The Southern Forests Network

The Solon Dixon Forestry Education Center is located in the pinelands of south central Alabama, about 18 miles south of Andalusia, Alabama, and is surrounded by Conecuh National Forest. One of the finest field facilities of its type in the nation, the Solon Dixon Forestry Education Center offers comfortable, efficient classroom and living accommodations and a diverse 5,300 acre natural resource base for the benefit of students and visitors alike. The Alabama Forestry Commission, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, other state and federal natural resources agencies, and various forest industries use the Center for in-service training education activities. The Dixon Center has served as the site of research projects in a number of fields. Forestry research has centered around herbicide use, forest growth and yield, and forest regeneration. Wildlife research has included work with indigo snakes, gopher tortoises, and gray squirrels. Forest types range from the dry, sandy longleaf pine/turkey oak ridges common in the area to baldcypress/tupelo gum wetlands.

The 110 acre Forest Ecology Preserve is a nature center established as an outreach program of the Auburn University School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences. The mission of the Preserve is to provide programs, experiences, nature trails, and natural habitats for education, study, and relaxation for students and citizens of all ages while creating an atmosphere of discovery and stewardship toward our natural world. There is a 150-seat meeting space.

The School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences
Auburn University, AL 36849
(334) 821-3914.

The Federation of Southern Cooperatives has a demonstration forest in Sumter county, AL.

The Escambia Experimental Forest was established through a 99-year lease agreement with the TR Miller Mill Company of Brewton, AL. This 3,000-acre tract in southwest Alabama was selected as typical of second-growth longleaf pine forests that, at the time, covered about 6.2 million acres in south Alabama and northwest Florida. Research on the Escambia was initially aimed at solving the principal management problems associated with longleaf pine, including natural regeneration, management alternatives, growth and yield, rotation lengths, thinning regimes, forest grazing, and economic costs and returns.

Today, the Escambia Experimental Forest constitutes a unique example of longleaf pine ecosystems in all stages of development. The forest supports continuing long-term research studies and management demonstrations. Research has involved all aspects of longleaf pine natural regeneration, including development of the shelterwood system for this species. Other long-term studies and demonstrations include stand management and management alternatives; growth and yield of even-aged natural stands in relation to age, site quality, and stand density; and fire ecology, including long-term effects of season and frequency of prescribed fire, or fire exclusion.

The 9,000-acre mountain refuge contains beautiful vistas and a rugged landscape of unfragmented forests. The primary objective in establishing the refuge was the protection and management of the last remaining old growth stands and the best remaining mountain longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) forests in the Southeast. It is managed by the US Fish & Wildlife Service. Currently, Mountain Longleaf NWR is closed to the public. During 2003 and into early 2004 a public use and hunting proposal will be developed that will allow limited public use within areas of the refuge that are safe for the general public.

TTRS is a scientific research and cooperative extension program in ecological forestry and stewardship in the Red Hills region between Tallahassee, Florida and Thomasville, Georgia. TTRS has a land trust program. Activities include:

§ developing and maintaining long-term studies/research, including use of fire as a necessary land management tool.

§ promoting management actions that mimic ecosystem processes in natural, and old field systems.

§ protecting outstanding examples of natural ecosystems and all their components.

The School maintains a 2,080 acre teaching and research forest northeast of Gainesville. The Austin Memorial Cary Forest is a valuable natural laboratory of the University of Florida for forest resource education, demonstration, and research. In 1987 a rustic 3,200-sq.ft. teaching-conference center was completed on the grounds where class lectures and conferences are today commonplace. The unusually broad range of forest types, existing and possible, affords a rare opportunity for educating forestry students, informing laymen, and stimulating research projects on the management of forests common to Florida and to the lower Coastal Plain region.
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-0410

Florida Division of Forestry
3125 Conner Boulevard, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1650, 850 488-4274

Blackwater River State Forest is 189,848 acres located in the Florida panhandle northeast of Pensacola in Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties. The forest borders the Conecuh National Forest to the north and extends southward toward Eglin Air Force Base. Control burning allows for the maintenance of the largest remaining fragment of longleaf pine/wiregrass ecosystem in the world. The Florida Division of Forestry and US Forest Service will be developing uneven-aged research sites in this forest in the future.

Cary State Forest is 3,413 acres located in northeastern Florida near Jacksonville in Nassau and Duval Counties. The ecosystems on Cary State Forest are varied and include longleaf pine/wiregrass, mesic flatwoods, wet flatwoods, baygalls and cypress ponds. Cary State Forest has an open air teaching pavilion and nature trail.

Etoniah Creek State Forest contains 8,608 acres of various natural communities. Etoniah Creek State Forest is located in northern Putnam County in northeast Florida.

Goethe State Forest- 53,398 acres in Alachua and Levy counties- has more than 15 different natural communities. A few examples are scrubby flatwoods, dome swamp, sandhill, and basin swamp. Goethe State Forest may contain the largest tract of contiguous, old-growth longleaf pine flatwoods in the state. This extensive old-growth forest has one of the largest red-cockaded woodpecker populations on state lands in Florida. The Florida Division of Forestry and US Forest Service will be developing uneven-aged research sites in this forest in the future.

Jennings State Forest can be found in the northern section of Clay County, which is located in northeastern Florida. There are more than 15 different natural biological communities on the 23,995 acres of Jennings State Forest.

Lake George State Forest is made up of three tracts of land which total 19,610 acres. This diverse forest is primarily comprised of slash pine, longleaf pine, bottomland hardwoods, and interspersed cypress and bay depressions. The lands have a history of heavy timber harvesting. In 1998 nearly half the acreage of Lake George State Forest was damaged during the Firestorm wildfires. Restoration efforts included harvesting salvage timber and reforestation with longleaf pine and slash pine. Lake George State Forest is located in northwestern Volusia County near the towns of Barberville and Astor.

