50

logists sa id t hey are we ll plea sed with re- tree size - a size spot said to be ideal to

sults o f t he study .

work with in a cut and leave operation.

The ove rall o bject ives o f the demon -

Entomologists Terry Price and Kerry

t ration, whi ch was held in Greene and Thomas said t~e program was initiated as

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Ta liaferro Co u nt ies, were to determine an opportunity to evaluate within-tree

the effects of cut and leave on beetle population reduction induced by the cut

populations and w hether or not the and leave method. An evaluation proce-

m ethod coul d be just if ie d economically dure was designed to investigate brood

and ope rationa ll y o ver a multi-county ;eduction based on comparisons of felled

area.

and standing trees in single spots.

Georgia Forestry Commission/ Ma rch 1981

Project personnel pointed out that none of the spots treated in the program showed evidence of proliferation following treatment, but beetle populations were clearly on the decline during the period and no valid impact could be realized. It was noted, however, that no acti ve Southern pine beetle spots were detected in Greene and Taliaferro Coun ties in September of 1980.
This evidence, they said, w as based on aeria l surveys conducted in September and the two counties were the only ones in a nine-county area that did not have active spots.
A report on the study concluded that eve ry spot that was cut in Greene County was picked up for salvage within one month - work that was not anticipated, but well apprecia ted.
The demonstration stimulated a lot of interest and created incentives for the landowners to provide assistance to a worthwhile endeavor, according to thereport, and wood producers and forest In dustry personnel were cooperative in working with the Commission .
The Commission investigators in the project were joined by personnel from the Department of Entomology, University of Georgi a. Other participants included the U. S. Forest Service and some forest industries.
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THE SOUTHERN PINE BEETLE
BIOLOGICAL ACKGR UND
The Southern Pine Beetle was fir st described by Zimm er mann in th e "1868 Transactions of the American Entomologica l Society." Th e ge ne ral biology of the beetl e has been documented by several other scien tists.
Th e Southern Pin e Beetle is short-legged, stou t, a nd about 1/ 8 -inch long. Mature beetles a re dark reddish-brown. Fe mal e beetles initiate the attack and after initial gallery construction are joined by th e m a les.
When populations are la rge , thou sands of beetle pairs may inv ad e a si ngl e tree. Each pair constructs a winding S-shaped gallery between the bark an d the wood. The pea rly w hite eggs, ju st vi sib le to the naked eye, a re
deposited singly in individual niches cut into the sides of each ga ll ery. Eggs hatch into whitish, legless larvae, which a re about 1/ 8-inch long
when fully developed. Newly hatch ed larvae mine in th e soft inner bark; older larvae mine outward into the drier corky bark. When fully grown, the larvae change to the resting stage or pupa.
Following pupation, the young adults chew exi t holes through the bark, emerge, and disperse in search of suitab le host m ater ia l. Th e duration of the life cycle may vary from 26 days in the summer to three and a half months in the winter.
The beetle typically kills pines in group s ranging in size from a few trees to stands of several acres in size. In th e sp ring and summer, pine need les turn yellow or straw-colored over the entire crown within two to three weeks after the tree has been attacked, an d finally turn a reddish-brown. Attacked trees m ay rem ai n green for longer periods during th e winter.
The insect over-winters in the egg, larval, pup al , or adult stage beneath or within the bark. Some adults may become active when daytime temperatures exceed 58F. In some cases, they infest nearby he al thy trees.
Over -wi nt e ring brood s reach maturity, emerge, and usua lly begin to attack uninfested trees during early spring. In Georgia, there may be as many as seven generations per year.
The mechanisms a nd factors influencing Southern Pine Beetle flight and attack behavior during dispersa l are not fully understood. It is known, however, that during this period th e beet les are directly affected by natural ene mi es and a dverse weath er conditions. Flight and new attack usually begins in the early spring and ceases by mid-November in Georgia .

Gear ia Fo restr o ission March 1981

In addition, a wood chipping operation will be shown .
The purpose of the demonstration will be to show methods and actual cos t figures involved in site preparation and planting . Owners of heavy equipment , with some equipment modifications, will be encouraged to get into the site preparation business .
Other topics to be discussed include the 208 provision and best management practices, financial benefits to the landowner, and the potential for equipment dealers and others who may be thinking about getting into the site preparation business .
For further information contact Dr. Leonard A. Hampton, Chairman, Committee for Continuing Education for Foresters, Room 121, University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education , Athens, GA 30602 or call 404-542 -3063.

BURKE IS PULPWOOD

PRODUCTION LEADER

AI Smith, Commission Administration Chief, right, responds to presentation made by Governor George Busbee, while Mrs. Smith looks on.

