Alabama’s TREASURED Forests A Publication of the Alabama Forestry Commission Summer 2011 Message from the STATE FORESTER n the heels of the devastation caused by the tornados this Governor Robert Bentley past April, a good portion of our state is in the process of Alabama Forestry Commission Orebuilding, restoring, even re-establishing Kenneth Real, Chairman roots in some cases. In this issue of Johnny McReynolds, Vice Chairman Alabama’s TREASURED Forests, we’re C. Irvin Eatman, Jr. highlighting recovery efforts and how the Randy Gilmore planting of trees can bring beauty, heal- Don Heath ing, and hope following such a horrific Melisa Love event. Jerry M. Smith It seems rather ironic that at this par- ticular time I should bring an issue to State Forester your attention that could result in signifi- Linda S. Casey cant increases in your reforestation costs. As State Forester and in keeping with the mission of the Alabama Forestry Commission, I need to make Assistant State Forester landowners, forestry service providers, forest industry, and other forest- Patrick Glass land stakeholders aware of certain upcoming U.S. Department of Labor rules that will impact the ability of landowners and others to cost-effec- Administrative Division Director tively reforest their property. Walter Cartwright The Department of Labor’s regulations change the methodology for calculating the prevailing wages paid H-2B “guest workers” and will Forest Operations Division Director result in reforestation cost increases of between 26 to 104 percent in Dan Jackson Alabama. North Regional Forester Terry Ezzell Old New Rate % New Rate % Northeast Regional Forester Hank McKinley Rate Lowest Increase Highest Increase Northwest Regional Forester Dan Lassetter East Central Regional Forester Bruce Springer Alabama $10.40 to $13.06 26% to $21.16 104% Southeast Regional Forester Otis French Arkansas $10.16 to $13.08 23% to $16.32 61% Southwest Regional Forester Gary Cole Louisiana $9.60 to $16.31 70% to $16.31 70% Editor Mississippi $9.52 to $14.46 52% to $17.66 86% Elishia Ballentine North Carolina $7.63 to $16.38 123% to $16.96 129% South Carolina $9.24 to $11.96 29% to ---- ---- Managing Editor Michael Kyser Tennessee $9.85 to $10.42 6% to $12.09 23% Texas $9.90 to $12.64 28% to $13.54 37% Production Assistant Kelvin Daniels Increases of this magnitude could not only result in landowners post- poning reforestation due to unanticipated cost increases, but forestry ser- Editorial Board vice providers going out of business as well. The effective date for these Tim Albritton Natural Resources Conservation Service wage increases will be October 1, 2011. Additionally, the Department of Doug Bowling Resource Management, LLC Labor is in the process of revising other H-2B Visa Program Rules which Kelvin Daniels Alabama Forestry Commission could even further reduce the number of viable forestry service providers. Dan Jackson Alabama Forestry Commission For further information or to see an example of a letter you can send to Michael Kyser Alabama Forestry Commission your members of Congress regarding this issue, please visit the Alabama Brad Lang Alabama Forestry Commission Forestry Commission’s web page at www.forestry.alabama.gov. Neil Letson Alabama Forestry Commission Don Stinson Alabama TREASURE Forest Association Elishia Ballentine Alabama Forestry Commission 2 / Alabama’s TREASURED Forests www.forestry.alabama.gov Summer 2011 Alabama’s TREASURED table of CONTENTS Forests Vol. XXX, No. 2 Summer 2011 2 Message from the State Forester t 4 7 Restoring North Alabama’s A Labor of Love Storm-Battered Urban Forest by Elishia Ballentine by Matthew McCollough 14 Forest Health Update by Dana McReynolds Stone t 8 22 Using Pesticides Safely by Kim Pope In the Aftermath of the Storms: Claiming a Timber Casualty Loss 24 HARDWOOD CORNER: Recent Events by Dr. Robert A. Tufts by James P. Jeter 26 Wildlife-Attracting Chinese Chestnuts t 10 Debut on Market This Fall Technology in large-scale invasive species programs: 28 All-Terrain Vehicles: Blessing or Curse? The State of Alabama vs. Cogongrass by Daniel G. Toole by Stephen D. Pecot 29 ATV Safety by Karl Byrd 30 Conducting a Simple Timber Inventory t 16 by David C. Mercker and Jason G. Henning Alabama Public Land: 32 TREES OF ALABAMA: Flowering Dogwood The Lands Nobody Wanted – by Fred Nation The Centennial Celebration of the Weeks Act by Tammy F. Truett t 20 On the Cover: Timber Dogs – The clear waters of Talladega A forest owner’s Best Friend? National Forest . in Alabama, eight communities rely on national by Charles Martin forests as a water source. Thanks to the 1911 “Weeks Act,” the National Forests encompass approximately 668,000 acres of public lands in the state, divided into four separate forests: the Alabama’s TREASURED Forests (ISSN 0894-9654) is published three