A Brief History of Tree Planting in the South
70% of Tree Planting on Non-Industrial Private Forest Land
Involves some form of cost share
Agricultural Conservation Program 1936 to 1996 – 2.9 million acres
ACP became EQIP in 1996.
Soil Bank Program 1956 to 1960 – 1.9 million acres
Over 90% remained in trees many have been harvested and replanted.
Forestry Incentives Program 1974 to 2002 – 2.9 million acres
Stewardship Incentive Program 1990 to 2002 – 250,000 acres
Conservation Reserve Program 1985 to Present – 2.2 million acres
Wetlands Reserve Program 1990 to Present – 1.2 million acres
500000
1925
1927
1929
1931
1933
1935
1937
1939
1941
1943
1945
1947
1949
1951
1953
1955
1957
1959
1961
1963
1965
1967
1969
1971
1973
1975
1977
1979
1981
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
Acres Planted
Total Tree Planting in the South: 1925 – 2012
3000000
CRP
2500000
CRP 2
2000000
Soil
Bank
1500000
503 acres 1st gen
1000000
CCC
0
Conservation Reserve Program Acres Planted 1985 – 2011
Conservation Reserve Program – Hardwood Planting
NRCS Hardwood Planting Practices: 3A Hardwood
22 Riparian Buffers
23 Wetland Restoration
31 Bottomland Hardwood
Forestry Incentive Program Acres Planted 1974 – 2002
Plantations in the South
Million acres
 46. 3 Million Acres including industry (NOT State or Fed)
42.8 Million Acres Pine
3.5 Million Acres Hardwood
 30 Million Acres is Corporate (1985 Region 8 RPA summary )
 16 Million Acres is Non-Corporate (1985 Region 8 RPA summary )
 14 Million acres (approximately) from all conservation programs
30% of all Plantations
87% of all Non-Corporate Plantations !
9.0
8.0
7.0
6.0
5.0
4.0
3.0
2.0
1.0
0.0
1985 RPA DATA
Pine
Hdwd
3000000
State Nurseries and
Total Tree Planting in the South: 1925 – 2013
42
State Nurseries
CRP
25
State
Nurseries
2500000
Soil
Bank
2000000
1500000
CRP 2
17
State Nurseries
16
State
Nurseries
503 acres 1st gen
1000000
CCC
500000
0
1925
1927
1929
1931
1933
1935
1937
1939
1941
1943
1945
1947
1949
1951
1953
1955
1957
1959
1961
1963
1965
1967
1969
1971
1973
1975
1977
1979
1981
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
Acres Planted
46
State Nurseries
Southern State Forest Nurseries 1920 - 2012
Alabama
John R. Miller Nursery
Jake Stauffer Nursery
Edward A. Hauss Nursery
Arkansas
Bluff City Nursery
Bacum Nursery
Louisiana
Alexander State Forest Nursery
Oberlin Nursery
Northwest Nursery
Monroe Nursery
Columbia Nursery
Beauregard Nursery
South Carolina
Camden Nursery
Georgetown Nursery
Sumpter Nursery
Tilghman Nursery
Old Piedmont Nursery
Coastal Nursery
Taylor Nursery
New Piedmont Nursery
Rock Hill Nursery
Florida
Prison Farm Nursery
Munson Nursery
Harry Baker Nursery
M D Andrews Nursery
Herren Nursery
Georgia
Herty Nursery
Davisboro Nursery
Flowery Branch
Hightower Nursery
Horseshoe Bend
Page-Walker Nursery
Morgan Nursery
Flint River Nursery
Mississippi
Mt. Olive Nursery
Winona Nursery
Waynesboro Nursery
North Carolina
Griffith Nursery
J.S. Holmes Nursery
Goldsboro Nursery
Ralph Edwards Nursery
Linville River Nursery
Tennessee
Pinson Nursery
East Tennessee Nursery
Texas
Conroe Nursery
Kirbyville Nursery
Indian Mound
Magnolia Springs
West Texas Nursery
Kentucky
Pennyrile Nursery
Louisville Nursery
John P. Rhody Nursery
Morgan County Nursery
Oklahoma
Stillwater Nursery
Forest Regeneration Center
Broken Bow Nursery
Virginia
Charlottesville
Peary
New Kent Forestry Center
Augusta Forestry Center
Garland Gray Forestry Center
Red indicates still in operation.
