Monthly Update - December 2009

Bids for mechanical vegetative control on Choccolocco were awarded to Bach and Devos for 233 acres of mowing and to Chesnut Forestry for chopping 219 acres. Chopping is expected to begin in December. Rain continues to affect operations on Geneva. Through November, 700 acres have been mulched there at a total expense of $189,270.  The area to be planted was burned in mid-November with marginal success due to scattered fuel sources. Mussel Creek Forestry Services will plant 230 acres with containerized longleaf seedlings in December. Several contractors have been contacted for bids on roadwork, fire lines, and burning at Baldwin. Work there is expected to begin in late December or early January. Little River mowing will begin in mid-December. Treatment acres scheduled there have increased from the original 300 to 406. Even though we added the 100 acres, the overall cost at Little River will stay within the projected amount.

Monthly Update - November 2009

Anne Rilling began employment with The Longleaf Alliance on November 2nd with the primary responsibility of coordinating the ARRA projects. On November 3rd, she visited the Geneva site and met with the contractors and staff. On November 4th, Anne, Rhett, and David Jones visited the Baldwin to begin development of a final management plan for restoring that forest.  Bids were solicited for mechanical vegetation control on the Choccolocco sites with bids expected on the second week of November. Invoices were submitted for mulching completed at Geneva in the amount of $64,820 for 240 acres. Rain continues to hamper operations. Plans to move a mulching crew to the Little River sites by the second week in November will be affected by the weather.

Monthly Update - October 2009

Rain continued to plague contractors at Geneva in October, hampering both the mulching operations and delaying site preparation treatments on the cutover sites. Bids were solicited on the site preparation work as either a phased bid or a lump sum “lock and key” job. Only one bid was received and it was judged excessive, exceeding the total allotted for this project. The management plan was rewritten and rebid, resulting in the receipt of acceptable bids for site preparation, seedlings, and planting. An additional small firm, M&W Forestry Services, was low bidder and they then subcontracted with a firm specializing in aerial herbicide application to apply the chemicals. The herbicide was aerially applied on October 22 and 23. The cost of the site preparation work done on the site totaled $31,232 for the treatment of 131 acres.

During October, invoices were received and paid in the amount of $25,461 for the mulching of approximately 89 acres. Cone collection was instigated during the month with both seed orchard and wild cones being collected. Mulching was concentrated on areas with dry ground and heavy cone production to optimize success of this operation. This site was visited by USFS Liaison Glenn Gaines, AFC Assistant State Forester Patrick Glass, management staff from the agency and Rhett Johnson during the month to assess progress and discuss future actions.

Kudzu was treated on several small sites by another small firm for a total of $835.00. Two longleaf academies were held during October with 12 “scholarships” being used by consultants at a cost of $9,600. As of October 31, Geneva had received a total of 82 inches of rainfall during 2009, about 20 inches more than the long term average for the site for an entire year.

Monthly Update - September 2009

The sites slated for “in-woods” mulching as the Geneva and Little River projects were divided into approximately 300 acre units and bids solicited from all available contractors. Bids ranged from $150 per acre to $800 per acre. Bids were awarded to Bach and Devos and Jones Vegetation Management based on bid price, equipment capacity, and site conditions. A completion target date of November 1 was set based on the expected deadline for collecting longleaf cones before seed drop. Subcontractors were employed to expedite the work. Within days of awarding bids, 5 machines and 8 people from 4 small firms were on the job at Geneva. Immediately after the award of bids, rain began and continued for 19 consecutive days. Work was slowed considerably by a combination of stormy conditions and wet ground. By the end of September, nearly $25,000 had been expended for mulching of 102 acres. Bids were solicited for kudzu control at the end of September.

Monthly Update - August 2009

The Longleaf Alliance staff met with Alabama State Forester Linda Casey, former Assistant State Forester Bill Baisden, Management Chief Walter Cartwright, and field staff Mike Older, Gary Cole, Steve Lloyd, Chris Mead, Hank McKinley, and Pat Waldrop at the Solon Dixon Forestry Education Center to discuss projects and establish working relationships.

Introduction and Background

The America’s Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) included nearly $8.5 million in funds to be divided among the 5 states participating in the Southeastern Regional Partnership for Planning and Sustainability (SERPPAS) for longleaf pine ecosystem restoration. The states involved include North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Alabama. Each submitted a shopping list of projects to be funded and each received approximately $1.75 million with the multiple goals of creating jobs, restoring longleaf pine ecosystems, and stimulating the economy. The Alabama projects included: (1) longleaf establishment on 1,497 acres of cutover sites; (2) midstory and understory control to restore longleaf ecosystems and facilitate longleaf cone collection on 1,800 acres; (3) invasive species control, fuel reduction, and creation of a demonstration forest; (4) provision of longleaf seedlings sufficient to reforest 1,000 acres in support of the LIP and EQIP programs on private lands; (5) tuition for 50 private natural resources professionals to attend Longleaf Academies, and (6) development of a brochure to make the economic case for longleaf. In June, the Alabama Forestry Commission and The Longleaf Alliance began discussions regarding the expenditure of these funds. The Alliance agreed contractually to act as the coordinator for several of the projects. The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources will administer the funds for the purchase and distribution of seedlings to private landowners. The Alliance will coordinate the remainder of the projects, acting essentially as the general contractor as well as service provider.