New Year Forest Management Hike

New Year Forest Management Hike on Wednesday, January 7, 2026– Join Alabama Forestry Foundation, US. Forest Service, and other partners for a New Year Forest Management Hike in Bankhead National Forest and begin 2026 with fresh ideas for forest management.  Learn practical tips for improving forest health and biodiversity on your property as we explore towering hemlocks, majestic white oaks, and resilient shortleaf and longleaf pines, species that play a vital role in biodiversity and sustainable forest management.  Discover Bankhead’s natural bridge and learn about how geology shapes forest ecosystems.  Gain insights into caves and bats, and why they matter for healthy landscapes as well as information about invasive species and how to manage them.  This hike is perfect for landowners who want to enhance their property’s ecological value, learn best practices for forest management, and connect with Alabama’s rich biodiversity.  What to bring: comfortable hiking shoes, water, and your curiosity! Celebrate the new year with fresh air, scenic views, and actionable knowledge for your land while connecting with other landowners and forestry and natural resource professionals.  The $15.00 registration fee includes lunch. Register HERE.  The interpretive hike begins at 10:30 am CST from the Natural Bridge Recreation Area; Winston County Road 63, 1 mile north of Highway 278 and 10 miles south of Highway 33. North 34° 10’ 32.1” West 87° 16’ 36   For more information, contact Tyler Sibley 256-612-7694.

 

Please share with others who might enjoy participating!

September Meeting Minutes

 

The Winston County Natural Resources Council met on September 19, 2025, at the U. S. Forest Service Office in Double Springs.  Present were Jamie Segroves, Casey Hammack, Matt Hannah, Heather Tucker, Mark Finley, Chris Horne, Mike Henshaw, Paul Green, Zack Brannon, Andy Scott, John Creed, and not pictured, Amy Melson and Kerry Clark.

Items discussed included

• FAWN dates - Tuesday, October 7, and Wednesday, October 8, with walk thru/prep on Monday, October 6.  T-shirts are ordered, and all the learning stations are shaping up well.  Zack will be working on the final agenda.  There are some conflicts with the Forest Service Pack Test and Marion County FAWN, but everyone has been able to work out the conflicts so far.  The site of FAWN this year will be the Houston Recreation Area.  Zack said that the attendance at FAWN this year is expected to be 277 students, 20 teachers/aides, and about 50 volunteers. 
• Casey is working on the Grayson Sawmill Field Trip, and hopes to have a date in November that he can announce at FAWN.
• Mike mentioned he had attended the Cullman County FAWN this year, and he gave a report on that event.
• The NW RC&D grant for the Stream Hydrology Trailer has been approved, but the amount is not known yet.  Zack and Casey are planning to attend the mandatory grant training soon.  Zack also noted that the Winston County Soil and Water Conservation District is planning to assist with the Stream Hydrology Trailer funding as needed.  
• The annual meeting of the NW RC&D Council will be held at the AW Todd Building in Russellville on October 24.  Mike and Zac, and possibly others are planning to attend.
• Treasurer's Report - Casey says the current balance is $9,119.18.  Paul moved that we accept the treasurer's report, John seconded, and all approved.
• The Forestry Tour Trailer will be borrowed by AFC for a Landowner Tour in Tuscaloosa County, and Zack is planning to use it for a Youth Farm Safety Day.
• Matt moved that the meeting be adjourned, Mark seconded, and all agreed.

Submitted by Mike Henshaw, Secretary, WCNRC

August Meeting Minutes

The Winston County Natural Resources Council met on Thursday, August 21, at the U. S. Forest Service Office in Double Springs.  Members present were:
Andy Scott, Heather Tucker, Mathew Hannah, Casey Hammack, Tyler Fish, Paul Green, Jamie Segroves, Kathy Terry-Warner, Allison Cochran, John Creed, and Mark Finley.