Bankhead, Conecuh, Talladega, times each year by the Alabama Forestry Commission, 513 Madison and Tuskegee. Read more about Avenue, Montgomery, AL 36130. Telephone (334) 240-9355. Bulk rate The Centennial Celebration of postage paid at Montgomery, Alabama. POSTMASTER: Send address the Weeks Act beginning on changes to: Alabama’s TREASURED Forests, P.O. Box 302550, page 16. Montgomery, AL 36130-2550. Website: www.forestry.alabama.gov Photo courtesy of National Forests in Alabama The publication of a story or article in this magazine does not constitute the Alabama Forestry Commission’s endorsement of that particular prac- tice or product, but is an effort to provide the landowners of Alabama with information and technical assistance to make informed decisions about the management practices they apply to their land. The Alabama Forestry Commission is an equal opportunity employer and provider. Summer 2011 www.forestry.alabama.gov Alabama’s TREASURED Forests / 3 A Labor of Love By Elishia Ballentine Editor ften, life seems to be moving along smoothly in one direction, when suddenly . an event happens pro- viding the catalyst to push it in another direction. Such was the case with the Besh family of Sumter OCounty. Looking back, Marilyn said she and husband John had always loved trees, but neither ever dreamed that timber would one day be the heart of their Alabama farm rather than beef cat- tle. Nor did they envision that their tree farm would not only become a TREASURE Forest, but also be named one of the prestigious Helene Mosley Memorial Award winners for stew- ardship in 2006. Cattle farming was an occupation that John really enjoyed, until he broke his leg in a four-wheeler accident in the summer of 1991. As the injury limited his activity, running the cattle operation became more difficult. The time had come for a change . the launch of a new endeavor . forestry! Where he had previously built fences to keep in cows, he now took fences AFC Washburne, Photos by Tim down . that following spring, instead of watching the birth of 4 / Alabama’s TREASURED Forests www.forestry.alabama.gov Summer 2011 new calves in their herd, they started plant- to spray herbicides using backpacks while ing loblolly pines. riding ATVs down every third row of trees. The property had come full circle. This rather labor intensive task was com- Originally in timber, someone had convert- pleted maybe ten times each summer. ed it to cotton during the ’40s and ’50s. It Their secondary objective was wildlife reverted back to timber for a short while, enhancement. Back when cows were graz- before the next owner row cropped soy- ing the property, they only occasionally beans in the ’60s and early ’70s. Then in saw deer and there were not many turkeys. 1973 the Besh family moved to Today they have noticed a substantial Livingston, as John was managing partner increase in the deer population, turkey with a group of investors. They soon numbers are improving, and there is also turned the farm into pasture land to begin an abundance of small game. This success their cattle enterprise, first leasing the farm is attributed to numerous wildlife varieties: in the ’80s, then buying the 700 acres out- 1,200 sawtooth oaks, Chinese chestnuts, right in 1989. Finally in 1992, once again, and autumn olives alternated with filberts timber would reign. (hazelnut). Each fall they plant clover, In the beginning of course, most of the wheat, and rye for winter crops. Each land was open pasture; only 40 acres of the spring in those same fields, they “no-till” 700 was in timber. The Beshes did most of iron-clay peas and grain sorghum. the site prep work themselves, but con- For quail, they use bi-color lespedeza. tracted the actual tree planting. Today, As pine plantations are opened up by composition of the forestland is 90 percent future thinnings, the quantity of quail is pine plantation – 20 years old – and 10 expected to rise. percent hardwood. John commented that An area is also maintained for ducks. A they considered the Conservation Reserve dam was installed, allowing the flatland Program (CRP) a wonderful cost-share leading to the river to flood each program. [CRP falls under the United November. Then in late spring or early States Department of Agriculture (USDA), summer, this six-acre “duck pond” is administered by the USDA Farm Service drained. Agency, with technical assistance provided There are two recreational ponds on the by the USDA Forest Service and the USDA Natural Resources property as well, stocked with bass and bream. The first was Conservation Service.] “It provided us with a God-given oppor- built in 1974 for erosion control. The second was created in 1984 tunity to establish our forest and wildlife. It allowed us to enter to provide water for the cattle. With the property bordering the the timber industry .