WCNRC Regular Meeting, Thursday, August 20th

The Winston County Natural Resources Council will hold it's regular meeting on Thursday, August 20th at 9:00 a.m. at the U. S. Forest Service Office in Double Springs. Chris Wright, WCNRC chairman, says that the next FAWN program for Winston County 6th graders will be one of the main topics of the meeting.

Alabama Forest Supervisor Miera Nagy Congratulates the WCNRC

Miera Nagy, Forest Supervisor for the National Forests in Alabama, has written a letter congratulating the WCNRC for receiving the Alabama Wildlife Federation's Governor's Conservation Organization of the Year Award. Please click on the thumbnail image on the right to see her letter to us.

Article about Large Chestnut Tree Found in Alabama

Jean Allan, the District Archaeologist on the Bankhead National Forest, e-mailed me a link to an article in the Montgomery Advertiser about a large chestnut tree found in the Talladega National Forest.

Skeet Shoot to Benefit 4-H Shooting Sports

Want to practice your wing shooting before dove season?

This is the perfect opportunity to practice and support 4-H Shooting Sports in Winston and Cullman Counties.

There will be experienced instructors on the field if you would like some pointers on breaking the clays.

Cost will be $10.00 per round of 25. Bring your own shells or purchase them at the range. (7 1/2- 9 shot is recommended). There will be 2 age divisions. 18 and under, 19 and over. Prizes will be awarded, 25% to youth and 25% to adult winners. Proceeds from the shoot will benefit the 4-H Shooting Sports programs in Cullman and Winston Counties.

If you have never had the opportunity to shoot the game of skeet, come out and see the regulation field, and hone your skills for the upcoming hunting season. 4-H Shooting Sports volunteers will have concessions and lunch available, so come to spend some time on the new range and enjoy the day shooting.

Date: Saturday, August 22
Time: 9 am until 3 pm
Directions: Hwy 278 approximately 4 miles east of Addison. There will be signs on the highway or for more information call Kenny Robinson 256-566-9952 or Tim Robinson 256-566-3996

Cullman Archery Range

Byron Tuggle-Winston County High School Agri-science Instructor, Jay Conway-4-H Regional Extension Agent, and I recently visited the newly completed Cullman Archery Range. Jay says that the range has already seen a great deal of use and has been very popular. Mr. Tuggle hopes to build a scaled-down version for the Outdoor Classroom at the High School. The range is needed for the hunter safety education classes that Mr. Tuggle teaches. Barry Baird-Wildlife Biologist on the Black Warrior Wildlife Management Area, had a hand in the construction of this range. Some more photos of the range are located here.

Regional Forestry Field Days

The Cullman County Forestry Planning Committee and the Winston County Natural Resources Council are co-hosting the regional forestry field day in Jones Chapel. This series of field days is being sponsored by the Alabama Forests Forever Foundation, the Alabama Natural Resources Council, and the Alabama State Tree Farm Committee. Also, a couple of items not listed on the flyer, the field day will begin at 9:00 a.m. and field day is free of charge. Pre-registration is required by calling the number listed. A larger version of the flyer is available by clicking on the image on the right, or by calling our office at (205) 489-5376. I'll be glad to send you a copy.

Bankhead Liaison Panel Meeting Scheduled

The Bankhead Liaison Panel is scheduled to meet on Thursday, July 23, 2009. This public meeting will begin at 6:00 PM at the USDA Service Center in Moulton. Note this is a change of meeting location. The address for the Service Center is 13075 Highway 157, Moulton, Alabama 35650. The Ag Service Center is located across the Highway from the Cattle Sale Barn and next to the Lawrence County Exchange (Co-op).
Agenda items for this meeting include:

• Mechanical Fuels Reduction Project on Bankhead National Forest
• Quality Deer Management Program on Black Warrior WMA
• Sipsey Wilderness Non-native Invasive Plant Inventory Project
• Alabama A&M University's Center for Forest Ecosystem Assessment Research Update including new research opportunities for Aquatic Research
• Rock Creek Watershed Planning