Georgia forestry, Vol. 37, no. 1 (Mar. 1984)

Georgia

FORESTRY

USPS No. 217120

March, 1984

No.1

Vol. 37

Joe Frank Harris Governor John W. Mixon - Director
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

Jim L. Gillis , Jr., 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 Five 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 , Box 722 Camilla, GA 31730

Distr ict Ten Route 2, Box 28 Statesboro, GA 30458

District Eleven Route 1, Box 46 Helena, GA 31037

District Twelve Route 6, Box 167 Waycross, GA 31501
Georgia Forestry is published quarterly by the Georgia Forestry Commission, Route 1, Box 85, Dry Branch, GA 31020. Second class postage paid at Macon , GA .

Cub Scouts Don Kelley , left, and Phillip Dove, are two of the 25 boys who participated in the Tifton tree sale.
TREE SALES AID STATUE RENOVATION
Dr. Jim Hook of the Coastal Pla in s Experiment Station, has been Cubmaster of Pack 62 in Tifton for four years, but he feels that one of the finest achievements in working with the young boys came this year when they sold 2,000 dogwood trees to townspeople to help renovate the Statue of Liberty.
The fund -raising project was co-sponsored by the Pack and the Tifton Garden Club , with the 25 boys serving as "door to door salesmen ." Within a week, all trees were sold and after deducting wholesale costs, all profits were sent to New York to help festore the statue.
Now the Tifton Pack is challenging other Cub Scouts across the nation to conduct fund-raising projects for the same purpose.
The 30-month, $39 million project to repair the weakened statue and get it in top condition for its 100th anniversary is now well underway.
Scaffolding is now being erected around the famous landmark and preservation officials said sightseers - and there are 1 .8 mi Ilion each year - will be able to visit the site only intermitten ly as crews work to replace the 1,600 wrought iron bands that hold its copper skin to its frame . replace the torch and carry out other needed repairs.
The 151 -foot statue , a gift from France , will not be 100 years old until October 28 , 1986, but the renovation is to be completed and a birthday celebration held July 4 of that year, when tall ships from around the world will sail into the harbor to honor the statue.
ON THE C O V E R - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Drew Shugart and his sister, Olivia, plant a tree in observance of Arbor Day in Georgia. They are the children of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Shugart of Macon.

INCENTIVES PROGRAM APPROVAL ANNOUNCED

The 1984 Forest Incentives Program has been approved, according to a joint announcement by John W. Mixon, director, Georgia Forestry Commission, and Roy Cates, executive director, Agricul tural Stabilization and Conservation Ser-
vice. Georgia's basic F IP allocation of
$1,488,000 represents an increase of more than 20 percent over 1983, Cates said. The total for the nation is $12.5 million.
Mixon emphasized that the program is designed to in~rease timber production through tree planting and/or timber stand improvement.
The local county ASCS office will approve the applications, keep records and make payments to the landowners. The Forestry Commission will provide the technical field assistance, he said .
In approving requests, high priority will be given to practices that result in the planting of 40 acres or more of trees, timber stand improvement of 40 acres or more or a combination of both.
FIP payments to the landowners are limited to $10,000 per calendar year. Approved practices remain in effect until cancelled. The payments may be assigned to a vendor with the landowner's approval.
Those eligible, primarily small landowners, include private individuals, groups, associations, corporations or other legal entities who own nonindustrial and private forests capable of producing a commercial wood crop.
A landowner must have a forest management plan, prepared by a forester under the direction of the Georgia Forestry Commission, for the area in which the practice will be carried out.
The Forestry Commission has the responsibility for: (1) certifying the need and suitability for the practice, (2) preparing a forest management plan, (3) providing a prescription for the on-theground methods to be used in the appli cation of the practice, (4) assisting approved landowners in securing the services of vendors and (5) certifying that the practice has been satisfactorily completed so that the cost-share payments can be made.
The following costs are the maximum flat cost-share rates, not to exceed 50 percent of actual costs, as recommended and approved by the State ASCS Committee :
Payments received by the landowner for FP-1: $15 per acre where planting is done with farm equipment, $20 per acre where planting is done by hand or with heavy equipment, $27 .50 per acre for light site preparation $47.50 per acre for
(Continued on Page 14)

The Trust Company Bank of Middle Georgia recently donated this tree planter to the Georgia Forestry Commission. Charles Harmon, right, bank vice president, Macon, said the planter is to be used by the nonindustrial, private landowner. Looking on at left is Albert Lyons, Haddock , one of the thousands of Georgia landowners that annually plant millions of trees contributing to timber being Georgia's top value cro p.
TREES NOW PRINCIPAL CROP

T rees are Number One! That's the message proclaimed by the Georgia Forestry Comm issio n early in 1984 as final statistics became available to show that trees had taken the lead as Georgia's top crop in value .
When based on the value of raw forest products at first point of delivery, the figure for the year exceeds one billion dollars.
The impressive figure does not include salaries, transportation of logs , chips and other woodland materials . It does not include value after wood has been converted into a wide variety of finished products.
As a matter of fact, when all aspects of forestry's contribution to Georgia's economy is considered, the figure exceeds an impressive $6.6 billion!
The endless stream of southern yellow pine pulpwood to feed the 17 big pulp and paper mills operating around -theclock in Georgia leads all forest raw ma terials, with an annual value of almost $386 million.
The annual volume of southern yellow pine sawtimber to supply more than 248 lumber mills across the state ranks second with value set at $288 million.
As a result of the Georgia Forestry Commission 's promotion of wood as an energy source in recent years and the advent of superior wood burning appliances and systems, firewood is now third in value. It exceeds more than $135 million annually.

Southern yellow pine veneer logs,
totaling more than $45 million annually, are fourth in value and hardwood sawtimber rates more than $33 million.
Pulp and paper mills are buying hardwood pulpwood at the rate of more than $36 mill ion annually and companies spend more than $18 million each year for whole tree chips. Modern machines have revolutionized harvesting of the forests and cull trees, limbs and residues that were once considered worthless are now being converted into valuable wood chips.
Even pine stumps, those obstacles that plagued Georgia's early settlers as they cleared the land , are now bringing more than $21 million from companies that use them to extract a variety of chemicals.
Manufacturers spend more than $10 million for hardwood veneer logs and the important naval stores industry in the state provides raw materials valued at more than $2 million.
The state's rapidly expand ing Christ mas tree industry has an annual value well above $4 million and southern yellow pine posts now bring in more than $1 mil lion.
Miscellaneous items , including cypress and locust posts, split rails, pine straw, forest seed and ornamental and decorative materials, sell for a total of more t han $3 annually at first point of delivery.
The total value of all products in 1983 (in the raw state as they are delivered to the processor or manufacturer) was $1 ,002,862,497.