SMITH MANAGER OF THE YEAR

AI Smith, Chief of the Commi ssion's Forest Admini stration Department , has been named Manager of the Y ear for 1981 by the Georgia Society of Certified Managers , Inc.
Smith, a graduate forester who began his career as forest ranger in Cook Coun ty in 1951, was presented the award by Governor George Busbee in ceremonies at the capitol.
George C. Askew, president of the Society, which was founded in 1977, said the first annual award last year went to Secretary of State David Poythress . Askew said Smith was one of many nomi nees subm itted by the various state agencies this year and he was selected for the honor because of his "very outstanding achievements . "
Ray Shirley, Commission director, nominated Smith and told the gathering that the administrator has a " creative talent for new ideas and improved ways of doing things ... He has the ingenuity to solve problems regardless of difficulty and the judgement to make sound, practi cal decisions ."
The Governor praised Smith for initi ating several projects that conserve energy and for his ability to work effectively with other state agencies.
Sm ith, a native of Bluffton, South
10

Carolina, and a Navy veteran, earned several rapid promotions after his initial position as county ranger . He served on the district level in several sections of the state and was transferred to the central office in Macon in 1970 to become assistant to the administrative chief. He was named head of Forest Administration in 1976.
Askew, who is with the Department of Transportation, said Smith and others in the society are certified managers in public agencies and all have met rigid standards to qualify for membership .
Smith's wife, June, accompanied her husband to the capitol for the presentation ceremony .
SITE AND PLANTING
DEMONSTRATION SET
Loggers, contractors, foresters, site preparation vendors , and heavy equipment dealers are invited to a demonstration of site preparation and tree plan~ing.
The one -day demonstration will be held May 2 at a site just south of Madison . The site will be prepared with heavy equipment, demonstrating proper meth ods of preparing land to plant seedlings .

Burke County has been Iisted as the top county in Georgia in pulpwood production for 1979, the most recent ye ar in which the stati stics are available.
The report shows that Burke County produced 161,752 cords of pulpwood during the year and Laurens County w as second with 158,764 cords.
Other counties that produced more than 100,000 cords were Stewart, Crawford, Clinch, Brantley, Wayne, Decatur, Ware and Meriwether.
The other ten counties rounding out the top twenty , with production ranging from 80 ,000 to 99,500 cords, were Ba con, Liberty, Coffee, Ben Hill, Troup , Dodge , Appling , Pierce, Glynn and Cam den .
PROTECTION DIRECTOR
RETIRES FROM SERVICE
Willard A. Tikkala, Director of Coop erative Fire Protection in the Forest Service, USDA, headquarters in Washington, D.C., has announced his retirement after more than 33 years of service . Effective date for his retirement was December 26, 1980.
As Director of Cooperative Fire Protection, Tikkala was responsible for the leadership, planning and technical direction of the National Cooperative Fire Pro tection Program which involved contri buting to the welfare of people in rural areas through more effective prevention , presuppression, and suppression measures on State and private lands.
Georgia Forestry Commission/March 1981

McLENDON

BUNN

DYKE AND SHARP

Ed Dodd, right, cartoonist and creator of the "Mark Trail" comic strip, has been awarded the Heath Cooper Rigdon Award by the Soil Conservation Society of America. The award, given for being the Conservation Writer of the Year, was presented by Robert W. Oertel, shown at left, a member of the SCSA Awards Committee. The award was presented to Dodd for his long-time personal commitment to natural resources conservation and for telling the conservation story to millions of people throughout the world through the "Mark Trail" comic strip, which today appears in more than 250 newspapers daily. About 35 foreign newspapers also carry the strip. Dodd's personal commitment to conservation comes to life through the strip "Mark Trail", and through his episodes, explores a wide range of natural resource topics, including soil, water, air and wildlife resources and land development issues.
TWO DISTRICTS COMB NED
Forestry Commission personnel re assignments in recent months include the transfer of District Forester Joel W. Hall, Jr., from the Americus District to the Waycross District. Hall assumed the post in Waycross following the recent retire ment of District Forester James A. Henson.
Meantime, District Forester Rowe Wall of the Columbus District was transferred to Americus. The Columbus and Americus districts were combined and Wall now heads the larger district, which comprises 16 counties.
Counties in the consolidated district include Harris, Muscogee, Quitman, Randolph, Stewart, Talbot, Terrell, Webster, Chattahoochee, Crisp, Dooly, Macon, Marion, Schley, Sumter and Taylor.
The combined area has been designated District No. 7.
Geor ia Forestr Commission/ Mar h 1981

