Georgia forestry, Vol. 43, no. 1 (Spring 1990)

FEATURE PHOTO

Georgia
FORESTRY
Spring, 1990 No. 1 Vol. 4~ ~
USPS No. 217120
STAFF Howard E. Bennett, Editor William S. Edwards, Asso. Ed itor Jackie N. Swinson, Graphic Artist

Joe Frank Harris- Governor John W . Mixon - Director
BOARD OF COMMISSION ERS
Jim L. Gillis, Jr., Chairman, Soperton Felton Denney, Carrollton James Fendig, Savannah Dr. Gloria Shatto, Rome
Robert Simpson, Ill, Lakeland

This tree is slowly enveloping the grave stone of a Confederate soldier buried about 125 years ago in Myrtle Hill Cemetery in Rome and visitors to the historic site often wonder why a solitary oak is growing in a plot containing several hundred military graves. There is a local theory: Confederates near the end of the war were forced to eat acorns for survival and this particular soldier, with a head stone marked vnknown; was buried with acorns in his pocket. Forester Grant Evans of the Commission 's Rome District said, however, that there probably is more myth than logic in that explanation, as the soldier would have been buried too deeply for the acorn to germinate. Despite his practical explanation, Evans said he appreciates the romantic version that has been retold so many times.
ON THE COVER - Soaring pines against a clear, blue Georgia sky! It's a familiar sight in a state that is blanketed by more than 24 million acres of forests in various stages of growth. This scene of mammoth loblollies in Jones County was captured by Commission Photographer Billy Godfrey.

DISTRI CT OFFI CES
District One 3086 Martha Berry Hwy., NE/Rome, GA 30161
District Two 3005 Atlanta Hwy./Gainesville, GA 30501
District Three 1055 E. Whitehall Rd./Athens, GA 30605
District Four P.O. 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 23NAmericus, GA 31 709
District Eight Route 3, Box 17/Tifton, GA 31794
District Nine P.O. Box 345/Camilla. GA 31 730
District Ten Route 2, Box 28/Statesboro, GA 30458
District Eleven ~oute 1, Box 67/Helena, GA 31037
District Twelve Route 6, Box 167/Waycross, GA 31501
Urban Forestry 6835 M emorial Drive/Stone Mountain, GA 30083
Ge<Xgia Forestry is published quarterly by the Georgia Forestry com mi~ sion, Route 1,Box 181 ,DryBranch,GAl 1020. Second cLass postage ~ at Macon, CA POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Cf'OfgJa Commission, Route 1, Box 181 , Dry Branch, GA 1 1020

2/ Georgia Forestry / Spring 1990

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John Wells, Comm ission staff forester, operates computerized Forest Industry Bulletin Board he recently des igned.

ELECTRONIC BULLETIN BOARD PROMISES SALES

The Georgia Department of Industry and Trade is offering the services of a new co mputerized Forest Industry Electronic Bulletin Board designed to promote communications w ith in the forest products industry and promote buying and sell ing.
John Wells, Commission staff forester on loan to the Department of Ind ustry and Trade, developed the system as part of his promotional efforts in marketing and international trade. Wells sai d the bulletin board 's immediate contact advantage offers current market studies and timely sales lead s.
"We're in the formative stages now," W ells said. " but the potential is virtu ally unlimited." He emphasized that more participation is needed to upg rade the system and increase efficie ncy.
" A lot of people are reluctant to use ?,nvthing computerized," Wells said,
bu t this system is very easy to use; if there are any questions, they can call me and I' ll put them in the system . There's no charge - everything is free ."
Accordi ng to guidel ines, the system

w ill offer weekly forestry bulletins when operating at desired efficiency level. Bulletins will include informat ion on various forestry $Ubjects such as sawmill operations, industry schedules, particle boards, pine lumber, naval stores, white oak, pine plywood , etc. Diversity of subject matter will increase as the system progresses.
Operating at maximum efficiency, the bulletin board offers immediate contacts for buying and selling - plus instant access to forest ry experts and industry leaders who can answer questions quickly. The system can also elim inate many telephone and ma il delays. " At this stage we 're
..."There's no limit on how big or beneficial this concept could be to forestry. It just depends un response and how many people use the system."

operating on state level. " Wells said. " However, there's nothing to prevent us from reaching out on a national- or even international level."
Wells said what the bulletin board could use now is a " caring and efficient home" to maintain current information and upgrade the system during downtime. Wells said this type of situation would enable the bulletin board to evolve into a vital information center for wood technology, marketing , f inancing , and international forestry trade.
" After all, the need for global marketing strategy is now a growing real ity in the business world," Wells said . " Actually there's no limit on how big or beneficial this concept could be to forestry. It just depends on response and how many people use the system."
For further information, Wells urges anyone interested in the bulletin board to call him at 404/ 656-0632.
Bulletin board sponsors include the Comm ission, Georgia Department of Industry and Trade, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service, and Georgia Power Company.

Georgia Forestry/ Spring 1990/ 3

ROCK MUSICIAN AND TREE FARMER
STRANGE COMBINATION? NOTHING STRANGE ABOUT IT, ACCORDING TO CHUCK LEAVELL, WHO IS EQUALLY AT HOME ON THE STAGE WITH THE ROLLING STONES OR DOWN ON THE GEORGIA FARM TENDING HIS PINE TREES.

By Howard Bennett

[ ! ] he band receives thunderous applause from audiences packing huge auditoriums and stad iums across the country, but the cheering fans never suspect that the man who performs so brilliantly on the keyboard is a Georgia tree farmer.
They always find out in every city, however, when M ick Jagger, leader of the Rolling Stones, introduces his musicians at the conclusion of a concert. He introduces his keyboard play-

er as " Chu ck Leavell f rom the backwoods of Georg ia," but the Georgian doesn't mind the good natured reference to his Charlane Plantation, a Twiggs County retreat near the Ocmulgee River that encompasses 1,1 86 acres of woodlands , w inding roads , forest trail s and a ch arm ing, rambl ing count ry home built in the late 1800's.
Charles A. (Chuck) Leavell, a native of Alabama who played with the Aliman Brothers when that band hit the top of the ch arts in the early 1 9 70s, was recently on a national tour with the Rolling Stones, generally regarded

by critics as the greatest roc k and roll band of all time. When there is suffi cient time between engagem ents, or " gigs " as he puts it, the musician said he is always anxious to head home to Georgia to relax atthe plantation and to be with his wife, the former M iss Rose Lane White, and daughters A my, 14, and Ashley, 7.
RELAXING IN THE WOODS
Part of his relaxation back home consists of walking or riding a horse through the woods to check on forest tracts in various stages of growth and food plots that have been planted to accomodate an increasing quail population. Visits home give him an opportunity to set up thinn ing, ha rvest ing and tree planting sched ules.
Close friends declare that forestry is not a hobby with Leavell, it's seriou s business. The musician and his wife are certified Tree Farmers wh o strive to ca rry out provisions of a detailed management plan prepared by a consultant forester. The plantat ion is divided into 33 stands, ranging from four to 11 2 acres, and aerial maps, inventories, projections and recommendations in the plan are helping th e couple gain the potential fro m t he land . They have realized a good profit in the sale of sawlogs, pul pwood,

4/ Georgia Forestry / Spring 19 90

Leavell, at right, warms up with Mick Jagger prior to a concert. Although the musician enjoys his role as a member of a world famous band, he said he seizes every opportunity to spend some time on his Georgia plantation between engagements.

