forest resourcesspring 2002 forest resources newsletter resources forest dr. steve demarais (m.s....

College of

SPRING 2002

Forest Resourcesn e w s l e t t e r

RESOURCESFORESTDr. Steve Demarais (M.S. ’79, Ph.D. ’84), associate professor and wildlife biologist,

and graduate student Bronson Strickland of Athens, Ga., record measurements of atranquilized deer’s antlers at MSU’s Wildlife and Fisheries Research and EducationalFacility. Faculty members and graduate students have participated in a 20-year study

to examine the genetic, nutritional, and environmental influences on deer antlergrowth. Results from these studies have influenced harvest regulations and deer

management recommendations throughout the Southeast.

DEAN’SCOMMEN

Dean’s Comments

2 College of Forest Resources Newsletter/Spring 2002

Dear alumni and friends,

On Feb. 5, I celebrated my firstanniversary here at Mississippi StateUniversity as dean of the College ofForest Resources and director of theForest and Wildlife Research Center.It has been an interesting and excitingyear. Many opportunities have comeour way, and we have tried to catchthe really good ones! I am even moreconvinced than I was a year ago thatthe window of opportunity for forestresources is wide open, and we musttake advantage of this timing.

Granted, the U.S. and, specifically,the Mississippi economies are in adown cycle. In addition, the forest-based economy is down, but this is thetime for our College of Forest Re-sources and the Forest and WildlifeResearch Center to emerge asleaders. Another interesting factor inour favor is that Dr. Charles Lee hasbeen appointed interim president ofMSU. Dr. Lee was formerly dean of thethen School of Forest Resources andmost recently vice president for theDivision of Agriculture, Forestry, andVeterinary Medicine. He is a foresterby training and is very familiar with ourprogram. I expect that he will be a realfriend of our college during his tenureas he was in the past. Please join mein congratulating him.

Well, there is “good news” andthere is also “not-so-good news.” First,I would like to share some of the goodnews with you. In fact, this entireissue of the College of Forest Re-sources Alumni Newsletter is filledwith good news, but let me highlightsome for you. Our academic pro-grams continue to be strong and onesof which you can be proud. Ourrecruitment of good students contin-ues to be successful but varies a bit bydepartment, and the employmentsuccess rate of our graduates is quitegood. Among awards we received, thestudent chapter of the Society ofAmerican Foresters and the Wildlife

Society each won first place in nationaland regional competitions, respectively.Our faculty members continue to gainawards, many of which are listed in thenewsletter. The center’s researchaccomplishments are outstanding, withmore than 300 current researchstudies. In FY2001, center scientistsgenerated more than $3.7 million inextramural funding. Some of their workeven qualifies for patents. For ex-ample, Dr. Leonard Ingram of theForest Products Department recentlyreceived a patent for his work relatedto the Southern pine beetle. It is hisfourth patent. In the area of outreachand extension, college and centerfaculty and staff continue to work verydiligently to see that the results of theirown research, as well as the findingsof others, are put into practice byforesters, wildlife and fisheries biolo-gists, forest landowners, loggers, andothers. Only by doing that can we helpthe economy of the state of Missis-sippi. In fact, much of our research,outreach, and extension are promptedby a strong desire to aid thesustainability of forest resources andeconomic development.

One of the interesting bits of goodnews has to do with forest-basedeconomic development. In fact, theMississippi Legislature created a TaskForce for Forest-Based EconomicDevelopment in spring 2001. RollinTurnage with Southern Lumber Co.and I served as task force co-leaders.There were 17 members and we metat least monthly and sometimes moreto discuss and analyze factors affect-ing forest-based economic develop-ment in the state. Many experts wereinvited to come and talk with the taskforce about various issues. Wepresented our final report with five keyrecommendations to the Legislature inmid-December 2001. Those recom-mendations have been used to createSenate bill 2922, which is working itsway through the Legislature. There isa lot of enthusiasm for what this can do

for the economy of Mississippi.Another area of good news has to

do with the growing interest in supportfor the endowment for the College ofForest Resources. We received manygifts from our alumni and friends thisyear and we are so very grateful forthem! These gifts will be used tosupport our academic, research, andoutreach programs. Details on someof the larger gifts are given in thisnewsletter.

One of the most significant giftswas approximately $1 million from TomHarris in the form of timberland. Harrisis one of our 1957 graduates and hegave timberland to us that has been inhis family since the 1930s.

As I mentioned in the fall newslet-ter, I am placing a lot of emphasis onthis type of support for the college.What better way to support the Collegeof Forest Resources than by givingtimberland to us for forest resourcemanagement? The forestland will bemanaged for education, research, anddemonstration with the proceeds frommanagement going to the college tosupport students, faculty, and ourprograms.

Well, I could continue with thegood news, but as I said, this entireissue is filled with more good news.

Let me also share some of the not-

G. Sam Foster

SNTS

3College of Forest Resources Newsletter/Spring 2002

so-good news with you. Mainly, thistype of news has to do with ourbudgets and the collateral damagefrom them. One of the results of thedownturn in the Mississippi economyis that our budgets have been de-creased significantly. I say budgetsbecause we get two of them. Onecomes through MSU for the aca-demic program, and the othercomes directly from the Legislaturefor the Mississippi Forest andWildlife Research Center. Bothbudgets have been cut significantlyfor two years and, from all indica-tions, next year’s budget will con-tinue to decline. Since the beginningof FY2001, the FWRC lost 21.87percent of its budget due to cuts tothe base program and rescissionsby the governor. On the first esti-mate of our budget for next year, weare facing another cut to our baseprogram of 12.48 percent. We aretrying to remain optimistic that theeconomy will turn around. In a statesuch as Mississippi, forest resourcesand related industries account forone of the largest sectors in theeconomy. We have many friends inthe Legislature, and I am convincedthat they are trying to help us. Youcan help us by gently remindingthem of how important you feel thatwe are, too!

