November 2000 Newsletter

Number 255 November 2000

K-T MEMBERS WORKING FOR YOU

I think the next decade will record us as “scurriers.” While everyone is too busy to look up, our members are doing some very fine work.

First off, we received this note concerning Mark Young’s work on the KT website.

Just received your newsletter, and looked up your Web page. What a great page, award winner! It does not miss a thing. Have you shared it with the rest of National SAF?

I am going to notify Jack Winieski who is the keeper of the Allegheny SAF Web page to take a look at it. Borrow a few of your ideas.

Tim Kaden, Councilman District 7

If you have not taken the time to look it up log on! http://www.ktsaf.org/

The national FFA convention just ended. What a site! A sea of 50,000 blue corduroy jackets from every state in the nation invaded Louisville, KY. Many of these polite and responsible high school students talked with Rick and Cindy Wilcox during the job fair. Larry Doyle, Grant Curry, John Wood, Hagan Wonn, Gavin Wilson, Steve Fowler, Dan Allard and others worked the forestry contest that challenged each state’s best in plot measurements, tree id, wood products id, and in an interview about landowner rights. Our members did an outstanding job of representing professional foresters.

Look closely at the October Journal of Forestry and you’ll see KT authors. My pal Ed Ellenberg did an outstanding job of voicing his opinion on our Code of Ethics. Our Chair-elect, Jeff Stringer did a good job of summarizing the Kentucky Ag. Water Quality Act.

Bruce Kauffman, Brant Miller, Kay Fermann, Bob Leonard & Doug Rodman need to be added to the list of outstanding workers for their work on organizing the winter KTSAF meeting. And new member Nick Kuhn deserves thanks for keeping up with the media controversy in McMinnville, TN.

These are just of few of the outstanding works by our membership. Thanks for making us all look good!

Dave Walters, Chair, KTSAF

MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN

Most of you should be aware of the membership drive as part of the SAF Centennial celebration. There are several opportunities for you to benefit from your efforts to increase the membership in SAF. KTSAF has decided this year to encourage recruitment of new members by offering an incentive award. This award, in the form of a $100 gift certificate, will be presented at the winter meeting in 2001 to the KTSAF member who recruits the most new members this calendar year.

You can also benefit through the national “Member-Get-A-Member” campaign. For information about this campaign check out the SAF website at http://www. safnet.org/members/getambr .htm. This program offers rewards, in the form of gift certificates and raffle prizes, for members who sponsor new members. Basically for every regular member (or two student members) that you recruit you will receive a $5 gift certificate for use on SAF products and programs. Your name will also be entered in a raffle for prizes including free registration and airfare to SAF’s 2000 National Convention. Details can be found at the site mentioned above.

The most beneficial reward that we will receive from our efforts is to strengthen SAF through recruitment of quality members. Membership applications are available from SAF at (301)-897-8720, ext. 108 or you can download an application from the SAF website mentioned above or at http://www.safnet.org/who/join.htm. Good luck with the recruiting.

Dwayne Turner, Membership Chair, KTSAF

MEETING ANNOUNCEMENTS

January 9, 2001 - Crossville, TN

January 10, 2001 - Clarksville, TN

January 11, 2001 - Counce, TN

Timber Tax Workshop

Contact: Candace Dinwiddie (615-883-3832 for details and to register

January 24, 2001

Workshop for Tree Farm Inspectors Training to certify inspectors under the new Tree Farm System guidelines.

Contact: John Wood (270-335-4204)

Kentucky-Tennessee Forestry Leadership Workshop

Attention all Kentucky-Tennessee SAF leaders. The KTSAF will be hosting a leadership workshop on January 24, 2001 directly prior to the winter SAF meeting. The workshop will be conducted by Jeff Bercuvitz, nationally recognized as one of the key motivators and organizational specialists dealing with natural resource associations. Jeff is used by the SAF in their national leadership institute and we are especially pleased that he is able to come to Nashville to work with the Kentucky-Tennessee SAF. Several past KTSAF chairs have been involved with Jeff at the national level and endorse this workshop whole heartedly. If you are currently an officer or are running for a chapter or state office you will be receiving more information on this workshop. There is no cost for the workshop which will be held for half a day preceding the start of the KTSAF executive committee meeting on the afternoon of the 24^th. Consider this as a heads-up, mark it on your calendar, and you’ll get more information in the mail. Contact Jeff Stringer, KTSAF Chair-elect (859-257-5994) for further information.