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wood chips and Christmas trees and they always faithfully replant harvested areas and work to protect their forest from fires, insects and disea ses .
OTHER VALUES APPRECIATED

But Leavell is quick to point out that there are dividends other than monetary considerations in caring for the land; there is pride and pleasure in just walki ng through the peaceful woods and enjoying the changing seasons. W hen he is on tour and decked out in a fl ashy stage costume for a performance, someone who has just learned of his tree farm will invariably wisecrack: " Is that what you wear down in your w oods in Georgia?" When he return s to his woods on the plantation and trades his glittering show biz w ardrobe for blue jeans and boots, he also leaves the glamour and high excitement of the concert circuit behind in exch ange for the tranquility he finds in his w ell managed forest and leisure ti me he spends on the wide front porch t hat he has added to the landmark fa rm house.
" It's a wonderful balance," Leavell said, " I enjoy being with the band and playing all the large cities before large audiences. It's fun and it is very rew arding, but I always welcome a break so I ca n come back to the serenity of th e Georgia countryside." He said he "didn't know the first thing about forestry'' when his wife inherited the large acreage from her grandmother and they moved onto the property in 1981 , but now he has read books, consulted foresters and neighboring landowners and completed a course on woodland management to become qu ite knowledgeable on the subject.
His w ife, who worked with the organization that managed the Allman Brothers Band and met and married Leavell during the band 's heyday. agrees that " Chuck knew nothing about t rees until we moved to the country. Before that, I never saw him ~ven pick up a book or any kind of literature on trees ."
WIFE KNEW FORESTS
Mrs. Leavell , who grew up in pinestudded Twiggs County in Central Georgia, said she acquired a love and appreciati on of the forests at a tender age. "I w as about four when I first started riding through the woods with my grandfather and he would stop the truck and point out different kinds of

Tree Farmer Leavell examines some rapid growing pines on his plantation near Macon. Below, Rose Lane Leavell is shown in her boutique, an enterprise which she said was financed by the sale of pine trees.

trees," she said. Her grandfather, the late Alton White, Sr., worked in acquiring and harvesting timber for a large

lumber company and believed strongly in reforestation long before the practice of planting forest trees became commonplace. " I was very young at the time, but I have a clear memory of watching a farm hand ride on the back of a tree planter and drop those little pine seedlings in the ground ," said the granddaughter.
The Leavells were living in Macon when she inherited the rural property. " I was a country girl and I never wanted to return to the country to live, " she said, "but when we moved to the farm it was a good thing .. .it was a revelation for Chuck. He loves the place and he is a very hard worker. "

NOT GENTLEMAN FARMER

Leavell is definitely not a " gentleman farmer" who delegates all the labor to hired hands. Although he employs some help, he often pitches into work himself by planting pine seedlings by hand with a dibble, shearing Christmas trees, and chemically killing understory that retards the growth of some of his pines. He said assistance (Continued on Page 1 7)
Georgia Forestry/ Spring 7990/ 5

W. K. Jones, who has witnessed th e many changes in sawmills down through seven decades, stand s beside a rusting steam engine that once powered his mill but was silenced years ago by th e advent of electricity and the diesel engin e.

SAWMILLING FOR SEVENTY YEARS
AND STILL GOINGSTRONG!

Veteran sawmill owner W . K. Jones has seen so many changes in the manufacture of lumber during his 70year career that he could write an interesting and colorful history of the in du stry.
He recalls riding on a mule that pulled logs out of the forest when he was only eight and at other times watching long rafts of logs drifting down the river to the mill. He came along when mills were powered by steam and the work week didn 't end until the whistle blew late on Saturday afternoon.
Illustrative of the changes Jones witnessed is his remembrance of the transition from horse drawn wagons to the automotive age. " I learned how to drive in a Model T Ford," said Jones, who continues to manage the W. K. Jones Lumber Company in Brooklet, a
6/ Georgia Forestry Spring 1990

small town in Bulloch County. " and the first thing I did was go stra ight into the water and drown it out." He said that in those early days there were few
At the outbreak of World War II, Jones escaped being drafted because the Army felt he could be of more service running a sawmill and providing much needed lumber to build barracks and other military structures than fighting the war.

bridges across streams and rivers and automobiles had to drive through t he water-- often drowning the engine.
Jones memory of his first drivi ng experience is only one of th e many collected in his long life and career. His earl iest recollections are of w orki ng for his father in his sawmill. " If I was n't in school. I was working w ith my father," he said . " I liked the m ules and oxen that were used to pull the logs out of the woods." Not all of his w ork was enjoyable. One such job w as being a " sawdust doodler." He said " I would carry the sawdust aw ay in a wheelbarrow to a big pile." At t hat time. sawdust was considered worthless, according to Jones, and w as piled high in the backlots of sawmi lls. " I would never have guessed that saw dust would be worth something one day. We used wood shavings to burn

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in the boiler, but the sawdust wasn 't used for anything," he said.
Jones was born in Laurens County, w ent to school in Mount Vernon and eventually settled in Brooklet, where he sta rted up a sawmill with his father. After his father's death, he bought out the re maining shares of the company, renamed it, and officially became the sole owner of W. K. Jones Lumber
Company. Later he married a Brooklet girl
named Nellie and started a family. He and his wife have three sons, Jerome, w ho w orks with his father, Jarell and Jeffrey, and one daughter, Jacquita.
Early in his mill experience, Jones helped manufacture barrel staves. Hardwoods were used to make barrels for turpentine. Cypress was used for syrup barrels and oak for oil and grease. When the demand for wooden barrels dimished, Jones concentrated on pine lumber.
At th e outbreak of World War II , Jones escaped being drafted because th e Army felt he could be of more service run ning a sawmill and providing th e much needed lumber to build barracks and other military structures than fig hting in the war. " We only had six men to run the whole mill during th e war," he said, " all the rest were away in the Army." He said that the federal government would buy practically all the lumber he could produce, and ad ded , "i n those days, people needed a permit to buy lumber for the mselves because the Army needed most of it, and what was left was closely rationed ."

Jones said that the Bulloch County Forestry Un it has been invaluable to him in ma inta ining and manag ing his pine forest. " I give the Forestry Commission a lot of cred it, " he said, " they've been there when I needed them. " According to Jones, the Commission has been extremely helpful with his reforestation management. " I plant some trees every year," he said, " and I cut off only the big timber."
Vernon Owens, ranger for the Bulloch County Forestry Un it pra ised Jones for his avid support of reforestat ion and his help in promoting f ire safety. " Mr. Jones has supported the new fire perm it law wh oleheartedly," the ranger sa id.
Trucks are now used to haul logs to sawmills, bridges span most of the state's streams and rivers, sawmills run on electric and diesel power and it has been many years since logs have been seen floating down the rivers. There have been a lot of changes in Georgia and in the sawm ill business. and W . K. Jones has been around to see almost all of th em.D
Ranger Vernon Owens of the Bulloch County Unit and Jones examine an old boiler on the grounds of the sawmill in Brooklet. The back lot of the mill is strewn w ith old boilers, engines, fly wheels, trucks, winches and other discarded relics that tell the history of sawmill machinery and equipment.

FOREST FARMERS
ANNUAL MEETING
SLATED FOR MAY
Persons attending the 49th Forest Farmers Association Annual Meeting and Southern Forestry Conference May 23-25 will be able to participate in educational programs, take forestry tours and visit Colonial Williamsburg .
The conference will be held at the Williamsburg Lodge and Conference Center. A number of noted forestry experts will discuss up-to-date information on developments in forest management, environmental issues, forest taxation and pending legislation.
Byron (Tag) Edwards, executive vice president of forest products, Champion International Corporation, Stanford, CT, will identify various constraints facing timber management in the South and zero in on the conference theme: "Forest Farmers: An Endangered Species?"
Other featured speakers will include Senator Elman Gray, Gray Lumber Company, Waverly, VA, who will tell us his experience with effects of land use regulations on forestry. Dr. Robert Abt, a noted economist from the University of Florida, will discuss constraints to future timber supply; Philip Nacke, an environmental attorney in Washington, D.C., will address the rights of property owners; and C. Randall Nuckolls, Forest Farmers Association Washington representative, will discuss issues on Capitol Hill of interest to timberland owners.
A Forest Taxation Panel has been scheduled with three noted tax experts participating. Congressman Ed Jenkins (D-GA), a leading member of the House Ways and Means Committee, has been invited to make a special address.
For further details, contact Forest Farmers Association, Box 95385 , Atlanta, GA 30347
Georgia Forestry/ Spring 1990/ 7

