december 2013 - north carolina forestry association

NORTH CAROLINA FORESTRY ASSOCIATION �DECEMBER 2013

Newsletter of the North Carolina Forestry Association

TreeLinencfa leader to leave at end of 20�3 for new opportunity

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(continued on page 6)

growing chestnut trees and hope in western north carolina

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MeMbers can sign up today at www.ncforestry.org

at ctw forest products, no reservations are required in business plan

CFA Executive Vice President, Bob Schaefer, will be stepping down from his position with the NCFA at the

end of 2013 to pursue a new career opportunity with Olympic Industries.

Schaefer was named the NCFA’s leader in January of 2013 and led the association’s legislative efforts this past year, including the support of North Carolina forest products through House Bill 628 and maintaining the existing tax exemption for logging equipment. He also guided an effort to update the association’s membership categories.

“I am truly grateful for the opportunity to serve the NCFA membership,” stated Schaefer. “I appreciate all of the work our membership and staff have put into making some constructive changes to

our organization, including a new dues structure which should position our association for success in the future. While there is still work to be done, our association is prepared to meet the coming challenges that are sure to be on the horizon. I plan on being an active supporter of the NCFA in my new role.”

Schaefer, a past NCFA President, has over 30 plus years in the forest products industry with Weyerhaeuser and Willamette prior to his appointment with the NCFA. He is a graduate of the University of Kentucky with a bachelor’s degree in Forestry. In addition to his years on the NCFA’s Executive Committee, Schaefer has been strong supporter of the Friends of Forestry Political Action Committee.

T h e N C F A ’ s Executive Committee is already scheduled to meet on December 10-11th in Raleigh to finalize the association’s budget proposal for the NCFA’s Board of Directors to review and approve at its January meeting. The Executive Committee will now also discuss how the association will move forward in the short and long term in regards to its staff. n

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orking with others, the U.S. Forest Service may be one step closer to restoring the

American chestnut tree to the mountains of western North Carolina.

Beginning in 2009, agency researchers and partners planted close to 1,000 potentially blight-resistant American chestnut trees in the Nantahala National Forest in North Carolina, as well as in national forests in Tennessee and Virginia. Two additional plantings were established in Tennessee and Virginia a year later. The goal is to test their resistance to Chestnut blight.

Since then, more than 80 percent of the American chestnut backcross hybrid saplings planted in the three national forests have survived. Most of the trees are healthy, growing steadily and showing differing levels of resistance so far, which is encouraging for the hopeful people working to return the tree to its native range.

As they enter their fifth year, the once-young seedlings have reached an average

By Ryan Johnson, Intern with National Forests in North Carolina,U.S. Forest Service

A University of Tennessee research technician measures a chestnut tree planted in 2011.

Bob Schaefer

(l-r) North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler and Bob Schaefer

at Forestry Day in the Legislature in 2013.

(l-r) Wayne Cale and Ben Twiddy started CTW Forest Products in 2004.

hen Wayne Cale and Ben Twiddy first decided to leave their district manager

positions with Tigercat and create a new logging company, CTW Forest Products, the duo spent little time contemplating risks of their new business venture. After all, most loggers grow up in the logging business, but not these two. They had zero logging experience! Did this reality generate any anxiety or reservations?

“Not enough reservations, unfortunately, because here we are,” stated Wayne Cale with a laugh.

Prior to forming CTW Forest Products, Wayne Cale had graduated from Pitt Tech Community College as a machinist and then from Central Carolina Community College in Sanford as a tool and die maker. He worked for Albermarle Forest Products in Edenton for six years after graduating from Central in 1990.

Ben Twiddy grew up on a farm in Eastern North Carolina. After earning an Agriculture Business Management degree from North Carolina State University in 1993, he went to work for Perdue Farms for five years.

Interestingly enough, both men grew up less than 20 miles apart from each other, but they did not know each other until they both

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joined Tigercat. Cale joined the company in 1996 and Twiddy went to work for Tigercat in 1998.

In 2004, Cale and Twiddy decided that they would like to form their own forest products company despite their lack of personal experience as logging professionals.

“We both were working for Tigercat as (continued on page 4)

NORTH CAROLINA FORESTRY ASSOCIATION 2DECEMBER 2013

Ashley FairclothChairman of the BoardAllen PlasterPresidentRay AllenPresident Elect-TreasurerFrank RackleyFirst Vice PresidentJim DurhamEastern Vice President

20�3 executive committeeBernard RosePiedmont Vice PresidentFred HardinWestern Vice PresidentMichael WaltersChairman of the BoardForestry Mutual Insurance Bob SchaeferExecutive Vice President

20�3 board of directors

TreeLine is the monthly newsletter of the North Carolina Forestry Association. News items and photographs should be sent to Chris Brown at [email protected].