ATTENDENCE HIGH AT FOREST WORLD

Commission Director j ohn Mixon addresses a group on savings now benefiting prisons and other institutions that have turned to wood as a heating source.

PRISON WOOD-FIRED SYSTEM DEDICATED

The Walker County Correctional Insti tute, at Rock Springs, recently hosted ceremonies dedicating its wood-fired heating system . The Georg ia Forestry Comm ission, Tennessee Valley Authority and the Department of Offender Rehabil itation sponsored the event.
Warden Doug Williams conducted a tour of the cost-savings heating system that utilizes 2,200 tons of green chips annually. He remarked that the system is expected to have a simple payback in approximately five and a half years.
The primary steel boiler generates steam which provides space heating and domestic hot water for the security facility. The system has been on line since April 1983.
John W. Mixon, Commission director , said that Georgia has wood-fired systems in 11 public facilitie s, including the state

headquarters at Macon. He emphasized that the state's taxpayers will realize annual savings of $1.4 million over costs of fuels previously used. Conversion to wood as an energy source is also creating other economic activities, and t he total annual benefit is estimated to be $2 .9 million.
An estimated 13.1 million tons of roundwood, chips and residues are being used annually for fuel in Georgia. Mixon pointed out that this represents an annual economic benefit to Georgia exceeding a half billion dollars.
The Commission director noted that the annual savings in fuel costs to wood users is est imated to be $494.7 million. The current use of wood for energy by industry, government and households in Georgia results in $44.1 million of additional economic activity, Mixon added.

FORESTRY CONFERENCE SET IN MAY

The 43rd annual Southern Forestry Conference will be held May 16-18 at the Marriott Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. With the theme, Opportunities for Forest Farmers in the '80s, the meeting will feature a special technical assistance panel in which landowners may consult with experts in growing , ha rvest ing , market ing and regenerating timber.
Forest Farmers Association sponsors the yearly event, which brings together timberland owners and forestry leaders from the South and from other areas.
Program participants will incl ude U.S. Sen ator J im Sasser of Tennessee; Dr . Fred Schelhorn , senior vice pres ident , Packag ing Corporation of Amer ica ; Willia m K. Cond rell, general counsel for Forest In dustr ies Comm ittee on Timber Va luat ion and Taxatio n; Tennessee Governor Lamar Alexander; and Tennessee State Forester Roy C. Ashley .

The program will also feature other distinguished members of foresty and financial communities.
Commercial and educational exhibits displayed will include latest tools and equipment available to timber growers. Companies wishing to prepare displays should contact Forest Farmers Association, P. 0 . Box 95385, Atlanta, Georgia 30347 .
The Marr iott Hotel is holding a block of rooms for the conference at special rates of $70 for single or double occupancy. Reservations should be requested by writing Reservations Department, Marriott Hotel, One Marriott Drive, Nashville, Tennessee 37210 ; or by telephonin g 616/889 -9300 .
For add itional information and a copy of the program, please contact Forest Farmers Association .

More than 15,400 visitors passed through the doors of Southern Forest World during 1983, according to an announcement at the recent annual meeting of the facility's board of trustees.
The educational exhibit at Waycross is designed to tell the history and development of forestry in Georgia and 12 other Southern States. It illustrates in exhibits and motion pictures the correct forestry practices that will further enhance the woodlands of the South.
William J . Martin , Director of Southern Forest World, sa id visitors came from 45 states and ten foreign countries . Many school children tour the unique center, which features a "talking tree" and a mummified dog in a hollow log.
Many old tools once used in forestry and naval stores operations are displayed alongside displays of modern machines used by today's forest industries. The centerpiece of the facility is a huge hollow pine tree which supports a spiral stairway to a second floor.
The $4 million attraction located on Augusta Avenue in the South Georgia city, has the support of 102 corporations from across the South , as well as individual contributors. The facility also receives cooperation from the Georgia Forestry Commiss ion .
The center is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 :00 a.m. to 5:00p.m., and Sunday from 2:00 to 4 :00 p.m. There is no admission charge.
Bill Barton, Southern Woodlands Regions Manager, Union Camp Corporation, Savannah, was reelected at the meeting to serve as President of the Board of Trustees. Other officers elected included Mr. S. Harold Gowen, Vice Presidebt; Mrs . S. William Clark, Secretary; Mr. J. Dan Lott, Treasurer; and Mr. W. Grady Pedrick, Legal Counsel.
Development of two new exhibits has been approved by the Board of Trustees of Southern Forest World. The Herty Foundation of Savannah will have on loan to the Center a miniature paper making machine. It will take raw pulp and process it into paper in a matter of minutes and the entire process can be viewed by visitors. The machine will be operating for the first time during the Waycross/Ware County Forest Festival in May.
Also planned for the Center is the installation of a fire-still. The Union Camp Corporation is contributing the boiler and other essential parts.

For many years people in t he South have been burn ing the fo rests for various reasons. Wooded areas have been burned t o reduce undergrowth, prepare fo r seeding and plan ti ng , improve wildl ife hab itat, a id in insect and disease control and for othe r purposes.
"In most of these inst ances, howeve r, little or no attention has been given to the problems created by the smoke eminating from these burns," acco rding to David Westmoreland , ch ief of the Commission's Forest Protection Depa rt ment.
"We are all aware of the importance of clean air to our lives and well -be ing," he said, "but forests are also impo rtant to us, producing much of the oxygen we breathe each day, and we need to understand how to control the smoke generated when we use control Ied fire in the woods."
Westmoreland said it should be understood that fire in the forest is not all bad. "It is good for the reasons mentioned above, as well as a tool to avo id t he devastation of w ildfires," he said . When forests are not periodically burned, la rge amounts of d ri ed grasses, pine straw, limbs and other debris accumulate on the forest floor, providing fuel for a disaster. But prescribed and controlled burning can be carried out safely t o remove th is danger , he po inted out.
The p rotection chief sa id t hat all f ire produces smoke, sometimes in great quantities, and the content, volume and location of smoke can produce undesirable, as well as dangerous situations.
Burning forest fuels produce t races of carcinogens that are potentially harmful to humans and for t his reason, bu rning should be done when wind w ill ca rry smoke away from populated areas . This is especially important whe re nu rsi ng homes, hospitals o r population centers are located , he said . He also not ed t hat large quantities of smoke can cover high ways and airpo rts, thus making t ravel extremely dangerous.
Smoke management is t he app li cat ion of specif ic guidelines before and du ri ng a fire to eliminate t he smoke hazza rd and Westmoreland listed some guidel ines to observe in reducing the impact from smoke :
1. Be sure you have considered the impact of your burn on the total env ironment-both on site and off site.
2. Use fire weather forecast - ava ilable through the Georgia Forestry Commission's county un it offices . Such information is needed to determ ine what w ill happen to the smoke , as well as to determ ine the behavio r of the fire .
3 . Do not burn d uri ng pollut ion alerts or temperature inve rsion . Smoke wi ll tend to stay near the ground. and w ill not disperse readily.
4. Comply w ith a ir pollution contro l

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE. . .

