Georgia forestry, Vol. 36, no. 4 (Dec. 1983)

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Georgia

FORESTRY
I
USPS No. 217120

Dec., 1983

No.4

Vol . 36

Joe Frank Harris - Governor John W. Mixon Director

BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Jim L. Gillis, Chairman, Soperton
Felton Denney, Carrollton Eley C. Frazer, Ill, Albany Patricia B. Robinson, Atlanta Robert Simpson, Ill, Lakeland
STAFF Howard E. Bennett, Editor Thos. R. Fontaine, Jr., Associate Editor
Thomas B. Hall, Artist

DISTRICT OFFICES
District One
P. 0. Box 5026
Mount Berry, GA 30149
District Two Route 11, Box 37 Gainesville, GA 30501
District Three Route 4, Box 168A Athens, GA 30605
District Four
P. 0. Box 1080
Newnan, GA 30264
District F ive Highway 49 Milledgeville, GA 31061
District Six Route 2, Box 266 Washington, GA 30673
District Seven Route 1, Box 23A Americus, GA 31709
District Eight Route 3, Box 17 Tifton, GA 31794
District Nine Route 2, Bo x 722 Camilla, GA 31730
District Ten Route 2
Statesboro, GA 30458
District Eleven Route 11, Box 46 Helena, GA 31037
Distr ict Twelve Ftoute 6, Box 167 Waycross, GA 31501
-..:. :Qtaia Forest ry is published qua rterly by the ,0 ~<! f'orestry Co mmission, Rout e 1, Box - ' Y Brafl-::h, G A 31020. Seco nd class
"' ?t Macon, GA.

CRUISING THE NEWS
New Soil Bank Proposed
A new long -term land conservation plan similar to the "soil bank" program of the 1950's was introduced Friday in legislation sponsored by Sen. Sam Nunn (D-Ga.) which would also help debt-troubled farmers meet loan obi igations.
Under Nunn's proposal, highly erodible and marginal farmland would be covered with-grasses or pine trees. The U.S. Department of Agriculture would pay the cost of planting the marginal cropland in pine trees and make annual payments to qualified farmers for a period of 5 to 15 years to cover maintenance costs.
Nunn's bill includes a provision allowing farmers who are delinquent with their Farmers Home Administration or Small Business Administration loans to plant their land in pines under the program.
Farmers would use the payments to help retire their outstanding debts. Any proceeds from harvested timber also would go toward FmHA or SBA loans.
"This program would reduce the number of forced and voluntary foreclosures now taking place in Georgia, while allowing the farmer to retire his debt over a long period of time without losing his land," Nunn said. "It would help...avoid a depression in land prices in certain regions that is inevitable if we have a large number of forced sales."
Nunn said th e progrC~m would save taxpayers money by getting land out of production at much less cost than this year's payment-in-k ind , or PI K program.
Georgia's senior senator said the PI K program idled more than 80 million acres at a cost of $128 per acre, or more than $10 billion. He said the Library of Congress estimates his soil bank proposal would cost about $35 per acre.
"A soil bank program comparable to the soil bank of the 1950s and 1960s would cost roughly $8 billion to $9 billion over a 15-year period, or $2 billion less than the one-year PIK program," Nunn said.
The program would also address the soil erosion problem that "threatens our future agricultural prosperity," Nunn said.
"We are losing an amount (of soil) equal to skimming one inch off the top of Georgia every year," he added. "A renewed soil bank program is needed to combat this growing erosion problem and to reduce farm surp luses in a much more cost effective manner than the PI K program."
Nunn also cited studies that indicate there will be a timber shortage in the South by the year 2000 if demand for timber products co nt inues to outstrip timber plantings.
"Forest products is a leading industry in Georgia and the Southeast," he said . "This legislation is a large step toward insuring the continu ed vitality of the forest products industry in our state."
- Keith Herndon, Atlanta Journal Constitution
When the Soil Bank was in effect from 1957 to 1962, Georgia landowners planted 700,000 acres of trees under the program.
Georgia's participation, in fact, accounted for one-third of all trees planted in the nation under the federal program.
Much of the Soil Bank timber planted during those years is now being harvested in many sections of Georgia and the program has made a significant contribution to our overall timber resource, according to Druid Preston, Chief of the Commission's Forest Management Department.
Georgia Forestry/ December 1983

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ANOTHER SCHOOL ADDED TO LIST UTILIZING FUEL FROM THE FOREST
WOOD SYSTEMS IN FIFTH PUBLIC SCHOOL AND SECOND STATE PRISON BECOME OPERATIONAL FOR CURRENT HEATING SEASON

edication ceremonies are being planned for wood energy heating systems recently completed and now operational at a state prison and a public school. Located at Walker Correctional Institute at Rock Springs and the Westside Primary School near Dalton, they are the latest of several wood-fired systems that have been designed and installed in public facilities under the direction of the Forestry Commission. Approximate ly 20.6 million tons of waste wood is available in Georgia annually from poor quality trees, logging and mill residues, limbs and other materials that formerly rotted in the woods or were burned on the sawdust pile. The two new systems, as well as similar installations in the state, are utilizing this source. To offset high electric heating costs, the Commission, Tennessee Valley Authority and the Whitfield County Board of Education entered into an agree-

ment in July 1982 to develop and demonstrate the use of wood as a source of energy. The Westside Primary School in Whitfield County was selected for the new system.
A 30 h.p. wood-fired hot water boiler and other equipment was installed by Commission personnel. Total supervision was provided by the Commission's wood energy engineer.
Commission employees built and installed a 16-ton storage bin, completed electrical wiring and hookups for pumps and motors, built the outdoor chip pit for unloading, and installed all conveyors and related equipment.
Based on a fuel usage of 1.44 tons/day during cold weather, the school has a wood fuel storage capacity of approximately 11 days. Fuel can be delivered either by live bottom trailer or dump trucks into the receiving hopper. From there the chips are carried by chc:in conveyor into the storage bin and metered

