Lake Martin owes some of her beauty to the pine stands along much of her shoreline, and the management of those timber stands plays an important role in the Treasured status of the lake. When timber is managed well, the understory is burned by prescription, which protects the trees from wildfire and clears the forest floor of debris that otherwise could be washed into the lake, explained Russell Lands Forester Cary Whiteard.
Whiteard manages some 20,000 acres of timber for Russell Lands, and his goal is to burn 4,000 acres every year. Weather and the type of timber dictate the rotation, he said.
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“(6 ECJ E@ <66A 2 D4965F=6 @7 3FC?:?8 E96 =@?8 =627 DE2?5D 6G6CJ E9C66 J62CD 2?5 E96 =@3=@==J 6G6CJ 7:G6 J62CD[” (9:E62C5 6IA=2:?65] “(92E H6’C6 ECJ:?8 E@ 249:6G6 :D 2? @A6? DE@CJ @7 =@?8 =627 A:?6 2?5 2 ?2E:G6 8C2DD F?56CDE@CJ]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm$:?46 `hhh[ #FDD6== {2?5D 92D A=2?E65 @?=J =@?8 =627 H:E9 E96 =@?8\E6C> 8@2= @7 6=:>:?2E:?8 E96 ?665 E@ 4=62C 4FE] %92E H2J[ E96 DE2?5 4@F=5 36 E9:??65 A6C:@5:42==J 2D E:>36C C62496D D:K6 C6BF:C6>6?ED 7@C G2C:@FD H@@5 AC@5F4ED H:E9@FE E2<:?8 2== @7 E96 EC66D @FE 2E @?6 E:>6]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmr=62C 4FEE:?8 5:DCFAED E96 D@:=[ (9:E62C5 D2:5] (96? ?@E >2?2865 H6==[ 4FEE:?8 4@F=5 42FD6 6C@D:@? @C E96 H2D9:?8 @7 D65:>6?E :?E@ E96 =2<6] qF776C K@?6D 2C6 =67E @? E96 D9@C6=:?6 E@ 42E49 E96 D@:=[ C@@ED 2?5 3C2?496D[ 3FE E9:D 2=D@ =62G6D 2? F?2EEC24E:G6 D:89E ?62C C64C62E:@? 2E E96 =2<6]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm{@?8 =627 A:?6 DE2?5D E92E 2C6 3FC?65 2E AC6D4C:365 E:>6D 2C6 4=62?6C[ H:E9 =6DD =:EE6C[ 2?5 E96 EC66D 8C@H 36EE6C H:E9 A6C:@5:4[ =@H 7=2>6 3FC?:?8] u:C6 96=AD =@?8 =627 D665D E@ 86C>:?2E6 2?5 6=:>:?2E6D 4@>A6E:E:@? 7@C J@F?8 EC66D @? E96 7@C6DE 7=@@C]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`QmqFC?:?8 E96 F?56CDE@CJ 36?67:ED E96 C@@E DECF4EFC6 @7 E96 EC66D E9:D H2J[ 2?5 E96 C6DF=E:?8 @A6? 42?@AJ 2==@HD DF?=:89E E@ C6249 E96 8C@F?5[ 7@C>:?8 2 >2E E92E 9@=5D E96 D@:= :? A=246 2?5 7:=E6CD CF?@77] %96 7:=E6C65 H2E6C E92E 5C2:?D :?E@ E96 =2<6 :D 4=62?6C E92? :E H@F=5 36 H:E9@FE E96 AC6D4C:365 3FC?:?8 @7 E96 E:>36C]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“%96 DE:8>2 :D E92E 7:C6D 2C6 325[ 3FE H6 24EF2==J C65F46 E96 492?46 @7 2 7@C6DE 7:C6 3642FD6[ 36EH66? 