The NCFA, the state’s oldest forest conservation organization, is a private, nonprofit partnership of forest managers, landowners, mill operators, loggers, furniture manufacturers and others that actively promote healthy, productive forests by supporting the efforts of landowners and forestry-related businesses and organizations that responsibly manage or use forests.

NCFA, 1600 Glenwood Ave., Suite I, Raleigh, NC 27608. Telephone (919) 834-3943 or (800) 231-7723. n

do you have a news item?

politics

Allen, RayAshcraft, DavidBardon, BobBatts, DwightBeasley, DianneBissette, ScottCain, KennyCorey, BillyCulp, JohnDavis, Joel HenryDecker, Greg Doster, TonyDurham, JimEvans, JoeFaircloth, AshleyGraham, TedGray, JohnGray, JimHanks, Jeff Hardin, FredHazel, DennisHendrix, DavidHenson, SteveHoward, BradHulka, BryanHull, MauriceHunt, PerryInman, TomJackson, JimmyKenley, Charles

Lassiter, TomLin, KennethListerman, EdLogan, ChrisLong, JimLumpkin, ParkerMarshburn, CharlieMcCollum, KeithMcLaurin, BoydNewcomb, StephenOverbey, BillOwen, WibPate, GregPhillips, RonPlaster, AllenRackley, FrankRaynor, FayRicks, RiddickRose, BernardShaffer, RodneySnyder, WilliamStuart, KenTeel, JaimeThompson, MarshallThrash, DaleVollinger, Mark Walters, MichaelWatzin, MaryWiseman, Mark

forest roads issue heats up as farm bill starts to make progress in washington

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hardwood checkoff rule published: comment period now open until january �3, 20�4

n November, the USDA published the proposed rule for the Hardwood Lumber and Hardwood Plywood Promotion, Research and Information

Order in the Federal Registry on November 13, 2013. The rule would create a new program, which is commonly referred to as the Hardwood Checkoff, that would be funded by an assessment on hardwood lumber manufacturers and hardwood plywood manufacturers.

The program would be administered by a board of industry members selected by the Secretary of Agriculture. The mandatory assessment rates will vary based on the product being manufactured. The goal of the program is to strengthen the position of hardwood lumber and plywood in the marketplace.

It is worth noting that there will be a referendum held among all eligible hardwood manufacturers and hardwood plywood manufacturers to determine whether they support the program prior to the conclusion of the comment period. The comment period for the public on the rule is 60 days (November 13, 2013 - January 13, 2014).

The official rule can be found online at http://www.ncforestry.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/PDF-OF-FEDERAL-REGISTER.pdf.

Comments can be submitted online at this address: http://www.regulations.gov/#!home or by fax at (202) 205-2800.

NCFA members can also these links directly off of the NCFA’s website, www.ncforestry.org, under the latest issues button.

Mailed comments can be addressed to the Promotion and Economics Division, Fruit and Vegetable Program, AMS, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Room 1406-S, Stop 0244, Washington, DC 20250-0244.

If you have any further questions on this issue, please contact Bob Schaefer at (800) 231-7723 ext. 5 or at [email protected]. n

he Forest Roads issue continues to be debated at the district court level out west and on the legislative level in Washington, D.C. as part of stand alone legislation and a as forestry provision

in the proposed Farm Bill. In the courts, the issue remains in a holding pattern as both sides are trying to convince the district

court to take the case in different directions. Forestry interests would like to see the case dismissed. The NEDC would like more time to amend their complaint and pursue the case. The district court is meeting with both parties the second week in December.

In terms of the Farm Bill, there was good progress made on the Farm Bill as a whole. Unfortunately for forestry interests, the first attack on the forestry provision was made as the EPA expressed concern and is seeking to add an amendment to basically nullify the provision. Forestry interests will be seeking to reach out to both sides of the aisle to gain support for the forestry provision as it stands now.

The NCFA is one of the co-signers on a letter to Congress urging the support of the forestry provision as part of the Farm Bill. The NCFA appreciates its membership being active in this process by reaching out to their elected official and asking for there support of the forestry provision with no amendments. n

nc usfs employees recognized in atlantat the recent USFS Regional Forester’s Awards held in Atlanta, six USFS employees from western North Carolina received awards for exemplary work. Brian Southard, Rick Devore, Teresa Moss,

Mike Wilkins and Andy Brinkley teamed up to earn the Law Enforcement and Investigations Award for their efforts with the Operation Something Bruin Team. Terry Eller earned the Creating a Safety Learning Culture Award for his work with the Regional Risk Assessment Cadre - Region 8.