into the furnace. A hydraulic grate was installed on the
chip burner to fine-tune the fuel feed and thus increase efficiency. Ash production is approximately one percent of the wood burned and is used as a soil amendment.
A unique part of the heating system at Westside Primary School is its centrally
monitored and controlled heating and cooling system by computer. This allows the system to be turned down, or off, as the temperature and load demand warrants.
The other new wood energy system, nearby but somewhat larger, is the 150 h.p. wood-fired steam boiler at Walker County Correctional Institute.
Directed by the Commission's research personnel, the building was constructed by prison labor, the boiler was contractor installed, and related equipment was installed by both Commission and prison personnel. Fully operational now, prison records indicate the system has saved $4,000 in energy costs for the period July through September while being used to produce only domestic hot water.
As part of the system, a spacious covered chip storage area is provided, along with a sizing sLreen to convey oversize wood chips to a separate conveyor infeed system.
Wood fuel is metered out of a holding bin and injected by a blower into the boiler. The system blows fuel mater ial onto a cast iron pin-hole grate. A mechanical fuel gas collector insures that all air quality standards are met.
Presently, the system burns 1~ truck loads of fuel per week, with each load weighing 25 tons. The system runs seven days per week year round to provide space heat when needed, but also hot water for cooking, personal use and clean-
ing.
These wood fuel systems are operating in areas where there is plentiful low-quality wood fuel available to replace expen-
sive fossil fuels, and at the same time increase employment in the area.
As wood energy technology continues to be proven, it is believed both private companies as well as public agencies will see the benefits and returns associated with heating with waste wood fuel.

Georgia Forestry/December 1983

3

HAVE IDLE ACRES?
rn F YOU HAV E IDLE , UNPRODUCTIVE ACRES ON YOUR PROPERTY , ISN' T IT TIME YOU PLANTED TREES ON THAT LAND ? GEORGIA IS BLESSED WITH SOILS AND CLIMATE THAT PROVIDE RAPID GROWTH FOR TIMBER AND THE STATE' S EXPANSIVE FOREST -RELATED INDUSTRIES PROVIDE A READY MARKET FOR WOOD PRODUCTS. IF YOU HAVE ABANDONED ACREAGE, UNPRODUCTIVE OR MARGINAL CROPLANDS OR OTHER AREAS THAT SHOULD BE IN TREES , NOW IS THE TIME TO PLANT HEALTHY, MODERATELY PRICED SEEDLINGS FROM THE NURSERIES OF THE GEORGIA FORESTRY COMMISSION . PICK UP AN ORDER FORM TODAY FROM ANY GFC OFFICE OR SOIL CONSERVAT ION OR AGRICULTURAL CONSERVATION PROGRAM OFFICE . PUT YOUR LAND TO WORK .
TH IS AD V ERT ISEMEN T , DES IGNED TO SPUR SALES OF COMMISS ION TREE SEEDLINGS ACROSS THE STATE , IS NOW APPEARING IN
SEVERAL SIZES . A SMALLER VERSION HAS APPE A RED IN DAILY NEWSPAPERS AND A MOUNTED CARD SIZE IS BEING DISTRIBUTED FOR DIS PLAY IN BANKS, HARDWARE STORES AND OTHER RETA IL OUTLETS . A POSTER IS BEING DEVELOPED FOR DISPLAY IN COUNTY UNIT OFFICES, COUNTRY STORES AND OTHER SELECTED POINTS.
Geo rgia Fo restry / Decem ber 1983

is presently available needs to be done . Mixon emphasized that with the great
effort by the Comm ission to protect Georgia's forestlands from fire, insects and diseases, it would be unwise to ignore the potential danger of acid rain, even though present levels constitute no threat to our forests.
The Commission director said "we will certainly keep abreast of any changes in the status of acid rain in Georgia and investigate any problems that arise."

This typical Georgia forest sbows no sign of damage by acid rain, but scientific monitoring on tracts such as this will continue.

ACID RAIN

ACID RA IN , d oes it pose a problem to Georgia's forests and the timber industry?
John W. Mixon, Forestry Commission director, said he has never seen nor knows of any forested area in Georgia that is or has been affected by acid rain.
In fact, Georgia's soil is approximately ten times as acidic as rainfall, according to Dr. Bruce Haines, professor of Botany, University of Georgia, Athens.
For the past several years, Dr. Haines has conducted greenhouse studies on
A study is being completed by Dr. Bruce Haines on the effects of Acid Rain on Photosynthesis in Liriodendron, Plantanus, Liquidambar and Robinia. Decreased photosynthesis has been observed at pH treatments of two and lower, but only after there were visible signs of damage to leaves.
While damage to plants at pH 2 is demonstrated, Dr. Haines said it is hard to imagine that rain pH would decrease from present levels of about 4.0 to 2.0, as this would represent an increase in the concentration of hydrogen ions in rain by a factor of 100.

vegetation resulting in the conclusion that no adverse affects have been detected.
The professor noted that experiments involving leaves indicate that they seem to be quite resistant to acid rain. However, Or . Haines pointed out that research involving trees has almost been nil, whereas the research on water has been expansive due to the positive and negative effects .
The state does monitor the pH (a measure of the acidity and alkalinity of a substance) of rain. This is done at Hiawassee and Summerville, both North Georgia locations, according to Leonard Ledbetter, director, Environmental Protection Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resource s.
Ledbetter also reports no indication that acid rain is adversely affecti'1g Geor gia's timber.
There is a concurence that si nce acid rain is prevalen t, more research data than

Georgia Forestry/December 1983

''Trees don't just drink
water, they
clean it.''

