History of the Georgia Forestry Commission
Forests have been important to Georgians since General
Oglethorpe landed in 1733 on the shoreline of what is now Savannah.
Colonial records are limited, but some valued references to forests exist.
The state was then covered with forests of pines and hardwoods.
Timber was quickly recognized as a great source of
revenue. The 1870 census showed that timber was already becoming a
profitable industry for Georgia with the annual timber value rising from
$2.4 million to more than $4.0 million in that decade. By 1880, Georgia
ranked first in the South in total lumber production and was second only
to North Carolina in number of sawmills. A 1901 Georgia Department of
Agriculture Report revealed that pine timberland, which could be bought
for 50 cents to $1.50 an acre a few years before, was now selling for no
less than $4.00 to $8.00 an acre.
1
With virtually no regard for conservation, early
settlers simply cleared forestlands, cultivated an area for a few years,
then abandoned their fields for freshly cleared lands
.2Many of these abandoned areas eventually became wooded again through
natural reforestation, but there was no organized forest management effort
until the American Forestry Association originated in 1875. It was
organized for the "protection, propagation, and the planting of
useful trees."
3
Ten years later, the American Forestry Association
merged with the American Forestry Congress (founded in 1882). A second
merger was completed in 1888 when it joined with the Southern Forestry
Congress at an Atlanta meeting.
Desire for forest protection led to the establishment
of state forestry departments in every southern state. Meetings of the
Southern Forestry Congress were held annually, just prior to the meetings
of the General Assemblies, usually in the state with the best chance of
passing forestry legislation. As a result, the Georgia Assembly passed the
Forestry Act of 1921, providing for a State Board of Forestry.
The major Board responsibilities was to make recommendations to the Georgia General Assembly."
4Members of this Board were: Bonnell Stone, an industrial forester with the
Pfister-Vogel Lumber Company; Dr. S.W. McCallie, a State Geologist; and
H.G. Spahr of Atlanta.
The Board made its report to the 1922 General Assembly
in accordance with the Forestry Act of 1921. The report focused on the
economic importance of forests to Georgia and potential threats posed by a
lack of conservation practices. Statistics revealed less than
one-twentieth of the original virgin forests of the State remained.
Wood-using industries rapidly became dependent on second growth timber or
lumber imported from other states.
5
The report also showed declining timber harvests, the
waning naval stores industry, increasing soil erosion, and rising state
unemployment resulting from forest depletion.
In conclusion, the report proposed a statutory state
board of forestry to be supported by state license taxes from forest
industries. This bill failed to become law.
The Southern Forestry Congress then concentrated
efforts on organizing a state forestry association. The Georgia Forestry
Association, originally established in 1907 by Alfred Ackerman, was
reorganized in 1922 and Bonnell Stone was elected president. Also, in
1922, Walker Nursery was named for the late Governor Clifford Mitchell
Walker, who took office in 1922. Governor Walker was instrumental in
forming the first Forestry Board for the State of Georgia.
Efforts were next focused on passage of legislation
creating a Georgia Forestry Department. The bill was signed into law on
August 14, 1925. The State Board of Forestry, created by the legislature,
consisted of the Governor, Secretary of State, State Geologist, Director
of Agricultural Extension, and five citizens appointed by the Governor
with reference to geographical location. The five citizen board members
represented lumber manufacturing, farming, and naval stores or timber
owning interests in the state.
Duties of the new agency were to:
- Survey Georgia forest conditions.
- Report to the regular Legislative Session with forestry
legislation recommendations.
- Give advice, aid, assistance, and cooperation to Georgia
landowners on request.
- Promote forest culture and preservation.
- Apply appropriate funds to:
- Prevent forest fires.
- Suppress forest fires.
- Establish fire control independently or in cooperation with
the federal government.
6. Employ a State Forester as Administrative Head, Secretary of the
Board, and custodian of
books and records.
7. Recommend to the Governor lands to be acquired and gifts of land
to be accepted as state
forests, and appoint deputy forest wardens
willing to serve without compensation.
