TREASURED - Alabama Forestry Commission · Alabama’s TREASURED Forests (ISSN 0894-9654) is published three times each year by the Alabama ... 12 Impacts of Continued Drought on

TTALABAMA’S

FORESTSREASUREDREASURED

A Publication of the Alabama Forestry CommissionA Publication of the Alabama Forestry Commission

SUMMER 2007SUMMER 2007

ALABAMA’S

FORESTS

2 / Alabama’s TREASURED Forests Summer 2007

Autauga County2226-I Highway 14 WestAutaugaville, AL 36003334-361-0576

Baldwin County32760 State Highway 59Loxley, AL 36551251-964-6391

Barbour County431 Highway 51 SouthClayton, AL 36016334-775-3496

Bibb County9712 Highway 5Brent, AL 35034205-926-4917

Blount County49686 US Highway 231Oneonta, AL 35121205-274-2231

Bullock CountyP.O. Box 392Union Springs, AL 36089334-738-3040

Butler County59 Firetower RoadGreenville, AL 36037334-376-9114

Calhoun County3985 AL Highway 21 NorthJacksonville, AL 36265256-435-6245

Chambers County101 Jane PlaceLaFayette, AL 36862334-864-9368

Cherokee County1420 East Main StreetCentre, AL 35960256-927-3163

Chilton County221 County Road 423Clanton, AL 35045205-755-3042

Choctaw County1715 East Pushmataha St.Butler, AL 36904251-459-2928

Clarke County14833 Old Hwy 5 SouthGrove Hill, AL 36451251-275-3283

Clay CountyP.O. Box 453Lineville, AL 36266256-396-2441

Cleburne County7315 Highway 78Heflin, AL 36264256-463-2876

Coffee County1155 East McKinnon St.New Brockton, AL 36351334-894-6734

Colbert County1101 Hwy 72 East Suite 16Tuscumbia, AL 35674256-383-4376

Conecuh County1473 Owassa RoadEvergreen, AL 36401251-578-3226

Coosa CountyRoute 2 Box 45-BRockford, AL 35136256-377-4638

Covington County1803 Dr. MLK Jr. ExpwyAndalusia, AL 36420334-222-0379

Crenshaw County1535 Glenwood RoadLuverne, AL 36049334-335-5712

Cullman County1527 Sportsmans Lake Rd NWCullman, AL 35055256-734-0573

Dale County1233 W. Roy Parker RoadOzark, AL 36360334-774-5139

Dallas County7577 AL Highway 22Selma, AL 36701334-875-7131

DeKalb County1001 Lebanon Road SWFt. Payne, AL 35967-8432256-845-1331

Elmore CountyP.O. Box 1058Wetumpka, AL 36092334-567-5486

Escambia County2430 Ridge RoadBrewton, AL 36426251-867-7798

Etowah County1511 Crudrup RoadAttalla, AL 35954256-538-2535

Fayette County5434 Highway 171 NorthFayette, AL 35555205-932-6223

Franklin County1004 Highway 36Russellville, AL 35653256-332-2460

Geneva County3670 Enterprise RoadGeneva, AL 36340334-684-2876

Greene County2385 County Road 167Eutaw, AL 35462205-372-3980

Hale CountyP.O. Box 417Moundville, AL 35474205-371-2202

Henry County1462 US Hwy 431 SouthAbbeville, AL 36310334-585-2403

Houston County4855 Hodgesville RoadDothan, AL 36301334-677-5454

Jackson County409 S Broad St Suite 27Scottsboro, AL 35768256-574-3217

Jefferson County6650 Old Hwy 31 NorthGardendale, AL 35071205-631-2552

Lamar County48878 Highway 17Sulligent, AL 35586205-695-7530

Lauderdale County1212 Waterloo RoadFlorence, AL 35631256-764-4382

Lawrence County12001 AL Hwy 157 Suite 2Moulton, AL 35650256-974-8168

Lee County651 Lee Road 113Opelika, AL 36804334-742-0320

Limestone County1109 W. Market St. Suite FAthens, AL 35611256-232-7940

Lowndes County3122 County Road 45Fort Deposit, AL 36032334-227-4572

Macon County1696 U.S. Hwy 29 NorthAuburn, AL 36830334-727-3783

Madison County4299 Highway 72 EastBrownsboro, AL 35741256-776-8956

Marengo County20540 US Hwy 43Linden, AL 36748334-295-5811

Marion County164 Smokey Bear RoadHamilton, AL 35570205-921-3843

Marshall CountyP.O. Box 303Guntersville, AL 35976256-582-4212

Mobile County3572 Fire Tower RoadSemmes, AL 36575251-649-1380

Monroe County887 Veterans AvenueMonroeville, AL 36460251-743-2350

Montgomery County11261 US Highway 331Montgomery, AL 36105334-280-3701

Morgan County4208 Highway 31 SouthDecatur, AL 35603256-308-0093

Perry CountyRoute 2 Box 6-SMarion, AL 36756334-683-8537

Pickens County12481 Highway 86 WCarrollton, AL 35447205-367-8232

Pike County4130 County Road 5513Troy, AL 36081334-566-3436

Randolph County60 Hillcrest AvenueWedowee, AL 36278256-357-2178

Russell County4735 Highway 431 SouthSeale, AL 36875334-855-3302

Shelby County54 Kelly Lane #6Columbiana, AL 35051205-669-4133

St. Clair County18909 U.S. Highway 411Springville, AL 35146205-629-6421

Sumter County320 MLK Jr. ParkwayLivingston, AL 35470205-652-6500

Talladega County425 Al Hwy 275Talladega, AL 35160256-362-4848

Tallapoosa County21070 Highway 280Dadeville, AL 36853256-825-4244

Tuscaloosa County8115 McFarland BoulevardNorthport, AL 35476205-333-1490

Walker CountyP.O. Box 1209Jasper, AL 35502205-384-6344

Washington County893 Carpenter RoadMillry, AL 36558251-847-2972

Wilcox County231 Camden BypassCamden, AL 36726334-682-4421

Winston CountyP.O. Box 595Double Springs, AL 35553205-489-5014

DIRECTORY OF ALABAMA FORESTRY COMMISSION COUNTY OFFICES

Summer 2007 Alabama’s TREASURED Forests / 3

Governor

Bob Riley

Alabama Forestry Commission

Don Heath, ChairmanJerry M. Smith, Vice ChairmanJett FreemanRandy GilmoreJerry LaceyMelisa LoveKenneth Real

State Forester

Linda S. Casey

Assistant State Forester

Administrative Division Director

Jerry M. Dwyer

Fire Division Director

Steve May

Management Division Director

John Pirtle

Northwest Region

Regional Forester Wayne StrawbridgeAsst Regional Forester, AdministrationBart Williams

Northeast Region

Regional Forester Phearthur MooreAsst Regional Forester, AdministrationCharles Hall

Southeast Region

Regional Forester Bruce SpringerAsst Regional Forester, AdministrationDave Duckett

Southwest Region

Regional Forester Gary ColeAsst Regional Forester, AdministrationOtis French

Editorial Board

Derrick Heckman Alabama Forestry CommissionLouis Hyman Alabama Forestry CommissionPhearthur Moore Alabama Forestry CommissionMichael Older Alabama Forestry CommissionDon Stinson Alabama TREASURE Forest Assoc.Allen Varner Alabama Forestry CommissionColeen Vansant Alabama Forestry CommissionElishia Ballentine Alabama Forestry Commission

Editor

Elishia Ballentine

Managing Editor

Coleen Vansant

Alabama’s TREASURED Forests (ISSN 0894-9654) is published three times each year by the AlabamaForestry Commission, 513 Madison Avenue, Montgomery, AL 36130. Telephone (334) 240-9355. Bulk ratepostage paid at Montgomery, Alabama. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Alabama’s TREASUREDForests, P.O. Box 302550, Montgomery, AL 36130-2550. Web site: www.forestry.alabama.gov

The publication of a story or article in this magazine does not constitute the Alabama Forestry Commission'sendorsement of that particular practice, but is an effort to provide the landowners of Alabama with informa-tion and technical assistance to make informed decisions about the management practices they apply to theirland. The Alabama Forestry Commission is an equal opportunity employer and provider.

4 Bringing a Dream to Life by Coleen Vansant

7 Fastballs and Forestry by Jim Jeter

9 Forests Continue to Shudder from the Spring Freeze of 2007 by Arthur Hitt

11 Alabama Forest Health Conference Information

12 Impacts of Continued Drought on Alabama’s Forestlandby Walter Cartwright

14 How Does GPS Know Where I Am? by Sarah O’Sullivan

15 Stopping A Hidden Enemy from Robbing Alabama’s Valuable Pine Stands by Dr. Victor L. Ford and Mark K. Meyers

18 Common Hardwood Management Mistakes by Dr. David Mercker

20 Alabama TREASURE Forest Conference and Wildlife/Forestry Festival Information and Registration

22 The Wetland Reserve Program, an Opportunity for Wetland Restoration on Private Lands by Tim Albritton

23 Building Trails to Treasure by Michael Older

25 Auburn’s New Historic Tree Trail by Elishia Ballentine

26 American Black Bear - Where are They in Alabama? by Ryan Prince

27 Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program in Alabama by Brian Hendricks

28 Seedling Sources for Alabama Landowners

DEPARTMENTS2 Directory of Alabama Forestry Commission County Offices

32 TREES OF ALABAMA: Black Locust by Fred Nation

CONTENTS

On the Cover: This shady trail leading into the forest offers a retreat from the hot sun on anAlabama summer day. (See more on trails, pages 23-25.) Photo by Kelvin DanielsBackground this page: While following a trail in the woods, this pitcher plant on the forestfloor caught the eye of photographer Mike Kyser.

Vol. XXVI, No. 2 Summer 2007

Bringing a Dream to Life

By Coleen Vansant, Public Information Manager, Alabama Forestry Commission

As children, we all havedreams. Dreams of what wewant to do or be when wegrow up. Some of us have

visions of being astronauts, professionalathletes, school teachers, firemen, or racecar drivers. We dream of what kind ofhouse we want to live in, the kind of carwe want to drive, and even who we wantto marry. For most of us, time and lifecircumstances change those dreams, andbefore long they’re just a faint memorythat we laugh about years later. For onepair of brothers in Franklin County, theyare actually living the very dream theyshared as young boys.

Twin brothers Joel and Jeff Pounderssat as boys on the top of high cliffs neartheir home in Franklin County andlooked down into a beautiful pristinecove and dreamed of owning it one day.You can almost shut your eyes and listenas the two talk about what they wantedto do when they were the masters of thefarm they so treasured. The two never

imagined that around three decades laterthey would actually stand as men on thetop of the same cliff, looking down onthe beautiful cove that they now sharetogether.

Acquiring the DreamAlthough it had been a long time

since the two had dreamed of owning theproperty, when the first parcel came upfor sale, they had not forgotten thepromises made to one another long ago.They purchased their first 20-acre tractof land together, and as the years passed,they gradually added to it as propertybecame available. They even managed tobring land back into the family that hadbeen owned by their father and grandfa-ther. Now, the farm includes around 360acres that the twins’ families own andmanage together.

