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August 2005

In this Issue:Managing theMidstory..................... 2

LandownerControlling Privetand MORE ................. 4

Wide Woods Roads................................... 7

Poem - HowBlessed I Am ............. 9

AL Irrigator’sPocket Guide............. 9

State ConservationistSupports Technology

It is an honor andprivilege to be theAlabama NRCS StateConservationist. I feel Ihave hit the ground

runningsince mytenurebegan inJuly. Ihave metwithNRCS

and SWCD field officestaff in all corners of thestate and have had theopportunity to view anddiscuss how we aredelivering conservation atthe grassroots level. I amproud of the successes weare achieving. I offer myfull support to our field

office personnel andguarantee an ear whenyou have challenges youfeel you cannot overcome.

A key to our success isthe many partnerships wehave at the local, state,and federal levels. I havemet with several of ourpartners and I am lookingforward to meeting manymore of the technologyexperts in all naturalresource disciplines inAlabama.

Technology isextremely important in thework of NRCS. Our web-based technologycontinues to evolve andcan sometimes befrustrating when thingsdon’t work like they aresupposed to. As anagency, our employeesshould have access to the

best technology and toolsavailable to help land-owners throughout thestate. We are making ouragency more efficient andmore accessible to ourcustomers through theInternet and otherelectronic means. Ourchallenge is to keepinnovating and makingprogress in science andtechnology that will helpour employees, ourpartners, and ourcustomers put the FarmBill to work on the land.

Our work in scienceand technology will, withthe assistance of ourpartners, continue tosupport the efforts ofpeople to conserve,improve, and sustain ourNation’s natural resourcesand environment.

On July 26, 2005,conservation partners fromacross the state gatheredin the Wheeler LakeWatershed beef farm ofMorgan County livestockproducer Thornton Stanley.Stanley hosted an event tocelebrate the initiation ofthe Alabama ConservationSecurity Program (CSP).CSP is a voluntary

program that providesfinancial and technicalassistance to promote theconservation andimprovement of soil,water, air, energy, andplant and animal life onTribal and private workinglands. USDA DeputyUnder Secretary MerlynCarlson participated in thecelebration.

In the Wheeler LakeWatershed, 56 Alabamaproducers were awarded$910,540 in contracts.

CSP will be offeredeach year, rotating in asmany watersheds asfunding allows. For moreinformation on CSP andother NRCS programs seehttp://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/.

Alabama Farmers Approved for New CSP Program

Calendar OF Events

Sep 7-9 - AL Water ResConv, Orange Beach, ALSep 7-10 - SE RC&D MtingOrlando FLSep 13-14 - PMC AdvisoryCom, Brooksville, FLSep 14 - Clean WaterPartnership BOD Mting,Livingston, ALSep 14 - St Com/AACDEx Com Mting, Montg, ALSep 15 - Area VI AnnualSupv Mting, Hilton GardenInn, Orange Beach, ALSep 15 - Sediment ControlField Day, Decatur, ALSep 21 - Cawaco RC&DQtrly Mting, B’ham, ALSep 22 - Sediment ControlField Day, Prattville, ALSep 25-29 - ASDSO NtlConf, New Orleans, LASep 29 - Sediment ControlField Day, Enterprise, ALOct 13 - Sediment ControlField Day, Mobile, ALOct 6-7 - TREASURE ForestConf, Auburn, ALOct 20 - One-Day GrazingSchool, Lauderdale Co, ALOct 24-25 - Jefferson CoWater Festival, SamfordUniv, B’ham, ALOct 31- Nov 4 - EBAAG andSCE Ntl Mting, Denver, CODec 9 - Shelby Co WaterFestival, Univ of Montevallo,ALDec 15 - AL Forage andGrazing Land Conf, Troy, AL

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Recently, I had theopportunity to attend afield tour at theCooksville Forestry andWildlife Research Arealocated in NoxubeeCounty, Mississippi. Thefield tour/workshop wasa two-day session thatfocused on theenvironmental benefitsobtained from midstorymanagement in maturepine stands.