In summary, we have manygood things for which to be thankful:a state that is overflowing withbountiful natural resources, acitizenry that values forest resourcesand, indeed, many of whom make aliving from them, a world classuniversity in MSU, top-notch facultyand staff, outstanding students, andgreat alumni. Please keep up yoursupport. We need you!

G. Sam FosterDean/Director

The Department of Forest Products hosted a “Wood Adhesion Problem-Solving” short course during November. The course was sponsored by theWood-Based Composites Center.

Among the 30 short course participants were representatives from manufac-turers of trusses, oriented strand board, particle board, heavy timber laminatedbeam (glulam), corporate research and development, and resin-adhesives.

The coursefocused on theadhesive bondingof wood, which isbecoming increas-ingly important asnew and improvedproducts andmethods aredeveloped. Indus-tries are adopting

new technologies to bond wood pieces into larger elements such as flat panels,finger-jointed lumber, furniture parts, etc.

The Wood-Based Composites Center includes four universities and strives toprovide education and training, research, and technology transfer to service theNorth American wood-based composites manufacturers and related industries.

As project manager for Weyer-haeuser Engineering Services, SallyCook manages theconstruction of capitalprojects in wood prod-ucts and pulp and paper.She worked in NorthCarolina until late Au-gust, when she moved tothe company’s Ontario,Canada, facility.

That move, however,is only one of many in a21-year career since sheearned a bachelor’sdegree in forestry fromMSU. Cook has held numerouspositions in the industry and creditsMississippi State with providing a solidbackground.

At MSU, she says, “It was not anyone class or any one professor who

Cook named 2001 Alumni Fellow

Sally Cook

made the difference. The combinationof hands-on skill building in labs,

teamwork in groupprojects, classroomdiscussions, and leader-ship experience in schoolactivities all have been keyin my career.”

Cook says her parentshave been the greatestinfluences on both herpersonal and professionallife. “They taught all of myfamily that you can achieveanything you set your mindto strive for and gave us

the encouragement through bothsuccesses and challenges.”

The Canton native lists her great-est accomplishment at MSU asobtaining a master of business admin-istration degree while working full time.

F.P. hosts composites workshop


DEPARTMENT

FORESTRY

FOREST PRODUCTS

WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES• Dr. Doug Richards received the

MSU Career Services Faculty/StaffSupport Award for his outstandingsupport of Career Services eventsand activities.

• Dr. Stephen Schoenholtz,forestry professor, has left thedepartment for a position withOregon State University.

• Dr. Alex Friend, forestry profes-sor, has left the department for aposition with the USDA ForestService.

• Chris Allen, graduate student,placed second in the graduatestudent poster presentationcontest of the 11th annualSouthern States EnvironmentalConference. His poster wasentitled “Phytoremediation ofOrganic Wood Preservatives.”

• Dr. Jilei Zhang is now acontributing editor to Modern

Woodworking magazine.• Martha Wilson received a grant

for recruiting from the Office ofGraduate Studies.

• Dr. Cynthia West, forest productsdepartment head, has left thedepartment to fill a position withthe U.S. Forest Service in Port-land, Ore. Dr. Steve Bullard isserving as interim departmenthead and a national search isunder way.

• Dr. Leonard Ingram receiveda patent, “Container for4-Allylanisole and Analog ScolytidPesticides.” This is the fourthpatent for Ingram.

• Dr. Terry Conners, associateprofessor, has left the departmentto fill a position with the Universityof Kentucky.

• Dr. Mike Barnes was nominatedas president of the Society ofWood Science and Technology.

• Dr. Terry Sellers Jr. has beennamed an external assessor forappointment to the post ofprofessor with the forestry facultyof University Putra Malaysia.

• Dr. Hal Schramm recently wasawarded the OutstandingResearch Award from theAmerican Fisheries Society. Theaward was given “in recognition forgoing the extra mile in sharing thevalue of fisheries science with thegeneral public through the popularmedia and other communicationchannels.”

• Dr. Eric Dibble and his wife Robinwere named Outstanding WetlandConservationists by the OktibbehaCounty Soil and Water District for2000.

• Douglas Wood, graduate student,received the Outstanding WildlifeStudent Paper award at the 2001SEAFWA conference in Louisville,Ky.

• Dr. Lou D’Abramo is the 2002Outstanding Faculty Member atMSU. He was honored at theHigher Education Appreciation DayWorking for Academic Excellence(HEADWAE) in Jackson inmid-February for outstandingcontributions to higher education inMississippi. The award is pre-sented by the Legislature.

• Dr. Anita Kelly recently waselected vice president of the FishCulture Section of the AmericanFisheries Society.

UPDATESCATTING AROUNDSouth Africans Weeber Trutor (l) and Johan Uys toured thecarnivore facility during a recent visit to campus. Trutor is anostrich farmer from the Eastern Cape and Uys is a farmer andprofessional hunter from the Orange Free State who also owns asafari company. Members of the South African National CombatRifle Team, the two spent the previous week at an internationalshooting competition in Arkansas before coming to Starkville.Trutor and Uys are good friends of CFR alumnus Randy Pope(forestry, 1974) of Meridian.


Dean to serve on national agricultural advisory board

DEPARTMENTUPDATES

The dean of the College of ForestResources is a newly appointed boardmember of a group that advises theU.S. Department of Agriculture on itsnational policy.

Dr. Sam Foster, who also directsMSU’s Forest and Wildlife ResearchCenter, recently was appointed bySecretary of Agriculture Ann Venemanto serve a two-year term on theNational Agricultural Research,Extension, Education, and EconomicsAdvisory Board.

