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CAPITAL IDEAS The Newsletter of the Alabama Forest Owners’ Association, Inc.
Advocate for the Forest Owner September 2017 Vol. 36, No. 9
www.AFOA.org
Phone: (205) 624-2225
Fax: (205) 624-2228
E-Mail: [email protected]
P. O. Box 361434
Birmingham, Alabama
35236-1434
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
September
October
SEPTEMBER 2017
September Multiple Dates...Multiple Counties. Game
Check Seminars will be happening across the state.
Since game checks are mandatory once again, the
Game Check Seminars happening statewide can give
you the information you need to be in compliance.
Times, dates, and locations have been known to
change so verify information before attending. For
more information call the Wildlife and Freshwater
Fisheries at (334) 242-3465.
September 5...Jackson
September 7...Butler
September 11...Tuscaloosa
September 12...Cullman
September 14...Enterprise
September 16...Phil Campbell
September 19...Spanish Fort
September 25...Lineville
September 26...Eufaula
September 28...Millbrook
September 30...Huntsville
September 1...Online. General Forestry Course is
designed for individuals wishing to increase their
understanding of forests and forest management.
There are no prerequisites; however, owning or hav-
ing access to a forest is necessary to complete the
framework of the required management plan. Fee:
$150. Contact Nancy Stewart at (410) 827-
8056x107.
September 1...DeKalb County. Progressive Agriculture
Safety Day (Kids Only) at Sylvania High School, Syl-
vania. Third grade students. Contact Joey Haymon at
(256) 638-5551.
September 1...Teleconference Noon CT. First Fridays
Forestry Update hosted by the American Forest Foun-
dation is a conference call briefing on Washington,
D.C. happenings. “You’ll have an opportunity to ask
questions and share important policy issues happening
in your state.” Dial-in number: 1-866-299-7945 and
Participant code: 2594#
September 5...Dawson, Georgia. Georgia Landowner
Academy Program will be held at the Main Street
Theatre. This is a six class series with one class every
other week. Topics include: record keeping, managing
forestry operations, estate planning, information on
heirs property, how to clear title, and wills. Contact
Rhonda Gordon at (229) 723-3841.
September 6...Chilton County 8 AM - 4 PM. Alabama
Prescribed Fire Council Annual Meeting at Jefferson
State Community College, Clanton Campus, 1850 Lay
Dam Road, Clanton. Theme: "Building Capacity and
Confidence Through Mentoring" Landowners and land
mangers welcome to attend. If you are currently a
certified burn manager in Alabama this meeting will
suffice for your required continuing education to main-
tain your recertification every 5 years. Fee: $48.47;
lunch included. Contact John Stivers at (706) 773-
5749.
September 6-8...Baldwin County. Alabama Water
Resources Conference & Symposium at Perdido Beach
Resort, 27200 Perdido Beach Boulevard, Orange
Beach. Fee: $350. For more information call (334)
844-5100.
September 7...Lauderdale County 8 AM - 4:30 PM.
Income Tax for Timber Operations at the Extension
Office, 802 Veterans Drive, Florence. Topics include:
Classifying operations, Determining basis, Timber
accounts, Reporting timber sales, Capital gains treat-
ment, and more. Instructor: Dr. Robert A. Tufts. Fee:
$25 for landowners. $40 to receive CFE and PLM
points. $100 for accountants and attorneys to receive
CPE and CLE hours. Call Heidi Telineus at (256) 766-
4846.
September 7...Fulton, Mississippi 8:30 AM - 4 PM.
Having Your Timber & Wildlife Too at Itawamba Com-
munity College. Fee: $28; lunch included. Contact
Romona Edge at (662) 862-3201.
September 7...Walker County 9 - 10:30 AM. Forestry
Planning Committee Meeting at 1501 North Airport
Road, Jasper. Forest landowners are welcome to
attend and participate in this meeting. Contact An-
drew Baril at (205) 388-6893.
September 10-12...Baldwin County. Alabama Forestry
Association Annual Meeting at the Perdido Beach
Resort in Orange Beach. Fee: $475. Contact Liz
Chambers at (334) 481-2135.
September 12...Tallapoosa County. Private Pesticide
Applicator Training Class is for those who need to
take the private pesticide applicator test in order to
purchase restricted use products. Chemical safety and
sprayer calibration will be discussed as well, so any-
one who sprays pesticides on a large scale will benefit
even if a restricted pesticide license is not needed.
This is a 4 hour class. Fees: $20 at time of training;
An additional $25 must be sent to the Dept. of Agri-
culture and Industries by license applicants. For more
information call Dr. Chip East at (256) 846-0314 or to
register call Shane Harris at (256) 825-1050.
September 12...Talladega County 8 AM - 4:30 PM.
Income Tax for Timber Operations at the Extension
Office, 130 North Court Street, Talladega. See Sep-
tember 7 for more details. Fee: $25 for landowners.
Call Henry Dorough at (256) 362-6187.
September 12...Monticello, Florida 9 AM - 1 PM ET.
Pecan Field Day at 2729 W. Washington Hwy., Mon-
ticello, FL 32344. Topics include: Tree spacing, Stink
bug management, Pecan scab, New pecan cultivars,
and a tour of Simpson Nurseries. Fee: $10; lunch
included. RSVP, please, to Matt Lollar at (850) 482-
9620.