The land is about athousand acres ownedby Dr. Carroll Walker. Hehas allowed his land tobe used for demon-strations since 1989.Mississippi StateUniversity professors inconjunction with BASFChemical Companypersonnel havedeveloped landmanagement practices

Managing the Midstoryby Tim Albritton, State Staff Forester, NRCS, Auburn, AL

that reflect the latest inwise stewardship tobenefit wildlifepopulations.

Bobby Watkins, aBASF forestry technicalspecialist, along with theMSU staff, has studiedthe effects of herbicideand fire treatment on theupland pine habitat formore than fifteen years.The combination of thesetechniques is known asQuality VegetationManagement (QVM).

Mississippi, like muchof Alabama, is blessedwith millions of acres ofpine forest. These pinestands provide thebackbone of our timberindustry; however, theyrequire mid-rotationmanagement in order tomaintain the multiple-usebenefits we have grown

to expect. Mid-rotationmanagement can be assimple as a prescribedburn once every fewyears. However, in theabsence of fire, southernpine stands very oftenbecome invaded withhardwoods. Thesehardwoods choke the

Notice the dark shaded forest floor behind Dr. Demarais.

understory with a densemidstory canopy andprevent sunlight fromreaching the forest floor.This impedes the growthof herbaceous speciesthat need sunlight tothrive and grow, as wellas competing with timbergrowth. Once theseyoung hardwoods growinto saplings, it is oftenimpossible to removethem with prescribed firealone.

During the tour, Dr.Steve Demarais, MSUwildlife professor,discussed the wildlifebenefits resulting fromthe QVM program. Theherbicide treatmentfollowed by prescribedburn results in a two-foldbenefit. It increasesgrowth of herbaceousunderstory, whichprovides food and cover,and it increases pinegrowth.

Dr. Carroll Walker’s land has been used as a demonstration area since 1989.

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Our own NRCSwildlife biologist JeffThurmond explains infurther detail. “Fire hasalways been a naturalcomponent in thesouthern pineecosystem,” says Jeff.“These fires traditionallyburned the underbrushand promoted ground-level growth of vegetationthat was beneficial towildlife.”

Many southern pineforests today, however,are nothing more thanshady thickets as a resultof fire exclusion. Itseems Smokey Bear hasdone his job far too well.The thick, low-qualityhardwood brush andtrees that flourishbeneath the unburnedpine canopy make wildlifehabitat scarce. “In orderto restore quality wildlifehabitat, we must free thepine forest from thecontrolling influence oflow-grade hardwoodspecies such as hickoryand sweetgum,”Thurmond explains.“With the competitioneliminated and sunlightincreased, many high-quality native herbaceousplants that providebeneficial habitat willreturn.”

In the QVM regime,Imazapyr* in the form ofArsenal®* or Chopper®*,is applied. This chemicalwill not harm pines, butwill take out hardwoods.Treatment costs usuallyrun around $75 per acre,although costs will vary.

After the chemicalapplication, a prescribedburn is conducted duringthe following winter. The

This pine stand shows good Quality Vegetative Management (QVM).

“The effects of herbicide andfire treatment on upland pinehabitat is known as QualityVegetation Management(QVM).”

Dr. Demarias shows some high protein wildlife forageat the field tour.

* “References herein to anyspecific commercial products,process, or service by trade name,trademark, manufacturer, orotherwise, does not necessarilyconstitute or imply itsendorsement, recommendation, orfavoring by USDA-NRCS. Theviews and opinions of authorsexpressed herein do notnecessarily state or reflect those ofthe USDA-NRCS, and shall not beused for advertising or productendorsement purposes.”

benefits can then bemaintained withprescribed fire every threeyears.

The lesson to belearned is the use of fireon a regular basis cansave money and habitatfrom the start. However,if fire is excluded longenough to allowhardwood to take over,there is an option forlandowners wanting to putwildlife habitat back ontothe ground.

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A recent visit withretired landowner BarnettKing and his dear wife,Edna, encouraged me tobelieve that the invasivespecies battle we arefacing in Alabama can bewon. Here is King’srecipe for success –begin with soundmanagement, use thelatest technology, andmix in a “King-size” doseof hard work.

