GFC eUpdate, 2019 September 12

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GFC eUpdate

Contents

Director s Corner
Forest Management Acorns
Happy Birthday Smokey Bear
FIA to Re-measure Hurricane Michael-Impacted Plots
Reforestation Update
Upcoming Events
Campus Tree Conference 9/12/19
Oakwood GA
Conservation Easements for Forest Landowners and their Advisors 9/17 - 9/18/19 Albany GA
Georgia Prescribed Fire Council Annual Meeting 9/25/19
Tifton GA
Arborist Certification Review Course 10/8 - 10/9/19 Madison GA
Forestry for Non-Foresters Parts 1 & 2 10/22 - 10/24/19 Athens GA
Georgia Tree Conference and Trade Show "Trees and Equity" 11/6 - 11/8/19 Stone Mountain GA

Director s Corner
Hurricane Dorian demonstrated in no uncertain terms last week that Mother Nature ultimately holds all the cards. While coastal Georgians were spared the storm s demonstrated wrath we can all be grateful that our state s execution of preparedness procedures worked in textbook fashion. The Georgia Forestry Commission staffed the State Operations Center at GEMA headquarters in Atlanta focusing on debris removal and fire response from sensitive areas. Chainsaw crews were staged along the coast and emergency supplies were delivered through the logistics coordination of our Type 3 Incident Management Team based at GPSTC in Forsyth. Our agency functioned smoothly in step with emergency responders and teams throughout the state. On standby were forest health teams prepared to assist with damage estimates and recovery strategies. In short we were ready and we remain ready to serve - here at home and across state lines when called. We ve benefited from the opportunity to train in a "real life emergency " which makes us a stronger team. We are especially happy - as we re certain are you - that the end of hurricane season is in sight.

Tree & Forest Health Care Hurricane Michael & Storm Damage 11/19/19 Athens GA

Extreme Weather & Climate Variability Tree & Forest Health Interactions in the Southeast

11/20/19 Athens GA

Forest

Management Acorns
Forest Health Updates Sugarberry GFC (both Forest Health and Sustainable Communities) is working closely with the City of Savannah U.S. Forest Service and the University of Georgia to help answer questions about sugarberry decline which is happening from Augusta through the Savannah River corridor. More than 1 000 sugarberry trees in the Savannah area have died costing the city in excess of a quarter million dollars for removals. Scientists are working hard to determine what is causing this mortality. Trees start showing signs of dying from the top down and no single pathogen or insect has been identified yet.
Laurel Wilt In July 2019 Laurel wilt disease was found in Tennessee and Kentucky. GFC continues to work with the U.S. Forest Service to monitor the spread of laurel wilt in sassafras in Georgia. The latest map can be found at http //bit.ly/2k3HTgG.
Emerald Ash Borer In 2019 GFC foresters hung 79 EAB traps across the state. Positive EAB identifications were made in six new counties Catoosa Chattooga Dade Gordon Jackson and Paulding Counties. There are now 32 counties known to have EAB Barrow Bartow Carroll Catoosa Chattooga Cherokee Clayton Cobb Dade Dawson DeKalb Douglas Fannin Fayette Fulton Gordon Gilmer Gwinnett Jackson Habersham Henry Lumpkin Murray Newton Paulding Rabun Rockdale Union

Walker Walton White and Whitfield. Learn more at http //bit.ly/1WlXFhA.
Cogongrass GFC continues to treat all new cogongrass sites with forestry herbicides at no cost to landowners. This assistance is only possible through an ongoing grant provided by the US Forest Service. As of July 2019 there are 1 311 cogongrass spots in Georgia. Of these spots 14% are active 10% are one-year negative 9% are two-years negative and 66% are eradicated. To date in 2019 55 new spots have been reported. The latest cogongrass update can be found here.
Elm Leaf Beetle For the second year in a row GFC has documented widespread areas of elm leaf beetle defoliation in central Georgia. Many other states in the Southeast have also experienced outbreaks this year. Elm leaf beetle is a defoliator that feeds on the leaves of all elm species. The adult elm leaf beetle chews holes in the leaves and the larvae feed on the leaf surface resulting in a skeletonizing lacy look. One year of defoliation is usually not a problem for trees. However repeated years of defoliation weakens them and may start to cause mortality. The elm leaf beetle is expected to continue to spread and actively feed into the fall.
Southern Pine Beetle GFC Foresters have almost completed the Aerial Forest Health Survey for the year. Results from these surveys show very little pine beetle activity across the state. As always we encourage landowners to monitor their property and contact their county forester if they see any signs of beetles.
SCFP Update GFC s Sustainable Community Forestry Program (SCFP) in conjunction with the Georgia Tree Council (GTC) has begun a partnership with the Georgia Electrical Membership Corporation (Georgia EMC). Through this partnership we will provide tree care training to utility line workers from the 41 electrical cooperatives who are members of this trade association. The training will teach right of way utility workers across the state about tree biology identification diseases safety soils and other topics needed to prepare them to take the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA)

Certified Arborist test. The students will spend one day a week over four consecutive weeks in class before taking the three and half hour final exam. The inaugural class will take its ISA Arborist exam on September 11. Additional classes will start in March 2020.
Happy Birthday Smokey Bear
The Georgia Forestry Commission joins the nation in celebrating the milestone birthday of Smokey Bear who turns 75 this year Since 1944 Smokey has taught millions of Americans about their role in preventing wildfire and special events commemorating his legacy are taking place throughout the country. Watch for America s favorite spokesbear on the news and online and consider joining us for the 49th Okefenokee Festival on October 12. Smokey will be the grand marshal of the annual Folkston parade whose theme this year is wildfire prevention. Happy Birthday Smokey Bear
FIA to Re-measure Hurricane MichaelImpacted Plots

GFC s Forest Inventory Analysis (FIA) team will soon be remeasuring forest plots in areas affected by Hurricane Michael. Due to the enormous impact to southwest Georgia forestland by the October 2018 storm plot re-measurements will provide a more accurate reading on current conditions of post-hurricane forest resources. The analysis will include calculations of volume growth removals and more. When compiled results of the study will be made available to the public.
Reforestation Update
Members of the Reforestation Department along with other state and industry cooperators from the North Carolina State University Tree Improvement Program recently met near Crossnore NC to plan for the 5th cycle of breeding for loblolly pine. Cooperators are making 5th cycle selections out of their 4th cycle progeny tests. Scion material from these selections are being grafted into breeding orchards where controlled pollinations will occur once there is adequate flowering. Progeny from these controlled crosses will then be tested in 5th cycle tests. It s exciting to cooperate with industry and other state agencies to increase the genetic gain in loblolly pine by conventional breeding and testing methods.
On another note The GFC nursery still has advanced and elite genetics loblolly and slash pines available to sell but they are moving fast as inventories from nurseries throughout the South are shrinking rapidly as well. Call the nursery at 478-508-0056 or visit GaTrees.org or your local county unit to place orders.
Copyright 2005 Georgia Forestry Commission all rights reserved 1-800-GA-TREES

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