Georgia forestry, Vol. 54, no. 2 (Summer 2001)

GA-
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v.G'1 /rio..;J.

APPLICATION
Georgia's Forest Stewardship Program
1-800-GATREES

As a forest landowner I believe the right to own land also carries the responsibility for stewardship of the natural resources in my care. It is my intention to implement conservation practices which will enhance wildlife habitat, scenic beauty, timber production, clean water and outdoor recreation while conserving soil, historic and cultural resources and the environment for current and future generations.
I would like to participate in Georgia's Forest Stewardship Program and have natural resource professionals prepare a Forest Stewardship Plan for my land.
Landowner Signature_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

Landowner Information

Last Name:

First Name:

Other Owner's Names:

Farm Name (If there is one):

Mailing Address:

Day Telephone:

Night Telephone:

Tract Information

Primary County:

Additional Counties:

Tract Location (attach maps if you have them):

Total Acres:

Estimated Forest Acres:

12/99

IMPORTANT!
Complete Reverse Side of Application

Each Forest Stewardship Plan is custom wntten to address the individual
landowner's specific interests. While each plan includes recommendations to enhance all resources, those most important to the landowner become the focus of the plan. For this reason it is most important that you rank your priorities and interests so that the resource professionals who will write your plan can adequately address your needs. Near-equal emphasis can be placed on all resources if so desired, especially in educational situations.

In the following list, please rank the five most important topics you want to consider in your Forest Stewardship Plan using 1 for the most important and 5 for the least important Please record each ranking number only once. If near-equal emphasis on all forest resources is desired, please check the appropriate box.

Timber

1 2 3 4 5

Wildlife

1 2 3 4 5

Soil and Water

1 2 3 4 5

Recreation

1 2 3 4 5

Aesthetics

1 2 3 4 5

Near-Equal Emphasis On All Resources I

Forest Stewardship Plans can be prepared by any registered forester, wildlife biologist or soil conservationist Some landowners prefer to utilize professionals from government agencies to prepare their plan at no charge, while others prefer to engage consulting professionals to write their plan. Landowners participating in forest industry landowner assistance programs may ask their industry contacts to prepare their plan. Landowners with an existing written plan can have it
converted to a Forest Stewardship Plan by the Georgia Forestry Commission. Please answer the following concerning the preparation of your plan:

Who is going to write your plan?

Contact Person:

Company Name:

Address:

City:

State:

Zip Code:

Phone:

( )

Fax:

( )

E-mail Address:

Please return this application to the nearest Georgia Forestry Commission office or to: Georgia Forestry Commission P. 0. Box 819 Macon, GA 31202-0819

q~ FORESTRY

USPS No. 217120 Summer 2001

No. 2

Vol. 54

Roy E. Barnes, Governor
J. Frederick Allen, Director Sharon Dolliver, Chief - Forest Information
and Urban & Community Forestry

STAFF
Lynn A. Walton, Editor William S. Edwards, Assoc. Editor
Julia Baker, Graphic Artist

BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Jim L. Gillis, Jr., Chairman, Soperton H. G. Thomas New. Louisville James G. Fendig, Savannah Larry S. Walker, Oglethorpe P. W. Bryan, Jr., Thomasville

DISTRICT OF.FICES
District One 3086 Martha Berry Hwy./Rome, GA 30165
706-295-6021
District Two 3005 Atlanta Hwy./Gainesville, GA 30507
770-531-6043
District Three 1055 E. Whitehall Rd./Athens, GA 30605
706-542-6880
District Four 187 Corinth Rd./Newnan, GA 30263
770-254-7218
District Five 119 Hwy. 49 West/Milledgeville. GA 31061
4 78-445-5164
District Six 1465 Tignall Rd./Washington. GA 30673
706-678-2015
District Seven 243 U.S. Hwy. 19 N./Americus. GA 31709
912-931-2436
District Eight 2395 U.S. Hwy. 41 N./Tifton, GA 31794
912-386-3617
District Nine 356 l Hwy. J12/Camilla, GA 31730
229-522-3580
District Ten 18899 U. S. Hwy. 30 l N./Statesboro, GA 30458
912-681-0490
District Eleven Route l. Box 67/Helena, GA 31037
912-868-5649
District Twelve 5003 Jacksonville Hwy./Waycross, GA 31503
912-287-4915
Georgia Forestry is published quarterly by the Georgia Forestry Commission. 5645 Riggins Mill Road. Dry Branch. Georgia 31020-9699. Second class postage paid at Macon. GA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Georgia Forestry Commission, 5645 Riggins Mill Road. Dry Branch. Georgia 31020-9699. For subscription additions, changes, or deletions. please contact Kassie Odum: E-mail: kodum@gfc.state.ga.us. Phone: (912) 751-3530, Fax: (9 l 2) 751-3559. Toll-Free: 1-800-GA-TREES, Mail: P.O. Box 819 Macon. GA 31202-0819.

2

Georgia Forestry Commission
P. 0. Box 819, Macon, Georgia 31202-0819 (912) 751-3500, Fax (912) 751-3465

Roy E. Harnes Governor
.}. Frederick Allen Director

Dear Georgia Citizens and Forest Landowners:
For nearly 60 years, the message of Smokey Bear, "Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires," has echoed across our nation teaching Americans our responsibilities regarding humancaused forest fires and how to prevent them. This message is one of the most recognized messages in the United States.
The message has stood the test of time, but with time comes change. In light of the catastrophic wildfires that have occurred throughout the nation for the past several years and potential threat in the upcoming fire season, the National Association of State Foresters, the USDA Forest Service, and the Ad Council developed a new modified message, "Only You Can Prevent Wildfires." The message will still continue to address human-caused .fires.
While Smokey's fire prevention message is often seen as targeting children, the new message will be aimed more at people who are certain that they would never cause a wildfire to happen. Through focus groups, one of which was held in Georgia, the Ad Council's research found that while many adults thought they were being careful with fire, they did admit to moments in which they were careless. In Georgia, 47% of our wildfires are caused by debris burning which is generally related to adults, as compared to 5% of our wildfires, which are started by children.
The new ad was unveiled at the National Association of Broadcasters convention in April of 2001. The new focus brings home the reality that you and I, as adults, could be responsible for a devastating wildfire when we become careless.
Preventing wildfires is everyone's responsibility. As we continue into an abnormal fire season brought about by the extended drought, let's all REMEMBER, Only You Can Prevent Wildfires.
If you would like information on fire prevention, contact your local county forestry unit or call us at 1-800-GA-TREES.
Sincerely
~~
j. Frederick Allen Director