September 12-14...Portland, Oregon. "Who Will Own
The Forest?" and Forest Products Forum at World
Forestry Center. Join the professionals as they dis-
cuss issues pertaining to the economy, forestland
valuations, investing overseas, and emerging values
such as carbon, biomass, and environmental credits.
Fee: $2,400. Contact Sara Wu at (503) 228-1367.
September 13...Walker County. Forestry Workshop in
Jasper. Topics include: Unmanned Aircraft Systems,
Coyote Control, Prescribed Fire in Hardwoods, Bat
Habitat, Timber Management for Small Tract Owners,
and Forest Industry Growth. CFE and PLM hours
available. No Fee. To register call Katherine at (205)
384-0606x3204.
September 14...Barbour County 8 AM - 4:30 PM.
Income Tax for Timber Operations at the Extension
Office, 525 School Street, Eufaula. See September 7
for more details. Fee: $25 for landowners. Call Allie
Corcoran at (334) 687-5788.
September 14...Pontotoc, Mississippi 8:30 AM - 3:30
PM. Alternative Sources of Forest Income at Pontotoc
County Extension Office, 402 CJ Hardin Jr. Drive.
Topics include: Agroforestry, Christmas trees, Hunting
leases, pine straw raking, and more. Fee: $24; lunch
included. Contact James Shannon at (662) 489-3910.
September 15...Covington County 9 AM - 2 PM.
Managing Wild Pig Damage at Covington County
Extension Office, 23952 AL Hwy 55, Andalusia.
Topics include: Wild Pig History, Biology, Diseases,
Trapping, Removal, and more. Fee: $15; lunch includ-
ed. For more information call (334) 844-1010.
September 19...Covington, Georgia. Women in the
Outdoors at Georgia FFA Center, 720 FFA-FHA Camp
Road. Women in the Outdoors events are designed
just for women using expert instructors. Fee: $TBD.
Contact Dee Lowrey at (678) 936-4314.
September 19-20...Corinth, Mississippi. Upland Hard-
woods Management and Regeneration Short Course
at Alcorn County Extension Office, 2200 Levee Road.
Topics include: Decision Model, Species/Site Relation-
ships, Approach to Degraded Stands, Regeneration
Systems, Wildlife Components, and more. Fee: $40;
$70/couple. Lunch included. Call Patrick Poindexter at
(662) 286-7755.
September 21...Jefferson County 6 - 7:30 PM. U.S.
Senate Special Election Republican Runoff Candidate
Forum at the Wright Center, Samford University. Roy
Moore and Luther Strange will participate in the forum
which is an opportunity to educate the electorate on
the issues affecting Alabama voters and increase
public understanding of the democratic process. Re-
serve your free tickets at AlabamaPolicy.org/Forum
September 21...Jefferson County 6 PM. Wild Game
Cook-Off at the Birmingham Zoo, 2630 Cahaba Road,
Birmingham. Attend the cook-off and enjoy live music,
door prizes, youth activities, and sample wild game
recipes. Fee: $50; $10 discount if paid in advance.
Youth 15 and under free. Call the Alabama Wildlife
Federation at 1-800-822-9453.
September 22...Tuscaloosa County 8 AM to 3 PM.
Alabama Oil and Gas Seminar at Shelton State Com-
munity College, Auditorium rooms 2255 and 2257,
9500 Old Greensboro Avenue, Tuscaloosa. Presenta-
tion materials, refreshments and box lunch provided
free to participants. BUT… you must RSVP to Janet
Overton at (205) 247-3571.
September 22...Macon County 7:30 AM - 5 PM.
Agroforestry Practices at 102 Mary Starke Harper Hall
& the Agroforestry Research and Demonstration Site,
Tuskegee University. Topics: Silvopasture, Tree man-
agement in agroforestry systems, Agroforestry appli-
cation, Alley cropping, and Intercropping pecan with
moringa. Working breakfast and lunch provided for
first 30 registrants. Pre-registration by September 8
required. Contact Dr. Uma Karki at (334) 727-8336.
September 26...Statewide. GOP Runoff Special Elec-
tion for the vacant U.S. Senate seat formerly held by
Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The general election
(CALENDAR OF EVENTS CONTINUED ON PAGE 5)
Page 2 CAPITAL IDEAS The Newsletter of the Alabama Forest Owners’ Association, Inc. (AFOA) September 2017
Dow-Jones Industrial Average: 21783.40
10-year Treasury yield: 2.194%
Dollar: 109.56 Yen; Euro: $1.1800
Oil: $47.43/barrel
Gold: $1,286.60/troy ounce
Source: The Wall Street Journal, 8/25/17
AFTER THE ACQUISITION of 6 Gil-
man Building Products pine sawmills in
Florida and Georgia, West Fraser, a Canadi-
an company, will operate 21 southern pine
sawmills in the U.S. South. Source: Timber-
Mart-South, 7/31/17.
CLASSIFIED SECTION
S I N G L E - F A M I L Y [ H O U S I N G]
STARTS are barely “treading water.”
Source: The Virginia Tech — U.S. Forest
Service June 2017 Housing Commentary.
“THE U.S. IS IMPORTING more soft-
wood lumber from overseas after it slapped
tariffs on Canadian supplies, making them
more expensive. Russian shipments are 42
percent higher so far in 2017…” Source:
The Ledger, 8/21/17.