January 24-26, 2001

KT SAF Winter Meeting

Facing the Interface

Holiday Inn Select Airport/Opryland

Nashville, TN

Meeting announcement & brochure will be mailed about December 1

Contact Bruce Kauffman (615-837-5176)

February 6, 13, 20, 27 and March 6 and 13, 2001

Master Tree Farmers satellite short course

Interested landowners should contact: Wayne K. Clatterbuck (865-974‑7346) or Jeff Stringer (859-257-5994) or see:

http://www.mtf2000.net for details

March 20‑22, 2001

11th Biennial Southern Silviculture Research Conference

Knoxville Hilton

Contact: Wayne K. Clatterbuck

865-974‑7346 Fax: 865-974‑4714 E‑mail:wclatterbuck@utk.edu

March 30 & 31, 2001

KWOA Annual Meeting

Natural Bridge State Park

Contact Doug McLaren, UK

859-257-2703

April 26, 2001 - EK SAF Spring Meeting

September 27, 2001 - EK SAF Fall Meeting

KTSAF WEB SITE

For the latest local, regional and national information on forestry, check out our website at: http://www.ktsaf.org/. Some examples of recent news on the web site:

•TDA Announces Interim Guidelines to Protect Water Quality

•Letters About FIA Funding to U.S. Senators and Representatives from Kentucky

•TDA Hits Hard in Arson Cases - Beefed‑up Efforts Nab Suspects

•Forestry Organizations Calls on Administration to Restore Forests Damaged by Wildfire

•President Clinton's Saturday Morning Radio Address Dealing With the Report He Asked the Secretaries of

Agriculture and Interior to Develop

•New York Times - Clinton Calls for More Aid to Cure Wildfire Problems

•DC Policy Updates

What is Forestry?

A NEW PUBLICATION FROM KY

Dr. Marcella Szymanski, Gwenda Adkins and William Thomas developed this publication using children’s art to teach forestry issues to a diverse audience. Children from 4th, 5th and 6th grades at three schools were taught a wide range of forestry issues using interactive activities. There were then asked to draw what they learned. These drawings and their comments became the basis for What is Forestry?, an easy to read document that the authors hope will draw not only the children’s own parents and grandparents into a greater knowledge of the forest resources, but also will educate a larger audience as well. It is Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service FOR-95.

CAREER SHOW AT THE FFA 2000 NATIONAL CONVENTION

On October 25, 26, 27, the Society of American Foresters participated in the Career Show at the National FFA Convention in Louisville, KY. Over 50,000 members, teachers and parents participated in the convention.

This year our display emphasized 100 years of professional forestry, what is involved in becoming a professional forester and how to find a forester when you need a forester.

Four handouts were specifically developed for the show. A nine-page Career Packet was prepared to give to those members specifically interested in a forestry career. It provides basic information on the forestry profession with reference to the SAF web site for more information. A ten-page Teachers Packet was developed to help teacher who advise students on careers find information about forestry. It refers teachers to the SAF web site for additional information. Two Business Cards were made to hand out. One card promotes forestry as a career and the other has information on how to contact a forester for help. Both reference the SAF web site.

Last year 200 to 300 people stopped at the SAF booth and asked questions about forestry, while many more just looked at the display. Two people had no trouble staffing the booth.

There are 400 exhibitors at the Career Show. Some use games to bring students in, some use balls, key chains, scarves or other give-aways. FFA members pick up stuff or scooped up stuff into their bags and walk on in most cases.

This year we put out a map of the U.S. and asked people to put a pin in their hometown. The show started at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday and ended at 5:30 p.m. My wife and I staffed the booth and were swamped all afternoon. We used our supply of 800 pins by the end of the day. FFA members came to the booth in groups of one to ten, so each pin represented about 5 people, including teachers and parents.

On Thursday members of the Indiana State Society staffed the booth. Donald Reed and Jerome Reed staffed the booth in the morning but did not have any pins. In the afternoon two more Indiana members - Kelly Weigel and Dale Weigel - arrived with a supply of 700 pins. They ran out of pins by 4:00 pm. Some people marked the map with dots or x’s, when pins were not available. Dave Walters, my wife and I staffed the booth on Friday. We added 1,200 new pins to the map.

