forest resources - mississippi state university · earlier by the wildlife and fisheries...

College of

FALL 2002

Forest Resourcesn e w s l e t t e r

RESOURCESFORESTForest Products professors Dan Seale (far left) and Terry Sellers (far right)

look over a board with TimTek directors (l to r) Walter Jarck, GeoffSanderson, and Dave Mortenson. For complete story, see page 8.

COMMENTS

Dean’s Comments

2 College of Forest Resources Newsletter/Fall 2002

Dear alumni and friends,

Time flies when you are havingfun! It is hard for me to realize, but Inow have been at Mississippi StateUniversity in the College of ForestResources (CFR) and Forest andWildlife Research Center (FWRC) fora year and a half! It truly has beenexciting! It has been interesting tomeet so many of our alumni, friends,and collaborators, as well as to learnof the opportunities and challenges inforest resource management facingthe state. I am even more convincedthat as a state, Mississippi certainly isblessed with an abundance of naturalresources. The challenge is to utilizethem in a sustainable way to benefit allour citizens both economically and inquality of life.

Speaking of having fun, there waslots of fun to be had at the CFRAlumni Fishing Derby on May 18. Thisevent was held at the small pond nearthe log cabin off Blackjack Road.Given that the pond had been stockedwith hundreds of catfish a few daysearlier by the Wildlife and FisheriesDepartment, the fishing was easy andplentiful! The lunch that went alongwith the derby was great. I hope thatmany of you took the opportunity tojoin us for that event. Ruth Cook isthis year’s CFR alumni president and Iam certain that she and her officershave lots of good ideas for events.Please join in!

There are so many good thingshappening at the college and FWRCthat I don’t quite know where to begin.Overall, our student population is levelor down just a bit, as the numbersvary a bit from department todepartment. We are gearing up forrecruitment at both the undergraduateand graduate level. Please take thetime to encourage a potential studentand help them to make the connectionwith us. We will take it from there.

DEAN’S

G. Sam Foster

We are living in tough financial timesin both the state and the nation, butwe do have many friends throughoutthe state and, especially, in theLegislature. These friends arewatching out for us and will continueto come to our aid.

In conclusion, I thank you for yoursupport. Please be active in the CFRAlumni Society and encourage therecent graduates to do so, as well.We strive to be the best in thecountry and to help Mississippi toprosper through the wisemanagement and use of its naturalresources.

G. Sam FosterDean/Director

Our research program in theForest and Wildlife Research Centercontinues to grow. In fact, this pastyear (FY 2002) was our best ever forextramural funding—$5.3 million. I amcontinually impressed at the highquality, creativity, and quantity ofresearch produced by our faculty andstaff. They are under high demand inthe state, region, nation, andinternationally. You will see the detailsof several of these research studies inthis issue of our newsletter.

Another measure of our researchprowess is new facilities. In May, webroke ground on the new FranklinFurniture Manufacturing andManagement Center, which is jointlyfunded by generous gifts from HassellFranklin and others, as well as fundingfrom the state of Mississippi. Inaddition, we just signed an agreementwith TimTek Australia to house a pilotplant for their new process of makingcomposite wood lumber products. Thefacility to house that pilot plant also willbe erected at the Forest Products Labsite near the new furniture building.

The search for a new departmenthead in the Forest ProductsDepartment is going well.Unfortunately, this process alwaystakes longer than anticipated, but weare on track and plan to interview thetop candidates by early October. I amvery proud of the Forest ProductsDepartment and want to find anoutstanding leader to take the helmthere. Meanwhile, Interim DepartmentHead Steve Bullard is doing a fine jobof leading the department and we suredo owe him our gratitude for a job welldone.

Budget cuts on both the academicand research side continue to plagueus this fiscal year—the third year in arow. In fact, in the FWRC, we areback to where we were in FY1998!