They may not have known it at thetime, but life was preparing the two menfor the dream that was to come. Whentime came for college, both attended the

University of North Alabama in Florencewhere they received their degrees inenvironmental biology. Being aware ofnatural science, when the time came tobegin managing the property, they notonly relied on their own knowledge, butwent to the professionals that could help.Through the Alabama Forestry Commis-sion, the Natural Resources ConservationService, the Cooperative ExtensionSystem, and other natural resource andfarm agencies, they got the assistancethey needed to develop their farm planand bring their dream to life.

Developing the DreamThrough an intensive management

plan, the brothers were able to bring theland to life, with every action enhancinganother element of the farm’s environ-ment. With wildlife as their primaryobjective, they knew the first thing theyhad to do was implement actions thatwould give them the quality and quantityof species they wanted. “Early on, there


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Bringing a Dream to Life

were not numbers or quality of wildlifehere,” Joel explains, primarily in refer-ence to whitetailed deer. Providing ahabitat that would grow quality antlersand enhance fawn production was firston their list. Through practices such astimber harvesting and planting, foodplots and other routines, they haveincreased the deer population to a pointthat every year they do a very selectiveharvest, removing only the older ageclass deer. Now they may harvest six toeight mature, high-quality deer a year.

Turkey was another priority, which tothem was measured by their brood rear-ing success. They targeted predator con-trol, carefully planned mowing as not todisturb nests, conducted prescribedburns, and planted both warm and coldseason annuals. Now they both talkabout how it’s not a visit unless you seea gobbler fly down and strut in the dis-tance.

Not only are native plant speciesencouraged to grow but supplementalplantings of oats, clover, chufa, milletand other game foods are planted andmaintained to help attract wildlife.According to Jeff, the fescue andBermuda grasses, originally started tosustain cattle farming years ago, havebeen removed and replaced with herba-ceous plants.

With cost-share assistance thePounders built a shallow water pond, orartificial wetland, that is drained everyspring. This has brought many wildlifebenefits, including habitat for woodducks and visits from mallards. In thespring, turkeys also take advantage of thedrained pond to forage for insects.

Managing the ForestThey both realized that developing the

timber resources was one of their top pri-orities if they wanted to increase theirwildlife habitat. According to Jeff, they

wanted to maintain the integrity of boththe bottomland hardwood and waterquality, but they knew they must managefor pine to give the deer and otherwildlife species the habitat necessary tothrive. Through a lot of thought, plan-ning, and design, they decided to inten-sively manage their ridge tops in a pinemonoculture. Every harvest was careful-ly conducted, and they struggled withwhat to grow and where it should begrown. Now, around 30% (approximately100 acres) of their forest resource isintensively-managed monoculture pine inearly succession phases that pro-vide thermal cover (bedding areas)for the white tailed deer, turkey,and other species. The two mentogether planted around 50,000trees over a period of time.

During the harvest, special carewas taken to keep irregular shapesand maintain wide streamside man-agement zones (SMZs). Approxi-mately 50% (about 180 acres) oftheir forest is in natural mixed

stands or bottomland hardwood that runsalong Little Bear Creek. The remaining20% of land area is maintained as forestclearings interspersed with wildlifeplantings.

Water QualityLittle Bear Creek runs all the way

through the cove and is actually the focalpoint of the farm. Preserving this featureis important to the brothers, and everyaction they take enhances the stream.Best management practices are followed

(Continued on page 6)

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Jeff and Joel manage the ridge topsintensively for pine. The two of themhave planted over 50,000 seedlings.

The young pine provide an excellentthermal cover for wildlife.

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Jeff (left with Tatonka) and Joel (right with Ol’ Yeller) show the quality of deer thatthey have harvested from their property. The brothers give names to the deer thatfrequently roam the property.

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The Pounders builtthis one-room cabinthemselves, whichincludes a loft,kitchen, bathroom,and fireplace. Thefloors are cedarplank. The two also designed theporch railings.


during all timber harvesting, and a verywide riparian zone is maintained. Streamcrossings are maintained to allow littledisturbance to the banks of the creek,and along their forest roads, water barsare established every 100 feet.

With the new cabin overlooking asharp bend in the stream, keeping theintegrity of the water is important. Bothwant their children to enjoy wading inthe cool clear water and benefiting fromall the diversity it brings. Joel andRhonda have one daughter, Chloe, age 8.Jeff and Paula have three children:Gracie, age 5; Lily, age 3; and Ben, 8months old.

HistoryThe Pounders’ farm is located in a

valley rich with local history. A collec-tion of artifacts from broken bits of mis-cellaneous pottery to arrowheads havebeen found all across the farm. Primitivetools, hidden for thousands of years,have been discovered by the brothersinside rock shelters; evidence that earlyman once called this valley their home.

Two lonely graves, one a NativeAmerican burial mound, and the othermarked only by a rough hand-hewnmarker that reads “Josh Hill - 1814,”give testimony to the rich and diversehistory of the area, and to the fact thatthis peaceful valley had been a home andrefuge to others before them.

Preserving the historical, cultural, andnatural heritage of the property is a highpriority to both men. Everything they dois carefully planned, and development iskept to an absolute minimum. Even therustic cabin the pair built looks as if itcould have been there at the turn of thelast century.

Working Together for the DreamBeing twins, you would expect the

brothers to have been close as children,but that bond has lasted into their adultlives. “We’re the management team andthe labor force,” says Joel.

It’s unusual for two people to share asingle dream, and much more unusualfor them to be able to work together toachieve and enjoy it. According to Joel,the benefits they enjoy are not financialones. The greatest advantage theyreceive from their work is “preservingthe integrity and beauty of the valley”that both have loved for a lifetime.

“We have shared objectives andshared responsibility,” explains Jeff. “Weset our goals and principals early, reallyearly in life, and we’ve embraced them.”Second to the Bible, the Sand CountyAlmanac by Aldo Leopold is both Jeff’sand Joel’s favorite book. In it, Leopoldexplains that with the land comes valuesthat can be educational, economic, recre-

ational, and even moral and religious.“We embrace all of those,” Jeff says.“The land is to be loved and respected.”

Passing the Dream to OthersEducation, or sharing what they have

with others, is another priority with thePounders. Both men are married toschool teachers, so the property is usedas an outdoor classroom for many of thelocal schools. They host educational pro-grams each year which include localforestry groups, school teachers, schoolchildren, church groups, horses and rid-ers, and many others.

Recently, a woman who was recover-ing from cancer came to the farm andparticipated in a turkey hunt. Fathersbring their sons to the valley to teachthem hunting and an appreciation for theland.

These activities, along with many oth-ers, is what earned the pair the honor ofAlabama Forest Conservationists of theYear in 2003 and the Helene MosleyMemorial TREASURE Forest award in2005.

Keeping the Dream AliveKeeping this valley in its native, pris-

tine condition is a major priority for Jeffand Joel. According to them, a lot ofblood, sweat, and tears have gone intotheir dream, as well as a lot of love forthe land. For them, it’s all about doingwhat is right and protecting the integrityand biodiversity of the land. “We boughtinto all the things we love,” says Jeff.And with that investment has come theresponsibility they both honor andembrace – being good stewards of thegifts and opportunities with which theyhave been blessed and entrusted.

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This food plot is ready to be planted. Situated in front of the cabin, it will attract

numerous species of wildlife right up to the front door.

Artifacts from NativeAmericans can be

found around the valley, along with this lone grave

of an early settler.

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Two things happened the otherday that caused me to reflect onthe status of my forestry career.The first event causing this

reflection was a question asked by a BoyScout instructor as I gave a talk oncareers in forestry and/or natural resourcemanagement and basic merit badgerequirements. The question was: What doyou like most about your job? Ever heardthat one before? I used to answer thatquestion pretty quickly, but after 32 yearsI had to think about the answer a little.My ultimate answer was, trying to helplandowners solve their land managementproblems . . . i.e., problem solving.

The other event happened later thatsame evening as I watched the TennesseeLady Vols play Arizona for the National

Softball Division I title. Monica Abbott,who was pitching for the Lady Vols, wasquoted as saying that when she was inhigh school, pitching for her “was allabout speed and power.” Now that she isplaying at a new level, she has had tolearn that “there have to be more pitchesthan just a fastball.” She went on to saythat “ball placement, timing, and a partic-ular batter” all help her make up hermind on “which pitch to make.” Soundsa lot like problem solving to me.

One might ask how this relates toforestry and my forest managementcareer. Well, early on as a new forestrygraduate I was given a job with a landmanagement company dealing with pri-vate landowners. My bosses were allvery old, at least 50 at the time. In most

cases my decisions were based on whatand how they told me to do things. I didnot realize until later how valuable mytwo years with those “old” men would be. . . they were problem solving and I wastheir major project. They were coachingme along.

My next assignment was on a man-agement area dealing with all aspects offorestry, from procurement and loggingcontract supervision to prescribed burn-ing and boundary line maintenance. Boy,was I ready to go. I had two years ofexperience and knew everything, excepthow much I did not know. I was throw-ing fastballs all the time, head high.Thank goodness for the patience of my“coaches” and their ability to cope with

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FFaassttbbaallllss aannddFFoorreessttrryy

FFaassttbbaallllss aannddFFoorreessttrryy

By James P. Jeter, Registered ForesterForest Management Specialist, Alabama Forestry Commission

By James P. Jeter, Registered ForesterForest Management Specialist, Alabama Forestry Commission

such a knucklehead. From older, wiser,hardworking independent contractors, tosome of the men I supervised, they allhad a part in coaching me along. Theytaught me how to pitch, not just throwfastballs.

Now, as I have a littlehair left and it is trulygray, I have started to seesome things that help medecide which pitch tothrow. Think about theenvironmental events thathave taken place in thelast 12 months, or are tak-ing place presently. Thedrought of 2006 . . . whateffects did it have onseedling survival — hard-wood and/or pine? Whatreally stopped the IpsEngraver Beetleoutbreak after onelife cycle? Whydid the Ips strikein a given patternvs. random spots?Are these out-breaks ever justrandom spots?Where are theSouthern PineBeetles that usual-ly follow the Ips?How much stresswas put on uplandhardwood stands?Why are maturehardwoods dyingin major riverbasins? How long did the drought last?

Fast forward a little bit to the last fewweeks of March 2007. The afternoontemperatures are in the high 70s andsometimes near 80. Vegetation is greenand the turkeys are starting to gobble.Then comes the first week of April andsub-freezing temperatures — what acurve ball. The turkeys quit and thegreen foliage turned brown. I have neverobserved the hardwoods being burnedby cold weather as they were this spring.What problems will this present? Whichpitch do I throw when asked questionsabout the results of this freeze?

Simple stuff that we often take forgranted . . . the white oaks were flower-ing, getting ready to set acorns for thisyear’s crop — for the most part, allgone. What does this matter except for afew hungry deer? Well, it probably does

not matter, unless you were counting ona good acorn crop to help you naturallyregenerate a hardwood stand. Whatabout next year’s red oak acorn crop?Will it suffer the same failure? Whatabout the fruit-bearing trees for wildlife,not to mention human consumption?Basically gone.