6
The first organizational meeting was held in Atlanta on
September 25, 1925. The second meeting was held October 15, 1925, at which
Burley M. Lufburrow was offered the position of State Forester; Lufburrow
received the second forestry degree from the University of Georgia School
of Forestry. At the time of the offer, he was supervisor of the Alabama
National Forests. However, because all designated taxes collected that
year had been spent, no money was available to establish the organization.
As a result, members of the board went to the First National Bank of
Atlanta and, on their personal endorsements, borrowed $1,000 from the
bank.
Full-time personnel of the Department consisted of the
State Forester, Director of Management, Director of Education, and two
secretaries. Total area placed under protection was 980,000 acres; a total
of 34 fires was recorded on the protected area.
Office space and funds were difficult to acquire. The
State Forester's office was eventually donated by the Atlanta Chamber of
Commerce; the office remained there for one year until the Commissioner of
Agriculture provided space in the State Capitol Building. Due to lack of
funds, the State Forester worked for eight months before he received a
paycheck.
7
In 1926, the state appropriated $13,402 and the federal
government, through the Clark-McNary Act of 1924, granted $4,185.15. The
Clark-McNary Act amended the Week Law of 1911, which encouraged the states
to enter into cooperative forest-fire protection agreements with the U.S.
Forest Service. Records of 1929 showed 29 states cooperating.
With limited funds available from the federal
government, it was necessary to secure assistance from private landowners.
As a result, timber protection organizations (TPOs) were started. A TPO is
an organized group of timberland owners representing 10,000 acres or more
that is eligible for state financial aid.
8
TPO members paid forest fire insurance of two and a half to three cents
an acre per year; this fund paid patrolmen, whose duties were to prevent
and suppress forest fires. There were 14 TPOs in 1926; by 1933, there were
87 throughout the state covering some 7,000,000 acres.
During 1927 and 1928, the Department expanded to
include eight personnel and four field offices. The Department
concentrated on education and fire prevention information.
The total 1927 budget was $34,053.67, with $19,991.60
granted by the Federal Government under section two of the Clarke-McNary
Act. In 1928, the Department was granted $43,946.64 under sections two and
four of the Clarke-McNary Act for a total of $69,532.80.
Also, the University of Georgia School of Forestry and
the State Department of Forestry initiated a cooperative nursery
agreement. The first year of production was 1929; 400,000 seedlings were
grown and sold.
The Department underwent major changes in 1931.
Governor Richard B. Russell either abolished or merged the existing 117
state departments to create only 17. The State Board of Forestry became a
division within the Department of Forestry and Geological Development.
A six-member commission was in charge of the new
Department. Five members of the State Board of Forestry were named
Commission members; the sixth was named by the Governor for knowledge of
the state's mineral and natural resources. B.M. Lufburrow remained State
Forester. The Governor now had the power to appoint the State Forester.
Also, money from the federal fund was appropriated for agency operation.
Total income in 1931 was $103,600.42. In 1932, funds
were drastically reduced and forestry receipts were cut to $69,938.88.
Despite budget cuts, an important project was established that had a great
influence on the future of forestry. The State of Georgia, in 1931, was
granted a $20,000 annual appropriation to what is now called the Herty
Foundation.
The late Dr. Charles H. Herty discovered that southern
pine could be used in the manufacture of newsprint. For many years, it was
believed that southern pines produced too much oleoresin to be used for
production of white paper. Dr. Herty, however, contended gum content of
southern pine was comparable to red spruce, which was commonly used in
that capacity. Studies proved that southern pine does not produce large
quantities of gum in a normal, healthy state; gum is produced when the
tree is wounded, and then only to cover the wound.
Dr. Herty further proved that all species of pine in
the South are suitable for manufacture of newsprint; Georgia was currently
importing newsprint from Europe. The discovery that Georgia's forests
could supply enough newspaper for the entire country eased an economic
burden. By 1927, Herty's cup-and-gutter system, or some variation or
improvement of it, was ubiquitous. Second-growth longleaf and slash pine
in Georgia and Florida, again the center of industry, supplied 78 percent
of America's naval stores production. The total United States' output
earned more than fifty million dollars a year. Continued research included
the study of pine fiber and production of high quality products at low
cost.
