[ Return to FHP Southern Region
]
[ Return to FHP Southern Region
]
The Alabama Forestry Commission provides forest health protection assistance to state and private land managers throughout the State. The State and the USDA Forest Service Forest Health Protection unit fund this program cooperatively.
Over 66% of Alabama is forested (more than 21.9 million acres).
Almost 95% of forested acreage in Alabama is privately owned.
The National Forests in Alabama (605,000 acres) provide recreational and wildlife benefits as well as forest products and jobs for thousands of people.
Southern pine beetle (SPB) populations declined from 26,437 spots in 2000 to 10,970 spots in 2001, but the epidemic remained a major problem with 58 counties in outbreak status (1 or more multiple-tree spots per 1,000 acres of host type) during the year. Eighty percent of the spots were controlled, primarily by the cut-and-leave method, but 59,617 cords of poletimber and 7,422 MBF of sawtimber were reported salvaged. A Federally funded cooperative suppression project is in place.
Dogwood anthracnose is a disease that occurs in the forest environment at higher elevations (greater than 800 feet) and in cool moist areas. This disease is currently found in eight counties in the northeast corner of the state. Mortality of native dogwood in those counties averaged 16% in 1992 and has increased to 65% in 1998. No new infected areas have been discovered. A summary report of 6 years monitoring is being prepared.
The Alabama Forestry Commission in cooperation with USDA Forest Service Research and Forest Health Protection unit participates in the Forest Health Monitoring Program (FHM). This program is designed to annually collect, analyze, interpret and report on the condition of the forests in Alabama. This is accomplished through a system of 208 detection plots.
Protracted drought continued to be a problem in 2001. Moisture stress weakened trees and increases their susceptibility to a variety of insect and disease problems.
In spite of the relatively good health of Alabama's forests, a variety of insects and diseases (both native and introduced), and human-caused impacts such as air pollution, continue to threaten the state's resources. To deal with this constantly changing mix of challenges, the Alabama Forestry Commission and the Forest Health Protection unit of the USDA Forest Service cooperate to prevent, detect, suppress and manage this multitude of threats. The partnership between the two agencies has worked for three decades to maintain and improve the health of Alabama's forests.
|
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Cooperative Forest Health Program |
93,170 |
93,170 |
84,000 |
110,705 |
|
Forest Health Monitoring |
80,000 |
80,000 |
80,000 |
80,000 |
|
Cooperative suppression, southern pine beetle |
620,000 |
300,000 |
1,300,000 |
0 |
|
National Forests in Alabama, southern pine beetle |
90,000 |
1,300,000 |
2,000,000 |
900,000 |
For additional information, contact:
Alabama Forestry Commission
513 Madison Avenue
Montgomery, AL 36130
Phone: (334) 240-9390
E-mail: jimhyland@yahoo.com
Internet: http://www.forestry.state.al.us/
or
USDA Forest Service
Forest Health Protection
2500 Shreveport Highway
Pineville, LA 71360
Phone: (318) 473-7286
E-mail: sstanley@fs.fed.us
Internet: http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/foresthealth