Jim L.Gillis.Jr. Chairman. Soperton

H. G. Thomas N~w Louisville

J. G. Fcndig Savannah

Larry S. Walker Oglethorpe

An Equal Opporttmity Employer

P. W. Bryan Thomasville

ON THE COVER: Scenic long/eatpine standin lchauway- the 29,000 acre outdoor laboratory of the Joseph W. Jones Ecological Research Center. Located 38 miles southwest ofAlbany, the facility conducts one ofthe largestlong/eatpine researchprograms in the world
Photo by William Godfrey

Georgia Forestry

Spring 2001

{ietUtjia FORESTRYI Summer 2001

Page 4 Page 8 Page 12
Page 14 Spring 2001

4 FFA Future Forest Program Designed for
New Challenges
Oconee County Takes Leadership Role
8 Entrepreneur Colors Wood Mulch
Turns Trash to Dollars While Reducing Pollution
12 Brantley County Wins Annual COE Finals
ECI Takes Second Place Honors
14 Oconee Forest Park....Old Growth with
New Values
University Sanctuary Serves 80,000 a Year
17 Announcements
Forestry Field Day
Governor Barnes Praises Firefighters
Former Head of GFC Receives Arbor Day Foundation's Highest Honor
2001 Expo
SESAF Meeting
Plant Trees
20 Announcing the People's Choice for
America's National Tree......
The Oak
21 Add-A-Line
Discover Objects Threatened by Fire
22 What is the State Tree of Georgia?
The Live Oak
23 SO Years Ago
Order Seedlings Now

Georgia Forestry

3

Cl)
--(,) FFA FUTURE FOREST PROGRAM DESIGNED FOR NEW CHALLENGES

Oconee County

Takes Leadership Role

c:

-- A 0

new GFC educational program, titled Future Forest Program, is expected to have an increasingly

a:s

positive impact on the state forestry community 's expanding involvement in stewardship

.Q...) activities.

(,)
Q) The F uture Forest Program is designed to func- words. sort of spread the wealth around so as not
a: tion statewide thr oug h Futur e Farm e r ~ of to c reate a monopoly."

Am er ica (FFA) hi g h school forestry and

Program Objective

selected landowners.

Based on reforestation

A hi gh school c lass

benefits, the program

in each of the state's

objective is to give

three FF/\ Distri cts

FFA team me mbers the

(North, Central, and

opportunity to work

South ) will be iden-

w ith a landowner in

tified as a parti c ip ant

the ir county, a GFC for-

each year.

-....
Q)

Ri ck Hatten. GFC State Coordinator for

ester, and a wildlife biologist from the Georgi a Departme nt of Natural Resources

the progra m , sa id a

(DNR). "The program

regional winning FFA

is specifically designed

-- class in the annu a l Forestry Field Days

0 (renamed Fo restry

Cl) Caree r Development

---Q)

Events as of 200 I competition) will be offe red the opport u-

nity to participate.

for reforestation and w ildlife h ab itat en hancemen t practices in the county re prese nted by th e selected FFA class," Hatten said.
According to program

guidelines, cost-share

"There are, however,

assistance is available

some areas where

to participating land-

schools are very com-

ow ners. R ates are

petiti ve and the same

sim ilar to those used in

teams sometimes win

other USDA cost share

year after year,'' Hatten sa id . " In that

Rick llatte11, CFC State Coordinator for the Future Forest Program. e1a111ines longleaf pine .\(/piing that will groll' wirh

programs with a $5,000 maximum for

case. we are goi ng 10

1/1011scmd.1 of other p111i>1 to become Gt'OIJ~ia s f11111n forests.

each landowner par-

let the State FFA Di -

ticipant. An amount

rector ass is t in dete rmining wh ethe r to offer par- totaling ten percent of the to ta l cost-share payment

ti cipation to anoth e r deservin g te am. Jn other is paid to the participating sc hool FFA chapter.

4

Georgia Forestry

Spring 2001

landowner would be classified and recognized as a major donor to environmental s tewards hip and forestry interests. I think the concept has definite potential."

Program Services

3

The Future Fores t Program incorpo-

rates a number of acti vities, including

the fol low ing stages of deve lopment.

Pre- Pl ant ing Inspection: Class wi ll

meet with GFC forester to determine
.... what type of site prep is needed. T he
c lass wi ll help in preparing the site (1)

prep and planting plan, with the

Onmee County High School FFA Forestry Class developed a promising F11111re Forest Program stewardship plan j(JI" a local la11downe1: (Fm111 le/i) lfrian Ipock. Wesley Boss, Colt Bmrden. .la111es Miller (/andmrner). Mirnli /,y1111 (CFC

forester's ass istance.

C/l

--0
Wildlife E nhancement Practice: C lass

wi lI meet on landowner's property

ranger). Joseph Smith, Clay Adams. and Antonio Rooks.

with DNR s tewardship biologist and

"We (G FC) fee l that forest ry education at the high schoo l level is critical to developing the potential of

develop a wildlife plan under bio logist's professional gu idance.

-(1)

forestry in Georgia," Hatte n sa id. "The Futu re For- Site Prep Inspection: C lass wi ll meet on property whe n """

est Progra m will provide s tude nts the opportunity to some site prep or wild Ii re habitat enhancement work

le arn about forestry on an o ut-of- the-c lassroom ap- is be ing completed to provide actual experience with

plicatio n basis. It will al so offer a degree of prestige work invo lved.

and fin anc ial benefit to both the landowner and the

FFA faction of the participating school."

Tree Planting Inspection: Cla s will again meet on tract

GFC fore ters are available . on request. to assist in selection of lan downers; priority wi ll be give n to

wi th GFC fo rester to confirm that planting meets established standards.

--0

la ndowners p articipating in Georgia's Forest Stew- Performance Check: C lass wi ll have final meeting with :l

ards hi p Program - of w hic h the Future Fores t Pro- fo rester o n tract to ensure that a ll plan phases have

g ram is a n exte ns ion. La ndow ner select ion is al so been completed to meet requ ire ments .

lJ

based o n des ire to reforest a t ract ( 10 to 50 acres)

(1) (')

whi le co mmitting a s mall part o f the tract (1 to 2 acres) to wi ldlife habitat development. After selection has been made, a sign wil l be placed on the landowne r's property identify in g it as a Future For-

Paperwork: In accordance with te rms of GFC co ntract developed fo r landowner, the amount to be reimbursed to the landowner w ill be detem1ined. The FFA Foundation wi ll then write a check for that amount

--."(1"")
Q)
0

est project.

and present it to the landowner.

