Conservation on the Ground –
Franklin County Hosts Small Acreage Landowners Tour
by Sharon Andress, District Conservationist, Russellville, AL
The Franklin County Soil and Water Conservation District along with the Northwest RC&D Council and
the Russellville Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) held a Small Acreage Landowner
Forestry Tour on May 18, 2004. The group visited three sites where forestry best
management practices were demonstrated.
The first site visited was Duncan Creek Farm
where Conservation Reserve Program
(CRP) riparian buffers had been established
with hardwood trees along the creek.
Consultant forestrer Jimmy Murphree of
Woodland Services, who had worked with the
landowner, informed the group of how the
trees where planted, gave a brief overview of
the chemicals used, and outlined the variety
of trees planted. Murphree also informed the
group of a pine plantation that had been
planted on this same farm. The pines
planted where established with the
assistance of the Forestry Incentive Program
(FIP). Murphree discussed the number of
trees planted per acre and the type of
chemicals used to establish the stand.
Forestry best management practices were the focus of the
Franklin County Small Acreage Landowner tour.
Another site featured a pine plantation thinning operation. Consultant forester Ed Manning of Shoals
Timber Company met the group on site and discussed the thinning operation. He told how and why the
thinning was done. He gave the group an idea of how old pines should be before they are thinned and
how, by determining basal area, certain trees are chosen to be cut. Manning gave the group an
estimation of how much income the landowner can receive when 15 year-old pines are thinned and
how important it is to thin to prevent insect problems and fires.
No tour is complete without a good meal. The group enjoyed a great BBQ meal. The lunch speaker
was James Jennings, Alabama Forestry Commission (AFC) Outreach Forester for the North