SEMINAR STRESSES GLOBAL MARKETING
A common denominator of interest stressed through a recent seminar is the need for Georgia 's forest industries - as well as other industries - to compete by developing global marketing strategies. Another point of emphasis was the increasing need for the U.S. to upgrade education standards so employees can compete effectively.
Subjects during the two-day " Wood Products Value Added Seminar" ranged from financing and training opportunities to the latest methods of mar-

keting wood products. The effects of legislation, urbanization, and recreation on North Georgia forest lands were given special attention. It was pointed out that although Georgia has been highly successful in cultivating the pulp and paper industry, more concentration is now needed on attracting the furniture industry.
Fred Allen , the Commission 's Chief of Research, coord inated the meet and described the sessions as an opportunity to provide information to the interested entrepreneurs on the potential for manufacturing forest products.
'The seminar was very successful," Allen said. " Operating businesses learned new methods of increasing the range and quality of products made from wood, while potential entrepreneurs learned of opportunities and resources availability."
In relation to education and increasing foreign competition, David Clifton of Georgia Tech 's economic development Lab, addressed the seminar and told a story reflecting what the U.S. is
8/ Georgia Forestry/ Spring 1990

Ranger Monroe Gaines of the Berrien County Forestry Unit recently created this attractive sign to be placed at most highway entrances to the Commission 's Eighth District. The colorful and eye-catching signs have a red background, with the map of the district's 11 counties routed in the wood and painted white. The talented artist and sign painter stands behind this sign on U.S. Highway 82 on the Berrien-Atkinson County line, the first to be erected. The ranger also has painted a large wall mural for the Commission 's Forestry Museum in Macon and has made other contributions to that new facility. His work also is seen on the side of one of the Commission 's large highway vans, which is usually parked at the Cook County Unit in Adel for exposure to the traveling public on busy Interstate 75.

confronted with in foreign education and business competition of the future.
Clifton said one of his friends was scheduled for an eight-hour plane flight. When the friend arrived at the airport, he discovered he would be traveling in the section with a group of Japanese teenagers, who were engaged in noisy horseplay. The traveler tried to get his seat changed to another section, but it was too late; so he resigned himself to an eight-hour ride with the noisy group.
However, when they boarded the plane the Japanese teenagers sud-

denly grew qu1et, pulled out textbooks, and quietly studied for eight hours!
Seminar sponsors included the Commission, U.S. Forest Service (state and private); University of Georgia Cooperative Extens ion Service - Forest Resources Department; Limestone Valley RCD Council; Georgia Power Company- Industrial M arketing- Forest Products; TVA - Forest Industry Development; Og lethorpe Power - Amicalola EMC; Georgia Department of Industry, Trad e, and Tourism ; and the Georgia M ountain Regional Development Center.

Forestry Consultant Walter Fox, left, and David McClain, Gainesville district forester, examine pine seedlings planted on a 320 acre site preparation area in North Georgia mountains.
MOUNTAIN PROJECT MAY EMERGE AS ROLE MODEL

By Bill Edwards

[!) ite preparation in excess of 300 acres initiated by a single, non-industrial landowner with no outside financial assistance would be rare in most sections of the state. However, in the North Georgia mountains it is unheard of - especially when such acreage is site preparation for planting pines .
"We certai nly never had anything like it around here," said Van Moore, Commission forester for the Gainesville district who is working with such a project expected to take a year to complete. Moore added that in a few months this project will be an accomplished reality.
The case in point is a 546-acre Wh ite County tract located in rugged mountainous terrain near Cleveland . The land was bought almost 40 years ago by Charles Gay, a Camden, South Carolina businessman associated w ith a national trucking firm. Gay, who now lives in South Carolina, has given po~er of attorney regarding the entire project to Walter Fox, a consulting forester based in the nearby town of Martin. Fox is no stranger to large forestry operations, he became a private consultant after 30 years with the U.S. Forest Service.
" This project is unusual for a num-

ber of positive reasons," Fox said. "From my standpoint it is unusual for a landowner to follow advice of the consulting forester almost to the letter to accomplish designated goals. The
... 140 acres have been left as a carefully preserved buffer zone to protect the scenic Tesnatee River and tributary streams running through the tract. The buffer totals more than 25 percent of the tract.
result is that this is turning into an abbreviated synopsis of Recommended Best Management Practices for Forestry in Georgia (Commission manual for Best Management Practices -BMPs).
Fox believes that in time, the mountain project may be recognized as a role model of sorts. He gives the following breakdown or project guidelines: 16 acres mechanical thinning of 10-year-old natural loblolly stand, 50 acres site preparation for white pine planting, 270 acres site preparation

for loblolly pine planting, and 130 acres of hardwood preserved for game habitat.Thus the total area for pi anti ng pines is 320 acres.
Another impressive factor Fox points out is that 140 acres have been left as a carefully preserved buffer zone to protect the scenic Tesnatee River and tributary streams running through the tract. Since the buffer totals more than 25 percent of the tract, it is obvious that streamside management is a priority. Although this environmental concern will not produce immediate financial rewards, downstream neighbors and future generations will profit for many years to come.
" And the land will be worth more in years to come because of this sort of mangement," Fox said. He points out that immediate financial profit is not the objective of the landowner, since mountain land in this area can be divided into small lots and often sold for thousands of dollars an acre.
Fox emphasized that this is not a totally preservationist project, but a well managed, carefully considered plan to establish that frequently elusive blend of environmental protection with timber production, game man(Continued on Page 17)
Georgia Forestry/ Spring 1990/ 9

URBAN

AND RURAL

BLEND

INCREASING

FIRE

POTENTIAL

e.
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[Q] eorgia is experiencing a statewide overlapping of urban and rural environments. The paradox is particularly widespread in counties surrounding the state's metropolitan centers.
Although the condition is a sign of the times that goes with progress, the positives are burdened inevitable negatives. One of the most serious negatives of the urban-rural blend is potential for fire.
The potential creates a new challenge for the state's 20-year-old Rural Fire Defense program (RFD), a program initiated by the Commission to complement the state agency's forest fire protection program. At the time, RFD was designed as a " rural " program, but times have changed and Commission officials are finding new demands created by increased mobility, concentrated populations, and changing lifestyles.
The Commission and RFD personnel work in a cooperative effort to develop the best fire defense system possible in relation to changing urban/rural needs. Basically, the Commission works in an advisory and assistance capacity.
Roger Browning, Commission rural fire defense specialist, cited the " Urban-Rural Interface Problem" as

the dominant factor of the new challenge. Browning said the relentless exodus of Georgia city dwellers to small farms and sprawling, woodland suburbs has created a different role for many RFD units.
" The whole thing has taken on new perspective," Browning said . " For instance, ten years ago, a fire in a particular area may have burned
"There has been a lot of improvement in equipment and training since '68, but you still can't put out a house fire with a tractor. That's why RFD is becoming so important to Georgians."
50 acres of trees. But now, that fire in the same area might threaten a dozen houses or an apartment complex, as well as woodlands. And , of course, the problem is compounded by the fact that people are the leading cause of fire ."
Browning said this type of fire threat in rural communities was the

10/ Georgia Forestry/ Spring 1990

main reason for the Commission initiating RFD as far back as 196 8 . He pointed out that although the Commission is generally responsible for woods fires outside the city incorporated limits, this has never prevented forestry units from being continually called to structural and vehicle fires in rural areas. However, Commission fire fighting equipment consists of heavy duty crawler tractors that plow breaks when fighting forest wildfires.
" There have been a lot of improvements in equipment and training since '68, but you still can't put out a house fire with a tractor. That's why RFD is becoming so important to Georgians," Browning said. "We're doing everything we can to make the public aware of this need, because fire is something the average person does not think about until it happens."
Browning said when RFD began in 1968, fire fighting equipment was loaned to a community throug h a government entity. This "entity" was the board of county commissioners or mayor of a town with an active, registered state charter. Today, RFD communties are still required to operate under similar guidelines. RFD was made possible by the Clark-