Lake Talquin State Forest is composed of nine main tracts and many smaller tracts of land totaling 16,896 acres. The majority of these tracts adjoin the Ochlockonee River and Lake Talquin, the body of water that gives the forest its name. Lake Talquin State Forest is located just west of Tallahassee in western Leon County and southern Gadsden County in the panhandle of Florida.
865 Geddie Road, Tallahassee, FL 32304

Lake Wales Ridge State Forest consists of two separate tracts totaling 21,624 acres which contain outstanding examples of naturally-functioning ecosystems. Emphasis is given to the protection and enhancement of endangered and threatened species, and the maintenance of the natural communities found in the forest. Lake Wales Ridge State Forest is located on the ancient "Lake Wales Ridge" in southeastern Polk County, which is located in central Florida.

Little Big Econ State Forest contains 5,048 acres of naturally scenic land. Little Big Econ State Forest is located in Seminole County. The area that makes up and surrounds Little Big Econ State Forest supports a wide variety of wildlife and provides a roaming corridor which connects the southern part of the Econ Basin to the Tosohatchee State Preserve and other public lands along the St. Johns River for approximately 100 miles.

This 8,593 acre forest is managed under the multiple-use concept, which includes management for timber, recreation, wildlife, watershed protection, and environmental education. Myakka State Forest is made up primarily of mesic flatwoods with a mixture of longleaf pine and slash pine overstory with a palmetto understory. The Myakka State Forest is located in southern Sarasota County.

Picayune Strand State Forest is located in southwest Florida in western Collier County. Picayune Strand State Forest is primarily comprised of two major tracts of land totaling 69,975 acres- the South Golden Gate Estates Tract and the Belle Meade Tract. The South Golden Gate Estates Tract comprises the majority of the forest. The land which is currently Picayune Strand State Forest was originally logged for cypress trees in the 1940's and 1950's, and then in the 1960's, a developer purchased over 57,000 acres to create the largest subdivision in America. After development plans failed, the state purchased the land for conservation and has undertaken restoration activities.

Pine Log State Forest contains 6,911 acres located near Ebro, Florida in northwestern Bay and southwestern Washington Counties. A widely used management tool on Pine Log State Forest is prescribed burning.

Point Washington State Forest is located in the southernmost portion of Walton County. The majority of the 15,131 acres consists of: sandhill, basin swamps/Titi drains, wet flatwoods, wet prairie and cypress swamps. Although much of Point Washington State Forest has been cut over, there are some excellent examples of intact sandhill ecosystems.

Ralph E. Simmons Memorial State Forest contains 3,638 acres located in Nassau County, in northeastern Florida on the St. Mary's River. The forest features many excellent examples of natural communities which include: longleaf pine/wiregrass, low pinelands, seepage slopes, herb bogs and ravine communities.

25,812 acres in Lake County- The distinctive character of Seminole State Forest is it's ecological diversity which includes almost all of the naturally occurring vegetative communities found in Central Florida.

Tate's Hell State Forest is located in Franklin County, between the Apalachicola and Ochlockonee Rivers. Tate's Hell State Forest is one continuous tract of land comprising over 185,000 acres. Conquering this wet and seemingly unproductive area for timber production was thefocus of the timber industry from the 1950's to early 1990's. During the 1960's and 1970's, the hydrology was substantially altered in an attempt to establish extensive tracts of pine plantations and to enhance the production of pine timber. These alterations involved the construction of roads and associated ditches, followed by the planting of large dense stands of slash pine that were fertilized with phosphorus and nitrogen.

Tiger Bay State Forest consists of 23,432 acres located in the central section of Volusia County. Located in a natural water recharge area, Tiger Bay State Forest consists of large areas of swamp with embedded pine islands and a large pine ridge area. Tiger Bay State Forest was severely impacted by the 1998 Summer Wildfire Firestorm. Approximately 15,000 acres of the forest were burned during these catastrophic wildfires. Restoration included extensive salvage timber removal and reforestation efforts are being completed.

Twin Rivers State Forest is comprised of 14,882 acres in 14 noncontiguous tracts. Using an ecosystem management approach, the primary management objective of the Division of Forestry is to restore, maintain and protect all native ecosystems. The forest encompasses eastern Madison, western Hamilton, and northwestern Suwannee counties in northern Florida.

Welaka State Forest contains 2,287 acres located in northeastern Florida along the east bank of the beautiful and historic St. Johns River. The Division of Forestry maintains the integrity of the natural systems while allowing limited outdoor recreation use and environmental education, especially in the areas of forestry, botany, soils and wildlife ecology. There are three kinds of flatwoods that grow at Welaka State Forest, you can find an abundance of longleaf pines, slash pines and pond pine. Hammocks (shady places) can be found in wet, moderately wet and dry areas throughout the forest. Sandhills are open habitats dominated by longleaf pines and wiregrass.

157,479 acres located in Citrus, Hernando, Pasco, and Sumter counties. A variety of tree species create dense woodlands and canopy trails. Species found on the forest include: slash pine, longleaf pine, pond cypress, bald cypress and a mixture of oak, maple, southern magnolia, gum and hickory. Declared as one of the "10 Coolest Places You've Never Been in North America" by the World Wildlife Fund. Meeting space, dorm lodging, and camping are available.

Sustaining ecosystem productivity and functions requires better understanding of

The Chipola Experimental Forest is located in the panhandle area of Florida near Clarksville. It is entirely on private land, under a 99-year unproductive dry sandy sites back to healthy forests. Two major areas of research, genetics of longleaf pine and tests of termite control, remain active on the Chipola Experimental Forest. The genetics studies on longleaf pine are the last remaining ones of their type and thus are very important. These test plots are just now reaching the age of mature growth where differences are going to become more apparent. This information is made more critical by the trend for extending rotation lengths on longleaf pine. The Chipola is the major dry test site for termite control studies started in the late 1950s. New treatment methods are being tested and will be compared to previous treatment methods for effectiveness.