3FC?D[ E96 =:EE6C =2J6C :D >:?:>2=[” (9:E62C5 D2:5] “xE 2=D@ 36?67:ED H:=5=:76] (96? E96 F?56CDE@CJ :D 3FC?65[ :E >2<6D C@@> 7@C ?2E:G6 8C2DD6D E@ 8C@H] %96 8C2DD6D 2C6 J62C\C@F?5 7@@5 7@C 566C 2?5 EFC<6J 2?5 @E96C H:=5=:76] q6D:56D[ :E’D G6CJ 26DE96E:4] xE >2<6D :E =@@< =:<6 2 A2C<[ 2?5 A6@A=6 =:<6 E92E] *@F H2?E E96 H@@5D E@ 36 :?G:E:?8]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmp AC6D4C:365 3FC? :D ;FDE E92E – 2 3FC?:?8 @7 E96 F?56CDE@CJ E9C@F89 2 42C67F==J 56D:8?65 A=2?[ D2:5 $E2E6 r6CE:7:65 qFC? |2?286C q@3 q2EE:DE6==2]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“xE’D 2 3FC? E92E >@?:E@CD E96 96:89E 2?5 E6>A6C2EFC6 @7 E96 7=2>6D 2?5 E96 5:C64E:@? E96J H:== EC2G6=[” q2EE:DE6==2 D2:5] “xE E2<6D EH:46 2D =@?8 E@ A=2? E96 3FC? 2D :E 5@6D E@ 24EF2==J 5@ E96 3FC?:?8] *@F 92G6 E@ >@?:E@C E96 H:?5 DA665 2?5 9F>:5:EJ[ 2?5 J@F 5@?’E DE2CE E96 3FC? F?E:= :E’D C:89E]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm(9:E62C5 6?=:DED E96 96=A @7 #FDD6== {2?5D’ :?\9@FD6 C@25 4C6HD @? =2C86 D42=6 AC6D4C:365 3FC?D] {2DE H:?E6C[ 96 >2?2865 2? 6IE6?D:G6 3FC? @7 E:>36C @77 (:4<6C !@:?E #@25] %96 2C62 DFAA@CE65 72C>:?8 @A6C2E:@?D >2?J J62CD 28@[ 2?5 (9:E62C5 D2:5 E9@D6 @A6C2E:@?D =67E E96:C >2C< @? E96 H@@5D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“*@F 42? D66 C@4<D A:=65 FA 2E E96 6586D @7 @=5 7:6=5Dj >@F?5D @7 5:CE 2?5 E6CC246D 7C@> @=5 72C>D[” 96 D2:5] “*@F 42? D66 D@>6 9:DE@CJ @7 E96 =2?5 FD6 :7 J@F <?@H H92E E@ =@@< 7@C]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm%96D6 <:?5D @7 =2?5 762EFC6D ?665 E@ 36 42=4F=2E65 :?E@ E96 3FC? A=2?[ H9:49 :?4=F56D 3C62<D 2?5 H6E =:?6D E@ 4@?E2:? @C E6>A6C E96 7:C6]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm%96 3FC? A=2? 2=D@ :?4=F56D 3F776C K@?6D E92E 2C6 =67E 36EH66? E96 =2<6 @C 2 DEC62> 2?5 E96 DE2?5 36:?8 3FC?65] p=232>2 !@H6C[ H9:49 >2?286D E96 C6D6CG@:C :? 244@C52?46 H:E9 :ED =:46?D6 E@ @A6C2E6 |2CE:? s2>[ C64@>>6?5D 2 3F776C K@?6 >:?:>F> @7 bd 766E] %96 3F776C K@?6D 2C6 G@=F?E2CJ[ ?@E =2H[ 2?5 2C6 A2CE @7 p=232>2 !@H6C’D AF3=:D965 36DE >2?286>6?E AC24E:46D[ H9:49 (9:E62C5 D2:5 96 7@==@HD 2D A2CE @7 9:D >2?286>6?E A=2? 7@C #FDD6== {2?5D’ E:>36C]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmu@C E:>36C >2?286>6?E[ (9:E62C5 D2:5[ #FDD6== {2?5D EC:6D E@ 5@F3=6 E96 C64@>>6?565 DEC62>D:56 >2?286>6?E K@?6] w6 2=D@ =62G6D 2 H:56C $|+ :7 2? 