9
The Herty Foundation is a continuation of the Savannah
Pulp and Paper Laboratory founded in 1929. Additional funds were obtained
elsewhere and operations actually began in 1932 under the direction of Dr.
Herty.
Perhaps as a direct consequence of a 1928 Forestry Fair
held in Waycross, the first fire observation tower was erected on the Ware
Hotel in Waycross, and another was erected on top of a city water supply
tank in another town. The Forestry Fair was such a success that a second
one was scheduled for Valdosta and held in 1929.
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) had a vital role
in stimulating interest in forestry from 1933 to 1934. During these years,
Georgia established more CCC camps for forestry than any other state in
the South. The CCC stimulated interest in TPOs, since the federal
government favored them when locating camps in the region; this was
because states were required to guarantee continued maintenance of CCC
work done on private lands.
Another development that had great impact on Georgia forests was the
1933 use of radio in preventing, detecting, and suppressing fires. 10 Radio use, which proved to be highly effective in fighting fires,
increased rapidly.
The first large-scale forestry survey, conducted by I.F.
Elredge in the mid-1930s, showed that Georgia had a far greater volume of
123 million cords of pine growing stock - in comparison to Alabama (91
million cords), Louisiana (53 million cords), and Mississippi (57 million
cords). The survey also revealed Georgia's pine increment-drain ratio as
the only favorable ratio in the mid-South area.
11
The Georgia Forestry Association, at its annual 1935
meeting, took the first step toward defining those who burn the woods as
"arsonists." The Association passed a resolution for "stern
treatment of those caught burning the woods."
12Convincing law enforcement representatives to regard forest destruction as
a crime was a slow process. The resolution passed was a bit optimistic,
but the process had to be started at some point.
Despite district forestry offices being reduced from
eight to four, and a total 1936 budget of only $91,000, forestry in
Georgia continued to grow by leaps and bounds. In the negative situation
of lowered funds and manpower, the Division of Forestry increased seedling
production to 5 million per year, published a monthly bulletin, assisted
TPOs in expansion, promoted exhibits, and maintained and expanded the park
system. Elmer Dyal was State Forester. Frank Heyward, Jr., and later, Don
Weddell were State Foresters in 1937.
Following another restructuring of the state
departments, the Department of Natural Resources was created on March 5,
1937. This Department was made up of four divisions: Forestry; Wildlife;
Mines, Mining and Geology; and State Parks, Historical Sites, and
Monuments. The Director of the Division of Forestry was appointed by the
Governor and confirmed by the Senate. It was specified that the Director
be a graduate of the University of Georgia School of Forestry or some
other recognized school of forestry.
The Georgia Division of Forestry estimated in 1938 that
losses due to forest fires cost the state $5,000,000 to $8,000,000
annually. Approximately $155,000 was spent that year in an effort to
protect the state's forests. Also in 1938, the federal government leased
the Waycross State Forest to the State of Georgia.
In 1939, the General Assembly passed a constitutional
amendment authorizing counties to levy a tax to pay for conservation of
natural resources and protection of forestlands. This allowed counties to
take part in organized fire control. The electorate approved this
amendment in 1940. Counties paid 60 percent, with State and federal
governments paying 40 percent.
As a result, the forestry agency was able, for the
first time, to concentrate on only a few officials in each county instead
of a relatively large number of individual landowners.
W.C. Hammerle was the State Forester from 1939 to 1940.
Walter Dyal was State Forester from 1941 to 1942.
Further changes in state departments brought about the
demise of the Department of Natural Resources in 1943. A Division of
Conservation was created under the control and management of the Governor.
There were three departments within the new division: Forestry;
Mines/Mining and Geology; and State Parks, Historical Sites, and
Monuments. The Director of the Department of Forestry was to be appointed
by the Governor, with Senate consent. The Director's term was four
years, running concurrently with the Governor's term.
J.M. Tinker was State Forester from 1943 to 1947.