FIRE AT TIMES IS BENEFICIAL , BUT SMOKE IS ALWAYS THE CULPRIT THAT SHOULD BE ARRESTED WHENEVER POSSIBLE.

regulations in your area . 5. Bu rn when conditions are good for
rapid dispersion. The fire weather forecast will supply this information. 6. Determi ne the direction and volume of smoke that will be produced. 7 . Notify local fire control offices, nearby residents and adjacent landowners.
8. Set a fire in the area to be burned, away from roads, populated areas, etc., to test and confirm smoke behavior.
9 . Use backfires when possible . Backfires, burning against the wind , give more complete consumption of fuel and produce less smoke. Less pollutants are released into the air and visibility is less restricted.
10. Burn in small blocks. Large area burning reduces visib ility. Down wind and a higher concentration of particles is put into the air. Make every effort to burn when weather conditions are best for rap id d isper-

sion of smoke. 11. Burn out and eliminate all smoke as
soon as possible along roads to reduce impact on visibility.
12 . Be cautious of nighttime burning. Predicting smoke drifts and visibility is more difficult at night. The wind may lessen or die out completely. This will cause smoke to disperse slowly while remaining close to the ground.
13. Contain your fire to a size that can be controlled or extinguished if undesirable situations develop.
" By following these guidelines and prepar ing a plan, you will reduce the production of smoke and ensure proper smoke dispersion," Westmoreland said, "and assistance in this area can be obtained by contacting your local forestry unit."
He emphasized that it is of primary importance that, before any burning is done, "the safety and welfare of people and the environment be considered."

Oglethorpe County is not really blessed with a whole lot of big city services. Then again, we are not blessed with a whole lot of big city taxes either. What we do have in abundance, for a rural county of our population, is good fire protection at a cheap price.. .We applaud the men and women in the respective communities that have seen fit to give of their time and energy to this worthwhile cause... The county government also gets good marks for their participation in fire protection. They help the departments get a running start in leasing their fire knock ers and in most cases make an effort to provide housing for the fire department.
Th e Sheriff's office chips in with yeoman service on handling fire calls and dispatching fire trucks from the various communities. Maurice Mathews of the Oglethorpe County Forestry Unit is always ready to help apply for grants and to counsel with the various fire departments.
- OGLETHORPE ECHO

0 glethorpe County is 435 square miles of rural Georgia dotted with a half dozen farm communities and three small towns. For generations, its c1t1zens could do little more than stand by when fire struck and watch it consume a home, barn, cotton gin or a crossroads store.
But thanks to the Rural Fire Defense program and the overwhelming support it has received from the people, all that has changed .
Oglethorpe County now rates as one of the best protected counties in the en tire state. When the f ire alarm sounds, more than 150 volunteer firemen in 11 departments across the county are ready for action .
Ranger Maurice Mathews of the Oglethorpe Unit, Georgia Forestry Commission, marvels at the transition .
"Back before the RFD un its were formed we would get a call on a roadside fire .and before we could move equipment into place, it would often eat into the woods," the ranger said , "but now the volunteers beat the fire out before we get there ...sometimes three departments will show up and prevent the blaze from spreading into the forest."
The ranger said volunteers on one occasion fought a blaze in the att ic of a big two-story country home . "They vented the roof and saved that house ...they performed just like big city firemen."
County Comm issio ner Thomas Meyer commented on the same fire. "The attic was on fire in the house about two miles from the nearest fire house and I wouldn't have given you f ive cents for the bu ildin g." But , he sa id , in m inutes, "trucks began coming from every direct ion and they saved it."
Meyer said "a lot of good people have put a lot of time into the program and it

Volunteer firemen confer with Forest Ranger Maurice Mathews at the Sandy Cross Fire Station , one of many established across Oglethorpe County to make it one of the best protected rural counties in the state. The county 's volunteers represent all walks of life. Shown with the ranger are, left to right, Marvin Burt, farmer ; Roy M. Glenn, Army retire e; and jim Stepp, a Gold Kist supervisor.

COUNTY SOLVES RURAL FIRE PROBLEM

OGLETHROPE COUNTY CITIZENS UNITE TO FORM EFFECTIVE NETWORK OF VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENTS UNDER THE RFD PROGRAM. PROPERTY SAVED, INSURANCE RATES REDUCED.

is one of the best developments we have ever had in this county ."
J. W. Gr iffiths, Chairman of the Oglethorpe County Board of Commissioners, agreed. " The Rural Fire Defense program has worked out much better than we had expected ... it just couldn't have been any better!"
Griffiths and others cite the savings in insurance premiums as a result of the program. Generally, the class 9 insurance rating now in effect in the county has brought about an 18 to 29 percent savings in insuran ce costs.
Griffit hs said he owns some commercial property in Arnoldsville and when the rating was changed, he received a refund of more than $300 on an annual premium.
The R FD program was inaugurated in 1968 by the Forestr y Comm issi on and it is administered by the agency. The Commission a ids counties in obtai ning, mod ifying and equipping trucks, helps secure funds for commun ications systems and sets up profess ional training classes .
Ranger Mathews pointed out that many of the units had their start when lo-
cal cit izens decided to raise funds to buy

a used truck and build a building to house the vehicle.
Cakewalks, barbecues and raffles were some of the events staged to raise funds. Willis Colquitt, one of the founders of the county's Sandy Cross Fire Department, remembers that one barbecue brought in $1.457. "Wives had a big part in it," Colquitt said , "and we had the support of a lot of people in our section of the countv ."
Sandy Cross provides protection for about 200 homes and Colquitt, who learned fire fighting in the Navy , said the community has not only gained security, but has come closer together socially as a result of events held for the cause.
The county has aided in building or providing materials for construction of many of the fire houses. Some double as voting precincts.
Ralph Maxwell , Jr., editor of the Oglethorpe Echo , said "people all over the county have taken a great interest in the program, they have truly rallied around the cause." He pointed out that another good feature of RFD is that it is achieved "at minimum cost to the taxpayer."

