Page 9 - Tree Line - North Carolina Forestry Association - Fourth Quarter 2022

“My viewpoint is that if I protect the soil and keep it in good health, then Mother Nature will take care of many of the sustainability issues.”
Q: What is the importance of reforesting tracts?
A:Mother Nature will fill a void. You don’t have to replant in terms of
keeping land in forests. Something will come back. In terms of reforestation, it is important to generate the forest you would like to have. What kind of forest do you value? You need to put emphasis on reforestation in order to harvest what you value.
Q: Over your lifetime, how have you seen genetics change?
A: Forty-fifty years ago if you went into a natural stand of loblolly,
you’d see a lot of sweep and crook. Improved first- and second-generation loblolly have been a godsend in regards to form, quality, and the value of the timber product. What I’m talking
about isn’t advanced genetics; just selection alone has reduced sweep, crook, and fusiform, and gotten it out of the stands, which is a blessing to the forestry community. I have two primary requirements when buying seedlings: form or straightness and fusiform resistance.
Q: What was your original reason for joining the NCFA?
A:My original reason for joining the NCFA was to become part of the
larger forestry community following my retirement. I have enjoyed being a member of the Forest Management Committee and hearing viewpoints from representatives of industry, consulting, university, and agencies, as well as landowners. Taking part in discussions of issues facing our profession has enabled me to make better decisions for properties that we manage.
Q: What sustainability measures do you take?
A:As a former soil conservationist, my first priority is preventing soil erosion
and maintaining soil structure. When harvesting, I had the loggers use one skid trail to bring everything back to the log deck in order to confine compaction to
one road. My viewpoint is that if I protect the soil and keep it in good health, then Mother Nature will take care of many of the sustainability issues. Thinning is a sustainability measure because it protects the health of the residual forest, reducing the risk of Southern Pine Beetle infestation. Thinning provides a health benefit so trees are less susceptible to pests. Another sustainability measure we have is the filter strip, which is a water quality measure.
We install water bars to prevent erosion.
I manage the land to minimize erosion and compaction. On the last three harvests
we did, we worked with a logger with low ground pressure equipment, which is great for helping to prevent compaction even on Piedmont soils.
Q:Are there economic reasons for taking these measures?
A:If soil is healthy, trees will be healthy and they’ll grow well. If the soil is shallow, degraded, or compacted, then
the roots won’t penetrate if bulk density gets above a certain level. Healthy soil means more tree growth and better tree survival. When roots grow deep, you have a higher survival rate. A thinning in forest
management produces income, and allows residual trees to grow better. My objective is to harvest trees between 43 and 46 years in order to maximize the saw timber volume of the tree.
Q:Do you support the local community?
A:Yes. This tract has significant water quality benefits for the City of Wilson
since they are an adjacent landowner. Wilson uses Buckhorn Reservoir, immediately downstream from my land,
as their primary source of water. Keeping land in crops and forests is a direct benefit. Harvesting trees generates jobs, which also benefits the community.
Q: Why do you grow trees?
A:It’s what I do.
Albert Coffey and John Hatcher discuss the benefits of keeping land in crops and forests.