Tag Archives: Georgia forestry

Forestry Field Day Brings Industry, Wildlife, and Students Together in Griffin

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Griffin, GA |

From managing wildlife to recovering from devastating storms, professionals across Georgia’s forestry sector came together at the UGA Griffin Campus for a day dedicated to the state’s top industry. The event offered a comprehensive look at both emerging techniques and traditional practices, catering to seasoned timber growers and new landowners alike.

“Well, from a producer standpoint, we’ve got a lot of professors out here with maybe cutting-edge techniques for managing wildlife and timber, as well as traditional methods they might not be used to,” said Jeff Sibley, Lead Forester for Georgia Forestry Commission Region 1. “It could be that we’ve got some new landowners that haven’t had the opportunity to interact with professionals in forestry and wildlife. We’re here to give them information they may not have ever had.”

With more than 30 expert-led topics on the agenda, the field day featured timely discussions on everything from beekeeping and deer diseases to chainsaw safety and forest management.

“We have a lot of great professionals who volunteer their time to share their expertise,” said John Gassett, Research Station Superintendent at UGA Griffin. “There’s a lot of great information here for people to learn and obtain.”

The event also tackled some of the challenges facing timber producers across the state—most notably the long-term impact of Hurricane Helene, along with mill closures and international competition.

“We’ve been working with the Georgia Forestry Commission to try to get things taken care of,” said Gassett. “There was so much devastation across Georgia, and we’re still in the planning stages. But longevity is the key—we’ve always gone through tough times and come out.”

Wildlife management was another major topic of discussion. Organizers emphasized the importance of striking a balance between forest health and wildlife conservation.

“You can’t manage forests without affecting wildlife, and you can’t manage wildlife without affecting forestry,” Sibley explained. “It’s a good opportunity to show how forestry impacts wildlife and vice versa. Sometimes you have to give on the forestry side to promote certain species.”

Gassett echoed that sentiment, pointing out that integrating recreational opportunities like hunting and hiking can benefit both the land and those who use it.

“Don’t put all your eggs in one basket,” he said. “This is a great way to keep your stands healthy and your land productive. Wildlife helps you understand the health of the forest too.”

With forestry being Georgia’s number one commercial industry—supporting more than 140,000 jobs statewide—organizers also made sure to include the next generation. Students from across Georgia were invited to explore careers in forestry and natural resources.

“We wanted students to have the opportunity to get an idea of what career options are out there,” said Sibley. “We talked to them about what it takes to get into forestry schools, what the expectations are, and the many different career paths available in the outdoors.”

By: Damon Jones

A Life Rooted in Forestry and Purpose – Meet Bob Izlar

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Danielsville, GA |

For Bob Izlar, the outdoors has always been more than just a place—it’s been a way of life. Growing up in Ware County in the 1950s and 60s, much of his time was spent hunting, fishing, and exploring the Okefenokee Swamp—a place that still holds a special place in his heart.

“I’m from Ware County. Grew up down there in the fifties and sixties, hunting and fishing a lot in the Okefenokee Swamp, so I got to know the Okefenokee really well,” Izlar says. “Always has had a special place in my heart.”

After high school, Izlar enrolled at the University of Georgia, where the ROTC program and the Vietnam War would shape his path, leading him into military service overseas until 1974. Following his return, Izlar began a long and impactful career in forestry, eventually spending more than a decade at the Georgia Forestry Association. There, he helped lead a decades-long fight to fairly tax agricultural and forest land.

“The Farm Bureau and Georgia Forestry Association had worked hand in hand for twenty-six years to get current use treatment of ag land and forest land,” says Izlar. “And for twenty-six years, we got kicked in the teeth, could not get it passed—couldn’t even get it on the ballot. And in the twenty-seventh year, the conditions finally got right that we were able to get the resolution passed.”

But for Izlar, forestry has never just been a job—it’s been a passion and a purpose. In 1997, he became the founding director of the Harley Langdale Jr. Center for Forest Business at UGA, creating a first-of-its-kind program designed to prepare future forestry leaders.

“Forestry, at its very basic, is agriculture,” he explains. “The forest brings us so many benefits—clean air, clean water, wildlife. You know, forestry is a calling. It’s a profession, but to me, it’s also a cause, and it’s extremely important that future generations learn about the benefits of forests so they don’t all get converted to something else through time.”

Izlar’s life and work are deeply intertwined with Georgia Farm Bureau’s mission, and he says he’s proud to be recognized by an organization that shares his values.

“It’s just a deep respect that I have because it’s a farmer organization. They have my values as I think I have theirs—because we love the land, we love the United States of America, we love private property rights, and we want to see rural life continue in Georgia,” Izlar says. “I think all of us understand that rural lifestyle is certainly under threat, so Farm Bureau is one of the last guardians of the rural lifestyle.”

By: John Holcomb

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

Third Generation Logger Working to Keep Business and Industry Thriving

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Cochran, GA

Logging is no doubt big business here in Georgia, as it contributes almost forty billion dollars to the state’s economy, which of course wouldn’t be possible without hard working loggers and logging operations like this one in middle Georgia – Sanders Logging, a family run operation that’s hard at work harvesting timber with the next generation taking over the reins.

“I’m a third generation, so my grandaddy and my father started this company back a long time ago and they incorporated it back in 1982, so that’s how we started off; we started off short wooding and it kind of transformed into what it is today,” says Harry Sanders III, Co-Owner of Sanders Logging. “I was born in ‘91 and I knew from a young age that I always wanted to be a logger, so I grew up around it and as soon as I could get out here and get on a piece of equipment, I did. I was fortunate enough to go to the University of Georgia to Warnell for forestry school and I graduated back in 2014 and I’ve been full-time with the company ever since.

Sanders has certainly found his stride, as he still has the same passion he had when he was younger, even taking that passion a step further by becoming an advocate for the state’s forestry industry and the work they do every day – something he believes is important for the future of the industry and business.

“I thoroughly love what I do and I love to tell people about what I do because a general consensus of the logging industry or a logger in general is we’re cutting trees, we’re hurting the environment and all, but we’re really not. We’re really managers of a crop we call trees, so I guess one of my biggest things is I just want to educate the public on what we do and I feel that you need to get out in front of people that don’t quite understand what we do,” says Sanders. “So, that’s been my biggest driver is really telling my story and in doing that, that’s given me opportunities to speak at the capitol, it’s given me opportunities to speak to schools, classrooms of all ages, and I’ve really enjoyed doing that and I hope to continue to be able to do that.”

It’s because of that passion, hard work, and dedication that Sanders not only loves what he does but has been named the titles of Georgia Logger of the Year and Southeast Logger of the year – an honor he says was earned by not only him, but everyone that he works alongside day in and day out.

“Sometimes you get lost in the day to day, just the work we do every day and when somebody gives you a pat on the back; sometimes it’s worth more than money can buy, so I would say that’s kind of my stance on it is that I’m really blessed that somebody saw that we’ve done a good job and they wanted to put us forth,” says Sanders. “It’s been a blessing to see that my peers and other industries voted us, not me, it’s my whole crowd the Georgia Logger of the Year and the Southeast Logger of the Year as well.”

By: John Holcomb