The 3500-acre Olustee Experimental Forest was established near Lake City, FL in 1931. For more than 60 years, Olustee was the site of research on gum naval stores, genetic improvement of forest trees, insuring maximum survival and growth of plantations, and protecting the forest from damage by insects, disease, and fire. Although the Research Work Unit at Olustee was closed in 1996, the Southern Research Station continues to maintain the experimental forest for long-term experiments and as a reservoir for genetic material of historic value and continuing scientific interest.

In 1958, the Southeastern Forest and Range Experiment Station installed a hazardous fuel reduction study in a second growth stand of longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) on the Osceola National Forest near Lake City, FL.

Joseph W. Jones Ecological Research Center at Ichauway
The mission of the Joseph W. Jones Ecological Research Center at Ichauway is to serve as a regional center of excellence in ecology and natural resource management that includes integrated research, education, and conservation goals. Multidisciplinary research, both short- and long-term in duration, is being conducted using experimental and descriptive studies of regional ecosystems. Information is transferred to targeted conservation and natural resource constituencies through the education and outreach program. Ichauway is used by Center staff as an outdoor laboratory for research, as a site for conserving and restoring regional ecosystems, and as an educational demonstration area for ecology and natural resource management. The Center is an independent, non-profit facility.

Ichauway is divided into two management zones that accommodate the diverse conservation, research, and education goals of the organization. The multiple-use zone conserves biological diversity while maintaining sustainable practices and patterns of land use for wildlife and forest management. The conservation zone is managed to conserve the natural ecosystems and associated elements of biological diversity and, over time, to restore the structure and function of the natural landscape.

The Bartram Educational Forest is a working forest managed by the Georgia Forestry Commission. As an outdoor classroom, it is being used to teach students of all ages about Georgia's natural resources and to increase conservation awareness.

Hightower Educational Forest, located in the beautiful North Georgia mountains, is an outdoor learning facility where students can participate in natural resource studies in a managed forest environment.

Spirit Creek Educational Forest
Spirit Creek Educational Forest (SCEF) is 570 acres of actively managed forestland in the midst of South Richmond County. Just 30 minutes from downtown Augusta, Georgia, it will provide students a real-world learning environment to study forest resources and conservation. Students will be guided in their investigation of the environment using grade specific hands-on activities correlated to Georgia's Quality Core Curriculum.

Georgia Model Urban Forest Demonstration Project
Immediately, partners in Atlanta got together and decided to "bring to life" the Georgia Model Urban Forest Book, a recent publication of Georgia Forestry Commission and their partners. The USDA Forest Service, Georgia Forestry Commission, Georgia Urban Forest Council, American Forests, Trees Atlanta, Park Pride, and Arabia Mountain Heritage Alliance are all participating in the Demonstration Project.

Georgia Forestry Commission
5645 Riggins Mill Road, Dry Branch, Georgia 31020
1-800-GATREES or (478) 751-3500

Oconee Forest Park is a 60 acre natural area on the University of Georgia campus in Athens, Georgia. The park is administered by the Daniel B. Warnell School of Forest Resources. Oconee Forest Park provides recreation, teaching, and research opportunities for the University community while preserving its 100-year-old forest.

* provide teaching and research opportunities to the students and researchers in dendrology, ecology, silviculture and forest biology.

* provide Georgia citizens and visitors an opportunity to study and enjoy the abundant plants of the region

Currently the collection includes 90 percent of the native trees of Georgia. The pinetum has one of the most varied and valuable collections of gymnosperms in North America. It includes all the native conifers of Georgia and more than 100 species of gymnosperms from 27 countries.

The 1,900-acre Dorothy Warnell Research, Education and Demonstration Forest provides a working forest where sustainable forest management is both practiced and demonstrated. The forest has several forest types. The demonstration forest and the Mary Kahrs Warnell Forest Education Center host numerous educational programs and events.

The 5000 acre Hitchiti Experimental Forest is located about 65 miles southwest of Athens, GA and is the site of the Brender Demonstration Forest, a cooperative effort by the Southern Research Station and the Georgia Forestry Commission to showcase pine management for nonindustrial private landowners. The forest occupies 4,735 acres (1916 ha) of Lower Piedmont forest land in Jones County, Georgia, 18 miles north of Macon, on the east bank of the Ocmulgee River. Acquired in 1946 by the Federal Government, it has been home for more than 30 years to research on loblolly pine to benefit non-industrial forest landowners, who hold 67% of the forest land in the Southeast. The majority of the present-day forest is second and third growth. Most stands contain loblolly (Pinus taeda) and shortleaf (P. echinata) pines mixed with hardwoods. The pine stands are mostly even-aged and are fairly well stocked with seedlings, saplings, poles, and sawtimber. Pine overstories typically contain about 85 percent loblolly and 15 percent shortleaf. Hardwoods are encroaching on about half of the upland forest area, and about 1O percent of the forest is classified as hardwood.

The 4,500 acre Scull Shoals Experimental Forest near Athens, Georgia is the site of several silvicultural research studies since 1938.

The Forestry Sciences Laboratory is on 4 acres of land near the University of Georgia's School of Forestry. The facility, containing 17,962 square feet of laboratory space, and 14,000 square feet of office space, consists of two buildings, an insectary, greenhouses, a nursery, a fully equipped woodworking and fabricating shop, and a wood products testing laboratory. The Scull Shoals Experimental Forest is the site of several silvicultural research studies.

