Page 28 - Georgia Forestry - Issue 1 - Winter 2023

3,200
wildfires suppressed each year by the GFC Protection Department
No fear of heights here,
as pollen is carefully captured and collected for breeding superior pines.
Each year, the GFC Protection Depart- ment suppresses an average of 3,200 wildfires throughout Georgia. Our offices are strategically located to ensure appropriate response in all 159 counties so that specialized equipment and wild- land firefighters can reach a fire in the least amount of time.
The Protection Department is heavily involved in the prevention of wildfire and serves landowners by installing firebreaks and assisting them in completing prescribed burning on their properties. (GFC foresters are often qualified to write plans and assist with burns as well.) Department personnel teach certified prescribed burn classes, review prescribed burn plans, and work closely with landowners to ensure burn objectives are met safely and accurately
on their property. The GFC also issues burn permits for agriculture, silviculture and land-clearing types of burning. About 70,000 burn permits are issued annually.
Teaching people about fire safety is another way the GFC accomplishes its mission to lead and educate. Each year, personnel visit schools and local events to talk about wildfire prevention-related topics. Through the nationally esteemed Firewise program, Georgia communities can learn to take preventive measures to protect their homes and property from the potential ravages of wildfire.
Every year, citizens are badly burned and sometimes suffer the loss of life trying to extinguish a wildfire. As a reminder, if you are burning and your fire escapes or if you are present at a wildfire, call your local emergency number (911) or the GFC County Office that serves your area for assistance. Wildfires can burn erratically and spread quickly, which may cause injury or death.
From Seedlings to Harvest — and the Activities in Between
The Reforestation Department’s main objective is to provide genetically improved pine and high-quality hard- wood seedlings to the citizens of Georgia. The seedlings we provide will reforest up to 20,000 acres a year. We also sell seed to other private nurseries, which in turn sell genetically improved pines to their customers (fellow Georgians) and to a few surrounding states in the Southeast. This is the Reforestation service used most frequently by GFC customers.
Did you know that our foresters are also seed collectors? We grow and harvest native seed for understory wildlife hab- itat. This is done through a partnership with Roundstone Seed Company.
An important benefit of GFC’s Refor- estation program is our breeding and testing efforts. We operate the regional breeding center for the North Carolina State University Tree Improvement Pro- gram. Eighty percent of the fifth-cycle breeding is being done there. Genetic improvements for our pine seedlings have advanced dramatically since the 1980s. In addition, our open pollinated seed is from orchards that have Mother trees as advanced as industry nurseries’.
26 | GEORGIA FORESTRY