Foster, who was named dean atMississippi State last year, is the singleboard member appointed by Venemanto represent the issues and concernsof national forestry groups. The boardis composed of 30 members from avariety of constituencies, includingfarm organizations, food and plantcommodities, and food science, humanhealth, and social sciences organiza-tions, among others.

The national advisory group wasestablished by federal legislation in1996.

As MSU dean, Foster headsacademic departments that includeforestry, forest products, and wildlifeand fisheries. As director of the Forestand Wildlife Research Center, he leadsresearch efforts of faculty members ina $6.5 million annual program thatprovides expertise to Mississippi’s

$14.8 billion forest and forest productsindustry, a major contributor to thestate’s economy.

Foster also serves as a MississippiForestry Commission board memberand as vice chairman of the Forestryand Wildlife Committee for the DeltaCouncil.

Before coming to Mississippi State,he was assistant research director forthe USDA Forest Service SouthernResearch Station, based in Asheville,N.C., for nine years. He also had

served as a research geneticist at thestation.

Foster holds a number of profes-sional affiliations, including member-ship in the Society of AmericanForesters and Xi Sigma Pi, an honor-ary forestry society. He is one of onlytwo Americans who serve on theeditorial board of Forest Genetics, aninternational scholarly journal.

He holds bachelor’s and master’sdegrees from the University of Tennes-see and a doctorate from Oregon StateUniversity.

Dr. Terry S. Ozier, a retired veterinarianand friend to the College of Forest Resources,died Jan. 21. He was 86.

Dr. Ozier became active in forestry in the1950s when he purchased tree farms. He was amember of the Mississippi Forestry Association,serving as its president in 1972, the RankinCounty Forestry Association, and the Associa-tion of Consulting Foresters. He also served onthe Advisory Committee for the Department ofForestry, was a longtime board member of theForest Landowners Association, and served asan appointed member of the MississippiForestry Commission governing board 1972-1976 and 1990-1994.

Dr. Ozier and his wife Anne wererecipients of the Mississippi Tree Farmer of theYear Award in 1989 and the National TreeFarmer of the Year Award in 1990. They alsoreceived the Forest Conservationists of the YearAward by the Mississippi Wildlife Federation.

The Mississippi Forestry Association,along with friends and members of the Ozierfamily, established the Anne and Terry OzierEndowed Scholarship within the College ofForest Resources in the couple’s honor in 1999.Anyone wishing to support the scholarshipshould make contributions payable to the MSUFoundation.

MEMORIAL

Anne and Terry Ozier


DEVELOPMENTu p d a t e

A Mississippi Forestry Commis-sion employee who died in the line ofduty is being honored by a corporategift to Mississippi State’s College ofForest Resources.

The $5,000 memorial gift insupport of forestry education is part ofStihl Inc.’s 2001 National ForestryHeroism Award program honoringJohn Paul Pritchett Sr. of WebsterCounty.

Pritchett is recognized for extraor-dinary courage during a WebsterCounty wildfire in August 2000. Thecommission crew chief received fatalsecond- and third-degree burns whena sudden wind shift trapped him inwhat became a pine plantation inferno.

An international manufacturer ofchain saws and other portable power

tools based in Virginia Beach, Va., Stihlcreated the National Forestry HeroismAward in 1996 to honor the braveactions of individuals working in ordevoting significant portions of theirtime to the forestry industry.

James Malone of Stihl Southwestpresented the check in October 2001during the College of Forest Re-sources’ annual Advisory Committeebanquet.

Company representatives earlierpresented Pritchett’s family a plaque, amonetary gift, an MS 440 Magnumchain saw, and a trip to the StihlTimbersports competition in Branson,Mo. In addition to the MSU gift, Stihl isdonating to a charity of the family’schoice.

“We deeply appreciate the gift Stihlis making to the College of ForestResources,” said Dean Sam Foster.“These funds will be used to establisha scholarship in the college for majorsin forestry, forest products, or wildlifeand fisheries.”

Former MSU president Malcolm Portera (l) andSam Foster (c) receive a $5,000 check fromJames Malone.

Private gifts critically important to CFR programs

DEVELOPMENTUPDATES

Support from alumni and friendshelps place the MSU College of ForestResources among the top programs inthe country. And, given the forecast forpublic funding in the coming years,private support will be even morecritical in the future growth and suc-cess of our programs.

Increasingly, we depend on privatefunds to provide scholarships andassistantships for deserving students,acquire new information technology,and support faculty for research andservice programs and continuingeducation opportunities for profession-als in the field.

During the first six months of thisfiscal year, the CFR has received$1,221,669 in new gifts and pledgesand $1,343,960 in pledge payments.Included in these gifts are majorcontributions from the Delaney Foun-dation, Mr. and Mrs. Leo Seal, John

and Jutta Ferretti, Thomas and PageHarris, Walt and LeAnn Starr, andmany other alumni and friends. Wewant to say a special thank you toeveryone who continues to support ourcause. We will feature many of thesegifts in future issues of our newsletter.

Most nonprofit organizations(including universities) not directlylinked to aiding the victims of theSeptember 11 attacks on our countryhave seen a decrease in support. Weare pleased to report that in our case,as of December 2001, gifts to ourcollege are up 2035 percent. This isgreat news for our students and theCFR. While these numbers look good,continued private support is critical toour future. We encourage you tocontinue to help us educate andprepare tomorrow’s leaders. Remem-ber, no gift is too small and many ofyou work for companies that will match

your gift.We appreciate all contributions

and will use them wisely.If you are considering a major gift,

here are some options. You may givecash, which offers you the standardcharitable deduction. You may giveappreciated property such as stocks orreal estate. These offer the charitablededuction and also allow you to avoidcapital gains tax on the appreciatedportion of the gift’s value. Rememberthat pledges can be paid over a three-to five-year period. You also may makegifts in kind, such as equipment,furnishings, services, or other itemswhen appropriate. These gifts will becredited to you at their full marketvalue.