FORMER MEMBER OF BOARD DIES

W. George Beasley, 60 , Lavonia, a past

member and chairman of the Georgia

Forestry Commiss ion Board of Commis-

sioners, is dead.

John W. Mixon, Forestry Commission

director, said Beasley was a steward of

forestry during his 13-year tenure in the

1960s and '70s. His actions and guidance

were always in the best interest of the

people of Georgia and in the perpetua-

tion of forestry, Mixon added.

Beasley was the owner and operator of

Transplant Nursery, farm manager for

Lavonia Manufactur ing Co., a member of

the American and Georgia Nurserymen's

Assn., member of the American Rhode-

dendron Society, a past president of the

William Burton Chapter and was nation-

ally recognized as an innovator and leader

in the field of hybrid izing native azaleas.

He was a deacon and Sunday School

teacher in the Lavon ia t-=irst Baptist

Church and a former Scoutmaster.

The veteran of World War II was a

member of the First Cavalry Division, jim Gillis, left, shown with Governor Harris at capitol following his reappointment to

ganized the first National Guard Un it in the Commission Board.

Franklin County and served as its unit

commander with the rank of Major. Beasley is survived by his wife, Mrs.
Mary Shuss Beasley; daughter , Mr. Thur-

GILLIS REAPPOINTED TO BOARD

man Hill; and sons, Walter George, II, John Hamilton, and Jeffrey Brown , his mother, Mrs . Lucille Brown Beasley, and four grandchildren.

Governor Joe Frank Harris has reappointed Jim L. Gillis, Jr., Soperton , to the Georgia Forestry Comm issi on Board of Commissioners. Gillis, who just com-

pleted a seven year term, is chairman of the Boar.d.
The Treutlen County woodland owner is one of five commissioners that super-

vise the forestry program in Geo rgia .

Other members are Felton Denney, Car-

rollton; Eley C. Frazer, Ill, Albany; Ms.

Patricia B. Robinson, Atlanta; and Robert

TOTAL WOODBURNERS
~PRIMARY ~ HEAT SOURCE (millions of people)

2 .3 EAST NORTH CENTR AL

Simpson, Ill, Lakeland. Gillis is president and a past director
of the American Turpentine Farmers Association, a director and past president

of the Georgia Forestry Association , a

member and past chairman of the State

Soil and Water Conservation Committee

and Board chairman and past president of

the Bank of Soperton.

The former state senator and mayor of

Soperton is on the Board of Directors of

the Georgia Agri -Business Council , chair-

man, Ohoopee So il and Water Conserva -

PAC

tion District, supervisor in the Ohoopee

So il Conservation District and a past

president of the Georgia Beef Cattle

Improvement Association.

Gillis is married to the former Miss

Katherine Hudman of Screven County.

They have three children and 10 grand-

children. The family is a member of the

This illustration shows figures obtained from the Energy Information Administration First Baptist Church of Soperton .

by the publication, Wood n' Energy. It shows that Georgia and the South Atlantic area

leads the nation as wood burners. New England, often thought to be the largest bas-

tion of wood burners, lags far behind. Th e data includes all types of wood appliances,

including fireplaces , by users who reported wood as a primary or auxiliary fuel.

(Reprinted with permission f r om Wood n' Energy magazine, P. 0. Box 2008, Laconia, NH 03247 .)

March 10 marks the anniversary of South Georgia's "Big One," the spectacular forest wildfire that -oldtimers continue to talk about and young foresters , rangers and patrolmen continue to hear about.
The year was 1955 and the big fire was actually the climax of a series of disasterous wildfires that started in the fall of 1954.
George and Tom Shelton, prominent naval stores operators and timber growers in the Valdosta area, said recently that they find it hard to believe that 30 years have passed since the worst forest fire in Lowndes County occurred .
In recalling the 1954 fire, George Shelton said it left a "black landscape for miles and miles, w ith nothing green in sight." His brother, Tom, said he remembered that the heat was so intense "it actually charred leather washers in a farm well that was 35 feet from the flames ."
The fire started on a Friday at noon and before it was contained at noon on the following day, more than 6,500 acres of some of South Georgia's finest t imber were destroyed.
The fire, believed to have been deliberately set in the Indianola section of the county, quickly whipped out of hand and spread through the huge tracts of pine timber.
Georgia Forestry Commission rangers and patrolmen, joined by industry firefighters and volunteers, battled the fierce blaze which destroyed at least eight homes, several barns and livestock.
THE FORERUNNERS
Jimmy Copeland , reporter for the Valdosta Daily Times, wrote that "Despair and fear were common among the onlookers as the mass of flame crazily danced about the highest trees, mocking the efforts of one man to wet down his home ...Sudden winds , changing directions as suddenly as they came up, gave strength to the fire , carrying it over and beyond such a break as Highway 84. Great spirals of flame and smoke would belch forth from dry pine ."
The Shelton Brothers, who lost considerable timber in the fire, recall that an extended drought prevailed that summer and even some of the swamp areas were " bone dry ."
Reporter Copeland, who also made photographs of twisted bedsteads in burned out homes and pigs that were roasted in their pens as the flames swept across the land , said "the thick pall of smoke that rose over the burning area was clearly visible in Valdosta , some terming it just like pictures of an atom bomb explosion ."
But the Lowndes County fire in early May and the countless other smaller fires that plagued Georgia's southern counties that year were the forerunners of the fire in 1955 that the local historians now re-

gard as the "Big One." Forest firefighters throughout most of
the South Georgia area had been battling outbreaks as f ire danger continued to mount during rainless days of February and the first week of March.
FIREBREAKS FAIL
Finally , on March 10, a blaze which has already burned over 2 ,000 acres in the Okefenokee Swamp, broke through firebreaks placed around the area by the Ware County Unit and others in the district.
The flames, fanned by a steady wind, crossed firebreaks and headed toward Highway No . 1, a four-lane stretch near Waycross. The fire was held at the high way with an occasional jumpover, but it then turned and raced southward .
Ed Ruark, now retired from public service and operating a large Christmas tree farm near Bostwick, was the Commission's Chief of Forest Protection at the time and directed wide ranging suppression operat ions in the area.
He said last week that he vividly remembers the terrifying exper ience of seeing roaring flames "crown in trees 80 feet tall " and race unchecked across vast areas of forestland. The magnitude of the great fire was further realized , he said , as he surveyed the widespread devastation from a helicopter brought into service by the Georgia National Guard.
Ruark said the big fire , which con sumed more than 25,000 acres, was the result of a record drought and a tremendous build up of fuel.
Emergency equipment was dispatched from the Georgia Forestry Center in Macon and by the weekend men and equipment from units in Cherokee , Floyd, Richmond , Morgan, Walton, Fulton, Franklin, McDuffie, Warren, Polk, Gw innett, Hall, Jackson, Jefferson, Monroe, Candler, Glynn and Wayne Counties were on the line in Ware County, or on the way to the area.
Pulpwood, turpentine and lumber companies, as well as other industries , threw all available manpower and equipment into the fight and by Monday, March 14, an army of men with heavy suppression equipment, joined by five airplane pilots on observation duty , had invaded the area .
THREE MAJOR AREAS
By that time , the fire developed into three major danger areas . The first, the "Mudge Fire ," the one that bad come out of the swamp , was centered about 15 miles south of Waycross.
As it raced along Highway 1, it threatened the Commission's district office and shops. Homes in the area were evacuated and residents were taken to Waycross. The fire destroyed some 15,000 acres in the state forest , the preserve known to-