Operation Something Bruin is a long-term covert investigation and successful prosecution of illegal bear poaching. This year, state and federal wildlife officials in North Carolina and Georgia announced the success of the undercover operation that involved about 80 wildlife violators and some 980 violations. Primary violations documented by Operation Something Bruin stemmed from illegal bear hunting, but included an array of state wildlife and game law charges.

The “Creating a Safety Learning Culture” group award was presented to members of the Regional Risk Assessment Cadre - Region 8 for their work in addressing this major safety issue. The Cadre conducted a thorough risk assessment, engaged partners, and worked with other experts to find solutions to the problem. The end result will help protect bulldozer operators and firefighters during wildfire operations into the future. n

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egistration for the Sustainable Forestry Teachers’ Academies that will be held once again in Asheville and New Bern in 2014 is now open. The Mountain Academy (Asheville) will take

place on June 16-20, 2014 and the Coastal Academy (New Bern) will take place on June 23-27, 2014. Each Academy will host up to 35 educators representing a wide range of age levels. The program is free for the educators, but a deposit is required to secure a spot. The deposit is refunded upon arrival.

Background information on the program and how to register for the Academy can be found online at http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/forestry/educational_opportunities/teachers_academy/.

The Academies are facilitated by NCSU Forestry & Environmental Outreach Program and NCSU Extension Forestry with financial support from the North Carolina Sustainable Forestry Initiative State Implementation Committee, the North Carolina Forestry Association, and several NCFA member companies that serve as hosts of tours of their facilities during the Academies. n

registration for 20�4 sustainable forestry teachers’ academy is now open

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Teachers have the chance to visit forest products facilities as part of the Sustainable Forestry Teachers’ Academies.

Congratulations to Les Hunter, NCFS Stewardship Coordinator, on being awarded the 2013 Presidential Field Forester Award. Hunter was one of just nine recipients of this prestigious award in the nation. Hunter was presented with the award at the Society of American Foresters National Convention in Charleston, SC, in October by National SAF President Joann Cox.

ric Smith, a Safety Consultant II with the North Carolina Department of Labor, has provided the following

information after sharing it with the members of the NCFA’s Safety, Logging and Transportation Committee in November.

The new Hazard Communication-Globally Harmonized System program has certain requirements in regards to employee training. You can go online to see the program at: https://www.osha.gov/dsg/hazcom/index.html.

Employers must train employees by 12/1/2013 on the new labeling system requirements and SDS elements. Right now, there are free webinars through the Department of Labor’s ETTA Bureau providing “Hazard Communication 2013 Training” which can be found online at: https://www.dol.communications.its.state.nc.us/osh/etta/class_regist/calendar.cfm.

At press time, two of the three courses are full. Employers impacted by this requirement should check out the website to find any free safety webinars that may be offered on this subject through the Department of Labor.

Questions? Contact Eric at [email protected] or at (919) 709-4372. Thanks to Eric for sharing this valuable information with our membership. n

prologgersnew hazard communication system program

has mandatory training for employees E

(left) Eric Smith with the North Carolina Department of Labor addresses ProLoggers

during a base class held in Williamston.

he North Carolina Sustainable Forestry Initiative State Implementation Committee met at the NCFA’s

office in Raleigh this past Wednesday. The committee approved its new budget for 2014, which includes its $100,000 grant program. The NCFA’s education programs and the North Carolina Tree Farm Program’s outreach efforts were among the recipients of this year’s grant program.

The committee also discussed updates to the NCFA’s ProLogger Program that are currently being jointly reviewed by the NCFA staff, the NC SFI SIC and the Safety, Logging and Transportation Committee. The goal of this review is to make some revisions to the operations of the program. One suggestion has been to simply the two deadlines for the education

requirement and the payment of dues to just one date, June 30th, for both.

This and other recommendations will be discussed in the coming weeks by an education subcommittee made up from representatives from both committees and reported on at the NCFA Board of Directors Meeting to be held in January.

The committee also had a special guest, Melissa Moeller from the American Forest Foundation. She updated the committee on a new campaign the AFF is starting which is entitled, Wood: A Better Way to Build. The campaign will be customized for selected states, including North Carolina.

Along with promotional materials, Moller highlighted a video that can be found online at: https://www.forestfoundation.org/wood-a-better-way-to-build.

The committee’s next meeting is still waiting to be finalized. It will be in January a day after the NCFA’s Board of Directors meeting at the North Carolina Farm Bureau. n

nc sfi sic wraps up 20�3 with meeting at ncfa office

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he NCFA’s Safety, Logging and Transportation Committee (SLTC) concluded 2013 with a meeting

in November at the Drake Landing Sporting Clays complex in Fuquay-Varina, NC.