:l

" Thi s is the first program of its kind, anywhere,' Funding: Geo rg ia's Fores t Stewardship program wi ll Q) Hatten e mphasized. "Georgia is the birthplace and provide all fu nding of cost-shares earned by the land- :l
Q.
although it's new - barely two years o ld - the pro- owner - and also provide partic ipating FFA classes

gram is already attracting atte nti on all over the s tate. with fund s totalin g te n pen::ent of the amount of the ~

There are even some other s tates th at have expressed interest in it."
Hatten said the only current limiting factor is the amount of cost-share fund s available to put into the program.

cost-shares for the program in their cou nty.
The entire Future Forest Program process takes approximately one year - from April to April.

(1) (/)
-::::r
--Q)

" But we're considering expanding the program to in- Program Projection

clude a voluntary situation that wou ld permit willing Although Hatten orig inated this program and carefully

landowners to have classes on the pro perty without re- s truc tured it for success. he rea lizes that fo r s uc h a

ceiving cost-share payment; this would si mply be a vol- program to succeed statewide it must have leadership

untary gesture of good stewardship,'' Hatten said. "The at the grassroots level. He believes that leadership has

Spring 2001

Georgia Forestry

5

e merged with FFA Advisor Sidney Bell and hi s for- ducks) . wild life food plots, and prescribed burning

estry students at Oconee County High School.

sites.

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-(,)
.....
m... <I>
CD ..C...:.
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0 q: ""O C-0
QS c::

"In my opinion, Sidney Bell is one of the best teachers in Georgia," Hatten said. " I believe Sidney's skills and approach to forestry wi 11 serve as a role model for establishing the Future Forest Progra m in thi s state. My goa l is to see every high school in the state, that has a forest ry c lass, become established in the program at the quality level of Sidney Bell's Oconee County High Schoo l group."
Oconee County Sidney Be ll is a native of Oconee Cou nty (No rth FFA Region) and has taught at Oconee County High S chool for the pas t 12 years. A graduate of the Uni versity of Georgia, wi th a degree in Agricultural Edu ca ti on, he fee ls that he has fo und hi s " rea l niche" in forestry, which he considers to have a number of basic similarities to agriculture.

Future Forest Activity Be ll 's class ha s also developed a promis ing F uture Forest Program segment with Oconee County landowner James Mi lier. "The student ro le was not to ac tu ally establish a forest o n the property, but to d o everything to bring it to the poi nt of establishment," Bell said. "They developed an entire stewardship pl a n on the Miller property, which included identifying native trees and understory vegetation, making evaluatio ns for wi ldlife hab itat, and mak ing recommendations to accomplish management objecti ves ."
Be ll said Mi ller's p riorities for management objectives were timber, soil and water, wild life, and recre-

Bell is re luctant to call himself a leader in the Future Forest Program, but he says his basic objective is to take the program beyond the cost-share concept and emphasize all qualities of stewardship that relate to the concept.

" It is also an idea l occasion for students to apply academic knowledge acquired in the classroom to a real life s ituation," Bell said. "We are also tryi ng to take it beyond timber production - of which reforestation is a critical element - to the e nvironme ntal elements, main taining so ils and wate r quality, managin g w ildli fe habi tat, and good stewards hip in general.

. . . '
-~:::
--.. "ti

Bell 's success and rapport with students are not difficult to detect; his enthusiasm for fo restry seems contagious and the stud e nts re fl ect his know ledge, va lues, and stewardship. A former state champion in the FFA Forestry Field Day Competitions, Bell 's Oconee team has also placed eithe r first o r second in the an nu al reg ional meets for nine out of the past 12 years.

Already designated a "Certified Steward" by the Forest Stewardship Program, Oconee County H igh has de ve lo ped a 20 acre demo ns tration fo rest on the school grou nds. The forest incl udes various species in tree s tands, a modified rainwater retentio n pond transformed into a duck pond (com p lete w ith nes tin g w ood

Sidney Bell (ri1:ht), Oconee Cou11~v High School FFA Fore.111v Advisor, instructs students Jake Sarnge (cemer) and C111/e11 Bailer m1 timber stand em/11ario11. Be/l'sforestn class has taken a leadership role in the Future Fore.it Program based on empha.1i:.i11g steward.1hip aspects of j(Jresrry.

6

Georgia Forestry

Spring 2001

ation - in that orde r. T he clearc ut a rea for reforestation totaled 25 acres. "So the timber recommendations were pretty easy," Be ll said. "Accordi ng to the program, we had to establish lobloll y pine seedlings on s ix-by-ten spacing, with seven hund red a nd twenty -six seedlings per acre. Th at was a given. The thing that was not a given was to develop a plan fo r Miller to manage those pines o n a 30-year rotation ."
Consequently, the students applied classroom silvic ulture knowledge to th e M il le r p la n and recommended a thinnin g c ut - when appropriate - based on stand density, basal area, live crow n rati o, and other indicators of timber stand g rowth and health . " For example," Bell said, "they recom me nded that if he wanted to maximize sawtimber production, he shoul d thin so much for this. Or, if he preferred a combination of managing for sawtimber and wil dlife habitat - this is ho w much he should thin. All things cons idered, I th ink the students did an excellent job."
Bell's View Sidney Bell considers the Future Forest Program to h ave great poten t ial , p rimari ly beca use he sees Georgia's future in fo restry shi fting more and more to encompass stewardship appli cations . "It's my understanding that this program was Rick Hatten's brain-child, and I think it's a good o ne. I've worked with Rick on a number of projects that I consider progress ive and benefic ial."
Be ll says Georgia's rapid population growth makes the need fo r log ical fo rest stewards hip greater than ever. "I look at opportu nities to manage forests for the multi-use concept. Pressures being put o n Georgia land use by escalating urban-wildland interface make decisions on this issue critical to the fut ure of th is state."
Havin g grown up in Oconee Co unty, Bell regards pressures of urban-w ildland interface to currently be much more prevale nt in North Georgia and Central Georgia (v ia Atlanta in flu ence) tha n many of the " pine-c ulture, timber-foc used areas" of South Georgia. "I believe w hat is now happen ing in terms of urban-wildland interface in Oconee County to be co mparable to what happened a few years ago in G wi nnett County. In fact, T consider Oconee County to be a microcosm of hat will eventually be happen ing in the e ntire slate. I think it's going to be a little slower to come south of the Fall Line, but it will get there."
Bell's forecas t for the fu ture of the state forms his phil osophy of teaching. "The majo rity of students I

teach will not become foresters," Bell says. " But some will be landowners, some will be decision makers of sorts, and all of them will be able to vote. And they will be voting on major legislation that will impact land use in the state. So, I want them to have an accurate education on what is involved in natural resource ma nagement."