day as Dixon Memorial State Forest. Further north , another offshoot of the
swamp fire came to be known as the "Double Branch F ire." It raced seven miles to the Brunswick highway , where equipment was concentrated , but the f ire could not be stopped before it jumped that highway and threatened several homes.
A third fire , known as the "Suwannee Lake" fire , burned hundreds of acres west of Waycross.
BEGINS WITH SHAVINGS
Former Forest Patrolman Johnny Hickox, who resigned from the CG>mmission to work for the Okefenokee Swamp Park several years ago , sa id he was one of the first to respond to one of the big fires, which started from a small pile of shavings at a pole mill at Homerville.

"The more I plowed, the bigger it got," he said. "We had others to come in and we plowed all the way to Fargo and even across the dry bed of the Suwannee River before it was under control."
Firefighters battled the blaze for days before it finally ate into a peat bog deep in the swamp , where it smoldered for several months.
B. S. Booth, retired d istrict ranger of the Waycross District , said he was w ith several other firefighters in the woods when he heard a roaring sound in the d istance. "I told the others that we needed to get out in a hurry," he said, "and just as we got out of its path, a great ball of fire rushed through the swamp ...we got out just in time."
Elbert Griffin , a retired towerman, al so remembers some harrowing experiences during those great fires . He looked out the cab of his tower and saw a sea of

RETIRED FIRE FIGHTERS REMEMBERED
johnny Hickox, left, a former forest patrolman ; B. S. Booth, cen ter, who served as a district ranger for many years; and Elbert Griffin, retired tower operator, discuss the event they remember most often from their careers with th e Forestry Co m mission the big fire of'55.

Westmoreland
flames heading his way. He "ran" down the many steps and made a hasty retreat to safe ground.
Joey Hall, present day district forester in the Waycross District, was a schoolboy in nearby Offerman during those March days of the big fires and he well remem-
The fire with the most intriguing origin during the disasterous 1954-55 season of big blazes in South Georgia was definitely the celebrated "Muletail Fire."
When memories hark back three decades, versions of the fire sometime differ from storyteller to storyteller. But all agree that the fire in Charlton County was indeed started by a mule's tail.
It seems that several naval stores workers were laboring in the woods on a wintery day and had a small fire going to keep warm. An old mule used to pull a barrel wagon was standing nearby and suddenly switched his tail into the open flame.
He bolted and ran through the woods, setting the extremely dry forest ablaze with his flaming tail.
The "Muletail Fire" burned more than 18,000 acres of forests and swampland before it was finally subdued.
bers that "clouds of smoke hovered over the southern part of Georgia and North Florida for several days."
During 1954-55, more than 25,400

wildfires occurred and they destroyed a total of 474,723 acres of forests, with the heaviest devastation, of course, in the pinelands of South Georgia .

;l)t 1lalbo

CAN HAPPEN AGAIN?
Can that kind of fire damage ever happen again?
Qavid Westmoreland, who is now Chief of the Commission's Forest Protection Department;
"There is always that possibility that a big fire could occur, but I think the probability of it happening is much less than it was in the middle fifties.
The key to keeping fire size small is early detection and immediate response with sufficient resources to put the fire out before it becomes uncontrollable. With the respect forestry in Georgia commands today, the Forestry Commission is provided the capability to maintain a respectable average size fire.
This can be attributed to several things. We have the biggest and best firefighting equipment we have ever had. This, coupled with a detection system consisting of a statewide network of fire towers, supplemented with air patrol during periods of high fire danger, allows for the earliest possible detection of wildfire. Also, increased population in rural areas has resulted in an increase in the number of fires reported by the general public.
Normally, a fire does not burn uncontrolled very long before we know about it. Continuous contact through two-way radio communication among fire suppression resources of the Forestry Commission , industry cooperators, and city and county fire departments provide for a coordinated suppression effort not formally realized.
More emphasis than ever before is being placed on the training of firefighting personnel so that maximum results can be realized from the firefighting effort at all levels .
Yes, even with all the equipment, manpower, modern communications, cooperator assistance, and training we have today, the threat of the big fire is still present under certain conditions. The one influence over which we have no control is weather. Although we have the latest, most modern fire weather information which gives us advanced warning of fire danger, we still can't change it."

WILDFIRES IN GEORGU IN 1954-55 DESTRO YED MORE THAN
474,000
ACRES OF FORESTS
Former Fire Chief Ruark: "Yes, I believe it could happen again under certain circumstances. The forests are more dense now, more trees per acre, more to burn. People now have more leisure time and it brings more people into the woods for fishing, camping, and hunting. Firefighting crews are smaller now, apparently because of budget restrictions. When your key people are fatigued, you need a reserve to take over." But Ruark said there is also a positive side. "Counties in South Georgia now have a better and more widespread telephone service and people are willing to call in and report a fire. Suppression equipment is superior and communications have greatly improved. You know, 30 years ago we had radios in our trucks, but we had to leave the trucks at a safe distance and go into a fire without benefit of the portable hand-held radios personnel have

today. We did not have radios on our tractors. You also have controlled burning today - a practice that was not used very much years ago- and that, of course, helps prevent the buildup of excessive fuel to feed a fire."
TERRIBLE AFTERMATH
"The terrible aftermath of these March fires in South Georgia," declared the late Guyton Deloach, director of the Commission at the time, "will be felt for years to come."
He made the observation after he had witnessed flames jumping 2,000 yards and wildfire heads creating 40-mi le-anhour winds. Flames at times were shooting 60 feet above tree tops and moving more than two miles an hour.
Scars of the big fires were visible until the early sixties, but replanting and volunteer growth has now erased most of the desolation.