"lfs a fact. Long before we had purification plants, the green leaves on the world's plants and trees filtered all the water.
"But as we've made room for a growing population and larger cities, we've lost much of that purifying power.
"And the fact remains, our forests can do a lot for us. We need to replenish them-a nd manage them-more carefully than ever before.
"Our joo is growing. Help keep our water clean. Write ..."

Society of

American



Foresters

5400 Grosvenor Lane

Bethesda. MD 20814

Ralph Watt e tor Amertca'> profec:.c:.1onal fore ster<;

5

ow many hundreds of thousands of valuable acres of timberland have been saved from the ravishes of wildfire down through the years as a direct result of firebreaks plowed by the Georgia Forestry Commission? A definite answer is unknown. Even the modern computer can't calculate what might have been. It is well established, however, that firebreaks are the best defense against a roaring forest fire and presuppression firebreaks are the best precautionary measure available to protect the woods against a potential fire. A firebreak is a strip of space containing no flammable material. It can be manmade or natural, but must be wide enough to prevent fire from breaking over and getting into fuel on the other side. Firebreaks are of two basic types -suppression and presuppression. Suppression breaks are those used on going wildfires to stop the spread of the fire. They usually exhibit very little prior planning and are only installed with the incidence of wildfires. Presuppression breaks, on the other hand, require a great deal of planning and are installed prior to any fire activity. This prior planning would include objectives or reasons for the breaks, benefits to be derived from the breaks, a site plan, source of equipment and labor to install breaks, and other criteria according to landowner needs. The two major reasons for installing presuppression breaks are for protecting the area involved from wildfire or to assist in controlling prescribed burning on wooded areas or control burning of fields, pastures and other agricultural areas. Presuppression breaks have the added benefit of providing rapid access to the area for the fire suppression forces in the event of wildfire. Additionally, firebreaks can be planted to light cover crops to provide wildlife feeding areas. Firebreak construction plans should in clude a sketch map of the area involved, showing 1ocat1on of roads, fields, waterways, wooded areas and high value areas such as young planted stands, buildings or other improvements. Break construction should take advantage of natural barriers such as roads and streams. To be effective in stopping the spread

Fo resters cbcck a firebreak plowed by a Commi ssion crawle r tractor.
FIREBREAKS I :~~~~~N~~~E

of fire, the breaks need to be clear of flammable material. This means clearing away material that would readily burn or planting a cover crop that would be green during the fire danger period. Debris should be removed down to bare ground so that when the fire reaches th~ break there will be no more fuel available for burning. Breaks should be put in after the leaves or pine straw have fallen or should be cleaned out after leaf fall.
Firebreaks are good insurance and an inexpensive investment, whether used for the protection of an area, or part of a plan where fire is to be used to accomplish a particular timber management objective.
In cases of wildfire, firebreaks are normally established with a crawler tractor and fireplow or with ground crews us ing hand tools, depending on the type terrain.
The Georgia Forestry Commission, through its local county forestry units, provides landowners assistance in the construction and maintenance of firebreaks. This service is offered on a first come,
first serve basis with the understanding that the service is carried out when equipment is not committed to use or on standby for wildfire suppression on those days when the threat of wildfire is high. The charge for this service varies slightly with the size and type equipment used.
Firebreaks can also be constructed by the landowner by using a farm tractor with turning plow or harrows.

It is the landowners's responsibility to insure that any burning he does on his land is secure. Any person who starts, causes, or procures another to start a fire in any woodlands, brush, field, or any other lands not one's own or leased and without the permission of the owner, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and liable for damages caused by his escaped fire.
It is also the landowner's responsibility by law to notify the local county forestry unit of any planned outdoor burning, giving the time and place of the burn. The main purpose of this law is to provide the landowner with weather and fire hazard conditions.
It also allows the forestry personnel to pinpoint the location of the fire, which saves valuable time in arriving on the scene, should the fire escape. Additionally, this prior notice lets the fire tower operator know that a particular smoke is not a wildfire, which means a truck and tractor does not have to be dispatched to check the smoke. This kind of cooperation from the public constitutes a considerable savings over a period of time to the taxpayer in vehicle operating costs.
The important role of the firebreak in presuppression, and the acceptance of its importance by the public, is reflected in the Commission's annual report. It showed that during fiscal year 1983, the Georgia Forestry Commission provided the service for more than 5,000 landowners. The county units during the year plowed 10,800 miles of firebreaks!

6

Geo rgia Fo restry / December 1983

Forest R angers William Wbite, Walker County, left, and Fred Hall, Cbattooga County, rigb t, listen to furnace designer and builder Bobby Evans explain unique features of tb e appliance.
THEY BUILT A BEITER FURNACE

A ND THE Y WERE SWAMPED WITH ORDERS FROM HOMEOWNERS
FED UP WITH HIGH FUEL BILLS

Bobby Evans and his so n, St eve, were sitting in front of a gas heater at their home in Summerville o n a cold, wintry night last year , but they were not exactly enjoying the warmth. They were too preoccupied with thoughts of the prohibitive cost of fuel.
Monthly bills for th eir natural gas were running from $150 t o $200 and t h ey figured there just had to b e a better, less expensive way to heat t heir home.
After mulling over the problem, they hit on an idea . Wh y not build a woodfired furnace .
After all, they are both expert welders and metal workers who own and operate a long establ ished shop in Summerville. Besides, they are surrounded by hardwood forests the kind of trees that make the best firewood .
Bobby Evan s sa id they did a lot of experimenting a lot of hit and miss construction - befo re they finally perfected a unique wood furnac e. It is not only a fur-

nace that is providing comforta ble and economical heat for the Evans home, but they have sold and constructed more than 40 of the furnaces and orders keep coming in. The father and son team often work late into the night to keep up with the demand.
After completing their first furnace for their own use last Christmas, they sold their second one to Jimmy Agnew, vice president of the Production Credit Association of Walker County. His twostory country home required about $1,700 worth of propane gas annually to heat before he had the furnace installed. He said his present fuel bill is "zero". He has a continuous supply of wood growing on his farm.
The Evans furnace is a heavy steel cylinder inside a square shell, with the space between t11e two components filled with sand or fine gra'lel. The unit is always installed outside a building, with a stack extending well above the roof line.