McNary Act. Section 2, of 1924 and the Federal Administrative Act of 1949, which authorized transfer of excess government property to the Commission through the U.S. Forest Service's Cooperative Fire Control
Program . The program seemed cut and dried
on t he surface- even simple. But th ere were problems. Since the first RFD fire fighting equipment consisted mainly of excess military vehicles, there was no standardized requ irements, so availability and maintenance became nagging problems. Eventually the surplus of mil itary vehicles began to dwindle and replacement parts became difficult to find.
"The Commission recognized an alternate plan had to be devised ," Browning said.
In 1975, the " Fire Knocker" program was originated and introduced into a Henry County rural com-
munity. Browning describes the Fire Knocker as a "self-contained slip-on fire fighting unit that can be mounted on an appropriate chassis. "
Under present RFD regulations , a community is given a 50-year lease on the equipment. However, the adva nced equipment and expanded progra m have become more sophisticated. The Commission 's statewide RFD program is currently operating 57 B leased Fire Knockers in 143 cou nties. There are also 57 leased init ial attack trucks and 146 units wh ich haul varying capacity water tan ks - these are equipped with pu mps. There are also numerous other types of fire fighting support eq uipment assigned to the 676 station locations throughout the state.
Com mission records show that Georgia RFD units responded to 12,3 61 fires calls during Fiscal Year 1989.
Despite the demands, Browning said th e program has made great progress under the leadership of Don Freyer, Comm ission coord inator of t he program.
This is another plus factor of RFD," Browning said . " It creates solidarity. I have never seen a community that has not not been drawn closer together after a RFD program was established. "
However, the most obvious benefit.of the Georgia Forestry Commission 's involvement in the RFD
Prog ram is protection against fire. 0

FOREST STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM AIMED AT WIDER MANAGEMENTOF WOODLANDS
By Walker Rivers
Rivers, a staff forester in the Comm ission 's Management Department, has been named state coordinator for the newly established program.

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proclamation by Governor Joe Frank Harris has launched Georgia's new

Forest Stewardship Pro-

gram - a program that involves this

state in a nationwide resources

management campaign coordinated

by the U. S. Forest Service.

Forest Stewardsh ip is, qu ite sim-

ply, the responsibility to manage for-

est property with proper regard to the

rights and needs of others. Forest

Stewards are custod ians of our ri ch

forest resources and their conscien-

For the first time e\ler, landowners will be able to have management plans for their woodlands established by foresters, wildlife biologists, soil scientists, and recreation experts, all working together to coordinate multiple use management recommendations.

tious management of these resources can provide many benefits to both themselves and to society as a whole. In add ition to producin~ timber and its

related income, stewards seek to improve w ildlife habitat, protect soil and water quality, provide recreational opportunities , and enhance aesthetics and the environment.
The un informed might think that the production of so many varied benefits from one tract of f orest land is impossible, but noth ing could be further from the truth ! Stewardship management, also known as multiple use management, mod if ies many different management techniques so that numerous benefits are produced simultaneously. Th is type of management takes skill. knowledge, and ded ication.
The goal of the Georg ia Forest Stewardship Program is to encourage as many landowners as possible to practice stewardship management on their lands. Since most landowners are unfamiliar w ith st ewardship management, it w ill be necessary for a variety of resource profess ionals to work together to educate and gu ide interested landowners.
Department heads from the Georg ia Forestry Commission, the Georg ia Department of Natural Resources , the Georg ia Soil and Water Conservation Commission, the USDA Soil Conservation Service, and the Un iversity of Georg ia Cooperative Extension Ser-
(conti nued on pg . 14)

KURT SUTLIVE HONORED BY NEWSPAPER GROUP

The name of Kurt Stulive, who became publ ic relat ions manager for Union Camp Corporation in 1943 and later served as president of the Georgia Forestry Association , has joined the list of distingu ished Journal ists in t he Georg ia Newspaper Hall of Fame.
Sutlive, who died in 1985, learned newspaper reporting f rom his father, Will iam Greene Sut live, and began his newspaper career w ith the Americus Times . He later bought t he

Blackshear Times, wh ich he published and edited .
The Journal ist may have been best remembered after his newspaper career for the work he did for the Georg ia Forestry Assoc iation . He took pride in having a part in the passage of t he " No Fence Law," wh ich ended t he practice of owners allowing their livestock to roam f ree and fo r forests to be burned at w ill to provide faster growing early springti me grass for grazing by f ree-rang ing catt le.

Georgia Forestry/ Spring 1990/ 11

The Lamar-Pike-Spalding Unit was selected as the number one operation in North Georgia last year, and I would have to say that I wholeheartedly agree with this decision of the selection committee. This unit is consistently one of my top performers. The grounds and equipment are always in top condition and the employees are always ready to carry out their duties. The field day we ....,.---had in Griffin in 1987 had 650 people in attendance, and there were about 1,230 people atthe 1989 field day and both of these special 1---..L......:.:l..-:t...._~ events would not havebeenasgood ~-----_j
as they were if it had not been for
Homer and his people doing a big job. We are also proud of the performance of Lee Milby, our forester who works out of the Pike County office.

Senior Ranger Homer Bennett is well known and respected by forest landowners and others in his tri-county unit.

Preston T. Fulmer Newnan District Forester

"''ve never had a really close call," Homer Bennett, the senior forest ranger of the Lamar-Pike-Spalding Counties Forestry Unit, said of his work in fire fighting, "and I attribute that to good training and experience."
Some of that valuable experience was received when Bennett spent two years in the Army in a heavy artillery unit after graduating from Pike County High school. He received the combat badge, good conduct award, and infantry badge while serving the military in Korea. "I learned a little bit about everything while in the Army, " he said.
Except for the two years he spent in the military, Bennett, a Pike County native, has not strayed too far from home. He enjoys spending time with his wife of 34 years, Lou, and three children Bonnie, Cheryl, and Dennis. He is a member of the New Hope Baptist Church and offers his fire fighting expertise to the Pike County Volunteer Fire Department. During his rare free time, he enjoys hunting and fishing with his son.
Bennett began working for the Commission 21 years ago as a forest patrolman and has worked his way up the ranks to his present position. ''I've
12/Georgia Forestry/ Spring 1990

LAMAR-PIKE-SPALDING FORESTRY UNIT

been right here at this unit for my whole career, and plan on staying here," he said.
The ranger said his crew works hard on such on-going projects as educating the public in fire safety and encouraging landowners to plant trees. "I really enjoy our programs with elementary school children," Bennett said. " We try to teach them about safety in the forest with the use of films, slides, and demonstrations." He is presently trying to get Griffin, Barnesville, and Zebulon certified as tree cities and is working closely with real estate agents in an effort to distribute informative literature to land

buyers concerning reforestation, forest management and fire safety.
According to Bennett, debris burning that gets out of control is the num-

Forester Lee Milby prepares to show a forestry educational film to a civic club audience.

ber one cause of forest fires in his area just as it is across the state, but the fire permit law has significantly reduced such fires. "I feel we have had 100 percent cooperation with the fire permits," he said. " I have only issued two citations since the law came into effect." Bennett explained that with the help of the news media, word on the permits and how to obtain them has been spread to most everyone.
In reflecting on his lack of harrowing firefighting stories, Bennett explained that safety of the firefighters comes first. "We never let an inexperienced person combat a fire alone," he said.

LEE MILBY

Forester Lee Milby, who serves

landowners of the tri-county unit, as

well as neighboring Upson County,

doesn't know why he decided to get

into forestry when he left his home- Patrolmen Jerry Maddox, left, and Jeff Kenerly consult a county map before

town of Meansville to attend the starting a day of pre-suppression firebreak plowing for area landowners.

