Email Subscription Change

One longtime feature of this blog was an email subscription service to notify subscribers when there was a new blog post.  We average two or three new posts each month.  The old service was sponsored by Feedburner, but that service is being phased out by Google, the parent company.  So, we are migrating the email subscription feature to a new company called Mailchimp.  The blog will remain the same as always, but the email updates will move to the new company.  The email updates will probably look different, but will let you know that there has been a new post to the blog.  You should see no interruption or need to take any action on your part.  We hope you will continue to take interest in the Winston County Natural Resources Blog and stay subscribed.  If you have any problems, let me know.  Thanks, Mike

Tour of Albertville Mulch Company

As part of our May Council meeting, we will have an informal tour of the Albertville Mulch Company near Double Springs.  The tour will meet initially at the U. S. Forest Service Office in Double Springs at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, May 20.  We will then carpool to Albertville Mulch Company.  Participants may also drive directly to the site, also known as the "old Robins sawmill", near Antioch Baptist Church on County Road 2 as shown below.  The address is 1301 County Road 47, Double Springs, AL 35553.  Mr. David Brooks will host our tour and tell us about the company.  If you have any questions, give me a call at 205 272-2106.  Thanks!

Link to Google map of  Albertville Mulch Company

WCNRC April Meeting Minutes

 

WCNRC April Meeting Minutes

 

Members Present: Allison Cochran, Chair, Mike Henshaw, Vice Chair, Kerri Roberts, Secretary, Zack Brannon, John Creed, Maggie Johnston.

 

Allison opened the meeting and members present discussed the vote on the new council treasurer since Johnna Franks is retiring from AFC in June and also wants to retire from the treasurer position for WCNRC. PJ Gossett has volunteered to be the new treasurer. Members will vote on the new treasurer at the May meeting. If possible the old and new treasurer, along with member John Creed (who is on the bank account as second signature) will go to the bank to make the change after the May meeting.

 

Mike noted the May meeting will be a tour of Albertville Mulch owned by David Brooks off County Road 2. Members will meet at the Bankhead headquarters in Double Springs at 9 on May 20 and carpool to the business for the tour.

 

Zack updated on the Learn and Burn in Walker County the last week of April and the Invasive Species Workshop in Marion County on May 18. He will be posting a flyer for that event to the blog. CEUs and PLMs will be given for attendance.  Andy Baril and Lucy Edwards of Extension are hosting this event. Zack is presenting on sprayer calibration. Funds donated for the event will purchase 2 sprayers to be placed in different locations in NW Alabama and will be able to be checked out for use from Extension Offices.

 

Zack and Kerri mentioned  the Extension Natural Resources Agent awards application for “friends of completing natural resources education” category. Kerri thought the council’s efforts on the FAWN video series to have the program continue during a pandemic should be entered for consideration. The members present agreed. Zack will get with Andy Baril, whom we think is a member of the association, for guidance.

 

Kerri noted there will be a 4-H Forestry day camp on June 23 at Brushy Lake.

 

Zack asked if there was interest among members to host a hog trapping field day. He stated Rawlins Jolly with the forest service was interested in that work and that there are several traps across the county. One is in the east part of the county and could be the location for a field day. Members present thought it would be a good topic.

 

Allison noted the fishing derby will not happen this year.

 

Maggie invited members to her property that is being managed by Mississippi State students for research on soil amendments on reclaimed mining property. This will happen the week of May 3-7 (date not yet set). Maggie will get an invitation/flyer to Allison to post on the blog. This is just an additional educational opportunity. Maggie also noted citizen science projects with Wild Alabama are continuing and progressing with the Hemlock and acorn projects.

 

Allison updated that Heather Eddy is a new Americorps employee who will serve as the Bankhead Volunteer Coordinator.  Hope to get her involved with the Council.

Autumn Watrous is the new Quail Forever Biologist stationed in Cullman.  Have invited her to come to a future meeting and network for opportunities with private landowners, especially. 

Bankhead is continuing prescribed burning and busy with many forest management projects.  We continue in the planning of a longleaf pine woodland and quail habitat improvement project in the Black Pond area.  Stay tuned for more opportunities to learn and collaborate. More to come!

Bankhead is working on a land exchange. There are two priority tracts on the Sipsey Fork in the Moreland area that a landowner is interested in exchanging.  Several Forest Service outlying/isolated tracts are being considered for an equal value exchange. Contact Andy Scott for more information or to comment.

 

Meeting adjourned. Next meeting May 20- field trip to Albertville Mulch.

Meet at Forest Service Office at 9.

 

April Meeting Coming Up 4/15/21

 The WCNRC will meet at the Houston Rec Pavilion April 15 at 9:00 am. We hope to see you there!

Walker County Learn And Burn

WCNRC March Meeting Minutes

 Members Present: Allison Cochran, Chair, Mike Henshaw, Vice Chair, Kerri Roberts, Secretary, Andy Scott, Andy Baril, Zack Brannon, Casey Hammock

Allison opened the zoom meeting by welcoming all. The bylaws and nonprofit status previously discussed at the past two meetings was discussed again. Allison mentioned we will likely need to wait until tax season is over to get an accountant hired for the process of reinstating our 501(C)3 status. It was brought up and discussed if we wanted the WCNRC fiscal year to follow the calendar year or not. Pros and cons were discussed. Andy Baril motioned  we follow the calendar year. Mike seconded. None opposed. Allison also noted Maggie and Mike have reviewed the proposed bylaws. Any other members can weigh in and mention changes.