The committee reviewed several education initiatives for the ProLogger program. Topics included the roll out of Module 14 and potential topics for Module 15. The committee also heard reports from the Department of Labor, the North Carolina Forest Service, and the North Carolina Association of Professional Loggers before breaking for lunch and then heading to the range.

While there was no formal competition, rumor has it that Forestry Mutual’s President Keith Biggs showed the folks in attendance that he can shoot! n

sltc ends year at drake landing complex T

(l-r) Keith McCollum, Jack Swanner and Keith Biggs at the Mid-Atlantic Logging Expo. SLTC members

volunteer to staff the Expo.


prologgersmodule �4 schedule up and running

he NCFA’s ProLogger continuing education element training, Module 14, is now being shown throughout

the state. Module 14 details four topics in the two hour program, including Rutting, Emergency Plans, Overhead Hazards and Technology. The NCFA would like to thank all the ProLoggers and training partners who participating in the making of this module.

as a reminder, prologgers must take Module 14 by june 30, 20�4 to remain in the program. Any ProLogger who fails to take Module 14 by this deadline will be removed from the program and will have to take the base course over again to re-enter the program. ProLogger dues must be paid to the NCFA by July 31, 2014. Failure to pay dues will also disqualify a ProLogger from the program. A complete list of classes will be highlighted in this newsletter, on our website, and as part of our weekly e-mail newsletter. n

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CTW Forest Products...(from page 1)

district managers,” explained Cale. “Ben had South Carolina and parts of Georgia. I had North Carolina and Virginia. We worked closely with our Tigercat dealers. We would take care of any of their needs – sales, service, and just try to help grow Tigercat.”

The positions not only supported the growth of Tigercat, but the two district managers also got an up close look at the forest products industry from the outside in – a trait that both Twiddy and Cale have kept throughout the management of their company, especially when it comes to their excellent safety program.

“It gave us a lot of experience with all different types of logging crews and different regions pretty quickly,” conceded Twiddy. “Hardwood, swamp shovel logging, first thinning, fuel chipping jobs, clean chipping jobs. We saw it all. We were on different logging jobs every day. We got to see a lot and learn a lot from what other people were doing.”

Pressed on how they came up with the idea of forming their own company, and specifically on whether it was a thought process or just came to them as a vision, Cale injected some humor into the conversation.

“It must have been around Halloween at the time,” explained Cale with a smile. “It wasn’t a vision. It was more like a nightmare.”

In truth, Cale and Twiddy had spent considerable time working with Jimmy Witherspoon, a prominent logger and business entrepreneur in South Carolina, who ran a large logging operation and a sawmill. With the financial support of Witherspoon, Cale and Twiddy formed CTW Forest Products and struck out on their own. Cale and Twiddy fully acknowledge that Witherspoon’s support was the dominating factor in their ability to strike out on their own.

“I am not sure what his incentive was,” explained Twiddy. “He just wanted to help us out. He knew we worked hard and did what we said we would do when we were at Tigercat. He just likes to grow businesses.”

For Twiddy and Cale, CTW Forest Products was the opportunity to apply what they had learned over the years in the woods. They liked Witherspoon’s business model and thought it was something they could recreate back near their old hometowns located close to Windsor, North Carolina.

“One of the reasons we made the change from working for Tigercat, which is an outstanding organization with great people and great equipment, is that we did spend a fair amount on the road traveling,” explained Twiddy.

Twiddy and his wife, Sarah, have three children and reside in Edenton, North Carolina, while Cale and his wife, Alissa, have two children and live in Roper, North Carolina.

From the outset, Twiddy and Cale envisioned a specific niche – specialty hardwood lumber - that they believed they could fill in the marketplace. They constructed their own sawmill that Cale would direct while Twiddy would run the six-man logging crew. In total, there were 35 employees at CTW Forest Products counting the sawmill, woodyard and office staff.

“We started with a very small, kind of a niche hardwood shovel job,” stated Twiddy. “We tried to focus mainly on Cypress. We were primarily swamp logging to get Cypress pulpwood and Cypress logs for our own mill and our

own mulch yard.”Initially, CTW was making its mark as a small producer

of specialty lumber, supplying the housing marketplace. Market pressures soon began to impact their business plan as the economy began to sag into a recession. When the local paper mill, which had been the top purchaser for CTW’s pulpwood, switched over to exclusive use of softwood, the red flags begin to go up in Twiddy’s and Cale’s minds. As the housing market continued to swoon, the partners realized that they might have to switch gears to survive.