For more information on making agift and learning more about our fund-raising priorities, contact Keith Gaskinat 662-325-3815 or [email protected].

Gift memorializes Forestry Commission employee

UPDATES


DEVELOPMENTu p d a t e

Forestland . . . a special kind of asset!

Many people are fortunate enough to own forestland, an investment thatoften increases in value over the years. While growth of such an asset iscertainly preferred, managing the land to maximize its productive capabilitycan be a challenge for owners.

As you and your adviser plan for your future, consider the benefits ofgiving your appreciated property to the College of Forest Resources atMississippi State. A lifetime income through a trust arrangement called a lifeincome agreement could provide these benefits:

• Bypass capital gains tax,• Reduce current taxes through a charitable deduction,• Select a competitive rate of return that is fixed or variable,• Reduce size of taxable estate, if applicable, and• Ensure the future of forestry education and research.For more information about giving appreciated property in return for

lifetime income, contact us at 662-325-3815 or [email protected].

Your inquiry will remain strictly confidential.

If you wouldlike moreinformation onthese scholar-ships or endow-ments, or wouldlike to make acontribution to theCollege of ForestResources,telephone KeithGaskin at

662-325-3815 or [email protected].

TS

DEVELOPMENT

Private support to the CFR is onthe rise and a significant deferred giftfrom a Laurel couple is creating a win-win situation for all involved.

Tom and Page Harris have giventhe CFR approximately 430 acres oftimberland in Newton County, with anestimated value of more than $1million.The Harris family has owned theproperty since 1932.

The College of Forest Resourceswill manage the property, and fundsgenerated from its management will beused to create a two-life charitable giftannuity for the Harrises, providingthem with a lifetime income. TomHarris, the retired president of Harris,Wilcock Timber, is a 1957 graduate ofMSU’s forestry program.

“The future growth of our collegedepends on significant contributions

such as this,” said Sam Foster, CFRdean and director. “Timberland isdynamic and renewable, and this verygenerous gift will have a lasting impacton our college.”

Future funds generated from theproper management of the timber willbe used by the college to establish theTom and Page Harris Endowment forForestry Excellence. The land will beused as a teaching tool for forestrystudents and as a demonstration forestfor forestry extension activities.

“We are committed to being goodstewards of the land we receive,” saidFoster. “Therefore, the CFR willestablish a management plan for theproperty using the best science-basedforestry principles and practices.”

Over time, the income will be usedto create endowed faculty chairs and

professorships, purchase equipment,and establish scholarships and fellow-ships, as well as to fund facultydevelopment and other generalprogram enhancements.

“Acquiring gifts of timberland is amajor focus of our fund-raising efforts,”said Keith Gaskin, CFR director ofdevelopment. “We hope this exampleset by the Harrises will encourageothers to do the same. I believe thisgift from Mr. and Mrs. Harris demon-strates their commitment to thetradition of yesterday, plus a strongvision for tomorrow.”

Page and Tom Harris

Timberland gift enhances CFR future

FEATURES8 College of Forest Resources Newsletter/Spring 2002

A majority of Mississippians havegenerally positive attitudes towardforestry and would like additionalinformation about the forestry commu-nity.

Those results are among findingsfrom a statewide survey of publicperceptions of the state’s $14.8 billionforest industry. The yearlong effortrecently was completed by MississippiState’s Forest and Wildlife ResearchCenter.

“Teachers, who had one of thehighest response rates to the survey,have an overall positive attitude towardforestry,” said associate professor

Steve Grado. “They think it beneficial totell the forest industry story to theirstudents.”

Grado, assisted by forestrydepartment graduate students MarcusMeasells of Morton and Rachel Habigof Russellville, Ala., mailed question-naires to nearly 5,400 Mississippiteachers, loggers, private forestlandowners, bankers, legislators, andmembers of conservation or environ-mental groups. Almost 2,500 were

completed and returned.The American Forest and

Paper Association’s MississippiState Implementation Committeefor the Sustainable ForestryInitiative sponsored the project.

Teachers and other groupsindicated that most informationthey receive about forestry comesfrom environmental groups andothers not directly involved with theforestry community, Grado said.

The highest response ratecame from the conservation/environmental groups. “Publicconcerns about forestry includethe environmental impact ofharvesting practices and the

effects of forest management onwildlife,” Grado observed.

“Questions in the survey ad-dressed those concerns and the

responses will help establish a long-term approach of elevating forestryand the forest industry in the con-sciousness of Mississippians,” headded.

Grado said the study also founddifferences among the groups abouthow they wished to receive forestry-related information. For instance:

—Teachers said field trips, videos,and educational materials are the bestway to educate students about forestryand the forest industry;

—Public agencies, loggers, andconservation/environmental groupspreferred educational programs andmaterials;

—Bankers liked pamphlets,brochures, and presentations;

—Legislators preferred presenta-tions; and

—Forest landowners wanted moreworkshops.

“Survey results will help us identifyissues of concern that call for immedi-ate action,” Grado said. “The next stepwill be long-term educational efforts tohelp correct any false perceptionsalready held about forestry and theforest industry.”

For additional information on thestudy, contact Grado at 662-325-2792or by e-mail [email protected].

Laura Grace and Bill Stuart demonstrate forestry equipment atthe Wood Magic Science Fair.

Survey helps answer some forest industry questions

MSU furniture institute appoints new directorThe Institute for Furniture Manu-

facturing and Management is Missis-sippi State’s newest public servicecenter and forestry professor StevenH. Bullard is its first director.