Distortions Accord ing to Be ll , one of the most urgent needs in educati ng students, and the general public, is to correct the distorted and erroneous ideas being spread about fores try manageme nt. Case in po int : the often hysterical reactio ns to the sig ht of a clearc ut.

"T he real fo restry now - and in the fu ture - is in land- use pla nning, and clearcutting is a major part of this," Be ll says. "There's a lot of misguided op- 0 positio n to j us t any kind of timber harvesting, but clearc utti ng seems to provoke the most negative re actions ."

Bell uses this as an example of how a basic educ a-

tio nal ap proach can correct m isconcep tions. "If people really understood what clearc utting timber is,"

Cl>
.....

Bell said, " if they understood that c learcutting c an

be a highly effective regeneration/management tool

0 ;:,

and is not necessarily an irresponsi bl e act of mass (I)

destruction - then a lot of thi ngs woul d change." Cl> .....

" Selecting this one glaring misconception out of many D>

others regard ing forestry, Bell compares the clearcut -

w ith natural di sturbances and subsequent results. o
" Historicall y, natural d isturbances ki ll trees," he ?

points o ut, "and it is a part of any forest ecosystem,

regardless of whether it comes in the form of a tornado, flood, or w il dfire . W hat is generally misu n- (C'l)>

derstood is that these natural distu rbances serve the ...,,

same purpose as a clearcut; they set back pl ant sue- :

cess ion a nd create a future mosaic of vegeta ti o n -

stages . This is one of nature 's ways of prov idi ng for 0 a vari ety of wi ldli fe species. Reforestation and 111- ;:,

tell ige nt stewardsh ip can do the same thing."

Bell can go on and on, c iti ng such examples in rapidfire succession. His holistic fores try concepts form a perspective that is the basis of the stewardshi p prog ram . Be believes the fut ure of Geo rgia Forestry depends on educating the state's young people and
- gene ral pu blic from this holistic perspective.
" I thin k our fores try curriculum in Georgia does a (') fa ntastic j o b of teaching the scientific truth of natu- (I) ral resource ma nagement," Bell said. "The current need is to ex pand and s ustain that teaching effort. T he Fu ture Forest Program is an important step in that directio n." \!

Spring 2001

Georgia Forestry

7

ENTREPRENEUR COLORS
Wooo MuLcH

./11'111 Wt>nl divplays colored 11111/ch pmduced.fim11 wood rended 11' /11\ c111111u111y (!PC;. 'f11e Macon entrepreneur intend.\ IO open up this 1ir11111//\ 1111111whed market in Geor~w.

Turns Trash to Dollars While Reducing Pollution

A M aco n entrepreneur. Joh n Word, is developing what he believes will become a highly profitable wood-based enterprise with a market that is virtually untouched in Georgia. Wore.l 's company, IPC {Industri al Pallet & Crate, lnc.) produces co lored wood mulch from 100 percent recycled wood.
"We provide decorative mulch in every color of the rainbow." Word said, "with the practical benefit bein g th at wood mulch derived from recyc lec.I wood actually puts nitrogen into the soil that helps your plants. This is not the case with mulch derived from gr inding green wood ; it takes nitrogen out of the soil as it dries."
Word estimates that more than 90 percent of wood mulch comes from sawmills disposing of green wood scraps. were the only provider in Georgia - that we know of usi ng exclusively recycled wood for making mulch."
Ori gin ally in the pallet-making busi ness, IPC started it's co lored mu lch -making operation with the same obj ecti ve as the sawmills wanting to gel rid of scrap wood;

IPC wanted to get rid of scraps from pallet making. So, they ground up the scraps, co lored it, packaged it, and sold it wholesal e to lanc.lscapers. mulch brokers, and lanc.l scape products ret ail ers such as nurse ri es and ga rden centers.
Business turned out to be so good that Word reduced his pallet making to ten percent and increased production of co lored mulch to 90 percent of the business operation. This alteration, however. was not without problems. Word had to go out and get more pallets to recycle - a lot more.
PALLET PROBLEMS Word's solution to the problem was logical and beneficial to all concerned: he offered companies an opportunity to save money (often more than half of what they were already paying) by allowing him to furni sh them with a dumpster and haul away their scrap pallets - i nstead of the company paying to get them hauled to a l andfill.
IPC began initiating this offer in Middle Georgia, but a number of companies were reluctant to accept the busi-

8

Georgia Forestry

Spring 2001

Although his colored mulch is harmless to children and pets, Word said that most bugs will pack up and move rather than tolerate the iron oxide used in the coloring process. He added, however, that some bugs seem to like uncolored wood mulch.

TERMITE CONTROVERSY

In spite of the iron oxide working

as a basic insect repellent, Word

said that somehow a rumor got

started regarding wood mulch at-

tracting termites. "This thing

about wood mulch attracting ter-

Super grinder tran.~f'omzs wooden pallets imo colored 111ulcli in 0 11e step. Finished product is wholesaled to landscapers. mulch brokers, and landscape products retailers.

mites has been on TV, in the newspapers, and other publications," Word said. "But there's absolutely

no truth in it." Word considers

ness proposition (even though it would often save the com- this theory to be valid only for the purpose of mislead-

panies thousand of dollars a year - or a month). "I guess ing ignorant termites. On a number of occasions, he

this was a new idea to them and some of the companies wanted to sell me the scrap pallets, like it was something I could turn around and resel l - like scrap metal," Word

has offered to go public - on TV and in print - to refute the termite myth at the sources, but once he presented the facts to them, he said, "they disappeared into the

said. "So I had to clarify that the pallets had to go through woodwork, muc h like termites" and refused to print

a recycling and production process to make colored his facts or debate him publicly. mulch."

Eventually, Word's offer began gaining acceptance. Some companies, especially the larger ones, realized the env ironmental benefits of the situation and offered to pay IPC the same price they were paying to have tons of scrap pallets hauled to the landfill. " In these cases, I didn ' t even have to negotiate," Word said. "These companies were so pleased to be reducing the landfill-pollution problem that they made me an immediate offer."