Hot air is fo rced t h ro ugh ch a mbers surrounding the inner cor e and a bl ower unit carries the heat into t he build ing . A hollow door and oth e r d evi ces cont rol the drafting. Evans is applying for a patent on the invention.
Ranger Fred Hall o f t he Forestry Commission's Chattooga County Unit said when people saw how well the furnace worked "the word just spread by word of mouth" and the we lder and his son were soon swamped with orders. Ranger William White of the Walker County Unit said "it's one of the best wood burning appliances I have ever seen." Both rangers agreed they were not out to sell the furnaces, nor does the Commission endorse any particular brand or manufacturer.
White said "we just want to point out to the people in our counties that there is a great abundance of wood available and several manufacturers are su pplying good, up-to-date furnaces and space heaters to accomodate this plentiful fuel."

Georgia Forestry/ December 1983

7

SHAKER LOOSENS PINE CONES
T
enewing the forests of Georgia is a never ending process and the lowly pine cone, of course, plays a key role in the cycle. In the seed collecting season just ending, the Commission has gathered 7,065 bushels of slash pine cones from the Horseshoe, Arrowhead, Ba ldwin and Davisboro seed orchards and the plant in Macon is busily processing seed from this annual yield. Gathering seed for spring planting at the nurseries has been going on in the Commission almost from the beginning of the agency . In the early days, and continuing until the late 1960's,

GIVING NATURE A HAND
CONE 0 SEEDLI G
t
"wild cones'' were bought from landowners, according to Jim Wynens, Chief of Reforestation. When the established seed orchards reached maturity, however, the better quality cones became the sole source of supply.
Each year, personnel shake and gather slash cones from the trees. Loblolly seed, however, are shaken from the trees and caught in nets stretched on the floor of the seed forest. This harvest is now underway .
Hardwood seed are gathered by the county units and shipped to the processing plant. They are processed differently from pine, however, as thev must be de-pulped and cleaned,
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CONES TRANSPORTED TO PROCESSI NG PLANT
8

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Georgia Forest ry / December 1983

RACKED FOR DRYING

EXTRACTED SEED PACKED IN DRUMS
mainly by hand labor. When cones arrive at t he plant in Ma con, they are air
dried until they are partly open and then dried at 100 degrees (F) for 48 hours to fully open. They are then tumbled to release seed from the dry cones. In the next process, the seed are dewinged by a special machine.
Empty and otherwise faulty seed are separated by vibration and an air system and remaining seed are laboratory tested for viability. The selected seed are the n treated with thiram latex and aluminum to protect them fro m birds.
When awaiting the new planting seaso n, t he seed are kept in cold storage at a facility adjacent to t he processing plant.
In April, the seed are sown in th e nursery beds at a predetermined rate per square foot based on laboratory tests. They are kept moist for 20 days t o aid in germination. After eight months of cultural practices, the seedlings are large enough to be lifted, packed and shipped to outplanting areas.
Loblolly seed processing diffe r from slash in that they are separated from wings and trash at t he plant and stratifie0 by
(Continu ed on page 11)
Georgia Forestry/Decem be r 1983

SEED BECOMES SEEDLI~N_G_s_____~~
AND ANOTHER FOREST BEGINS.
9

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A forester books a cable to a log deep in a valley to demonstrate how tbe cable yarder lifts trees from difficult locations, wbile an operator controls tbe gasoline engine.

IN LOGGING

BIG NOT ALWAYS BEITER

Popular opinion amo ng loggers says that big is better. Big logs plus big ma chines equal big profit. However , Clay ton-area resident Buck Be aty has proved that a small machine, t he Razorback Cable Yarder, can also create prof it by harvesting small logs.
Beaty recently conducted cable lo gging operation~ on the Ch atta ho ochee National Forest as part of a p rogra m t o show loggers that they can ma ke mo ney by harvesting and re-selling firewood from the National Forests. Under t his program, the Forest Service provided the cable machinery and training. Beaty purchased the timber and operated t he equipment.
Cable logging is returnin g to the Southeast after a 50-year absence. Forest Service Timber Staff Officer Earle Darby says, "In the early 1900's many logg ing operations used large steam powered cable yarders to get out large sawlogs. Then with skidders becoming cheaper to use

and most of the big logs gone, it wasn't economical to use cable systems."
Now, with the invention of a small cable system, operators have the opportunity to harvest smaller logs on steep slopes with a minimum of soil damage. T his method of harvesting is also benefi cia l to wildlife because it creates openings fo r deer and turkey.
The Razorback Cable Yarder is a small machine that can fit on the back of a 3/4 to n truck on on a small trailer, yet it has the po te nti al to reach 550 feet or more down a s lo pe and bring up a 1 ,000 pound load. Work ing steadily, the yarder can log 1 to 2 cords of wood per hour.
The machine consists of a 17-foot tower, a carriage, two drums of %" aircraft cab le, and an 18 horsepower gasoline en gine. The drums spool and let out t he %" cab les w h ich br ing the logs up the hill. The cabl es a re routed through a b lo ck on t he t owe r, through the carriage, and t hen dow n the hillside. The upper cable is ca lled the skyline and the lower cable is cal led th e mainline . The carriage actually rides up and down on the skyline with t he ma inline being threaded t hro ugh the carriage and then dropping down to be connected to the logs.
On e or two people, called chokersetters, work at the bottom of the hill whe re t hey attach logs t o the ma inline . Once the logs are attac hed , Beaty, working at a contro l panel beside the y arder, brought t he logs to the t op of the mountain by spooling in t he main li ne.
Rich Aubuc hon , a cable logging specialist, said "Comme rcially produced , thi s yarder would sell for$12,000 to $15,000, b ut it can bu ilt fo r less. Its operating costs are very low ; using o nly about one gal lo n of gas pe r ho ur . Thi s, plus easy maintenance, make it economical to o pe ra t e in are as tha t used to be bypassed d ue to stee p slo pes and low va lue t imber," he said_