“It was no great foresight on our part,” explained Twiddy. “We just saw what was happening around us and began to realize that we were too small to compete in the lumber market.”

In 2009, Cale and Twiddy decided to get out of the sawmill business and focus on their logging operations. And since they were not in need of Cypress specific lumber, they converted their swamp logging crew into two pine cutting crews.

Today, CTW Forest Products continues to make the necessary investments and changes in their business model to stay successful. The company runs two crews and has a total of 17 employees and maintains 13 contract trucks. Cale and Twiddy became the sole owners in CTW by purchasing the ownership shares from Witherspoon just last year. They


Quite a fire extinguisher! NC Department of Labor’s Leighton Dowdle has some fun with the inspection segment of the ProLogger Field Day, pretending the participating ProLogger, who

obviously was in on the joke, had a water bottle to serve as a fire extinguisher. While final dates have not been set yet, there will be at least two base classes held in 2014.


have retooled their crews to compete in today’s marketplace by investing in new, low ground pressure equipment that is requested by their main customer, Forest Investments Associates, which manages forests that were once owned by International Paper.

The clear cut crew employs six different pieces of equipment to meet its weekly workload, including a 2007 822 Tigercat Fellerbuncher; a 2006 625 Tigercat Bogie Tractor; a 2009 E620C Tigercat Skidder; a 2012 T234 Tigercat Loader with a 2006 CSI 3000 Delimber; a 2013 Tigercat 234 Loader; and a 1981 John Deere Motor Grader.

The thinning crew relies on a 2011 Tigercat 720 E with 5600 bunching head; a 2012 848 John Deere Skidder, a 2008 848 John Deere Skidder (backup); and a 2007 John Deere 437C Loader.

On the woodyard in Windsor, CTW maintains two more Tigercat track loaders, a Tigercat Shovel, a John Deere Wheel Loader, a Tub grinder, and two more delimbers.

“What we are doing today is absolutely nothing of what we started with almost ten years ago,” stated Twiddy. “It has evolved and changed constantly.”

The one thing that has not changed is the positive relationship between Cale and Twiddy. In the company’s various structures over the years, the two partners have always kept distinct roles which both believe has been a source of their harmony over the past 10 years.

“Ben and I get along great,” explained Cale. “We call it life partners. We are just in it. You deal with it. It’s just like being married. If there is a bump in the road you just have to deal with it and that’s what we do.”

Twiddy believes the shared perspectives and goal for the company as being extremely important to the success of the company and the strength of the partners’ relationship.

“It helps that we have the same goals, the same objectives, and that is to grow the business and be as successful as we can,” stated Twiddy. “And, there is no doubt in my mind that if something happened and we had to work Saturday and Sunday this week, I’d be here and so would Wayne. “

The name of the game for Cale and Twiddy these days is production. The company strives to put the newest equipment in the woods to maximize on the efficiencies in order to rack up the tons at the scale house. This is not an easy task considering the rising costs of new equipment and the hours of service the equipment performs on an annual basis.

“Just in the years we have been doing this, skidders have gone from a little over 200,000 to just under 300,000,” explains Twiddy. “Now, it’s a bigger skidder with a bigger grapple, but it’s still a lot of money.”

On his one c l e a r c u t t i n g c r e w a l o n e , Twiddy guesses t h a t i t w o u l d take a couple of millions dollars to replace all of the equipment. In addit ion to the costs of new e q u i p m e n t , Twiddy estimates that he runs his equipment some 2,200 hours a year, which brings up maintenance costs as well and in the end, speeds up the replacement time frame. But, to meet his contract, his crews have to put in the hours

each week. “We have to run a lot of production every day and every week to keep the

balls rolling,” stated Twiddy. “We cannot afford equipment breakdowns because when a piece of equipment breaks down, we have repair bills, we have a man that is stopped, and we have slowed production down. We have to run hard all the time.”

When Twiddy says his crews run hard, he also expects his teams to be running safe at the same time. In 2012, CTW Forest Products was named Forestry Mutual Insurance Company’s Loggers of the Year for their outstanding safety record. Going back to their days as Tigercat employees where they spent a lot of time in the woods looking at loggers from the outside, Cale and Twiddy believe it is important to constantly review their daily procedures and practices.

“I have always tried to look from the outside at what that person was doing and remind him to watch out for this or watch out for that,” explained Cale. “We don’t want anybody to get hurt for any reason. No load is worth that.”

One safety practice employed by CTW is the fact that the company does not put a man on the ground in the woods. It relies on fully mechanized crews. The one man who is on the ground, a pole saw cutter, is placed at the main entrance of a job site.