CATCHING ON As the environmental and financial benefits of dealing with IPC caught on, so did the benefits of the product. Word says that colored mulch made from a recycled wood source has many benefits over conventional mulches. "The most obvious advantage is the decorative aspect that can en hance any landscape," he said. "Then there's the longevity factor - since the mulch is made from dry/seasoned wood, the decomposition process is much slower than conventional mulches. It also keeps weed growth down better than most other mulches and the coloring is completely harmless to children and pets."
Word also pointed out that colored mulch sustains the various color shades for a full season. "I don't' know any other natural mulch on the market that stays colorful and lively from spring through fall."

llemy dwr

.11rap-

ha11d/er !(tis

pallets Ji-om

pile to

grinder:

Capahle rif

lifting a cm:

the scrap-

ha11dfer

increases

speed mu/

" . . ef/lcie11cv of' ~l~~--.

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process. lilc ~ _ _.,.,_

Spring 2001

Georgia Forestry

9

/PC ll'<ll"<'home is stacked to the cl'ilinR with palll't.1 that would IWl'l' h<'e11 sent to lwulfill~. Compames di.\posmi: of 1crap pallet~ through IPC cw1 1cll'e money and rrduce pollutin11.

Word has a number of printed scientific sources he keeps on tile to refute the termite theory, but his favorite, which sums up the whole thing, comes from Gary W. Bennett, Professor of Entomology with Purdue University, in a printed magazine column: "T here arc no known instances of termites... infesting wood mulch...They would onl y be found in wood that is intact, not ground-up... mulch just doesn' t meet their needs."
Accord in g to Word , who has been in th e wood business in one form or another for many years, the answer to the termite question is fairly obvious. wood mulch is made of shredded wood and these small pieces. even when stacked on top of each other, do not give the termites anything to burrow in," Word says. "W hat it boils
or down to i s that there i s no ev idence that any kind
wood mulch attracts termites. When you add the iron oxide coloring factor. the idea becomes even more rid i c u l o u s ."
FAVORITE COLORS Dark red is Word 's best selling mulch color: this color decorates the grounds of his business. Dark brown and black have al so turned out to be best sellers. Based on this customer response, Word developed a sample packet with basic colors; thi s is his only advertising. He sends packets to prospective wholesale cli ents and describes results as "very good."

IPC can produce any color a customer wants. but some colors cost more that others, due to process ing. Word has noticed, however, that cost seems to make little difference "when some of these companies and universities get ready to landscape in their colors." He says this trend seems to be developing in Georgia as it has previously in other sections of the United States.
ln the color department, Word says TPC has one unique claim to fame: " I have been told that we arc the only producer of pink mulch," he said. " I don 't know exactly what that means. but apparently it's true. We don't have a lot of calls for it, but we did make quite a bit to donate to the City of M acon for the annual Cherry Blossom Festival. So, if you see any pink mulch scattered around, it's ours."
BUYING AND SPREAD "C The math for determining mulch needs is relatively simple. but the terminol ogy may be a little confusing because most lawns and beds are measured in feet. Mulch is pu rchased in 'yards" or by the hag.
Yards of mulch are actually cubic yards. A yard of mulch is required to fill a container that is one yard (three feet) in every dimension. There's a simple formula for translating feet to yards for mulch needs. John Word will be pleased to show anybody interested in how to do it.

10

Georgia Forestry

Spring 2001

As for applying th e colored mulch, recommended application is the same as for any other mulch two inches. Adding more layers will only promote diseases and a generally unhealthy plant environme nt.

cons idering the potential popularity with homeowners," Word said. "Pine straw mulch in Georgia is now a multimillion dollar annual business . I believe the color en hanced wood mulch business wi ll eventually be in that category."

Word said that after app lying the usual two inches of colored mulch, then even more additional benefits become obvious. He says that color enhanced mu lch lets water penetrate even ly, a llowing mo isture to reach the soi l while absorb ing any excess mo is ture. "This is not like some o ther mu lches," Word says, "that absorb a big portion of water and prevent the ground from breathing properly."

Despite his optimi sm, Word does not see this happening without obstacles . He points out that making c olore nhanced mulch from recycled wood o nly started about ten years ago, in Ohio. "We've been told that in C leve1a nd, Ohio , the re a re c urre ntly two- hundred-thousand yards of thi s mu lch processed each year - and that's all the recycled wood they can get," Word said. 'T hat's it. There's no mo re. They recycle all they can get."

According to Word, the colored mulch user will soon see that the product has no fungus or bacteria, which res ults in low erin g the possibility of mushroom growth. Also, colored wood mulch has no "tar layer" accu mul ation. " Tar layer is acid residue that builds up after repeated mulch appli cations without cu ltivation," Word said. Once thi s happens, it 's very hard for water to soak into the so il. Anyone us in g color enhanced mulch cannot help noticing the superior benefits ."
FUTURE COLOR IN GEORGIA Although the colored wood mulch business has not developed in Georgia to the extent it has elsewhere, J ohn Word be lieves it " w i ll eve ntually develop into the state's number one type of mul c h used by co ns ume r s ." He foresees Georgi a's motels, fast food estabI ishments, schools, and businesses d isplaying their colors in landscapi ng. "And thi s is not even

Word antic ipates similar prob lems as the bus iness grows in Georgia. Eva luating the situa ti o n from a perso nal perspective, he sees that the more hi s bus iness g rows, "our sources for wood are go in g to get s mal ler and sma ller." But be ing the entrepreneur he is, John thinks there may be a few ways to solve this supply pro blem when the time comes.
"A ll in all, we think the future looks real good for the colored wood mulch business in Georg ia ," Word said. " It's just goin g to take some educating of bu siness owners on the financial and environmental benefits of thi s process - and some innovations when it comes to prob-
a lem solving. May the best in novato rs win ."

Fine~\' gmund cvlm"<d mulch offers many benefits including replace ment ofnitrv1ten to the ~vii and senin.f.I as an insect repellem. Although harmleu to humans and pets. the shredded wood eien repels termite1>.

Spring 2001

Georgia Forestry

11

Annual COE Finals
ECITakes Second Place
Honors

Bramley Cou/11\' fint Plaa H'i1111cr

T he Bra ntl e y Cou nty High School Ch a pter (advisor/Richard Gil l) of the Future Farmers of America emerged First Place Winner in the 200 I Annual FFA Forestry Career Development Event State Finals held M ay 9 at the Georg ia Forestry Center in Macon. Second P lace honors went to ECl FFA Chapter (advisor/John Allen Bailey).
More than 200 students from 19 Georgia High Schools competed in a series of competitive activities that tested forestry skills. Each school 1..ompctmg m the State Finals was a first or second place wmner m the statewide n.:10nal competition. ...\Ian McAllister. consultant forester with the Vocational Agncultural Department. said the wmn ni! team 1s now -;cheduled for national 1..ompet1tion.
or A high light chis year's annual con-
test was an address to the group by Joel McKie, State FFA President. GFC Director Fred Allen also spoke to the competing teams and advisors preceding award presentations.