What effect did this freeze have onnewly planted seedlings? It should nothave bothered most pine seedlings.However, those being planted duringthis time were not only planted late, butI have heard of some having ice on themwhen they were planted. Ice on

seedlings before they’re in the ground isnever good. Look out, another curveball. Hardwood seedlings, in some cases,had already leafed out. The freeze defo-liated some of these seedlings whichshould and have re-foliated by now. The

question is, how muchadded stress did this put onthose seedlings . . . ball orstrike? Time will tell. Willwe all remember the weekof cold weather that pre-ceded the drought of 2007?

At 17 inches behind inrainfall by June, what pitchcan we be looking for?Will the pine stands thatgot a little hot from pre-scribed fires make itthrough without a SouthernPine Beetle attack? We bet-ter watch close. Will thewildfires get worse and killtrees? You bet. Is it allgloom and doom? Never.

So what can we do?How about problem solv-

ing . . . decide which pitch to throw toprevent the other team from beating you.Good forest management will preventdetrimental results from a lot of thecurve balls that are thrown our way . . .proper site selection for the properspecies to be planted; proper site prepa-ration before planting; proper timbersale planning; and careful observance ofwhat is actually going on in your forest.All of the decisions you make now mayprevent catastrophic events from rainingout your ballgame.

In the days and months to come, wewill be faced with many forest manage-ment problems that need to be solved.Prescribed burning, reforestation, timbersales, Best Management Practices(BMPs), insects, disease, and forest taxinformation are just a few of the areaswith which we at the Alabama ForestryCommission can help you. As I am inthe seventh inning of what I hope to bean extra inning ballgame, I want to con-tinue to sharpen my pitching skills andnot be content with just throwing fast-balls.

FFaassttbbaallllss aanndd FFoorreessttrryy(Continued from page 7)

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When the temperaturesdipped down into theteens and twenties for sev-eral days this past Easter,

it affected agricultural crops, urban trees,and hardwood forests across theSoutheastern states. The dieback ofleaves was apparent on trees in northernparts of Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia,and north into Tennessee, Kentucky, andparts of the Carolinas.

The late season freeze did the greatestdamage to plants and trees that werealready flowering or leafing out. Manyhardwoods had leafed out early becauseof the warm temperatures during the pre-vious month. Freezes such as this are notcommon, but they do occasionally occur.The answers to the following questionsmay help you understand more aboutwhat happened where you live.

What short-term impacts do these late-seasonfreezes have on trees?

Dr. Wayne Clatterbuck, AssociateProfessor of Forest Management andSilviculture at the University ofTennessee, explains that red and whiteoaks, hickories, yellow-poplar, hackber-ry, and sycamore were affected most bythe freezing temperatures; maples werenot. Trees use a great amount of storedcarbohydrates (energy) to produce newleaves, and the plant tissues producedfrom these energy reserves weredestroyed during the freeze. To releaf,trees must re-mobilize additional carbo-hydrates, a demand that creates unex-pected stress. Most trees progressivelyburst buds, such that there are some budsremaining to leaf out after a freeze.Dormant and other suppressed buds are

then activated during the second leafemergence. Since carbohydrate and ener-gy reserves are lower during the secondrefoliation, the crowns of refoliated treesare sparse with fewer, smaller, and lessdense leaves than normal.

What are the possible long-term effects from the freeze?

Dr. Clatterbuck answers that mosttrees will recover from a single defolia-tion associated with a freeze. However,any other stress encountered by the treemay cause irreversible damage and loss.Defoliation is a primary, initial cause oftree decline, and the role of climatic andother environmental factors influence theseverity of the defoliation. Both pro-longed droughts and the secondaryimpacts of opportunistic insects (defolia-tors and wood borers) and disease (fungiand cankers) that are attracted to stressedtrees can have severe detrimental impactson tree health. To alleviate additional treestress, keep landscape trees watered dur-ing droughty periods. Slowly, treesshould regain lost carbohydrates andcontinue to strengthen energy reserves.In forested areas, there is little that canbe done on a large scale. If trees havedeclined severely but have an economicvalue, a harvest should be consideredbefore they further deteriorate.

Another future consequence of thefreeze will be limited flower and subse-quent fruit and seed production. Not onlyare the current year’s flowers affected,but reduced energy reserves will impactnext year’s flowers too. In our currentscenario, most all commercial fruitorchards have substantial losses. Theyield of both hard and soft mast (acorns,nuts, and fruits) will be low. The flowers

Forests Continue to Shudder from the

Spring Freeze of 2007By Arthur Hitt, Landowner Assistance Forester, Alabama Forestry Commission

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of white oaks were affected such thatacorn crops will be limited, having animpact on wildlife populations. Becauseit takes two years from pollination toproduce red oak acorns, this productionwill be affected in 2008. However, the“acornets” (immature acorns) of red oaksfrom flowers pollinated in spring 2006will probably produce some acorns forthis year, if they are not aborted due tostress. This process is further examinedin the following paragraphs.

What are the consequencesof the freeze for wildlife?

Dr. Becky Barlow, ExtensionForester/Assistant Professor at theSchool of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences,Auburn University, and Dr. EdwardLoewenstein, Assistant Professor,Silviculture at the School of Forestry andWildlife Sciences, Auburn University,explain the impacts of the cold weatheron mast production and wildlife:

The 2007 late-spring freeze killedback new growth on many hardwoodstrees, particularly those in northernAlabama. It could also potentially impactacorn production on both red and whiteoaks in the coming year. Acorn crop suc-cess is of interest not only for forestreproduction, but also because acorns arean important food source for much ofAlabama’s wildlife population includingdeer, turkey, waterfowl, and small mam-mals such as squirrels and rabbits.

Oaks flower in early spring betweenMarch and April. If the crop is a success,

white oak acorns mature in late summer,and then fall from the canopy beginningin September and October of the sameyear. Late freezes may affect current yearwhite oak acorn production, but cause lit-tle damage to existing red oak crops thatwere pollinated last year. Low tempera-tures in the spring often do not adverselyaffect oak flowers and pollination.However, late spring freezes that damagenew shoots and leaves, such as the onethat occurred this year, may impact mastproduction. Landowners and forest man-agers should survey their trees in Julyand August for maturing acorns to betterdetermine fall production.

The good news is that even wide-spread freezes do not affect all timberstands in the same way, potentially limit-ing losses across the state. Southern por-tions of the state may see less damagethan northern counties. Even in areas thatwere hard hit by the freeze, small differ-ences in slope position (ridge top vs.lower slope) and aspect (south vs. northfacing slope) may greatly affect the crop.

Success of acorn crops can vary wide-ly from year to year. Other factors thatcan cause acorn crop failure in oaks aretree age, stand density (overcrowding),insect damage, increased rainfall duringthe time of pollination, hail, and severeweather.

How do you care for freeze-damaged trees?

The best advice is to do nothing andwait to see how the trees respond. There

is not much you can do on a large scalefor hardwood timber stands. With thetrees using stored carbohydrates to leafout a second time, any added stressessuch as that caused by drought, wildfires,or insects and disease will add to thedecline of the health of the stand and thehealth of individual trees.

For landscape trees, Dr. DavidMercker, Extension Forester with theUniversity of Tennessee, advises to“water, water, water, but not to the pointof continual saturation.” Watering willhelp trees recover along with the increas-ing temperatures, but DO NOT fertilizeuntil the end of the next winter, e.g.January and February of 2008. Quickrelease fertilizers will only encouragefurther depletion of carbohydratereserves, causing more stress on the treeswhich could result in them dying.

SummaryWildlife that depend on hard and soft

mast crops are likely to be hungry thiscoming winter. Therefore, this will be animportant year for food plots.

Monitor your timber stands closely forthe next few years for signs of decline inthe overall health. As trees foliate a secondtime due to the late freeze, they willdeplete carbohydrate reserves and be moresusceptible to the effects of drought as wellas insect and disease infestations. Thesecumulative stresses could lead to dimin-ished growth and possible mortality.

TREE GRANTS AvailableThe time is now to apply for tree grants. The Alabama Power Foundation, in partner-

ship with the Alabama Urban Forestry Association (AUFA), is accepting applications for the2007 Community Forestry Program.

Over the past eight years, more than $400,000 has been distributed in tree grants to nearly400 cities, counties, schools, and community groups.Grants have been used to buy thousandsof trees for planting in community parks, along roadways, and on school grounds, amongother sites, facilitating a positive impact on our environment.

The Community Forestry Project is open to local governments; nonprofit groups; and pub-lic and private schools, colleges, and universities. Grants of up to $2,000 are awarded.Applications must be postmarked by Aug. 31, 2007. Winners will be notified no later than November 15, 2007.

For more information about tree grant requirements or to obtain an application form, log on to one of the following webpages: www.AlabamaPowerFoundationcom or www.aufa.com.

Forests Continue to Shudder

(Continued from page 9)



Almost 95% of the entire stateof Alabama is under severedrought conditions with his-torically low stream flows and

parched, dry soil. The atmosphere hasbeen very dry with high wind, increasingthe evaporation rate and further dryingour soils and plant life. Of course, wild-fires have been of great concern and arebeing suppressed on a case by case basis,but drought conditions are creatingextreme stress on trees and wildlife.

The National Weather Service indi-cates that Alabama is in the worst 27-month rainfall totals since records havebeen kept in the late 1800s, and May2007 had the lowest rainfall amounts inhistory. Many landowners and our staffhave reported nearly 100% loss of treeseedlings across most areas of the state.

Early season drought has a devastat-ing impact on first-year seedling sur-vival. Young seedlings have not

developed an adequate root system tocope with the transpiration stress causedby lack of moisture. Almost 200,000acres were planted in the 2006-07 plant-ing season, and landowners will have tospend an estimated 20 to 30 million dol-lars (assuming 70–100% mortality) forreplanting, including seedlings and sitepreparation. Most landowners had toreplant trees after last year’s recorddrought, so this will be the second timearound for many of them.

This drought, coupled with the latefreeze in central and north Alabama, willresult in a reduction of net annualgrowth which corresponds to a loss ofsubstantial timber growth value to thestate of Alabama. The effects on long-term growth will not be apparent untilnext year or later in many areas. Ourcontinuing Forest Inventory and Analysis(FIA) data will eventually show theeffects on forest growth and health.

Pine decline is going to have a contin-uous effect on mature loblolly pinesplanted “off site” or on soils where theyare not naturally adapted. These pinesmay also succumb to pine decline with-out any adverse conditions. The droughtwill exacerbate their mortality and willcause pine decline to occur in pinestands at a much younger age (less than30 years) as susceptible pines are affect-ed by this disease complex. This drought(with the combination of last year’sdrought) will increase the occurrence ofpine decline and will continue this yearand probably next year as well.

Drought conditions also reduce trees’natural ability to resist insect infestationsand other forest pests. Alabama will seean increase in Southern Pine Beetle(SPB) infestation, as has already beenindicated by the numbers from thisspring’s SPB traps. This increase in theSPB infestation will be apparent by theend of this summer.

There will also most likely be anincrease in Ips engraver beetle (IPS)infestation, which is heavily influencedby adverse abiotic conditions. The IPSinfestation will increase and cause sig-nificant mortality to pines statewide.Anticipated impact to forest owners dueto insect activity is estimated from twoto three million dollars.