University of Georgia in the early

1970's, but assumes it "just came naturally" following a childhood love of playing along the creeks and throughout the woodlands near his home.
The forester came with the Commission in 1985 after having served some ten years with the South Carolina Forestry Commission. He said he is pleased that the district office in Newnan assigned him to the unit, as he is familiar with the four counties and serves many landowners " who were once my boyhood friends."
In addition to working with rural forest landowners in the area, Milby handles urban forestry responsibilities in Thomaston and is a facil-

itator for the Project Learning Tree project. He also had earned the Silver Hat Award for making 50 inspections in the Georgia Tree Farmers Program.
Milby researched and wrote material on his hometown and an article on
ANOTHER IN ASERIES OF STORIES ON OUTSTANDING COUNTY FORESTRY UNITS
the forestry unit for the recently published History of Pike County.
The forester is married to the former Miss Denise Anderson of Atlanta and they have one son, Jesse. The family is active in Meansville Baptist Church.

his experience in the Navy and National Guard where he was a mechan1c and truck driver. "I learned a lot about mechanics in the service, " he said.
When Maddox is not repairing fire extinguishers, fighting fires or hunting arrowheads, he enjoys woodworking. "I like to build birdhouses and decorations," he said. "I give most of them away as presents, but have sold a few." He also enjoys spending time with his wife Sandra and attending New Salem Baptist Church, where he is a member.
JEFF KENERLY
" I plan to make a career out of this," Jeff Kenerly, a forest patrolman with the unit said. ''I've only been here for

JERRY MADDOX

13 months, but I enjoy the job and really like the people I work with."

" I look for them after I dig firebreaks or after a controlled burning," Jerry Maddox, a forest patrolman for 14years with the unit, said of his hobby of searching for arrowheads and other Indian artifacts. He is a member of the Flint River Gem and Mineral Society and has displayed his treasures at schools and public functions.
Maddox is in charge of maintaining the equipment at the unit and repairs fire extinguishers from around the state for the Commission. He attributes his mechanical expertise to three years spent at Griffin Tech, and

Kenerly graduated from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in December of 1985 with an Associate Degree in Marketing and Business Management and an Associate in Forestry. He worked as a forestry consultant, and then for a landscaping company in Carrollton. It was while working in Carrollton that he met his fiance, April Terhune.
Kenerly's duties with the Commission include maintaining and repairing equipment and fixing fire extinguishers. He learned much of his mechanical skills from working in his grandfather's lawnmower shop as a child

Georgia Forestry/ Spring 1990/ 13

STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM

(continued from page 11)

Rebecca Cabe 's title is tower operator, but she attends to many other duties at the busy unit headquarters. She handles much of the radio communications, clerical work, and other functions during a typical day.

and from a high school automotive course. He also has the honor of playing Smokey the Bear during school programs on fire safety. " I like being with the kids," he said, "but some of the smaller ones are scared of me when I'm in the Smokey costume."
REBECCA CABE
"I like everything about my job," Rebecca Cabe, the fire tower operator for the unit said. Cabe has been with the Commission for almost ten years and plans to stay " as long as they will have me," she said.
Cabe was born in Washington, D. C. and lived in Florida before moving to Waycross, where she graduated from Ware County High School and met her husband, Dennis. They have a daughter, Jessica, 11, and are members of Mount Zion Methodist Church.
Cabe says " 90 percent of my time is spent typing reports, answering calls, and giving out information." She said she receives 1 5 to 20 information calls per day and "if I can 'tanswertheir questions, I can refer them to someone who can."
14/ Georgia Forestry/ Spring 1990

The time she spends up in the tower depends on the weather classification. " Sometimes I'm up there for hours, sometimes for only a short time, depending on if it is fire season or not, " she said .
Cabe's skill as an artist is used more than just for a hobby. She has designed promotions for the unit and is presently working on a fire prevention campaign that she hopes will be used statewide. 0
SPALDING
PIKE

vice joined with Governor Harris in signing the State Stewardship Plan which pledges the cooperation and support of these agencies in carrying out the state program.
For the first time ever, landown ers will be able to have management plans for their woodlands established by foresters, wildlife biologists, soil scientists, and recreation experts, all working together to coordinate multiple use management recomme ndations. This team approach to land management assistance is new and unique to the program.
Landowners who wish to participate in the Stewardship Program will be asked to sign a creed w hich indicates their intent to practice stewardship management. Each Commission district will have a District Stewardship Forester who will coordinate the construction of a stewardship plan with members of the other cooperating resource agencies. Each landowner will indicate a primary and a secondary management objective from a list which includes tim ber, wildlife, soil and water conservation, recreation , and aesthetics. The stewardship plan will reflect the landowner's main objectives, wh ile providing recommendations to en hance other values as well.
When a landowner has implemented the stewardship plan, he will be nominated for the prestigiou s and coveted " Forest Steward " designation. An inspection of his land will be conducted by a resource team and his management evaluated accord ing to a strict list of criteria. Those who achieve high standards of stewardship management will be rewarded w ith th e Forest Steward designation, a plaque, a property sign, and membership in an exclusive group of landowners who are the state's top woodland managers.
Georgia 's program is directed by a state committee chaired by Commission Director John Mixon. An inclusive training program for participating agencies is planned for spring of 1990. A statewide media cam paign will also be utilized to promote th e program and generate statewid e landowner interest. 0

RICK HATTEN THE RANGER

RICK HATTEN THE KNIGHT

RANGER RICK CROWNED KING RICHARD

ick Hatten, Commission ranger for the Barrow-Jackson Unit, has transcended his contemporary position by being crowned king of six Southern states. The honor was conferred by an international medieval organization called the Society for Creative Anachro nism (SCA). States under King Richard's sovereign rule include Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, Louisiana and Mississippi. "Florida has enough subjects to be declared a kingdom unto itself," said Hatten in a tone and vernacular befittin g the most medieval of courts. Adopting such speech patterns is one of many SCA requirements, and Hatten can slip into medieval rhetoric at
the drop of a suit of armor. Although it is all in good fun, SCA
members take their king seriously. Rick
Hatten (now King Richard) attained the royal station by emerging victorious in the finals of a six-state tournament. Competitors fought with ~eapo ns from the Middle Ages rangIng fro m the two-handed sword to th e axe.
For safety reasons, all weapons are made of wood, but Hatten pointed

out that their weight is comparable to steel counterparts. He _described being hit over the head with a five-pound wooden sword as " an unusual experience." All tournament combatants wear armor typical of the Middle Ages. Hatten wears a 40-pound suit of armor including a chain-maile vest that took him more than 150 hours to weave.
He explained that although the armed tournaments are popular, fighting with medieval weapons is but one aspect of the organization. " The Society recreates the Middle Ages not as it was- but as it should have been," he said. " Strife, pestilence, and political conspiracies have been replaced with emphasis on grace, beauty, chivalry and brotherhood."
A graduate of the University of Georgia with a degree in forestry, Hatten became interested in the Society eight years ago when he and his wife, Karen, attended a medieval fair at Lake Lanier Islands. Hatten, his wife, and two children joined the SCA. He said the organization is family oriented and it has nothing to do with the mystical or occult.
Hatten explained that the Society which started in California in 1966,

now has more than 15,000 members worldwide and covers a period from the fall of the Roman Empire to the 1600s. Georgia has approximately 450 members.
According to organization guidelines, members adopt a character, then dress and act accordingly. The role of knight, however, cannot be personally adopted, but must be appropriately granted by authorized peers. Hatten was knighted long ago as Sir Richard of Raefus. Since attaining knighthood , Sir Richard has attended many isolated retreats where members recreate the medieval lifestyle focusing on interests from calligraphy to medieval woodworking.
However, the tournaments of battle remain one of the most popular activities. All wooden weapons used for practice and actual tournaments are made of rattan- a vine-like wood from the Phillipines.
" Hickory was used at one time, " Hatten said, "but if it breaks, it can splinter and cause serious injury."
An assortment of medieval weapons (all made of wood) are available to the aspiring knight. In addition to the usual selection of swords and spears,
Georgia Forestry/Spring 1990/ 15

