Putting Things into Perspective - Alabama Forestry Commission · things in perspective. Putting Things into Perspective If we could shrink the earth’s population to a village of

TIMOTHY C. BOYCEState Forester

DON SIEGELMAN

Governor, State of Alabama

We are all so blessed to be able to call ourselvesAlabamians. We live in a great state rich in naturalresources and wonderful people. Sometimes, however,

we take this for granted. I received the following in an e-mail frommy mother recently, and wanted to share it with you. It truly putsthings in perspective.

Putting Things into PerspectiveIf we could shrink the earth’s population to a village of precisely

100 people, with all the existing human ratios remaining the same, itwould look something like the following. There would be:• 57 Asians, 21 Europeans, 14 from the Western Hemisphere, both

North and South Americas, and 8 Africans

• 52 would be female; 48 would be male; 70 would be non-white; 30 would be white

• 6 people would possess 59% of the entire world’s wealth and all 6 would be from the United States.

• 80 would live in substandard housing; 70 would be unable to read;50 would suffer from malnutrition; 1 would be near death; 1 wouldbe near birth; 1 (yes, only 1) would have a college education; 1would own a computer

When one considers our world from such a compressed perspec-tive, the need for both acceptance, understanding and educationbecomes glaringly apparent. This is also something to ponder . . .• If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are

more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.

• If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness ofimprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation, youare ahead of 500 million people in the world.

• If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment,arrest, torture, or death, you are more blessed than 3 billion peoplein the world.

• If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roofoverhead and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of the world.

• If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in adish someplace, you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy.

• If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are trulythankful, you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.

• If you can read this message, you are more blessed than over 2 bil-lion people in the world that cannot read at all.

Iam committed to protecting Alabama’s forests and natu-ral treasures. In April 2000, I appointed 63 members ofthe Alabama Commission on Environmental Initiatives

to research and develop quality options to encourage thelong-term preservation of Alabama’s natural environment.Since that time, the commission has conducted a series of12 town meetings to gain input from citizens, while themembers developed plans to protect our natural treasures.

The commission has since made 40 recommendationsthat will help us protect our lakes, rivers and forests. Anumber deal specifically with ideas for protectingAlabama’s forests. The entire report is available online cour-tesy of Jacksonville State University athttp://www.jsu.edu/depart/epic/ACEIreport.htm.

The commission stresses their support for the CleanWater Action Plan, which was designed to protect publichealth and restore our nation’s precious waterways. Thisplan charts a new course by emphasizing collaborativestrategies built around watersheds and the communities theysustain. Alabama’s commission is already working to devel-op a water withdrawal system for our state.

They also suggest a comprehensive state plan for envi-ronmental education to assure that Alabamians understandthe importance of our natural treasures and the conse-quences of actions that may harm them. Such programswould focus on schools but also reach out to the generalpublic.

I am personally committed to improving environmentaleducation in this state. I certainly appreciate the commis-sion’s hard work in developing its recommendations, and Iwill keep you updated on our progress. These recommenda-tions are just the first step. We will continue to work inorder to protect our forests and all of Alabama’s environ-mental treasures.

2 / Alabama’s TREASURED Forests Spring 2001


Covington County, with its sandysoils and temperate climate, is anideal area for growing longleaf in

Alabama. The natural range of this pineincludes most of the Atlantic and GulfCoastal Plains from southeastern Virginiato eastern Texas and south throughnorthern Florida. While there were once60 million acres of longleaf growing inthis region, today there is only an esti-

mated 4 million acres. In recent yearslongleaf has been making a comeback,thanks in part to the efforts of landown-ers like Marion and Myra Mickelson.Actually, the Mickelsons have long beenadvocates of planting longleaf.Recognizing that their land is most suit-ed to this species, the Mickelsons aremanaging their property to optimize thegrowth of longleaf.

Starting from ScratchThe Mickelsons acquired their 280

acres from Myra’s father, who gave theproperty to the couple as an early inheri-tance in 1950. The property was cutoverwhen they became the new owners.According to Marion, a person couldstand in the middle of the property andsee three-quarters of a mile in all direc-tions. “There wasn’t a tree in sight,” he

LongleafT R E A S U R E

Abundant natural regeneration is found throughout the property.Abundant natural regeneration is found throughout the property.

LongleafT R E A S U R E

By KIM G. NIX, Editor

said. Their first order of business was tohave firelanes plowed by the localAlabama Forestry Commission. Myraremembers paying 5 cents per acre forthis service in the early 1950s. TheMickelsons had some of the first fire-lanes in the county and have set anexample of responsible stewardship fromthe beginning.

During the first years of ownership itwas impossible for the couple to managethe property hands-on. Marion’s commit-

ment as a pilot in the Air Force meantthe couple had to leave their newly builthome for several years and spend timeoverseas. When they returned in 1967after Marion’s retirement from the mili-tary, they received a big surprise.Longleaf pine had naturally regeneratedand covered the acreage. This was due ingreat part to some neighboring propertyowned by forest industry that containedmature pines. The Mickelsons believethat these trees seeded their property dur-ing the years they were away. It alsohelped that wildfires had burned on aregular basis and vegetative competitionfor the young pines was kept at bay. “Ithad burned almost every year that wewere gone,” said Marion.

Marion realized that fire is of specialbenefit to longleaf and has been dedicat-ed to prescribe burning sections of theproperty every two to three years. Notonly does fire reduce the competitionfrom other species, Marion explains, butdanger from wildfires is reduced as well.The major competition for the pines areplants like gallberry and yaupon.

This year the Mickelsons wereapproved for prescribed burning underthe Stewardship Incentives Program.They are working with the CovingtonCounty office of the ForestryCommission to burn part of the propertyin 2001 and the remainder in 2002.

Natural and ArtificialRegeneration

About 240 acres of the property is inlongleaf pine. The Mickelsons have usedboth natural and artificial regenerationmethods on their TREASURE Forest.Approximately 60 acres have been plant-ed in longleaf, while the remainder isnatural. The pines range in age from 50years on down to two years old.

The seedlings planted on one tract afew years ago were infected with brown-spot needle blight, which can stunt thegrowth of seedlings and even kill theyoung trees. Upon the advice of theAlabama Forestry Commission, theMickelsons prescribed burned the tractand effectively eliminated the diseasefrom the seedlings.

In 1986 the Mickelsons became someof the first landowners in Alabama toplant longleaf under the ConservationReserve Program. “For my money,there’s nothing better than a longleafpine,” says Marion. “Some people saythey are harder to plant—and they are,”he added. “But it’s worth it.” He cites thetree’s disease and fire resistance, ease ofmanagement and the value of differentproducts the tree yields as reasons, butalso feels longleaf has special beauty.

County Forester Mike Older wishesmore landowners had recognized thevalue of planting longleaf in years past.“Mr. Mickelson was just ahead of histime by planting longleaf,” he said. “He’sa good example of what you can do. Healways saw what nature did and tried toimitate it.”

During their years of ownership, theMickelsons have had one large timbersale and several thinnings. The big salecame soon after they had put their threechildren, Arthur, Roger and Diane,through college. Myra thought their treesmight be able to bring them some much-needed income. “I said, ‘Marion, let’ssell some of these trees. I’m tired ofbeing broke!’” After receiving profes-sional advice, the couple decided to sell100 acres of timber. They were pleasant-ly surprised at what the trees brought.Except for one load of sawtimber, all thetrees were cut for poles.

Twice they were forced to salvagetimber that was downed by hurricanes,once in 1975 and then 20 years later

Spring 2001 Alabama’s TREASURED Forests / 5

Continued on page 6

The Mickelsons were approved for prescribed burning under the StewardshipIncentives cost-share program. Covington County Forester Mike Older, center,explains the paperwork to them.

Most of the trees are harvested forpoles.


when Hurricane Opal devastated thearea. Just prior to Hurricane Opal, theMickelsons had thinned much of theirtimber. The bad timing meant that thehurricane did even greater damage thanit would have otherwise. Openings in theforest allowed trees to be more easilydowned by high winds. There are still afew scars from Opal here and there, butthe property is in excellent shape and theMickelsons are back on track with theirmanagement plan.

The acres under natural regenerationare being managed with the shelterwoodmethod. The trees have been thinnedenough so that the remaining ones areproviding the seed for new trees. Youngpines in the grass stage are visiblethroughout the property, and some arebeginning their growth spurt out of thisstage.

Wildlife ManagementThe primary objective for this TREA-

SURE Forest is timber production, but aclose second is wildlife management. Itis not unusual for visitors on a drivethrough the property to see severalturkeys. Regular thinnings and salvagingfrom storm damage—along with fre-quent prescribed burning—have left theland open and park-like. This kind ofhabitat is favored by species such asturkey and bobwhite quail. “My property is better for quail than mosthere in Covington County,” Marion said.Again he touts the use of prescribedburning, which stimulates the growth offood in the understory for quail andother animals.

Open areas where there were few orno trees were converted to food plots forwildlife. One of the six plots is plantedin chufas, a favorite turkey food. Othersare planted in various grains. Autumnolive and sawtooth oak have also been planted on the perimeter of pineplantations.

Although the property is not leasedfor hunting, the Mickelsons allow friendsand neighbors to hunt. As a result, thosefriends and neighbors have taken onsome responsibilities to aid the couple.They help plant and maintain food plots,build and put up tree stands, and haveeven constructed a tree stand for Marionwith windows and a special chair. Inaddition, they also look out for tres-

passers and potential poachers.Bluebird boxes have been positioned

throughout the property. Duck boxes areplaced next to a pond that is shared witha neighbor. The Mickelsons enjoy watch-ing all kinds of wildlife and can tellmany stories about the beaver activity inthe pond. One of Marion’s favorites ishow he once found that his boat hadbeen pushed from the edge of the pondby the beavers and used in the construc-tion of their dam!

