GFC Intern Spotlight: Jackson Wright
Learning About GFC State Lands
My time with the State Lands Department has been an excellent opportunity for me to grow as a forester. Working under and alongside experienced foresters including Ben Hammond, Morgan Cook, and Jonathan Kyser has provided an ideal environment for me to grow professionally. The work has been a tremendous complement to my (in-progress) Master of Forest Resources degree from the University of Georgia. I hope that my experiences, challenges, and rewards can shed light on the important and relevant work carried out by the GFC.
The State Lands Department covers a broad range of projects, from Good Neighbor Authority sales with the US Forest Service, and timber sale services for other state agencies like GDOT or USG, to land management activities on properties such as Bartram Forest in Milledgeville. In support of these projects I have gained experience cruising timber, marking timber boundaries, assisting with prescribed burns, inspecting logging operations, writing harvest plans, creating sale maps, and gaining accreditation such as my Wildland Firefighter Type II certification.
While I am certainly taking valuable experience and certifications from this internship, I am also proud of how I have been able to give back through this position. It has been very special to plan and implement management activities in places special to me: Bartram Forest, where I got engaged; and Ocmulgee, Redlands, and Cedar Creek WMA, where I have fond memories of hunting and camping with close friends.
I am grateful to be entering the final semester of my Forest Business Master’s Degree at UGA with valuable experience and great references. As I continue to apply for permanent forester positions, I will certainly be leaning heavily on what I’ve gained here at the GFC!