Grayson mill field trip in November - meeting on Nov 20

Fawn, Oct 8-9, less AFC folks due to Marion’s fawn on oct 7-8

-NRCS Brenda will cover Marion and Paul can cover Winston 

-Matt asked Andrea about bee station and she is available 

-AJ  Brown at EMA will cover drone station

-AFC forest mgmt station

-Paul, NRCS-soils station

-FS - Prescribed Fire and FireWise

-Wildlife - skins and skulls - Kathy and  Allison 

-Watershed - Allison ???

-Options - macroinberts / leave no trace 

-Zack reach out to stations / instructors 

-Houston rec area - bathrooms open 

-Casey - T-shirts 

Grants - OSU watershed trailer - cost $15,000 - applied for $15k

Wild Ala - grant w/ Winston Co. Commission - FWS grant applied - education, angling , fishing, boating access  - idea for another version of fawn focused on fishing/water - partner with WCNRC

Idea - to reduce Portajohns cost - buy a toilet / handwashing trailer idea - could share w/other counties 

White oak workshop update from Allison 

Treasurer's Report - $7,893.84 in the bank
-Two checks - for last tour - Rc&D and FFA were going to split it. - Lauranne paid for all - need to figure out, $750 spent and a Lauranne paid 
-Portajohn’s  were $475
-Not deposited - Casey will sort it & update at next meeting 

Minutes and treasures report accepted 

White oak workshop idea 

FS - bridges project in planning stage , AFF longleaf grant to plant longleaf on Bankhead 

NRCS report - local work group yesterday for local FY26 funding - forestry is main focus, in addition to grazing

Alabama Treasure Forest Association - landowner conference on 10/22-24 at Gulf State Park

Wild Ala - grants and funding, Need volunteers for trails stewardship 

Extension - welcome Kathy Terry-Warner new Forestry, Wildlife and Natural Resources Regional Extension Agent NW Ala replacing Kerry Steedley.

-submitted by Mike Henshaw, Secretary, from notes taken by Allison Cochran.

August Meeting

The Winston County Natural Resources Council will meet on Thursday, August 21st, at 9:00 am at the U. S. Forest Service Office in Double Springs.  We'll discuss a possible grant partnership, FAWN, and a future field trip.

Thanks,

Mike Henshaw

Secretary, WCNRC

July Meeting Minutes

 

From left, Rhonda Riley, John Creed, Allison Cochran, Kerry Clark,
 Casey Hammack, Jamie Segroves, Zach Brannon, and Mark Finley.
  Not pictured, Lauranne James, and Mike Henshaw.

The Winston County Natural Resources Council met on July 17, at the Alabama Forestry Commission Office in Double Springs.  Present were:  Rhonda Riley, John Creed, Allison Cochran, Kerry Clark, Casey Hammack, Jamie Segroves, Zach Brannon, Mark Finley, Lauranne James, and Mike Henshaw.

The following items were discussed:

• Possible Fall tour of Grayson Sawmill
• Weather and fire conditions
• Needle blight severity has become less severe
• Ice Machine installation
• 2025 RC&D Grant proposal for a Stream Hydrodynamics Trailer
• FAWN Dates set for October 8-9, with the walk-thru on October 7.  FAWN meal will be cook out and or BBQ. FAWN t-shirts, stations, and transportation costs.  Site will be Houston Recreation Area this year.
• Walker County Logger Training Date - August 13, at Bevill State
• Kerry gave an update on the possible combination of Forest Service and Department of Interior fire fighting resources into one unit.
• Jamie and Kerry gave an update on personnel assigned to wildfire outbreaks in various parts of the US.
• Pine beetle trap counts are down and there are fewer pine beetle spots being located by plane - Kerry and Jamie.
• Casey gave the Treasurer's Report and Annual Report to the Council.  The balance in the treasury is $7,853.50.  He also reviewed the latest bank statement and the IRS filing for this year.  The council inspected the bank statements and the IRS filing as required annually in the by-laws.  John stated that he also monitors the bank account balances frequently online.  John Creed moved that we accept the Treasurer's report and annual report.  Allison seconded and all approved.
• Zac gave a report on the Forestry Career Day for Winston and Lawrence County planned for October 28 at Alexander Park in Moulton.
• Zac gave an update on the new Forestry and Natural Resources REA position.
• Rhonda said Ravenwood would be opening soon, and trail work would start this Fall.
• Lauranne said they will have a quarterly meeting on August 14, and their Annual NWRC&D meeting celebration on October 24 at the AW Todd Building in Russellville.  She invited all the council members to both events.  Both events are free, but registration is required.
• Mike moved that the meeting adjourn, and John seconded.  After adjourning, we all took a look at the new ice machine that Casey and Jamie installed after being purchased with a grant from the NWRC&D Council.  Our council thanks Lauranne and her staff for their help in acquiring this much needed machine.  Photo below shows the installation at the AFC office.