Although the majority of the propertyis in longleaf pine, there are spots ofhardwoods along natural drainages.Different species of oaks provide acornsfor deer, squirrels and other animals.

Setting an ExampleThe Mickelson have always enjoying

hosting groups of people on their proper-ty. One of the first relationships formedwas with the forestry students at LurleenB. Wallace College in Andalusia. As away to put into practice what theylearned in the classroom, the studentswrote a management plan for theMickelsons’ property that was tailored totheir objectives. Nearby W.S. HarlanElementary School brings classes offourth and fifth graders to visit theTREASURE Forest. In turn, theMickelsons go into the classroom andtalk with the students.

The Solon Dixon Forestry EducationCenter has also taken advantage of thenearby TREASURE Forest to help teachcollege students. While they were at theDixon Center for forestry camp, studentsfrom Iowa State University visited theMickelson property on two occasions.Their property was chosen so the stu-dents could see examples of both plantedpines and naturally regenerated pines.The TREASURE Forest concept wasalso highlighted.

Marion and Myra have been activemembers of the Covington CountyForestry Planning Committee for manyyears and are members of their countychapter of the Alabama TREASUREForest Association. Their property wascertified as TREASURE Forest #773 in1990. It is also a certified Tree Farm.Out of more than 1,400 TREASUREForest landowners, each year four arechosen as winners of the Helene MosleyMemorial TREASURE Forest Award. In2000 the Mickelsons were honored withthis award for the Southeast Region ofthe state.

It is hard to calculate how one’s con-tact with others will affect the future. Asa result of the Mickelsons’ involvementin the TREASURE Forest program, twoof their nephews now have certifiedTREASURE Forests. Their son Rogerhas purchased 40 acres nearby and isactively managing it. The Mickelsons’interaction with students from elemen-tary school to college may well result infuture landowners and land managerswho are better stewards than they wouldbe otherwise. The Mickelsons have setan example that all of us can follow.

Patches of hardwoods add diversityto this TREASURE Forest.

Open ares were converted to foodplots for wildlife.


Congress has now reconvened forits 107th session and is gearingup for action. For the first time in

nearly a half-century, Republicans con-trol both the Executive and LegislativeBranches of the government resulting inthe very real prospect of bill passage.However, legislative success will dependheavily on compromise and taking themiddle ground approach because of thetight margins in both the House and theSenate. The Republicans currently hold afive-seat advantage in the House and alsohold the tie-breaking vote of Vice-President Dick Cheney in the evenly splitSenate.

So what is on the minds of legislatorsrelated to private forestry? We will likelysee immediate attention on many of thehot issues that were left unresolved at theend of the 106th Congress. TheConservation and Reinvestment Act(CARA) will be introduced again andRepublican leaders, including PresidentBush, have already begun investigatingthe federal rules that were finalized asClinton left office. This includes theUSDA Forest Service’s roadless area ruleand the EPA’s Total Maximum DailyLoad program. Below is a brief break-down of these issues and more.

Conservation andReinvestment Act

CARA was the largest and most pop-ular single piece of natural resourcerelated legislation to move through the106th Congress. The massive billion dol-lar conservation package proposed usingoffshore oil and gas royalty revenue tofund numerous conservation programsincluding two State & Private Forestryprograms, the Urban & CommunityForestry and Forest Legacy programs.Although it did not pass Congress lastyear, supporters are planning on reintro-ducing nearly identical legislation earlyin the 107th hoping to garner President

Bush’s endorsement and enabling anearly environmental victory for thefledgling administration.

Roadless AreasIn January 2001 the USDA-Forest

Service released their plan to close offroadless areas within the National ForestSystem. Expected to impact nearly 60million acres of NFS land, along withthe communities and people associatedwith those lands, the final rule has drawnstrong praise and criticism from all sides.Congress and the new BushAdministration have announced theirintention to review and scrutinize theroadless policy.

Congress has a number of options,including the authority to overturn therule under the Small BusinessRegulatory Enforcement Fairness Actwithin 60 days of finalization. Thisauthority has never been tried previouslyand Congress may not be able to makethe decision stick. Its application wouldbe nebulous at best. However, we shouldexpect introduction of legislation to stopor overturn the rule, but the prospects forpassage would be highly unlikely asstrong polar interests are at play. In alllikelihood, we will see a number of com-mittee hearings and investigations intothe matter. Further, Congress and theadministration may not act until lawsuitsfiled against the roadless policy begin toplay out as well.

WaterThere has been a significant amount

of regulatory and judicial activity in therealm of forest water quality over thepast year, particularly the TotalMaximum Daily Load program and wet-lands. Although forestry was not includ-ed in the final TMDL rule released lastJuly, and has also not been directlyimpacted by any of the recent wetlandditching regulations and rulings, there is

significant interest among members ofCongress and the Bush administration onthese issues.

Along these lines, we can expect anumber of bills to be introduced that willattempt to amend the Clean Water Act.The first out of the blocks is a bill fromlast session, the Fishable Waters Act(H.R. 325) introduced by Rep. Tanner(D-TN). H.R. 325 would put renewedemphasis on nonpoint source pollutionabatement by empowering local water-shed councils with grant-making authori-ty. In all, we will definitely see numer-ous committee hearings, congressionalreports and other inquiries into the busi-ness of nonpoint source water pollution,including a few major water bills, butlike other issue areas, success will behard to come by.

Endangered SpeciesThe realm of threatened and endan-

gered species is another area that will beof interest to the 107th Congress, but onewhere we will not likely see any majorrevisions or reauthorizations of theEndangered Species Act. There will bethe requisite number of bills introducedfrom all camps addressing private prop-erty takings, the listing process, recoveryplanning and other aspects of the ESA.However, anything more than a piece-meal approach to ESA reauthorizationwill get into serious trouble as the tightvote margins will not allow for major,substantial changes to this highly contro-versial law.

Carbon SequestrationCongressional action to ratify the

Kyoto Climate Change treaty seemsunlikely in this Congress, although it isnot known yet how the Bush administra-tion will approach the issue. However,businesses and others interested in cli-mate change view carbon sequestration

LAND WNERSL E G I S L AT I V E • A L E RT

By JAY JENSEN, Washington Office, National Association of State Foresters

Continued on page 31


In the early summer of 1882,while surveying for plants nearCullman, Alabama, Dr. Charles

Mohr noted an unfamiliar relative ofthe sunflowers growing among somegrasses in a small streamside open-ing. He promptly collected a sampleand stowed it away for identification.Little did he know that his discoverywas a species new to science andone of the rarest of all native plantsto be found in the Southeast. Thespecies, Mohr’s Barbara button(Marshallia mohrii), is now listed bythe Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)as threatened.

Named in honor of Dr. Mohr byvenerable botanists ChaunceyBeadle and Frank Boynton,Marshallia mohrii was collectedonly a few times following Mohr’sdiscovery. For more than 80 yearsthe species remained in relativeobscurity with no new populationsknown from beyond its small rangein two north Alabama counties.However, in 1969, Dr. Robert Kral ofVanderbilt University made a startlingdiscovery when he observed the speciesalong a roadside in Cherokee Countynear the present-day village of Centre.Since then, with an expanded knowledgeof habitat preferences and growing pat-terns the species has been found else-where across the region.

Mohr’s Barbara button is a narrowlydistributed species preferring calcareousglades and marly (wet clay comprised ofdissolved limestone) prairies scatteredthroughout northern Alabama and adja-cent Georgia. These plant associationsare specialized habitats that support aunique assemblage of flora rarely

encountered elsewhere in the state.Although generally dominated by a richand diverse herbaceous component, theseplant communities are often character-ized by a sparse occurrence of smalltrees and shrubs, such as Eastern red-cedar, hackberry, glade privet, andCarolina buckthorn. The incidence ofperiodic droughts and shallow well-drained soils are partially responsible forthe scarcity of woody vegetation, but yetis essential for nurturing some of thestate’s rarest and most cherished plantlife. Marshallia mohrii is a perennialspecies able to withstand the harsh oftendesert-like conditions of these habitatsby developing a thick root system capa-

ble of storing sufficient reserves ofwater. During early spring, uponbeing replenished with winter pre-cipitation, the plants emerge andevolve into an erect herb that pro-duces attractive heads of small palepink flowers in May and June.

Once commonplace, these gladeand prairie systems were scatteredupon the landscape across northernAlabama, often occurring as smallisolated openings. Today, there are afew remaining examples that haveescaped the influence of humanity,many of which have been destroyedby trash disposal, road building, andresidential development. One of thefinest remaining populations occursin an open glade complex situatedalong the Cahaba and Little CahabaRivers in Bibb County. The NatureConservancy has acquired portionsof this site and is currently workingwith adjacent landowners to protectnearby areas. A high degree ofendemism, the presence of several

rare species, and the decline of thesehabitats make calcareous glades andmarly prairies some of the most botani-cally unique ecosystems in Alabama. Ifwe are to preserve this species in perpe-tuity, it is important that we maintain thenatural habitat in which Mohr’s Barbarabutton is a part. Only through the long-term commitment toward conservationplanning will this species remain a partof Alabama’s remarkable natural heritagefor generations to come. For furtherinformation contact the Alabama NaturalHeritage Program of The NatureConservancy, Huntingdon College,Massey Hall, 1500 East FairviewAvenue, Montgomery, AL 36106.

Mohr’s Barbara ButtonBy ALFRED R. SCHOTZ, Botanist/Ecologist, Alabama Natural Heritage ProgramSM


Alabama is blessed with anabundance of naturalresources. Two of the most

abundant and interdependent are thethousands of miles of rivers, creeks,and streams and the 22 millionacres of forested land. Now theforestry community has the oppor-tunity to get involved with the pro-tection and management of ourstate’s vast water resources.

The Clean Water Action Plan,announced in February 1998,encourages the involvement of localcitizens to address the protectionand restoration of America’s waterresources. One of the primary com-ponents of the plan is to utilize awatershed management approach inprotection and restoring water quali-ty in our rivers, streams and lakes.