A university faculty member since1983, Bullard heads a multidisciplinaryresearch unit drawing on the expertiseof faculty and staff in MSU’s Forest

and Wildlife Research Center, collegesof Business and Industry and Engi-neering, School of Architecture, andthe MSU Extension Service’s Foodand Fiber Center.

Development and testing offurniture frames and other compo-nents, as well as product testing andother research and support activities

for the furniture industry, are amongthe institute’s focus areas.

“The institute’s primary goal is tosecure the future of the furnitureindustry in the state and region byincreasing its international competitive-ness,” said Sam Foster, director of theForest and Wildlife Research Center.

“Dr. Bullard and his staff will


Cash donations = $1,307,462 Gifts in kind = $84,308

‘Do you reforest?

Mississippi’s more than 18 millionacres of forestland annually contributeabout $1.25 billion in timber sales tothe state’s economy.

Despite this, concerns about thefuture of the major natural resource arebeing raised because significantnumbers of landowners do not reforesttheir harvested timberlands. Thedecline comes despite the financialincentives of government cost-sharepayments and tax credits.

In a recent survey, scientists atMississippi State’s Forest and WildlifeResearch Center sought to gain abetter understanding of landownerattitudes toward reforestation. Theproject focused on owners of at least20 acres of uncultivated land wheretimber was harvested between 1994and 1998.

“This study examined landownercharacteristics and how they arerelated to reforestation decisions,” saidforestry professor John Gunter, theproject leader.

Of 829 Mississippi landownerssurveyed, approximately 50 percentsaid they did reforest. Most in thisgroup plant pine seedlings, but do notparticipate in cost-sharing programs.

New MSU study provides answersWhy not?’

“The leading reasons for reforest-ing were desires to keep their propertyin timber production and to be goodstewards of the land,” Gunter said.

“The top reasons landowners don’treplant after harvest are the beliefsthat the site will reforest itself naturallyand the high cost of reforestation,” headded. Landowners who don’t reforestalso consider pine plantations “riskierthan other types of investments.”

The survey also reveals that:—More than 80 percent say

decisions to reforest should be left tolandowners and not be regulated bythe state; and

—Landowners who do not replantoften are unaware of the availablereforestation assistance and incentiveprograms.

“The shortfall in reforestation isoccurring despite such incentives ascost-share payments underMississippi’s Forest Resource Devel-opment Program, federal income taxcredits, and the new MississippiReforestation Tax Credit Program,”Gunter said.

Landowners easily can learn aboutthe incentives and other reforestationoptions by contacting local offices of

accomplish this by using theuniversity’s existing resources andcapabilities to effectively work withindustrial and other groups to meet thefurniture industry’s current and futureneeds,” Foster added.

Bullard holds bachelor’s and

either the MSU Extension Service orMississippi Forestry Commission, hesaid.

The entire MSU reforestationreport may be read atwww.cfr.msstate.edu/fwrc/reforestation.pdf.

FEATURESmaster’s degrees in forestry from MSUand a doctorate in forest management/economics from Virginia PolytechnicInstitute and State University.

He has worked with the MSU-based Furniture Research Unit sinceits creation by the Legislature in 1987.His specific research areas includeevaluations of forestry investments and

furniture industry resources, manufac-turing, and marketing.

Mississippi’s furniture industryannually contributes $3.9 billion in totaloutput, provides nearly 50,000 jobsand pays $1.3 billion in wages.

Franklin Center for Furniture Manufacturing and ManagementFund Raising Totals to Date

FEATURES10 College of Forest Resources Newsletter/Spring 2002

Wildlife professor puts teaching into practice

Dibble (c) gives a tour of thewetland to U.S. Senators RobinHayes (l) of North Carolina andMississippi’s Chip Pickering.

Eric Dibble’s idea of a backyarddoesn’t include an expanse of Ber-muda grass, a sprinkler system ormanicured hedges.

The Mississippi State associateprofessor of wildlife and fisheries hasreturned his 80-acre “backyard” inwestern Oktibbeha County to the wayit was before it was turned into pasturefor beef cows in the 1920s.

Ducks, birds and other wildlife nowmake their homes in a natural wetlandand a hardwood forest where cowsgrazed for almost a century. Dibbleuses the restored land as a laboratoryfor the classeshe teaches inthe College ofForest Re-sources. Hisbackyardhobby, hesaid, has threeobjectives:conservation,education andlong-termresearch.

“Wetlandsprovidebenefits suchas improvedwater qualityand enhancedhabitat forwaterfowl andother migra-tory birds,”Dibble said. “They also help reducesoil erosion and flooding, as well asimprove the water supply.”

Dibble has restored the formerpasture to its original state as awetland by planting bottomlandhardwoods, such as oaks, cypress andsweet gum on about 30 acres.

“Bottomland hardwoods de-creased over the last century with theincrease in agricultural and pastureland,” Dibble said. “By re-establishing

this wetland, I can practice my hobbyand have an educational tool, labora-tory, and long-term research project.”

He also has enrolled part of hisland in the U.S. Department ofAgriculture’s Wetland Reserve Pro-gram. Through that program, about 30acres is flooded each fall to provide awinter habitat for ducks and otherwildlife.

As expected, plants native to thearea did not have to be reintroducedonce the wetland was created.

“Cattails and other wetland plantsemerged from seed that had remained

dormant since the area was convertedto pasture in the early part of the 20thcentury,” Dibble said.

The wetland laboratory is just afew miles from the MSU campus andprovides some hands-on experiencefor students. Currently, students inDibble’s classes are gathering informa-tion to be used in a long-term study tomeasure and evaluate the federalwetland reserve program.

There is little data available onlong-term studies of ecological

changes resulting fromwetland reserve pro-grams, Dibble said.

