Tag Archives: Georgia forestry commission

Immersive Fair Exhibit Showcases Forestry

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Perry, GA |

Ag is of course big business here in Georgia, and a new exhibit inside the Georgia Grown Building at the Georgia National Fair is aimed at making people aware of that fact with the new “Seedlings to Solution’s Experience” – an exhibit designed to showcase Georgia’s thriving forestry industry, which happens to be number one in the country.

“We came to agreement with Commissioner Harper to bring a new life to and contemporary look to Georgia Grown and give the fairgoers and the people who attend who don’t know anything about Georgia agriculture, Georgia forestry, etc., and rural communities that thrive by those industries, but to give them a new, modern, conventional look at, it’s big business; AG’s big business. Forestry’s big business,” says David Bridges, Director of Georgia’s Rural Center.

“To be able to present forestry and to show Georgians such a great experience at the fair is so exciting for us. We’ve been working on this for a year, and we can’t wait to have people come in, learn about forestry in Georgia. Learn what makes a working forest tick. Learn the importance of forestry in Georgia outside of, you know, your typical paper or lumber in your home, but to be able to see all the many ways that we use wood products here in Georgia and in the world,” says Wendy Burnett, Director of Public Relations for the Georgia Forestry Commission.

What makes the exhibit so unique is the fact that it’s an immersive experience – one that allows people the chance to explore the forestry industry from the time the tree is planted as a seedling until it’s harvested and used to create products consumers love and enjoy.

“If you feel a certain way about forestry that’s negative or you don’t understand why we have to harvest trees or why forests need to be managed; the best thing that we can do is take you on a field trip and show you the forest and show you what we’re doing, let you behind the gates to see what management looks like every day and the stewards that are making that happen. The cool part about this exhibit is that gives us an opportunity to bring really the forest to the average fair grower and the people who are coming and visiting this fair,” says Matt Hestad, Senior VP of the Georgia Forestry Association.

In the end however, the ultimate goal they hope to achieve is just bridging the gap between Georgia’s forests and consumers by showing them the different aspects of the industry and its important role in their everyday lives and more importantly, our state’s economy.

“We really wanted to give people the broad view of forestry in Georgia to see all the different careers available for instance in forestry. It’s not just a logger, it’s not just a sawmill worker. There’s so many different careers in forestry. We also wanted people to understand what it means to have a working forest, and that it’s okay to harvest trees because we’re planting more trees right back to replace those. And we want them to understand that Georgia’s forests are a renewable resource. We want them to understand that they should feel good about using forest products that come from Georgia’s working forests,” says Burnett.

By: John Holcomb

Georgia Forester of the Year, Gabe Outlaw Dedicated to Industry

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Cochran, GA

For Gabe Outlaw, a forester in middle Georgia, there’s no such thing as an ordinary day, as everyday is different. Some days, he’s out burning off someone’s land, and others, like today, he’s working on this landowner’s management plan to get this property back to productivity. Whatever the day is though, you can count on him to take the role he plays in it very seriously.

“It’s a forty-billion-dollar industry in the state. Personally, I think my job at the local level is very important at the local level and hopefully even to a wider extent, regional, or hopefully a state level, but we interact with primarily landowners, but we work with them through tree planting. We give advice on tree planting, on harvesting, so, we have interactions with all sorts of contractors, loggers, tree planters, consulting foresters, county extension agents, and local federal partners. I really think we do make a tremendous difference. We certainly strive to help landowners do any and everything we possibly can to help them meet their goals,” says Outlaw, a forester with the Georgia Forestry Commission.

According to Outlaw, the work he does can be challenging at times, but says it’s extremely rewarding when he gets to see all of the work he does come to fruition.

“Probably, the most rewarding is to meet a landowner, have communications with them, give them advice, and then you know, we may write a stewardship plan for them, a ten-year plan. We may help them sign up for cost share programs, or do a prescribed burn for them, or get the county units involved to do fire breaks,” says Outlaw. “So, having that first contact with them, giving them advice, and following them throughout it, and just seeing the change of their property for the better, and even building a relationship with them that lasts for years, but just seeing your advice put into action by the landowners, you know, it’s a very rewarding feeling, knowing that they listen to you and that they take you seriously, and that your advice is being taken and ran with, and just seeing their property change, and hopefully educating them on things that they may not know, and helping them find the resources they need, and just watching their property continue to grow and be a manageable property they enjoy.”

As you can tell, Outlaw certainly has a dedicated passion for what he does. So much so that it’s helped him earn the title of Georgia Forester of the Year – an honor he says means the world to him that his hard work doesn’t go unnoticed.

“I’m very appreciative that the hard work we do, and I do, is noticed and appreciated. Last year and even this year, it’s been very, very busy. Just to see that work recognized, I was totally, totally surprised by that, but I’m just humbled. I’m appreciative. I enjoy my job, I enjoy the people I work with, and certainly, to me, it’s about helping the landowners and always finding a solution. So, just to see that add up and culminate at the end of year and result in the award of Forester of the Year, that’s certainly something I’m very proud of,” says Outlaw.

By: John Holcomb