In Alabama, nine Clean WaterPartnership Projects have been iden-tified by river basins. They are theAlabama River Basin, Cahaba RiverBasin, Chattachoohee/Choctawatchee-Pea/Perdido (not Baldwin County)Escambia Basin, Coosa River Basin,Mobile, Escatawpa/Perdido (includesBaldwin County) Basin, TallapoosaRiver Basin, Tennessee River Basin,Tombigbee River Basin, and WarriorRiver Basin. These basins will serve aspartnerships in a coordinated effort ofpublic and private stakeholders to restoreand protect Alabama’s water resources.

Through these partnerships, watershedmanagement plans for each basin will bedeveloped and implemented.Participation in the partnership allowscommunity-based groups, units of gov-ernment, industry, farms, forestry, specialinterest groups, and individuals to pulltogether available resources to developand implement programs that address andmeet the needs of a variety of interests.

In each basin, a steering committeehas been or will be established to facili-tate communication and provide visionfor the protection and restoration ofAlabama’s water resources. Steering

committees are comprised of stakehold-ers who have basin-wide interests. Eachbasin will also have a facilitator who will

oversee the administrative activi-ties and projects of each basin.

Many of the basins have beenfurther divided into smaller geo-graphical areas by river section orsub-basins. Local stakeholdersrepresenting diverse interests willparticipate by serving on a sub-basin stakeholder committee. Eachlocal committee will oversee thedevelopment of a watershed man-agement plan and to pursue theimplementation of watershed man-agement projects. Local commit-tees are comprised of stakeholdersrepresenting agriculture, local andstate government, forestry, publichealth, utilities, environmentalconcerns, industry, economicdevelopers, as well as recreational,educational and regulatory repre-sentatives. Each sub-basin com-mittee will have representation onthe steering committee.

Through the combined effortsand interests of these partnerships,Alabama’s water resources will beprotected or restored for citizenstoday and for future generations.

For more information about theAlabama Clean Water Partnershipcontact Allison Newell, Executive

Director, Alabama Water WatchAssociation, at 334-514-3826.

Benefits of the Alabama Clean Water Partnership• Improved communication to promote information sharing, broad awareness of

resource availability, and networking with others in river basins facing the samechallenges.

• Data and information consolidation through the creation of a communicationsand technical assistance network so that a more complete account of eachbasin’s water quality is available.

• Improved coordination between community-based groups, municipalities, andindustries to prevent the duplication of efforts and to streamline the use of limit-ed resources.

• Opportunity for collaboration in decision-making and implementation of water-shed management projects.

Alabama Clean Water PartnershipBy COLEEN VANSANT, Alabama Forestry Commission, Information Specialist, Cullman


The Alabama Periodic ForestInventory for 2000 is complete.Trees on nearly 6,000 plots were

measured during a period betweenFebruary 1997 and December 2000.Nine crews working full time for the lastthree years collected enough data to pro-vide a picture of the Alabama forest andhow it fared during most of the 1990s.

All 67 counties in six units haveforestry data and a portion of the statenow has current published resourcereports. Some of this data is still inreview. More on the present survey later.

Historical DataUnited States Forest Service and

Alabama Forestry Commission fieldcrews have been in the tree data collect-ing business for 50 years. Publishedreports based on this data were compiledfor years 1953, 1963, 1973, 1982, and1990. Data taken from these five surveysindicate a growing but changingresource.

These past surveys show that whilesustaining the same amount of forestedacres, Alabama continues to grow moretrees than ever before. Eleven billiontrees grew in Alabama forests in 1953.Four decades later the forest increased to14 billion trees.

Amazingly, this growth occurred atthe same time the forest products indus-try continued to expand plants and locatenew ones. The late 1980s and early1990s saw billions of dollars invested inby forest product companies in Alabama.At the same time 300,000 to 400,000acres of trees were planted annually.

Timber volumes increased and havemore than doubled in 40 years. Total treevolume increased from 11 billion cubicfeet in 1953 to over 23 billion cubic feetin 1990. Both pine and hardwood vol-umes grew at about the same rate.

Improved forest managementincreased the statewide annual growthfrom 37.1 cubic feet in 1953 to 55.9cubic feet in 1990 or to approximatelyone-half cord per acre. The cut alsoexpanded from 28.7 cubic feet in 1953 to49.8 cubic feet.

We are growing more wood than isbeing cut—and have been for 50 years.

The Present SurveyInformation gathered from the latest

Alabama survey data has forest resourceanalysts cautiously optimistic. At thiswriting, two southwest Alabama unitsare complete with published data. Twoother units are in review.

Here is what we are finding:

• The total forest acreage for Alabama isincreasing.

• Stocking levels are increasing (treesare fully occupying more acres).

• Pine acreage has stabilized and there isan increase in the hardwood forest.

• There are more non-industrial privateforest acres than ever before.

• The total volume for both pine andhardwood is increasing.

Even with this good news, thosereviewing the data have not yet come toany statewide conclusions. Much of thedata is yet to be processed. However, thedata for completed units look good.

To enhance the survey’s reliability, aSurvey Review Committee looks at everycompleted unit’s data. This review com-mittee is made up of users from state andfederal government, the forest productindustry, Auburn University, conservationorganizations and private consultants.This broad-based committee’s mission isto ensure a significant measure of qualitycontrol, lend credibility to the databaseand help in the distribution of the data.

As new information is processed, arti-cles in Alabama’s TREASURED Forestsmagazine will continue to provideupdates.

Alabama Forest Inventory CompletedBy STEVE NIX, Forest Resource Analyst, Alabama Forestry Commission


Littleleaf disease is the most seriousdisease of shortleaf pine in thesouthern United States. Affected

trees have reduced growth rates and usu-ally die within six years.

Early work on littleleaf disease wasdone in northwest Alabama by Dr. Yorkof the Alabama Forestry Commission.His early work centered on the fact thatshortleaf pine will sprout and the treesshowing littleleaf symptoms had sprout-ed from being killed back by fire.

The disease is caused by a complex offactors including the fungusPhytophthora cinnamomi Rands, lowsoil nitrogen, and poor internal soildrainage. Often, microscopic round-worms called nematodes and species ofthe fungus genus Pythium are associatedwith the disease.

In the most recent general survey, lit-tleleaf disease was found over 35 percentof the commercial range of shortleafpine and was severe enough to be a fac-tor in timber management on about 1.4million forested acres.

Shortleaf pine is the most seriouslydamaged host, with loblolly pine dam-aged to a lesser extent. Littleleaf diseasehas also been reported on Virginia, pitch,slash, and longleaf pines.

SymptomsThe first symptoms of littleleaf dis-

ease are those of nutrient deficiency: aslight yellowing and shortening of theneedles and reduction of shoot growth.In the later stages of the disease, thesymptoms become progressively moredistinctive. The crown of an infected treeappears thin and tufted: needles are dis-colored and shorter than normal, and thetree loses all but the new needles nearthe tips of the branches. Branches begindying, starting in the lower crown andprogressing upward through the crown.During this time, the tree’s diametergrowth is markedly reduced.

About three years before death, dis-eased trees commonly produce abundantcrops of small cones. Most of the seeds

in these cones are sterile. Trees killed bylittleleaf can often be recognized bythese undersized cones, which remainattached to the branches.

Where the disease is present, preven-tive or control measures should be taken.A set of management recommendationshas been developed for use where little-leaf has been or is expected to be a problem.

High-value trees or stands (urbanareas, seed orchards, etc.)—Fertilize on

a four-year cycle. One ton of 5-10-5 fer-tilizer plus one-half ton of ammoniumsulfate per acre can be used for high-value trees or ornamentals. Occasionally,fertilization is used to boost a foreststand into the next higher value class; forexample, from pulpwood to pole.Fertilization will delay the developmentof symptoms for about four years. Treesappear to recover since the needles pro-duced during this period will be veryclose to normal in color and size.

Average forest stands, 10-25 percentof trees symptomatic—Remove symp-tomatic trees during normal thinning oper-ations. Beware that these stands will behighly susceptible to Southern pine beetle.

More than 25 percent of the treessymptomatic—Cut all shortleaf pinesand regenerate the area in a more resis-tant species such as loblolly pine orhardwoods. Site preparation can includesubsoiling to break up any brick-likecompacted layer of clay (hardpan) pre-sent in the soil. This technique permitsbetter drainage on the site, thus reducingthe spread of the fungus.

ReferenceForest Insect and Disease Leaflet 20,

“Littleleaf Disease,” Paul Mistretta,1984.

Littleleaf DiseaseBy JIM HYLAND, Forest Health Chief, Alabama Forestry Commission

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Any timber harvest should be wellplanned and have specific goalsin mind. Some goals for harvest-

ing timber might include the following:to increase the vigor of residual trees, tosalvage timber damaged by weather, toremove trees with disease or insect prob-lems, to receive income, to improvewildlife habitat of a desired game ani-mal, or to remove overmature trees. Inorder to achieve these goals land man-agers use a variety of forest cuttingmethods.

One of these methods is clearcutting.Many foresters today referto clearcutting as a regener-ation cut, which more accu-rately describes what takesplace. “Clearcutting is con-ceptually the simplest wayof starting the replacementof old stands.” (Smith,David M., “The Practice ofSilviculture” 1986). Theclearcutting practice isdefined as: A method ofregenerating a forest standin which all trees on thearea to be regenerated areremoved in one cutting,leading to the developmentof an even-aged stand eitherby natural seeding or byplanting. Clearcutting maybe done in blocks, strips, orpatches.

Clearcutting is generally recommend-ed in the following situations:

• All the trees of a stand are mature orovermature and the stand contains nodesirable seed trees.

• The stand is stocked with undesirablespecies.

• The stand is seriously damaged by fire,insects or disease.