PLANS ANNOUNCED TO PLANT SURPLUS STATE LANDS IN FOREST TREES

All department heads in Georgia's state government are being directed to search lands under their jurisdiction to determine whether some of the acreage could be profitably planted in trees.
The lands would include surplus acreage at hospitals, colleges and other stateowned institutions, as well as acreage controlled by state agencies 'that is not being

utilized for other purposes. Governor Joe Frank Harris directed
department heads to make the study fol lowing the passage of a resolution by both the state senate and house of representatives which calls for state lands not now being utilized for designated needs to be placed under a forest management plan, to be carried out by the Georgia

Forestry Commission. The governor called for the forestation
move after he had noted that the state presently owns approximately 118,000 acres of forests and other acreage in pasture, with some parcels of the property being in open or idle land.

PROGRAM APPROVED FOR NAVAL STORES

T he 1984 Naval Stores Conservat ion Prog ram has been approved , accord ing to Roy Cates , state executive d irector, Agricultural

Stabilization and Conservation Service,

Athens .

He sa id the maximum cost-sharing is

$3 ,500 to each producer, including any

AC P earnings under the current program.

The Georg ia ASCS office will make the

cost-share payments .

The only change from the 1983 pro-

gram is the increase from 12 to 15 cents

per face for the e levation of cups and

aprons us ing double-headed nails .

The rates and practices are 25 cents

per face on a 9 -inch practice, 31 cents per

face on a 10-inch practice , 35 cents per face on an 11-inch practice and above , and 35 cents per face on a restricted cupping practice , with spiral gutter or Varn apron and double-headed nails applying to all four practices .

Almost 100 acres of the Horseshoe Bend Seed Orchard were recen tly inspected for blue tag qualification and checking a tree for the pro per block , space and serial number are, left to right, j ohn W. j ohnson, seed orchard superinten dent; Marvin Zoerb, projec t leader, Union Camp Corporation; and Terrell Brook s, Forestry Commission seed orchard manager.

Others include 33 cents per cup for new plastic, two -quart cups , and eight cents per unit for a new plastic apron-

BLUE TAG CERTIFICATION APPROVED

gutter . Grady Williams, naval stores special ist ,
Geo rgia Forestry Comm ission, McRae, said at least two streaks and one dipping will be required before qual ifying a face
(Co ntinued on Page 15)

The Georg ia Crop Improvement Association has inspected and approved for blue tag certification 97.3 acres in the Georg ia Forestry Commission and th e Georgia Forestry Comm ission-Un ion Camp slash pine seed orchards at Horse-

shoe Bend Seed Orchard. In the coopera tive sect ion, Union Camp personnel per form the progeny testing and Commission personnel establish and manage the orchard. The seed are divided equally.
In 1976; there we re 12 .8 acres of slash

pine given Blue Tag status at t he Dav is-

boro Seed Orchard .

At the Horseshoe Bend Seed Orchard ,

there are 48 trees per acre, ranging in age

from 18 to 28 years , with an ave rage

height of 45 to 75 feet.

Terrell Brooks, seed orchard manager ,

Georgia Forestry Commission , said the

1985 cone and seed crop w ill be approved

for Blue Tag certification . This will make

blue tag certified tree seedl ings ava ilable

for the 1986-87 planting season from

this orchard, Brooks added .

Barnard M. Dillard, inspector for the

G.C.I.A., approved the cert ificat ion .

John W. Mixon , Forest ry Commiss ion

director, pointed out that the ultimate

goal in this program is to p rovide land-

owners only certified tree seedl ings. The

d irector emphasized that this certificat ion

ma rks 30 years of work by the Forest ry

Commission in the Tree Improvement

Program.

James C. Wynen s, chief of the Com-

Mrs. j ames W. Phillips of Mo ultrie, left, S tate Poster Contest Chairman , Garden Clubs of Georgia, confers with two of the judges who will determine the best Smok ey Bear-Wo odsy Owl posters entered by school students, as well as some adults , around the state. j udges are Forest Ranger Newell Lastinger of the Colquitt County Fo restry Unit, Mrs. Eudora S impson, tower. operator at the unit and How ard Bennett, Macon, Chief of the Commission's Education Department (n ot shown). Winners in categories, ranging from k indergarten to adults, will be announced at the Garden Clubs annual co nvention later this year.

mission's Reforestation Departme nt , said that 298.8 acres of seed o rchard and the t ree seed processing fac ili ties at t he Georgia Forestry Center nea r Macon were certified for the Green Tag in 1969.
The Forestry Comm ission has prov id ed improved lob lol ly and sl ash pine tree seedl ings for purchase by Geo rgia landowners since 1964 .

SEVERAL WORKSHOPS PLANNED IN SPRING

Several workshops of interest to foresters, land managers, consultants and ot hers have been scheduled th is spring at the Cen ter for Continu ing Education, Un ive rsi ty of Georgia .
A short course on The Use of Microcompu ters in Forestry will be held April 24-25 .
The course is des igned to introduce fun da mental components of microcomput ers and to discuss the use and potential use in a va riety of forest and resource management appl ications.

Bruce Greene, left , Georgia and National 4-H Forestry Champion from Crisp Co unty, and Eley C. Frazer III, presiden t of the Georgia Forestry Association and president of F & W Fo restry S ervices, Inc., A lbany, measure timber on one of Greene's winning forestry projects near Cordele.

CRISP YOUTH IS TRIPLE WINNER

What are the three main ingredients to success? To 18-year-old Bruce Greene of Crisp County, recipient of the first annual F & W Young Forester Award and both Georgia and national winner in 4-H forestry competition, hard work, determination and dedication are the pay-off .
Greene, a freshman at Abraham Bald win Agri cultura l College at Tifton, said "The 4-H Club has taught me an invaluable lesson -- not only in the techniques of forest management but that I can achieve what I want out of life with a lot of effort and a lot of self-discipl ine ."

the state w inn er in the 4 -H fo restry competit ion . He later went on to b ecome a national 4-H winner in forest ry at the nationwide 4 -H confe rence in Ch icago.
On a recent tou r of Greene 's 4 -H forestry p rojects in Crisp County , Eley C. Frazer Ill, president of F & W Fo rest ry Services, Inc., p raised Greene fo r h is grasp of fo rest management and the range of h is interest and activities . Frazer is currently president of the Georgia Fo restry Assoc iation.