THREE MISS FORESTRY
CONTESTANTS NAMED
Three counties have a lready selected young ladies to represent their area s in a statewide pageant this summer in which the Miss Georgia Forestry of 1981 will be chosen.
Judges at the Treutlen County Pagean t selected Miss Michelle Mclendon of Soperton to compete for the state crown at Jekyll Island in June a nd Henry County will be represented by Nan Bunn. Dee Dyke, recently crowned Mi ss Ch attooga County Forestry, will re prese nt he r co un ty. Denise Fisher was runnerup . Many other counties will select local wi n ners t o participate in th e stat e pagea nt spo nsore d annually by th e Geo rg ia For est ry Association.
Miss Lisa Cl ark w as fir st r un ner u p in the Tre utl e n Co un ty Con t est a nd Miss Dawn Ha rdy was second place w inner in the Henry Cou nty Pageant.
Miss Mclendon, 16 , is t he d au ghte r o f Mr . and Mrs. Bobby Gene Mc l e n don of Soperto n. Fo llowing graduat io n from Tre utl e n County High School, she plans t o attend college and pursue a career in bus iness administration.
Miss Bunn, a junior at Stockbridge High School, is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. 0 . P. Bunn of Stockbrid ge.
Mi ss Dyke of Summerville is a junior co ll ege fresh m an. She is t he daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Marty Dyke.
Guy Sharp, a popular Atlanta TV personality, was master of ceremonies for t he Chattooga Pageant.

May I take th is means to thank you on be half of the citizens of Nelson, Georgia for furnishing a truck from the Forestry Commission for several weeks to transport water for their depleted water system.
If it had not been for your agency I don't know what this community would have done. As a State Representative, I feel good to know that there are state officials who are sensitive enough to go the extra mile for citizens who are in need.
William G. Hasty, Sr. Canton, Georgia
Thanks for inviting us to one of the most successful forestry demonstrations that I have ev<?r attended. Your "Wood Gasification and Energy Wood Harvesting Demonstration" not only showed how the utilization of wood for energy can help to alleviate energy supply problems and improve forest production , but also the dedication and abilities of your employees to plan. organize and achieve results.
It has been only about two years since you began to make plans for a wood energy program in Georgia. Today. it is obvious. by su c h achievements as the gasifier at Northwest Re gional Hospital, that your p la ns are being ful filled and that Georgia has one of the best wood energy programs in the Nation .
Robert D. Raisch , Area Director USDA, Forest Service Atlanta, Georgia
I can't thank you enough for your recent public service spots on WPLO Rad1o on how to buy f1rewood. As President of one of the South's largest firewood selling operations. I have been trying for years to educate the consumer. Your efforts are much appreciated. A well informed customer will be able to better see through the wall of cla1ms and assertions that many unscrupulous wood dealers erect. This will be better for them and best of all for us legitimate dealers.
Keep up the good work.
George S. Hart Firewood Company Atlanta, Georgia

Today we used the mformat1on folder you furnis hed abou t t h e Geo rgi a Wood Energy Pr o gram . I antici pa t e using th e f o lder more t h is y ea r .
Th ank you f o r y our inte rest and help with ob t aining good r efer en ce m at er ia ls. Th e stu den t s enjoy w o rk in g w it h m at er ia ls o th er th an the ir t ex t books.
Karen Stanfield Red Bud Jun ior H igh School Calhoun, Georgia
O n beha lf of t he en ti r e t ou r group, I w an t to express ou r t hanks for the exce llent p rogram you presented. We were imp ressed with t he attention we received fro m T o mmy M auldin and the rest o f his crew . Pl ease pass along ou r thanks to him and to O l ney at Berry Co ll ege.
Our i m p ressions o f f o restry in th e st at e o f Georgia are cer t ainly posi t ive. We all gaine d a great deal from our visit.
Michael A. Barnes Western Forest ry Cen ter Portland, Oregon
We would like to express our appreciation to the Glynn County Forestry Unit pe rson n el who assisted in controlling the fire in th e Marsh Oaks Subdivision of the Marshes of MacKay. The professional manner in which the two young men handled the situat ion was exemplary .
This fire, which destroyed much land and marsh area, blazed out of control for several hours. The only thmg that kept the fire from coming onto our property, and the property of others, were the fire breaks your staff cut. They worked long and hard, and their enduring patience under stress for such a long period was commendable.
We appreciate the Forestry Department and ask that you please express our sincere gratitude to those who were involved in fighting the fire in our subdivision.
Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Kemp, Jr. Bru nsw1ck. Georgia
We wish to thank the Forestry Unit of DeKalb County for their prompt attention to and expe r t handling of a fire on our property ... We are deeply grateful that one man. whose name we failed to get, was able with his t ractor to put out the fire and limit ou r loss. The DeKalb County Fire Department at Wesley Chapel, whose response was immed iate, cal led m the Forestry Commission, and we want everyone to know how grateful we are.