3College of Forest Resources Newsletter/Fall 2002

Gray named CFR Alumnus of the Year

Brian T. Gray of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, (l) ispresented the College of Forest Resources Alumnus ofthe Year award by CFR dean Sam Foster. Director ofconservation programs and information systems forDucks Unlimited Canada, he earned a doctorate in 1992in wildlife ecology. The annual awards program issponsored by the MSU Alumni Association to honorgraduates who are recognized leaders in their fields ofendeavor. Gray joined DUC’s headquarters in Stonewall in1996 after working for a number of years as a wildlifescientist at Alberta-based Golder Associates.

Doris Lee Staff AwardsAccounting services coordinator LeslieMarsh (r) and accounting records assistantJudy Goodman are among Mississippi StateUniversity employees honored at the recentannual banquet of the College of ForestResources and the Forest and WildlifeResearch Center. Both received the 2002Doris Lee Memorial Staff Awards foroutstanding service.

Faculty Award WinnersThree College of Forest Resources faculty membershave been honored with outstanding achievementawards at Mississippi State. Receiving the 2002awards are (l-r) professor Rick Kaminski, forteaching; extension professor Glenn Hughes, forservice; and associate professor Eric Dibble, forresearch. The honors were presented at the recentannual banquet of the college and the Forest andWildlife Research Center. Congratulating them isCFR dean Sam Foster, who also serves as centerdirector.


DEPARTMENT

FORESTRY

UPDATES

• Dr. Bob Daniels has beenelected as a Society ofAmerican Forester’s Fellow.

• Dr. Robert C. Parker isparticipating in thedevelopment of the Society ofAmerican Forester’s CertifiedForester Program exams.

• Kathryn G. Arano, a Ph.D.candidate, has been awardeda graduate research fellowshipfrom the Political EconomyResearch Center based inBozeman, Mont. PERC is aninternationally recognizedinstitute dedicated to seekingout and developing marketsolutions to environmentalproblems.

• Dr. Ian Munn is serving aseditor of the Southern Journalof Applied Forestry for theSociety of AmericanForesters. Munn also recentlycompleted the ESCOP/ACOPLeadership DevelopmentProgram, a professionaldevelopment programsponsored by the ExperimentStation Committee on

Organization and Policy andthe Academic ProgramsCommittee on Organizationand Policy. Dr. Keith Bellicurrently is participating in theESCOP/ACOP LeadershipDevelopment Program.

• Dr. Tom Monaghan, forestryextension leader, has retiredafter 26 years of service.

• Dr. John Gunter, professor offorestry, has retired afterseven years of service.

• Dr. Stephen C. Grado is anassociate editor of the WildlifeSociety Bulletin.

• Dr. William B. Stuart is anassociate editor of the Journalof Forest Engineering.

FOREST PRODUCTS• Dr. Mike Barnes received the

Fred W. Gottschalk MemorialAward from the ForestProducts Society. Named forthe first president of FPS, thisaward recognizes and honorsexceptional service to theForest Products Society byan individual member.

ROMANIANS VISIT FOREST PRODUCTSA delegation of Romanians visited facilities in theColumbus area as part of a tour of timber and forest-products industries in the United States. The group touredAirline Manufacturing in Columbus and the ForestProducts Laboratory at MSU. Romania is trying tomaximize the benefits from forest resources. The trip wasspurred by Romania’s program in land restitution toindividual owners and communities.

• Bessie Collier, seniorcustodian, retired after 25years of service.

• Dutch Ames, projecttechnician, retired after 30years of service.

• Kimberly Tarlton has joinedthe staff as a researchassociate in the woodchemistry area.

• Brian Mitchell has joined thestaff as a research associatein the machine visionlaboratory.

• Dr. Ian Hartley has left thedepartment to accept aposition as an assistantprofessor at the University ofNorthern British Columbia.

• Dr. Steve Hunter has joinedthe faculty as an associateprofessor. Hunter is an expertin lean manufacturing designand implementation.

• David Headley, Wood MagicScience Fair coordinator, hasaccepted a position at Lowe’s.The coordinator position couldnot be funded with currentbudget cuts.