Oak decline kills oaks more graduallythan beetle infestation. After severalmonths of growing under stressful condi-tions, the oak trees begin to die.Alabama will see an increase in mature,stressed red oaks dying from this diseasecomplex. Mortality will be more evidentin late summer or early fall. The wrathof this drought will be most evident nextyear or two years from now.

The accompanying drought mapshows the severity and extent of thedrought as measured by the USGeological Survey. Also shown is a fuelsand fire behavior advisory issued by theUSDA Forest Service for the SouthernArea. Most of Alabama falls in the

This drought map shows the severity and extent of the drought as measured by the US Geological Survey.

Impacts of Continued Drought on Alabama’s Forestland

By Walter E. Cartwright, Registered ForesterAssistant Director, Forest Management Division


region of strong potential for erraticwildfires with explosive natures. Thesetype fires are very hard to suppress oncethey occur, and tend to burn largeacreages and threaten urban communitieswhere forests and homes are in closeproximity.

Since the start of the state fiscal year,Alabama has had 3,887 fires burningalmost 67,745 acres. This is approxi-mately 28,000 acres more than our annu-al average of 40,000 acres. The advisoryalso lists concerns for firefighters and thepublic along with some mitigation mea-sures to employ if confronted with wild-fires under these conditions. Everyone isto be cautioned that these conditions willmost certainly worsen if rainfall patternsdo not return to seasonal normal pat-terns. Be aware of your local conditionsand DO NOT BURN anything that mightspark an uncontrollable wildfire.

Extremely dry conditions in many portions of theSouthern Region have created the potential for prob-lematic fire behavior.

La Nina events and persistent high pressure sys-tems throughout the course of the spring and earlysummer have combined to bring exceedingly dryconditions to the Southeast. Due to these patterns,rainfall deficit records are being set in many areas.New record levels for dryness indices are occurringthroughout the Southeastern portion of the geo-graphic area, and these trends are moving northwardthrough the Appalachians.

All classes of dead fuels and most live herbaceous,shrub, and foliar fuels are available for rapid-firespread due to this intense drying. All new ignitionsand unburned islands of current fires in this areashould be considered potentially explosive situationsfrom a fire behavior perspective.

Deep drying at the surface and subsequent dropsin water table moisture have allowed for the entiresurface layer to become available for deep burning.This deep burning has affected the potential for hold-over fires and re-burns, as well as the ability of sup-pression forces to control the edges of going fires.

Concerns to Firefighters and the Public:• Anticipate any ignition in all size classes of deadfuels to ignite easily and move rapidly.

• Anticipate short-to-long-range spotting fromintense surface fires, torching trees, and areas ofactive crowning.

• Anticipate large acres to be consumed in a shortperiod of time.

• Shrub and young stand components in someareas may under-burn pre-drying crowns, leavingthem available for re-burn at a later time.

• As the live fuel moisture values fall with continueddrying, fires will burn with more intensity and firebehavior will become more extreme.

• Due to current and forecasted fuel moisture val-ues, extreme fire behavior will occur under lowerwind speeds, higher humidity values, and lowertemperature thresholds than normal.

• Traditional breaks and barriers in muck soils, wet-lands, and roadways are not dependable to slow orstop fire spread.

Mitigation Measures:• Indirect tactics including burnouts under favorableconditions will have to be used more frequentlythis year.

• Aerial support will be needed more often to slowthe rate of spread and cool the edges of the fireand control spotting.

• Ensure firefighters have good anchor points,escape routes, and safety zones.

• Have adequate numbers of field observers whounderstand the effects of weather changes and thecurrent fuel conditions with a view of the flamingfront and spot fires of concern.

Southern Area:Fuels and Fire Behavior Advisory

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You may have heard it on com-mercials or seen it in a car . .. or you may even have adevice yourself, but still you

wonder. What exactly is GPS? How doesit know exactly where I am? Well, staytuned because these questions and morewill be answered in this article.

GPS (Global Positioning Systems)was originally formulated by theDepartment of Defense. Even thoughthis service costs the government mil-lions of dollars each year to continue, itis free of charge to the public. The GPSunit in your car or in your hand receivessignals from a network of satellites thatare constantly orbiting the earth. Byreceiving these signals, the GPS unituses a process called triangulation to findits current location. The unit will mea-sure the difference in time between whenthe satellite signal was sent and when itwas received by the GPS receiver. This,along with knowing the speed the signalis sent, results in the calculation of dis-tance from that satellite. Each satellitewill calculate the GPS receiver in a cer-tain range. Where the ranges overlap isthe location of the GPS receiver. Themore satellites used by the GPS receiver,the smaller the overlapping area.Basically the GPS receiver measures thechange in time between when the signalwas sent and when it was received. If theclock inside the GPS receiver is slightlyoff, then error can occur.

The satellite signal carries three veryimportant pieces of information that areneeded by the GPS receiver. This infor-mation includes the satellite ID (pseudo-random code), the location of thesatellite (ephemeris data), and the condi-tion of the satellite (almanac data) suchas operational or dysfunctional. If thesatellite is inaccurate about its location,an orbital (also known as ephemeris)error could occur.

The satellite’s signal travels by line-of-sight. If the sky can be seen throughsomething, then a signal can be received.If the sky cannot be seen, then problemsmay arise in receiving a signal. In otherwords, satellite signals can move throughclouds and glass (among other things),

but is obstructed by solid objects such asbuildings, mountains, and walls. Sincethe signal cannot go through the solidobjects, it bounces off the surface, result-ing in a signal error called multipath.Also, if you are located indoors or in adense forest, the ceiling may be so thickthat it limits or even blocks your satellitereception. This could lead to positionerrors, or no signal.

So far in this article there have beenseveral mentions of occasions for error,but the good news is that GPS receivershave built-in correctional systems tocounteract those errors. WAAS (WideArea Augmentation System) improvesthe accuracy of the GPS receiver towhere there is only a 3-meter margin oferror. The way that WAAS works is thatit is made up of reference stations thatare spread throughout the nation to forma network. The stations receive the satel-lites signals and determine if there areany errors. This information is then

passed on to the master station whichgathers all of the corrections for thatarea. The corrections are then sent toanother type of satellite called a geosta-tionary communications (GEO) satellite.It is from the GEO satellite that yourGPS receiver receives the correction.Just as with the GPS receiver, the WAASsignals travel by line-of-sight, meaningthat if a solid object obstructs the path,the signal will not go through. Thingssuch as mountains, canyons, or even adense forest could block a WAAS signal.

One factor to consider when purchas-ing a GPS unit is its purpose. If it will beused for navigation in a car, then youwould want one that can be mounted toleave your hands free for driving. If youplan to use the GPS unit to take pointson your property, then possibly a ruggedwaterproof handheld unit would be moreapplicable. It is important to find a unitthat will meet both the user’s need andbudget.

How Does GPS Know Where I Am?By Sarah O’Sullivan, GIS Mapping Forester, Alabama Forestry Commission

We’ve Moved!

The AlabamaForestry Commission website is now located at . . .

www.forestry.alabama.gov


The thief comes when you leastexpect it, creeping in unseenand spreading its destructioneverywhere. This stealthy

adversary is not human or animal, but afungus that robs loblolly pine trees oftheir value at their most productive

point. This fungus, Heterobasidion anno-sum (also known as Fomes annosus),saps the trees of their vigor by rottingaway at the roots. Lack of water andnutrients places the tree under a greatdeal of stress, making it more vulnerableto other pests, such as bark beetles.

Occurring worldwide, the annosumfungus is a problem wherever conifersgrow. (It can attack some hardwoods, butdoes not commonly do so.) It lives most-ly as a saprophyte, or organism that


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L. F

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Stopping a Hidden Enemy from Robbing Alabama’s Valuable

Pine StandsBy Dr. Victor L. Ford, CF, RF, Senior Principal Researcher

and Mark K. Meyers, RF, Associate Researcher; MeadWestvaco Corporation, Phenix City, Alabama


grows on dead material, but it can makethe transition to parasite when conditionsare right. Though the fungus can enterthe tree through root injury, the mostcommon route of entry is through cutstumps. After the fungus starts to growon the stumps, it then proceeds down theroots, destroying them along the way. Itcan also infect other trees by crossing theintertwined rootsof trees of thesame species. Inthe past, anno-sum was not con-sidered aproblem whenloblolly pinefiber was themain crop. Thisis because standsgrown for fiberwere not thinned,which meant thefungus never hada chance to enterthe stand.(Thinning is thepractice ofremoving sometrees in a stand toreduce crowdingand to allow theremaining treesto grow faster.)However, withtoday’s emphasison value-addedproducts, pinestands arethinned in orderto produce quali-ty logs for structural material, which isover five times more valuable than pulp-wood. Thinning has introduced annosuminto pine stands, and the fungus is killingclumps of trees. The result? Some veryvaluable timber is lost.

Because of its cryptic nature, anno-sum root rot presents a significant chal-lenge to forest managers. While aninfected tree may appear perfectlyhealthy above ground, the fungus mayhave already begun attacking the rootsystem. When symptoms do become vis-ible in three to five years after thinning,

they usually include thinning and yel-lowing of the tree crown. However, bythe time above-ground symptoms areapparent, the disease has already claimeda considerable portion of the root stockat a rate of spread of about ten feet peryear, and the death of the tree may beimminent. The overall impact of anno-sum root rot is difficult to determine

because the fungus is responsible not justfor tree mortality, but also for an unsub-stantiated amount of growth loss eachyear. Although tree deaths may continuefor up to ten years, further losses maycontinue long afterwards due to anunder-stocking of the stand.

The visible fruiting body of the fun-gus is called a conk, through which theair-born spores are released and spread.The identifying characteristics are as fol-lows: bracket forms (conk), rubbery anddifficult to tear apart, color of top surfaceis reddish or dark brown becoming black

with age, distinct white margin to thefruiting body when actively growing,lower surface is white becoming cream-colored with age, small white pads ofmycelium are the first stage of fructifica-tion and resemble buttons (pustules),found on stumps of dead or dying treesat ground level covered with litter. Notfinding the conk is no indication that the

fungus is not pre-sent since conkswill occur onabout half thetrees. The rubberyconk is found incooler monthswhen cut stumpsare most vulnera-ble to inoculationby the spores. Thefungus can spreadby asexual sporesthat are producedyear round. InAlabama, freshwood disks wereplaced in pinestands overnightto determine ifspores were pre-sent. The amountof spores was con-siderably less dur-ing the summermonths, but theywere present.

What is the bestway to preventannosum? It’s all aquestion of soil:the fungus cannot

colonize roots on soils with medium-to-high clay content, instead preferringwell-drained, aerated soils. These are thesandy or silty soil textures which are themost likely to be thinned during the cool,wet periods. Susceptible soils containlow organic matter, and are generally oldfields with less than three rotations ofpine. The Natural ResourcesConservation Service (NRCS) countysoil survey can help determine if thesoils are susceptible. The best way toprevent annosum is not to thin fromOctober 1 to June 1 on susceptible soils.