At almost 80 years ofage, Barnett King issurprisingly strong andenergetic. Instead ofresting in an Adirondackchair and taking it easy,he is busy making thechairs and donating themto silent auctions thatraise money for forestryin Alabama. With handsthat are never idle, Kingkeeps sawdust flying inhis workshop, producinghandsome chairs,benches, stools, clocks,and more. He useslumber harvested from

his own treesfelled byrecenthurricaneslike Ivan.

King hasapplied thissame workethic to alifetime ofwise forestmanagementon the familyfarm inCrenshawCounty.

Recently,he decided tocontrol theprivet alongthe streamrunningthrough hisproperty. Using cut-stumpand foliar spraytreatments, he haseradicated privet from thestreambank and is inner-planting native trees tobenefit wildlife. Hishealthy trees bear silent

testimony to theeffectiveness of thislandowner’s wisestewardship of hisresources.

I have included themethods for controllingprivet for your benefit.Pass this on to someonethat needs it; yourneighbor probably does.

It is estimated thatover four million acres offorestland in Alabama areinfested with privet and itis not going to go awaywithout a fight.

Successful PrivetControl

Privet can becontrolled with aconcerted effort usingmethods that have shown

to be effective. Acombination oftreatments in anintegrated mannerusually will provide themost effective strategyfor successfuleradication. All forms oftreatment can be used,such as prescribedburning, tractors withrootrakes and mulcher-shredder heads,brushsaws, pulling anddigging plants, andespecially, effectiveherbicides. The rightcombination depends onthe size of the infestationand the size of the privetas well as your objectivesand budget.

The usual objective isto eradicate privet and

Landowner Controlling Privet and MORE!by Tim Albritton, State Staff Forester, NRCS, Auburn, AL

Mr. King makes Adirondack chairs from his own treesto help support Alabama forestry.

Barnett King, center, shows Sarah and Tim Albritton his streambankthat is free of privet.

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allow native plants to re-establish. Selectiveremoval of privet beforeinfestation is the bestsolution, using treatmentsthat have minimal impactto associated nativeplants. But largeinfestations can also beeradicated with a moreconcerted effort.

For large, multi-acreinfestations of largeprivet, tractors withrootrakes or mowerheads are often the bestapproach. Some of theover-sized “brush-hogs”or “mulcher-shredders”used on utility right-of-ways can grind largeprivet shrubs to chipmulch. Another approachwould be to chainsaw orbrushsaw large privet. Of

course, all stumps shouldbe immediately treatedwith Garlon 3A or aglyphosate herbicide as a20% solution (2.5 quartsper 3-gallon mix) in waterwith a surfactant toprevent resprouting,unless you plan to sprayresprouts. If safety tosurrounding trees is notan issue, then ArensalAC, Chopper, or Velpar Las 10% solutions (1 quartper 3-gallon mix) can beused, recognizing theirsoil activity. With all cutstump treatments,sawdust and chips shouldbe swept from the stumpbefore application toprevent deactivation.Applications can be madewith a backpack sprayer,a utility spray bottle, a

wick applicator, a dropperbottle, or a paintbrush.

Tree injection, hack-and-squirt, and basalstem sprays are othermethods for treating privetstems larger than 1-inch

in diameter. Privetinjection and hack-and-squirt are difficultmethods because of theneed to treat multiplestems. The long tube ofan E-z-ject injector canpermit easier treatment ofthe multi-stemmed basewhile a machete andsquirt bottle will aid withtreating each stem. Thesame herbicides andmixtures specified abovefor cut stumps can beused with the sameconsiderations for non-target plant safety.

Basal stem spraysuse Garlon 4 as a 20%solution (2.5 quarts per3-gallon mix) incommercially availablebasal oil, diesel fuel, orkerosene with apenetrant (check withherbicide distributor) areeffective on stems up tothree inches in diameter.Thoroughly wet the lowerone foot of each privetstem with this mixture.

Foliar spraytreatments are the mostcost-effective way toeradicate privet and

Barnett King and his wife, Edna, enjoy sharing their home. Sarah Albritton showshow sturdy his crafts are by standing on a table he built.

Because of Mr. King’s hard work, his property is privet free.