Located in the Central Piedmont of North Carolina, Allison Woods is an extensive hardwood forest covering over a thousand acres straddling the South Yadkin River and includes examples of nearly every Piedmont habitat. An Iredell County landmark, Allison Woods is treasure trove of natural and cultural heritage worthy of preservation and enhancement. Allison Woods Foundation also owns a 108-acre tract adjoining the main property; logged within the past ten years, it shows how land can be reclaimed through ecological succession and wise management.
To arrange a tour, contact Lislott Harberts:

Approximately 125 acres of highly variable types of coniferous and deciduous forest in mixed and pure stands are representative of the best of what this region, known for its high level of plant species diversity, has to offer. Hardwood and mixed pine/hardwood forests predominate the property. All hardwood forest types are naturally occurring, and cover wide ranges of early to late successional stages. Many acres have been high-graded. Most existing pine forest originated from a 1950’s planting of old agricultural fields, and represent some of the earliest pine plantings in the county. The main management objectives involve developing and maintaining a forest that will provide an optimum level of balance between timber production and non-timber enjoyment of the land. Located 2 miles west of Chapel Hill. This is a Forest Stewards Guild Model Forest. To arrange a tour contact Jerry Gaertner:

The Land Trust for the Little Tennessee has joined with Western Carolina University, Duke University, The Conservation Fund, and the Region A Council of Governments in a three-year initiative to research and promote sustainable-forestry practices and to develop a conservation plan for the forestlands surrounding the Little Tennessee River basin. The project will establish sites throughout the basin to demonstrate “light-touch” timber management and other forest-management practices in a setting that is accessible to interested parties, both private landowners and forestry professionals. These demonstration sites will also provide a venue for student interns and staff from Western Carolina and Duke universities to further their practical education by evaluating and communicating the project’s findings.

The Valle Crucis Conference Center is an Episcopalian Center in Watauga County, NC that provides space for workshops and retreats for a number of different groups throughout the year. The 430-acre property consists of approximately 350-forested acres in addition to working farmland, meadows, old/converted wetlands, and a number of residential and meeting buildings. The forestland includes old growth, previous apple orchards, white pine plantings, rich cove hardwood stands, mixed hardwood/conifer stands, and stands dominated by yellow poplar. The Center's goal to be “deeply rooted on sacred ground” is important for both the mission and the management of Center land. Because of this, they are beginning to manage their forests as a demonstration for landowners and the general public. The goal is to show how forests can be sustainably managed using uneven-aged methods while creating an income stream for landowners. The forests will be managed for high-quality timber, non-timber products, recreation, aesthetics, maintenance of old growth, and wildlife habitat.

For more information contact Katie Goslee, Sustainable Forestry Coordinator, Appalachian Voices

The Robbins/Hemphill Forest in Rutherford County, NC is in the initial stages of becoming a Demonstration Forest. Sponsored by Concerned Citizens of Rutherford County (CCRC. The landowners have agreed to define an area of approx. 50 acres in mixed hardwoods to be intensively managed. Individual and group selection, timber stand improvement and crop tree management are the techniques to be employed. This forest and farm have been the site of the successful Annual Horse Logging Field Days held over the last five years. The site will be available for animal- and small-equipment logging; and for educational tours by appointment. Visit www.ccrcnc.org for more information.

The North Carolina Division of Forest Resources operates a system of six Educational State Forests (ESFs) designed to teach the public - especially school children - about the forest environment. http://www.dfr.state.nc.us/education/esf.htm

Clemmons Educational State Forest, a unique outdoors experience. Located between the Piedmont and the Coastal Plain, Clemmons' pine stands and hardwoods are set on a pleasant rolling terrain highlighted by streams and rock formations. These features are accessible by a series of well-marked trails, accented by exhibits and displays depicting the ecology of a managed forest.

Holmes Educational State Forest
Holmes is a 235 acre educational managed forest. The forest is operated by the NC Division of Forest Resources. It is mainly used as tool for outdoor education catering to school children in kindergarten-6th grade. There are five miles of hiking trails varying in degrees of difficulty. Most notably are the talking tree trail, forest management demonstration trail, and the Crab Creek trail with its wildfire demonstration area. Facilities on the forest include a forestry interpretation center, a 100 person covered picnic shelter w/ electricity, rest rooms, three natural amphitheaters, group camping area with cold water showers, pit toilets, and a council fire pit. Coming this fall will be our sawmill area which will house a portable circular mill. Holmes is also recognized as one the best forests in the area for its diverse and species rich wildflower population

Jordan Lake Educational State Forest is located between the Piedmont and Coastal Plain, this forest showcases a wide variety of pines and hardwoods found in a wetland ecosystem.

Rendezvous Mountain Educational State Forest is located in the rugged Blue Ridge Mountains, this forest showcases magnificent mountain hardwoods in one of North Carolina's most scenic settings. Its features are accessible by a series of well-marked trails, accented by exhibits and displays depicting the ecology of the managed forest.

Tuttle Educational State Forest is located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Tuttle boasts a wide variety of pines and hardwoods plus rolling terrain and clear streams. These features are accessible by a series of well-marked trails accented by exhibits and displays which explain the ecology of the managed forest.

Straddling Lincoln and Gaston Counties is Mountain Island Educational State Forest; a picturesque slice of nature featuring adundant plant and animal life. Not yet open to the public, the Forest will feature classes and exhibits designed to educate schoolchildren, forestry professionals and the general public about the importance of North Carolina's Forest health.

Turnbull Creek Educational State Forest
4803 Sweet Home Church Rd., Elizabethtown, NC 28337
(910) 588-4161
tcesf@intrstar.net

This 2,450-acre forest in Durham County is the College's longest-held forest and the site of Camp Slocum, where all rising juniors in the Forestry Program spend 10 weeks of intensive summer field work. Established in 1929, Hill Forest has been managed as a teaching laboratory, where students learn to survey, measure, identify vegetation, perform water and soil tests and undertake the myriad other tasks that are part of every forester's job. Like all of our forests, Hill is economically self-sustaining through timber sales and usage fees. In addition, research studies on the forest have resulted in 15 Ph.D dissertations, 31 Masters theses, and 23 refereed articles in journals or books.

In early 1996 NCSU acquired one of the largest remaining tracts of undeveloped private waterfront property on North Carolina's Albemarle Sound for use as a wetlands research site. The Forest covers 5,500 acres, including more that seven miles of rare, undisturbed shoreline. Here our students and faculty will study critical environmental issues, including coastal water quality, wildlife management, forest regeneration and environmentally sound timber management.