• It is required to generate certainspecies.

Clearcutting is not recommended onsteep lands subject to erosion.

Sound SilvicultureClearcutting is a sound silvicultural

practice used by many foresters today.When used properly it can lead to theestablishment of an even-aged standcomposed of naturally or artificiallyestablished trees. However, it should notbe confused with a “commercial”clearcut where only the merchantabletrees are cut. Commercial clearcutting,also called high-grading, usually leaves astand in an unacceptable condition andrequires considerable site preparationbefore tree planting can occur.

When clearcutting with natural regen-eration careful consideration should begiven to the desired species of the futurestand. Some species regenerate readilyfrom stump sprouts, others depend onseed stored in the forest floor, and otherlight-seeded species can reproduce fromseed disseminated from trees located adja-cent to the clearcut. Natural regenerationafter a harvest cut comes from newseedlings established at or after the time ofthe harvest cut, from older seedlings estab-lished prior to the harvest cut (advancedreproduction), and from stump sprouts orroots of the harvest trees (Beck 1980).Depending on the species composition ofthe stand, options may be limited.

Artificial regeneration should be usedif achieving successful natural regenera-tion following a clearcut is doubtful. Ifthe clearcutting operation is performedproperly, the majority of the vegetationof the previous stand is removed andreplaced by newly planted seedlings.Some form of site preparation is usuallyneeded before tree planting begins.

Wildlife BenefitsMany species of wildlife benefit from

the opening effect of clearcutting. TheWhitetail deer have much more browse,

which is a major source offood, after a clearcut.Clearcutting in small patchesalso increases the amount of“edge.” Edge is the transitionarea between two differentstands. The edge effect is mostprevalent between a foreststand and an opening; however,increased diversity, cover, andforage can exist between twodifferent stand types.

The most recent forestinventory data for Alabamaestimates that 800,000 acresper year have had some form ofharvesting conducted.Approximately 360,000 acres,or 45 percent, of the 800,000acres harvested is clearcut.

This 360,000 acres represents less than 2percent of the commercial forest inAlabama.

SummaryMany individuals, groups, and soci-

eties today view clearcutting as an envi-ronmentally insensitive practice thatshould be banned. In my view, theforests of Alabama should be managedfor the multiple benefits they can provideto our society, not preserved like amuseum piece. If sufficiently plannedand properly applied, clearcutting can bea management tool to improve the futureforest productivity and sustainability ofAlabama’s forest.

Why Clearcut Your Timber?By TIM ALBRITTON, Forest Operations Specialist, Alabama Forestry Commission

Clearcutting in small patches increases the amount of edge,which is beneficial to wildlife.


Leave Some Trees in Your ClearcutBy JEFF JACKSON, Extension Wildlife Specialist and

Professor of Wildlife Management, University of Georgia

What on earth did you leavethose trees for?” a foresterfriend asked me as we looked

out over a clearcut on my land. I had lefta random scattering of tall pines alongwith a hardwood here and a clump ofleftovers there. Row upon row of newlyplanted pines covered the land. The bigtrees left behind looked like an accident.They could have been sold along withthe rest. What a waste! My foresterfriend viewed them as unwanted compe-tition with the new crop in the making.

Wood production is the only waysome strictly utilitarian people look atforest management. Why leave perfectlygood crop trees unsold? But there areother points of view.

I like the visual variety these sentineltrees provide. I prefer to see some tallvegetation in a young woods. It makesthe land look more like a forest and lesslike . . . well . . . a clearcut or a cropland.Leaving some trees in a clearcut can givesubtle values to the land.

A few big old survivors give the landa sense of history—I can keep in touchwith the way the land looked before thecut. Tall isolated trees serve as perchesand nest sites for hawks, owls, flycatch-ers and other birds. The larger hawks andowls can help keep rabbit and rodentpopulations at moderate levels. Thesebark-chewing creatures can damage ordestroy little pines if they get verynumerous.

Now that those little trees are 6 yearsold and 15 to 20 feet tall, I use the “leavetrees” as reference points to help find myway. It’s easy to get disoriented in standsof young trees taller than your head. Ican’t see far at eye level so it’s hard tofind my way, but I can look up and seethe tops of tall trees. I know all my tallleave trees individually so I can use themas markers to help me return to an exactspot in my stand of little trees. They alsocome in handy when laying out fire-breaks for prescribed fire.

Perhaps best of all these tall treesallow me to get above my young trees ina climbing deer stand. I can sit there incomfort in my little climbing armchair,high in my tree, viewing my domain likea hawk. My view from above allows meto see wildlife and to take deer from theinterior of the stand—in places wherethey would normally be inaccessible.

Now that the pines make excellenthiding and escape cover for deer, I’veconverted some of the little clearingsnear the leave trees into secret mini foodpatches. These are a wonderful huntingaid. There is no way to get a tractor inthere so I make the patches with handtools and herbicides.

I also left some of those trees becausethey produce fruits and nuts for wildlife.Some of my favorites are persimmonsand oaks. In the context of productionpines here in the South, these trees areviewed as “weeds.” But I like them, so Ikeep them. They serve to support thedeer stand and to attract wildlife.

When I select trees to leave in aclearcut I consider a range of values:

• Location: Where would it look nice tosee tall trees?

• Wildlife food value: Fruits, nuts,seeds, etc.

• Good place to hunt: Overlooking gametrails or stream crossings.

• Ease of climbing: Modern climbingdeer stands work best on straight treeswith diameters that fit the climber.

• Not the best timber trees: Unless it isintended as a seed source for the nextgeneration, I prefer to sell the morevaluable trees.

• Number: I leave two or three times asmany as I want because the leave treeswill suffer high mortality from ice andwind after their protecting neighborsare cut.

• Picturesque form: If you have artisticsense, leave “wolf trees” and othertrees of interesting shape.

Reprinted with permission of theAmerican Forest Foundation from “TreeFarmer: The Practical Guide toSustainable Forestry,” Nov/Dec 2000.

Southern Forest Science ConferenceNovember 26-28, 2001

Atlanta, GARenaissance Waverly Hotel

The Southern Forest Science Conference is a collaborative effort tohighlight the history and future role of science in sustainable forestry.Understanding the contribution science makes to the management of for-est ecosystems and resulting social and economic benefits is essential.

Speakers will include representatives from the U.S. Forest Service, J.W.Jones Ecological Research Center, Virginia Tech, The NatureConservancy, International Paper, The University of Georgia, TheSampson Group, Inc., and the State University of New York-Buffalo.

For more information on the conference, visit the web site:

www.southernforestscience.net


The use of prescribed fire has beenaround for centuries in NorthAmerica, being first used by

native people for creating access to gameand good feeding range for deer, etc.Nature helped this process along in theSoutheast by causing lightning set firesthat burned large expanses (tens or hun-dreds of thousands of acres per burn) ofupland longleaf pine woodlands eachyear depending upon seasonal weather.Amazingly enough, and contrary to pop-ular belief, the Southeast was dominatedby a near monoculture of pine except forthe wetter draws andcreek/river bottomswhere fire seldomburned. Through thou-sands of years of consis-tent fire, plants and ani-mals adapted to thisdominant habitat typeand often required it forsurvival.

Also, contrary topopular belief, this pre-dominantly pine standwith a scattering ofupland and bottomlandhardwoods was the habi-tat type which resultedin the huge populationsof game and non-gamewildlife the first settlersto the Southeastdescribed. This wood-land described by earlybotanists and travelers was a “cathedral-like” forest, “scatteringly planted tobroom-pine (longleaf),” with a grassy(herbaceous) understory that was veryeasy but monotonous to ride through.

In today’s environment, it is becom-ing increasingly uncommon to see largescale burning in the woodlands, bothbecause of excessive development near-by or lack of understanding of the bene-fits of prescribed fire in the piney woods.Burning for preparation of clearcut sitesfor replanting is most common but doesnot have the same wildlife benefits.

Smoke management is the most commonproblem with many complaints arisingdue to “smoking in” roadways anddevelopments. “Smoke on the Road”signs, pre-burn notification of affectedresidents and a simple explanation ofwhy you are burning may reduce com-plaints.

So the sensible question arises: whygo to all the trouble to burn? The simpleanswer is that more acres of wildlifehabitat can be positively influenced forfar less money with controlled burningthan with probably any other manage-

ment technique. Generally, burning helpscontrol sapling hardwoods, keeping thewoodlands more open, allowing sunlightto reach the dirt, thereby stimulatingnative plants that many species rely onfor food. In addition, burning reduces theduff layer on the ground, scarifies seeds,and acts as a fertilizer catalyst promotingthe sprouting of many seeds that wouldbe dormant without fire. With that intro-duction, lets look at the more commonspecies that benefit from a controlledburning program.

QuailOf all the game species occurring in

Alabama, quail have had the hardesttime in the environment of the last threedecades. For a variety of reasons primar-ily related to habitat destruction anddegradation, quail populations haveseverely declined throughout theSoutheast. One of the most obvious habi-tat degradation factors is the lack of firein the woodlands. Ask anyone who livedin rural Alabama before the late 1960swhat the woodlands were like and youwill learn a few things about quail man-

agement and burning.Fire was routinely usedto control hardwoods andquail were abundantaround the many smallfarms. Quail is also oneof the only game animalsthat can seldom be man-aged without annualburning in portions oftheir range.