STANDING TIMBER VALUES
PINE Sawtimber
$ per ton
Power Poles
$ per ton
Alabama 2Q16 2Q17 2Q16 2Q17
North 23.65 23.03 51.31 44.61
South 25.60 23.10 53.82 45.89
Average 24.63 23.07 52.57 45.25
Pine Sawtimber — 15,000 lbs./1000 Board Feet (Scribner)
2nd Quarter, 2016 (2Q16) and 2nd Quarter, 2017 (2Q17)
from Timber Mart-South, University of Georgia.
For Timber Mart-South subscription details, call
(706) 542-4756 or visit M3 09/2017
STOCK MARKET REPORT
Company or Fund Name 08/15/16 08/15/17
Potlatch (PCH) REIT 38.44 46.90
Rayonier (RYN) REIT 27.35 28.38
Weyerhaeuser Co. (WY) REIT 31.90 31.94
Louisiana Pacific (LPX) 19.16 24.34
WestRock (WRK) 44.00 56.31
(CUT)* ETF 24.55 28.44
(WOOD)** ETF 49.30 61.56 Stock Market Report courtesy of Howard Sokol, Raymond James Financial Services, Birmingham, Alabama. * Guggenheim MSCI Global Timber ETF (CUT) ** iShares Global Timber & Forestry ETF (WOOD)
LUMBER & SHEATHING PRICES
Source: Random Lengths
MidWeek Market Report 08/17/16 08/23/17
2 x 4 lumber * $330 $386 7/16” Oriented Strand Board ** $310 $414 * 2x4 #2&Btr KD Western S-P-F (mill base price) (per 1000 board feet)
** 7/16” OSB (North Central) (f.o.b. mill prices) (per 1000 square feet)
“WHAT A SECOND QUARTER! I’m almost relieved to tell you that nothing ex-citing has happened to timber markets. Un-fortunately, though, prices for most prod-ucts are trending slightly downward and that is actually more depressing than watch-ing the news. I get asked a lot about why timber prices are muddling—the answer is always the same. Timber markets in the U.S. are close to a free market. That means that prices are set between buyers and sellers without restrictions or controls. It also implies that no buyer or seller has enough market share to control prices—in other words, many knowledgeable buyers and sellers compete freely in the market.” Source: Marshall Thomas, F&W Forestry
Report, Summer 2017.
CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS
JamisonMoneyFarmer PC Tuscaloosa, AL (205)345-8440 0432 11/17-10/18
Sheldon, Rogers & Bryan, PC Mobile, AL (251)345-1252 0463 06/17-05/18
Richard, Harris, Ingram and Bozeman, PC (334)277-8135 0483 11/17-10/18
CONSULTING FORESTER - Member: ACF
C. V. Forestry Services Clayton, AL (334)775-8345 0057 11/17-10/18
Melisa V. Love, RF, ACF Opelika (334)745-7530 0143 07/17-06/18
Joseph E. Rigsby, RF, ACF Georgiana (334)265-8200 0074 11/17-10/18
Larson & McGowin, Inc. Mobile, AL (251)438-4581 0016 02/17-01/18
Eddie Carlson, RF, ACF Montgomery (334)270-1291 0300 10/17-09/18
McKinley & Lanier Forest Res. Tuscaloosa 1-800-247-0041 0055 09/17-08/18
Arthur C. Dyas, RF, ACF Mobile, AL (251)331-4017 0353 05/17-04/18
Gibson Forest Mgmt., Inc. Aliceville, AL (205)373-6168 0207 08/17-07/18
Forestall Company, Inc. Hoover 1-800-844-0904 0007 10/17-09/18
John R. Stivers, RF, ACF, CF AL & GA (334)253-2139 0347 11/17-10/18
Sizemore & Sizemore, Inc. Tallassee, AL (334)283-3611 #062 03/17-02/18
J. Pat Autrey Fort Deposit (334)227-4239 0395 03/17-02/18
F & W Forestry Services LaFayette (334)864-9542 0167 08/17-07/18
M & W Forestry Consultants Ozark, AL (334)432-0467 #468 04/17-03/18
Edward F. Travis Co., Inc. Mobile (251)633-8885 0142 07/17-06/18
CONSULTING FORESTER
Stewart Forestry Services, Inc. Decatur, AL (256)350-9721 0225 08/17-07/18
Midsouth Forestry Services, Inc. Gordo, AL 1-888-228-7531 #076 03/17-02/18
Forever Green, Inc. Leeds, AL 1-800-498-5821 0243 07/17-06/18
American Forest Mgmt. Prattville, AL (334)358-2345 0358 07/17-06/18
Southern Forestry Cnslt. Enterprise, AL (334)393-7868 #310 04/17-03/18
Eiland Forestry & Real Estate Trussville (205)655-0191 0097 06/17-05/18
Foster Land Management, LLC Central Ala. (205)826-7741 0437 11/17-10/18
www.ChesnutForestry.com Northeast AL (706)936-0699 0345 11/17-10/18
Lang Forestry Consultants, LLC Selma (334)375-1065 #454 04/17-03/18
Cliff A. Logan & Associates, Inc. Eutaw, AL (205)372-9321 0466 11/17-10/18
Graham Forestry & Appraisal Butler, AL (205)459-2472 0158 04/17-03/18
CONSULTING FORESTER - continued
Richard Crenshaw, RF Greenville, AL (334)382-3826 0473 05/17-04/18
EQUIPMENT FOR SALE
Tree Trans-planter 4” diameter tree, 6 spade (901)481-7184 0490 05/17-04/18
INSURANCE
Hunting Lease & Timberland Liability Group Policies
Alabama Forest Owners’ Association (205)624-2225
LAND FOR SALE