Hofmann Forest is located in the coastal region of North Carolina. Established in 1929 it is the largest forest holding of the College encompassing nearly 80,000 contiguous acres. The forest is situated on what was historically referred to as the White Oak pocosin. Pocosin is an Algonquin Indian word for "swamp on a hill" and aptly describes the character of this wetland forest. Hofmann Forest supports academic excellence at North Carolina State University through graduate fellowships, basic and applied research, and outdoor-classrom instruction. Formal research on the Hofmann Forest began in 1936. Early research concentrated almost exclusively on hydrology and the growth of pines. Many of the earlier publications and theses concern interrelationships among water table levels, artificial drainage, and tree height growth. These topics produced an early report of research in 1947 and pioneered the use of pocosins for forestry. Subsequent research has studied a wide range of topics including: fire ecology, organic soils, wildlife, seed quality of pond pine, natural regeneration of pond pine, survival and growth of Atlantic White Cedar, forest hydrology, site productivity, bio-diversity, tree spacing, cattle grazing, forest economics, water quality and atmospheric nutrient deposition.

Since 1985, this seed tree cut and others like it have helped provide roost and nest habitat for the endangered population of bald eagles at Jordan Lake. The conditions were ideal in 1985 allowing the eagles to swoop into trees and scan the lake for fish near the surface. The 345 acre forest, used for research, is located in Chatham County and was established in 1941.

This 252 acre Franklin County property is one of the newer acquisitions to NC State's forest holdings. Donated in 1994 by Mr. Wilfred Hosley of Wake Forest, the property includes examples of both intensively managed pine plantations and natural bottomland hardwood types.

Moore County, near Carthage is the site of the 1,169 acre Goodwin Forest. Donated in 1968 by James L. Goodwin after his death, the former depleted cotton fields and rundown woodlots were restored by Goodwin himself. A trained forester from Yale University, Goodwin planted open lands with pine seedlings and succeeded in reforesting the area. Several creeks run through the property. Hikers are welcome to use the area, as Goodwin wished.

Acquired in 1936, the 245 acre Schenck Forest is located in western Wake County about 10 minutes from the NC State campus. Visitors can walk the well maintained trails to enjoy birdwatching and wildlife, see a managed forest that shows successional stages, and picnic in the well-maintained facilities. Students of forestry, botany, zoology and recreation also use the forest for educational purposes.

Management of the Duke Forest is guided by a comprehensive management plan, created in 1981 after considered study of all competing demands. The plan allows the Forest to be utilized for multiple purposes while being sensitive to changing needs. The eight major considerations of the plan are: education and research; timber management; integrated pest management; protection of rare species and unique ecosystems; wildlife management; water quality protection; history and archeology; and recreation and aesthetics. Timber management practices conducted within the Duke Forest are designed to provide a diverse set of benefits including sound silvicultural and economic operation, establishment of demonstration/research areas and the protection of other resource features. The primary objective of wildlife management in the Forest is to maintain as diverse and complete a population of animals native to the piedmont, as possible.

Bent Creek Experimental Forest—the first to be established in the South, is one of the oldest research areas maintained by the Forest Service. Its purpose was to provide opportunities for the systematic development of experiments in silvicultural practices. Since 1925, before its establishment as an experimental forest, scientists have been developing and demonstrating sound forestry practices at Bent Creek. Their research—both early and current—on fire, insects, diseases, timber, wildlife, and water is being applied over much of the Southern Appalachians. With an increasing intensity of land use throughout the region and around the country, research conducted at Bent Creek is important to the sustainability of the South’s forested lands.

Current research is focused on: (1) understanding the distribution and productivity of forest vegetation as a function of the controlling environmental variables; (2) understanding the structural and compositional dynamics of forest vegetation in relation to both natural and human-imposed disturbance regimes; (3) relating wildlife habitat to forest structure and composition; and (4) synthesis and integration of research information to provide decision support to forest managers.

Established in 1964 to provide a focal area for silvicultural research of eastern white pine and associated hardwoods, the 1200-acre Blue Valley Experimental Forest is located near Highlands, North Carolina. Blue Valley typifies white pine-dominated portions of the southern highlands escarpment. The experimental forest area receives more than 70 inches of precipitation annually, but has infertile soils derived from decomposed granite. Current investigations include single tree selection and regeneration cutting/underburning of white pine-hardwood forests.

USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station
P.O. Box 2680, Asheville, NC, 28802

The Coweeta Experimental Forest was set-aside in 1934 with a research emphasis on watershed management; and measurements of rainfall, streamflow, climate, and forest growth began. These have been continuously monitored since. In 1948, the site was renamed Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory. In the early 1980’s, Coweeta was selected by the National Science Foundation as one of 11 sites in the Nation for the Long-Term Ecological Research Program. The Coweeta Basin is ideal for hydrologic research. Local rainfall is usually plentiful—80 to 100 inches per year. Solid bedrock underlying the soils permits hydrologists to account for most of the rainfall that enters the basin. The valley contains numerous small watersheds; many are similar in size, climate, and vegetation.

The Clemson Experimental Forest's 17,500 acres are dedicated to education, research and demonstration in order to better understand and manage forest resources for the benefit of society. These essential resources include clean air, clean water, pleasing aesthetic qualities, abundant wildlife, protection of species and habitat diversity, recreation opportunities, along with commodity products from the forest. The forest is managed strictly for perpetual sustained or improved yield of these products. The Clemson Experimental Forest personnel, equipment, supplies, roads, recreation facilities and maintenance are solely supported by revenue from generated the Forest.
261 Lehotsky Hall, Clemson, SC 29634-0331
(864) 656-3302

Scientists at the Baruch Institute study coastal forest and wetland ecosystems, including wildlife, forestry, and hydrology. Future studies will include environmental toxicology, wastewater treatment, and landscape ecology to help commercial developers preserve the area’s fragile ecosystems. Future plans also include educational seminars for school groups and the public on the coastal environment and the importance of wise management of natural resources. Research sites:

Manchester State Forest, in Sumter and Clarendon Counties, consists of approximately 25,000 acres of mixed pine and hardwood species native to the midlands of South Carolina. The forest is managed to yield a variety of forest products, from pulpwood and sawtimber to poles and pine straw. Stands of non-native slash pine, planted in the 1960s, are being gradually harvested and replaced with longleaf pine. In 1989 the forest was severely damaged by Hurricane Hugo. Sixty-five percent of the timber base was destroyed. Since then hundreds of acres have been salvaged and replanted. Manchester State Forest practices principles of high quality multiple-use and sustained-yield forest management.