Stopping a Hidden Enemy from Robbing Alabama’s Valuable Pine Stands(Continued from page 15)

This is an annosum pocket showing symptoms of the disease. Annosummeans “ring,” and the fungus spreads in a circular pattern around theinfected stump through the roots. The tree on the left is already dead, andthe tree on the top right has a fading crown and will die soon. Contrast thefading crown with healthy crowns surrounding it.

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L. F

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Lower density stands with shortenedrotations should be considered in thesesituations. Longleaf pine has better resis-tance to annosum than loblolly, and is analternative species to consider plantingon these sites. In certain situations, itmay be practical to cover the stumpscompletely with borax to prevent the dis-ease. In Europe, a competitive fungus isapplied to stumps as a biological controlto prevent annosum from becomingestablished. It is applied to the stumps inclearcuts because annosum will alsoinfect newly planted seedlings. (This sit-uation does not appear to be a problemin Alabama because of our climate anddecomposition rates.) Research is cur-rently addressing the registration for thiscontrol agent in the United States, and itshould be available in two or three years.Understanding the fungus and properplanning is the best way to keep thisstealthy disease from robbing pine standsof their value.

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Mar

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Annosum conk at the base of a loblolly pine tree. Notice the brown topand the white underside. The litter was raked away to find the conks.Only about half of the infected trees will have conks, and conks do notappear until the tree is dead or nearly so.

Hazard map of the southeastern United States (developed by the USDA Forest Service) showing annosumrisk of pines planted on these soils. The red denotes the highest risk and the purple represents moderate risk.

Sometimes misguided by tradi-tions of the past or the lack ofadequate science-based informa-tion, forest landowners make

mistakes with regard to their hardwoodforest management. What seems logicalat first, once implemented, could proveproblematic, particularly if such mistakesare repeated through the generations.Based on observations made while assist-ing and advising private forest landown-ers, there are a number of common errorsmade repeatedly that are addressed here.

Maintaining a closed canopythrough a selection harvest is alwaysgood forestry. Single tree selection isone silvicultural method of harvesting. Ithas application, particularly for thoselandowners who rank aesthetics andrecreation high on their ownership objec-tives. It can be used in combination tothin younger stands or remove undesir-able trees, particularly when overcomingmistakes of the past. However, mosthardwood forests – if managed for quali-ty timber production – at some pointshould undergo a heavier stand regenerat-ing harvest (even if only applied in smallpatches). This allows adequate sunlightto reach the forest floor, stimulating newgrowth. By not periodically regeneratinga forest, the composition and quality willchange over time.

A stand marked with paint meansresponsible forestry is being practiced.This depends. Under what parameterswere the trees chosen for harvest? If treesize, species, or value were the only con-siderations, then responsible forest man-agement was likely not practiced.Harvesting only these types of trees willleave a residual stand, poor in quality orlow in value. Instead, harvest considera-tion should also be given to include the“D” trees: dwarfed, dying, diseased,damaged, deformed, defective, and unde-sirables. This is the necessary part of

weeding the stand and eliminatingunwanted seed sources.

The forest soil will take care ofitself. Don’t be so sure. We tend to thinkof fallen and decomposing leaves andtwigs as soil in the making, rather thanthe organic matter and nutrient recyclingthey are. True soil is derived from weath-ering of subsoil rocks, from wind-blownparticles that escaped from distant places,or from alluvial sediment deposited aftertransport via water. All are processes thatcan take centuries to occur. Stresses thatare placed on forest soils during loggingare normally restricted to skidding lanes,hauling roads, log landing areas, and

stream crossings. Concerted effort shouldbe made to protect soil in these areas andthereby assure protection of the waterresources. Landowners should understandand follow accepted best managementpractices (BMPs).

Harvest timber only when you needthe money. Saving timber as a securityto hedge against off-years of othersources of income is not always advis-able. Trees are a crop. Though somewhatunique in that they can be retained on thestump for years, doing so could sacrificeconsiderable production and income.Annual growth rate and return on forestinvestment peaks, then declines.

Common Hardwood Management MistakesBy David Mercker, Ph.D., Extension Forester, The University of Tennessee

Private landowners should seek theassistance of professional foresters

when considering their forest andwildlife management options in

hardwood forests.


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Harvesting timber crops at or near thepeak, then converting those funds to amore favorable alternative investment isa more prudent decision. Also, it is wiseto track timber markets. Waiting to selltimber when other sources of income arelower may miss the optimum market.

This has always been the “assumed”property boundary. Landownersbeware! The penalty for timber trespasscan be very high. Be certain of propertyboundaries. Study the deed, reach agree-ment with your neighbors, and seekassistance from a professional forester orsurveyor.

Small trees will grow to become bigtrees. Some will, and some won’t. If atree has for too long been suppressed bygrowing in the understory of larger trees,it will not likely release and grow vigor-ously once the taller tree(s) are removed.

Knots on the trunk of a tree willcover up and make fine lumber. Thisdepends. On younger, vigorously grow-ing hardwood trees, knots often becomeconcealed and produce quality lumber,particularly if the knots are small-sized.However, large knots or knots formed onslow growing, decadent trees may healsuperficially, but never produce clearlumber.

I can handle this on my own. Theopportunity to sell timber is infrequentfor most landowners, and achieving pro-ficiency is difficult (and usually forgottenbetween sales). Therefore, it is alwaysadvisable to first see a forester, and per-haps several. Not only is a forester’s pro-fessional expertise needed, but forestershave knowledge of current cost-shareprograms, laws/regulations/taxes, etc.This expertise can save you money, makeyou money, or preserve your money.

HOT OFFTHE

PRESS!Updated BMP Manuals

are now available at yourlocal Alabama ForestryCommission office or on the AFC website at

www.forestry.alabama.gov

The Alabama ForestryCommission, with the approval of the Alabama Department ofEnvironmental Management, has updated Alabama’s BestManagement Practices forForestry. New illustrative photosand diagrams have replacedolder ones in order to revitalizethis document. However, thecontent of the document has notchanged, in order to maintain thestandard of environmental qualitythat has helped the ForestryCommission achieve and main-tain its positive reputation in theenvironmental community.

Contact your local AlabamaForestry Commission office orcall the AFC’s state headquar-ters at (334) 240-9365.


Alabama TREASURE Forest ConferenceWildlife/Forestry Festival

November 2-3, 2007Mobile, Alabama

“Celebrate Alabama’s Family Forests”

Friday, November 2, 2007Conference

Riverview Hotel overlooking Mobile Bay- Mobile AL9:00 am – 11:00 am Registration

11:45 am ATFA Luncheon1:15 – 4:45 pm Sessions

Session Topics:Creative Income Ideas for Your Family Forest

Who Is In Charge When Daddy’s Gone?Legacy: Valuing Land for the Future

Watermelons are Worth More Than Timber

6:30 pm ATFA Banquet & Live Auction

Saturday, November 3, 2007Wildlife/Forestry Festival

Heritage Homestead and TREASURE Forest of James & Joan Malone

Chunchula, AL (North Mobile County)10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Festival Activities:Living Heritage Demonstrations

Educational DemonstrationsWildlife/Forestry Equipment Displays

Family Activities (Pony Rides, Archery, Petting Zoo, Wagon Rides & more!)Arts and Crafts

Live MusicGood Food


Alabama TREASURE Forest Conference and Wildlife/Forestry Festival

November 2-3, 2007Mobile, Alabama

Name(s) of Attendee(s): Luncheon Banquet Festival

1. ____________________________________ ❏ Yes ❏ No ❏Yes ❏ No ❏Yes ❏ No2. ____________________________________ ❏ Yes ❏ No ❏Yes ❏ No ❏Yes ❏ NoAddress: ________________________________City: _________________State:____Zip:_______Company (if applicable): __________________Early Early Bird Rate: $75.00 before August 6, 2007Early Bird Rate: $85.00 before October 2, 2007After October 2, 2007: Rate: $95.00

Registration includes: * Luncheon * Banquet * Sessions * * Live Auction * Festival *

I am attending the Conference/Festival and enclosing:

Early Early Bird $75.00 Registration: x ______ attendee(s) = ______Early Bird $85.00 Registration: x ______ attendee(s) = ______After October 2, $95.00 Registration: x ______ attendee(s) = ______Sorry, no refunds made after October 2nd deadline.

Friday, November 2, 2007 Saturday, November 3, 2007Conference Wildlife/Forestry FestivalRiverview Hotel overlooking Mobile Bay- Mobile AL Chunchula, AL (North Mobile County)9:00 am – 11:00 am Registration Heritage Homestead of James & Joan Malone11:45 am ATFA Luncheon 10:00am – 4:00pm1:15 – 4:45 pm Sessions Festival Activities:6:30 pm ATFA Banquet & Live Auction Living Heritage Demonstrations

Educational DemonstrationsSession Topics: Wildlife/Forestry Equipment DisplaysCreative Income Ideas for Your Family Forest Family Activities (Pony Rides, Archery,Who Is In Charge When Daddy’s Gone? Petting Zoo, Wagon Rides & more!)Legacy: Valuing Land for The Future Arts and CraftsWatermelons are Worth More Than Timber Live Music

Good Food

Hotel InformationRiverview Hotel Room Rate: $109.00

Please specify you are attending the Alabama TREASURE Forest Association Conference when making your reservations.Hotel cut-off date: October 2, 2007

* Riverview Hotel * 64 South Water Street * Mobile, AL 36602 ** Riverviewmobile.com * 251-438-4000 * 1-800-HOTELS-1 *

For more information, call ATFA @ 251-442-2425 or 1-888-240-4694.

Directions to the Hotel:From I-65,

take the Water St Exit (26B) to Downtown Mobile -

Stay straight to go onto S Water St End at 64 S Water St Hotel is on the right

at the corner of Water and Government Streets

You may register on-line athttp://www.atfa.net

ormail this portion of the form and fee (payable to ATFA) to:

ATFAc/o University of Mobile5735 College Parkway

Mobile, AL 36613or call

(251) 442-2425

(888) 240-4694

✂---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



THE WETLAND RESERVE PROGRAM,AN OPPORTUNITY FOR WETLAND RESTORATION

ON PRIVATE LANDS

By Tim Albritton, State Staff Forester, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Auburn, Alabama

The Wetland Reserve Program,commonly referred to as“WRP,” was created to restorewetlands that have been con-

verted to agricultural uses. Most of thesewetlands were cleared of trees manyyears ago and have been in cattle or rowcrop production ever since.

Landowners now have an opportunityto restore these wetlands to the nativehabitat with funding through WRP.Restoration consists of planting hard-wood trees and creating wetland habitatby flooding some of the area with shal-low water. Shallow water flooding isgenerally kept at a depth of less than 18inches to 2 feet. According to JeffThurmond, the Natural ResourcesConservation Service (NRCS) StateWildlife Biologist, the best waterfowlhabitat is only 4 to 6 inches deep.

LAND ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible for WRP, the land mustmeet two specific requirements. First, itmust be open: either in crop, pasture, orfallow ground. Second, there must besome wetland soils on the open land.These are commonly known as hydricsoils. They occur in certain parts of riverfloodplains or in areas where waterstands during the spring or summer.