Tutt Land Company www.tuttland.com (334)534-1315 #266 02/17-01/18
Carlson Land Services Montgomery (334)270-1291 0300 10/17-09/18
Hudson Hines Real Estate www.hudsonhinesrealestate.com #321 12/16-11/17
American Forest Mgmt. Prattville, AL (334)358-2345 0358 07/17-06/18
Southeastern Land Group, Inc. 1-866-751-5263
Farm & Timber Land AL, GA, TN, FL www.selandgroup.com 0329 09/17-08/18
John Hall & Co. www.johnhallco.com (334)270-8400 0304 06/17-05/18
National Land Realty NationalLand.com (855)NLR-LAND 0479 08/17-07/18
Larson & McGowin, Inc. Mobile, AL (251)438-4581 0016 02/17-01/18
Southeastern Realty & Auction Co John Hall (334)534-0525 #459 12/16-11/17
Longleaf Land Co. LLC longleafland.com (334)493-0123 #461 03/17-02/18
Mossy Oak Properties - Logan Land Co. 1-877-377-5263 #465 11/17-10/18
Target Auction Company All of 1-800-476-3939
Real Estate Auctions SE www.targetauction.com 0273 11/17-10/18
McKeithen Land & Realty, LLC (251)974-5656 0416 12/16-11/17
LAND MANAGEMENT SERVICES
Scotch Land Management, LLC Fulton, AL (334)637-2128 0444 10/17-09/18
POND MANAGEMENT
Honey Hole Fisheries Ralph, AL (205)333-3665 0405 07/17-06/18
POSTED SIGNS
Alabama Forest Owners’ Association (205)624-2225
PROFESSIONAL LANDMEN / GEOLOGISTS
Joseph L. Stephenson, Professional Landman, Birmingham
[email protected] (205)790-0452
Royalty audits, leasing mineral rights, etc.
REAL ESTATE APPRAISALS
Larson & McGowin, Inc. Mobile, AL (251)438-4581
Graham Forestry & Appraisal Butler, AL (205)459-2472
TIMBER BUYER
Blue Ox Forestry, Inc. (334)875-5100
IndusTREE Timber, Inc. (334)567-5436
Ronny Wimberley Land & Timber Division 1-877-292-0056
Ideal Timber Company, Inc. 1-888-220-5591
TIMBER SALE ASSISTANCE
TIMBER BUYER LIST for your county. Printed on gummed
labels ready for mailing prospectus. Just tell us the county
in which your timber is located. $15 per county.
MEMBERS ONLY. AFOA , Box 361434, Birmingham, AL 35236
TREE PLANTING EQUIPMENT & SERVICES
Site Preparation & Tree Planting Services.
For a list in your county, call AFOA at (205)624-2225.
TREE SEED FOR SALE
LOUISIANA FOREST SEED CO. (318)443-5026
TREE SEEDLINGS FOR SALE
INTERNATIONAL FOREST COMPANY 1-800-633-4506
TECHNOLOGY THAT GROWS CONTAINER SEEDLINGS
ArborGen, LLC
Selma: 1-800-222-1280 or (334)872-5452
SUPERIOR TREES, INC. Lee, FL (850)971-5159
WHITE CITY NURSERY Autauga Co. (334)365-2488
Pines & Hardwoods for Forestry, Wildlife, Landscapes
Weyerhaeuser Company
Premium Pine and Hardwood Seedlings
1-800-635-0162
Pinecrest Forest Seedling Nursery - Georgia - (229)314-9445
Improved Bareroot Pine Seedling [email protected]
Whitfield Farms & Nursery - Containerized Longleaf Pine
Twin City, GA ph. (912) 515-4103
WhitfieldPineSeedlings.com / [email protected]
WOODLAND MULCHING
Sand MT Land & Timber North Alabama (256)504-6320
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING RATES: First Line $85.00/year.
September 2017 CAPITAL IDEAS The Newsletter of the Alabama Forest Owners’ Association, Inc. (AFOA) Page 3
IF YOU GROW IT, THEY WILL
COME. German forest landowner Baron
Freiherr von Rotenham, on a New York
Forest Owners Association tour of his 2,000
acres of quality oak, Doug fir and beech,
stated he “does not need certification be-
cause he grows his trees far better than the
certification standards. His crop is in de-
mand.” Source: The New York Forest Own-
er, July/August 2017. Perhaps the moral to
this story is: Grow quality timber and avoid
the growing certification bureaucracy re-
quired by pulp and biofuel markets.
TRUCK, TRAIN, OR BARGE. North-
west Alabama landowners who might be
trying to encourage barge shipments of their
products to southern markets might find the
following numbers of interest. From Suc-
cessful Farming, Mid-August 2017, we
learned that the distance each can move a
ton of cargo on a single gallon of fuel:
Barge 647 miles
Train 447 miles
Truck 145 miles
GREENHOUSE
GAS THEORY IS
WRONG contends
a new scientific
paper by Drs. Ned
Nikolov and Karl
Zeller. They con-
clude that “the en-
tire greenhouse gas theory is incorrect.”
“Instead, the earth’s ‘greenhouse’ effect is a
function of the sun and atmospheric pres-
sure, which results from gravity and the
mass of the atmosphere, rather than the
amount of greenhouse gases such as CO2
and water vapor in the atmosphere.” Au-
burn University Emeritus Professor Dr.