ARBOR
DAY
PROMOTION PLANNED
SEMINAR SCHEDULED
A seminar entitled Mineral Ex ploration on Industrial Timberland : Exploring Problems and Opportuniti es, wil l be held next spring at the Center for Co ntinuing Education, University of Georgia.
Seminar planners said the sess ions, set for April 24, will be fo r executives of forest products and m ine ra l industries, consultants in forestry a nd geology and other specializists in those areas.
Specialists in mineral e xploration will present their views on exp loration goals and experts in for est products management will discuss t heir concept of joint participation in e xpl oration of industrial timberland . The dialogue between both groups should lead to a better understanding of the problem and the potential reqards of a closer cooperation, sponsors said.
Georgia Forestrv / D ec~mber 1983

FIRST PAGEANT FOR NEW YE AR HELD

The Commission's Education Department is again preparing an Arbor Day in Georgia folder to be dist ributed to schools throughout the state.
Arbor Day in 1984 will be celebrated on Friday, February 17, and the Commission is urging all school children as well as parents and others, to observe the day by planting trees or praticipating in ceremonies calling attention to this annual event.
The folder for schools will be distributed to teachers by the Commission's county rangers. The Iiterature includes suggested classroom programs, poems, projects, tree planting instructions and a conservation pledge.
Single copies of the folder will be available after January 10 by writing to the Georgia Forestry Commission, Educa-
tion Department, P. 0. Box 819, Macon,
Georgia 31298-4599.

Miss Jodi Warnock has been named Miss Treutl e n County Fo restry, the first queen to be crowned on the county level to compete in the 1984 contest fo r the Miss Georgia Forestry titl e.
The pageant, h e ld in Soperton, is traditionally the first county in the st ate to select a local contestant for the statewide competition next June on J ekyl l Island. Many other co unt ies ne'{t spring will stage pageants to se lect a queen to enter the state finals .
Miss Warnock, 16, an honor stud ent, is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. Carlton Warnock of Soperton. Miss Beth Cammack, daughter o f Mr. and Mrs. Bobby Cammack, was first runner up in the contest.
Elizabeth Ashl ey Warnock, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. St eve Warnock, was selected Little Miss Pi ne Seedling at the Soperton pageant.
WORKSHOP PLANN ED
A Basic Industrial Hydraulics Workshop will be he ld at the University of Georgia Center for Conti nui ng Education January 17-20,1984.
The 3%-day course is designed for individuals who are respo nsib le for specifying, repairing, trou b le-shooting, and main taining hydraulic systems (mobile or stationary) including purchasing agents, shop, plant, mill or field foremen and mechanics and service representatives.
Participants w h o attend the cou rse should be able to evaluate and service hydraulic systems, d etect and correct potential trouble areas.
For further informa t io n con tact Dr. Leonard A. Ha m pton, 237 Geo rgia Center for Contin ui ng Educat ion , University of Georgia , A thens, Geo rgia 30602 or phone 404/ 542 -3 0 63.

For further information contact Allen Henderson (logistics) 404/542-2237, Room 245, Georgia Center for Continuing Education, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602.
CONSERVATIONIST NAMED
B. Clayton Graham, former deputy state conservationist for Nebraska, has been named state conservationist for Georgia.
Graham, a career Soil Conservation Service employee, replaces Dwight M. Treadway, who transferred to the ag e n cy's national office.
Headqu a rtered in Athens, Graham is responsibl e fo r all Soil Conservation Se rvice ope ration<; in the state . Th e agency provides t e ch nica l ass istance to p ri va t e land ma nagers who do conservatio n wo rk in cooperati on with th e 40 so il and water conservation d ist rict s th roughout Georgia.

FROM CO NE TO SEEDLING
(Contin ued f rom page 9)
moisture and cold storage to ripen them. All other p rocesses are the same as slash.
In add iti on to cones fro m the Commis sion's orc hards , th e pl ant also processes cones on contract from other sources.
Wy ne ns sa id the re is always a demand for seed from com panies and individuals, b ut su c h orde rs m ust be turned down as th e Co mmissi on is increasing its seedling production and needs the entire yield f rom the seed orchards.
Extensi ve genetic research at the or chards down through the years has result ed in a superior slash and loblolly seed ling and Wynens said the search continues to even fu rt her im prove the quality and q uan tity of seedlings produced by the Co mm ission for the landowners of Geo rg ia.
11

VIRGINIA PINE

GEORGIA 'S FAVORITE CHRISTMAS TREE

ho grows Christmas trees in Georgia and where? How many are grown

and how are they sold? Is this just a business for retired people , or

are the growers employed elsewhere and find tree growing a

fascinating and profitable sideline?

These and other quest io ns are answered in a statewide survey by the Georgia

Extension Service and by long established growers who have learned a lot

of do's and don'ts in the business.