2C62 4@F=5 A@E6?E:2==J 36 H6E @C 9@=5 H2E6C]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm$F49 762EFC6D 2C6 A2CE @7 E96 C64@C5D (9:E62C5 <66AD @? 2== @7 #FDD6== {2?5D’ E:>36C]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“x <66A ?@E6D @? 2== E96 =2?5D[ =:<6 :7 E96C6’D 2 =@E @7 <F5KF @C E9@D6 E6CC246D] xE FD65 E@ 2== 36 :? E:>36C >2?286>6?E 3@@<D[ 3FE x’G6 AFE :E @? DAC625D966ED ?@H] xE’D 62D:6C E@ D62C49 2?5 >2<6 C6A@CED[” 96 D2:5]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm$>@<6 >2?286>6?E 2=D@ :D 2? :>A@CE2?E 4@?D:56C2E:@? H96? A=2??:?8 2 3FC?[ D2:5 q2EE:DE6==2]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“*@F’G6 8@E E@ <?@H H96C6 E96 D>@<6 :D 8@:?8 E@ 8@[ D@ J@F 5@?’E 42FD6 AC@3=6>D] u@C 6I2>A=6[ J@F 5@?’E H2?E E@ 4C62E6 2 G:D:3:=:EJ AC@3=6> 7@C 5C:G6CD 3J CF??:?8 J@FC 7:C6 H:E9 E96 H:?5 E@H2C5 E96 9:89H2J[” 96 6IA=2:?65] “$@ E96 3FC? A=2? 2=D@ :?4=F56D 5:DA6CD:@? 96:89E 2?5 DA665 E@ 86E E96 D>@<6 @FE @7 E96C6]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmp AC6D4C:365 3FC? 2=D@ AC@E64ED E96 2C62 7C@> H:=57:C6D[ q2EE:DE6==2 6IA=2:?65]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“*@F 3FC? @FE E96 =2556C =2J6C – 3C2?496D E92E >2J36 76== 7C@> FA 9:896C 2?5 2C6 DEF4< :? =@H6C =:>3D @C 3FD96D] x7 E92E’D =67E F?>2?2865[ :E’D 7F6= E92E 4@F=5 BF:4<=J 4@?G6CE 2 =@H 7:C6 :?E@ 2 4C@H? 7:C6] p H:=57:C6 :? E96 E@AD @7 E96 EC66D :D 92C5 E@ AFE @FE[” 96 D2:5] “p 4@?EC@==65 3FC? 5@6D?’E 3FC? 5@H? E@ E96 5:CE] %96C6’D =6DD 962E[ 2?5 :E’D =6DD 42E2DEC@A9:4]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm%92E’D 2?@E96C 25G2?E286 E@ 8C@H:?8 A:?6D – 2?5 =@?8 =627 A:?6D :? A2CE:4F=2Ci %96J 92G6 76H6C =@H 3C2?496D 2?5 5@?’E 4@==64E 2 =@E @7 =2556C 563C:D[ q2EE:DE6==2 D2:5]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`QmqFE 3FC?:?8 4@F=5 27764E E96 G2=F6 @7 E96 E:>36C[ (9:E62C5 D2:5]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“$@>6E:>6D[ :E =62G6D D42CD @? E96 EC66D[ 2?5 J@FC 3FJ6C >:89E H2?E J@F E@ 4FE E92E A2CE @77] xE’D FDF2==J ?68=:8:3=6[ ?@E 5C2DE:4[ 2?5 E96 36?67:ED @FEH6:89 E92E[” 96 D2:5]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“p =@E @7 E9:?8D 4@?EC:3FE6 E@ E96 =2<6 36:?8 4=62?[ 2?5 :E’D :>A@CE2?E E@ 36 >:?57F= @7 E96>] $@>6 7@C6DECJ AC24E:46D 2C6 5@?6 E@ 4@?EC:3FE6 E@ 4=62?6C H2E6C] (6 5@?’E H2?E E@ 56E6C E96 H2E6C BF2=:EJ 3FE ECJ E@ >2?286 E96 E:>36C :? 2 H2J E92E <66AD E96 CF?@77 4=62?[” (9:E62C5 D2:5]k^DA2?mk^Am