David South, who supports the findings of
Nikolov and Zeller stated, “Using Ned and
Karl’s simple equation, people can now
accurately predict the average temperature
of many planets by just knowing two
things, the total surface atmospheric pres-
sure and how much sunlight reaches the
atmosphere.” Sources: World Net Daily,
7/8/17 and New Zealand Journal of Forest-
ry Science, 11/11/15. Dr. South’s email
address is [email protected].
MORE FROM MARSHALL THOMAS:
“The Commerce Department has imposed
tariffs on Canadian lumber imports. The
Canadian government strongly denies sub-
sidies, while at the same time issuing a
$641 million subsidy to Canadian lumber
producers to offset the U.S. imposed duties.
Now that’s pretty funny.”
“LANDOWNERS in the southern United
States have more options today about what
genetics to plant than ever before. Just as
farmers select the best variety of corn,
wheat, or soybeans to meet their objectives,
forest landowners can choose to plant a
wide variety of tree genetics. … For loblol-
ly pine, there are hundreds of seedling vari-
eties available with a range of values for
traits such as growth rate, stem form, fusi-
form rust resistance, and wood quality. …
The availability of so many different fami-
lies to all landowners is a relatively new
phenomenon. … Today, essentially all ge-
netically improved pine families are availa-
ble to all southern landowners, and over the
last decade, a true seedling market has
evolved. … The best families often will
have volume production values that are
twice as high as ‘run of the mill’ open pol-
lenated families, and they will have very
straight stems with low forking and excel-
lent rust resistance.” Source: Making Sense
of the Genetics Market by Steve McKeand,
Forest Landowner, Sept/Oct, 2017.
AFTER A FORESTLAND VISIT BY
Secretary of
A g r i c u l t u r e
Sonny Perdue
and Environ-
mental Protec-
tion Agency
Administrator
Scott Pruitt, Scott Jones, CEO of the For-
est Landowners Association wrote: “This is
the first time in my career that the adminis-
trator of the EPA has shown this much in-
terest in and appreciation for private forest
landowners.” Source: Forest Landowner,
Sept/Oct, 2017.
M & W Forestry Con-
sultants in Ozark is helmed by co-
owners Franklin McAliley and Clint
Wilks, supported by two more registered
foresters and a forestry technician. M &
W prides itself on having a forester on
site to supervise any work being done on
their clients’ land. They provide a full
range of forestry services, but McAliley
says that over the years, they’ve gained
particular expertise in growing and man-
aging longleaf pine. When the CRP pro-
gram began to encourage planting long-
leaf in the 1980s, their region saw the
most longleaf planted in the nation. At
the time, he notes, there wasn’t a great
deal of information about growing it, and
they made mistakes along the way.
Longleaf is notoriously sensitive in the
seedling stage, but between the care they
take with seedlings and the experienced
crews they work with, M & W routinely
achieves 95 to 100% survival rates with
longleaf tracts they plant and manage.
McAliley also studies family lines so
closely that he can identify not only the
species but the genetic strain most likely
to thrive on a client’s land. Like for
many consultants, the bottom line is
helping clients achieve their goals. “If
our clients are successful, we’re success-
ful,” McAliley says. “Everybody here
loves to help people, and most of our
landowners become our friends.”
FOREST PROFILES:
CONSULTING FORESTERS
by Jessica Nelson
www.larsonmcgowin.com Main Office: Mobile, Alabama 251.438.4581
Over five decades and millions of acres
of experience
Alabama SuperTree Nursery producers and sellers of hardwood and genetically
improved pine seedlings.
SuperTree Seedlings
Selma: (334) 872-5452
Toll free 1-800-222-1280
Fax (334) 872-2358
Page 4 CAPITAL IDEAS The Newsletter of the Alabama Forest Owners’ Association, Inc. (AFOA) September 2017
Timber provides certainty amid tax reform questions By Dave Tenny, Opinion Contributor to The Hill - 08/09/17 12:15 PM EDT
Working forests – those managed to grow and harvest timber – have a long history as economic drivers and valua-
ble assets. For many rural communities, timber is the local economy – working forests support 2.4 million jobs
and $98 billion in payroll, mostly in rural communities. For the private forest owners who plant, grow and manage
working forests, and for the increasing number of Americans who invest in working forests as part of their retire-
ment portfolios, timber is an attractive long-term investment that withstands market volatility.
As they grow, working forests are an environmental asset too – filtering 25 percent of our drinking water, provid-
ing habitat for 60 percent of our at-risk species, and sequestering enough carbon to offset 12 percent -15 percent of
our industrial carbon emissions annually. These valuable environmental benefits are largely underwritten by the
investments of private landowners over decades, and in most cases are provided to the public for free.
As Congress embarks on the challenge of modernizing our tax code, there is one surefire way to support rural
communities, the economy and the environment all at the same time – maintain provisions supporting long-term
private investment in our nation’s 460 million acres of abundant, privately owned working forests.
The economic viability of private working forests depends on tax provisions that recognize that growing trees is
unlike any other business or investment. Timberland stewardship is uniquely long-term. Unlike business or invest-
ment cycles tracked annually or over a few years, forests are managed over decades. Timber takes between 20 and
80 years to mature, so landowners face an investment horizon of between 20 and 80 years. That means that land-
owners planting seedlings today won’t see a return on their 2017 investment until at least 2037; trees that take
longer to mature might not be ready to harvest until 2097.
