George A. Hernandez, Ph.D. Richard A. Harper, CF, RF

USDA Forest ServiceState and Private ForestrySouthern Research Station

Forest Inventory and Analysis

Tree Nursery Production and Tree Planting in the United States

BWG/FIA User Group Meeting

21 May 2013

Agricultural Conservation Program 1936 to 1996 – 2.9 million acres ACP became EQIP in 1996.

Soil Bank Program 1956 to 1960 – 1.9 million acres Over 90% remained in trees many have been harvested and replanted.

Forestry Incentives Program 1974 to 2002 – 2.9 million acres

Stewardship Incentive Program 1990 to 2002 – 250,000 acres

Conservation Reserve Program 1985 to Present – 2.2 million acres

70% of Tree Planting on Non-Industrial Private Forest LandInvolves some form of cost share

Wetlands Reserve Program 1990 to Present – 1.2 million acres

A Brief History of Tree Planting in the South

503 acres 1st gen

19251928

19311934

19371940

19431946

19491952

19551958

19611964

19671970

19731976

19791982

19851988

19911994

19972000

20032006

20092012

0

500000

1000000

1500000

2000000

2500000

3000000A

cres

Pla

nte

d

CCC

SoilBank

CRP 2

CRP

Total Tree Planting in the South: 1925 – 2012

Conservation Reserve Program Acres Planted 1985 – 2011

Conservation Reserve Program – Hardwood PlantingNRCS Hardwood Planting Practices: 3A Hardwood

22 Riparian Buffers 23 Wetland Restoration 31 Bottomland Hardwood

Forestry Incentive Program Acres Planted 1974 – 2002

0.01,000,000.02,000,000.03,000,000.04,000,000.05,000,000.06,000,000.07,000,000.08,000,000.09,000,000.0

PineHdwd

1985 RPA DATA

46. 3 Million Acres including industry (NOT State or Fed)42.8 Million Acres Pine3.5 Million Acres Hardwood

30 Million Acres is Corporate (1985 Region 8 RPA summary ) 16 Million Acres is Non-Corporate (1985 Region 8 RPA summary ) 14 Million acres (approximately) from all conservation programs

30% of all Plantations87% of all Non-Corporate Plantations !

Plantations in the South

503 acres 1st gen

19251928

19311934

19371940

19431946

19491952

19551958

19611964

19671970

19731976

19791982

19851988

19911994

19972000

20032006

20092012

0

500000

1000000

1500000

2000000

2500000

3000000A

cres

Pla

nte

d

CCC

SoilBank

CRP 2

17 State Nurseries

CRP

46State Nurseries

42State Nurseries

16State

Nurseries

State Nurseries andTotal Tree Planting in the South: 1925 – 2013

25State

Nurseries

AlabamaJohn R. Miller NurseryJake Stauffer NurseryEdward A. Hauss Nursery

ArkansasBluff City NurseryBacum Nursery

FloridaPrison Farm NurseryMunson NurseryHarry Baker NurseryM D Andrews NurseryHerren Nursery

GeorgiaHerty NurseryDavisboro NurseryFlowery BranchHightower NurseryHorseshoe BendPage-Walker NurseryMorgan NurseryFlint River Nursery

KentuckyPennyrile NurseryLouisville NurseryJohn P. Rhody NurseryMorgan County Nursery

LouisianaAlexander State Forest NurseryOberlin NurseryNorthwest NurseryMonroe NurseryColumbia NurseryBeauregard Nursery

MississippiMt. Olive Nursery Winona NurseryWaynesboro Nursery

North CarolinaGriffith NurseryJ.S. Holmes NurseryGoldsboro NurseryRalph Edwards NurseryLinville River Nursery

OklahomaStillwater NurseryForest Regeneration CenterBroken Bow Nursery

South CarolinaCamden NurseryGeorgetown NurserySumpter NurseryTilghman NurseryOld Piedmont NurseryCoastal NurseryTaylor NurseryNew Piedmont NurseryRock Hill Nursery

TennesseePinson NurseryEast Tennessee Nursery

TexasConroe NurseryKirbyville NurseryIndian MoundMagnolia SpringsWest Texas Nursery

VirginiaCharlottesvillePearyNew Kent Forestry CenterAugusta Forestry CenterGarland Gray Forestry Center

Southern State Forest Nurseries 1920 - 2012

Red indicates still in operation.(16 state forest nurseries are currently operating in the South)

1925 Seedling Production 16,100 State 9,611,700 Private 11,831,400 Industry 1,380,400 Federal

2012 Seedling Production123,794,000 State 453,329,000 Private357,622,000 Industry 0 Federal

Conifer Seedling Production=> 22,839,600

934,745,000 <=

Hardwood Seedling Production

1965 Hardwood Seedling Production 2012 Hardwood Seedling Production State Nurseries 7,622,300 State Nurseries 15,154,000 Industry Nurseries 1,684,000 Industry Nurseries 22,430,000