The Legislature, in 1943, passed a law that made
setting fire to the woods a felony crime; minimum punishment was a one
year prison sentence. By 1944, the number of TPOs had decreased to seven,
while county protection units increased to 27. Total acreage under
protection was 6,227,519. State appropriations were $125,000 and federal
grants totaled $126,651.77.
In June 1945, an experiment was conducted to test the
feasibility of fire detection by airplane. Air patrols flew over five
counties and trucks equipped with radio receivers were stationed in Jones,
Bibb, Baldwin, Wilkinson, and Twiggs Counties. Due to lack of equipment,
communications were only one-way.
The experiment lasted six weeks and was termed a
success. Forty-three fires were detected and suppressed - with an
average time of fourteen minutes from plane report to truck arrival on the
fire scene. Air patrol was expanded on the basis of this experiment.
Counties not under organized protection were offered the opportunity of
establishing suppression unit radio receivers - at their own risk. Many
counties and large landowners accepted this offer.
In 1947, a new State Forester, A. Ray Shirley, was
appointed. The demand for tree seedlings increased among the state's
landowners. The two established nursery operations had the capacity to
supply only 20 million of the 34 million seedlings ordered. Pressure on
the Legislature resulted in the granting of $72,000 for a new nursery,
although the regular state appropriation of $125,000 was not expanded. By
1948, 32.5 million seedlings were produced by the three nurseries as the
demand continued to increase.
In 1949, Ray Shirley resigned from his position.
H. Guyton DeLoach was appointed State Forester in 1949
and retired in 1960.
County protection units had increased to 43 by 1948,
with 8,591,246 acres under organized protection. Unit efficiency was
improved by installation of a more comprehensive radio system. This was
the first year, in many years, that the state appropriated more money for
agency operation than was obtained through federal grants.
The year 1949 brought more changes to forestry in
Georgia. The Georgia Forestry Commission was created by the Legislature to
replace the Department of Forestry. This change resulted from efforts to
remove the power of appointing the State Forester from the Governor. There
had been several State Foresters since 1936, and many felt the need for
more stability.
According to legislation, the Commission was to appoint
a Director, and determine details concerning tenure, compensation, powers,
and duties.
Commission members were to be named by the Governor and
confirmed by the State Senate. The Commission was to be composed of five
members: three owners of 50 acres or more of forestland within the state,
and two manufacturers of forest products. The legislation creating the
Commission specifically states that the Governor may not be a member of
the Commission.
Initial appointments were staggered for terms of three,
four, five, six, and seven years. Subsequent appointments for seven years
were to be made from the term expiration date of the Commissioner to be
replaced. There was to be the election of a Commission Chairman. Any
member missing more than three meetings - without just cause and/or
leave of absence from the Chairman - was to be dismissed and his office
declared vacant.
The Director of the Commission, selected by the
Commissioners with advice and consent of the Governor, was to act as
Commission Executive Secretary and Administrative Officer.
The Director was empowered to act with full power of
the Commission when it was not in session, except when expressed approval
of the Commission was required.
The Commission, according to legislation, was also
required to submit annual reports of its activities and statewide
conditions of the forestlands in the state, and to make legislative
recommendations for protection, reforestation, and management. Also passed
by the 1949 General Assembly was the Georgia Forest Fire Protection Act.
This Act designated procedure and authority for statewide fire control in
cooperation with counties and divided the state into protection units.
Each unit was to have a unit forestry board, composed of five members
appointed by the Commission. All appointees were required to be forestland
owners or representatives of such. Terms were staggered from one to five
years in original appointments, and for five-year terms upon expiration of
the initial term. Board duties included assisting efficient performance of
Act provisions and in conducting protection unit programs.
13
The Act also states that the Commission must present a plan for forest
fire protection at the end of each fiscal year. Commission agents were
given the right to go on any land to suppress, control, or prevent forest
fires without being liable for trespassing.
State appropriations were increased by the 1949
Legislature. The Commission had been appropriated only $173,350 for 1949,
but $890,000 was appropriated in 1950.