As trees grow, forest owners make significant investments – often millions of dollars – in regular operating costs
like road maintenance, weed control, thinning and many rounds of fertilization. Tax law allows forest landowners
to deduct these operating costs, which in turn, allows them to afford forest health treatments that reduce the risk of
forest fires and other natural disturbances. It also keeps other beneficial investments like research and conservation
projects affordable. Tax provisions that allow the deduction of reforestation and tree planting costs encourage
landowners to continue investing in trees, keeping our nation’s forests abundant and strong.
The tax code also rightly treats timber revenue as long-term capital gain and properly defines timberland as real
property instead of inventory. Trees are different from inventory because they are held for decades rather than
days or months, and they appreciate rather than depreciate in value. Current provisions in the code appropriately
accommodate these facts, treating timber as a long-term real property investment. This allows ordinary investors
to own professionally managed timberlands; in fact, working forests are now part of most American’s retirement
portfolios.
Forest owners will always face the dual challenge of low liquidity and substantial risk. These tax provisions ensure
their economic viability. Without them, forest owners will face mounting pressure to convert timberland to other
uses in search of a better return on their investment. Fewer forests is not a good outcome for anyone.
When it comes to the complex task of tax reform, this piece is a no-brainer – working forests are an economic and
environmental asset that legislators on both sides of the aisle can get behind.
Dave Tenny is President and CEO of National Alliance of Forest Owners. NAFO is a national organization of pri-
vate forest owners committed to advancing national policies that promote economic and environmental benefits of
working forests.
The above article was first published in The Hill on August 9, 2017 and is reprinted here with per-
mission of the author and The Hill.
September 2017 CAPITAL IDEAS The Newsletter of the Alabama Forest Owners’ Association, Inc. (AFOA) Page 5
MEMBER SERVICE REQUESTS
[ ] I own 40 or more acres of forestland in Alabama and would like, at no cost to me, an
Initial Consultation with a member of the Association of Consulting Foresters.*
[ ] I am enclosing $15 for a Timber Buyer List for ______________________County.
[ ] Guidelines for Hunting Lease Agreement
[ ] Model for a Timber Sale Contract
[ ] Application for Hunting Lease Liability Insurance Coverage *
[ ] Application for Timberland Liability Insurance Coverage *
[ ] _____ 8” x 10” Posted Signs. Enclosed is 45¢ per sign plus $4.50 S & H
(“No Trespassing Hunt Club” - yellow) (“No Trespassing—Period” - orange) circle one
[ ] AFOA T-Shirt — Short Sleeve, $11 (call for colors and sizes)
[ ] AFOA Ball Cap: Send me AFOA Ball Cap: Black, Camo with dark or light logo, Hunter
Orange, Neon Yellow, and Royal Blue. Circle one. $13 each.
* This service is for landowners only. Hunters may only use the hunting lease liability
MEMBERSHIP FEES
(1st class postage will cause your newsletter to
arrive several days earlier than bulk rate)
1 YEAR
[ ] Regular Member - Bulk Rate Postage $16
[ ] Regular Member - 1st Class Postage $28
[ ] Sustaining Member - 1st Class Postage $160
2 YEARS
[ ] Regular Member - Bulk Rate Postage $31
[ ] Regular Member - 1st Class Postage $55
[ ] Sustaining Member - 1st Class Postage $320
3 YEARS
[ ] Regular Member - Bulk Rate Postage $46
[ ] Regular Member - 1st Class Postage $82
[ ] Sustaining Member - 1st Class Postage $480
SEND APPLICATION & PAYMENT
TO:
AFOA, Inc.
P. O. Box 361434
Birmingham, AL 35236
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
(Mr.)(Mrs.)(Ms.) ___________________________________________________________________________
Name of Landowner (person, family, partnership, corporation, LLC, etc.)*
(Mr.)(Mrs.)(Ms.) ___________________________________________________________________________
Name of Person Representing Landowner (optional)*
___________________________________________________________________________
Mailing Address
___________________________________________________________________________
City State Zip Code
___________________________________________________________________________
Telephone: home Telephone: work
___________________________________________________________________________
Telephone: fax E-Mail Address (we do not share)
___________________________________________________________________________
State(s) and County(ies) Where Forestland Is Located — Please List.
is set for December 12, 2017.
September 26...Cleveland, Mississippi 6 PM. Mid
Delta Forest, Woodland, and Wildlife Association
Meeting at the Bolivar Extension Office. Topic: Mag-
nolia Records scoring session for white-tailed deer
record keeping. Call (662) 843-8361.
September 26-27...Bartow, Florida. Central Florida
Agritourism Conference at Polk County Extension
Service office, 1702 Hwy 17 S. Fee: $70. Contact
Chris Demers at (352) 846-2375.
September 28...Tifton, Georgia 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
ET. Georgia Prescribed Fire Council Annual Meeting at
the Tifton Campus Conference Center. Fee: $30.
Contact Jessica McCorvey at (229) 734-4706x289.
September 29...Tullahoma, Tennessee 8:30 AM -
3:30 PM. Fire and Forest Management at the Universi-
ty of Tennessee Space Institute. Presentations in the
morning with an afternoon field tour. Fee:$10; lunch
included. Must register by September 1. For more
information email [email protected].