Several benefits areassociated with fire thatdirectly influence quailpopulations. In wood-lands that are kept open(lots of sunlight on theground), fire keeps thesapling hardwoods undercontrol but still allowsresprouting. This allowssome “hard” cover to beretained close to the

ground giving birds some protectionfrom predators. Fire also removesbuildup of dead vegetation (duff) on theground, exposing seeds. This meansquail have access to food and can moreeasily move through the growing vegeta-tion. By stimulating hard-seeded plantssuch as legumes to sprout, fire actuallyincreases the production of seeds andfood plants on which quail rely throughthe year. Fire promotes grasses to grow(by controlling taller hardwood saplings)in the understory and, by leaving por-tions of the woodlands unburned for a

Prescribed Burning for Timber and WildlifeBy TED DEVOS, Trust Forester and Wildlife Biologist, Regions Bank, Montgomery, AL

Prescribed burning is often used after clearcutting to prepare theground for replanting.


year, allows you to increase coverage ofquality nesting cover. Research is indi-cating that burned woodlands rival fal-low fields for insect production, andquail cannot be raised without goodquality brood rearing range containinghigh insect densities.

DeerUtilizing fire for deer management is

not as often used as for quail manage-ment, but outside of the Black Belt,some of the largest body-sized andracked deer can be found on areas man-aged for quail. They may not need theopen ground to feed and move about, butthe promotion of legumes and otherforbs helps increase quality food sup-plies for deer. Amazingly, the majority offood that deer eat yearround are these “weeds,”which are strongly promot-ed by fire. Deer selectfoods in these burnedwoodlands that tend to bethe same legumes, etc.which are so important forquail foods and deer mayalso be having an impact onquail production inAlabama. Regularly burnedopen piney woods may notlook like the best deerwoods due to the lowherbaceous understory, butyou would be amazed at thedeer densities that this habi-tat type can support due toincreased food supplies. Aswith quail management,burning in pine stands fordeer should be tied closelywith timber thinnings.

TurkeysAlthough wild turkeys can be sus-

tained at a high density without pre-scribed burning and benefit the leastfrom the open, burned piney woods thatquail like, they will benefit from regularcontrolled burning on a portion of theirrange each year. Turkey like the opennature of a more heavily stocked (shady)mixed pine/hardwood stand that is occa-sionally burned to keep the shrub layer ata minimum and increase production ofherbaceous weeds. Burning 20 percentof your upland pine and mixed pine

stands per year is probably optimal forwild turkeys.

Non-game and OthersSeveral non-game wildlife species are

either dependent upon or benefit fromprescribed burning. Red-cockaded wood-pecker, gopher tortoise, and indigo snakeare species that rely on this type of habi-tat management to survive and are feder-ally protected within their range.Grasshopper and Bachman’s sparrows,pine and prairie warblers, parulas,towhees, meadowlarks, bobolinks, indigobuntings, blue grosbeaks, vireos, and fly-catchers are examples of birds that bene-fit from early successional habitats likeburned, open pinelands. These birds areof special concern by both state and fed-

eral agencies due to declines that arenearly as severe as that of bobwhite quailin the last 30 years. Maintaininggrassy/weedy woodlands and idle fieldson your property will greatly assist in themaintenance of these species.

TimberManaging timber in a regularly

burned environment can be a little moreproblematical; however, utilizing lon-gleaf pine wherever possible greatlyassists a manager to maintain uplandswith burning. Longleaf can be burned

much earlier in its life (possibly as earlyas the second year after planting orregeneration). Loblolly and shortleafpine can be managed and burned regular-ly, but burning must be done carefully toavoid damaging young regenerationwhere it exists or is wanted. Once pinestands have grown to 3-4 inches in diam-eter and have been burned once or twice,they are relatively resistant to fire dam-age. There is conflicting information onwhether regular burning slows thegrowth of pine timber, but generally itcan assist in creating clean, limb-freeboles on poles and logs and helps treegrowth by reducing competition fromhardwoods. Burning regularly with slow,cool fires probably has much less effecton timber growth than burning once

every 5 or more yearswhen the fires are muchhotter and flame height ismuch higher. Burninglater in the growing sea-son probably has morenegative effect on pinegrowth than winter fires.Undoubtedly, late, hotfires that result in highrates of needle scorch willslow growth or eventuallykill even mature pines.

Burning in hardwoodstands should generallybe avoided but there isinteresting research beingdone on the positives andnegatives of cool fires inmature hardwood stands.Fire in mixed pine/hard-

wood stands will eventual-ly result in the mortality ofsome of the thinner-barkedhardwoods but will also

allow more sunlight (taken up by thelarge canopy of the hardwoods in sum-mer) to reach the ground during thegrowing season, resulting in better andmore wildlife foods. Burning in youngupland hardwood stands should bereserved for site preparation prior toreplanting and for the control andremoval of those hardwood stands. Ingeneral, open, fire-maintained pinewoodlands are better wildlife habitatanyway.


Many non-game species like the prairie warbler benefit fromprescribed burning.

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Seedlings Available from AFC NurseryNow is the time to plan for the next tree planting season. The Alabama Forestry Commission’s E.A. Hauss Nursery inAtmore will begin taking orders on June 1, 2001. For more information or to place a seedling order call 334-368-4854.

You may also contact your county Alabama Forestry Commission office to place a seedling order.

PINESSeed Source Price Per 500 1,000

LoblollyCoastal 1.5 Generation $25 $39Piedmont 2nd Generation $28 $44

Slash1st Generation $23 $351.5 Generation $25 $39

LongleafUnimproved $39 $601st Generation $45 $70

HARDWOODSSpecies:

Green Ash Cherrybark Oak Yellow PoplarShumard Oak Water Oak White Oak

Prices:$21 per 100 seedlings $185 per 1,000 seedlings

• Minimum order of hardwood seedlings is 100 per species.

• Total hardwood order determines price.

• Orders of less than 2,000 may be shipped UPS or pickedup at Hauss Nursery. Orders of more than 2,000 seedlingsmay be shipped to cooler locations with a 2-week notice from customer.

SPECIES AVAILABLEAutumn Olive Chinese Chestnut Crab Apple

Flowering Dogwood Common Persimmon Native PecanSawtooth Oak “Gobbler” Sawtooth Oak

25 Trees 100 Trees 500 Trees 1,000+ Trees$12 $40 $150 $250

• Species may be mixed.• Minimum order of wildlife seedlings is 25 per species.

Pine and Hardwoods

Wildlife and Habitat Selection

Lespedeza Thunbergii

$26 Per 500

$42 Per 1,000

• Call Hauss Nursery at 334-368-4854 or your local Alabama Forestry Commission office to place your order. You will receivean acknowledgment with 5-7 working days.

• Upon receipt of your acknowledgment, remit a 10% non-refundable deposit or full payment if your order is for more than50,000 pines or more than 10,000 hardwoods. Remit full payment for all other orders.

• For proper credit always note your customer ID number on your payment.

• We accept checks and money orders payable to: Alabama Forestry Commission.

• All payments/deposits are due within 30 days of the acknowledgment date.

• Orders are normally available for delivery during December, January and February only.

• Hauss nursery pick-up—Schedule your delivery at least 2 weeks in advance by calling 334-368-4854.

• UPS delivery—Select shipping date from the calendar enclosed with your acknowledgment and return with your payment.

• Cooler delivery—Orders of more than 2,000 may be shipped to our cooler locations in Huntsville, Florence, Tuscaloosa,Cullman, Autaugaville, Opelika, Ozark and Atmore. Delivery must be scheduled at least 2 weeks in advance.

Ordering Information


For many people, forest management usually means uni-formity. Driving down the interstate in Alabama peoplesee thousands of acres of uniform, even-aged pine stands

and relate this to forest management. It does require a signifi-cant amount of forest management knowledge and skill toestablish, maintain, protect, and ultimately harvest an even-agepine stand. However, for the average Alabama private landown-er of 100 acres, a uniform even-age pine stand may not be thebest management decision. The old adage “Don’t put all youreggs in one basket” could apply here.

Forest Diversity for HealthLet us consider forest diversity from a forest health perspec-

tive. Generally speaking, the more diverse a forest is, the lesslikely it will suffer significant losses due to insect and disease.Alabama experienced one of the worst Southern pine beetle(SPB) epidemics on record this past year. In 2000, Alabama had24,465 SPB spots that killed 1,438,100 pine trees.

One of the limiting factors with most insect populations is

the available food supply. That food source for the Southernpine beetle is obviously pine trees, especially those stands thatare stressed or low-vigor (example: a pine stand that has notbeen thinned). An SPB spot will not, however, spread into ahardwood stand.

Landowners can eliminate the food supply from a growinginsect population with changes in forest type. Forest stands candiffer in various ways: naturally regenerated vs. artificiallyregenerated, hardwood vs. pine, mature vs. young, over-stockedvs. under- stocked, uneven-aged vs. even-aged, and by species.A landowner can reduce losses due to insect and disease attacksby purposely managing for diversity.

A good way to create natural forest type changes that can aidin reducing the spread of insect populations is by leaving widestreamside management zones or SMZs. A streamside manage-ment zone is a strip of land immediately adjacent to a streamwhere soils, organic matter and vegetation are managed to pro-tect the physical, chemical and biological integrity of surfacewater adjacent to and downstream from the forestry operation.

Manage Your Forest withDiversity in Mind

By TIM ALBRITTON, Forest Operations Specialist, Alabama Forestry Commission

The property on the left is much more diversified, especially if one is managing for species such as quail.


Forest Diversity for WildlifeDiversity is very important if wildlife

management is an objective. The threebasic things wild animals need to surviveare food, water, and cover. Habitat needsvary depending on which animal is beingmanaged and, therefore, so should themanagement. In his article, “EnhancingWildlife Habitat,” Wildlife BiologistDavid Nelson of the AlabamaDepartment of Conservation says, “Thesingle most important objective of tim-ber management practices used toenhance wildlife habitat is to provide adiversity of habitat types.”

A diversity of cover types with plentyof edges is advantageous if deer huntingis an objective. Edge is the transitionzone between two different plant com-munities. The most prevalent is betweena forest and an open field.