Competing schools included: Wilcox County, Echols County, Oconee County, Stephens County, Morgan County, Bainbridge, Miller County, Jackson County, Pickens County, Brantley County, Atkin son County, Perry, Harris County, Jefferson County, Evans, Wheeler County, C reekside, and Bowdon .
First Pl ace winners in the vari ous competitions included: Jay Ba il ey of ECI. reforestation: Jason Pollard of

EC! - Second Place Winn er

12

Georgia Forestry

Spring 2001

CDE State Finals Competition

Jackson County, timber cru1s1ng for cord volume; Amanda Hamsley of Perry, tree identification; Daniel Barnard of Bainbridge, ocular estimation; Nikki Newberry of Wilcox County, land measurement; Paul Bechtel of Brantley County, tree and forest disorders: Quenton Thornton and Andy Poole of Wheeler County, forest management; Ira Crawford of Brantley County,

timber stand improvement; and Brantley County for team activity.
Sponsors for this year's annual COE Finals were: The Langdale Company, International Paper Company, SunTrust Bank of Macon, First National Bank and Company of Lou-
a isville, and Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Atlanta.

Spring 2001

Georgia Forestry

13

OCONEE FOREST PARKHee OLD GROWTH WITH
NEW VALUES
Unlv@r~lty Sanctu11ry
S@rv~ 80~000
/AYoor

Dan Williams. Park Manager ofVGA Oconee Forest Park, with labeled American sycamore tree. The spNies i ~ c1111011g Q3 labeled in the Williams "Tree Trail Guide" that leads iisitor,, tluvugh a forest more titan a hundred years old.

A s time passes, the University of Georgia's 60-acre Oconee Forest Park is increas ing in values similar to those recognized for New Yo rk C ity's Central Park. Tt has become a year-round fo rest sa nctuary, of sorts, fo r UGA students and other area res idents now surrounded by urban sprawl.
Manag ed by the UGA Warne ll S c hool of Fo res t Resources, the refuge atmosphere is enhanced by a canopy of old-growth forest with towering trees mo re than a century old. Located on College S tation Road near the intramural fie lds, the fo rest p reserve also incl udes 15acre Lake He rrick, picnic tables, j ogg ing a nd walking trail s. grassy areas with wildflo we rs, and a man-made beach.
Park Manage r Dan Williams desc ribes basic man agement objectives as preserving the forest (with some trees 120 ye ars old), promotin g re se arch and teachin g o p portunities for the faculty, and providing recreati onal

opportunities for the un iversity community and general p ubl ic .
A 1983 graduate of the uni vers ity's Warnell School o f Forest Resources, Will ia ms has been in his cu rrent pos ition for 16 years. ''One o f the o uts tanding feat ures of Oconee Forest Park is that we're right here on cam pus," he said. "That makes it ideal for o utdoor classrooms on such subjects as fo rest de ndrology and bas ic eco logy and Lake He rri ck has been used as a model for a vari e ty of ecosyste m stud ies .''
TREE TRAIL GUIDE One of the most popular fea tures of the park is Dan Willi a ms' tree g uide. Avai lable to the public in pam phlet form. the ''Tree Trail Guide" include5 a series of 93 labeled trees and shrubs located along park trai ls.
The tree trai l route form s an easy-to-follow loop. Blue name tags are attached e ither to trees (at about eight fect)

14

Georgia Forestry

Spring 2001

or to an adjacent meta l pole. Tree numbers are marked on the trail map to correspond with locations.

"One of the interesting characterislics of an old-growth forest in this part of the country is the large number of big hickory trees:' Williams said, " mainly mockernut hickory and red hickory. but we al so have a large number o f big white oaks, which is another dominant spec ies of the forest." Some of the numerous other spec ies inc luded on the trail include: weeping willow, red mulbe rry, winged e lm , Southern catalpa, yellow poplar, pond cypress, So uthe rn magnolia, and s ilver maple.

After a park visitor becomes famili ar with the topography, the map can be used very e ffec tively," Williams said. "The great th ing about this is that dendrolog y pro fessors can have teaching assistants take out stu de nt groups to sec various spec ies without havi ng to searc h for the m.

Wi IIiams said the university is fortunate to have preserved this forested oasis in the m idst of increasing urban-wild land interface. The Oconee Forest Park, however, would not h ave been preserved in it 's c urre nt sta te if a few v is io nary professors had not seen the need fo r it.
FOREST HISTORY ln I925, members of the UGA Forestry Club built a log cabin in the forest; several stude nts li ved in the attic . T he cabin gradually deteriorated and was tom down in t he 19 50s. Only the granite ch imney re mains on the hill above Lake Herrick. Use and history of forest area goes back many years. During the Depression, the land was used as a "s ide camp" for the Civ ilian Conservati on Corps (CCC). Camp members worked in a tree

Visitor ll'afks do!(S acro.1.1 600foot 11'oode11 hridge at Hargremes Memorial sill'. 1\11 estimated 25 pl'rce11t <~/'the park '.1 <1111111al 80,000 l'isitors are "dog-peopfl'."
seed li ng nursery located o n the current locati on of Lake Herrick.
The area continued to be used fo r various purposes, but was not offic ially established as Oconee Forest P ark until 1982. Park establishment was the vision of severa l UGA
professors who began, in the 1920s, trying to set aside the re maining o ld-growth forest for t he university and f uture gene rations of Georgians. Dr. Bi ll M oss, professor of forest recreation , and the late Dean Emeritus Leon Hargreaves, knew that as the univers ity a nd s ur-