Allison noted that PJ Gosset has volunteered to be the WCNRC treasurer. All members present thought that would be a good move but tabled the vote until next meeting when maybe he can be present. The treasurer will need to file the paperwork necessary for incorporation status and we need to be sure that timeframe works with his schedule. 

Zack noted there will be a May 18 herbicide meeting in Marion county for PLMs and pesticide points. It will be a daytime meeting led by Horticulture Extension Agent, Lucy Edwards with Andy Baril assisting. Full details were not available at meeting time but Zack will post the flyer to the blog when it is finalized. 

Kerri noted 4-H gave out the long leaf pine seedlings to 600 Winston County youth. FAWN feedback is being gathered from 6th grade teachers. 

Allison mentioned there is a  study of endangered fish going on in the Black Pond wetland area. 

Andy Scott noted Corinth and Clear Creek recreation areas are open and that they did hire the Americorp Vista. She will be working with volunteers. 

Mike reported that he has been selected once again to serve on the RAC state committee.  He also noted he will try to set up our May meeting to be a field trip to the mulch business on C.R. 2

Meeting Adjourned. 

Next meeting April 15 in person at the Houston Recreation Pavilion. 

News Release - Sipsey Wilderness Area Gains Missing Puzzle Piece

NEWS RELEASE Contacts: Val Keefer, The Conservation Fund, 703-908-5802, vkeefer@conservationfund.org Tammy Freeman Brown, USDA Forest Service, 334-241-8144 x144, tammy.freemanbrown@usda.gov SIPSEY WILDERNESS AREA GAINS MISSING PUZZLE PIECE Previously threatened land in the heart of Alabama’s beloved Sipsey Wilderness now secured for wildlife, watershed preservation and public recreation WINSTON COUNTY, Al. (March 2, 2021) — One of the last two private pieces of land within the Sipsey Wilderness of Bankhead National Forest is now officially protected, the USDA Forest Service and The Conservation Fund announced today. Previously threatened by development, this 40-acre property will now be part of the beloved Sipsey Wilderness thanks to funding from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). One of northern Alabama’s most treasured natural places, the Sipsey Wilderness within the Bankhead National Forest supports some of the state’s most diverse ecology and wildlife species. The newly protected 40-acre tract sits in the heart of the Sipsey Wilderness where it’s surrounded on all four sides by national forest like a puzzle piece. Within the property, visitors will find large cliffs dramatically rising over the Sipsey River, including a large section of rock wall known as Shiprock, as well as a narrow ridge called the Devil’s Backbone and a small natural arch going through it. Around these landmarks and riverbanks, the property is almost completely forested. Under private ownership, the property faced high threats of being sold for development that could have jeopardized the land’s wilderness character, iconic biodiversity, wildlife habitat and importance to the Alabama community. Now, it’ll remain protected in perpetuity as part of the Sipsey Wilderness under Forest Service ownership. “The USDA Forest Service is grateful to The Conservation Fund for its efforts to help secure this very special property located in the Bankhead National Forest,” said Cherie Hamilton, forest supervisor for the National Forests in Alabama. According to Hamilton, the 40-acre tract acquisition brings added value to the wilderness character because of its location in the heart of the Sipsey Wilderness where three trails converge with the Sipsey Wild and Scenic River. The public can enjoy expanded opportunities of solitude, natural beauty and special features of wilderness. When the property went up for sale in 2018, national environmental nonprofit The Conservation Fund acted quickly to purchase the land for conservation. The Fund then held and managed it until the Forest Service could secure the necessary LWCF funding to acquire the tract for the Sipsey Wilderness. As part of the national forest system, the land will remain protected for wildlife, watershed quality and public recreation like hunting and hiking. In addition to LWCF, Fred and alisbury, North Carolina made a generous donation to make this project possible. “For decades, nature lovers in Alabama feared what may happen if this tract were to be lost to development,” said Stacy Funderburke, The Conservation Fund’s Alabama Associate State Director. “Protecting the iconic Sipsey Wilderness from any future threat will impact generations to come. Our partners at the USDA Forest Service and funding from the LWCF have once again helped protect a treasure for the Alabama community.” This is one of Alabama’s first conservation wins since the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act in 2020, which fully and permanently funded the LWCF. LWCF is a bipartisan program that conserves ecologically and scenically valuable land across the U.S.—including many of Alabama’s iconic natural places such as Little River Canyon and the Pinhoti Trail. The nearly 30,000-acre Sipsey Wilderness preserves the verdant and stream-filled canyons within Bankhead National Forest on the Appalachian Plateau. The wild and scenic landscape was one of the first wilderness areas designated east of the Mississippi. Today it remains Alabama’s largest designated wilderness and is one of the state’s most popular and beloved wild places. Roughly a two-hour drive from both Birmingham and Huntsville, the Sipsey Wilderness has been an accessible natural space for camping, fishing and more. The inclusion of this 40-acre tract will improve trails for hikers and expand river access for canoeing and kayaking. About The Conservation Fund At The Conservation Fund, we make conservation work for America. By creating solutions that make environmental and economic sense, we are redefining conservation to demonstrate its essential role in our future prosperity. Top-ranked for efficiency and effectiveness, we have worked in all 50 states since 1985 to protect more than eight million acres of land, including over 21,600 acres in Alabama. www.conservationfund.org/ # # #