OCTOBER 2017
October Multiple Dates...Multiple Counties. Game
Check Seminars will be happening across the state.
See September for more details.
October 3...Selma
October 5...Auburn
October 9...Alexander City
October 10...Union Springs
October 3...Morgan County 5:30 PM. Wild Game
Cook-Off at Ingalls Harbor, Decatur. Attend the cook-
off and enjoy live music, door prizes, youth activities,
and sample some wild game recipes. Fee: $35; youth
under 15 admitted free. Call the Alabama Wildlife
Federation at 1-800-822-9453.
(CALENDAR OF EVENTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1) October 3-4...Washington, D.C. American Tree Farm
System Fly-In and Hill Day at the Washington Plaza
Hotel. Make sure our elected officials hear your voice,
the private forest landowner. For more information
email Ryan Martini at [email protected].
October 4...Lee County 2 - 3:15 PM. The Future of
Tall: Building a Wood High-Rise in the U.S. at the
Telfair B. Peet Theatre, 350 W Samford Avenue,
Auburn. Open to the public. For more info call Heather
Crozier at (334) 844-2791.
October 5...Athens, Georgia 7:30 AM - 5:30 PM ET.
Timber Income Tax at Flinchum’s Phoenix, Whitehall
Forest, 650 Phoenix Drive. Learn strategies on timber-
tax issues that will help landowners reduce timber
income taxes. Instructors: Dr. Harry Haney and Dr.
Yanshu Li. Fee: $220; $55 discount if paid by Sep-
tember 14. Contact Ingvar Elle at (706) 583-0566.
October 5...Henry County 8 AM. South Alabama
Forestry Field Day at Glenn and Scarlett Riley’s prop-
erty. Topics include: Gopher Tortoise, Wildlife Man-
agement, Feral Hogs, Wiregrass Native American
History, and more. Wear outdoor appropriate clothing.
Rain or shine. Lunch provided. To register call Henry
County Extension at (334) 585-6416.
October 5...Marianna, Florida 9 AM CT. Landowner
Property Tour of Sandhills Farm, Property of David
and Cindi Stewart, 357 Pittman Hill Road. Diverse
wildlife habitat is their primary goal. Wear appropriate
clothing and shoes for outdoors. Fee: $10; lunch
included. Call (850) 482-9620.
October 6-8...Shelby County. Becoming an Outdoors-
Woman (BOW) at Alabama 4-H Center on Lay Lake
near Columbiana. Participants choose from over 50
courses such as: backyard wildlife, rock climbing,
camp cooking, map and compass, camping, mountain
biking, fishing, hunting, canoeing, edible/medicinal
plants. For women 18 years or older. Fee $275; in-
cludes most meals, lodging, program materials, and
instruction. Contact Marisa Futral at 1-800-245-2740.
October 9...Chilton County 8 AM - 1 PM. Chilton Fall
Landowner Tour near the junction of Chilton Co. Rd.
45 and Co. Rd. 16. Lat: 32.722, Lat: 86.870 Topics:
Intensive pine management for aesthetics, Landowner
objectives, Wildlife openings, Hardwoods, Prescribed
burning, and Longleaf management. Fee: $15; lunch
included. Must register by September 29. Call Chilton
Extension Office at (205) 280-6268.
October 10-12...Biloxi, Mississippi. Mississippi Forest-
ry Association Annual Meeting at the Golden Nugget,
151 Beach Boulevard. Fee: $445. Contact Casey
Anderson at (601) 354-4936.
October 11...Mobile County 6 PM. Wild Game Cook-
Off at The Bluegill Restaurant, Mobile Bay Causeway,
Mobile. Attend the cook-off and enjoy live music,
door prizes, youth activities, and sample some wild
game recipes. Fee: $50; youth under 15 free. Call the
Alabama Wildlife Federation at 1-800-822-9453.
October 12...Randolph County 8 AM. Northern Region
Forestry Tour and Field Day near 16796 County Road
59, Woodland. For more information email Charlie
Wise at [email protected].
October 13...Gainesville, Florida 10 AM - 3 PM ET.
Turpentining in Florida: Past, Present, and Future at
Austin Cary Forest Learning Center, 10625 NE Waldo
Road. Fee: $15; lunch included. Contact Chris Demers
at (352) 846-2375.
More Events can be found on AFOA’s website at
www.AFOA.org/cal/cal.htm
…
Always Call Ahead to Confirm Program Details
Alabama Forest Owners’ Association, Inc.
Officers & Board of Directors
Ben F. Black, President
Andrew B. E. Kyle, Vice President
William C. Yeargan, Secretary
Jon R. Ingram, Treasurer
Hayes D. Brown, General Counsel
R. Lee Laechelt, Exec. Vice Pres.
Henry Barclay, III
Harvey Lester Barnett, Jr.
Mafus R. Bird, Jr.
Eleanor Espy Cheatham
Michael C. Dixon, Sr.
Susan P. Dooley
William L. Forbes
William A. Freise
James W. Gewin
Henry A. Long, Jr.