The wild turkey and the gray squirrelprefer mature hardwoods, preferablyoaks. The bobwhite quail needs fairlyopen land with a combination of fields inrow crops, pasture, and fencerows.Generally speaking, the best forest habi-tats for the widest possible range ofwildlife are those that:1. Contain both bottomland and upland

sites

2. Contain both pine and hardwood tim-ber types

3. Differ in age classes from newlyregenerated to mature timber

4. Are thinned on a regular bases

5. Are prescribed burned at regular inter-vals (if predominately pine)

Forest Diversity for SpecialtyMarkets

Species diversity can be an assetwhen marketing timber. Timber markets,to say the least, are difficult to predict.Relying on one species or product can bea risky proposition.

A growing interest with manylandowners is the specialty wood prod-ucts market. Specialty wood products arenontraditional items from the forest.These products range from baskets, bathouses, and banjos to walking sticks,wreaths, witch hazel bark and everythingin between.

A web site has been developed to helplandowners list their product or productsfor sale. The web site lists hundreds ofspecialty products being marketed andsold: http://www.sfp.forprod.vt.edu/spe-cial_fp.htm.

Forest Diversity forAgroforestry

Agroforestry is an intensive land man-agement system that optimizes the bene-fits from the biological interactions cre-ated when trees and/or shrubs are delib-erately combined with crops and/or ani-mals.

The benefits created by agroforestrypractices are both economic and environ-mental. Agroforestry can increase farmprofitability in several ways:1. By combining farming and forestrythe total output per unit area oftree/crop/livestock combinations isgreater than any single component alone.

2. By protectingcrops and live-stock from thedamagingeffects of windso they can bemore productive(mainly in west-ern states).

3. By introduc-ing new prod-ucts to add tothe financialdiversity andflexibility of thefarming enter-prise.

Agroforestry helps to conserve andprotect natural resources by mitigatingnon-point source pollution, controllingsoil erosion, and creating wildlife habi-tat. The benefits of agroforestry add upto a substantial improvement of the eco-nomic and resource sustainability ofagriculture.

The Southern AgroforestryConference was held in Huntsville inOctober 1998. Agroforestry practiceshave been experimented in the south andhave proven to be successful. For moreinformation contact the USDA NationalAgroforestry Center (NAC), EastCampus-UNL, Lincoln, Nebraska68583-0822. Phone: 402-437-5178; website: www.unl.edu/nac.

ConclusionIn conclusion, managing your forest

for diversity can help prevent futureproblems and create future opportunities.There is certainly nothing wrong—envi-ronmentally or economically—with aneven-age single species forest manage-ment approach. There will always be aplace for commercial forest productionin Alabama. However, a landowner own-ing a small tract may want to consider amore diverse approach.

Illustrations on page 18 courtesy ofthe Alabama Cooperative ExtensionSystem.

Silvopasture combines trees with forage and livestock pro-duction. The trees are managed for high quality sawlogs atthe same time an annual income is generated for livestockgrazing.

Thinning not only provides incomebut can improve the forest health ofthe stand.


True wild pigs are not native toAlabama or the New World. Wildswine in North and South

America, which may include Europeanwild hogs, feral hogs and hybridsbetween the two have been introduced.Pigs were domesticated 8,000-9,000years ago and have spread throughout theworld as livestock. In many areas theyhave escaped or been released fromdomestication and reverted to a wild,free-ranging or feral state. Published esti-mates suggested a U.S. population ofbetween 1 and 2 million feral hogs in1991 and they were the most abundant,free-ranging, introduced ungulate in theU.S. In 1989 wild hogs reportedlyoccurred in 19 states, Puerto Rico andthe U.S. Virgin Islands.

In the 1980s feral swine in the Southwere located primarily in the CoastalPlain from Virginia south to Florida, andwest to Texas. As early as the 1950s con-centrations of wild swine in some areas

of the Southeast were reportedly as highas 75-100 animals per square mile.

HistoryThe first introduction of swine into

the New World theoretically was byChristopher Columbus in 1493 in theWest Indies. Hernando De Soto intro-duced them to the U.S. mainland in 1539into Florida and in 1542 into Texas.Domestic hogs may have been brought toSouth Carolina in 1526 and in 1565Admiral Pedro Mendez reportedlybrought 400 pigs to Florida. Other intro-ductions continued in the Carolinas,Georgia, Alabama and other areas of theSoutheast by adventurers and missionar-ies throughout the 17th and 18th cen-turies. Settlers, farmers and nativeAmericans promoted the spread of hogsby open range practices that persisted insome states until as recently as the1960s.

Population DistributionA 1988 survey of feral swine distribu-

tion in Alabama suggested significantpopulations occurred only in those coun-ties of southwest Alabama along theTombigbee and Alabama rivers.Apparently during the past 10 years therehas been a general statewide spread ofthese animals aided by individuals whotrap or catch wild pigs alive and relocat-ed them to new habitat. Once released,feral swine have an alarming reproduc-tive capacity with sexual maturity ongood habitat attained at four to sixmonths of age. After a gestation periodof less that four months sows give birthto four to 12 piglets and some sows pro-duce two litters per year. Once estab-lished, feral pigs are virtually impossibleto eradicate.

Negative ImpactsFeral hogs are large-bodied, generalist

feeders that tend to be rather nomadicand travel in groups. They have few nat-ural enemies other than humans. Feral

Feral Hogs in AlabamaBy DAVID K. NELSON, Supervising Wildlife Biologist, Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries and

DR. M. KEITH CAUSEY, Ireland Professor of Wildlife Science, Auburn University, Retired

Feral hogs can produce two litters a year.

The timber industry is adverselyaffected by feral hogs because theydestroy seedlings and young trees.


swine almost always impact New Worldhabitats negatively and most often areundesirable additions to habitats intowhich they have been introduced. Feralhogs can damage timber, agriculture,pastures and wildlife openings and theirrooting habit is especially damagingbecause of soil disturbance that increaseserosion and alters nutrient cycles. Feralpigs are considered the greatest verte-brate modifiers of natural plant commu-nities since our native plants have notadapted to this rooting behavior. Rootingdecreases total woody understory andwhile recovery of plant communities isvariable, species composition may bealtered permanently. Rooted areas alsoare prime spots for invasion by exoticplants.

Feral hogs directly compete withnative wildlife for hard and soft mast andmany other foods important to deer,turkeys, squirrels and other nativespecies. Feral pigs are serious nestpredators and also prey upon birds,mammals (including deer, sheep andgoats), reptiles and amphibians. Theycarry many parasites and diseases suchas cholera, pseudrabies, brucellosis,tuberculosis and anthrax. Some or all ofthese diseases can by transmitted tonative wildlife, domestic livestock andhumans.

As a Game SpeciesFeral swine have been hunted widely

in the South and have become an integralpart of the social fabric of many ruralcommunities, especially in Florida andTexas and certain areas in the Carolinas,Tennessee, Georgia, Louisiana andAlabama. They make excellent table fareand the trophy value of large males maybe economically important in someplaces. Feral hogs are listed as a gameanimal by the Alabama Division ofWildlife and Freshwater Fisheries andapparently there in an increasing numberof hunters interested in pursuing them.However, the list of undesirable effectsof high populations of feral pigs is end-less. Individuals involved in releasingferal hogs into new range give littlethought to the destruction they can causeand every effort should be made to pre-vent their spread into areas where theydo not occur.

Article and photos courtesy of theAlabama Wildlife Federation.

FACTS ABOUT FERAL HOGSn Feral hogs are present in at least 23 states and are found in most counties in

Alabama. Their population and range is increasing.

n Feral hogs first breed at six months of age and average nearly two litters peryear. They average 4 to 7 pigs per litter and breed in cooler months with a 115-day gestation period.

n A population of feral hogs can double every four months. Numbers can increasefrom one hog per square mile to 100 hogs per square mile in 3 years.

n Feral hogs are crafty, intelligent animals and can survive natural hardships. They consume primarily vegetative matter. The meat of feral hogs is lean anddelicious.

n In Alabama the feral swine is categorized as a game animal and can be hunted bylicensed hunters year round without limits. They cannot be hunted over bait or atnight. If on private land, the landowner’s consent is needed. It is illegal to relo-cate trapped feral hogs.

n The last cases of brucellosis and pseudorabies in domestic swine in Alabamawere in 1996. Since that time, there have been over 20 premises where trappedferal hogs have been found to have one or both diseases. Fortunately, the dis-eases have not spread back to domestic hogs.

n Domestic swine owners should not allow their hogs to come in contact with feralhogs. Adequate fencing and sound management practices should be utilized.

n Brucellosis, also know as Bangs disease or undulant fever, can spread frominfected hogs to humans, usually through contact with reproductive fluids andinternal organs. It is a debilitating disease in humans requiring extensive antibi-otic and supportive treatment. Hunters are especially vulnerable when fielddressing feral hogs barehanded. The meat should be cooked thoroughly.

n Trichinosis, caused by a parasite found embedded in the muscle and Sparganosis,caused by a tapeworm found beneath the skin of infected hogs, can affecthumans. Caution should be exercised in handling; thorough cooking will destroythe parasite.

n Agricultural damage caused by feral hogs includes crops, land, fences and farmequipment. The timber industry is adversely affected through destruction ofseedlings and young trees. Monetary loss can be extensive.

n Feral hogs have a negative impact on wildlife habitat. They are known to com-pete directly with native game species, cause damage to wildlife food plots andare predators of ground-nesting birds.

Information provided by the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries.


M y father was a carpenter for more than 50 years. He wasfrom the old school where

artisanship was valued over profit, andquality valued more than convenience.Through his example, I learned early toappreciate the patience and visionrequired to turn a block of wood into anitem of beauty and function.

Although today’s technology makes itpossible to manufacture almost anythingin a matter of moments, there remains adesire to own a unique piece that suitsone’s individual needs, tastes and self-image.

Luthiers, people who make musicalinstruments, represent the best of thosewho strive to recall, recreate and relivethe artistry of a bygone era. Alabama ishome to several of these talented individ-uals and each of them make good use oflocal and exotic woods to create lastingtreasures.