Spring 2001

Georgia Forestry

Placid 11ater.1 of l.ake Herrick h<at fl area re.flt'<'/ <111 t.\Ofmed char111 d11r111g <df-searnn. f'lw 15-a<'f'e lake is af.rn 11s<tf for a 1ariety <!/'ecos.11/e111 11tulie 1.
15

rounding area developed, so would the need for a place like Oconee Forest Park.
When Moss left the university in 1970, Dr. Walter Cook assumed the project. He wrote a proposal, designed trails, and patiently attended to details through years of planning and revisions.
The rest is fortunate history for the forest park now under the skillful supervision of Dan Williams. "This is one of the few places left on campus where people don't have to compete with vehicles," Williams said. "It's part of what makes the park so special."
TYPES OF VISITORS Williams said the park continues to attract a year-round variety of visitor types. "We get a lot of joggers because they like the wooded trails and
I

don't have to put up with cars," Williams said. "And then, there's a lot of mountain bikes because this is really popular in Athens with young people." He added that the park's official mountain bike trail is 1.2 miles and separately zoned from jogging trails.
"Then there's the dog people," Williams said. "It seems dogs are becoming more and more a part of suburban life, and it's no different here. Believe it or not, dogs are the number one problem in parks nationwide."
Williams said it is obvious that many people now regard dogs more as companions than pets. "They want off-leash areas where dogs and owners can interact in a free and natural environment," he said. "We started seeing this thing back in 1982 when the park was established. Since then,
the number of clog people has been on a steady increase."
In the beginning, the park had no leash rules for dogs because the area's physical and social caring capacity had not been exceeded. Williams said that changed by 1986 and a special no-leash area was designated, while in

other areas, the dogs were required to be on leash. He points out that the Oconee Forest Park no -leash areas became so popular that it is now featured on a national website as the best in Georgia. Williams considers this an important part of the park; he estimates that 25 percent of the annual 80,000 park visitors are "clog people."
HARGREAVES MEMORIAL Dan Wi !Iiams considers the Eugenia Calhoun Hargreaves Memorial Lo be one of the most significant sites in the forest park. The memorial is dedicated to the wife of the late Dean Emeritus Leon A. Hargreaves, Jr. The memorial in cludes a 600-foot boardwalk that crosses Lake Herrick near a scenic, wooded area. " One of the first things I did on this job was to help design and build this memorial," Williams said. "Dean Hargreaves was very much involved with the creation of the park. He's the one who really got the ball rolling. When Eugenia passed away, he wanted to do something in memory of her."
Today, Dean Hargreaves' vision of a forest sanctuary in the midst of building and bustle is a reality. Ironically, the biggest threat to the park may be future expansion of the university. The park's boundaries have recently been defended against such "progress ." Several years ago, Campus Planning made an unsuccessful bid to expand Family Housing onto the 15-acre offleash area, the most heavily used park section.

Jogger heads into late af1emoo11 shadows of the pork s ce11t11ry-oltl forest. The SOflClltary a1mosphere sen-es as tt fore.sl oasis in midst of s11rrou11di11g 11rba11n-iltlland i111erface.

Defenders of the forest park see things differently. "It is crucial that as the university grows, we retain this park for its aesthetic and recreational values and as a natural teaching laboratory," says Arnett Mace, Jr., Dean of the UGA Warnell
a School of Forest Resources.

16

Georgia Forestry

Spring 2001

Forestry Fleld Day

..
llouncements
.~:

The Milledgeville District of the Georgia Forestry Commission will be presenting a Forestry Field Day on Saturday, September 29, 2001 at the Bartram Forest (approximately five miles south of Milledgeville on Hwy. 441 ).
For more information, call Jenny Lynn Bruner at the GFC Milledgeville District Office at 478-445-5164 or email her at jbruner@gfc.state.ga.us.

Topics: o Thinning Timber o Prescribed Burning o Marketing Timber o Cost-Share Assistance In Reforestation o Streamside Management o Game And Non-Game Wildlife

The program will focus on the management of our natural resources and consist of sound forest stewardship practices. The extensive information is useful for landowners interested in forest and wildlife management.

Spring 2001

Areas of interest: o Timber and Wildlife Management o Harvesting o Reforestation o Timber Stand Improvement o Water Quality o Stewardship

Georgia Forestry

17

Governor Barnes Praises Firefighters

G eorgia Governor Roy Barnes commended Georgia Forestry

states who say Georgia firefighters are some of the best in the country.

Commission (GFC) firefig hte rs for

their hard work, their dedication, and

"Fighting one big fire is one thing,"

their bravery while battling fires in

Allen said. "Fighting four big fires is

north Florida and south Georgia.

something else. And that's what we've

been doing recently." As of Memorial

Several dozen firefighters came from

Day 2001, fires had consumed 54,000

across the state to receive Barnes' ac-

acres in north Florida and south Geor-

colades during a June ceremony at the

gia. Smoke from the blazes hampered

age ncy headquarters in Macon. H e

motorists on south Georgia highways

presented Director Fred Allen with a

and a dense haze filled the air as far

written commendation for the

away as Savannah.

Commission 's work.

Governor presents CFC director with a commendationfor.fire.fig!tters battling recen1fires. During the worst of the fires, Barnes

Barnes told the firefighters he under-

flew to St. Simons Island to get ap-

stands their jobs have been extremely difficult the past few prised of the situation. The smoke was so thick, he said, his

years. He added, "I don't think fo lks know what it takes to plane had to fly at 14,000 feet to stay above it. Allen said,

contain these fires." Despite manpower that has been pushed "Governor Barnes has been a great supporter of the Georgia

to the limit, Barnes said he hears from officials in several Forestry Commission - he backs us up on what we need."

lflllllllIIlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllIlllllllllllllllllllllllllll/lllll/lllIII/lllllllllII/lllllllllllllllIIl/llllllllllllllllllllllllllll/IllIII/IllIIllllIIlllllllllllllllllllllllllllll/lllllllIIlllllllllIIII

Former Head of Georgia Forestry Commission Receives Arbor Day Foundation's Highest Honor

J ohn Mixon, head of the

Georgia F ores try

Commis s i o n

from 1983 to 1995,

is the recipient of

The National Arbor

Day Foundation 's

highest individual

honor, the 200 l J.

Sterling Morton

Award. The award

recognizes exem-

plary conservation

work at the na-

tional or interna-

tional level. A spe-

cial ceremony was

held to honor

Mixon and the

M ixon

other individual and group award

winners during the 291h Annual Arbor Day Awards Ban-

quet held in Nebraska City, Nebraska in April.

Mixon 's career in forestry spanned 34 years in both industry and state organizations and involved several innovative

programs. Mixon's contributions include organizing and directing the highly successful Urban Forestry Program , which has been implemented across the state of Georgia. As the Chief of Forest Research, Mixon was instrumental in promoting wood as an alternate source of energy. Upon becoming director of the Georgia Forestry Commission in 1983, he launched a vigorous reforestation campaign on a county-by-county basis that resu lted in landowners and foresters in the state setting a world record for number of trees planted in a single season. The commission al so established one of the largest tree nurseries and seed orchard complexes in the world during his administration.
Others being recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation this year include Michael Giudici of Davenport, Iowa, recipient of a Lawrence Enersen Award for his ongoing work in reforesting Davenport after the devastation of the Dutc h Elm disease; The Blue Spruce, a children's book written by former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo, winner of a Media Award; and the Town of Westlake, Texas, recognized with a Celebration Award for their Arbor Day Celebration where over half the resident famili es participated in constructing a heritage quilt higW ighting leaves of area trees.
The National Arbor Day Foundation is a non-profit education organization of one million members dedicated to tree planting and environmental stewardsh ip.