With the map we asked the FFA members to identify something about themselves. They were thrilled to show us were they were from. While they were putting a pin in the map we were able to talk to them and all the other members of their group. It only took one member of the group to put a pin in the map; this held all the other members at our booth. The other members either listened to us or looked at our booth display. Over 2,700 pins were placed in the map. We made contact with about 10,000 FFA members, teachers, advisors and parents. Each contact lasted at least two minutes, sometimes ten or fifteen minutes. Because they felt we were interested in them they were more interested in talking to us. Many FFA members are interested in Agri-business rather than forestry. We asked them to use our card if they wanted to become a forester or to find a forester when they needed forestry advice or to find information about forestry for a report or term paper. Having the card to help find a forester or get information for school work got a great deal of positive response. Many put the card in their pocket or in their wallet instead of their grab bag where everything else was stuffed.

One hundred and fifty teachers packets were passed out to teachers and advisors. We could have used triple that number. We handed out 100 career packets in the first day. We could have used four or five times that number. The career packets were provided to those who showed a strong interest in a forestry career. The business cards have the SAF web site so we were able to provide the source of the information in the career packet and the teachers packet when we ran out of the packets. The students are more likely to access the web site for information than are the teachers. The teachers packet helps jump-start the desire to access the SAF web site for more information. Many of the teachers and advisors do not cover forestry in their meetings with students about careers because they have a limited knowledge about forestry. Our packet could make a difference in the amount of forestry information FFA members and other students receive during the year.

In addition to our booth, the Society of American Foresters is described in the “2000 National Convention Directory” distributed to the 50,000 participants. SAF is also listed in the “2000 National Convention Schedule Book” that is distributed to the 50,000 participants.

The results of the SAF booth this year were:

•Over 10,000 people contacted for 2 to 15 minutes.

•4000 contact cards (business size) distributed

•150 teachers packets distributed to interested teachers and advisors.

•100 career packets distributed to interested students.

•100 lists of accredited Forestry Schools distributed (left over from last year).

•100 “So you want to be in Forestry” booklets distributed (also from last year).

FOLLOW THIS LINK TO VIEW SOME PHOTOS OF THE FFA CONVENTION

Rick Wilcox

DISPLAY DEVELOPED FOR FFA CONVENTION

The display developed for the FFA convention is available for your use. The display emphasizes the SAF Centennial and has three sub themes. The left panel addresses careers in forestry. The middle panel addresses the role of SAF in the last 100 years in insuring that renewable resources remain renewable. And the right panel addresses how a forester can help landowners and land managers.

The Career Package, the Teachers Package and the two Business Cards are available as computer files to produce handouts to distribute to interested people. There handouts are described in the above article on FFA 2000 convention.

The FFA display can been separated into three tabletop displays. The tabletop displays are basically the three panels of the FFA display. One is for career or job fairs, the second is for landowners and managers and the third describes the role of SAF in insuring renewable resources remain renewable through the profession of forestry. All tie to 100 years of service to society as our centennial celebration.

The displays are available for use by anyone that has the need. The career packet, the teacher packet and the business cards are available as computer files. Contact Rick Wilcox at (859) 745-3156 during workdays or (859) 498-7314 in the evening, or by e-mail at rwilcox@fs.fed.us.

STUDENT SAF CHAPTER AT UT EXPANDING IN MEMBERSHIP AND ACTIVITIES

Membership in the student chapter of the Society of American Foresters/Forestry Club at The University of Tennessee has grown to 34 students. The student chapter has also been successful in attracting more Freshman and Sophomore members this year in addition to Juniors and Seniors. Although not all Forestry Club members are SAF members, officers and SAF members Brian Roberts (President) and Julie Hethcox (Vice-President) are actively recruiting new SAF student members. The number of SAF members in the club has increased this term due to their efforts.

Dr. Don Hodges has joined Dr. Dave Buckley as a co-advisor this year to help with the expanded membership and activities of the club. Student chapter officers this year are Roberts, Hethcox, Ed Moore (Vice-President in charge of Conclave), Brian Moody (Treasurer), and Jenny Mainor (Secretary).

The students have had a very active term so far. Activities have included the building of a student SAF float for the UT homecoming parade, collaborating with the student chapter of the Wildlife Society in putting on the Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries fall bonfire for students and faculty, a scenic river trip, flag football, and holding several fund-raising cookouts. The students have also been busy cutting oak and hickory for firewood sales, and have provided field assistance for Dr. Scott Schlarbaum’s Tennessee tree improvement research program.