Another safety policy utilized by CTW is maintaining some redundancy on the crews so Twiddy and/or Cale are not running equipment. There are times where one or both will have to step in to fill a vacancy in the lineup for a day or two, but for the most part, the partners prefer to supervise the jobs. For CTW, proper supervision translates into a safer workplace.

“Ben and I try not to run machines,” stated Cale. “I feel like if you are running a machine all the time, you can miss some stuff or get distracted.”

Another important element of CTW’s impressive safety record is the quality and longevity of the employees that make up the company’s two crews. Five of the crew members have been with the company since its founding.

“We have good people,” explained Twiddy. “We were fortunate to get some good, experienced people when we started that had been working on logging jobs all their lives. And thankfully, they are still with us.”

In the latest twist of changes for CTW, Wayne Cale returned to work for Tigercat in his old territory a few months ago, but that does not keep him from checking in with his partner on a regular basis.

The recent uptick in the demand for fiber in North Carolina certainly has provided some optimism for both Cale and Twiddy. They are pleased to see new companies such as Enviva making an investment in North Carolina. They, like many of their fellow loggers, hope the trend will translate into a stable marketplace that has the ability to reward their efforts in the woods. But unlike when they got started, Cale and Twiddy are much more likely to take a cautious approach to the industry this time around.

“I know every business should have five-year goals and three-year goals,” explained Twiddy. “And we have five-year and three-year dreams, and plenty of four-year payments, but I would just be blowing smoke if I tried to make a prediction. In the last ten years, nothing has been the same. It’s a constant evolution. It always will be.” n

CTW Forest Products...(from page 4)

Two loaders work the deck for CTW Forest Products to keep the trucks rolling. This crew produces 100 loads a week.

CTW Crew member Julio Morales poses in front of a skidder equipped with double tires. CTW clear cutting crew is a low ground pressure

equipment that helps the crew work in wet conditions without negatively impacting soil or water quality.


he North Carolina Tree Farm Program’s

2013 Annual Meeting took place in early November on the Tree Farm of Dwight and Judy Batts. The Batts were tremendous hosts as over 150 participants enjoyed an in depth look at the Tree Farm and learned about the history of the Batts Family Farm/Tree Farm.

The Annual Meeting got underway early in the morning at the Wilson C o u n t y A g r i c u l t u r a l Building with a brief business meeting and the presentation of several awards.

The business meeting reviewed the growth of the NC Tree Farm membership and highlighted its newly acquired 501 c3 tax status. The new status allows NC Tree Farm to accept direct donations from individuals as charitable donations.

There was also a changing of the guard in the leadership for the Tree Farm Program. Jim Long, who had been serving as the Tree Farm Chair, stepped down, but before he did, Long, a former judge, presented his successor, David Henderson, with a personally crafted gavel! Henderson is a long-time Tree Farm Inspector and is a consulting forester.

Other awards included: Mark Bost was selected as the Tree Farm Inspector of the Year. Jim Long was presented with the NC Tree Farm’s Distinguished Service Award.

The highlight of the morning program was the announcement of the 2013 North Carolina Tree Farmer of the Year Award which was bestowed upon Eugene Brown of Northampton County.

The tour of the Batts Farm included

corner landowners’ height of eight feet and overcome what Forest Service scientist Stacy Clark, Ph.

D., calls “planting shock” by developing a strong root system and adapting to their new environment. Clark, a researcher with the agency’s Southern Research station, oversees the project.

Before the introduction of the Chestnut blight in the early 20th century, American chestnut trees dominated forests of the eastern United States. Known as the “Redwood of the East,” the tree often reached towering heights of 150 feet. Experts estimate that at one time, one in every four hardwood trees in the East was an American chestnut.

“The chestnut was important for both the forest ecosystem and human use for several reasons,” said Forest Service Geneticist Barbara Crane, Ph. D., based in Atlanta, GA. “Its nuts were a valuable food source for both animals and people. It was resistant to most diseases and wood rot, and its wood was easy to work with for loggers.”

By the 1950s, the blight had killed billions of trees and left the species virtually non-existent. Today, any chestnuts found in the Eastern forests never grow beyond a few feet tall and rarely flower. Chestnut trees have reached a “genetic dead-end” in the United States because of their inability to reproduce.

“One level of success is to develop a tree that will survive long enough to naturally pollinate and reproduce,” said Burhans, president of The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF).

Since the early 1980s, TACF has worked to restore the trees to Eastern forests through the development of a blight-resistant backcross hybrid. The foundation has used traditional backcrossing methods to produce a tree that is an American chestnut and blight-resistant Chinese chestnut backcross hybrid. The seedlings are 94 percent American chestnut and carry the gene for blight resistance. Of the American chestnut trees planted in three national forests, half were backcross hybrids and half were native chestnut trees.