Henry Taylor, 81, of Cullman Countystarted building guitars about 22 yearsago when a friend introduced him to aC.F. Martin guitar kit that had just comeon the market. After that he began mak-ing the instruments from scratch and hassince built about 50 “Taylormade” brandguitars in his Hanceville workshop. Hehas sold most of them but has givenquite a few away as gifts to his sevenchildren and 21 grandchildren.

Halfway between Hamilton andHackleburg in Marion County, you willfind Charles Grissom custom-buildingguitars and mandolins. Self-taughtthrough reading, observation and mis-takes, he has been in the business sincethe mid-70s. His trademark mother-of-pearl “Grissom” is on the neck of manybluegrass instruments played today.

Anden Houben of Tuscaloosa hasbeen creating historically accurate harp-sichords full-time since 1976. He, too, isself-taught and built his first instrumentfrom a kit. Anden makes each part of theinstrument by hand with the exception ofthe felt and strings, remaining faithful tothe original materials and constructiontechniques.

Musicians, whether they play cham-ber music or bluegrass, want to own abeautiful instrument that also soundsgood. One of the most important vari-ables in defining the sound of a musicalinstrument is the wood used to make it.

SpeciesA musical instrument may contain

seven or more species of wood, each

with an affect on the sound it produces.Even within a species, no pieces of woodare exactly alike. Environmental condi-tions, genetics, the age of the tree,growth patterns, grain orientation andcuring conditions are equally importantwhen wood is selected.

Spruce is the traditional source for thesoundboard of all musical instruments. Itis light and has a tight grain enabling thewood, when properly cut, to vibrate. Asthe instrument ages, sap hidden in thegrain gradually dries and crystallizes,further accentuating the bright, resonantquality of the wood.

Alabama woods commonly used forguitars and mandolins are hickory, whiteoak, maple, holly, persimmon, cherry,poplar, black walnut and redcedar.Anden makes use of cherry, basswood,cottonwood and walnut. Other speciessuch as mahogany and rosewood are alsoamong woods traditionally used in mak-ing musical instruments.

Other than species, a significant vari-able is the quality of the wood, whichincludes appropriate cutting and carefulaging.

Music from the TreesBy TILDA MIMS, Forest Education Specialist, Northwest Region, Alabama Forestry Commission

Henry Taylor strums an electric guitar he built for his grandson. On the floorare (center) a flattop acoustic guitar and (right) a scaled-down guitar for hisyoungest granddaughter.

Charles Grissom uses scrapers andplanes rather than sandpaper tosmooth the wood. Here he works onwood that he cut and dried.


CuttingWood used for a musical instrument is

quartersawn. The log is cut to length andthen cut into quarters (called billets), andthe boards are sawn off the resulting flatsides. Quartersawing contributes to ahigh strength-to weight ratio. This woodshrinks and swells less in width, andwarps less than plain-sawn wood. Also,quartersawn wood makes the grain morevisible.

Quartersawn wood results in a multi-tude of wedge-shaped pieces. If youwere to reassemble the log, you couldpick up two adjacent pieces, open themup as though they were a book and createa “book-matched” set of wedges.Bookmatched wood for the top of a gui-tar provides symmetry and improvestone.

DryingWood used for instruments must be

thoroughly dry. Wood moves quite a lotas humidity changes; it shrinks as it driesand swells as it becomes moist. If theinstrument is constructed before thewood is completely dry, shrinking andswelling can cause the wood to crack.

Air-dried woods enhance the musicalproperties of wood and are preferredover kiln-dried by most luthiers. Lumbermay be purchased air-dried, or the arti-

This harpsichord frame is made of walnut. All surviving 17th century harpsi-chords were made of walnut.

Anden Houben patterned this harpsi-chord after one of the few survivinginstruments. The original is in theVictoria and Albert Museum inEngland.

This lautenwerck, built by Anden Houben of Northport, is a harpsichord-likeinstrument which imitates the sound of the lute.

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Global warming, El Nino, LaNina. Whatever the possiblecause, Alabama is going through

an extended drought period. For the lastthree years, each summer and fall hasseen significantly reduced rainfall and anincreasing number of dangerous wild-fires.

Drought Increases WildfiresDuring the year 2000, the continued

dry conditions led to a jump in both thenumber of wildfires and the size andintensity of the fires. Over the last threeyears, the annual number of wildfires inAlabama has more than doubled (Figures1 and 2). During the same period, thetotal acres burned in the state more thantripled.

The drought of 2000 led to a signifi-cant number of fires originating fromwhat used to be “minor” causes. Forexample, in 1999 Alabama experiencedonly 56 wildfires caused by lightning.During 2000, lightning fires more thanquadrupled to 254 fires burning over10,400 acres. Last summer, Alabamaexperienced dry lightning storms—thun-derstorms where the rain evaporatedbefore it hit the ground. This is usually aWestern phenomenon.

The number of wildfires started bychildren playing also more than doubled,from 58 fires in 1999 to 135 fires in2000. People burning debris and lettingthe fire escape has always been a majorcause of wildfires in Alabama. Last yearthe number of escaped debris fires nearlydoubled, from 1172 to 1924 wildfires in2000.

What all these fire causes have incommon is that under normal conditions,few incidents of lightning, children play-ing or people burning debris would leadto a wildfire. However, the drought con-ditions of the summer of 2000 left theforest so dry that any spark led to a wild-fire.

The hard work of the AlabamaForestry Commission and the volunteerfire departments around the state kept theactual acres burned down from the disas-ter levels they could have reached. Theaverage size fire in Alabama last year

was 13.6 acres. Through hard work,three-quarters of the wildfires in the statewere kept to under 10 acres, with 98 per-cent of the wildfires being less than 100acres (Figure 3).

These fires had an impact on many

Take Action to Protect Your Homeand Property from Wildfire

By LOU HYMAN, Fire Staff Officer, Alabama Forestry Commission

Figure 1

Wildfires in Alabama 1997-2000

Figure 2

Acres Burned in Alabama 1997-2000


Alabama landowners. There was a higherthan average loss of pine plantations,with over 33,427 acres burned. Many ofthese were in 4- to 10-year-old stands,where dryness and winds resulted inalmost unstoppable fires that killed mosttrees. The loss of these investments hitmany landowners hard.

The other loss many landowners facedwas in hardwood stands, where the dryconditions allowed intense fires to burnin normally wet areas, killing and scar-ring hardwood trees, resulting in a long-term loss of quality and value in thestand.

What’s a Landowner to Do?A major part of overall forest man-

agement is the protection of the invest-ment. With so much treasure in your for-est, doesn’t it make sense to install somebasic protective measures to safeguardyour property?

There are three parts to what is calledthe Fire Triangle: Fuel, Oxygen and Heat(or an ignition source). If all these fac-tors are together, a fire occurs. In wild-land fires, oxygen is not a limiting factor,but having fuels and enough heat to drythe fuel and cause ignition are key fac-tors. In hot, dry weather, like in adrought, less heat is needed to start thefire and to get it to grow. Just a spark cando it.

When the Alabama ForestryCommission suppresses a wildfire, themost common method is to remove thefuel using a plowed fireline.

To prevent catastrophic wildfires fromdamaging your forest, you need to breakup the fuels. Landowners can do thisusing firelanes, plowed and disked trailsthrough the forest that break up theground fuels into compartments where


Alabama’s extended drought has meant increased wildfires across the state.

Firelanes help break up the forest so wildfires can be more easily controlled.


any wildfire can be controlled.Landowners can also thin their stands,which opens up the canopy and slowsdown any crown fires. Landowners canalso reduce or remove heavy brush in theforest. Heavy brush, especially brushcovered with pine needles, become fuelladders, continuous layers of fuel thatallow ground level fires to climb up intothe crown layer. Here the wind canquickly spread it across the forest,severely damaging and killing trees.

A low-cost method of fuel reductionis to fight fire with fire, using prescribedburning. Prescribed burning is the con-trolled use of light fires under exactingenvironmental conditions to achievemanagement objectives without environ-mental damage. Prescribed burning willreduce the heavy brush in the forest andalso burn up a heavy litter layer so thatlater any wildfire will be low intensityand burn without seriously damaging theforest resource.

By reducing the fuel loads and thecontinuity of the fuels in the forest, anylandowner can protect his or her invest-ment from catastrophic wildfires.Firelanes, thinnings, brush reduction andprescribed burning are all key insurancepractices to protect your forest.

Protecting Structures onYour Land

Speaking of insurance, one key issueis protecting buildings on your land.During the drought of 2000, landownersin Alabama lost 22 homes and 93 otherstructures destroyed by wildfires; another36 homes and 22 structures were dam-aged by fires. The key factor in theselosses was a lack of “defensible space”around these structures. Everyone likesto have his or her cabin in the woods, butthere is a need to be able to get firefight-ing equipment up to the house and keepthe wildfire away.

Defensible space means having anarea around a structure that prevents awildfire from burning up to the buildingand allows firefighters to stop the firebefore the building burns. At a mini-mum, every structure in the woods needsto have 30 feet of open space between it

and the surrounding forest. This openarea can be grassed or kept natural, but itshould contain the least amount offlammable materials possible. Homesand decks should be kept away frombluff areas where a fire can burn upbeneath the structure. Also, keepflammable liquids away from the struc-ture. Keeping a gas can under the porchcan help the porch catch on fire duringan emergency. The same goes for pinestraw on the roof. One spark, and thenthe house is on fire. Keep the roof swept off.

Another issue is, can a fire truck getto your house? Many forests have quaint,winding country lanes leading up to thecabin. A fire truck needs a road 15 feetwide and with a 15-foot clearance fromlow branches. If the fire truck can’t getdown your driveway, how can they saveyour house from a wildfire? Many peo-ple like to have formal gates where thedriveway meets the road. Can a largetruck turn into the driveway through thegate? If it’s a 10-foot wide gate, a 12-foot wide fire truck won’t fit. Again, ifthe equipment can’t get to the cabin, it’sawfully hard to save it from fire.