In the coming months, the student chapter will send a dozen members to the national SAF convention in Washington, D.C., participate in a fund-raising timber-sports competition in Union, S.C., hold a Christmas tree sale in December, and send members to the KTSAF winter meeting. The chapter will also compete in technical and physical events at the ASFC Forestry Conclave hosted by Auburn University this spring. In addition to funds raised by the students, several of these activities will be made possible through support provided by Dr. Mary Lewnes Albrecht, Associate Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, and Dr. George Hopper, Head of the Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries.

The student chapter has also invited speakers involved in the forestry profession to their biweekly meetings this term, and is seeking additional persons interested in presenting a talk on careers, forestry issues, research, or day to day, on the job activities at a future meeting. If you are interested in speaking to the students, please contact the president, Brian Roberts at jrobert1@utk.edu, Dave Buckley at dbuckley@utk.edu, or Don Hodges at dhodges2@utk.edu.

NEEDS FOR THE ARCHIVES

It is time to finish our inventory of records in the KTSAF Archives at Eastern Kentucky University. We need some documents. The most important are the minutes of Executive Committee meetings and Business meetings. We still need:

_The minutes from the winter Executive Committee meetings in 1976-1978 and 1981-1983.

_The minutes from the winter Business meetings in 1952-1961, 1965, 1968-1975, 1981-1983, and 1989.

_The minutes from the summer Executive Committee meetings in 1981-1983, 1988.

_The minutes from the summer Business meetings in 1952-1961, 1965, 1968-1974, 1982, 1983, and 1988.

_Financial records from 1954-1957, and 1960-1962.

_The attendance at the following meetings: Summer 1957, Summer 1983, Summer and Winter 1984, Summer 1987, Winter 1996, and Summer 1997.

_Membership records for 1957 and 1984.

We still have very few documents from Chapter functions. If you have old minutes of Chapter meetings, program agendas, financial records, documents or news items that describe special Chapter events and Chapter newsletters, we need them in the archives.

If you have any of these documents please send them to me, Richard Wilcox, 1080 Iroquois Dr. Mt. Sterling, KY 40353. I can assist in the cost of copying or mailing if needed. If you have questions please call me at home at 859-498-7314. If I am not there, leave a message.

By the beginning of December the inventory should be complete and ready for the printers. There will be a hardbound copy made for the Eastern Kentucky University archives index to records. EKU will also put our inventory on their web site so that anyone interested in forestry can access the index to determine if our records will assist them in their research.

Thanks in advance for your help.

thE-forester

thE‑forester delivers the latest SAF and forestry news directly to members via e‑mail on a regular basis. thE‑forester provides members with timely information on:

FSAF policy and media updates

FWhat’s new on the SAF website

FBreaking forestry news

FConvention deadlines and events

FMember benefits

FAnd much more!

As a member benefit, all members who have submitted their e‑mail address to the national office are receiving thE‑forester unless they have unsubscribed. If you are not receiving it, submit your current e‑mail address (or other address and phone number changes) to Amy Ziadi (ziadia@safnet.org) at the national office so that you can be added to thE‑forester distribution list. Currently, over 7,000 members are receiving thE‑forester. SAF has had a very positive response from members regarding the value of thE‑forester.

DOF HOSTS FOREST INVENTORY SESSION IN NASHVILLE

On September 22^nd, the Tennessee Division of Forestry hosted an afternoon conference at Ed Jones Auditorium to debut the recently released Forest Statistics for Tennessee, 1999. The report’s findings, compiled and published by the USDA Forest Service, revealed that Tennessee now has 5 percent more timberland than ten years ago, that growth exceeds harvests for both hardwoods and softwoods, and that the acreage of pine plantations has increased. Tennessee is still an overwhelming hardwood growing state with the total area of softwoods remains remaining constant at around 10 percent for the last 50 years.

The audience of approximately 100 people heard presentations from Dr. Callie Jo Schweitzer, the report’s author, Dr. Ed Buckner, Dr Wayne Clatterbuck, Dr. Don Hodges, Bruce Kauffman, Greg Snyder, Dr. Stephen Knowe, John Mullins, and Larry Marcum. In addition, the audience also heard the views of private citizens including Matt Bennett representing the hardwood industry, Marty Marina representing the Tennessee Conservation League, and Brian Paddock representing the group Save Our Cumberland Mountains. Dr. George Hopper gave an excellent wrap-up presentation about the value of Tennessee’s forests and what he believes contributed to the successful return of 55% of the state’s land area to forests. Hopper encouraged the group to believe that all the ingredients are in place to continue that success.