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should be used wheneverthe foliage can bereached using sprayapplications. Resproutsof privet that are topkilledby burning or brushmowing can be easilytreated with foliar sprays.A test of most forestherbicides as foliarsprays was conducted inresprouted Chinese privetnear Auburn, Alabama,using Septemberapplications. The resultsreveal that glyphosateherbicides (like Accord)are the most effectivewith Arsenal AC beingnext most effective at therates tested. Additionaltests have shown thatglyphosate used duringwarm-days of winter andspring are even moreeffective than inSeptember, whiletreatments duringsummer dry periods areleast effective.

For Chinese privetcontrol, thoroughly wet allleaves with one of thefollowing herbicides inwater with a surfactant -April or October toJanuary: a glyphosateherbicide as a 3%solution (12 ounces per3-gallon mix) or ArsenalAC as a 1% solution(4 ounces per 3-gallonmix). Remember thatArsenal can injure or killdesirable plants havingroots in the treated areaand is not advisable foruse under hardwoodsand pines that are toremain.

Types of Herbicide Applications

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in its programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs,sexual orientation, and marital or familial status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of programinformation (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (202)720-5964 (voice or TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer

For the waxy-leavedglossy and Japaneseprivet, thoroughly wet allleaves with one of thefollowing herbicides inwater with a surfactant -August throughSeptember: Arsenal ACas a 1% solution(4 ounces per 3-gallonmix) or Garlon 4 as a 3%solution (12 ounces per3-gallon mix); and Marchto June: a glyphosateherbicide as a 3%solution (12 ounces per3-gallon mix).

Foliar sprays areapplied using backpacksprayers or sprayersmounted on tractors,ATV’s, or helicopters.Directed foliar sprays arethose that are directedtowards the target plantwith care to minimizespraying desirableneighboring plants.

One or moretreatments will berequired to be successfulwith any privet controlstrategy and follow-upsurveillance andtreatment of new arrivalsis a must. It may benecessary to coordinatetreatments with yourneighbors to preventreentry.

I am more convincedthan ever. If Barnett Kingcan control an invasivespecies along hisstreambank, the rest ofus have no excuse fornot trying.

a backpack sprayer, spraybottle, wick, or paintbrush.

Basal sprays:, herbicide-oil penetrate mixturessprayed, or daubed ontothe lower portion ofwoody stems, usuallyapplied with a backpacksprayer or wick applicator.

Soil spots: application ofVelpar L. herbicide asmetered amounts to thesoil surface around targetwoody stems or in a gridpattern for treating manystems in an area; usuallyapplied with a spot gun orwith a backpack sprayerequipped with a straightstream nozzle.Adapted from: Jim Miller.2004 Nonnative InvasivePlants of Southern Forests:A Field Guide forIdentification and Control.USDA Forest Service,Southern Research Station,Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-62.

Directed foliar sprays:herbicide-water spraysaimed at plant foliage tocover all leaves to thepoint at runoff, usuallyapplied with a backpacksprayer (use lowpressure, drift retardants,and spray shields toavoid drift).

Stem injection(including hack-and-squirt): herbicideconcentrates orherbicide-water mixturesapplied into downstreamincision cuts spacedaround woody stemsmade by an ax, hatchet,machete, brush ax, ortree injector.

Cut-treat: herbicideconcentrates or herbicidewater mixtures applied tofreshly cut stumps (outercircumference) or stems(entire top surface) with

Horizontal shaft mulching machine.

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“Would you pleasepull in that side mirror?”the landowner asked aswe started down thewoods road on hisproperty. With bothmirrors pulled in againstthe cab, we eased alongthe narrow trail throughhis woodlands with thetree limbs brushing eachside of the truck. “Haveyou ever thought aboutwidening your roads,” Iasked? He responded,“Well, I couldn’t do itwithout cutting some ofthe trees.” To which Iresponded, “Yeah, Iguess you’ll need thatincome to get your truckrepainted!”