LOGGING
THE
fORESTERS
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DONN I E PRICE , who se rved as patr o l m an in th e Em anuel County Un it since comi n g wi th th e Co mm iss ion in 1973, has bee n nam ed ranger o f tha t unit. PRICE , a n ative of Ki te and a gradu at e of Jo hn so n Co u n ty High Schoo l , succee ds the late RANGER LEON RAY in t he post. T he new ranger and h is w ife, Gail,

PRIC E

WILLI A MS

and t heir t wo ch il dren m ak e t heir home in Swainsboro ... RANGER G ENE WILLIA MS now hea ds t he Jasper -Jones U nit. He was named ra nger fo ll owi ng th e ret irement o f RANGER MARVIN McM ICHAEL. He ca me with th e Commi ssio n in 19 76 as a pa trolm an in Irwin Coun t y an d was transf erred to Jas per County in t he sa me year. RANGER WILLIAMS and his w if e, Deborah, and th eir t wo so ns m ak e th eir home in Mon t icello.

GEORGIA TREE FARMER

I want to thank you for the fine JOb that you did in containing the fire near Gum Creek. We have only owned the property a few months so we would have been heartbroken if the fire had swept over the property to the South.
We have planted the seedlings that we purchased t hrough your office so it will be looking bet ter agai n soon.
Donald Stealy Route 1 Roopville. Georgia

Robert D. Wagner Lithonia, Georgia

WINS SOUTHERN TITLE

Milton N. (Buddy) Hopkins of Fit zgerald, w ho w as ear l ie r se lec t ed Georgia's Tree Farmer of t he Y ear f o r 1980, was j udged So uthern Tr ee Farmer at th e annu al meet ing of th e So ut hern Forest Institute in New Orl eans.
Jay Pryo r o f t he insti t ut e sai d Hopkins w ill now co mpet e with tree f arm ers f rom oth er sec ti ons o f th e na t ion for th e na-
t io na l t itl e w h ich w ill be anno unced in Augu st.

Georgia Fo res tr y Com m ission/Ma rch 198 1

For many years, Commission people and other friends have simply called him J.B., but now more and more are begin ning to refer to him as Mr. T.V.
Veteran Forest Ranger J.B. White of Chattooga County, who has always had a knack for telling the public in his area of the importance of trees to the economy, now operates a television camera as an off duty hobby and he manages to work in the Georgia for estry story at every oppor tunity.
The closed circuit television presenta tions filmed by White are seen by viewers in Summerville and other communiti es throughout the county. Most of the pro grams originate at the studios of the Cle a r-Vu e Cabl e TV Company, but so me a re remote telecasts , such as those featur

FE.A.TURE

' l

PAGE

GEORGIA FORESTR.Y

in g the Commission 's float in the annu a l Christmas parade and the Miss Chattooga County forestry pageant.
White's programs have ranged from interviews with Director Ray Shirley and department chiefs on informative fore stry matters of concern to area landowners to Smok ey the Bear an d a group of

puppets appealing to children to have re spect for the forests.
People currently working with the ran ger in producing the shows include Fores ter Fl oyd Hubbard of the Rome District office, who comes to Summerville to appear on camera and provide technical in formation to landowners; Patrolman Fred Ha ll of the Chattooga Unit, who gets into the Smokey suit for the children's programs; and Darrell Willingham, teacher in the local high school who works with puppets.
White came with the Commission in 1947, back wh en the county unit offi ce was in a room on the second floor of the Chattooga County Courthouse.
"I was Assistant Ranger under Ranger George Bishop," White said, "and we had two jeeps with SO-gallon water tanks to use in fighting for est fir es ...and we really had some big fires. "
White helped assemble the first fire lookout tower in the county in 1949 and a couple of ye a rs later he helped build one of the first county unit offices in the state.
After becoming ranger, White began a weekly radio show on radio station WGTA in Summervill e .
Although Ra nger J.B. White is now producer, director, cameraman, sound engineer, set designer and handyman for a half dozen other chores to get his forestry TV programs before the viewers, he still work s closely with the local radio station and The Summerville News, the county's newspaper, in keeping the pub lie informed on the many services offered by his unit.
Top: Ranger Wf1ite films while Forester Hubbard, bottom left, lectures. In other scene: Willingham and friends on childrens show.