The release of Forest Statistics for Tennessee, 1999, fulfilled one of the recommendations of the Governor’s Forestry Advisory Panel for more timely forest inventory information. Also, one-fifth of the state’s inventory plots will be surveyed each year, giving state officials and the public more information than they have ever enjoyed before.

Most (but not all) of the participants headed home Friday afternoon believing that Tennessee’s forests are sustainable. It is unfortunate that the majority of the state’s citizens may never hear the good news, but the Division of Forestry certainly tried for their part to get the word out. Perhaps the next question is what can the rest of us do?

HARVEST INSPECTIONS

The Kentucky Division of Forestry began inspecting timber-harvesting operations as part of the requirements of the Kentucky Forest Conservation Act on July 17, 2000. There have been more than 700 timber-harvesting operation inspections as of October 11, 2000.

The first three months of commercial timber harvest inspections have gone relatively smooth. Acceptance by the logging industry has been good. Enforcement by the division has been made easier by the willingness of loggers to work with division inspectors to resolve issues quickly. There have been only seven Emergency Orders issued. All have been as a result of failure to have a Master Logger on site and in charge. In each case, the Emergency Order was addressed quickly by the operator. Verified enrollment and/or completion of the Master Logger training have resolved most of the Emergency Orders allowing the operations to continue.

The division attributes its success of implementing the act to the yearlong state-wide effort to work with and educate the loggers before the mandates of Best Management Practices (BMPs) and Master Logger went into effect.

There are some loggers who are under the impression that the division is inspecting for OSHA, the IRS, green cards and workers comp. The division is only inspecting for Master Logger on site and in charge and to ensure that appropriate BMPs are being implemented.

By Gwen Holt, KDF and originally published in THE EKSAF STEWARD Vol. 2 No. 2 East Kentucky Society of American Foresters, October 16, 2000

DANIEL BOONE NATIONAL FOREST NEWS

Southern Pine Beetle- The Daniel Boone National Forest is facing a record outbreak of Southern Pine Beetles on the southern end of the Forest. Aerial detection flights in August located over 1,400 spots ranging in size from a few trees to several hundred acres. Monitoring activities on the ground have revealed many more infested green trees that can’t be detected from the air. Forest managers are gravely concerned about the beetles’ impacts on the southern yellow-pine ecosystem that provides habitat for many plant and animal species, including the federally endangered red-cockaded woodpecker (RCW). Timber harvesting activities are occurring to stall beetle activity in areas currently being used by the RCW.

Forest managers are concerned about the fall fire season. The thousands of dead pine trees resulting from the southern pine beetle are dropping needles across the forest floor. In addition, the storm damaged trees on the Stearns and Somerset Districts have continued to dry out. Forest Supervisor Ben Worthington signed a decision last month to remove some of the storm-damaged trees threatening private property and wildlife habitat. A request for a temporary restraining order to stop the commercial removal of these trees was filed by Kentucky Heartwood and is under consideration by a federal judge.

Forest employees have been actively supporting wildfire suppression efforts nationwide. The Forest issued the Notice of Intent to revise the Forest Plan in 1996. Thousands of comments were received from the public, contributing to the development of 14 significant issues. One key concern expressed by the public regarded management of off-highway vehicles on the Forest. This concern lead to the development of the Forest Plan amendment which restricted off-highway vehicle use. The planning team is developing alternatives based on the 14 issues; however, the demands of other critical planning needs on the Forest including the development of control methods for the southern pine beetle infestation, the storm damage recovery project, and the completion of a plan amendment to incorporate several protective policies into the Forest Plan, combined with a particularly tight budget, have had a substantial impact of Forest Plan revision progress this fiscal year.

Gypsy Moth - Preliminary data indicate that the number of trapped Gypsy Moths is down this year on the Daniel Boone National Forest. More information should be available at the fall meeting.