18

Georgia Forestry

Spring 2001

2001 Forest Products Machinery & Equipment
Exhibition
July 19-21, 2001
Georgia World Congress Center Atlanta, GA
For more information: Call 504-443-4464 Or Visit www.sfpa.org
Every two years, the Southern Forest Products Association sponsors the most extensive display of forest products machinery and equipment in North America. Expo 2001, the Forest Products Machinery & Equipment Exposition, attracts industry representatives from throughout the U.S. and many foreign countries.
The industry's top management and purchasing executives will attend this event, representing the full range of forest products activities - lumber, plywood, panel, pallet and related manufacturing: treating and secondary processing; logging; harvesting; and other silvicultural operations. This audience - more than 12,300 strong at the 1999 show - will be coming to see new equipment and technology for achieving greater efficiency.

THE 2002 Southeastern Society of American Foresters (SESAF)
will be held in Macon, GA at the Crown Plaza Hotel on November 3-5, 2002
The meeting opens on Sunday, November 3, 2002 with a golf tournament in the afternoon and Welcome Reception at 6:00 p.m.
The meeting will adjourn on Tuesday, November 5, 2002 at noon.
For more information, call 706-845-9085

You've known it since childhood - trees are the prescription for better health.

Trees make us happy and stir our youthful energies for play. They positively affect our moods. And as we grow older, trees help reduce our stresses and aid in patient recovery.

From the time we're born, trees help all of us lead healthier and more satisfying lives.

Shouldn't you plant trees for your children? To find out how, visit
Comunltytrees.or1.

PL.nNT T~U~

Spring 2001

Georgia Forestry

19

Announcing the People's Choice for AMERICA'S NATIONAL TREE.........

THE OAK
It's the first time that the entire American public has been able to state their pick for a national emblem ...and they selected the OAK as America's National Tree. The results of the nationwide vote were announced April 27th at a tree planting ceremony on the Capitol Grounds in Washington , D.C. The redwood , maple, pine, and dogwood rounded out the top five choices. The oak has many strong attributes, one of which is its diversity - there are more than 60 species growing in the United States. Amazing strength and longevity have also made oaks a central part of our history. From the earliest settlement of our country, these trees have been prized for their shade, beauty, and lumber.

Voting Results

Tree
Oak Redwood Dogwood Maple Pine Palm Redbud Magnolia Elm Tuliptree Buckeye Cottonwood (Poplar) Douglasfir Birch Pecan (Hickory) Spruce Holly Kukui Bald cypress Hemlock Paloverde Other Write-ins
TOTAL

Number of Vo tes
101, 146 80,841 47,351 45, 111 23,806 15,519 13,551 11,862
9,893 9,567 9,058 6 ,7 1 0 6,415 6,245 6,243 5,986 5,848 5 ,559 3,071 2,8 12 1, 114 26,920
444 ,628

20

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3)1V~

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im:I \\S.~\' clNl'IYCIU\
Georgia Forestry

S3/\Y31 31d03d
SlYOS 5'3H5ne
3 3~ .1 35noH
S1V~INY
ODOM
Spring 2001

ADD-A -IJINE
Add li11cs to e.ompld,c letters in the,se w ord.<; to dise.over o~jeets tJtreal ened by fire...

WOOD
/\ t\ = \11 /\ _La r n L La -p

3Llal- La

3n/\-L,

n =>

=> -

- /\\ L,

Ii P/\ Lala

Lall-nn_La

t\ =1il-3nPl-nn:J
La-np L,

....ond thin~<; t hot, M n prote.(lf them~

Spring 2001

Georgia Forestry

21

Ask your familyand friends this question and see how many people know the answer! You'll be surprised at the results...keep track of them here:

CORRECT ANSWERS

INCORRECT ANSWERS

Didyou know...

Georgia Governor, Roy E. Barnes, chose the Live Oak tree to plant during Arbor Day 2001 to represent his administration.

Native American Indians used Live Oak acorns to produce a cooking oil similar to olive oil.

The Live Oak Tree is the most widely planted /JiiJd!J.cBpe ~ 1i
Early settlers used acorns from the Live Osle tree to make gilt$, fli
The city ofLive Oak, Florida was named afterthe .I~~

22

Georgia Forestry

F or over 50 years, the summer has marked the beginning period for ordering tree seedlings from the Georgia Forestry Commission. This year, the anticipated production is over 43 million genetically improved pines, and approximately 2 million quality hardwood seedlings from the Commission's two nurseries (Flint River Nursery in Byromville, GA and Walker Nursery in Reidsville, GA) .

From the
August1951 issue of Georgia Forestry Magazine
To order tree seed li ngs, contact your local GFC county unit, call 1-8 00-GA-TREES, or visit our website at www.gfc.state.ga.us.

Spring 2001

Georgia Forestry

23

NATIVE TREES OF GEORGIA

American Beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.)

DESCRIPTION: Leaves deciduous in autumn, 1 to 3 inches wide, oblong or oval, long pointed; margins coarsely toothed; dark green and smooth above, light green and shiny below with hairs along the mid-rib and conspicuous veins. Fruit a shiny, light brown, angular nut, 1 to 2 enclosed in a bur. Bark gray, smooth (often marked with initials). A tree sometimes 80 feet high with a short trunk 3 to 4 in diameter, terminating in a broad, compact, round-topped head.
KEY CHARACTERISTICS: Leaves shiny below with conspicuous, parallel veins; bark smooth; winter buds slender, 3/4 to 1 inch long; fruit enclosed in a bur.
WOOD: Hard, heavy, strong, tough, difficult to season, not durable in contact with the soil, light brownish red. Georgia beech is often too limby and defective for products.
USES: Flooring, furniture, veneer, interior finish, clothes pins, wooden ware, toys, fuel. Makes a beautiful, long-lived tree for lawns.
DISTRIBUTION: Restricted to moist soils, usually along streams and found throughout the state .

. x
J. Frederick Allen
Director

An Equal Opportunity Emplover and Provider

Periodicals postage paid ut Dry Branch. Georg ia a nd additional mailin g o.f.fice s

A pproxi malc <.'OSI o f pres~ tim~ and p;:1pcr lll"'lly

COST: $

QT Y: 12M