Inside the GFC [Fall 2010]

Inside The GFC
Doing the Right Things Right!

Fall 2010

News from The Georgia Forestry Commission

On the Inside:

Letter from the Director

An opportunity to open up a new market for some of Georgia's pine species. Page 2
Woolly Adelgid continues to have catastrophic effects on Georgia's hemlock trees. Page 3
Ranger 1 helps in oil spill cleanup. Page 5

Dear GFC Professionals,
As I write this letter to our GFC family, I'm looking out my window onto a gorgeous fall morning. Finally, the temperatures have dropped, the skies are bright blue, and the leaves are showing some signs of change. I'm reminded of the scorching summer now behind us, which at times seemed absolutely interminable. At last, those peak power bills are behind us! I'm really looking forward to, well, moving forward.
There's no doubt our agency has been negotiating some very tough waters, but this morning, a shift in perspective is in order. What's past is past and what's coming hasn't happened yet. The future is today. I personally am determined to take advantage of this day that I've been given to do the very best I know how to do - sitting at this desk, making decisions that affect people I care about, using my own unique set of skills and experiences to fulfill the mission and vision of the Georgia Forestry Commission.
One day at a time is all we have, after all. Like me, you have probably lost friends and loved ones in the recent past. A common thing for the pastor to say is "We've only got today; make it a good one." Well, even though I can't close up shop right now and go hunting, I can certainly give my all to the job that's in front of me, today. And while budgets and plans and cutbacks and deadlines all force us to look to the future, succeeding on those goals comes down to one day at a time. Putting one foot in front of the other. Making one well thought out decision after another. Being more efficient. Being more attentive. Getting the job done well, on less, with the absolute finest effort I know how to muster.
We have so much to be proud of and so much to be grateful for. We are still Georgia's leading Customer Service Agency. We are still providing incredible service to Georgia landowners and receiving accolades from them on a daily basis. We are recognized national forestry leaders. We are holding our own, and we will continue to do so, one day at a time. You are simply the best, and you have the power to weather the changes that are upon us and the ones that are ahead.
Thank you for your patience, your ideas and your fortitude. As we move through meetings on October 26 that will detail some of the changes to GFC programs and services, I urge you to keep your professional focus intact. Many answers to our concerns won't be fully known until after the 2011 spring legislative session and that would be far too many days to waste, too many opportunities to miss by worrying about what might or might never occur.
Your colleagues on the Leadership Team care deeply about you and your future, so please continue to share your observations with them. And I pledge to continue sharing with you on a regular basis - weekly, daily, or hourly, if needed.
To borrow part of a phrase, GFC is the few, the proud, the absolute best of the best. Sooner than later we will be viewing these times from the rear view mirror, and I guarantee we'll be a stronger, more successful team for the experience.

RTR!

2009 Customer Service Agency of the Year Published Quarterly for the Employees of The Georgia Forestry Commission by the Communications Department.

Districts Six and Nine Link Researchers to Biomass Supplies

GFC's Camilla and McRae districts recently completed a project that will contribute valuable information to a bioenergy research project. Personnel from Districts 6 and 9 provided more than 4,500 pounds of clean wood chips to the U.S. Forest Service's Southern Research Station in Alexandria, Louisiana where the chips are being analyzed for use in specialized systems that create "syngas." Syn-gas can be used in many applications in place of propane or natural gas to produce heat and/or electricity.

"Former GFC Director Fred Allen contacted us about this project last winter," said Nathan McClure, Chief Forester, Utilization and Marketing. "He's now an employee of the U.S. Forest Service Southern Research Station and serves as a liaison between the SRS and the Southern Group of State Foresters." According to McClure, GFC committed to providing chips from "high gum" slash pine and from other planted slash and longleaf pine genetic sources that would be used in a small gasification system at the Louisiana laboratory.