Helen Crow Mills Pittman
Austin L. Rainwaters
Ira W. Rhodes
John A. Screws
Emmett F. Thompson
Mary L. Wimberley
Jan S. Witt
Capital Ideas & AFOA Staff
R. Lee Laechelt, Editor, Capital Ideas
Eyvon S. Laechelt, Office Manager
W. A. Laechelt, Business & Tech. Manager
Brandie R. Floyd, Member Records
Susan Poe Love, Executive Assistant
Brenda Singleton, Executive Assistant
Martha L. Powell, Executive Assistant
Mark Long, Membership Records Assistant
Ann Garrett, Clerical Assistant
Peggy Cooper, Clerical Assistant
Page 6 CAPITAL IDEAS The Newsletter of the Alabama Forest Owners’ Association, Inc. (AFOA) September 2017
GRILLING PLANKS can be sawn from
many different species. Evidently cedar and
salmon go togeth-
er, but in an arti-
cle in Independent
S a w m i l l a n d
Woodlot Manage-
ment, 7/17, we
l e a r n e d t h a t
planks made from sugar maple, black cher-
ry, and Atlantic white cedar are used by
professional and backyard chefs all across
the country. Never having heard of “grilling
planks” before reading the article, we
watched a “How to” YouTube video at
https://youtu.be/tbCUcmvQeE0. A visit to
Flame Grilling Products website
(www.flamegrillingproducts.com) will intro-
duce you to all kinds of species used to
make planks, chips, and chunks for grilling.
OIL, GAS & MINERAL LEASE ASSIS-
TANCE was the title of Landman Joey
Stephenson’s presentation at AFOA’s April
22 Annual Meeting. If you missed it (8,700
AFOA members missed it), you can listen
to Stephenson and watch his slide show
now posted to AFOA’s website. Go to www.afoa.org/meetings/AM/AM2017/
stephenson.htm. Stephenson and others are
putting together a one-day Oil & Gas Semi-
nar in Tuscaloosa on September 22. See
page 1 of this newsletter.
TIMBER THEFT OR ARSON INVES-
TIGATIONS: If you have reported either
of these crimes to the Alabama Law En-
forcement Agency or the Alabama Fire
Marshall’s office, have you been satisfied
with their work? We haven’t seen any news
stories on prosecution of timber thieves or
woods arsonists during the past few years.
A L A B A M A B O Y
NAMED CHIEF of the
U.S. Forest Service by
Secretary of Agriculture
Sonny Perdue. Tony
Tooke grew up on a small
200-acre farm in Detroit,
Alabama. He earned a
bachelor’s degree in forestry from Missis-
sippi State University and at one time
worked in the Talladega National Forest.
SOUTHERN PINE
BEETLE infesta-
tions continue to
grow this summer,
according to surveys
conducted by the Alabama Forestry Com-
mission. Landowners should monitor their
property and seek the advice of their con-
sulting forester before taking any action.
MANAGING EARLY SUCCESSIONAL
PLANT COMMUNITIES FOR WILD-
LIFE IN THE EASTERN US by Craig
Harper “will
help anyone
who wants to
manage fields
to make them
more attractive
and productive
for whi te -
tailed deer and
other wildlife.
S tep -by-s tep
instructions are
provided for
managing virtually any type of field or open
area that exists in the eastern U.S.” $25
from Quality Deer Management Associa-
tion. Call 1-800-209-3337.
NEW PLAT MAPS from Rockford Map
Publishers include the following counties in
Alabama: Bibb, Bullock, Conecuh, Coving-
ton, Dale, Lamar, Lee, Russell, Sumter,
Tuscaloosa, Washington, Wilcox. Upcom-
ing counties: Escambia, Fayette, & Geneva.
Call 1-800-321-1627.
“[TAX] REFORM CAN BE GREAT and
it’s certainly a buzzword these days, but
some parts of the tax code do not need to be
reformed.” John Alter, forest landowner.
2016 COSTS AND TRENDS FOR
SOUTHERN FORESTRY PRACTICES
by Adam Maggard and Rebecca Barlow is a
regular feature published in the Forest
Landowner magazine every other year. On
prescribed burning they wrote: “Fifty-four
percent of survey respondents reported pre-
scribed burning in 2016, all of which used a
ground drip torch for treatments on a total
of 60,305 acres. Prescribed burning for site
preparation and understory control account-
ed for more than 91 percent of the total
acres reported. The overall average cost per
acre for all prescribed burning was $26.63.”
Costs for timber marking for “thinning pur-
poses” were $33.77 per acre. As soon as the
report is available on the Auburn Extension
System website, we’ll let you know.
REMEMBER NATURE DEFICIT DIS-
ORDER? Vitamin N: The Essential Guide
to a Nature-Rich Life by Richard Louv
(Last Child in the Woods), 4/12/16, is “a
prescription for connecting with the power
and joy of the natural world.” $9.25 paper-
back at Amazon.
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE
PAID MONTGOMERY, AL
PERMIT NO. 275
Alabama Forest Owners’ Association
Post Office Box 361434
Birmingham, AL 35236-1434
Return Service Requested
R ea l Es ta t e F in an c in g fo r
www.AlabamaFarmCredit.com
(256) 734-0132
(256) 739-4071 fax
1-888-305-0074
Recreational and Timber Land
Madison, FL / Office / 850-973-2967
C.J. (Jay) Blanton III / Cell 850-566-1884
Jason M Blanton / Cell 850-566-7175
C.J. Blanton Jr. / Cell 850-673-7421
Email: [email protected]
Blanton's Longleaf Container Nursery / 6" Containerized Pine Seedlings
Improved and Natural Stand Longleaf / Improved Slash and Loblolly
.
Growers of Deep Plug Pine Seedlings
Steve Meeks 877-809-1737 Linc: 18*14655
www.meeksfarms-nurserys.com