DEPARTMENTUPDATES

WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES

MEMORIALS

• Dr. Louis R. D’Abramo is the2002 HEADWAE FacultyMember of the Year atMississippi State. Thehonor is given toboth a facultymember and student as part ofthe Mississippi Legislature’sannual Higher EducationAppreciation Day/Working forAcademic Excellenceprogram.

• Dr. Jeanne Jones receivedan honorable mentionaward from theFederal Planners Divisionof the American PlanningAssociation.

• Rachel Josey, extensionadministrative secretary,retired after 22 years ofservice.

• Bradley Taylor, animal carecoordinator, left the depart-ment and has been replacedby Steven Tucker.

• Rich Minnis has been namedthe editor of the Journal ofWildlife Law Enforcementsponsored by the NorthAmerican Wildlife EnforcementOfficer Association. Minnis,along with graduate studentChad Dacus and Jim Wilcuttof the MDWFP were honoredfor the best research paper ofthe year in the Law Enforce-ment Section at the South-

A memorial fountain and garden is being established at the Forest ProductsLaboratory. Contributions to the fountain and garden in memory of Joan orMary may be sent to Jeanie McNeel, Box 9820, Mississippi State, MS 39762.

Joan Perkins, retired secretary inforest products, died July 6. She was67 years old. Ms. Perkins served thefaculty and staff of the furnitureresearch group for seven years beforeretiring in 1998.

Perkins

Mary Hannigan, research associate inforest products, died March 15. She was45 years old. Mrs. Hannigan served in theenvironmental biotechnology area for 14years, working with Drs. Borazjani andDiehl and assisted numerous graduatestudents in their research.

Hannigan

eastern Association of Fishand Wildlife Agencies.

• Randy Deyoung, a Ph.D.candidate, received theSoutheast Deer Study Group’sOutstanding StudentPresentation Award at its 2002Annual Meeting.

• Dr. Rick Kaminski wasselected for the Oktibbeha

County Soil and WaterConservation District’s 2001Outstanding WetlandConservationist Award.

• Dr. Ben West has joined thefaculty as an assistant wildlifeextension specialist. Hisexpertise is in wildlifeconservation on private lands,youth conservation education,and wildlife damagemanagement.


DEVELOPMENTu p d a t e

DEVELOPMENTUPDATES

DDigging the first shovel of dirt at the groundbreaking are (l-r) Department of Agriculture and CommerceCommissioner Lester Spell; Bryce Griffis, president, Board of Trustees, State Institutions of HigherLearning; MSU Interim President J. Charles Lee; Hassell Franklin, president and CEO, Franklin Corp.; Lt.Gov. Amy Tuck; Dr. Vance Watson, interim vice president, Division of Agriculture, Forestry, andVeterinary Medicine; Dr. G. Sam Foster, dean, College of Forest Resources; State Sen. Jack Gordon,

Franklin Center forFurniture Manufacturing and Management

Mississippi State broke groundMay 28, 2002, for a new 35,000square-foot furniture manufacturingand management center.

To be located at the intersection ofBlackjack Road and Locksley Way onthe western edge of the Starkvillecampus, the building will be named forChickasaw County furnituremanufacturer and lead contributorHassell H. Franklin.

Franklin is founder, president, andchief executive officer of the FranklinCorp. A Houston resident and 1959

industrialmanagementgraduate, hewas MSU’snationalalumnus of theyear in 1995. A $1 milliongift fromFranklin issupplementingother privategifts and $3million theLegislatureappropriated for

the building last year. Designed byPryor and Morrow Architects ofJackson and Columbus, the facility willhouse research laboratories, class-rooms, offices, and an auditorium/distance-learning classroom.

“The center also will house thenewly created Franklin Center forFurniture Manufacturing andManagement,” said Sam Foster, CFRdean. “The institute is aninterdisciplinary program drawing onthe strengths of the colleges ofBusiness and Industry, Engineering,

and Forest Resources, as well as theSchool of Architecture and MSU’sExtension Service.”