Bounded along its northeastern edge by the Broad River, Harbison Environmental Education Forest encompasses 2,177 acres of forestland only nine miles from downtown Columbia. Its unique urban location makes Harbison one of the largest public greenspaces inside the city limits of a metropolitan area in the eastern United States. Harbison Environmental Education Forest's emphasis is on natural resource education, providing demonstrations of forestry practices as well as recreation. Portions of the Forest are used to demonstrate the value of various forestry practices, from prescribed burning to thinning, harvest, site preparation and planting. The forest mix is roughly forty percent loblolly and shortleaf pine, forty percent natural longleaf pine, twenty percent bottomland flood plain hardwoods and hardwood drains. The Harbison Environmental Education Center, a 5,000 square foot log building, serves as a classroom for visitors' introduction to the Forest. When not being used for educational programs, the Center can be rented for meetings.

Part of a unique ecosystem, the Sand Hills State Forest is located between the piedmont and coastal plain of South Carolina in Chesterfield and Darlington Counties. The region is characterized by deep sands with generally arid conditions. It consists of 46,000 acres of infertile sand deposited by a prehistoric sea. Because wildfires, improper logging and poor farming practices had almost eliminated timber production, an intensive reforestation project was initiated. In conjunction with the reforestation effort, a wildlife management program was started to improve habitat. As a result of such efforts, the once barren sand hills now support a large inventory of timber and a variety of game and non-game species. Since its acquisition, Sand Hills has been used as a demonstration area for forest management. In recent years, attention has been given to restore native longleaf pines.

The SEF is located within the Francis Marion National Forest in Berkeley County, on SC Highway 402, 16 miles from the town of Moncks Corner. The SEF consists of 2,468 ha of Atlantic Coastal Plain flatwoods vegetation types situated on a marine terrace of the Pleistocene Epoch. The SEF is a mosaic of flatwoods forest types that include (1) mixed pine-hardwood, (2) loblolly pine, (3) longleaf pine, (4) mixed loblolly-longleaf pine; (5) upland-hardwoods (6) bottomland hardwoods and (7) creek swamp. Facilities on the administrative site include an office-laboratory, containing three small, modestly equipped laboratories, office space, and a conference room; a 4-bedroom guesthouse with kitchen, laundry, and common area; and a workshop with a small attached greenhouse.

Center for Forested Wetlands Research
2730 Savannah Highway, Charleston, SC 29414
(843) 727-4271

The Calhoun Experimental Forest, located in the Sumter National Forest near Union, South Carolina, was established in 1947 for work on Piedmont forest, soil, and water problems. Early studies on the Calhoun were aimed at soil improvement on poor sites in order to find the cheapest, quickest, most effective ways to improve tree growth and soil structure, and increase nutrients for plants. Current research includes part of the national Fire and Fire Surrogate Study, testing responses of fire and alternative treatments on a Piedmont site.

The University of the South Domain has several thousand acres of forest that is used for research and teaching primarily.

Size: 13,104 acres/5,303 ha. Chickasaw State Forest is located in Chester and Hardeman Counties on the Coastal Plain in West Tennessee. Approximately 63% of the Forest is covered in hardwood types, about 29% is in southern yellow pines, and the remainder is in mixed pine and hardwood cover. The Forest is dominated by stands of mature sawtimber. About 35% of the stands are upland hardwoods in excess of 80 years old. There are various educational and demonstration areas highlighted with signs throughout the forest. In addition, there are 115 acres of forest set aside as an experimental forest and nursery.

Size: 35,904 acres / 14,530 ha. The Forest is located in central-western Tennessee, in portions of Henderson, Carroll, and Benton Counties. The Forest now consists of 67% hardwood types and 30% pines. Hardwood stands exceeding 60 years of age occur on 39% of the forest on land that was never cleared for agriculture or had been abandoned for farming. Large areas have been salvaged as a result of approximately 7,300 acres of older age class stands being blown down to various degrees by a severe thunderstorm in 1999.

Size: 4,000 acres/1,619 ha. This Forest is located in northwestern Tennessee, in south-central Stewart County. There are also several small areas where native prairie grasses occur. Hunting has been a traditional use of the forest. Other recreational activities on the forest include hiking and some mountain biking. A large proportion of the forest has received salvage cutting due to blow down of older age class stands in 1998. Approximately 81% is in hardwoods and only about 3% is in pine. The dominant hardwood type is oak/hickory and is generally even aged (70-95 years) containing mostly mature to over-mature hardwood.

Size: 1,257 acres/509 ha. It is on the Western Highland Rim in central-southwestern Tennessee, in Lewis County. There is a demonstration forest road, exemplifying the use of BMPs and appropriate engineering specifications. Other areas of the forest have served for past research studies. A small wetland occurs in the southwestern corner of the forest. Most of the land (97%) is in forest cover and the remainder is open land. This Forest is somewhat unique in the Tennessee State Forest system in that about 71% of the forested area is in the southern yellow pine type. Primary recreational use of the Forest is for hunting. All timber harvests include objectives for improving habitat for wildlife.

Size: 6,943 acres/2,810 ha. The Forest is located in the Central Basin of Tennessee in the southern part of Wilson County. The forest is approximately 15 miles east of Nashville. The forest is of Natural Heritage significance because it is part of the largest contiguous cedar glade-barren complex in public ownership in middle Tennessee. About 14% of the area is designated a Tennessee Natural Resource Area and contains at least two threatened or endangered plant species. Eastern red cedar is the predominant species and is found in pure stands on the very poor soils. On deeper soils and better sites it is found mixed in with hardwoods. No timber harvest activities have occurred, presently, on the forest. The exception is a few salvage cuts as a result of pine mortality from the southern pine beetle. The forest has been highly degraded and eroded by high Off Highway Vehicle use.