Fire Management - USDA Forest Service is now receiving increased funding for Wild Fire Control, Fuel Reduction and Prescribed Fire use in Ecosystem Management. It is likely that these programs will continue to receive additional funding for the next several years. The Daniel Boone National Forest completed a two-day workshop on prescribed fire during the last week in September. Prescribed fire planning guides and Prescribed Fire Burn Plans were some of the main topics. The Work Capacity Test has reinstated to replace the step test for basic red (Incident Qualification) card physical qualifications. Three levels of testing are done based on the fire control team position: Arduous, Moderate and Light. The arduous requirement is for fire fighters, strike team leaders and most position on or near a wildfire. The arduous requirement is to walk three miles with a 45-pound pack within 45 minutes. The moderate requirement is for safety officer type positions and personnel working on prescribed fires. The requirement for moderate is to walk 2 miles with a 25-pound pack within 30 minutes. The light requirement is for positions such as staging area managers or Helibase managers who are placed further off from the fire. The light requirement is to walk 1 mile in 16 minutes without a pack. Intensive screening and/or a health physical is required prior to administering these tests.

By Marie Walker and Ron Taylor, and originally published in: THE EKSAF STEWARD Vol. 2 No. 2, East Kentucky Society of American Foresters, October 16, 2000

TENNESSEE'S PINE FORESTS UNDER ATTACK - LANDOWNERS URGED TO MONITOR FOR SOUTHERN PINE BEETLE

State forestry officials say Mother Nature holds the key to stopping the worst outbreak of southern pine beetles to hit Tennessee in 25 years.

"A cold winter with at least a couple of days of low temperatures dipping to the 5 to zero degree range will help bring the insect population down," said Tennessee Department of Agriculture Forest Health Specialist Bruce Kauffman.

Tennessee's outbreak of southern pine beetles began in Morgan County in the fall of 1998 and spread to the eastern mountains and the upper Cumberland Plateau in 1999. They are now invading the central and southern portions of the ridge and valley region north of Chattanooga and the southern Cumberland Plateau. Both areas have extensive pine forests. Beetle activity is also picking up in Hardin, Lawrence, Lewis and Wayne Counties in middle Tennessee.

The telltale sign of the beetles -- hundreds of pine trees with reddish-brown needles -- has been clearly visible from any major interstate in the eastern part of the state this summer. Thousand of acres of high-value pine forests worth at least $3 million to the owners were killed last year. The situation appears to be worsening, and the forecast is for beetle populations to increase and spread.

A native insect measuring about an eighth of an inch long, the southern pine beetle bores beneath the bark of pine trees, leaving dime-sized globs of white or yellow resin on the trunk. Needles of the infested trees first turn yellow, then red and finally drop off. The insects, which go through three or four generations in a year, infest new trees as they hatch, creating infested "spots" that can spread to 20 acres or more in one season.

The outbreak of southern pine beetles has hit epidemic levels in 20 counties -- Anderson, Carter, Cumberland, Fentress, Greene, Hamilton, Hardin, Hawkins, Loudon, Meigs, Morgan, Pickett, Polk, Rhea, Roane, Scott, Sullivan, Unicoi, Wayne and Washington.

Kauffman said beetle populations run in boom-and-bust cycles, with serious outbreaks occurring every seven to 10 years in different regions of the state. "Because of the mild winters in recent years, we're experiencing an especially severe outbreak," Kauffman said. "And the damage seems to be compounded by drought-stressed trees that are more susceptible to insect damage." Other factors include dense unthinned pine stands and the increasing age of natural yellow pine stands.

Kauffman said that in the absence of cold weather, outbreaks of the southern pine beetle can last up to five years. He said a cold winter would inhibit the spread of the beetles and give their natural predators -- most notably the checkered beetle -- a chance to do their job. Trees hardest hit have been in the yellow-pine family -- Virginia pines, shortleaf pines and loblolly pines -- but the beetles are also infesting white pines, a valuable timber species normally not affected by southern pine beetles.

The recommended treatment for southern pine beetles is to cut the infested pines, along with some of the surrounding healthy pines to contain the spread.

If harvested within a few months of beetle infestation, the wood is still usable. Forestry officials say the rush to sell salvage trees to local timber buyers has already saturated some markets with an over-supply of pine. Foresters predict an increase in timber harvesting throughout the season in areas of high beetle concentrations. Kauffman said trees killed this year by the southern pine beetle won't be a major concern this fire season - October 15 through May 15 -- but could be next year as they dry out and create a fuel build-up.

Landowners growing pine should closely monitor their stands. They can obtain information about treating outbreaks on their land by calling the nearest Forestry Division office. Or, visit TDA's Web site at http://www.state.tn.us/agriculture/forestry/forestry.html, then click on "Forest Health Mgmt.".