Christmas tree growers in Georgia are , by and large, under 50 years of age and are drawn

mainly from professional and managerial positions. The majority are producing their trees on

five acres or less . Counties in the west central section of the state have the largest concentration

of Christmas tree plantations and the study revealed that Virginia pine is the most popular tree

currently planted. White pine and red cedar rank second. Reforestation programs implemented

by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and other agencies during the depression years in the

1930's contributed toward the development of commercially grown Christmas trees in Georgia .

As the planted trees began to mature, some were thinned out and sold as Christmas trees. The

actual planting of trees for that purpose, and the laborous trimming of shaping of the trees as they

matured, was not done on a large scale until after World War II. Since that time, the survey revealed

the Christmas tree industry has evolved from a parttime, hobby type enterprise into a complex, professional operation. In 1980, approximately 31 million Chr istmas

trees of various species were sold in the United States and almost

a million were sold in Georgia. Christmas tree production in

the state has undergone varying degrees of success, depending

on species, site and management. At the present time, Georgia

grown trees can compete favorably with trees shipped in

from other states and Canada. Georgia growers, however,

are currently not meeting th e demand of consumers

in their own state. In the 1940's, growers experi-

mented with red cedar, Arizona cypress and

white pine, but insufficient research and

management techniques hindered them

from attaining any reasonable degree of

success. Today, Georgia has more than

400 Christmas gree growers. Two

events appear to have stimulated the dramatic increase in the number of

people getting into the business. They

include the development of the Georgia

Chri stmas Tree Association and the

introduction of Virginia pine (Pinus

virginiana) for commercial production .

The survey also revealed the critical

aspects associated with marketing the

trees. The choose-andcut method is

the most popular . It aids the small

operator in that it ha s the potential

to yield the highest return on the

smallest number of trees. The

retail sa le of trees ha s evolved

into a sophisticated operation

because the public continually

demands a quality product.

The third way to sell, the

wholesale method , allows

the grower to maximize

volume, but the drawback

is a much lower unit

return. The Geo rgia

Forestry Commission

this planting season is

providing 750,000 Virginia

pine seedli ngs for Christmas

{Each square denotes a

plantation

THERE VVERE 250,000 CH ~11S TMAS TREE S SOLD IN CEORGIA I_AST YEAR!

tree gr owers and is also producing 400,000 under contract for the grower's own association. Commi ssion nurseries also produce other species suitab le for Chr istmas trees.

Georgia Forestry/ December 1983

.J
... ,r.

ANOTHER GEORGIA CHURCH BECOMES A "TREE FARM"

GEORGIA TREE FARM LEADER

church-owned tract of timber in Middle Georgia has been certified as a Tree Farm to become the second church in the state, and one of the few in the nation, to enter the forest conservation system. The Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity in Bibb County owns a 13-acre tract which was prescribed burned and planted in loblolly pine in 1980-81. The planting was preceeded by clear cutting of a natural stand of 35-year-old pine timber. It was certified as a Tree Farm earlier this year. A church in Athens was declared a Tree Farm four years ago, to become the first in the country to join the national system. Rev. Peter Hoffman of the Bibb County church said present plans call for a sawtimber rotation. In addition, the feasibility of interplanting the stand for a Christmas tree crop is being examined, he added. The tract was inspected by Charles B. Place. Jr .. Commission forester. and aoJ:!roved by Bill Craft, ITT Rayonier, Inc., Thomaston, district chairman, Georgia Tree Farm Committee. The first Tree Farm certified in Georgia was that of the late E. C. Fancher of Pearson. He was also the first landowner in the United States to have a written management plan prepared for his forest by a project forester. This was in November 1940. The Georgi~ Tree Farm Committee is co-chaired by Commission Foresters William R. Lazenby and Wesley L. Wells. They point out that if a forest tract meets forest management specifications, the landowner is given a sign to erect on his property and a certificate. The familiar square metal sign, with the green Tree Farm emblem on a white background, announces to the public that the site is

being used to grow trees in an efficient manner.
The American Tree Farm System, since its beginning on the West Coast more than 40 years ago, is a strong factor in Georgia's economic growth. It has been instrumental in providing raw material for industry, as well as contributing to the state's needs for recreation, water, wildlife, esthetics and employment.
The American Tree Farm System, which Georgia entered in 1948, is sponsored by forest industries through the American Forest Industries. A Tree Farm is an area of privately-owned forest that is being managed in accordance with the best management practices approved by the State Tree Farm Committee and the
AFI
Currently, Georgia leads the nation in Tree Farm acreage with 7,679,540 acres. Georgia is second to Mississippi in the number of Tree Farms with 2 ,658.
The Georgia Tree Farm Committee district chairmen are Harry Bailey, Union Camp Corp., Savannah; Lewis Brown, Continental Forest Industries, Washington; Jack Catlin, Continental Forest Industries, Jeffersonville; Grady Chambliss, Great Southern Paper Co., Albany; and Bill Craft, ITT Rayonier Inc., Thomaston.
Others are Craig Ernest, Hiwassee Land Co., Calhoun; Bill Haynie, Ander son, S.C.; Rob Hicks, Brunswick Pulp Land Co., Nashville; John Humphries, Georgia Pacific Corp., Warre:lton; and Bill Liscinski, Lovejoy.
James McGurn, Hercules, Inc., Folk ston; Linda Newell, Georgia Kraft Co., Lula; James 0. Reed, Georgia Kraft Co ., Coosa; Roger Rowan , Union Camp Corp. , Keysville; Wayne Ward, St. Regis Pa per Co., Cordele; ar,d Russ Weber, F & W Forestry Services, Albany, completE: the Iist.