Calhoun Chief Ranger David Baldwin and Calhoun/Clay Ranger 1 Fred Robinson helped process pine chips for the study. Other participants included: District Manager Greg Findley, CR Chris Cross, CR David Baldwin, CR Tony Gentry; RI's Fred Robinson, Neil Watson, Hewlett Powell, Mike Warren, Evergreen Timber Foreman Shane Hayes; Not Pictured (Cut Down Crew): CR Grady Jarvis, RI's Terry Heard and Stan Jackson.

"The research focuses on biomass from

individual tree species rather than mixed

tree species," explained Devon Dartnell,

RPI Business Analyst who previously

worked in GFC's Marketing & Utilization

Department and was instrumental in

coordinating this project. "Mr. Allen

wanted to compare the differences

between the gas produced by high gum slash pine that originated from the GFC nursery and those from our improved

Evergreen Timber Company of Cuthbert, Ga. provided the chipper to process donated logs from Charles Stripling for the bioenergy research project.

slash pine or longleaf pine. The goal is to see if one species some species improved by the GFC Reforestation

has a higher energy content than the other."

Department. This was an important project because of

its potential benefit for Georgia landowners."

Dartnell said, "This is an opportunity to open up a new

market for some of Georgia's pine species and possibly

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Forest Health
by Scott Griffin

number has grown to more than 450, with most of it being in southwest Georgia. The good news is all spots are now being treated with herbicides and over half of the spots are considered negative for cogongrass. This
has truly been a cooperative effort within GFC and congratulations go all around.

GFC foresters and rangers placed 4,500 gypsy moth traps in 20 counties throughout the state this summer. I am happy to report that no gypsy moths were caught in these traps. Traps were also placed around positive catches made last year to determine if an infestation truly exists. The traps placed in Morgan and Chatham Counties turned up no moths, but the traps placed in Glynn County (Jekyll Island) caught one gypsy moth. The forest health team will continue to investigate these areas to determine if an infestation exists. Many thanks to those who went outside their normal call of duty to make this year's trapping program a success.

Roadside cogongrass spot in the Camilla District
A report on Georgia's forest health contains particulars about a number of vital conditions. Just as any medical work-up might show, there are areas to be glad about, and areas that need a little attention. The forest health team and district personnel recently completed several surveys monitoring for pests that could negatively impact Georgia's forests. Many pests are knocking on the door and we are determined not to let them in. Here's a summary of where we stand and where we plan to go.

Trapping for the Emerald Ash Borer and Light Brown Apple Moth just ended and neither of these pests were caught. As you may know, EAB was recently found near Knoxville, TN, making its movement into Georgia much more likely. Continue to look for declining ash trees and report these to your forest health specialist.
(continued on next page)

Cogongrass continues to lead the charge in the invasive plant arena. In 2007, when GFC became the lead agency in cogongrass detection and eradication, there were 59 known spots of the weed in Georgia. That

Forester Mark McClure sprays cogongrass in Decatur County.
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(continued from previous page)
Canopy of the state champ hemlock shows the poor condition of the tree.

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid continues to have catastrophic effects on Georgia's hemlock trees. Many trees are dead or in their final stages of decline. Work continues on establishing predator beetles and the good news is they are reproducing in the wild, although they're population is not high enough yet to make a difference. The current state champion eastern hemlock, growing on USFS land, is scheduled for an insecticide treatment this fall. The tree is in advanced decline and hopes are that the rescue efforts are not too late. Valent Chemical, which produces the insecticide Safari, has teamed up with a local arborist to offer free treatments to cities that have historical or focal hemlock trees. One such example is the confederate cemetery in Clarkesville, GA. This effort will not only be good public relations for the companies involved, but will raise awareness of the problem and what can be done to save trees.
GFC Team Improves Seedling Delivery Process

GFC's RPI warriors are at it again. During Rapid Process Improvement Event #4 in late August, a group met to examine the agency's Seedling Ordering and Delivery processes. As a result, several improvements are being made to the system.