CHOOSE FROM THREE OPTIONS

Landowners can choose from a 10-year cost-share agreement, a 30-yeareasement, or a permanent easement. The

10-year agreement covers 75% of thelandowner’s costs of planting hardwoodtrees on the area and building a levee toflood some of the area with shallowwater for wetland wildlife habitat. Thereis no easement with this agreement.

A second option is a 30-year ease-ment. The landowner gets the same 75%cost-share rate for tree planting andlevee building as with the standard cost-share agreement. However, the landown-er will also receive a payment based onthe value of a restrictive easement placedon the enrolled acres. This payment ispaid based on 75% of the appraisedvalue of the easement.

The next option is a permanent ease-ment. The landowner gets 100% cost-share for tree planting and leveebuilding, with a permanent easement.However, the landowner will alsoreceive a payment based on the value ofa restrictive easement placed on theenrolled acres. This payment is madebased on 100% of the appraised value ofthe easement.

Let’s look at an example to clarifythings. Let’s say the full fair marketvalue of the property is determined to be$2,600 per acre and the easement valueis determined to be $1,300. For WRP,these values would be determined by anappraiser paid for by the United StatesDepartment of Agriculture (USDA). Fora permanent easement, the easementpayment would be 100% of theappraised easement value, or $1,300 peracre. For a 30-year easement, it would

be 75% of the appraised easement, or$975 per acre. Keep in mind, this is justan example. Your land could appraisehigher or lower.

NOT FOR EVERYONE

If an easement option is chosen, alandowner is actually selling the USDAcertain rights for the length of the ease-ment. Such a decision should not betaken lightly. Consult with your tax advi-sor, your attorney, and perhaps mostimportantly, your family, before makinga decision to apply.

Some rights are sold to the USDA forthe easement payment and will not beallowed during the easement period.Some of these rights include, but are notlimited to, the right to graze livestock,the right to plant and harvest crops, andthe right to harvest timber. A warrantyeasement deed detailing rights purchasedby the USDA and other rights to beretained by the landowner will beattached to the property deed and record-ed at the courthouse.

Landowners that do not wish to sellproperty rights can still choose to applyfor the 75% cost-share agreement.Landowners should contact their localUSDANatural Resources ConservationService (NRCS) field office to sign anapplication for any of the three optionsunder WRP. You can also visit theAlabama USDA-NRCS website for moreinformation: http://www.al.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/wrp.


Walking trails are mostoften thought of as beinga recreational asset. Withproper planning, a trail

can be a beneficial component of theoverall management practices on yourproperty. In addition to the normal recre-ational benefits, trails may be used as firebreaks and access corridors to sensitiveareas, as well as delineate stand bound-aries and property lines.

Having easily-walked access throughvarious stands provides an opportunity toevaluate the health and composition ofthe forests that a landowner may not rou-tinely see. Trails may allow the landown-er to find insect or disease infestations aswell as unique plant, tree, or animalspecies or communities that he or shemay not have known existed on the prop-erty.

Like any forestry operation, planningis critical to ensure an adequate outcome.The purpose of the trail should be the

first consideration. There are numerousquestions you should ask when decidingthe trail’s purpose. Is it to be used forwalking, horseback riding, ATVs (all-ter-rain vehicles), light vehicles, or a combi-nation of traffic uses? Will the trail beused during all seasons or to gain accessto wetlands or other sensitive areas?Does it need to be handicap accessible?Is the trail for private use by familymembers and guests, or will it be open tothe public such as scout troops, picnick-ers, campers, and others? Having anobjective for the trail and knowing how itwill be used is the first stepping stone inlocating where to place the trail.

Location is the second consideration.Generally, trails should follow the con-tour of the terrain with a gradual changein slope. The initial trail layout should beflagged before the clearing starts. Globalpositioning (GPS) devices can also bebeneficial in laying out a trail. The trailroute can be digitalized, as well as spe-

cific points along the trail that may needto be noted.

Heavy use of a trail can cause damageto the surrounding area. There are twoprimary processes that can cause trail andsite degradation: erosion and saturation.Erosion is a natural process that occurs indegrees. As soils are walked on, they willlose the pore space between particles andthe ability to absorb water. Compactedsoils on a trail act as a gutter, and waterwill be channeled downhill. Run-offoccurs when the soils can no longerabsorb water, which is one of the primarytrail-building problem areas. Locatingtrails on gentle slopes, providing ade-quate water bars and turnouts, designingproper crowning, and using other suchtechniques is vital.

Slope is measured by percentage. Asimple way to determine slope is todivide the vertical distance by the hori-


By Michael Older, Registered Forester/Covington County Manager, Alabama Forestry Commission

Building a trail can not only highlight a landscape of breathtaking beauty,but also provide a setting for learning, discovery, and inspiration.

This example, one of three different trails at the newly opened AlabamaNature Center in Millbrook, Alabama, employs the natural surroundings to

emphasize the remarkable biological diversity of our state.Photo courtesy of Alabama Wildlife Federation

Building a trail can not only highlight a landscape of breathtaking beauty,but also provide a setting for learning, discovery, and inspiration.

This example, one of three different trails at the newly opened AlabamaNature Center in Millbrook, Alabama, employs the natural surroundings to

emphasize the remarkable biological diversity of our state.Photo courtesy of Alabama Wildlife Federation

zontal distance, then multiply by 100.There are various leveling tools such asclinometers and the Abney level that maybe used to measure slope. GPS devicesalso measure elevation that can be help-ful. To lessen erosion problems, trailsshould have less than 15% slope. Insandy soils, less than 10% slope is pre-ferred. On steeper terrain, switchbacksmay be necessary. Switchbacks are usedto change the direction of travel in orderto follow the contour with the requiredslope gradient. Normally, switchbackstake the shape of an “S” as the contourelevation changes.

Saturation is another trail and sitedegradation process of concern, generallyoccurring in low-lying terrain nearstreams, drainages, ponds, springheads,and bogs. Areas that have saturationproblems should be avoided. Alabama’sBest Management Practices for Forestry(BMPs) should be referenced and thebest management practices followedwhen wetland and streams are affected.There is also useful information on prop-er water diversion installation. However,if the purpose of the trail is to gain accessto these areas, additional measures suchas foot bridges, fords, and/or fill materialmay be needed to protect the surroundinglandscape. When determining if a bridgeis to be built, consider the flooding thatmay occur after a heavy rainfall. Theguidelines in the BMP manual will behelpful. Another consideration for wet orsaturated areas is to have an alternateroute to be used during wet periods.

Other trail location factors mayinclude locating and identifying timberstand types, sensitive areas, historic sites,scenic areas, springs, endangered plantsand wildlife, property lines, and hazardareas such as cliffs, dumps, and others.Decisions should be made as to whichareas to include along the trail and whichto avoid.

Once the trail has been planned andflagged out, clearing may begin. Theclearing process to be used hinges on thepurpose of the trail, determined duringthe planning stage. Width and over hang-ing vegetation height should be factoredinto the clearing. If foot traffic is to bethe main use, hand-clearing with weed

trimmers, axes, and chainsaws may be allthat is needed. The minimum width for awalking trail is four feet wide, but itshould be cleared to a height of eightfeet. An overhead canopy is desirable toreduce the growth of grasses and shrubsthat thrive in the sunlight. Width andheight will need to be increased forhorseback riding and vehicular traffic.

Trail clearing should be performed instages as time allows. First, removeblown down trees that may block thetrail. These trees may be disposed of, orin some cases, used to line the trail orrestrict traffic from sensitive areas.Second, cut the small trees and brush tothe appropriate width and height. Cut offstems as close to flush with the ground aspossible. Prune branches as close to themain trunk or at forks to make theirremoval look more natural. Follow prop-er pruning techniques to encourage fasterhealing over. Toxic plants such as poisonivy and stinging nettle may need to bechemically controlled along the edge ofthe trail. Herbicides may be used toreduce vegetation re-growth, controlencroaching aggressive shrubs and vines,and maintain an open walkway. Alwaysfollow the product label when applyingherbicides.

Normally, trail maintenance should beperformed twice a year. Spring and latefall are considered preferable times,when temperatures are moderate. Trailsignage can range from none to exces-sive. Signage may be used to identify dif-ferent trails, trail direction, andintersections, as well as indicate points ofinterest, hazards, and educational fea-tures. Signs should be kept to a mini-mum, as small as necessary, conciselyworded, and placed where best to achievethe intent of the sign while minimizingits visual impact.

With the best of planning, there willbe areas along the trail that can beimproved upon. Continue to identifythese areas and work them into the main-tenance plan.

Finally, once the trail has been estab-lished, use it. Spend time with your fami-ly and friends, sharing your property andthe TREASURE Forest concept.

Building Trails to Treasure(Continued from page 23)


Anew trail of trees, located atTown Creek Park inAuburn, offers a walkthrough nature and history

at the same time. The approximatelyone-quarter mile trail is lined with 34trees connected to important people orevents in American history. Each tree isaccompanied by a plaque which givesa brief description of why the person orevent is “historically significant,” aswell as the tree’s Latin name, approxi-mate life span, growth rate, and matureheight and spread.

The idea for the project originatedin 2003 with the Auburn TreeCommission. They developed a plan incollaboration with the City of AuburnParks and Recreation Department, thenDyas Toyota offered considerablefinancial support to purchase the treesand plaques. James Jennings, Auburn’surban forester and City Arborist, caredfor the seedlings until they could beplanted. On Arbor Day in 2005, a num-ber of volunteers joined the TreeCommission for a tree planting party.Also, Auburn’s Forestry Club studentsplanted 50 one-year-old longleaf pineseedlings all along the perimeter of themain trail that were donated by theNursery Cooperative of AuburnUniversity’s School of Forestry.Finally, in September of 2006 the com-munity celebrated the ribbon cuttingand grand opening of the new trail

These young trees are actually directdescendants of the original trees tied tosome of our nation’s most memorablemoments in history, such as the still-living honey locust near whichPresident Abraham Lincoln deliveredthe Gettysburg Address in 1863. Whilesome of the trees were donated bycommunity members, the majoritywere purchased from the Historic TreeNursery of American Forests, a nation-al non-profit conservation organizationthat in 1917 began collecting, nurtur-ing, and documenting seeds and cut-tings from historical trees. A Certificateof Authenticity is issued for each speci-men purchased from American Forests.

According to George Bengtson, pro-ject coordinator and Tree Commissionmember, the organizers were sensitiveregarding issues of gender and racewhen selecting the trees for the trail.Plus, about one third of the trees are

linked to Alabama in some way. Forinstance, a beautiful Helen Keller south-ern magnolia, the first tree planted backin 2004, serves as the cornerstone of thetrail. The rest highlight a cross-section ofplaces and American heroes includingpresidents, military leaders, explorers,naturalists, inventors, authors, and otherswho contributed to the history of ournation. There’s also the State Tree ofAlabama, a southern longleaf pine; aswell as a southern baldcypress, bothimportant to early settlers of our state;and of course, a baby Live Oak fromToomer’s Corner.


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By Elishia Ballentine, Editor

Students from Mrs. Williams’fourth grade class at the neigh-boring Wright’s Mill RoadElementary School experiencea “living classroom” whilestudying the origins of the his-torically significant trees alongAuburn’s new trail. “Venture”science teacher, Mrs. SusieCriswell, poses with studentsas she teaches them an appre-ciation of the southern longleafpine, the State Tree of Alabama.