A wo rkshop on Point Sampl ing and Pris m Cruising w ill be held May 9 -10.
The course is desi gned for foresters and selected techn ic ians with little or no exper ience in point samp ling and prism c r u is in g.
The two-day course will be taught by Dr. Richard G. Oderwald , Assistant Profes sor of Forestry at V irginia Polytechnic Instit ute and State University.
The number of conference participants is limited and preregistration is required .
A Sell ing Skills Workshop for Foresters will be held June 5 -6.
The workshop is designed to help for est ers relate effectively with individual landowners, employees, and others with whom they contact in situations associated with forest management, employee relat ions , environmental concerns, and other matters.
For further information on these wo rkshops, contact Dr . Leonard A. Hampton, 237 Center for Continuing Education , Unive rsity of Georgia , Athens, Georgia 30602, or call 440/ 542 -3063.

Greene never thought it would be possible to be a national w inner until about a year ago when George B. Lee, the Crisp County Extension Agent and h is 4-H leader, challenged him to go for it.

"Mr. Lee has been like a big brother to me . There were times when I thought I had too many irons in the fire and that I should give up my goal for the national title , but he pushed and encou raged me to continue with my projects ," the student said.

"When I was wo rr ied about how to pay for college , Mr. Lee reassured me that if I worked and t ried ha rd enough , t he money could be there . He was right ," sa id Greene .

He entered ABAC with the ass istance of a $500 scholarsh ip from F & W Forestry Services , Inc. of Albany , wh ich created the award to recognize outstand ing achievements in forestry by 4-H members.
He was presented w ith the F & W Award at the same t ime he was declared
,..,

The Bracke Scarifier, a machine manufactured in Sweden which prepares the soil and
plants forest tree seed as it moves across a field, is demonstrated by the Commission on a _plot i~ Telfair County. The cost of the operation, an alternative to setting out
seedlmgs, wt/1 pro bably run less than $40 per acre, according to fo resters assigned to tbe study.

LEGISLATORS PRAISE FOREST PROTECTORS

The Smokey Bear Fire Prevention Program was born during World War II days when it was feared that saboteurs might attempt to destroy valuable timber through forest fires.
"Smokey" officially became a national symbol in 1945 and gained immediate success. Today, he is still an outstanding symbol of forest fire prevention and said to be one of the most effective fictional characters ever created in the advertising world.
Smokey, through the news and advertising media, had a large job to do at the outset. He had to break the public habits of tossing lighted cigarettes and matches from car windows, warn hunters, fishermen and campers about leaving burning camp fires, and caution landowners on how to burn off their land for planting.
The results of Smokey's program has been evident in Georgia over the past 40 years. The first part of the program saw Georgia's forest fire losses reduced to one-half of one percent of the protected forest acreage. Today, less than one-fifth of one percent of the protected forest acreage is being damaged or destroyed by wild forest fires.
This record has been accomplished through the combined efforts of the general public, Georgia Forestry Commission and the U. S. Forest Service in putting over Smokey's fire prevention program. Radio and TV programs, fair exhibit and parade themes, talks and demonstrations have been aimed at making

Georgia a greener state. Smokey has created an army of civil-
ian forest rangers who put into practice fire prevention practices prescribed by the symbol. These civilian forest rangers are not the only ones that have helped in forest fire prevention. Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Camp Fire Girls, 4-H Clubs, Safety Patrols and Smokey Bear Clubs have come to Smokey's aid.
Every year more people are doing their part; all because a kindly bear convinced the country that forest fire prevention is important.
How popular is Smokey the Bear as be celebrates his 40th birthday this year?
An elderly woman stepped out in front of Smokey as be marched in a parade in a Northwest Georgia town not long ago and declared : "! have always wanted to shake Smokey's band." She did. She stopped the entire parade.
When Smokey appears at fairs and festivals , be draws kids like a magnet. They usually want to pose with him while parents make photographs. Let Smokey walk across a school yard and be immediately attracts a large following.
The Georgia Forestry Commission joins others across the nation in wishing Smokey a Happy Birthday!

The Georgia House of Representatives during the recent 1984 session of the General Assembly passed a resolution "commending the forest protection ser vices personnel of the Georgia Forestry Commission: and for other purposes."
The resolution is as follows : WHEREAS, among the most important natural resources possessed by the State of Georgia are abundant forest and timber lands; and WHEREAS, the worst enemy of our forests is fire, whether accidental or deliberate , which historically destroys an average of 60 ,000 acres through 12,000 individual fires yearly; and WHEREAS, in 1983, 6,922 forest fires were reported and 26,529 acres were destroyed; and WHEREAS , the rangers and forest protection personnel of the Georgia Forestry Commission serve each county of our state, exposing themselves to extreme hazards in fighting the fires which endanger these important economic and ecological assets; and WHEREAS, this stellar group and the true professionalism which they exhibit in achieving their outstanding contributions to the safety and betterment of our natural surroundings deserve the gratitude and praise of all citizens of the state. NOW , THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the forest protection services personnel of the Georgia Forestry Commission are heartily commended for their outstanding record of service to all Georg ians. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed t o transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to John Mixon, director, Georgia Forestry Comm ission .
COUNTIES GET FUNDS
"The U. S. Forest Service will return $1,081,424.18 to 25 Georgia counties this year," Chattahoochee-Oconee Forest Supervisor Pat Thomas announced today. These funds represent 25 percent of all fiscal year 1983 receipts for activities which occurred on land owned by the Forest Service in Georgia, he pointed out.
Thomas noted that the total amount returned to the counties is approximately $374,000 more than returned in 1982. He credited this to a general upswing in the economy, which resulted in increased timber sales.
The federal treasury will return the money to the state for distribution to the counties. Each county is required by law to use the funds for roads and schools.

Genoia Fnmri-'M.ar,..h 10QA

McLAUGHLIN IS NAMED

UNION CAMP CHAIRMAN

This scene from a previous Timber Harvesting Expo will be repeated this year as hundreds attend from Georgia and several other states.

EXPO TO SHOW HARVEST ADVANCES

Timber Harvesting Expo--Southeast, scheduled for April 26-27 in Tifton, will put the latest in harvesting equipment to the test in a 25-year-old plantation pine stand.
It will be the sixth biennial Expo, which combines the woods demonstrations with class workshops and static displays.
More than 1,000 people are expected to attend from Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee and the Carol inas, as well
roon't be al
heartbreaker
Have regular medical cnec\<.-ups.

as other states. The Expo is sponsored by the Univer-
sity of Georgia's Cooperative Extension Service and T imber Harvesting Expo-Southeast Inc., a nonprofit educational corporation.
Bill Murray, Extension forester, said the Expo draws loggers, timber dealers, sawmillers and representatives of forest product firms to learn how to do their jobs better and more profitably and to see what' s new . in timber harvesting technology.
Some 60 to 80 exhibitors are expected for the two-<:lay event at the Rural Development Center in Tifton.
Talks by political and forest -products industry officials kick off the first day of the Expo.
The action switches the second day to a woods site about 20 miles from Tifton, where harvesting equipment will work. A barbecue lunch will be served and individual demonstrations will continue in the afternoon.
Registration is $10 for two days, $7
for one day . Walk -i ns will be charged $12
for two days, $9 for one . To register or for more information, contact Murray at 912/ 386-3418 or P. 0. Box 1209, Tifton, Ga., 31793.