Each year I meet withnumerous landownersand providerecommendations for themanagement of theirproperty. Thesemeetings range from veryenjoyable to just betterthan a root canal. One ofthe primary reasons thata visit turns bad is thelack of access to theproperty. I’m notreferring to a propertythat is land locked byanother owner. I’mreferring to landownerswho cannot adequatelyaccess their property dueto a lack of roads. Don’tmisunderstand me; areaswithout roads aredesirable in somesituations. However,when it comes to

Wide Woods Roadsby Joel D. Glover, NRCS/ADCNR Wildlife Biologist, Alexander City, AL

accessing a tract to thin apine stand, maintain awildlife opening, orsuppress a wildfire, it’s agood thing to be able toreach the area with theneeded equipment. Agood road network isessential on any propertythat is going to bemanaged. Well-developed roads providemany benefits in additionto access to the property.

A well-designed roadsystem, one that includesturnouts and water barswhere needed, can affordthe property owner manybenefits from both awildlife and forestryperspective. From awildlife standpoint, a day-

lighted woods road, i.e.,one that has hadencroaching vegetationremoved to allow sunlightto reach the ground, willnormally producenumerous plants that arebeneficial to manyspecies of wildlife.Natural foods often foundalong a day-lighted roadinclude variouslespedezas, milk peas,butterfly peas, beggarticks, ragweed,blackberry, honeysuckle,greenbrier, partridgepeas, and variousgrasses. These naturalfoods are excellent formany species of wildlife.Not only do these areasprovide feeding

opportunities, they alsoprovide nesting andbrood rearing habitat forseveral species.

Wide woods roadsare excellent sites forplanted wildlife foragesas well. The linear shapeprovides excellent edge.Many times I will plant aroad and then bulb it outon the end with a ¼ or½ acre opening. Due tothe resulting shape,I sometimes refer tothese as thermometerfields. Although anywildlife planting shouldnot be visible from apublic road, interior roadsare excellent for thispractice. In addition toplanting forages, mast

Landowners benefit from a good road system by making the land accessible toequipment for maintenance and wildfire suppression, and by allowing in sunlightto produce plants beneficial to wildlife.

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producers such ascrabapple, persimmon,and various oaks may beplanted along the woodsedge to provide additionaldiversity and edge.When planting a mastproducer along a woodsedge, you should keepthe trees/shrubs at least25 feet from the woodsand 15 feet from the roadedge. This will allowenough room forequipment to getbetween the mastproducers and the woodsduring a prescribed fireand will allow the roadenough daylight toproduce desirable naturalfoods or planted forages.Another added benefit ofa day-lighted roadway isa reduction in the amountof maintenance requiredto keep the road in goodcondition. The sunlighton the road will allow forfaster drying and avegetative cover helpsprevent erosion.

In addition toproviding a travel way forthe landowner, goodroads also provide travel

corridors used by manyspecies of wildlife.Species such as deer,turkey, quail, rabbit,songbirds, and othersmall mammals readilyuse woods roads astravel corridors. These“paths of least resistance”are often used by turkeysas strutting zones as wellas for dusting and as agrit source. Whitetailbucks often use roads forscrape lines. Just aswildlife use thesecorridors, so can thosewho are pursuing thewildlife. I can’t count thenumber of times I’ve setup on a gobbling turkeyin a woods road, orstalked down a quietwoods road looking fordeer or squirrel. A goodroad system is valuableto both wildlife andlandowners.

When recommendinga wide woods road, I amoften met with resistancefrom the landowner whodoesn’t want to take thatland “out of timberproduction.” It is obviousthat a firebreak or road

may require the removalof some timber. Ofcourse, the mosteconomical methodwould be to include theplans for the roads aspart of a thinningoperation, or after aharvest and prior toreplanting. However,even if it wasn’t plannedinitially, developing agood road system isusually worth more than itcost. I am quick to sharewith landowners that myexperience has been thata good road network isoften literally morevaluable than a few rowsof trees when it comestime to sell timber. Thisis often met withskepticism until it isexplained. Theexplanation is really verysimple. When someonedecides to sell timber, inthe vast majority ofcases, they should senda prospectus to severaltimber buyers. Of coursethis should only be doneafter consulting with aforester who can cruisethe timber and give thelandowner an idea as tohow much timber isactually on the property.This is a step that manylandowners bypass andin so doing they oftencost themselves severalthousand dollars!I digress.