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American black bear (Ursusamericanus) was once abun-dant throughout NorthAmerica. Populations were

once believed to exceed over two millionanimals. Recent populations have sincebeen reduced to an estimate of approxi-mately 600,000–700,000 animals. Thedrop in numbers was primarily accreditedto habitat loss through extensive landclearing for agricultural use. Other fac-tors leading to the decline were humandisturbance and illegal kills. However,today’s bear population is showing anupward swing in numbers.

AppearanceBlack bears in Alabama are typically

black in color with a brown muzzle. Anoccasional blaze of white may be seen onthe chest. Body weights range from 150-350 pounds for adult males and 120-250pounds for adult females, with bodylengths from 3-6 feet. Body size is great-ly influenced by the quality and quantityof the available food source.

Life HistoryBears are a very adaptable species.

They are classified as carnivores butexhibit a more omnivorous food habit,allowing them to adapt to the availablefood source. Bears are very intelligentand elusive, which also helps them toadapt to changes over time.

Female bears usually start having off-spring at 3-5 years of age, and litters areonly produced every other year. Matingnormally occurs during the summermonths, with cubs being born in winterdens during January and February. Littersizes can vary from one to five cubs withtwinning being common. Bear cubs areborn in a helpless state weighing any-where from 8-12 ounces and only mea-suring about 8 inches. They are thesmallest young — in comparison to theirmother — of any other mammal.

The home range for black bear variesamong the sexes, with males exhibitinglarger home ranges than do females.Estimates of home ranges for adult males

are approximately 40,000 acres, whileestimates for adult females are approxi-mately 18,000 acres. The home range isgreatly influenced by food availability,sex, age, reproductive status, and popula-tion densities.

Habitat RequirementsBlack bears can inhabit a wide diver-

sity of habitat types. They are consideredhabitat generalists, meaning that a well-managed and productive forest can pro-vide the necessary essentials for habitat.The ingredients for successful bear habi-tat consist of quality escape cover, abun-dant and diverse natural foods, dispersalcorridors, water, and denning sites.Alabama’s black bear population existsprimarily in large contiguous areas ofbottomland hardwood habitat.

Alabama’s Black BearLocated primarily in the Mobile River

Basin, Alabama’s resident black bearpopulation is part of the Florida blackbear subspecies (Ursus americanus flori-

By Ryan Prince, Wildlife Forester, Alabama Forestry Commission


danus), found only in isolated popula-tions in Florida, South Georgia, andSouth Alabama. In addition to Mobileand Baldwin counties, sightings of bearshave also been reported in Choctaw,Clarke, and Washington counties.Current population estimates for this sub-species in Alabama are somewherearound 50 animals.

Sightings of another subspecies,American Black Bear (Ursus americanusamericanus), are also on the increase inNortheast Alabama. They are thought tobe transient bears from North Georgiaand Tennessee. Sightings have beenreported in DeKalb, Cherokee, Calhoun,and Cleburne counties.

Bear sightings or evidence of bear canbe reported to the Alabama WildlifeFederation at 800-822-9453.

ConclusionBlack bear were once common across

the diverse landscape of Alabama.Thanks to conservation groups such asthe Alabama Black Bear Alliance, we arestarting to learn more about the blackbear population in our state. As bear pop-ulations increase, so will interactionsbetween bears and humans. If you live inan area where a bear has been seen, edu-cate yourself on how to live with thismagnificent animal as a neighbor.

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Forest Inventory and Analysis(FIA) is a nationwide timberand forest resource inventorythat has been ongoing for nearly

70 years in Alabama. Prior to 1997, theUSDA Forest Service conducted a peri-odic survey approximately every tenyears. However, the Forest Service andthe states agreed that a ten-year intervalbetween surveys was too long due toincreases in demand of forest productsand changes in land use. In 1997 theForest Service and the Alabama ForestryCommission (AFC) agreed for the AFCto take over the data collection aspect ofthe survey. Beginning with the 1997 sur-vey, the plot design changed from a 10-prism-point layout to a 4-fixed-radiusplot layout. Initially, the AFC had tencrews with assigned work zones. Withthe help of Forest Service crews in 2000,the state survey was completed inJanuary of 2001. Beginning in 2001 acontinuous annual survey was imple-mented in which 20% of the total num-ber of FIA plots were surveyed eachyear, so that after five years a full FIAcycle would be completed. ( A cycleconsists of all FIA plots distributedthroughout the state;. the yearly alloca-tion of plots to be surveyed is referred toas a panel.) In late 2005, the last panelof plots was completed for the cycle thatbegan in 2001.

In early 2006, the FIA crew begansurveying plots in the first panel of anew cycle. A decision was made to go toa seven-year cycle beginning in 2006,which meant that crews would be sur-veying a 15% panel each year. Today,crews are surveying plots in the secondpanel of the current cycle.

At present, there are eight full-timeemployees assigned to FIA: six crewleaders, one full-time assistant, and theFIA Coordinator. Each crew leader isaccompanied by a county employee asan assistant when surveying plots.

There are 5,572 survey plots dis-tributed throughout the state, at anapproximate 3X3 mile spacing for themost part. The majority of the plots wereestablished in the 1930s; however, forvarious reasons a few new plots areestablished each year. The plots exist onall types of ownership (private, industry,and public). The crews collect a widevariety of timber and other forestresource data from each plot. Some ofthe more important data collectedincludes forest type, stand size, type ofregeneration, and treatments and/or dis-turbances since the last survey.

Four different subplots make up oneentire plot. At each subplot, all trees 5inches diameter at breast height (DBH)and greater are tallied within 24.0 feet ofthe subplot center. For each tallied tree,

a DBH is collected and a height is mea-sured, with each tree given a tree class,crown class, and crown ratio. If any rotis found in the tree, then a percentage ofcubic foot cull is recorded up to a 4-inchtop. For sawtimber-sized trees, addition-al measurements are taken including loggrade and amount of board foot cull.Each subplot has a microplot associatedwith it. The microplot is located 12 feetand 90 degrees from subplot center. Atthe microplot, saplings and seedlings aretallied within 6.8 feet of microplot cen-ter.

IMPORTANCE OF FIA SURVEY

Economic Development: Most of theinformation pertaining to forestresources and their availability for newand expanding forest industries isobtained from the FIA survey data.

Forest Management Decision-Making: To make good forest manage-ment decisions, competent professionalsmust have good and timely informationabout the current conditions of ourforests. FIA data is a primary source ofthose current forest conditions.

Environmental Policy: Environmen-tal policy makers and regulators areusing the FIA information as the basisupon which public environmental policyon forest use is developed and resultsmonitored over time.

ReferencesYarrow, G. K. and D. T. Yarrow. 1999.

Managing Wildlife. Sweetwater Press. 12: 265-279

(http://www.outdooralabama.com/hunting/articles/truthbears.cfm)

(http://www.outdooralabama.com/watchable-wildlife/what/Mammals/Carnivors/bb.cfm)

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Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program in AlabamaBy Brian Hendricks, FIA Coordinator, Alabama Forestry Commission


Reforestation activities endedearly this year as warm weatherarrived sooner than expected.Now that summer is here, it is

the time to prepare your site for planting.Part of that site preparation plan is find-ing the right tree seedlings to plant thiscoming winter. Seeing a new forestestablished is a rewarding experience andsince many landowners do not knowwhere to find quality tree seedlings, theAlabama Forestry Commission has beenbusy updating the current list of seedlingsources. In the Summer 2006 issue ofAlabama’s TREASURED Forests, a listwas presented of private vendors thatsupply tree seedlings to the public. Thatlist has been updated and is re-issuedhere. The list is in alphabetical order, andis in no way an endorsement of any par-ticular company or product.

If you are a company that providestree seedlings to the public but are notlisted here and would like to be, pleasecontact the Alabama ForestryCommission Forest ManagementDivision at (334) 240-9332.

Alabama SuperTree Nursery264 County Road 888Selma, AL 36703Toll Free: (800) 222-1280Phone:( 334) 872-5452Fax: (334) 872-2358

American Tree Seedling, Inc.401 Industrial BlvdP.O. Box 1306Bainbridge, GA 39818Phone: (229) 246-2662Chuck’s cell: (229) 416-6282Fax: (229) 246-4787Email: [email protected]

Andrew’s NurseryFlorida Division of ForestryContact: Steve GilleyP. O. Drawer 849Chiefland, FL 32644-0849Phone: (352) 493-6096Fax: (352) 493-6084

Augusta Forestry CenterVirginia Department of ForestryP. O. Box 160Crimora, VA 24431Phone: (703) 363-7000Fax: (703) 363-5055

Baucum NurseryArkansas Forestry Commission1402 Hwy 391 NNorth Little Rock, AR 72117Phone: (501) 945-1755

Beauregard NurseryLouisiana Dept of Agriculture &ForestryP. O. Box 935DeRidder, LA 70634Phone: (318) 462-2711

Bellville Tree NurseryUnion Camp CorporationP. O. Box 56Bellville, GA 30414Phone: (912) 739-4721Fax: (912) 739-1861

Blanton’s Longleaf Container Nursery1091 NE Daylily AvenueMadison, FL 32340Nursery at Madison, FLOutside sales office at Brewton, ALPhone: (850) 973-2967Email: [email protected]

Buckeye Nursery, Inc.P. O. Box 450Perry, FL 32348Phone: (850) 838-2680Toll Free: (800) 838-2218Fax: (850) 838-2681

Carolina Forest Tree NurseryInternational Paper2341 Redmond Mill RoadSwansea, SC 29160Phone: (803) 568-2436Fax: (803) 568-2718

Central Florida Lands and TimberRoute 1 Box 889Mayo, FL 32066Phone: (904) 294-1211Fax: (904) 294-3416

Chestnut Hill Nursery, Inc (fruit and nut trees)Route 1 Box 341Alachua, FL 32615Toll Free (800) 669-2067Phone: (904) 462-2820Fax: (904) 462-4330

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Chiappini FarmP. O. Box 436Melrose, FL 32666Toll Free: (800) 293-5413Phone: (904) 475-5413

Clairidge Nursery762 Clairidge Nursery RoadGoldsboro, NC 27530Phone: (919) 731-7988Fax: (919) 731-7993

Columbia NurseryLouisiana Dept of Agriculture &ForestryP. O. Box 1388Columbia, LA 71418Phone: (318) 649-7463

Comfort Seed OrchardWeyerhaeuser Co.250 Weyerhaeuser LaneTrenton, NC 28585Phone: (910) 324-1116Fax: (910) 324-2038

Container Corp of AmericaArcher, FLPhone: (904) 495-2660

DeepSouth Pine Nursery, Inc5500 Boomerang RoadBascom, FL 32423Toll Free: (888) 839-2488Phone: (850) 569-2488Email: [email protected]

Delta View Nursery (hardwood seedlings)Route 1 Box 28Leland, MS 38759Toll Free: (800) 748-9018Email: [email protected]

Dixie GreenP. O. Box 262Centre, AL 35960Toll Free (800) 526-6121Phone: (256) 927-5185Fax: (256) 927-8546Email: [email protected]