INCENTIVES PROGRAM
(Continued from Page 3)
medium site preparation, $75 per acre for heavy site preparation, and $5 per acre for tree seedlings.
Landowner payments for the FP-2 practice are $20 per acre for precommercial thinning, $1.88 per acre for prescribed

After graduating from high school in Brooklyn, N.Y., young Peter Mclaughlin landed a job as company ditto machine operator by answering a newspaper helpwanted ad.
Today, at 55, he heads that billion dollar forest products company as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
It was in 1945 that Mclaughlin accepted that first employment with Union Camp Corporation, then called Union Bag Company, and during the first ten years he worked as a junior auditor, cost accountant, assistant comptroller and tax manager, with the exception of a twoyear tour of Army duty in Korea.
During that period, as a night student, he earned a BBA degree from Pace University and later a JD degree from Fordham University Law School.
The company, which maintains the world's largest paper mi II in Savannah, named Mclaughlin comptroller in 1965, vice president-finance in 1969, director in 1970, and executive vice president in 1972. He became president in 1977 and chief executive officer in June , 1980. He was recently elected chairman, while retaining his post as chief executive officer .
Gene Cartledge has been named president of the company.
burning, and $30 per acre for site prepar ation for natural r-egeneration.
Practice FP-1, tree planting, is to establish a forest stand for timber prod uction purposes and to preserve and improve the environment. Cost-sharing under this practice, in addition to tree planting, is authorized for clearing land occupied largely by scrubby brush when it is essential to permit planting desirable tree species.
The tree species will be determined by the Forestry Commission, and must be planted between November 1 and March 31. The trees must be spaced uniformly over the area, with a minimum of 600 trees per acre.
Practice FP-2 is for improving a forest stand. This is applied to forest stands needing improvement for the purpose of producing sawtimber and veneer Iogs where the potential productivity of the stand or site meets or exceeds minimum forestry standards.
Cost-sharing, for the FP-2 practice, is authorized for precommercial thinning or releasing desirable tree seedlings and young trees. Also included are prescribed burning and site preparation for natural seeding. This improvement should be carried out in such a manner as to preserve or improve the environment, especially wildlife habitat and the appearance of the area.

. F

ROBERT MILLER, a forester educated soils and forest eco-physiology from the

at Auburn University, has been named University of Kentucky , Mississippi State

ranger of the Randolph-Terrell County University and the University of Missouri.

Unit. A native of Alabaster , Alabama, He was research assistant at Mississippi

Miller succeeds Ranger Ronald Roland State and the University of Missouri. The

in the post . He is a Methodist and hopes forester is a member of the American

Society of Agronomy and the Soil Science

Society of America ... FREDERICK W.

HAEUSSLER of Savannah, has been

elected Vice-President and President-Elect

of the Society of American Foresters.

Haeussler, who holds a bachelor's degree

in forestry from the University of Geor-

gia and a master's in forestry from Duke

University, is employed by Union Camp

Corp . of Savannah . He directs the land-

management activities of the Savannah

Woodlands Region. Haeussler will serve

to get involved in community projects. He plays a clarinet and considers camping, hunting and photography his favorite

on the 14-member SAF Council, the governing body of the national professional forestry organization, and move

hobbies. JOHN HAMMOND, Assistant

Chief, Forest Management, recently re-

tired after having served the Commission

for more than 30 years in several capa-

cities. A dinner honoring the veteran

forester was held in Macon ... Bieckley

County Ranger HALL JONES, who be -

gan work as a patrolman in 1947 and re-

ceived rapid promotions, retired recently.

He was honored at a dinner in his home

town of Cochran .. .ZELLA WILBANKS,

secretary, Gainesville District, was recently honored at a retirement party in Dahlonega. She came with the Commis-

into the position of president in 1985. The current president is William E. Toweii ...JEFF LASSITER, formerly a pa-

trolman in the Bleck ley County Unit, has

been named ranger of that unit. A native

of Warner Robins and a graduate of Coch-

ran High School, Lassiter also attended

Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College

for a year . He is married to the former

Miss Karen Purser and they are members

of Faith Baptist Church in Bleckley

County ...COY WOMACK, who has been

in charge of Davisboro Nursery and rang-

er of Johnson and Washington Counties

for several years, has been named District

Ranger for the Milledgeville District .

sion in 1951 and was cited for her long

years of faithful service ...CHARLES

WEIR, aircraft pilot who served the Com-

mission for 24 years, retired recently

from service in District 12. Following a

dinner in his honor, he returned to his

home in Douglas... DAVID MOORHEAD

joined the Rural Development Center

staff in Tifton as a forest regeneration

specialist with the Georgia Extension

Service. He is a native of Louisville, Ky ., with degrees in forestry, sil viculture/

Lassiter

Womack

SEEDER STICKS NOW AVAILABLE
The Georgia Forestry Commission is making available to Georgia landowners a seeder stick and loblolly and slash pine tree seed to aid in their reforestation efforts.
John W. Mixon, Commission director, said the elongated seeders are available for loan free of charge. The tree seed are also provided at no charge. Mixon po int ed out that this will give landowners an alternate to machine and hand planting, as well as broadcasting.
The seeders are available on a first come first serve basis. To borrow seeders, landowners are asked to contact their local county forest ranger.
Druid N. Preston , chief of the Commission's Forest Management Department, emphasized that the seeder can be calibrated to use different size seed. This enables the planter to have control over stocking.
The seed are dispensed from a one-half quart container which enables the landowner to plant from five to eight acres, depending on spacing, without refilling.
PROGRAM APPROVED
(Continued from Page 11) for cost-sharing in any practice .
Gum naval stores producers may make their requests for NSCP part ici pation through their county ASCS office or county forestry office.
J im L. Gillis , Jr., president, American Turpentine Farmers Association, Soper ton, made the request for the program's contin uation on behalf of the Associations's membership.

A GIANT CALLED
y
Forestry in Georg ia has become a booming 6.6 billion dollar industry and it continues to expa nd daily. Its economic imp act is felt in every one of the state's 159 counties. If you have forestland, make sure it is managed properly for maximum production . If you have id le acres, plant trees. Forestry means dollars and jobs.

fHIIIIAS

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