there are specialty weapons such as the glaive- a combination sword and axe. Then there is the halbred, a weapon made popular by the S~iss which looks like a wide axe w1th a spear point on top and a small stabbing point on the back. The "great sword" is also popular among combatants; this is a heavy two-handed sword about six feet long.
Although Hatten has used all these medieval weapons in battle, he prefers the traditional one-handed sword and shield. As a dedicated knight - and unto this day - King Richard devotes numerous hours each week practicing the many attack and defense maneuvers used with the sword and shield.
Despite the intensity of the tournament battles, Hatten says there are relatively few injuries and no deaths. "There's actually more danger of heat stroke in the summer," Hatten pointed out. "The padded clothing and heavy armor can really get hot."
Win or lose, the participant's honor is at stake. Qualities of truthfulness, restraint, generosity, gallantry and courtliness must be maintained at all times to remain in the Society's good graces.
"It is considered unchivalrous to strike an opponent when he is down," Hatten said. "Honor is always more important than victory."
True to medieval accuracy, Hatten's leather covered shield is made from laminated pine (shields of the Middle Ages were frequently crafted fro~ laminated wood). His coat of arms 1s the Cross of Moline and a single pine tree.
And thus bearing this imposing coat of arms, King Richard does rule his true and loyal subjects with a kind but firm hand in the manner befitting a noble monarch: Defender of the weak- Protectorofthe oppressed -Inspiration to the wretched - Uplifter of the downtrodden- Custodian of grace- Punisher of the unjust - Enemy of all evil. Knowledge of his magnanimous and favored reign has spread to the hinterlands of the kingdom, while his prowess with the sword has become legend in his own time.
Meanwhile, back at the BarrowJackson Unit, his loyal subjects (patrolmen) Earl Carter and James Davis remain unimpressed by Ranger Rick's elevation to royal status - but no one wants to cross swords with Kin~ Richard.O
16/ Georgia Forestry/ Spring 1990

Georgia has 25 counties that benefited from more than $865,000 in

revenues collected on the Chattahoochee and Oconee National Forests

during fiscal year 1989.

Ken Henderson, supervisor of the Chattahoochee-Oconee Forest

explained that the funds represented 25 pe~cent of all reven~es colle?t-

ed by the Forest Service from the use of nat1onal forest lan.d 1n Georgia.

Most of the money was derived from timber sales, recreat1on user fees

and grazing.

.

The state is required to distribute the funds to count1es where Forest

Service lands are located, and are to be used for schools and roads.

"Some counties will receive more dollars than others, based on the

number of acres of national forest land within their county, "

Henderson said.

This year's dollar returns to Georgia counties were higher than last

year's total ($797,320) by over $69,000. Overall receipts were up for

the Chattahoochee-Oconee Forests, but timber receipts were down due

to lower prices for timber killed by the southern pine beetle.

Money distributed ranged from $78,744.96 for Rabun County to

only $3.19 for Catoosa County from revenues generated from the Chat-

tahoochee National Forest. Other counties receiving money were

Banks, Chattooga, Dawson, Fannin, Floyd, Gilmer, Gordon, Habersham,

Lumpkin, Murray, Stephens, Towns, Union, Walker, White and

Whitfield.

Money from revenues collected from the Oconee National Forest

ranged from $149,611.78 for Putnam County to $669.09 for Oconee

County, with the remainder being divided between Greene, Jasper,

Jones, Morgan and Oglethorpe Counties.

.. .

This year's payment to Georgia is part of a national d1stnbut1on of

$362 million to 41 states and Puerto Rico by the USDA Forest

Service.

ROC K MUSICIAN (Conti nued from Page 5)

MOUNTAIN PROJECT (Continue from Page 9)

from t he Twiggs County Unit. Georgia Forestry Commission, " has been incred ible since we've been on this place" and ~e marveled. at _the swiftness in wh1ch the un1t s f1ref1ghters responded to a recent wildfire in his
wood s. The Leavells are unable to spend as
much time tending their pines down on th e farm as they would like. He is often on the road with the band; she has a career of her own . She owns and manages a fashionable boutique in M aco n and explained thatthe shop is a "drea m come true " as a result of
pine trees. Mrs. Leavell and her brother, Alton ,
harvested a tract of virgin timber in
1977 on land they owned in Jones
County. " I suddenly had a large amount of money," she said. " and thoug ht of all the things I could do with it like traveling abroad. but I had always wanted a boutique and that's w here I put my money... She had
studied fashion merchandising while at the University of Georgia .
The forestry unit plowed firebreaks around the wooded areas shortly after th e Leavells took possession of the property, but Leavell now plows the breaks with his farm tractor and has converted many into convenient forest trails. The network of firebreaks divide his w ood lands into parcels that are control burned on a rotation basis , a system that he said provides safety and also protects wildlife habitat.

Wild game enhancement is important to Leavell in the management of his multi-use forests. He has a rapidly growing quail population as a result of food plots planted in his woodland. An allied interest is the breeding of English Pointers
A rock star and a fashion merchandiser m ight not seem to be a likely couple to settle down on a ~ecluded plantati on. but Chuck and Rose Lane Leavell, Registered Tree Farmers No. 4804. are proud to make it their home, to further enhance the land that will one day be the responsibility of daughters, Amy and Ashley.O

agement, etc. " It offers a classic example showing
that timber production can coexist harmoniously w ith such environmental factors as protection of the flood plane. and even preservation of certain historic aspects. "
The historic reference is to the area 's gold rush days. Site preparation has turned up numerous rocks shaped like tombstones, but the rocks are actually markers left by gold prospectors. One section of the tract has to be reached by crossing the swift Tesnatee River in a four wheel drive vehicle. Above the crossing. a rectangular, concrete building looms over the river. The structure was intended as a power plant, built in anticipation of a gold rush town that never developed.
" Preserving this area and the environmental integrity of the river is a major concern of this project. " Fox said . " Although there w ill be timber production not far away."
Van Moore. the Commission forester who has spent his share of time walking the area 's sloping landscape, summed up the project by saying, " Everybody involved with the project is favorably impressed . We hope that the results will influence private as well as industrial landowners - and make it clear what can be accompl ished on this sort of terrain when correct forestry management methods are applied. " O

INTEREST NEVER SLACKENS

The musicians interest in trees apparently doesn't wane when he is back with the band. When the group rehearsed in Washington , Connecti cut, for instance, he slipped out on occasi on to the edge of town with a tree identification book in hand to study species native to that section of th e cou ntry. The Rolling Stones were on tour in Japan in February and that gave hi m an opportunity to inspect some strange and exotic trees of the Orient.
Mrs. Leavell said her father and her grandfath er were practical foresters , good stewards of the land who were not tec hnically trained in the forestry professi on. but who carried out management practices that have perpetuated good timber stands.

Hundreds of students entered the annual Smokey Bear-Woodsy Owl Poster Contest this year and these judges are making the final decisions. Left to right are Mrs. Bernard Bridges, Moultrie; Forest Ranger Donald Bennett Colquitt County Unit; Mrs. James W . Phillips, Jr., state poster chairman; Urban Forester Raymond Norvell, Albany; Mrs. Bennie Ricks, Moultrie, and Senior Forester William Lamp, Camilla. The women represent the Garden Club of Georgia
Georgia Forestry/ Spring 7990/ 17

GEORGIA COMPANY USES WHITE PIN E, UNIQUE DESIGNS IN LOG CONSTRUCTIONS

By Clif Plumley

resurgence in log home construction has spawned a multit ud e of companies dealing exclusively in modern log structures. Competition is tough as builders strive to rise above their peers by creating better and more innovative designs. Each wants financial prosperity, but the pride of owning or working for a company that produces a quality product is also a strong
motive. It is this ideology, the desire to pro-
vide the best product. that propels Don Mahaffey forward, according to friends and associates. Mahaffey's company, Fireside Log Homes, was started in 1 984 as a result of his conviction that he could produce log structures that would exceed the quality and craftsmanship of such buildings being offered on the market
at the time. Attracted to the romantic, yet practi-
cal qualities of all-wood buildings, and confident he could build one better than anyone else, Mahaffey built his

t1rst log home and featured it at the Atlanta Home Show in the Spring of 1984. This model was quickly followed by construction of a restaurant in Ell ijay, and over the next five years, Fireside produced over 800 homes and created a network of 60 dealers in 22 states and two foreign countries.
Mahaffey, a resident of Decatur, decided to loca te Fireside in the scenic
Log homes are no longer only weekend retreats or small cabins hidden away in the woods for rustic vacations. Some 85 percent of the homes built by Fireside are used as primary dwellings.
North Georg ia town of Ellijay due to the abundance of white pine in and around the area, a species used in his homes.