Dwight Stansel Farm and Nursery5553 164th StreetWellborn, FL 32094Phone: (904) 963-2827

Fred C. Gragg SuperTree NurseryInternational Paper CompanyRoute 2 Box 23Bluff City, AR 71722Phone: (501) 685-2562Fax: (501) 685-2825

Flint River NurseryGeorgia Forestry Commission9850 River RoadByromville, GA 31007Phone: (229) 268-7308

Forestry DivisionRiverwood International USAP.O. Box 35800West Monroe, LA 71294Phone: (318) 362-2824Fax: (318) 362-2272

Fratesi Nursery (hardwood seedlings)122 Plantation DriveLeland, MS 38756Phone: (662) 379-3129

Future Forest Seedlings (hardwood seedlings)7361 Browning Road 520Greenwood, MSPhone: (662) 453-8589

Garland Gray Forestry CenterVirginia Department of Forestry19127 Sandy Hill RoadCourtland, VA 23837Phone: (804) 834-2855Fax: (804) 834-3141

Georgia SuperTree NurseryRoute 1 Box 1097County Road 3Shellman, GA 39886Toll Free: (800) 554-6550Phone: (229) 679-5640Fax: (229) 679-5628

Glennville Regeneration CenterRayonier, Inc.Route 2 Box 1975Glennville, GA 30427Phone: (912) 654-4065Fax: (912) 654-4071

Indian Mound NurseryTexas Forest ServiceP. O. Box 617Alto, TX 75925-0617Phone: (409) 858-4202Fax: (409) 858-4303

International Forest CompanyContact: Adam Howard1550 Simpson RoadOdenville, AL 35120Phone: (205) 629-6463

International Forest CompanyContact: Wayne Bell1265 GA Hwy 133 NMoultrie, GA 31768Toll Free: (800) 633-4506Phone: (229) 985-0321Fax: (229) 985-0567

Inverness Tree NurseryInternational PaperRoute 1 Box 244Union Springs, AL 36089Phone: (334) 474-3228Fax: (334) 474-3247

Joshua Timberlands (Elberta Nursery)(MTM) Molpus Timber Management29650 Comstock RoadElberta, AL 36530Phone: (251) 986-5210Fax: (251) 986-5211

Keen Forest ManagementRoute 1 Box 782 Mayo, FL 32066Phone (386) 294-2234

The Liner Tree Farm, Inc.P. O. Box 1369St Cloud, FL 34770Toll Free: (800) 330-1484Fax: (407) 892-3593

Livingston SuperTree NurseryContact: Lux Davis or Shannon Stewart3535 Nursery RoadLivingston, TX 77351Phone: (936) 563-2302Fax: (936) 563-2027



Louisiana ForestryP .O. Box 1628Baton Rouge, LA 70821Phone: (225) 925-4500Fax: (225) 922-1356

Magnolia NurseryWeyerhaeuser Company2960 Columbia 11 EMagnolia, AR 71753Phone: (501) 234-3537Fax: (501) 234-7918

MeadWestvaco Tree NurseryP. O. Box 1950Summerville, SC 29484Phone: (803) 556-8391Fax: (803) 556-8391

Meeks’ Farms & Nursery187 Flanders RoadKite, GAPhone: (877) 809-1737www.meeksfarms-nurserys.comContact for Alabama: Peter Frankowskiin Demopolis - Phone: (888) 397-0166

Meeks’ Farms & Nursery, Inc.Mickey Parker, Seedling Sales4145 Montalvo DrivePensacola, FL 32504Phone: (850) 476-4815 or (850) 438-2619Mobile: (850) 572-3932Fax: (850) 476-4831

Mississippi Forestry CommissionWaynesboro NurseryPhillip Wilson, Nursery Manager1063 Buckatunna–Mt. Zion RoadWaynesboro, MS 39367Toll Free: (866) 295-6279Phone: (601) 735-9512 Fax: (601) 735-3163Email: [email protected]

The Natives2929 Carter RoadDavenport, FL 33837Phone: (941) 422-6664

Oberlin NurseryLouisiana Dept of Agriculture & ForestryP. O. Box NOberlin, LA 70655Phone: (318) 639-2911Fax: (912) 427-0816

OK Forest Regeneration Center830 NE 12th AvenueGoldsby, OK 73093Phone: (405) 288-2385Fax: (405) 288-6326

Plum Creek Choctaw Seed Orchard9292 Pine Grove RoadWard, AL 36922Phone: (205) 654-2625Fax: (205) 654-4324Email: [email protected]

The Plum Creek Timber CompanyJesup Nursery & Seed Orchard1689 Nursery RoadJesup, GA 31545Phone: (912) 427-4871Fax: (912) 427-0816

The Plum Creek Timber Company1444 Shubuta-Eucutta RoadShubuta, MS 39360Phone: (601) 687-5766Fax: (601) 687-5765Email: [email protected]

The Plum Creek Timber CompanyPearl River Nursery1032 Camp LaneHazlehurst, MS 39083Phone: (601) 894-1072Fax: (601) 894-3477

Procter and Gamble CellulosePerry, FL Phone: (850) 584-0231

Quail Ridge NurseryWeyerhaeuser Company169 Weyerhaeuser RdAiken, SC 29801Phone: (803) 649-0489Fax: (803) 649-0997

R. E. Mitchell NurseryMacMillian Bloedel, Inc.P .O. Box 336Pine Hill, AL 36769Phone: (334) 682-9882Fax: (334) 682-4481


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Simmons Tree FarmTerrell Simmons, Owner545 Snipesville RoadDenton, GA 31532Phone: (912) 375-7520Fax: (912) 375-0926

Smurfit-Stone Container CorporationRock Creek NurseryDoug Shelburne4346 Parker Springs RoadBrewton, AL 36426Toll Free: (866) 407-9556Phone: (251) 867-9480

South Carolina SuperTree NurseryInternational Paper Company5594 Hwy 38 SBlenheim, SC 29516Phone: (803) 528-3203Fax: (803) 528-3943

Superior Trees, Inc.Lee NurseryP. O. Box 9325U .S. 90 EastLee, FL 32059Phone: (850) 971-5416

Taylor NurserySouth Carolina Forestry CommissionBox 116Trenton, SC 29847Phone: (803) 275-3578Fax: (803) 275-5227

Tennessee Department of AgricultureDivision of ForestryEast Tennessee NurseryP. O. Box 59Delano, TN 37325Toll Free: (877) 868-7337Phone: (423) 263-1626Fax: (423) 263-9322Email: [email protected]

Texas SuperTree NurseryRoute 1 Box 314ABullard, TX 75757Phone: (903) 825-6101Fax: (903) 825-2876

Tree NurseryWeyerhaeuser North CarolinaRoute 2 Box 339Washington, NC 27889Phone: (919) 946-7718Fax: (919) 946-2218

The TreehouseFlorida Fancy, Inc., Home OfficeP. O. Box 439Parrish, FL 34219Phone: (813) 722-1441Fax: (813) 729-5487

Union Springs SuperTree Nursery686 Bullock County Road 28Union Springs, AL 36089Toll Free: (888) 888-7158

West Texas NurseryTexas Forest ServiceRoute 3 Box 216Lubbock, TX 79401Phone: (806) 746-5801

WeyerhaeuserPine Hill Nursery3890 Hwy 28WCamden, AL 36726Toll Free: (800) 635-0162Phone: (334) 682-9882Fax: (334) 682-4481

White City Nursery(bare root & container seedlings: loblolly & longleaf pine/hardwoods/wildlife)707 County Road 20 WestVerbena, AL 36091Phone: (334) 365-2488Email: [email protected] site: www.summithelicopters.com

The Wildlife GroupContact: Allen Deese2858 County Road 53Tuskegee, ALToll Free: (800) 221-9703Fax: 334-724-9300Email: [email protected] site: www.wildlifegroup.com

Winona NurseryRoute 3 Box 41Winona, MS 38967Phone: (601) 283-1456Fax: (601) 283-4097

Woodland Specialists11306 Hwy 411 SChatsworth, GA 30705Phone: (706) 334-2422Fax: (706) 334-4212

Yazoo Hardwood Nursery(hardwood seedlings)Mark YarbroughMerigold, MS 38759Phone: (877) 726-2564Fax: (662) 748-2887

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MONTGOMERY ALPERMIT NO 109

Black locust is a medium-sizeddeciduous tree, often to about40 feet in height, typicallywith an irregular, open crown,

and a short, forked or twisted bole.Rarely it can attain about 100 feet, with atrunk diameter of 3 feet. The leaves arealternate, odd pinnately compound, with7 to 21 oval leaflets to about 2 incheslong. The leaflets fold together at nightand in the daytime during stormy weath-er. The bark is gray and somewhat scaly,becoming nearly black and deeply fur-rowed in older trees. Twigs are stout,zigzag, with sharp paired spines at eachnode. Flowers are white, “pea-shaped,”in fragrant, drooping racemes 4 or 5inches long, in May or June. Fruits areflat pods (legumes) about 4 inches long,with hard bean-like seeds that are report-ed to be poisonous. The attractive flowerclusters and feathery compound leaves ofRobinia share a distinct family resem-blance to white forms of Wisteria, which,like black locust, are in the pea family.

The original range is somewhat uncer-tain, but black locust appears to be nativeto the Appalachian highlands, fromPennsylvania to northeastern Alabama,with a separate indigenous area in theOzark plateau of Missouri and Arkansas.Since colonial times black locust hasbeen widely planted, and it has oftenescaped cultivation. Today it has natural-

ized from Maine to California, andthroughout Alabama. It is very fast grow-ing, and it spreads aggressively by meansof root sprouts. Dense colonial thicketsare often seen in disturbed sites, such asabandoned fields, spoil sites, burned-overareas, and clear-cuts. Like other membersof the pea family, black locust is a nitro-gen fixer, a characteristic that has made ituseful for erosion control, to stabilizepoor soils in hilly or mountainous areas.

The heartwood is hard, heavy, andvery resistant to decay. The colonists atJamestown, Virginia discovered blacklocust trees. They soon learned, perhaps

from the local Indians, of its durability,because it was selected for the cornerposts in their first homes in 1607. TheVirginia Indians used black locust fortheir bows, and they may have planted italong the Atlantic coast. Since thoseearly days, it has been used for fenceposts, railroad ties and trestles, and forboat construction. The wood has one ofthe lowest shrinkage values of anyAmerican tree. This makes it especiallyuseful for wagon wheels and hubs, shoelasts, construction dowels, and an his-toric use that a few of us can still remem-ber: support pins for the glass insulatorson utility poles.

Black locust trees are usually short-lived, due at least in part to infestationsby locust borers which mine through thetwigs and branches, weakening them andeventually causing them to die beforethey become large trees suitable for lum-ber. Because of its short lifespan andweedy habits, black locust is seldomused as an ornamental. But in the rightsetting, with proper care, our historicnative black locust tree could be an inter-esting and beautiful addition to a natural-ized landscape.

The Alabama State Champion Robiniapseudoacacia, in Madison County, is91.3 inches in circumference, 105 feettall, with an average crownspread of 37.1feet.

BBllaacckk LLooccuusstt(Robinia pseudoacacia)

By Fred Nation, Educator, Baldwin County

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