GFC Leaf Watch Report: October 1, 2020

…of sumac and some scattered sassafras are showing reds and oranges. Yellows and golds are starting to come in on yellow poplars, and also with birches at higher elevations/ And…

GFC Leaf Watch Report: October 9, 2020

…this week by the birches. Many yellow poplars are currently shedding leaves with leaf showers common along your drive. However, there is still a solid population of poplar that are…

GFC Leaf Watch: October 16, 2020

…surpassed peak as deep reds begin to dull. Species specifics: Dogwood – vivid red is beginning to dull and shedding leaves Birch – slowly fading to brown and yellow Yellow-poplar…

FY24 WCG Rx Fire Applicants Information

This cost-share program is focused on reintroducing prescribed fire in the Chattahoochee Fall Line area of Georgia to provide ecological benefits and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires. The program will be implemented by the Georgia Forestry Commission with funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, American Forest Foundation, Georgia Department of Natural Resources Bobwhite Quail Initiative, Landscape Scale Restoration Grant, and other partners.

RX Burn Trailer Flyer

A trailer containing tools which supplement and assist landowners in conducting safe prescribed burning is now available for rent through the Georgia Forestry Commission. The West Central Georgia Forest Landowners Association initiated the idea to provide local forestland managers with professional equipment needed to conduct safer and more efficient prescribed burns. The trailer and tools are also used at training events for private landowners.

GFC Leaf Watch: October 23, 2020

…colors including orange, yellow, and red. Dogwoods have surpassed peak and beginning to drop leaves. Although a few of the early tuners have already lost their leaves, the lost colors…

GFC Leaf Watch: October 30, 2020

…displaying the same vivid colors they were last week, the overlooks exhibit more overall color now than they have all year. Overlooks and ridges are predominantly composed of a mix…

Environmental Risks to Arthropods from Imidacloprid Applications for Hemlock Conservation

Managing hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) can involve use of insecticides. When it does, the non-target impacts (negative effects to other organisms) need to be thoroughly considered
and weighed against the environmental cost of inaction or alternative management approaches. Insecticides applied for HWA management are used for conservation purposes, which may seem counterintuitive. However, hemlocks are a key forest species, and so their loss can result in severe ecological consequences. To justify insecticide use against HWA, we have to ask: What are the possible negative consequences of using insecticides in the forest? We must consider these trade-offs in hemlock management. It is important to remember that there will be trade-offs in any kind of resource management discussion, even if it may not initially seem apparent. The negative environmental consequences of hemlock mortality must be weighed against the known consequences of insecticide use to preserve hemlocks.

Think safety before starting a burn.

* Georgia law no longer requires notification to the Georgia Forestry Commission by people planning to burn yard debris. Charges may apply if wildfire results from escaped burning and evidence…

Storm Timber Impact Assessment Report

The National Weather Service (NWS) determined an EF-4 tornado crossed Heard, Coweta, and Fayette Counties in the late hours of March 25, 2021 and into the early hours of March 26, 2021. The tornado touched down at approximately 11:37 PM EDT, west of Franklin, Georgia, ending at approximately 12:30 AM EDT just north of Peachtree City, Georgia