In 1949, Morgan Nursery was dedicated to the memory of
G. Phillip Morgan, a member of the Georgia Forestry Commission when it was
organized in 1949. Morgan was the first elected Commission Chairman and
remained Chairman until his death. He has been called the
"father" of Georgia's current forestry program.
Also, in 1950, the Georgia Forest Fire Protection Act
of 1949 was amended after the Commission considered the state
appropriation for statewide fire protection to be inadequate. In
accordance with this amendment, any county may levy a tax to provide
adequate funds for this purpose. The 1953 Legislature created a separate
state forestry agency; the Georgia Forest Research Council was founded to
investigate, publicize, and coordinate research of forestry that would
benefit industry, state governments, or the federal government.
The Research Council received funds from regular state
appropriations and its seven members served staggered nine-year terms. The
Council did not employ an internal research staff, but coordinated
external research sources.
The Georgia Forestry Commission initiated a Tree
Improvement Program in 1954. Authorized by the State Legislature, the
Forestry Commission joined other southern states in forming the
Southeastern Forest Fire Compact to render mutual aid in case of
disaster-scale fires. Also, in 1954, Page Memorial Nursery was named for
the late Matthew Warren Page, a Seminole County Ranger who lost his life
in performance of his duty during September of 1954.
In 1955 a comprehensive revision of Georgia's
forestry laws was initiated. Prior to 1955, lawmaking and repealing of
laws had been haphazard, making it virtually impossible to determine which
laws were in effect.
The Act of 1955 was declared to supersede all previous
laws, except with stated exceptions. This clarified which laws were
repealed, as the Act of 1955 cited each law to be repealed.
Funds were also increased in 1955. The state
contributed almost $1.8 million to the total $3.4 million budget.
In 1956, the Georgia Forestry Commission and Georgia
Forest Research Council moved state headquarters from Atlanta to Macon.
Since then, both agencies developed the Georgia Forestry Center which
served as state headquarters for the Georgia Forestry Commission, Georgia
Forest Research Council, and Macon Research Center of the Southeastern
Forest Experiment Station of the U.S. Forest Service.
Success of fire protection in Georgia was emphasized in
1957 when - for the first time - a privately organized forest
insurance company accepted applications for timber insurance. Coverage was
as high as $50 an acre and policies were only issued in counties under
Commission protection. Georgia was honored when America's billionth pine
seedling of 1956-1957 was planted at the Georgia Forestry Center. This was
an exceptional tribute to the Commission.
Weather forecasting services were started by the
Commission in 1958. The services were sponsored by the Commission, the
Weather Bureau, the Southeastern Forest Experiment Station of the U.S.
Forest Service, and the Georgia Forest Research Council.
Also in 1958, the G. Phillip Morgan Tree Seedling
Nursery was constructed at Byron and Federal Soil Bank funds were granted
for construction of Walker Tree Seedling Nursery in Tattnall County.
In 1959, the Commission, Georgia Forest Research
Council, and U.S. Forest Service built one of the nation's finest seed
testing laboratories at the Georgia Forestry Center. The Georgia Forest
Research Council constructed the Herty Foundation Laboratory in Savannah.
Also, in 1959, the State Forest Fire Emergency
Committee was abolished. This Committee was originally created by the 1949
Georgia Forest Fire Protection Act; its functions were transferred to the
Governor. Ray Shirley returned as Director in 1960. There were 148
counties covering 21,494,602 acres under organized fire protection in
1960. Seventeen combined forestry units covered 34 counties.
The Forestry Commission completed a 14-month Southern
Pine Beetle Control Program in 1964. This program affected 34 counties in
middle and north Georgia at a cost of over $1,125,000. Funds were provided
by state and federal governments.
In 1964, Georgia was the first state to produce
improved tree seedlings. This crop of 600,000 seedlings was the first of
the improved type ever available to landowners. It was also in 1964 that
all permanent Forestry Commission personnel were placed under the State
Merit System.