“The students enjoyworking in the wetlandlaboratory and itchanges their perspec-tives on how informationgathered during fieldexercises is applied toactual problems,” headded. “The experiencealso seems to give them

a new respect for a professor whopractices what he preaches.”

Dibble was named the OktibbehaCounty’s Outstanding Wetland Conser-vationist of the Year for 2000 in recog-nition for his wetland laboratory.

Since 1992, Mississippi landown-ers have enrolled approximately100,000 acres in the wetland reserveprogram, resulting in the secondlargest state enrollment in the nation.

Bottomland hardwoods such as these provide many benefits.

FEATURES11College of Forest Resources Newsletter/Spring 2002

* CFR calendar of upcoming continuing education classes(January - October 2002)

New Web-based software devel-oped at Mississippi State makesestimation of timber and timberlandinvestment values easier.

FORVAL-Online, a forestry invest-ment tool for forest valuation andinvestment analysis developed at theForest and Wildlife Research Center, isavailable on the Internet atwww.cfr.msstate.edu/forval.

The new software provides manyof the features of an earlier FWRC-

developed program, FORVAL forWindows, but in an easier-to-useformat.

“FORVAL-Online uses Internettechnology to help foresters and forestlandowners evaluate forestry invest-ments,” said forestry professor andprogram co-developer Steve Bullard.“The program is designed to be anaccurate, easy-to-use and readilyavailable forestry investment analysispackage.”

MSU Web-based software providesnew tools for forestry valuations

Among the calculations thesoftware program will perform aremonthly and annual payments, as wellas projected stumpage price.

In addition, the program will helpevaluate a wide range of financialcriteria, including internal rate ofreturn, net present value, benefit/costratio, equivalent annual income, landexpectation value, and net future value.

“FORVAL-Online provides anextraordinary Web-based forestryinvestment analysis calculator tolandowners and forest professionals,”Bullard said. “Although this is anInternet application, the actual pro-cessing takes place within the user’scomputer, permitting users to down-load sections of the program to usewithout being connected to theInternet.”

For additional information aboutFORVAL-Online, contact Bullard at662-325-2781 or by e-mail [email protected].

GIS for natural resource managersMarch 6-8

GPS: A certificate program for the natural resource professionalMarch 20-22

S-290: Intermediate wetland fire behaviorMarch 27-28

Forestry practices and principlesApril 3-4

Prescribed burningApril 15-18

Record keeping and recording of occupational injuries and illnessesApril 22-23

Southeastern wetlands: their values, ecology, and managementMay 14-16

Management of existing hardwood standsJune 3-6

Management of ponds and small impoundmentsJune 25

GIS for natural resource managersJuly 17-19

Wildlife and fisheries managementAugust 5-9


EVENTSAlumniOur 2001 Homecoming Barbecue

was wet and rainy, but we still had agreat time and a reasonable turnout.We held tours of Thompson Hall toallow our alumni to see where weperform lab research and teachstudents. As always, we had a great

time socializing andvisiting with each other. The alumnus whotraveled farthest wasMark Gibson (forestry,1981) who is a forester forthe Naval Air Station inPensacola, Fla. He wasaccompanied by his wifeCandace and son Cory.We’re always pleased tosee our out-of-statealumni come back to visit!This was the first year weparked at the ForestProducts Lab and bused

people over to Thompson Hall. Weowe a big vote of thanks to our gradu-ate students and research associateswho served as bus drivers in thepouring rain.

Allen Hill, senior process engineerfor Masonite Corp., recently utilizednew process technologyat the Forest ProductsLaboratory. Hill is a1979 wood science andtechnology graduate.

The object of theindustry-sponsoredresearch involves fiberboard bonding in a dualoil/steam-injectionheated hot press. Hill’s study will resultin material facts for managementdecisions of capital investment andenhanced consumer product quality.

Fishing Rodeo

hosted by the Department

of Wildlife and Fisheries

Details to be announced

soon!

SPRING EVENT PLANNEDMAY 11, 2002

Alumni fall Homecoming event

Hill conductingresearch at FP

Hill

John O. Moore,Class of ’61, attendedthe Homecomingfestivities.

Top: Emeritus Dean Warren Thompson and wifeMarilyn enjoy the festivities.Bottom: CFR Alumni Society President HaroldGordon makes announcements.

ALUMNIEVENTS

CFR Alumni Society President Harold Gordon (forestry, 1973) is owner ofLouisville Timber Co. He and his wife Deborah have two sons, Brian and Neil.Harold and Deborah are very active in church and community events. Haroldalso is a photographer for the local paper. Consequently, you can see him on thesidelines at the MSU football games with his camera, running to catch thatperfect shot.

Vice President Don Burnham (forestry products, 1978) and wife Kathy live inOxford with their two children. Don is a longtime employee of Georgia-PacificCorp. He also is working on a Ph.D. at the University of Mississippi. Don isamong the second generation of MSU CFR alumni. His father, James Burnham,was a 1948 farm forestry graduate.

Ruth Cook (forestry, 1982) is a native of Canton. She currently works forMolpus Timberlands Management LLC in Hattiesburg. Cook is building a newhome and is enjoying (or maybe agonizing!) over decisions about wallpaper, paintcolors, and plumbing fixtures. She is sister to another of our alumnae, Sally Cookof Weyerhaeuser Corp. We have several sets of brothers who are alumni, butSally and Ruth are our only sister set so far!

2001 CFR Alumni Society officers


Student Services

The CFR Dean’sStudent Council providesthe means for the ex-change of information andideas among the studentbody and administration.Members coordinate andsupport activities thatenhance professionalgrowth and social welfareof CFR students andprovide counsel to the deanon academic and extracur-ricular aspects of studentlife. Membership is com-prised of four electedofficers (CFR Inter-school Council) and the president/chairman of each recog-nized CFR student organization. Rachel Singleton, coordinator of the Office ofStudent Services, is council adviser.