Georgia Forestry/ De ce mber 1983

A recent statewide aer ial sur vey has revealed that the South ern pine beetle population has increased since a similar inspection was made in July.
Commission entomologists report that 1,584 spots were detected, with the greatest number concentrated in the Fort Benning area and in the Griffin District.
They said no new spots have been found on St. Simons since the Commission ended its control efforts on the island in August.
Currently, 13 counties are ranked as haviog heavy population levels an:l eight are classed as being epidemic.
Counties in the epidemic stage include Dawson, Franklin, Habersham, Hall, Hart, Lumpkin, Rabun, and Stephens. The remaining counties in the heavy population classification include Elbert, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Madison and Chattahoochee.
The entomologists explained that further beetle activity has ceased now that cold weather has arrived, but they predicted that activity could be moderate to heavy in the spring of next year if winter salvage of damaged trees is slack. It is recom mended that beetle-killed trees, as well as a buffer zone of trees around the affected spots, be cut to prevent spread of the' in s e c t .
From January to the end of September, 11,759 cords of southern pine k ill ed by bee tles were salvaged in Georgia.
The ae ria l survey a lso revealed 300 Ips a nd black turpentine beetl e spots in 28 counties.
13

AMrLt
SEEDLINGS AVAILABLE

Committees formed in each of Geor-

gia's 159 counties to promote reforesta-

tion are "doing a tremendous job in en

couraging tree planting in our state," said

John Mixon, Georgia Forestry Commis-

sion director, as he analyzed a recent

progress report.

He pointed out, however, that there

are many landowners with idle acres -

marginal or unproductive croplands- t hat

have not yet decided to plant those areas

in trees.

"We're concerned with the thousands

of acres in Georgia that could be produc-

Cl11<1di.m g ovem m ent foresters recen tly visited tb e Geo rgia Fore~try Co mm issio n to le,1rn of tbe manage m en t techniques used in m anaging softwood plantations, seed orcbards ,md tree nurseries. Druid Pres ton , cbief. For est Management Depa rt m ent, left. spoke to the foresters wbo represe nted tb e various Canadian provinces.

ing profitable trees," Mixon said, "and we are asking our committees to make an even greater effort in encouraging this reforestation." The Commission is spearheading the campaign, with several other

agencies and organizations providing

FORESTRY PROGRESS REPORTED

A successful forest protect ion year, comp letion of t he fi fth Geo rg ia forest survey, forest manageme nt services of benefit to thousands o f wood land owners and approximatel y 140,000 acres planted

To meet future seedling needs, construction continued on the Commission's 257-acre nursery near Reidsville . The first planting of the new nursery is scheduled for the spring of 1984.

members for the county committees. Jim Wynens, Chief of the Commis
sian's Reforestation Department, said the state nurseries still have a "very good stock of slash and loblolly pine seedlings" and is urging landowners to place o rders now that favorable planting weather is prevailing_

with Forestry Commission grown tree seedlings.
These were highligh ts in t he 1983 an nual report of the Georgia Forestry Commission.
The lowest number of w il df ires, 6,235, sin ce 1957 was reco rded. These fires bur ned 23,018 acres, or 3.69 acres per f ire.
Deb ris a nd incend iary fires represented

Through a wide variety of educational programs, the Forestry Commission strives to reach all Georgians with the importance of maintaining its forest resources in a multiple use condition .
New accompl ishments in research espec ially in ut ilization of wood as an energy source - were noted in the annual report.

He said a good supply of dogwood, lespedeza, sawtooth oak, sweetgum and sycamore are also available at the nurseries.
In ordering, use the form below, or pick up a form and price list at any Forestry Commission office, county agent office, Soil Conservation Service or Agricultural Conservation office.

two -third s of t he wildfires and app rox imately 75 perce nt of the acreage bu rn ed.

APPLICATION FOR NURSERY STOCK

OADER NO - - -

Rural F ire Defe nse units resp o nd ed to

GEORGIA FORESTRY COMMISSION P.O. BOX 819 MACON, GEO RGI A 31298- 4599

3,070 forest and o pen land fires which

assisted the Forestry Commissio n in

NAM E OF APPLICANT - - - -- - -- - - - - -- -- - PHONE NO- - - -- -- - - - -

holding down fire losses. In additio n,

ADDRESS - - - -- - - - - - - - --

_ _ _ _ _ COUNTY _ _ _ _ _ Z>P COD E - - - - 1

RF D personnel suppressed structural and equipment fires that resulted in the savin g of some $66 million in property.

SHI P TO ADDRESS ABOVE OR

- - - - - - - -- - -- - - - - - - -- - PH ONE NO - - -- - - - - - -

ADDRESS - - -- - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - COU NTY _ _ _ _ _ Z> P CODE - - - -

More than 30 ,860 woodland ow ne rs were provided forest man agement assistance on 6 36,159 acr es . This inclu ded

DELIVER Y DESIR'ED AS SHOWN BELOW

OATE

SPEC IE S

NUMBE R OF S EEOLI N GS

COU N TY OF PLA NTIN G

D ISTR ICT & C O UNT Y C O OE

4,249 forest management pl ans involving

341 ,8 64 acres. There were 300 Georgia landowners

I

I

co ntacted concern ing b ee t le activi ty. The For estry Commissi on's aeria l surveys reve aled 1,672 Southern Pine, Ips, and Black Turpentine beetle infestat ion spots during the year.
More than 7e percent of the Forestry

T YPE OF OWN ERSHIP

IChtck one!