Size: 6,941 acres/2,809 ha. The land was acquired in 1936 from the Cross Creek Coal Company and was highly degraded. The Forest is on the Cumberland Plateau and located in south-central Tennessee, in Marion and Franklin Counties. The forest is 35-40 miles west of Chattanooga. About 99% of the land is forested and about 96% of the land is in mature hardwood sawtimber and pole timber. Only about 3% of the Forest is pine. The area has a history of timber abuse by diameter-limit cuts and uncontrolled wildfires. Silvicultural prescriptions are geared towards timber stand improvement and management of wildlife habitat.

Size: 23,759 acres/9,615 ha. Prentice Cooper State Forest is located in southeastern Tennessee, in Marion County. The forest is approximately 10 miles west of Chattanooga and is heavily utilized by the public. It includes the south side of the Tennessee River Valley Gorge. Management activities of the forest focus primarily on wildlife habitat improvement and maintaining recreational opportunities for the public. Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Forestry Division has provided labor and portions of the forest for various types of research in collaboration with the University of Tennessee. No recent timber cutting has occurred on the forest, with the exception of several salvage cuts and road improvement/wildlife linear strip projects.

Size: 6,782 acres/2,745 ha. Bledsoe State Forest is located on the Cumberland Plateau in east-central Tennessee, in Bledsoe, Cumberland, Van Buren, and White Counties. Areas of the forest are used for tree improvement studies, where strains of various species are grown to determine their suitability as high quality timber. The timber type consists primarily of mixed upland hardwoods and most stands are in the 40 to 80+ age classes.

Size: 8,445 acres/3,418 ha. It is located on the Eastern Highland Rim in Overton and Clay Counties. The forest is approximately 20 miles north of Cookeville. The forested areas had been subjected to heavy timber cutting, high grading, and frequent fires. Ninety-eight percent of the land is in regulated forest and 89% is in upland hardwoods, 6.8% in pine, and 4% in mixed hardwood and pine. Thirty-four percent of the forest is in stands 80+ years old and 48% is in stands 50-80 years old, and only 18% is less than 50 years old.

390 South Lowe, Suite 10, Cookeville, TN 38501-4702
(931) 526-9502 (District Office)

Size: 18,302 acres/7,407 ha. Pickett State Forest is located in northeastern Tennessee in Pickett and Fentress Counties near the Kentucky - Tennessee border. About 53% of the Forest is in hardwood types, 24% in pine type, and 21% in mixed hardwood and pine. Ninety-five percent of the Forest is in trees older than 40 years and most of the area is well stocked. Basal area averages about 80 square feet per acre and 60% of that is hardwood. There are also two unregulated areas (862 acres) that have been set aside to protect the integrity of view sheds and water quality. There are 46 known archaeological sites on the forest. The forest has been the site of research projects conducted by various Universities.

Size: 2,842 acres/1,150 ha. The Forest is located in northeastern Tennessee, in Scott and Fentress Counties. The Forest is unique in the system in that it is completely surrounded by the Big South Fork National River and recreation Area. There are no interior holdings, cemeteries, or natural areas. The forest is used for research including tree improvement studies, where improved strains of various species are grown and tested. Most timber stands on the Forest are sawtimber size hardwood stands, with many of the stands at or near rotation age. Superior stands of eastern white pine were located on the Forest, but most have been lost to the southern pine beetle in the last two years.

Size: 3,597 acres/1,456 ha. The Forest is located on the Cumberland Plateau in east-central Tennessee, in Morgan County. It is approximately 20 miles west of the Tennessee River and 30 miles west of Knoxville. The land was heavily cut-over and degraded by the Lone Mountain Land Company. As a result, a hands-off management strategy has been employed on the forest to help it regenerate. There has been essentially no timber harvesting on the forest, with the exception of three small timber sales from “day lighting” roads and an occasional salvage cut of pine due to tree mortality caused by the southern pine beetle. A small portion of the forest (52 acres) is being used for seed orchards and genetic studies. Forest types consist of 55% upland hardwoods, 24% of mixed hardwood-pine, and 21% of pine.

Size: 24,831 acres / 10,449 ha. This forest is located in northeastern Tennessee, 25 miles north of Knoxville, in Union and Campbell Counties. Norris Lake borders it on three sides. The tree composition is about 65% hardwood and 35% pines. Approximately 5% of the forest is 30 years and younger as a result of timber harvests during 1966 and 1994. An estimated 29% of the land is old farmland that reverted to forests and is 30 to 50 years old. About 55% of the forests are 50 to 90 years old, and about 20% is considered mature or over-mature timber which is over 90 years old. The oldest timber stands are around 200 years old. Chuck Swan State Forest is the only representative of the Southern Appalachian Ridge and Valley province. TDA Forestry Division has cooperated on a variety of research projects in conjunction with the University of Tennessee.

Size: 2001 acres (810 ha). It is located in eastern Tennessee, in Cocke County near the North Carolina-Tennessee border. It is 30-40 miles east of Knoxville. Martha Sundquist State Forest is surrounded by the Cherokee National Forest on three sides and consists of one drainage system. The Forest is composed of mature mountain and cove hardwoods. Most of the timber harvests that have occurred on the property have been cuts of less than 50 acres in size. This tract is considered a wildlife management area and has special provisions for bear hunting.

Size: 2,100 acres, (850 ha). John Tully State Forest, acquired on August 29, 2002, was formed from part of a substantial tract of prime forestland and wildlife habitat acquired from Anderson-Tully, a Memphis-based timber management and lumber company. Funding was provided by a joint effort of the State of Tennessee, the USDA Forest Service's Forest Legacy program, the Nature Conservancy, and various other private sources including the National Wild Turkey Federation, Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation and Wildlife Forever, Inc. The property had been managed for years by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) as a wildlife management area. As the only state forest representing western Tennessee's physiogeographic region, it is covered in Mississippi River alluvial bottomland hardwoods and holds some of the state's best hunting and fishing lands. It is only the second state forest established in the last half-century.