Council members are (l to r) Chad Dacus, Phillip Hollimon,Shelley McNamara, Brian Berryman, Sarah Gallagher, Jeremy Clay,Joe Mallard, Amanda Grau, Seth Swofford, and Kevin Burnette.Not pictured are Shawn Earles, Ryan Toby, Peter Smiley, and BradStombock.

Dean’s Student Council Wildlife studentgroup honored

Students prepare for NOAA research

Students learn water safety and survival swimmingtraining at the Sanderson Center.

STUDENTSERVICES

Eight Mississippi State studentsrecently traded their classrooms anddorms for the decks and bunks of asea-going research ship.

All wildlife and fisheries majors atMSU, they took part in a week-longcollaborative project with the NationalMarine Fisheries Service on board theNational Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration research vesselGordon Gunter.

The group included Ben Davis ofBelmont; Jason Olive of Florence, Ala.;

Sara Palmisano of Pearl; William Cupitof Rosepine, La.; Rohasliney Hashimof Penang, Malaysia; Randall Kidwellof Crossville, Tenn.; Sam Shepard ofGalway, Ireland; and Matt Thomas ofColorado Spring, Colo.

During their week at sea, thestudents conducted trawl surveys offthe coasts of Alabama, Mississippi,and Louisiana to determine the statusof marine fisheries resources and theocean environment, according toDonald Jackson.

“While on the ship, the studentswere oriented to the disciplines ofliving and working at sea on a re-search vessel,” said Jackson, aprofessor in the Department of Wildlifeand Fisheries and director of theprogram. “They gained experience insampling techniques, fish handling andidentification, and collection of environ-mental data, among other topics.”

This is the fourth year the hands-on training has been offered to College

of Forest Resources students as acomponent of Jackson’s fisheriesscience course. Prior to taking the trip,all of the students participated in watersafety and survival swimming training,also conducted by Jackson.

A division of NOAA, the NationalMarine Fisheries Service providessupport for international fisheriesmanagement operations, trade andindustry assistance, and conservationoperations and enforcement, amongother areas.

The Wildlife Society studentchapter at Mississippi State is firstamong its peers in the region.

The 85-member group recentlyreceived a $1,000 check and aplaque for scoring ahead of 20 othercampus chapters in competition atthe Southeastern Association of Fishand Wildlife Agencies meeting.

“Chapters are judged in sixdifferent areas, including increasingpublic awareness and appreciation ofwildlife conservation, and the wildlifeprofession,” said adviser JaredQuillen, an MSU Extension Servicewildlife assistant. “Each year, ourmembers participate in such activitiesas the Wood Magic Science Fair,Youth Waterfowl Workshop, andMossy Oak Duck and Deer Fest.”

The Wildlife Society is an interna-tional, nonprofit, scientific and edu-cational organization representingprofessionals in resource manage-ment fields, especially wildlife ecologyand management. Founded in 1937,the Bethesda, Md.-based organiza-tion has nearly 9,600 members in 60countries.

Formed in 1971, the MSUchapter is the largest student organi-zation in the College of ForestResources.


ALUMNIUPDATES

H.I. Woddard (forestry, 1953) isliving in Fort Myers, Fla., with his wifeAnnalene, near his daughter and twograndchildren. He retired from SouthCentral Bell Telephone Co.

Donald S. Bell (forestry, 1956)recently was elected to the Society ofAmerican Foresters Council, servingDistrict XI covering Mississippi, Louisi-ana, and Texas. Bell and wife Billie Joeare faithful attendees at MSU CFRalumni events.

Bill Bustin (forestry, 1957) is aforestry consultant in Brandon. He andwife Theresa have two sons, both MSUgraduates. The Bustins returned toMississippi from Alabama in 1997. Heis in good health and still is flying,especially to detect beetle outbreaks.

Joe D. Duckworth (forestry,1958) of Wiggins retired in 1993 fromthe U.S. Forest Service after more than35 years of service. He and wife MaryJo are the parents of Amanda andKathy.

John Lester (forestry, 1958) hasretired from State Farm Insurance inWest Point.

Robert S. “Sid” Moss (forestry,1958) and wife Mary have beenenjoying living a rural farm life on their90 acres since retiring from the Missis-sippi Forestry Commission in 1991.They have three children and sixgrandchildren.

Harry B. Tabor Jr. (forestry, 1958)is semi-retired, working for FESCO inStarkville as vice president of market-ing. He recently served a two-yearterm as state chairman for DucksUnlimited. Currently, he is districtgovernor of the Lions Club in NorthMississippi.

Bobby C. Webb (forestry, 1958)retired from International Paper in1997. He and wife Jane have twogrown daughters, Melanie and Debbie.Webb is enjoying his retirement,spending half his time on Tensaw Lake

in the Mobile Delta.Larry Brewer (forestry, 1959) is

the district manager for the MississippiFarm Bureau Federation. His wifeDottye died two years ago. Brewerhas three children and four grandchil-dren.

Charles Dismukes (forestry,1961) is owner of Vaiden Timber Co.He and wife Carolyn live in Kilmichael.They have two children, Brian andBarry.

Ross A. Sherman (forestry,1961) retired from the MississippiForestry Commission in 1991 andcurrently is employed by John G.Guthrie & Sons Inc. He lives inWiggins.

Ramon L. Callahan (forestry1961, wildlife and fisheries, 1963) isself-employed as a forestry/wildlifeconsultant. He and wife MaryKatherine live in Terry.

Lloyd Viets (forestry, 1968)works for VAP Timberland LLC. Helives in Charlotte, N.C.