Senior Forester Scott Griffin and Jann George (local arborist) stand beside the state champion eastern hemlock in Rabun County.
A recent find of Thousand Cankers Disease in Tennessee has raised much concern for black walnuts growing in the east. Black walnut trees are not a significant part of Georgia's forests but we want to minimize potential problems. In June of 2011 we will do a survey of our walnut trees to determine the status of TCD in Georgia. The survey will likely be focused along our border with Tennessee and along the I-75 corridor.
Sudden Oak Death has lost the spotlight as of late, but monitoring continues. Georgia has one area of concern where the fungus responsible for this disease continues to be detected in surface waters. Earlier in the summer, a streamside vegetation survey was done to determine if the fungus had infected any native plants, and thankfully the fungus was not found on any of the vegetation collected. Stream monitoring will begin again this fall and will run through spring.
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The team consisted of Jeff Fields, Renee Allen, Kenny Thompson, Alvin Layton, Bill Pryor, Greg Coley, Jerry Chandler and Teresa Kregl-Barber. The group recommended substantial program enhancements, including standardizing our seedling ordering forms, creating a plan for streamlining the Intranet seedling ordering system, and proposing changes to the seedling delivery routes that will maintain seedling quality but reduce agency delivery costs by 25%! The team also recognized that good communication and cooperation between the nursery, our Seedling Coordinators and Drivers, and our field offices are important to the efficiency of our seedling operations. For this reason, the team is organizing a meeting and nursery tour for District Seedling Coordinators, drivers and nursery personnel in October when they will receive training, discuss the delivery routes and ways to improve general communications. All participants will be contacted soon by Forester Bill Pryor, our Seedling Coordinator from the Statesboro District. It is anticipated that this will be an annual meeting prior to seedling season.

GFC Lends Helping Hands in Oil Spill Cleanup

Northern Gannett

from Orange Beach to Perdido Pass searching for oiled birds. Rescue efforts included locating and safely capturing the affected wildlife, then transferring them to a rescue facility, where they were cleaned, doctored and prepared to be returned back into the wild.

"The rescue efforts were challenging

USDA's West Gaston (left) and GFC Ranger I Todd Milam (right) worked together to at times," said Milam, "but the work

rescue wildlife, such as this Northern Gannett, impacted by the Gulf oil spill.

was very gratifying. Fish and Wildlife

are good people to partner with, and

The summer of 2010 is one GFC Ranger I Todd Milam their efforts should not go unnoticed."

of the Camilla District's Thomas County Unit won't

soon forget. Milam was hired by the U.S. Fish and To date, the GFC has sent out over 95 total resources Wildlife Service for an AD deployment to Alabama in to the oil spill. We represented the largest contingent

the wake of the Gulf oil spill.

of state employee response to the oil spill and

received a great deal of recognition throughout the

Milam's assignment was to work with teams that incident. Thanks to everyone who helped out, and

scoured Alabama shorelines and isolated islands congratulations on a job well done!

GFC Trains Neighboring Emergency Responders

The GFC and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency recently hosted the Alabama Forestry Commission's Type 2 Incident Management Team in training to sharpen disaster management skills. The exercises were held June 27-30 at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth, Georgia. The Alabama team trained in managing a logistical staging area (LSA) to provide distribution of food, water and ice to disaster victims in the aftermath of a hurricane. Alabama's Emergency Management response to hurricanes along the Gulf Coast will include the AFC's management of a similar LSA.

"These exercises helped the GFC train new team members and was a vital part of the development of Alabama's Type 2 Incident Management Team," said Greg Strenkowski, GFC Staff Forester. "It was a unique opportunity for each state's team leadership to work together and strengthen our interstate relationship."
Strenkowski said the commitment to these exercises speaks volumes about state forestry agencies' reliance on the expertise and knowledge of ICS in an emergency response.