After the buyers arecontacted, many will wantto cruise the timberbefore making an offer.This is when a good roadnetwork pays for itself.Property that can easilybe traversed andaccessed is automatically

worth more than theproperty where the buyerhas to sharpen hismachete before entering.In addition, when a timberbuyer realizes that roadswill have to be created ona property, the cost ofdeveloping those roads isnormally deducted fromthe bid. It’s as simple asthat. Even if the value ofthe trees lost to the roadsystem is not regained,there are still other valuesthat must be considered.With so much land inyoung pine plantationstoday, it is essential that alandowner or their agentbe able to access andmonitor the stand.

During the past fewyears, the Southern PineBeetle (SPB) has runrampant in many areas ofthe state. An SPBinfestation can bedevastating in a pineplantation if it is notdetected and controlledearly. On severaloccasions I’ve heard oflandowners who,although they live on theproperty, didn’t realizethey had a SPB spotbecause it was in an areathey could not easilyaccess. In addition toaffording the landowner

A forest road may need to be gated or restricted todiscourage others from using it without permission anddestroying turkey and quail nesting habitat.

“... a good roadnetwork is oftenliterally morevaluable than afew rows of treeswhen it comestime to selltimber.”

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Alabama NRCS is working with the NationalCenter for Appropriate Technologies to develop andprint an Alabama Irrigator’s Pocket Guide. The Guidewhich can fit in your pocket or on the dash board ofyour truck should be a valuable tool for thoseinvolved in irrigation.

This book is divided into two halves. One half isfor Water Management and focuses on conservingand protecting water, soil, energy, and other naturalresources, as well as providing information on soils,water application and crop needs, efficiency ofirrigation system, and water quality. The EquipmentMaintenance half of the book gives specificinstructions for keeping your irrigation systemrunning properly. Topics covered includerecommended installations, pumping plantmaintenance, distribution system maintenance, andsaving energy.

After printing, the Guide will be made available tofield office staff and a supply will be available forcooperators in the state who are very involved withirrigation.

For more information contact Perry Oakes,NRCS State Conservation Engineer, Auburn, AL(334-887-4536), perry.oakes@al.usda.gov.

Alabama Irrigator’s Pocket Guide

How Blessed I Am

As I walked along the roadone day I took in sightsand sounds

The birds seem to guidemy way and a deer antlerI found

The colors were so vividand the air fresh and clean

And as I walked along avast knowledge I began toglean

It’s funny how all thepieces just seem to fall inplace

How things seem to flowsmoothly here away fromthe rat race

I thought how thankful Iwas just to be a part

Of a creation so splendidand dear to my heart

How blessed am I to havea road to walk, wild thingsto hear and see

To think that the God ofthe universe would shareit all with me

Thank you Lord foranother day to spenddoing what I love

Thank you for creationand all good gifts fromabove

Poem supplied byJoel D. Glover

or manager anopportunity to monitor thestand, a good network ofwide roads may actuallyserve as a barrier to pinebeetles that are movingthrough a stand.

Yet another importantuse of a good roadsystem is as a firebreakfor prescribed burning,and perhaps moreimportantly, thesuppression of wildfire.For young plantationowners, access forfirefighting alone is asufficient reason todevelop a good roadsystem. While a headfire is raging through ayoung plantation,firefighters don’t have theluxury of deciding on thebest location for a newroad. Without access,substantial timber couldbe lost to fire and to thefirefighters who mustaccess the property withsuppression equipment.

Although there aremany benefits to goodroads, there is also adrawback. A good roadthrough a property invites

the landowners andothers to use it. After all,that is what it is for.

A wide woods roadwith day-lighted areas oneach side is oftenexcellent nesting areasfor both quail and turkey.Landowners should limitthe traffic on their roads,especially during wetweather and duringnesting season. Inaddition, wide woodsroads, especially thosewith well-managedvegetation along eachside, are aestheticallypleasing. Because ofthis, landowners mayneed to restrict theaccess of unwantedvisitors by erecting gates.

As you can see,woods roads afford manyand varied benefits toproperty owners.Whether you want toreceive top dollar for yourtimber, improve yourwildlife habitat, increaseyour fire protection, orsimply have a good placeto walk in the woods, agood road network isessential.

This road needs to be widened to allow landowners ortheir agents full accessibility to the land.