John Creed holds open the door on the newly installed
ice machine at the Alabama Forestry Commission Office.

Submitted by Mike Henshaw

Secretary, WCNRC

May Council Meeting Minutes

The Winston County Natural Resources Council met on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at the Ravenwood property in Lawrence County owned by John and Rhonda Riley.  Present were: John Creed, Tyler Fish, Matt Hannah, Donna Shanklin, Ally Evans, Zach Brannon, Andy Scott, John and Rhonda Riley, Chris Horne, Austin Blankenship, Stanley Johnson, Mark Finley, Jamie Segroves, Amy Melson, Mike Henshaw, and Heather Tucker. 

Jamie called the meeting to order, and Mike welcomed everyone to Ravenwood.  Heather Tucker is the excutive director of Wild Alabama, and she gave a brief history of Wild Alabama.  She further described some of the long term plans for the organization which includes the construction of a new headquarters and welcome center for Bankhead visitors.  The owners of Ravenwood, John and Rhonda Riley, have donated several acres of land to be the site of the new Wild Alabama headquarters.  Temporarily, the headquarters is housed in Double Springs, but with a successful capital campaign, they hope to build on the new property in Lawrence County.

Next, John and Rhonda gave a history of how they came to own Ravenwood, improvements they have made, and future plans for the property.  They hope that the property will be an asset to the community, and they hope to be an active partner with the Bankhead National Forest and Wild Alabama as well as various other partners in Lawrence and Winston Counties.  

Jamie then reviewed the changes proposed to the bylaws. Those draft changes were approved by the council in April for final approval at the May Council meeting.  Zach moved to accept the proposed changes to the bylaws.  Matt seconded the motion.  Jamie called for a vote and the motion carried with no members opposed.  

Jamie said that Casey was at a training meeting, but he had sent a Treasurer's Report.  The previous balance was $8,642.49, and the current balance is $7,892.85.  Mike moved to accept the report, Matt seconded the motion, and all present agreed.

The June Council meeting would normally be on June 19, however this is a federal and state holiday, so the Council will not meet in June.

Mike moved that we adjourn, Matt seconced, and the motion carried.

Following the Council meeting John and Rhonda split the group up and gave each group a tour of Ravenwood.  After the tour, the Rileys provided the Council with a box lunch.  The entire Council is very appreciative of the opportunity to tour Ravenwood and thank the Rileys for the hospitality.

Submitted by Mike Henshaw, Secretary  

April Council Meeting Minutes

The Winston County Natural Resources Council met on Thursday, April 24, 2025, at the Natural Bridge Recreation Area near Houston.  The following members were present:  Zach Brannon, Mike Henshaw, Matt Hannah, Casey Hammack, Jamie Segroves, Andy Scott, and other members.  The primary purpose of this meeting was to prepare for the Forestry Field Day to be held on the following day, Friday, April 24.  Various preparations were made including inspecting the learning stations on the trail, putting up signage, and picking the sites for the portable toilets.  Jamie reviewed the proposed changes to the bylaws to be voted on at a subsequent council meeting.  The change to the bylaws will change the requirement to have the financial records inspected by an outside accounting firm to an annual requirement to have the records inspected by the officers of the council.  Zach proposed accepting the draft of the proposed changes, Matt seconded motion and all agreed.  Mike moved that the meeting be adjourned, Matt seconded, and the motion carried unanimously.

Mike Henshaw, Secretary