Out in the fields, hay bales arebecoming very valuable, and in droughtconditions very burnable. Last year over700 hay bales burned during wildfires, aloss of over $60,000. If you store haybales in a pasture, disc around them tokeep grass fires away, especially duringdroughts.

Even though many homes and struc-tures were lost during last year’s wild-fires, the AFC and local volunteer firedepartments worked extremely hard andwere able to save 629 homes and 144other structures as well as 195 hay bales.

A little work on your part can protectyour forest and your country home froma devastating loss from wildfire. Isn’t ittime you insured your TREASURE?

Figure 3

Size of WildfiresCalendar Year 2000

REMEMBER• Construct and maintain firelanes.

• Use prescribed burning to reducethe fuel load in your forest.

• Contact your local office of theAlabama Forestry Commission formore information on firelanes andprescribed burning.

• Clear a defensible space aroundyour home. The area within 5 feetof the house is the most critical forfire protection.

• Avoid using wood shake roofs onwoodland homes.

Protect Your Home andPropertyContinued from page 25


Winged JJewelsWinged JJewelsBy VICTOR WHITMAN, Staff Writer, TimesDailey, Florence, Alabama

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Banding hummingbirds. Nowthat’s a challenge. With tiny,wafer-thin legs and wings hum-

ming like a giant moth, the needle-nosedcreatures are hard to study, not to men-tion get a hold of.

But that’s what a University of NorthAlabama professor does in his sparetime. Robert Daly is among a selectgroup of master hummingbird banders.

“It’s very difficult,” he said, cradlinga tiny ruby-throated hummingbird on hisporch off Alabama 20 in the Macedoniacommunity. “You have to be trained.”

Daly’s house is set a fair way back inthe woods, and he’s piled up shrubs andlogs in places off his long, gravel drive-way to attract birds and rabbits.Hummingbirds are on his mind most ofthe time these days. September is peakmigration season.

Several hummingbird feeders hangfrom the ceiling of his porch. The skit-tish birds hover and dart up for the clearsugar mixture. Sometimes they swarm.“I’ve done about 500 all this summer,”he said. “I don’t know how many I’ll getbefore they all disappear in mid-October.”

Daly traps, weighs, measures andbands the birds for the U.S. Departmentof the Interior, which has studied the

habits of hummingbirds for 20 years.Daly said only four people in Alabamaare certified to band hummingbirds. Andhe is among only 50 master banders inthe world.

The only hummingbird in the Shoalsarea during the summer is the rubythroated, so named because of the color-ing of the throat on adult males. Eight to10 Western species have been observedin Alabama during the winter.

The birds fatten themselves upthrough September and then move downto the Gulf of Mexico. Then the birds flycontinuously over the Gulf to theYucatan Peninsula. “They will doubletheir size there,” he said. “Once they getenough fat, it gets them across. Oncethey are across, they will lose all theirfat.

Daly places a lightweight aluminumband on the foot of the hummingbirds.The bands are tiny—300 bands can fiton a 4-by-4 inch sheet. They weigh one-tenth of a gram, but to a hummingbird itwould feel like carrying around 40 quar-ters in a pocketbook.

Daly said people shouldn’t trap orhandle hummingbirds because it’sagainst the law and they’re fragile.

Robert Daly, a TREASURE Forestlandowner in Lauderdale County, isone of only 50 master banders in the world. Continued on page 31

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Editor’s Note: The following informationis not intended as legal advice. Its pur-pose is to create an awareness oflandowner liability and of the need forqualified legal counsel. Persons enteringinto a fee-hunting agreement should con-sult an attorney, their insurance agent,and other business advisors.

Landowners who allow huntersaccess to their property for paymay subject themselves to liabili-

ty risks that deserve special attention.Many landowners are concerned aboutmaking themselves vulnerable to liabili-ty lawsuits. To reduce their liabilityexposure, landowners must simply exer-cise what is considered reasonable carefor all visitors. Reasonable care varieswith the circumstances involved. Evenwhen all precautions have beenobserved, prudent landowners may findthey still need “layers” of specific liabili-ty protection.

Liability and NegligenceNegligence must be proven in order

for the landowner to be held liable for apersonal loss or injury. A landowner willmost frequently be held liable for lossesor injuries that occur as a result of his orher gross negligence or willful miscon-duct. An example of willful misconductis the setting of traps aimed at harmingtrespassers. In the absence of any inten-tional wrongdoing, in order for thelandowner to be held liable, it must beproved that he did not exercise the rea-sonable care to prevent injury that isexpected under the law.

Common law (the body of case lawdeveloped in England and adopted inAlabama) established principles inwhich the degree of care expected of alandowner is dependent upon the classi-fication of visitors as either trespassers,licensees, or invitees.

Trespasser—A trespasser enters landuninvited and without any right to bethere. Common law holds that alandowner is liable only for injuries totrespassers that result from gross negli-gence or willful misconduct. In

Alabama, all hunters must possess writ-ten permission from the landowner tohunt on his or her land.

Licensee—A licensee enters propertywith permission from the landowner. Thelandowner does not require the licenseeto pay a fee for access. Under commonlaw, in addition to the duties owed a tres-passer, the landowner has the furtherduty to warn licensees of hidden dangerscontained within his or her property.

Invitee—An invitee enters land forthe benefit of the landowner as well asfor personal benefit and is required topay a “consideration” (fee or service) tothe landowner in exchange for access.Common law establishes that, for aninvitee, a landowner must inspect theproperty for hidden dangers and eitherremove them or give adequate warningof their presence if they are not alreadyobvious to a reasonable observer.Hunters who pay for the right to hunt areconsidered invitees.

Reducing Liability ExposureLiability lawsuits brought against pri-

vate landowners for negligence involvinghunting accidents are not common. But,reasonable landowners do not want acci-dents to occur, whether or not they maybe held liable. The following suggestedsteps should reduce liability exposure byproviding layers of protection for fee-hunting operations on private lands.

Safe Premises—Inspect the propertyand note in writing all potentially haz-ardous situations. Give each guest a mapof the property. Take the time to markand point out all boundaries and haz-ardous conditions.

Written Rules—Supply each user witha set of regulations that are aimed at pre-venting accidents and protecting theproperty. Have the guest sign a copy ofthe rules stating that he or she has readthem.

Written Release—Each guest shouldsign a written statement stipulating thathe or she holds the landowner innocentof any responsibility before using thepremises.

Liability Insurance—Hunting clubs

can obtain liability insurance for theirmembers at reasonable costs.Landowners may be listed as additionalinsured parties on most policies. Thiscoverage protects both the landownerand the hunting group should either befound guilty of negligence. The hunterspay for this insurance. If a landownerwishes to require this kind of insurance,it should be clearly stated in the lease.

Owners’, landlords’ and tenants’(OL&T) policies which cover recreation-al enterprises are available through someinsurance companies. Prices and cover-age vary according to individual situa-tions. OL&T policies for hunting enter-prises may also be added on to existingfarm policies. Other sources for huntingliability insurance are:

Each liability situation is different. Ifyou have any special concerns or prob-lems with your liability exposure, con-tact an attorney.

Wildlife ManagementIn order to stay in business and to

perpetuate opportunities for quality hunt-ing experiences, the landowners and


Landowner Liability in Fee-Hunting Enterprises

The Southeastern WildlifeFederationP. O. Box 1109Montgomery, AL 361021-800-822-9453www.alawild.org/southea.htm

The Alabama Forest Owners’AssociationP. O. Box 361434Birmingham, AL 35236(205)987-8811www.alabamaforestowners.com

The National Rifle Associationof AmericaAttn: Membership11250 Waples Mill Rd.Fairfax, VA 220301-800-672-3888www.nrahq.org/givejoinhelp/membership/benefits.asp

River Birch

Rive

Alabama’s TREASURED Forests513 Madison AvenueP.O. Box 302550Montgomery, Alabama 36130-2550

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

PRESORTED STANDARD

U.S. POSTAGE PAIDMONTGOMERY AL

PERMIT NO 109

River birch (Betula nigra)is the only birch commonin the South. As its name

suggests, this tree is found near runningwater, along the edges of slow-movingrivers and in old nearby fields. It cangrow to a respectable size and largertrees are often seen leaning over astream.

Also called red birch, black birch orwater birch, this tree is native to theEastern United States, south to Florida,north to Minnesota and west to Kansas.It can grow from 40 to 80 feet tall and15 to 30 inches in diameter. It growsupright and open with graceful droopingstems.

The red-brown, deeply furrowed barkon an old trunk breaks into raggedscales; the upper trunk and branches aresmooth, salmon pink to rose cinnamon

with a metallic luster. The leaves arealternate, simple, ovate, 1-3 inches longwith a serrated margin, sometimes withshallow lobes. The color is green aboveand whitish underneath. The leaves turndull yellow in autumn.

Flowers are catkins, 2-3 inches long.The tree’s fruit matures in the late springor early summer. It is the only spring-fruiting birch. Its young twigs, buds, andfoliage are browsed by white-tailed deerand the seeds are eaten by turkeys andother small birds.

Its wood is light, medium hard,strong, close-grained, light brown withpale sapwood. It is used for fuel andoccasionally for inexpensive furniture,basket hoops, woodenware and turnedarticles.

The fast-growing river birch has valuein erosion control and as an ornamentaland street tree. It is fairly resistant to dis-ease and insect attack but is short lived.

The national champion river birch is90 feet high, 188 inches in circumfer-ence with a 100-foot average crownspread. It grows in Lawrence County,Tennessee.

The Alabama state champion is 111feet high, 158.4 inches in circumferencewith a 95.7-foot average crown spread. Itgrows in Lamar County.

River BirchBy COLEEN VANSANT, Information Specialist, Alabama Forestry Commission, Cullman

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