Youth Deer Hunt - November 15, 2008

Take a kid hunting!

There is a special youth deer hunt November 15-16, 2008. The hunt is open on all private and open-permit public lands (except Wildlife Management Areas).
Check page 34 of the Alabama Department of Conservation & Natural Resources Hunting & Fishing Digest for more information or visit www.outdooralabama.com

Hunter Education Course

A Hunter Education Course is being offered at the Bankhead National Forest office in Double Springs on November 3rd, 4th and 6th. The class runs from 5:30 PM - 9:00 PM each night. Participants must attend all nights of instruction and complete a written examination. Registration is required and is only available on-line at www.outdooralabama.com/hunting/education.

An approved hunter education course is mandatory for all non-supervised hunting license buyers born on or after August 1, 1977. The course is open to anyone older than 10 years old, but is aimed at first time license buyers and beginning hunters. Parents and guardians are also welcome to attend the course with beginning hunters.

For more information call the wildlife staff at Bankhead National Forest at 205-489-5111.

October Council Meeting Minutes

The council met on October 16^th, at the U. S. Forest Service Office in Double Springs. Present were:

Tom Counts, Laverne Matheson, Carl Godsey, and Mike Henshaw.

Items discussed included:

• Amendment One
  
• FAWN Photos
  
• FAWN Teacher Evaluations
  
• Boating Safety as a possible FAWN Learning Station
  
• New Extension Publication titled "In Alabama, Money Does Grow on Trees: Forestry and Its Economic Importance to Alabama."
  
• Carbon Credits-Possible source of income for private landowners. James Malone with the Alabama TREASURE Forest Association would like to hold a meeting in Winston County about Carbon Credits.
  
• Forestry Field Day for 2009. Discussed possible location, and topics for stations.
  
• Invasive Plant Issue of the Alabama's TREASURED Forests Magazine.
  
• Tom Counts announced a Hunter Education Class to be taught at the U. S. Forest Service Office in Double Springs on November 3^rd, 4^th, and 6^th. Participants must register online at www.outdooralabama.com/hunting/education by noon October 31st.
  

Next meeting will be held on November 20^th at the U. S. Forest Office in Double Springs at 9:00 a.m. A tour of Ronnie's Lumber Mill in Double Springs will follow the meeting.

Carla Waldrep to Portray “Aunt Jenny” at Sipsey Wilderness Hiking Club Meeting

Louisa Elisabeth Jane Bates, better known simply as “Aunt Jenny” was an important early resident of the Bankhead National Forest area. Carla Waldrep will portray the life of the Cherokee Mountain Woman at the November 4th meeting of the Sipsey Wilderness Hiking Club. Aunt Jenny was born in 1826 and lived to be 98 years old. She raised many children, served as a midwife, and was considered to be a medicine woman or herb doctor. Her husband and oldest son were killed in attacks during the Civil War, and this lead to a sequence of events that ended with the deaths of many of her children. Carla Waldrep is the Librarian of the Haleyville Public Library and a member of the Haleyville Historical Society. Her presentation will be part of the Sipsey Wilderness Hiking Club meeting in the T & F Bank's Bernice Hilton Walker Building in Double Springs on Tuesday, November 4th at 7:00 p.m. The program is free, and members of the public are welcome.

September Meeting Minutes

The Winston County Natural Resources Council met on September 18, 2008, at the U. S. Forest Service Office in Double Springs. Present were John Creed, Tom Counts, Mike Henshaw, Laverne Matheson, Allison Cochran, Johnna Franks, Chris Wright, and Glen Gaines.

Johnna reported that the balance in the treasury was $2,871.78. Johnna contacted several of the legislators in this area and was successful in obtaining funds for the FAWN program. Representative Jody Letson has contributed $200. Senator Roger Bedford has committed $500. The Lions Club has contributed $200, and the Farmers Federation Forestry Committee has also allocated funds. These contributions will go toward the bus transportation for the students.

A Water Quality training for livestock and poultry farmers will be offered by Alabama Water Watch. The training will focus on monitoring for bacteria from livestock. This training will be offered to Cullman and Winston County livestock producers on November 14th in Addison. The goal of the program is to help farmers in the Smith Lake watershed understand factors affecting water quality. Anyone interested in this training should contact Mike Henshaw at (205) 489-5376.

The FAWN agenda was discussed and the walk-through date set for October 1st.

The council also discussed an upcoming tour and the council's blog.

2008 FAWN Program Held for All Winston Sixth Graders

FAWN (Forestry Awareness Week Now) is an outdoor hands-on field day for Winston County sixth graders. FAWN is a longstanding project of the Winston County Natural Resources Council. FAWN has been held annually each year for 12 years. The program is made possible by volunteers, grants, and funding from the Council. This year 348 students and 17 teachers attended FAWN, and it was organized by 32 volunteers. The purpose of FAWN is to teach the sixth graders about the wise use of our natural resources. Eight learning stations covered such topics as GPS, Forest Management, Water Quality, Wildlife Management, Forest Fire Safety, ATV Safety, Forest Soils, and Beekeeping. Each year we ask the teachers to evaluate FAWN so that we can improve the quality incrementally each year. The weather was perfect for both days of FAWN this year, and the teachers rated the event with high marks. We have created a photo album of the event.

The Council would like to thank the following groups and individuals for making the event possible, the Haleyville and Winston County School Superintendents, all the sixth grade teachers, Paul and Tiny Bowen, Charles Brannon, U. S. Forest Service, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Alabama Forestry Commission, Double Springs Lions Club, Forest Stewardship Education Committee, Representative Jody Letson, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Northwest Alabama RC & D Council, Regional Paramedical Services, Winston County EMS, Senator Roger Bedford, Winston County Soil and Water Conservation Service, Winston County Commission, Winston County Emergency Management Agency, Winston County Farmers Federation, and the Winston County Smith Lake Advocacy Council.

Thanks for a great Archaeofest!

A big thank you goes out to all of the volunteers, exhibitors, participants, and the Double Springs Lions & Civitans Club, and JD Snoddy for making the 2008 Archaeofest and National Public Lands Day a huge success!