The next year, 1965, the Commission recorded its most
outstanding fire control record. Less than one-tenth of one percent of all
protected areas (20,644 acres) burned. The average size fire was confined
to only 3.73 acres. There were 23,676,500 forest acres under protection.
The most vital forestry legislation in many years was
passed in 1967. The Legislature passed an act providing uniform payment by
counties for forest fire protection; cost was four cents per acre for
privately owned forestland. This was important because it placed all
forestland on an equal basis of county participation for State assistance.
Also, organized fire protection was expanded. All 159
Georgia counties were signed up for protection with 24,066,400 acres of
State and private forestland under protection.
The Rural Fire Defense Program (RFD) was initiated in
1968. With steady migration of city dwellers to rural areas, the
Commission felt there was a need to expand service. The Forestry
Commission, under this program, was called upon to operate in areas where
local services lacked capabilities to answer calls outside corporate
limits. Equipment was provided by state and federal governments through
loaning excess and surplus materials. This gave communities without
organized fire departments an opportunity to provide fire suppression.
Forest fires immediately decreased 20 percent and the amount of acreage
lost was reduced 58 percent.
The Georgia Forestry Commission received approximately
4,365 acres of land from the Department of Public Health in 1969. A
1,000-acre superior tree orchard was developed and used as a testing area
for genetically improved trees; improved tree seedlings were produced
rapidly. By 1971, the number of seedlings produced reached 86.6 million.
The next year, 1972, brought an increase in Rural Fire
Defense coverage, with 127 counties and 269 departments. Further expansion
of the Rural Fire Defense Program budget resulted in 140 counties under
protection with 563 station locations.
In 1973, the Commission assisted the U.S. Forest
Service in the Georgia Forest Resource Inventory; the results, compared to
1961, revealed Georgia's forestry advancements. There was more timber on
less acreage, yearly average growth rate was nine-tenths of a cord per
acre, and there was a 34 percent reduction in unproductive forest area.
Tree growth exceeded removal by 55 percent and forests covered 68 percent
of the state.
In 1974, a forest insect and disease control bill was
signed into law by Governor Jimmy Carter, establishing an ongoing program
of protection, detection, and education with appropriate control measures.
Use of wood as an energy source was highlighted in 1978
and 1979. Studies of waste wood as an energy source were conducted, wood
gasification systems were investigated, and wood waste surveys were
conducted. These studies were made possible by a $500,000 appropriation
from the Legislature. In 1982, numerous industries, institutions, and
homes were converted to wood energy.
John W. Mixon was named Commission Director in 1983. He
came with the Commission as a forest technician in 1961, with service in
the Waycross and Rome Districts. He left the agency in 1963 to work with a
forest industry, but returned two years later to head the Commission's
newly established Urban Forestry Program - a program that gained national
attention. Mixon accelerated wood energy promotions by conducting
demonstrations at public schools, prisons, hospitals, and other
institutions to show how wood materials could replace expensive fuels. In
recent years, wood-fired systems have been installed across the state as a
result of his effort. This period also included great Commission progress
in public relations with brochures, feature films, and radio and TV
programs being produced. In 1985, a record number of trees were planted in
a single season, with landowners and industry planting 433,000 acres in
pines.
The next year brought good news for conservation. The
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) was initiated in 1986. This federally
funded reforestation drive gave Georgia an edge over every state in the
nation in tree acreage committed to conservation. Georgia's share of CRP
acres to be planted represented 28 percent of the national tree acreage
total.
The Flint River Nursery was established in 1987 to meet
the growing demand for tree seedlings. This nursery was designed to
produce 50 million seedlings. When combined with seedlings produced at
other nurseries, approximately 200 million seedlings would be available to
Georgia landowners for the next planting season. In 1988, the Georgia
Legislature passed an addition to the Forest Fire Act requiring a permit
be issued by the Georgia Forestry Commission for outdoor burning. Until
this addition to the Act was passed, landowners had to only notify the
Commission of their intention to burn. The Georgia Forestry Commission
began issuing permit numbers for outdoor burning in July of 1988.