The trees were planted through a collaborative effort between the Forest Service, TACF and the University of Tennessee. In 2004, the Forest Service signed a Memorandum of Understanding with TACF, designating the Forest Service as the “most favored recipient” of the TACF’s chestnut material, and the resulting seedlings are to be incorporated into management activities on National Forest System lands. The University of Tennessee’s Tree Improvement Program provides the necessary infrastructure for Forest Service scientists to implement nursery and field studies of chestnut material.

The Forest Service has played an important role in restoring the American chestnut through funding and expertise, as well as allocating land usage.

“The Forest Service and its scientists work with TACF on a number of different levels, in the field and with planning and monitoring,” said Bryan Burhans. “There are all kinds of ways that we have worked together.”

Burhans says he is optimistic about the future of the American chestnut hybrid, but admits that the trees planted in the three national forests face challenges in the coming years. As the trees continue to mature, their blight-resistance will be put to the test.

Meanwhile, Stacy Clark, TACF scientists and others will continue to look for conditions and other useful information that will help to return chestnuts to the East.

“There is still a lot to learn about these trees,” said Stacy Clark, “And there is a lot more work to be done in restoring the American chestnut.”

More than a hundred years ago, American chestnuts thrived in forests of the East. With ongoing refinement of the hybrid trees, collaboration by partners and hope, widespread restoration of the American chestnut may become a reality in the next one hundred years. n

Growing Chestnut Trees and Hope...(from page 1)

north carolina tree farm program hosts successful annual meeting at

batts family tree farm

here will be Longleaf Pine Workshop held in Raeford, North Carolina on

Friday, December 13, 2013 from 8:00 a.m. - 4:40 p.m. This workshop is intended to reach out to landowners in Hoke, Richmond, Scotland and Moore counties.

The workshop will start at the Raeford Presbyterian Church and then visit the Julian Johnson Farm. Representatives from several groups will be making presentations in the morning before the field tour. Costs is $10 at door. For more information, call (910) 246-0300. n

raeford to host longleaf workshopT

WORKSHOPFOR PRIVATE LANDOWNERS AND PROFESSIONALS

Friday, Dec. 13, 20138 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.Raeford Presbyterian Church, Raeford, NC

www.nwtf.org

L O N g L E A F P I N E O P P O R T u N I T I E S A N D m A N A g E m E N T

8 a.m. RegistrationNational Wild Turkey Federation

8:30 a.m. Introductions/Longleaf valuesNC Forest Service

8:45 a.m. The Legacy and Future of Longleaf PineLongleaf Alliance

9:15 a.m. Fire Ecology and WildlifeNC Wildlife Commission

9:45 a.m. Cost Share ProgramsNC Wildlife Commission, Natural Resource Conservation Service

10:15 a.m. Break, hosted by Bodenhamer Farms and Nursery10:45 a.m. Establishing Longleaf Pine

NC Forest Service

11:15 a.m. marketsJMG Consulting Forestry

11:45 a.m. Safe HarborUS Fish and Wildlife Service

12:15 p.m. Lunch — hosted by: The Nature Conservancy

Keynote SpeakersNC Forest Service NCSU Forestry Extension

1 p.m. Prepare for Tour1:20 p.m. Load vans for field tour, Julian Johnson Farm

and other stops Group

4:30 p.m. Adjourn

9131113

Eugene and Opal Brown pose with NC Tree Farm Chair Jim Long as they are presented

with the 2013 Tree Farmer of the Year Award.

(left) Steve Cox presented Mark Bost with the North Carolina Tree Farm Inspector

of the Year Award.

(left) Dave Henderson receives a new gavel from Jim Long as Henderson assumed the

leadership position for the program.

Dwight and Judy Batts pose for a photo in front of a fireplace located in an outside pavilion the family uses for family

reunions and other large gatherings. The Batts hosted the North Carolina Tree Farm Program’s Annual Meeting and

were the program’s Tree Farmers of the Year in 2012.

T



safety Alert

R

fire explosions on the rise

new MeMbers

NC Tree Farm Annual Meeting...(from page 6)

he N.C. Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Program is accepting entries for its 2014 Arbor Day Photo Contest through February

28, 2014. The theme for this year’s contest is “Young and Old” and is open to North Carolina students in fifth through 12th grades, including public, private and home schools. The contest details can be found online at http://www.ncforestservice.gov/Urban/arbor_day_photo_contest.htm.

The competition will be divided into fifth through eighth grades and ninth through 12th grades. A panel of judges will select a winner from each division and one grand prize winner.

Winners of each division will receive $50 and a tree to plant on their school grounds. The grand prize winner will receive $150, a tree to plant at school and a framed reproduction of the winning photo.