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Perry Buck-A-Rama
The GFC, as guests of the USFS, participated in the three-day Buck-A-Rama in Perry's Georgia Agriculture Center. Thousands of landowners stopped by to talk about wildlife management, control burns, when to burn, what to plant and other forest related topics. Several educators asked for information to share with our future forest users and owners. Many of our county customers also came by just to say thank you for our helpful services and forest protection. Even the governor passed by with a wave and a smile. - Ranger 1 Robert Carswell

Forester Chris Barnes and USFS's Liz Caldwell discuss wildlife management and forest use during Buck-A-Rama

Training for the Unexpected
During the month of July, the Milledgeville District held engine operator refresher and advanced firefighter training in preparation for the upcoming fire season. Training sessions were held at Bartram Forest and the Johnson County Fire Department. - Ranger 1 Robert Carswell

Chief Ranger Howell Crutchfield reviews engine plumbing

Three of Milledgeville's newer 86 Engines

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New Antenna Platform in McIntosh County
GFC Professionals in the Statesboro District have had the opportunity to hone their skills on anything "radio" over the past several years. The latest project is a radio tower in McIntosh County.

Steve Campbell and Jeffery Nessmith remove the cab from the fire tower in preparation for the installation of an antenna platform.

Bioenergy in the Spotlight at Charlane
The Utilization department's Nathan McClure & Dru Preston recently attended a Bio Energy meeting and Biomass-Baler demonstration at Charlane Plantation, hosted by Chuck & Rose Lane Leavell. The meeting included an introduction to biomass energy and a biomass policy update by Robert Farris. The meeting centered on the importance of Georgia's forests to the emerging biomass markets as well as the challenges and hurdles this fledgling industry faces. A Biomass-Baler (BioBaler) machine, made by Supertrak, demonstrated how biomass from forest undergrowth can be harvested and baled, thus simplifying transportation of material from in woods to mill. An update on Range Fuels in Soperton and MultiTradeRabun Gap was also presented.

Biomass bales are roughly the same size as hay bales.

The BioBaler harvests and bales forest undergrowth in the field. 7

Congratulations...
District and County Unit Awards

2009 District of the Year: Waycross Standing from left - Pete Rewis, Buck Kline, Jeff Fenn, Jamey Smith, Blair Joiner, Tim Redick and Nickie Jordan. Kneeling from left: Travis Watson, Mark McClellan, Thomas Whitley, Frank Sorrells, Jeramy Kent, Jason Harris, Barry Rowell, Wes Merkison and Jason Gillis

2009 Northern Unit of the Year: Glascock/Jefferson Co. Brendon Holdeman, Reggie Morgan, Melissa Ziegler, Brandon Davis and Shane Barrow

2009 Southern Unit of the Year: Screven Co. Todd Wells, Paul Hodges, Benji Anderson, Caroline Pope and Byron Haire.

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Congratulations...

Brannen Celebrates at Retirement Luncheon

GFC colleagues of Jenkins County Chief Ranger Donnie Co-workers enjoyed grilled steak, corn on the cob, ice cream

Brannen gathered on September 24 to celebrate the career and more as they shared fond memories about their Chief

of Brannen, who retired on the 30th of the month.

Ranger and extended best wishes for the years ahead.

Brannen, pictured in the upper left, celebrates his retirement plans at the Jenkins County Forestry Unit
luncheon held in his honor.

Donnie Brannen receives his GFC Faithful Service Award.

A GFC Philosophy
What is your work-related passion? What makes you want to come to work?
My biggest motivator even with things as bad as they can get at times, is those I serve - the district first, the Commission second, and the customer ALWAYS. There is always someone counting on us whether we realize it or not. Keeping my focus on others is the motivator. If I ever lose focus of others and focus only on myself, there would be no motivation, only myself to please. Life is about others. - District Administrative Assistant