Total 9,306,300 Total 37,584,000

19251928

19311934

19371940

19431946

19491952

19551958

19611964

19671970

19731976

19791982

19851988

19911994

19972000

20032006

20092012

0

500,000

1,000,000

1,500,000

2,000,000

2,500,000

3,000,000

Acr

es P

lan

ted

Total Tree Planting in the South: 1925 – 2012

Tree Planting in the Southeast 1925 – 2012

Acres Planted 1925 - 2012

93,863,853 acres Were Planted Between 1925 and 2012

93,863,853 acres

1 square mile =

0.0015625acres

93,863,853 X 0.0015625 146,662

146,662 sq. miles

Acres Planted 1925 - 2012

146,662 square miles

SC 32,020 + GA 59,425 + AL 52419 = 143,864

Tree Planting in the Southeast 1925 – 2012

Tree Planting in the United States• This annual report was begun in 1952 by the

Washington Office National Nursery Specialist.

• The National Nursery Specialist position was eliminated during downsizing in the early 1990’s.

• Bob Moulton an analyst in the Washington Office took over the Tree Planting Report.

• In 1999 Bob Moulton retired and George Hernandez assumed the responsibly for producing the report.

• In 2000 the Washington Office made the decision to discontinue producing the Tree Planting Report.

• In 2002 the Auburn University Forest Nursery Management Cooperative issued their first Tree Planting in the South report.

• In 2010 Forest Inventory and Analysis offered to provide funding to State & Private Forestry to produce a Tree Planting Report.

Hernandez assumed the responsibly for producing the Tree Planting in the United States report in 1999 in time to oversee it’s demise.Sadly, this was not the first instance of an asset being considered outdated.

Georgia Forestry Commission Reforestation Report

• The Southern Group of State Foresters agreed to collaboratively produce a report of the annual regeneration occurring across the South.

• The Georgia Forestry Commission volunteered to collate the data and produce the report.

• State forestry agencies compliance with the call for data was an issue from the beginning of this project and data quality was often challenged by state partners.

• Participation by state partners was sporadic and eventually only a few state continued to provide the Georgia Forestry Commission with their data.

Auburn Seedling Production Survey Protocol

• The Auburn University Southern Forest Nursery Management Cooperative began a region-wide annual survey of Seedling Production.

• Two page questionnaire sent in June to all available nursery addresses (220+/-) in 12 southern states.

• Follow up telephone calls made to maximize participation and update addresses.

• Data from 50-60 nurseries annually.

• Compiled by State, Ownership, Species & Stock Type.

FIA/S&PF Seedling Production Survey Protocol

• In 2010, the FIA/Southern Region S&PF began a nation-wide annual survey of Seedling Production.

• Purdue University gathers data from 20 states in the Northeast

• University of Idaho gathers data from 17 states in the West

• Auburn University gathers data from 13 states in the South

• A questionnaire was sent in June 2011 to all nurseries listed in the USDA Forest Service Directory of Forest & Conservation Nurseries (220+/-) in all 50 states.

• Follow up emails, and telephone calls were made to non-responders to maximize participation and update addresses.

• The data collected and compiled by State, and includes Ownership, Species Grown and Stock Type (bareroot or container).

0.00.20.40.60.81.01.21.41.61.8

Mill

ion

acre

sTree Planting Comparison by sub-Region, 2012

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

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3.5

Year

1930

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1947

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2007

2010

Mill

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Southeast

South Central

Total South

Tree Planting Trend in the South

0

100,000

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300,000

400,000

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600,000

AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC OK SC TN TX VA

Acr

es

Nursery Production

FIA 5+ Years Average Annual

Nursery Production Compared with FIA Data by State, 2012

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0.2

0.4

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0.8

1.0

1.2

1.4

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1.8

Southeast South Central Total South

Mill

ion

acre

s

Nursery Production

FIA 5+ Years Average Annual

Nursery Production Compared with FIA Data by sub-Region, 2012

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100

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800

Southeast South Central Total South

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Great Plains Inter- mountainTotal Rocky Mountain

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Rocky MountainBarerootContainer

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Pacific Northwest Pacific Southwest Total Pacifc Coast

Mill

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seed

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WestBarerootContainer

Seedling Production Comparison by sub-Region, 2012

0.0

10.0

20.0

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40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

Northeast North Central Total North

Mill

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seed

lingsNorth

Bareroot

Container

Container(Canada)

Seedling Production, North and Canada, 2012

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Questions?

Discussion…