1 Pr,~o~~l t p tr ~ons c l ub\ uwc.uron\ .1nd p1rv.11e S.ChOO il 2 Pr,~ollt l<>rul rndusHy lumiJ~r mo~~nulo~~cturtn l Pnvalf' loreH mdus!ry pulp o~nd J.l<iPf'l 4 Pr1v.llf' fortn Muslrv nohoiil storrs plywood. tiC S Prrvoiltt othrr rndunrv lo~~nds 6 Town .ountv o~~nd publrc schooh 1 1 Sloiilt o~nd othtr publrc lo~~nds B Ftdrro~~lgovrrnmrnt 9 O!hrr ISoecofyl

METHOD OF SHIPMENT : IChecl< o ne I

1 ( ) STATE TRUCK TO COUNTY FORE STRY OFFIC E 2 I I APPLI CANT Will PIC I<:. UP AT NURSERY

Comm1ssion's tree seedli ng crop were

I H f:.REB Y (.E RTIFY THAT 1 OES IRE TO PU RCHASE THF AB OVE NUR SERY STOCK UNDER CONDITIO NS PRI NTED ON TH E BAC K OF THI S FOR M

nPt callv nroved stock. A pp roximate-

'i8 mill'or
cr <Jr PUI

' seedli ngs were producI .. GRorg ia la nd own ers

ng th yea

Amount Ouf' - - - - - - - OATE - - - - - - - - --

SIGNATURE - -- - - --

Amount Enclo sed - - - -

Rev 4-'8.3

( ) WALK ER N UR SF RY
Rl!O!i.V!LL( o;>A

I ) MOR GAN NUR SE RY

----

Georgia Forestry/ December 1983

THOI\tb.S H. JOYNER has assumed the duties of district forester of the Rome District. He came with the Forestry Commission in 1963 as a forester in the Rome

JOYNER

GRIFFIN

Ky. He joined six other state foresters who were awarded the honor. The award is presented to state foresters, mem bers of foresters' staffs and others who contri bute significantly to forestry ...PAU L PEAVY, son of PATROLMAN EUGENE PEAVY, Effingham County Unit, was presented the Georgia Star AgriBusiness Award at the recent State F FA Rally. He also received a $325 cash prize and a plaque for his achievement. His parents were also awarded plaques for their encouragement which helped the youth complete the necessary requirements for the Georgia planter degree ... Ms. ORENE DUVALL retired from the Georgia Forestry Commission December 1. The person-

nel manager, At la nt a, h ad been with th e

Forestry Commission 36 years_ She ca m e

to the Commission as a clerk-st eno in

1947 and held positions of bookkeeper,

senior clerk, st atistical t ec hn ician, payro ll

control auditor , assistant personnel offi-

cer and personnel manag er. She was re-

cently honored with a dinner given by

fellow employees and fr ien d s at which

time she was cited for th e dignity and

efficiency she brought to her job ...

KATHLEENE RICE, th e current Miss

Georgia Forestry, has bee n named Miss

Georgia Agriculture, an honor b es towe d

each year on a

young lady selec-

ted from among

the various com-

modity queens.

Miss Ric e, is cur-

rently attending

Augusta College,

where she is ma-

joring in com-

munications. She

RICE

is a member of St. Jos eph's Catholic

Church and is a staff write r on th e c ol -

lege newspape r.

District. The native of Rome was assistant chief forester at Berry School from 196063. Joyner is a retired Navy veteran, having served in World War II and the Korean War. He graduated from the University of Georgia in 1960 with a degree in For estry. At the University, he was a member of Xi Sigma Pi, a forestry honorary society. He is a member of the Second Avenue Baptist Church and the Lions Club. Joyner is married to the former Grayce Inez Andrews of Rome. They have two daughters, Toni Lynn Schrock, Rome, and Debra Joyce, Acworth ...JE RRY GRIFFIN has been named ranger of the Montgomery-Treutlen-Wheeler Forestry Unit. He had been a patrolman in the Ben Hill County Unit since he came with the Forestry Commission in 1978. The native of Ocilla received a commendation award for his work with heavy eqL.:ipment in

SHIRLEY

PEAVY

1981. Griffin and his wife, Patricia, have two children, Michae l, eight, and Matt, three. The family is Baptist. In Fitzgerald, Griffin was director of the Sunday Schooi. .. Former Commission Director RAY SHIRLEY received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of State Foresters at a recent meeting of the organization in Lexington ,

PRESTON

DUVALL

WOMACK

WOODYARD

FOUR RECEIVE GOVERNOR'S AWARD

Commission personnel who recently received the Governor's Award for outstanding service to the state included Druid Preston, Macon, Chief of the Commission's Management Department; Orene Duvall, Atlanta, Personnel Manager ; Robert Coy Womack , Davisboro , Senior Forest Ranger; and William Woodyard, Ranger of the Whitfield County Unit, Dalton.
Woodyard was awarded during a ceremony in Dalton and the others were presented the award by Governor Joe Frank H arris at ceremon ies held at the state capitol. The awa~d presentations w ere held in conjunction with the Georg ia In Review observance in Atlanta , which featured exhibits and equipment of state agencies.
Preston, who came with the Commission in 1955 and held several posi tions prior t.:> his promotion to depart ment head, was cited for his abi:ity to

organize and administer impo rt ant programs. Duvall, who has wo rk ed in the Commission 36 years, was awarded for fair and impartial counseling of employees and her de votion t o her many other duties.
Womack, who is in cha rge of the Davisboro Nurse ry , ca me with the Commission in 1952 a nd has impressed his supervisors with a w ide range of skills during various ass ignments of his career, according to Commission officials.
Woodya rd wa s reco gn ized for his outstanding service to Whitfield Countians; in part icular for his efforts in bring ing 23 ag encies together this summe r in t he Mt. S inai Fire Problem. They included city, county, state, fed eral, civi l d ef ense, hospital and Red Cross perso nn el. Wo odyard came with th e Commi ssi o n in 1971.

Georgia Forestry/December 1983

15

SECOND CLASS POSTAGE PAID AT MACON, GEORGIA

WISHING YOU A JOYOUS
AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR

GEORGIA
FORESTRY
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