" Gilmer County proba bly has the highest quality of white pine in t he state," he said , " and relative to the rest of the world , we have unlim ited resources."
Fireside presently buys t imber directly from landowners and by bid di ng on timber cut from public lands, but Mahaffey said he plans to get involved with reforestation and eventually grow his own trees. This would allow him to control the qua lity of his log homes from seedling to finis hed product.
Wood chips created whe n the ra w logs are shaved are sold to a paper mill and shavings and sawdust are im mediately utilized as floor coverings by the growing poultry industry, accordi ng to Mahaffey. " We eventually w ant to install a wood -burning boiler fo r heati ng purposes," he said , " so we can use even more of the tree...
Logs for Fireside homes are shaved so that one side is rounded , th e oth er, a flat plane. Grooves are carved into the logs so that the structure w ill have a

18/ Georgia Forestry/ Spring 1990

tight and sturdy fit. Logs are cut according to the individual house plans and then loaded into containers at Fireside's plant in Ellijay to be trucked
to the building site. Another force behind the com-
pany's success is Joh~ Mads~n. a native of Denmark and v1ce president of sa les for Fireside. He emigrated to the United States in 19 74 and began work with Mahaffey a year ago.
Madsen's title does not credit his more creative talents. He graduated from the Royal Academy for Fine Arts in Copenhagen with a degree in architecture and is currently creating a new collection of log home " fashions" for
Firesi de. "Log homes don 't have to look like
cabins, " Madsen said, " we want to do something new." His new designs will represent each of the seasons. The first " fashion" of this collection is "Whispering Spring." Every three month s, according to Madsen, a new design that "captures the essence of th e season" will be unveiled .
Log homes are no longer only w eekend retreats or small cabins hidden away in the woods for rustic vacations. Some 8 5 percent of the homes built by Fireside are used as prim ary dwellings, according to Mahaffey, and although the structures are solid wood and many times are, indeed, hidden away in the woods, the homes are spacious, comfortable. and contain all of the ammenities of any modern home.
Although Fireside boasts an array of house designs, Mahaffey said that most people desire to make changes to the plans - customizing the home to the ir individual needs. He said his com pany is eager to customize plans or even design an entirely new house accordi ng to the buyer's desire.
Fireside homes are found mostly in the cool Blueridge Mountains, far away f rom the hustle and bustle of city life, but a few homes have been built in more urban settings or even in such a far away place as Guatemala.
"The house we sent to Guatemala was ou r first export," Mahaffey said, but working through agents and by persona l contacts between himself and prospective buyers, Fireside has taken strides in the world market with ~he ir hig h quality log homes and has dlready made plans to build a model in England and has completed a sale for a model home and 16-bedroom inn to Osaka, Japan.

john Madsen, vice president of sales for the company, looks out over a scenic mountain valley from the deck of a Fireside model home. Madsen, who has a degree in architecture, designs the homes.. In photo below, Secretary Donna Dean checks the morning mail at the headquarters of Fireside Log Homes in Ellijay.

'This sale," Mahaffey said, "i s only the beginning of a major export effort by Fireside." He added that the Japanese and other Pacific Rim countries love solid wood products, so the potential for sales of log homes in this region of the world is great.
The containers holding finished logs that are destined for Japan are transported by truck from Ellijay to Savannah where they are loaded aboard ships for a month-long voyage before docking in the Japanese port city of Kobe. The containers are then moved to the building site where Fireside personnel. armed with a con-

struction manual translated into Japanese, help with the erecting ofthe log structure.
" Log homes are appealing to people who want a less stressful lifestyle and demand very high quality," Mahaffey said, " and we want to do it better than anyone else in the world." So whether a Fireside house is to be built on a misty mountain in North Georgia or on a snowy slope in Japan, the innovation, the pursuit of perfection, and the vision of Don Mahaffey, John Madsen, and the rest of the Fireside crew is apparent in its timeless beauty and sturdy craftsmanship.O

Georgia Forestry/ Spring 1990/ 19

FOOTNOTE TO GEORGIA HISTORY

COMMUNE DEPENDENT ON FOREST

[ ! ] he subject of communes triggers instant memories of the 60s when a malcontent hippie subculture withdrew from society; but even the most erudite of historians might be at a loss if asked to give details on a turn-of-thecenturyWareCountycommune based on a forestry economy.
The socialist commune of Ruskin, established near Waycross, was short lived. Little has been recorded about this experiment - and even less has been recorded on the influence of forestry related activities on its brief survival from 1899 to 1901.
Located near Waycross on the Atlantic Coastline Railroad, only a few miles from the Okefenokee Swamp, Ruskin was part of a socialist movement sweeping the United States in the late 1800s. The goal was to dilute competition with cooperation, distribute income and social opportunity equitably, and escape abusive practices of capitalism. Socialism, fleeing England 's Industrial Revolution, was seeking a new spawning ground in the
u.s.
For a while, such diverse activities as a thriving turpentine operation and the philosophy of transcendentalism seemed to blend well. A generally well educated population of approximately 300 were attracted from all over the U.S. and abroad. Following in the footsteps of great thinkers like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, intellectuals of the time were drawn to the socialistic climate. Georgia was advertised as a sort of Garden of Eden with cheap land, plenty of labor, no blizzards, and a year round range for stock that required no fencing.
Advertising placed little or no emphasis on forest resources, although similar groups of the time gravitated toward heavily forested areas for obvious reasons -such as building com-
20/ Georgia Forestry/ Spring 1990

munes. With no real concept afforest ing continued; even the sidewalks of

resources and management in exis- Ruskin were made of wood and con-

tence, the attitude of a never ending tinued to extend in all directions. Th e

supply prevailed . Trees were taken for community's bustling newspaper,

granted, and often regarded as a The Coming Nation, told of great

nuisance to be cleared away so the things to come. The word spread

land could be farmed.

quickly and soon distinguished visi-

However, virtually the entire Ruskin tors from all over the world began visit-

colony was hewn from surrounding ing the colony. Writers, artists, and a

forests and forestry related industries host of scholars came w ith great

were essential to the group's pros- inspiration to carry on the ph ilosophy

perity.

formulated by England 's John

Shortly after the Ruskin Common- Ruskin.

wealth was incorporated in 1899, in- But trouble lurked in paradise and

dustry began to thrive on more than the days of utopian illusion were

1,000 acres designated for the col- numbered.

ony. A small sawmill and planing mill Although forestry enterprises pros-

were among the first establishments. pered with other endeavors, problems

Lumber was processed to build nu- developed in relation to concepts and

morale. Despite claims of socialistic

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story is based primarily on a 1964 master's thesis "A History of Ruskin Colony, at Ruskin, Georgia." The project, now on file at the Georgia Archives, was submitted to The University of

purity, there were those in the colony who began to show symptoms of capitalism ; some even insisted on keeping more than an equal share of

Georgia, College of Education, by Lillian Lee Corbett as a requ irement for a master of education degree. Conclusions on forestry were drawn from this work and other sources.

the money while doing less than an equal share of work. Unequal worki ng hours and job assignments also became points of contention.

merous structures including a railroad When Ruskin management refused

station, library, print shop, coffee fac- to show financial records to dissen-

tory, school, and broom factory (sup- ters, an accountant was hired to check

ported by area timber supply) .

the records . Two days before the ac-

Meanwhile, a thriving turpentine countant arrived, the com m issary

business, adjacent to the railroad, burned. Records, food, money and

shipped to the outside capitalistic other essentials were destroyed.

world. Although Ruskin printed mon- Social and economic chaos follow-

ey for exchange within the colony for ed the fire. Morale collapse, financial

goods and labor, the certificates were disintegration, and finally complete

not redeemable for U.S. cash. As the dispersement of the colony occ urred.

turpentine business grew, the broom Like other socialist colonies of its ki nd,

factory also began shipping for cash . Ruskin could not stand the test of ti me

Mule drawn wagons, filled with in America.

wooden broom handles, were a com- Today, the Ruskin comm une is a

mon sight as they snaked their way footnote in history, but th e forest

through the pine flats to Waycross. resources so important to it's exis-

All seemed well. The town pros- tence remain a vital part of th e area's

pered and grew. Cultural pursuits economy. Modern forestry manageflourished- including a brass band and ment techniques have establ ished t ~e

literary society. The saws of the lum- Waycross area as one of the states

ber mills were seldom still as the build- major forestry centers.