(16 state forest nurseries are currently operating in the South)
Conifer Seedling Production
=> 22,839,600
1925 Seedling Production
16,100 State
9,611,700 Private
11,831,400 Industry
1,380,400 Federal
934,745,000 <=
2012 Seedling Production
123,794,000 State
453,329,000 Private
357,622,000 Industry
0 Federal
Hardwood Seedling Production
1965 Hardwood Seedling Production
State Nurseries
7,622,300
Industry Nurseries 1,684,000
Total 9,306,300
2012 Hardwood Seedling Production
State Nurseries
15,154,000
Industry Nurseries 22,430,000
Total 37,584,000
0
1925
1927
1929
1931
1933
1935
1937
1939
1941
1943
1945
1947
1949
1951
1953
1955
1957
1959
1961
1963
1965
1967
1969
1971
1973
1975
1977
1979
1981
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
Acres Planted
Total Tree Planting in the South: 1925 – 2012
3,000,000
2,500,000
2,000,000
1,500,000
1,000,000
500,000
Tree Planting in the Southeast 1925 – 2012
Acres Planted 1925 - 2012
93,863,853 acres
1 square mile =
0.0015625acres
93,863,853
X 0.0015625
146,662
146,662 sq. miles
93,863,853 acres
Were Planted Between 1925 and 2012
Tree Planting in the Southeast 1925 – 2012
Acres Planted 1925 - 2012
SC 32,020 + GA 59,425 + AL 52419 = 143,864
146,662 square miles
Tree Planting in the United States
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
This annual report was begun in 1952 by the
Washington Office National Nursery Specialist.
The National Nursery Specialist position was
eliminated during downsizing in the early 1990’s.
Bob Moulton an analyst in the Washington Office
took over the Tree Planting Report.
In 1999 Bob Moulton retired and George Hernandez
assumed the responsibly for producing the report.
In 2000 the Washington Office made the decision to
discontinue producing the Tree Planting Report.
In 2002 the Auburn University Forest Nursery
Management Cooperative issued their first Tree
Planting in the South report.
In 2010 Forest Inventory and Analysis offered to
provide funding to State & Private Forestry to
produce a Tree Planting Report.
Hernandez assumed the responsibly for producing the Tree Planting in the United
States report in 1999 in time to oversee it’s demise.
Sadly, this was not the first instance of an asset being considered outdated.
Georgia Forestry Commission Reforestation Report
•
•
•
•
The Southern Group of State Foresters
agreed to collaboratively produce a report
of the annual regeneration occurring
across the South.
The Georgia Forestry Commission
volunteered to collate the data and
produce the report.
State forestry agencies compliance with
the call for data was an issue from the
beginning of this project and data quality
was often challenged by state partners.
Participation by state partners was
sporadic and eventually only a few state
continued to provide the Georgia Forestry
Commission with their data.
Auburn Seedling Production Survey Protocol
•
•
•
The Auburn University Southern Forest Nursery
Management Cooperative began a region-wide annual
survey of Seedling Production.
Two page questionnaire sent in June to all available
nursery addresses (220+/-) in 12 southern states.
Follow up telephone calls made to maximize
participation and update addresses.
•
Data from 50-60 nurseries annually.
•
Compiled by State, Ownership, Species & Stock Type.
FIA/S&PF Seedling Production Survey Protocol
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
In 2010, the FIA/Southern Region S&PF began a nation-wide annual survey
of Seedling Production.
Purdue University gathers data from 20 states in the Northeast
University of Idaho gathers data from 17 states in the West
Auburn University gathers data from 13 states in the South
A questionnaire was sent in June 2011 to all nurseries listed in the USDA
Forest Service Directory of Forest & Conservation Nurseries (220+/-) in all 50
states.
Follow up emails, and telephone calls were made to non-responders to
maximize participation and update addresses.
The data collected and compiled by State, and includes Ownership, Species
Grown and Stock Type (bareroot or container).
Million acres
Tree Planting Comparison by sub-Region, 2012
1.8
1.6
1.4
1.2
1.0
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0.0
Years
2010
2007
2004
2001
1998
1995
1992
1989
1986
1983
1980
1977
1974
1971
1968
1965
1962
1959
1956
1953
2.5
1950
3.0
1947
1940
1937
1934
1930
Year
Million acres
Tree Planting Trend in the South
3.5
Southeast
South Central
Total South
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.0
Nursery Production Compared with FIA Data
by State, 2012
600,000
500,000
Nursery Production
FIA 5+ Years Average Annual
Acres
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
0
AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC OK SC TN TX VA
Nursery Production Compared with FIA Data
by sub-Region, 2012
Million acres
1.8
1.6
Nursery Production
FIA 5+ Years Average Annual
1.4
1.2
1.0
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0.0
Southeast
South Central
Total South
Seedling Production Comparison by sub-Region, 2012
South
800
600
Bareroot
Container
90
Million seedlings
Million seedlings
700
100
500
400
300
200
South Central
40
30
Total South
Northeast
Rocky Mountain
Bareroot
Container
100
90
Million seedlings
Million seedlings
50
0
Southeast
8
60
10
0
9
70
20
100
10
80
Bareroot
Container
North
7
6
5
4
3
80
Total North
West
Bareroot
Container
70
60
50
40
30
2
20
1
10
-
North Central
0
Great Plains
Inter- mountainTotal Rocky Mountain
Pacific Northwest Pacific Southwest Total Pacifc Coast
Seedling Production, North and Canada, 2012
Million seedlings
70.0
North
Bareroot
60.0
50.0
40.0
30.0
Container
Container
(Canada)
20.0
10.0
0.0
Northeast
North Central
Total North
C