\
I
I
Jim L. Gillis, Jr., left, chairmm, Georgia Forestry Commission Board of Commissioners, is honored for his leadership in forestry matters in the Southeastern United States by the U. S. Forest Service. He is shown here receiving the leadership certificate from Tom Ellis, assistant director, Southeastern Forest Experiment Station, U. S. Forest Service. The presentation was made during special ceremonies in Atlanta.

30 YEAR SERVICE AWARDS
Turner F. Barber, Associate Chief Forester, Macon CurtisS. Barnes, Associate Chief Forester, Macon Horace G. Collier, Jr., Field Supervisor, Macon Floyd M. Cook, Forester, Columbus James Cromer, Jr., Patrolman, Oglethorpe Frank H. Eadie, District Forester, Canton Troy E. Floyd, Ranger, Rome Chesley Gil more, Ranger, Oglethorpe Homer L. Griz zle, Patrolman, Cartersville Austin Guinn, Jr., Ranger, Butler Floyd W. Hubbard, Forester, Rome James K. Jones, Ranger, Albany Ernest C. Rahn, Ranger, Rincon Henry Lee Whelchel, Patrolman, Gainesville J. B. White, Ranger, Summerville Robert C. Womack, Ranger, Davisboro

Georgia Forestry Commission board members pose with Governor George Busbee and Director Ray Shirley following the governor's appointment of Felton Denney, third from left, to a second term on the board. Shown left to right are Robert Simpson, Jim L. Gillis, Jr., board chairman; Denney, Governor Busbee, Henry E. Williams, Eley C. Frazer, Ill, and Shirley.

25 YEAR SERVICE AWARDS
Charles A. Amerson , General Trades Foreman, Macon Maurice Barnhill, Ranger, Cairo George E. Bower, Ranger, Gainesville Joseph L. Charles, Ranger, Ellijay George T. Davis, Ranger, Jefferson Jack A. Finch, Ranger, Sylvania Millard F. Futch, Jr ., Ranger, Ludowici John R. Harcrow, Ranger, Franklin Grady F. Hulett, Patrolman, Jacksonville Milford H. Jones, Ranger, Cochran RichardT. Kirkland, Ranger, Waycross James I. Lane, Ranger, Lumpkin Newell D. Lastinger, Ranger, Moultrie Shelton 0. McWhorter, Ranger, Pitts Karen V. Mulkey, Secretary, Newnan Druid N. Preston, Chief Forester, Macon Julian D. Reeves, Programs Coordinator, Atlanta Charles W. Robinson, Assistant Ranger, Tennille James E. Rousey, Towerman, Tignall Thelma I. Shubert, Towerperson, Pine Lake Lewis M. Ware, Clerk, Macon

14

Georgia Forestry Commission/March 1981

I
t \ ........_

Terry Price, Commission entomologist, is presented a Certificate of Appreciation by Director Ray Shirley on behalf of the U. S. Forest Service for his work with the Expanded Southern Pine Beetle Research and Applications Program -a study dealing with behavioral chemical research. Price was also cited by the USFS for his leadership in transferring the new and improved technology to a wide range of state, industrial and private users.
Patrolmen Jack Wagner and Van Edwards of the Bibb-Monroe Unit display the Chairman Trophy presented to the unit for entering the prize-winning float shown here in the Macon Christmas Parade. The float, which is used in several districts, was renovated by unit personnel and the local forestry queen rode on the display when it competed in the annual parade.

Wendell R. Becton, left, ret1red U. S. Army Forester, was presen ted the Golden Membership Award of the Society of American Foresters at the organization's Southeastern Section meeting in Albany_ The presentation was made by G. Walter Myers, newly elected council member. Also awarded the recognition were William H. Fischer, Stone Mountain, who could not be present at the meeting and Theodore A.Liefield, deceased.
Allen M. Smith, Turner County Forest Ranger, left, receives a Certificate of Appreciation from tl,e State Employees Suggestion Program. The certificate is presented by James M. Tidwell, Jr., Ashburn District Forester. The ranger's sugg2stion involved a device that will provide a quicker means o f filling water tanks on ranger pickups. It is estimated that filling time will be cut from 15 to only three minutes.

MARCH, 1981

The Center of Life
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trees make a real difference.
- Make your city greener, prettier, more enjoyable by becoming a TREE CITY USA.

TREE CITY USA thi s coupo n o r co ntact your sta te forest er.

NA M ~-- -

ADDRESS CITY

STA TE
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SECOND CLASS POSTAGE PAID AT MANCHESTER, GA.

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