Ruskin commissary, above, served as focal point for activities and storage of goods. Two days before disgruntled colonists were to have an accountant check financial records, the commissary burned. Records, food, money and other essentials were destroyed. Chaos followed the fire and the commune was disbanded. In the scene at upper right, the community's naval stores industry is reflected. Barrels are ready for shipment by rail to the outside world. At right, loggers and sawmill workers take a break to pose for a photographer. Pea shelling time is depicted below as women of Ruskin make preparations to feed all inhabitants of the colony in a communal dining hall.
(Photos on this and following page courtesy Georgia Archives)

The little settlement of Ruskin de pended on the surrounding forests for its existence. Note the large two-andthree story dwellings w ith wood shingled roofs and picket fences. Wood was used to fuel the steampowered sawmill and it was the only fuel available for cooking and heating purposes in the town. The office and printing plant for Ruskin 's thriving newspaper, The Coming Nation, was constructed with heavy timbers from

WOOD ENERGY UNIT

IS NOW OPERATIONAL

AT VALDOSTA PR.ISON

Ware County's dense forests. Although sturdy in construction, the socialist doctrines promoted by the newspaper proved fragile in the long run. Like other socialist communes of its time, Ruskin could not w ithstand the test of time in America. In addition to the newspaper, the press was used to print money for the " Ruskin Commonwealth of Ware County. " The certificates were payable in labor or goods, but not in cash.

A wood energy system installed at the Lowndes-Correctional Instit ute in Valdosta through the joint efforts of the Georgia Forestry Commission, th e Department of Offender Rehabilitation and the Georgia State Financing and Investment Commission, is now operational. It is the fourth prison in the state to convert to wood as a major energy source.
The system was installed by a private contractor, but th e chi p handling section was mod if ied by Eng ineer B. 0 . Jarrett of t he State Financing and Investment Com mission, w ith welders from the M acon shop and other employees of t he Cook and Lowndes County Units w orking on the project .
It is estimated that approximately
3,000 tons of wood chips w ill be required annually to fuel the two 10 5-
horsepower boilers that will provide steam for space heating and hot water for the kitchen, laundry and other uses.
The system has a storage bin that will hold about a two weeks su pply of chips. The wood particles are ru n through a disc screen before storage and a special feature is a " w alking floor," hydraulic equ ipment th at pumps chips into a conveyor as they are required .
A wood energy system w as installed at the Dodge Correctional Institute in 1984 and at the time, Fred Allen, chief of the Commission's Forest Research Department, said it was believed the facility at Chester was the first prison in modern ti mes in which a wood heating system was included in the architectural plans.
The Commission also has been involved in the installation of wood fired systems at Walker State Prison near LaFayette and a prison at Alto. A large system has been in operation for several years at Central State Hospital in Milledgeville, which also has a prison w ithin the complex.
The Commission has cooperated in the installation of systems in oth er hospitals and several schools.

22/ Georgia Forestry/ Spring 1990

In The News --------------~

Forester H. L. NEAL retired in January to end a 32-year career with the Commission in positions that ranged from reforestation assistant in the nurseries to field supervisor, a position he held
since 1984. He also served as ass ista nt district forester in two locations and as district forester in Hinesville and Mc Rae. Neal and his wife. Lau ra, plan now to live in Hinesville... Forester CH ARLES GREMILLION . who ca me wi th the Commiss ion five years ago to work in forest management from the Newnan District Office, and more recently served as Cam illa District Forester. was named field supervisor of Regio n II to su cceed the retired H. L. Neal. He is a graduate of Louisiana Tech with a degree in forestry. The new supervisor and his wife,
Karen, and two children will move to Macon...Commission Director JOHN MIXON was recently presented the USDA, Forest Service National Partnership Award at ceremonies in Was hington, D. C.The award, presentted by Dale Robertson, chief of the U.S. Forest Service was for Director Mixon 's " efforts to' improve and expand forest research and technology transfer in the South. " .. .Forester LAR RY M ORRIS, who came with the

Commission in 19 78 as ranger/ forester of the Cobb County Forestry Unit. has been named to head District 20, the Urban Project. Stone Mountain , to succeed Ken Bailey, who was transferred to Athens to head that district office. Morris is a graduate of the School of Forest Resources, University of Georgia . The forester and his wife. the former Miss Carol Deir of Ch attanooga, have a daughter, Mandy, and the couple is active in the Church of Christ... Forester KEN BAILEY succeeds the late DON GRINER as head of the Ath ens District. Bailey came with the Comm ission in 1968 as a project forester in the DeKalb County Unit. which is now District 20 headquar-
ters . He worked several years in the Dutch Elm Disease project in the Atlanta area and later was in volved in utilization programs before assuming the district forester post at Stone Mountain. Ba iley and his wife, Connie, have four children and the family is active in the Mt. Zion Baptist Church. They are plann ing to move to Athens from Snellville... Forester JERRY MARSH, who came with the Comm ission in 1958 and served as ranger of the Chatham County Unit and assistant district forester of the M il ledgeville District prior to becoming management forester in the Statesboro District. recently retired. Marsh said he now plans to form his own business and work as a consultant forester... Forester GREG FINDLEY. who came with the Commission in 1985 as a forester in the Camilla District. and more recently served as head of the Flint River Nursery, has returned to Camilla as district forester. A 1983 graduate of the University of Georgia,

Findley IS a member of the Lions Club and is active in several commun ity affairs ... Forester RAYMOND (CHUCK) NORVELL. a native of Ill inois and a graduate of Western Illinois Un iversity, who came with the Commission to work as a patrolman in the Talbot County Unit. has been appointed urban and management forester in the Camilla District. He earned a degree in forestry from the University of Georgia during a leave of absence from the
Commiss ion. The forester is married to the former Miss Janice Raborn of Columbus and they have three children ... Forester HAROLD WEST has been hired by the Commission and assigned to the ranger position for the Baldwin/ Putnam County Unit. A forestry graduate of the University of Tennessee, West was previously employed by the Co-op Hiawassee Land Company in Calhoun, Tennessee. He is a native of Gainesville and a member of the Society of American Foresters. He and his wife, Melinda, reside in Eatonton . They have. a three-year-old son ... Forester
DENNI S MARTIN, a native of Marietta and a graduate of the School of Forest Resources, UGA. has transferred from the Washington District to the Management Department at the Macon headquarters to serve as forester specialist. Martin, who came with the Commission in 1974 and served in several capacities before working as reforestation forester in the Washington District. replaces Walker Rivers, who now heads the new stewardship program. The forester and his wife. Corinne have three children.
Georgia Forestry/ Spring 1990/ 2 3

EARTH DAY
* 1990 *
The first Earth Day was observed in 1970 and now, on the 20th anniversary of that occasion, Earth Day 1990 may be the largest global demonstration in history. More than 100 million people around the world are expected to take part in parades, teach-ins, festivals, and other events that will emphasize, encourage and heighten interest in environmental improvement .
The Georgia Fore try Commi sion plan to be a part of the arth Day 1990 ob rvance on unday, April 22. everal pecial event are planned around th tate. To learn how you can be a part of thi ignificant celebration, all your local forestry unit.

D CLASS POSTAGE P CON , GEORGIA