Benson Guyton Jr. (forestry,1969) has retired from InternationalPaper Co. He and wife Judy live inRussellville, Ala. They have twodaughters, Mary Jane and Melissa.

James T. “Jimmy” Green (for-estry, 1970) is a forestry consultant.He and wife Judy live in Tuscaloosa,Ala. They have two children, Angieand Jamie, and a 6 year-old grand-daughter.

Jim Thorsen (forestry, 1970) hasworked for 31 years with the USDAForest Service. He has been districtranger on the Ocala National Forestsince 1989. He has two children, Lisaand Adam.

Phil Adams (forestry, 1971) andhis wife Annette live in LaGrange, Ga.They have two children, Jay andEmily, and are expecting their firstgrandchild. Adams is the environmen-tal protection specialist at West PointLake.

Kevin Nolan (forestry, 1974)works for Weyerhaeuser Co. He andwife Martha are residents of HotSprings, Ark. They have one son,Steve.

Malone Buchanan (forestry,1977) is a forestland manager for theInternational Paper Co. in Carthage.

Ken Real (forestry, 1977) is thepresident of Realwood Inc. in Detroit,Ala.

Van Lewis (forestry, 1979) isresiding in Meridian.

Sandra Ford (forestry, 1983) isworking at Alcorn State University forthe Mississippi Forestry Commission.Ford lives in Gloster with her 14-year-old son Christopher.

Mary Beth Nickolich (forestry,1983) is working as an area foresterfor Weyerhaeuser in eastern NorthCarolina. She lives in Washington,N.C.

Dr. Doug Gardner (forest prod-ucts, 1985) has been promoted to fullprofessor at the University of Maine.

E. Scott Griffin (forestry, 1985) isworking for Forest Systems as aSouthern Region manager. Heresides in Decatur.

Rob Haupt (forest products,1992) has been named global technol-ogy manager for Hayward Operations,Paper Overlays. He and wife Julia livein Hayward, Wis.

Robert “Robbie” C. Taylor(forestry, 1997) is working as aMicrosoft Systems engineer forMemphis Light, Gas, and Water. He isliving in Collierville, Tenn.

Tamara “Tammy” L. Cushing(forestry, 1999) is working for F.W.Forestry Services Inc. as a foresteconomist. She and husband Markwelcomed their first child, EmmaNicole, on July 22, 2001.

Brad W. Nail (forestry, 1999) isworking for Great Southern WoodPreserving as a plant manager. Heand wife Megan live in Southaven.


As the College of Forest Resources and its newsletter grow, we want you to growwith us. We want to continue including the Alumni Update in the newsletter, but we need your information to dothat. Please use the form below to share with us and your fellow alumni career changes, recognitions or honorsreceived, or other news. If you need more space, include a separate sheet of paper.

Name

Social Security Number

CFR Degree(s) and Year(s) Received

Address

City State ZIP

Home Phone Business Phone

E-mail

Occupation

Name of Business

Update Information

We want your news! To be included in the update, completeand return the form to MelissaMontgomery, Box 9680, MississippiState, MS 39762-9680 or [email protected].

The CFR Alumni Society helps support the College of Forest Resources. Although we work cooperatively withthe MSU Alumni Association, we are an entirely separate organization. To be a full-fledged member of the CFRAlumni Society, you must pay $10 dues annually. These dues are separate from any paid to the MSU AlumniAssociation. The alumni association does not collect dues for the CFR Alumni Society. CFR society dues arevalid from January 1 to December 31. If you would like to support the CFR Alumni Society, you may remit thisform with a $10 check or money order. You do not, however, have to be a member of the CFR Alumni Society tohave your news included in “Alumni Updates.”

Become a member of the CFR Alumni Society

College of Forest ResourcesBox 9680Mississippi State, MS 39762-9680

Mississippi State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, or veteran status. www.msstate.edu

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Check out these new publications on our Web site

PUBLICATIONS

Forest and Wildlife Management Planning: An Annotated Bibliographywww.cfr.msstate.edu/fwrc/biblio.pdfThis annotated bibliography is a compilation of selected journal articles, books, extension publications,

conference proceeding articles, Internet publications, and academic theses and dissertations from1960 to present. They are related to the topics of forest and wildlife management planning, with specific

application to the effects of manipulating timber growing stock to provide more or less wildlife habitat.

Financing Investments in Reforestation with Government Sponsored Loans: A Mississippi Case Studywww.cfr.msstate.edu/fwrc/financing.pdfLack of reforestation after harvest by non-industrial, private forest (NIPF) landowners threatens the sustainability ofMississippi’s $14.8 billion forestry and forest products industries. One reason NIPF landowners do not reforest is theabsence of available credit to finance the relatively high cost of reforestation investments. To address this credit marketfailure, the Mississippi Special Task Force for Economic Development Planning has proposed the Mississippi ReforestationInvestment Program. This current research effort evaluated the proposed program and refined and/or developed variouscomponents. The final result is a recommended model to be considered for government implementation. With minimalmodification, the model could be implemented in other states, at the federal level and perhaps even at the local level.

Furniture Manufacturing and Management—Eight Strategic Issues for the 21st Centurywww.cfr.msstate.edu/fwrc/eight ways.pdfIn this report, we emphasize trends and issues that will affect the success of furniture manufacturing and marketing firmsas they “take change by the hand” in the 21st century.

Wild Turkey Gobbling Activity in Central Mississippiwww.cfr.msstate.edu/fwrc/turkey.pdfIncreasing interest in turkey hunting has been associated with recovering populations. To properly manage a gamespecies, biologists must design hunting seasons that maintain viable populations and monitor population trends.

forest resourcesspring 2002 forest resources newsletter resources forest dr. steve demarais (m.s....

Documents