The UT Forestry Experiment Station conducts research programs that demonstrate the application of optimal forest and wildlife management technologies and assist with transfer of new technology to forest land owners and industries. The Forestry Experiment Station hosts events throughout the year including an annual plant sale and field days on various topics. This 2,260-acre forest is located in Oak Ridge, TN, along with the University of Tennessee Arboretum, a project of the Forestry Experiment Station. It is the headquarters for the Forestry Experiment Station. Established in 1964, this forest is unique in that, other than the traditional function of conducting forestry and wildlife research on the total property, 260 acres are identified as part of the Arboretum's mission of public education and public service. This area features interpretive nature trails and ecological points of interest.

This forest was also established in 1947. It is the largest field research unit in the Forestry Experiment Station, encompassing 8,000 acres of Cumberland Mountain forest land in Morgan and Scott Counties. This forest facilitates several large scale forest management research and demonstration projects. The Cumberland Forest is also the site of some of the earliest strip-mine reclamation research in Tennessee.

The 860-acre forest, established in 1961, is located in Franklin County. This area is known as the "barrens" and is typified as being an Oak Forest of very low timber production and value. This station has numerous research and demonstration projects aimed at identifying optimum tree species and forest production systems to increase forest productivity on such sites.

The Center is located near Sequatchie, Tennessee high in a cove on 600 acres of mountain land. The Center was established to provide outdoor learning experiences to the public, especially children. Parts of the property have been logged by the owner, who is a professional logger. Available for groups, and they plan to build classroom facilities.

HHFF has several demonstration sites through Virginia- all have been actively managed and harvested using animal power. Tree selection for harvest is based on the Healing Harvest Forest Foundation's “Nature's Tree Marking Paint” system of indicators of decline and low productivity. This system of “worst first” single-tree selection is available on our web site, see: “Restorative Forestry Tool” and in hard copy upon request. Please contact HHFF if you wish to visit any of these sites. Demonstration locations include: Copper Hill, Bear Mountain, Glasgow, The Plains, Floyd, Orange, Nickelsville, New Kent, Dugspur, Pembroke, and Ferrum.

The State Forests serve as a demonstration site for "best practices" in forestry. Eighty-six percent of the land is classified as commercial timberland. Other areas are designated as non-commercial forestland, such as buffer strips along creeks and rivers and aesthetic strips along all major highways. A diversity of timber types will be maintained on the forest in approximately the same ratio as when the forest was first acquired.

Appomattox-Buckingham State Forest
Appomattox-Buckingham State Forest contains 19,535 acres. Considered an excellent example of crop tree management, improvement cutting (cutting the worst first), regeneration cuts, and harvest cuts, and maintaining a desirable genetic foundation.

Located in Bedford County, north of Smith Mountain Lake, this mixed hardwood forest covers 288 acres. This Forest was a gift and is used for timber production, an outdoor laboratory, wildlife sanctuary and watershed protection.

Located in Prince William County adjacent to Manassas National Battlefield and Route 29, this 400 acre Forest is a mixture of pine and old growth hardwood stands. It is a wildlife and wildflower sanctuary and is used for environmental education, hiking, preservation of historic sites, watershed protection and timber production.

Located in New Kent County between Route 60 and the Chickahominy River, near Providence Forge, this 257 acre Forest has a mixture of bottomland hardwood and loblolly pine stands. It is used for demonstration and education for forestry, ecology, history, forestry research, hiking, canoeing and passive recreation. The Forest is a wildlife sanctuary.

Cumberland State Forest
The 16,233 acre Cumberland State Forest, located in the piedmont of Virginia, is in Cumberland County; it is north of State Route 60, west of State Route 45 and bordered on the west by the Willis River. Site demonstrate transition of natural stands from old field pioneer species to mixed stands of vigorous hardwoods. Considered an excellent example of crop tree management, improvement cutting (cutting the worst first), regeneration cuts, and harvest cuts, and maintaining a desirable genetic foundation.

Located in Shenandoah County, near Route 621, this 173 acre Forest was a gift and the area includes several timber types. It is used for education and demonstration, research, timber production, watershed protection and a wildlife sanctuary.

Located in Carroll County, this area is used for demonstration and management of forestry species indigenous to Southwest Virginia. The 122 acre area offers watershed protection and wildlife.

Located in Nelson County on Route 664, this 421 acre Forest was a gift designated for use for American Chestnut research and as a wildlife sanctuary.

Located in Grayson County near Route 58 and the town of Galax, this 154 acre forest was a gift and is used for American Chestnut research, demonstration of white pine management, watershed protection, hiking and a wildlife sanctuary. A nature trail is used by area schools for field trips.

Located in Craig County of Route 658 on John’s Creek Mountain, the 219 acre Forest was a gift and has typical mountain hardwood stands. It is used for an outdoor laboratory, preservation of wildflowers, and American Chestnut research. The Forest is a wildlife sanctuary.

Located in Rockingham County on Route 613, this 173 acre Forest was a gift and has a variety of hardwood species. Primary uses include hardwood research and demonstration, timber production, hiking, horseback riding and wildlife habitat protection.

Owned by the Department of Conservation and Recreation this urban fringe area is managed as a State Forest and a State Park. It is located in Chesterfield County and contains 5,873 acres. It is used for timber production, camping, fishing, hiking, education, and is a wildlife sanctuary.

Prince Edward-Gallion State Forest
Prince Edward-Gallion contains 6,496 acres .

Located in Fauquier County on Route 684, this 147 acre forest is used for timber production, horseback riding, hiking, research and demonstration and is a wildlife sanctuary.

VAFW is in the process of setting up a demo forest with a group
of folks that own about 80 acres in Madison County, NE of Charlottesville.


	Demonstration & Research Forests