In 1989, there was another historical footnote added to
the Georgia Forestry Commission in the form of a museum. The entire
building was constructed out of Georgia forest products. Logs were cut
from the Commission's forest in Baldwin County. Commission employees
from throughout the state built the cabin. Carpentry, wiring, and museum
exhibits were donated by landowners, corporations, and the U.S. Forest
Service. On August 17, 1997, the museum was officially dedicated and
designated the Howard E. Bennett Forestry Museum named after the former Georgia
Forestry magazine editor and publications manager.
The first quarterly RFD Advisory Council meeting was
held on March 29, 1991 at the Georgia Forestry Commission Headquarters in
Macon. The Council's purpose is to provide assistance and leadership in
development of current and long-range goals for Georgia fire protection
programs. The Council's membership is comprised of individuals and
agencies involved in rural fire protection. Council members include: RFD
Program Coordinator, Chief of Forest Protection, one fire department
representative from each GFC district, and various state agencies (Georgia
Fire Academy, Georgia Association of Fire Chiefs, Georgia Firefighters
Standards & Training Council, Georgia State Firefighters Association,
and the State Fire Marshal's Office).
In 1992, the Legislature passed the Prescribed Burning
Act defining prescribed burning as an important forest management tool and
stating Georgia landowners have a right to conduct prescribed burning on
their forestlands. This Act also allowed the Georgia Forestry Commission
to begin a Prescribed Fire Management Certification Program to certify
practitioners. By 1998, 1,100 prescribed burn managers were certified in
Georgia.
John Mixon retired in 1995 and David Westmoreland was
appointed Director. Westmoreland began his career in 1962 fighting
wildfire with a tractor-plow in Crisp County. He assumed leadership of the
Georgia Forestry Commission on August 1 and became Georgia's eleventh
State Forester. Westmoreland was appointed to the position by the
Commission's Board, with approval given by Governor Zell Miller. David
Westmoreland retired in 1997 with 35 years of service.
On February 21,1997, Georgia made the Guinness World
Book of Records for " The Most Trees Planted at a Single Time and
Place." Georgia planted 14,000 native pine seedlings in less than
four hours. The record surpassed efforts made by New Zealand in 1996 with
5,500 trees.
In 1997, J. Fred Allen, who began his career in the
Newnan District in 1972, was named Director of the Georgia Forestry
Commission. Allen became Chief of the Commission's Forest Research
Department in 1983, succeeding John Mixon. The Commission received the
National Award for Energy Innovation by the U.S. Department of Energy
during Allen's leadership of forest research. In 1995, he was named
Deputy Director, succeeding David Westmoreland.
Forestry in Georgia has made great advancements since the establishment
of a State Board of Forestry in 1921. Healthy and sustainable forests are vital to the state's environmental
and economic welfare. The
Georgia Forestry Commission stands solid in its accomplishments and looks toward a
bright future in serving Georgia.
___________________________
1. Pikl, James Jr., A History of Georgia Forestry (University of Georgia: 1966), pg. 10
2. Division of Forestry of the Department of Natural
Resources, Georgia's Forest and Their Development (Atlanta:
1937), pg.4
3. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Impact of
Forestry Association Forest Productivity in the South (1988), pg. 1
4. State Department of Forestry, First Biennial
Report (Atlanta: 1926), pg. 8
5. Report of the Georgia State Board of Forestry to the Georgia General
Assembly of 1922, pg. 6
6. State Department of Forestry, First Biennial
Report (Atlanta: 1926), pg. 27
7. Pikl, James Jr., A History of Georgia Forestry (University Of Georgia: 1966), pg. 19
8. State Department of Forestry, First Biennial
Report (Atlanta: 1926), pg. 27
9. Division of Forestry of the Department of Natural
Resources, Georgia's Forests and Their Development (Atlanta: 1937), pg. 37
10. Pikl, James, Jr., A History of Georgia Forestry (University of Georgia: 1966), pg. 29
11. Ibid, pg. 32
12. Ibid, pg. 31
13. L.A. Hargreaves,
The History of Forestry as a Unit of State Government in Georgia, pg. 12