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Benefits Corner
2011 Annual Open Enrollment Open Enrollment begins on October 12 and closes at 4:30 p.m. on November 10. Please remember Annual Enrollment is a two-part process. You must select your Health as well as your Flexible Benefits for plan year 2011. All full-time (Staff) employees, as of November 1, are required to complete online enrollment (even if you
decline medical and/or flexible benefits). If you fail to enroll online and/or answer the tobacco and spouse surcharge questions, you will default into
the same coverage you currently have with one exception ~ YOU WILL BE ASSESSED THE TOBACCO SURCHARGE AND THE SPOUSAL SURCHARGE (if you cover your spouse). Your enrollment is not complete unless you have received confirmations for both Health and FLEX. These two confirmation numbers will be your proof of enrollment. Please do not wait until the last minute to go online to make your selections as web traffic will be heavy. Information concerning health benefits, including the 2011 Decision Guide, is located at www.dch.ga.gov - click SHBP (State Health Benefit Plan). Information concerning flexible benefits, including the 2011 Flexible Benefits You Decide Booklet is located at http://team.georgia.gov/portal/site/FLEX
Employees' Suggestion Program Do you have an idea to make Georgia State Government more efficient and productive? Through the Employees' Suggestion Program, Georgia's state government employees have a chance to receive a Certificate of Commendation to a cash award up to $5000 for an adopted suggestion.
If you think you have an idea that will improve methods, procedures, reduce cost, waste, errors, or save lives, time or money, then you may have a chance to receive recognition and a cash award.
Visit http://www.spa.ga.gov/ESP_hkl/default1.asp to enter your suggestion online. Online submissions are User ID and password protected. You may also print a copy of the form and submit your suggestion by mail.
After your suggestion has been evaluated, the Employees' Suggestion Program staff will notify you of its status. You may then track your suggestion online using your User ID and password.
A suggestion is NOT eligible if: It relates to classification and pay and/or personal grievances. It duplicates an active suggestion. It has already been implemented. It directly relates to the suggester's assigned duties or responsibilities. It pertains to matters requiring the enactment of legislation. It pertains to matters recommended for study, review or summary, or matters which are the result of assigned
contracted audits, studies, surveys, reviews or research.
To learn more about the Employee Suggestion Program, visit the State Personnel Administration at 404-657-5927 or online at www.spa.ga.gov.
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New Hires
Moore, Timothy Harper, Edward L. Richards, Stephen P. Steed, Natasha Mixon, Brian H. Christian, Brandon N. Ivester, Tina Louise Sosebee, Timothy P. Jones, Aishah Davis, John Christopher Rogers, Kailey H.

PERSONNEL ANNOUNCEMENTS

TDL - Ranger 1 TDL - Ranger 1 TDL - Ranger 1 Support Services Worker TDL - Ranger 1 TDL - Ranger 1 Support Services Worker TDL - Ranger 1 Support Services Worker Natural Resources Program Worker Financial Services Worker

Wilcox Co. Gilmer-Pickens Co. Gilmer-Pickens Co. Central Office Protection Dawson-Forsyth-N. Fulton Co. Dawson-Forsyth-N. Fulton Co. Central Office Protection Paulding Co. Spirit Creek Education Forest Rome D.O. Central Office Protection

Promotions
McIntosh, Stewart D. Kastle, Jeffrey Livingston, Jonathon M. Johnson III, James K. Sunday, John Allen, Brian Douglas Montgomery Jr., David Lewis Mullen, Gilbert Keene, Anthony

Ranger 1 Forester Ranger 1 Management Chief Forester FIA Forester FIA Forester Forester Ranger 2

Echols Co. Newnan D.O. Echols Co. Central Office Management Washington D.O. Central Office Management Central Office Management Rome D.O. Gilmer-Pickens Co.

Transfers Kastle, Jeffrey Weatherford, Seth S.

Forester Forester

Gainesville D.O. Newnan D.O.

Retirements
Hudson, Larry W. Wall, Joseph D. Noles, Lowery K. Lowell, David Carlton Hargrove III, William C. Ridley, Bradley R. McManus Jr, Brantley C.

Ranger 1 Supervisor Ranger 1 Chief Ranger Forester Ranger 2 Chief Ranger

Grady Co. Dixon State Forest Dodge Co. Crisp-Dooly-Macon Co. Washington D.O. Gordon-Murray Co. Wayne Co.

Deaths Bennett, Donald C.

Ranger 1

Camden Co.

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