To enter, participants should download and complete an entry form, and include a caption and photographer’s statement. One photo per photographer may be entered.

Winners will be selected and notified by March 14, 2014. Prizes will be awarded at the N.C. Arbor Day celebration on March 22 in Raleigh. For more information, contact Jennifer Rall at 919-857-4849 or [email protected]. n

MEMBER CityAshley Hunt Club ....................................................... AsheboroBailey Hunt Club .......................................................PinehurstBranch Outdoors ........................................................... HudsonC & M Plumbing Hunt Club .....................................Mt. OliveCameron Management ..........................................WilmingtonJoe & George & Katherine Chockley .......................... MebaneCombat Warriors Inc............................................Wake ForestWalter Credle ............................................................. EnglehardCummings Hunt Club # 1 .............................................ParktonPhillip M & Vicki S Dougherty............................Colbert, GADavid Evans Jr ..........................................................GreenvilleGreg Freeman ................................................................WindsorLinda & George Jones Hemenway .......................Henrico, VAToye Holden ........................................................Blowing RockTommy Norris Holmes ............................................MarshvilleRobert Hunter ................................................................KinstonChristopher Jordan ..................................................Mt. GileadCharles Kane .................................................................. RaleighMagnolia Bay ............................................................... WarsawGene Pleasants .............................................................. RaleighJames Ronald Thompson .............................................. DentonToms Creek Hunting Club ............................................. DentonDaniel Wall ....................................................................GrahamWrenches Hunt Club ...............................................Greensboro

n.c. forest service announces dates for 20�4 arbor day photo contest

T

ecently, Forestry Mutual has experienced multiple burn victim accidents due to employees starting fires to produce a heat source to keep warm. At

logging sites and in shops wood burning stoves, employees are attempting to make fires without knowledge for the hazardous materials being used to start the fires. All the accidents have one contributing factor; employees trying to start fires with combustible petroleum products, such as diesel fuel and gasoline. Products such as these are have low flash points and will explode when ignited. This can cause the fuel, as well as any materials in the fire to explode back at the person starting the fire. And in some cases multiple employees have been burned.

Investigations have concluded that some employees are unaware of the low flash point associated with the newest diesel fuel. On road and off road diesel fuel now contains a product known as “Ultra Low Sulfur” (ULS) which is cleaner-burning and helps improve air quality by significantly reducing emissions. However, the flash point of this new ULS is far lower than conventional diesel fuel. If an employee throws it on a fire, it will “flash” or explode just like gasoline. Employees need to be aware that Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD) poses a greater static ignition hazard than earlier diesel and must not be used to start fires.

So, should there have been a preventive measure in place that would have deterred the accidents from occurring? According to OSHA standards; that answer is YES! Because employers are responsible for identifying all known hazards at the job site or workplace. And employers are required by law to train your employees and make them knowledgeable of those hazards. Also, you should make a list of all major fire hazards, potential ignition sources, and fire protection equipment needed at the work site. As an employer, you stand alone when it comes to ensuring the safety of all your employees.

As an employer, if you allow fires consider the following: On an average day, over 200 fires occur in the workplaces. Annually, those fires kill 200 workers, and injure over 5,000 more.Fires cost owners or corporations well over $2 billion.

An employer must inform employees upon initial assignment to a job of the fire hazards. If their job includes working around fires or starting fires, the employer has the responsibility to properly train those employees. Or if employers do not allow fires at work sites or the workplace, it is their responsibility to have a policy restricting any types of fires. Whichever the case, it is ultimately the employer’s responsibility to ensure the safety and welfare of all employees during the work day. Forestry Mutual strongly recommends that employers evaluate their work sites to determine if starting fires is being done safely or being started correctly. n

Jimmy McCranney, Forestry Mutual Insurance Company

several stops, highlighting different age management on the farm, a historical segment on the farm, p o n d m a n a g e m e n t section, and a review of some of the different practices employed on the farm such as prescribed burning.

In addition, there was a special program for the participating children at the tour to build a Blue Bird box and learn more about the environment.

I f y o u h a v e a n y quest ions about the meeting or the North Carolina Tree Farm program in general, please contact Leslie McCormick at (919) 917-8646 or [email protected]

The Tree Farm workshop included a special program for children.

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

U.S. POSTAGE PAIDRaleigh, NC

Permit No. 459

North Carolina Forestry Association1600 Glenwood Ave., Suite IRaleigh, NC 27608919-834-3943 / 800-231-7723

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December 201310-11 Executive Committee Meeting, Raleigh, NC 25-26 Christmas Holiday

december 2013 - north carolina forestry association

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