Foster, who also directs the Forestand Wildlife Research Center, saidsome 50,000 Mississippi workerscurrently produce approximately 70percent of the nation’s upholstered

furniture. Research, including frameand design testing, by FWRCscientists is estimated to save thestate’s manufacturers more than $3million annually, he added.

Franklin

UPDATES


DEVELOPMENTu p d a t e

T

DEVELOPMENT

FY 2001-2002 donors recognizedWe are always appreciative of our friends and alumni who give so generously to

MSU and the College of Forest Resources. We strive to be accurate with our donor listand apologize for any inadvertent omissions. The list of donors for July 1, 2001-June30, 2002, is as follows:

LEVELS OF GIVING

COLVARD FOUNDERS$1,000,000-4,999,999

LEE SOCIETY$500,000-999,999BUTLER FELLOWS$100,000-499,999

HILBUN TORCHBEARERS$50,000-99,999

PRESIDENT’S CLUB$10,000-49,999

PATRONS COUNCIL$5,000-9,999

PATRONS SOCIETY$2,500-4,999

PATRONS ASSOCIATE$1,000-2,499

DEAN’S TRUSTEE$500-999

DEAN’S SCHOLAR$250-499

DEAN’S DELEGATE$100-249

*COLVARD FOUNDERSMr. and Mrs. Hassell H. FranklinMr. and Mrs. Davis K. MortensenMr. Leo W. Seal Jr.

*STEPHEN D. LEE SOCIETYMr. and Mrs. John PlayerHarold and Claire Lucas Estate

*BUTLER FELLOWSForestry SuppliersLt. Col. Lewis L. Gober and Mrs. Ester S. GoberBryce GriffisHancock BankWarren HoodMr. and Mrs. Thomas H. Harris Jr.James Graham Brown Foundation Inc.Col. and Mrs. Kenneth D. JohnsonLane FurnitureMrs. Theodore B. PlairMrs. Ruth D. PriesterMr. Joe ShawDr. and Mrs. John W. Starr Jr.Weyerhaeuser Co.Mrs. Daphine Williamson

*HILBUN TORCHBEARERSDelaney Foundation Inc.Mr. and Mrs. John S. FerrettiThe Garden Clubs of MississippiMississippi Farm Bureau InsuranceMississippi Lumber Manufacturers AssociationNational Wild Turkey FederationMr. Robert R. NewsomTaylor Energy Co.

*Dean W. Colvard Founders, Stephen D. LeeSociety, Eugene Butler Fellows, and Ben F.Hilbun Torchbearers donors are recognized asmembers of the Legacy of Leadership, which isbased on the donor’s cumulative lifetime givingto Mississippi State University.

PRESIDENT’S CLUBLouisiana Pacific Corp.Mr. and Mrs. Duane MotsenbockerMr. and Mrs. John E. ShawWeyerhaeuser

PATRONS COUNCILAnderson Corp.Georgia-Pacific-Jacksonville, Fla.Georgia Pacific-Zachary, La.Georgia Pacific Corp.-Atlanta, Ga.International PaperInternational Paper Co. FoundationMr. and Mrs. Curtis McColloughMississippi Forestry AssociationOversees Hardwoods Co.Stihl Inc.

PATRONS SOCIETYWood-Based Composites Center

PATRONS ASSOCIATEMr. and Mrs. Billy AskewMr. and Mrs. Eugene ClarkCopiah County Soil and Water ConservationMr. and Mrs. Wyatt Davis Jr.ISK Biocides Inc.Dr. Bruce Leopold

Mississippi Wildlife FederationMr. and Mrs. James L. MeeksLincoln County Forestry AssociationMOTAG South Educational FundNational Starch and ChemicalMr. Robert R. NewsomMr. and Mrs. Kevin NolanSouthern Lumber Co.Southwest Miss. Forestry AssociationMr. and Mrs. Ester L. TaylorTimberCorp Inc.The Carroll-Leflore Counties Chapter of Quail Un-limited

DEAN’S TRUSTEEFlexsteel Industries Inc.Mr. and Mrs. Glennan GradyLa-Z-Boy South Chair Co.Mr. and Mrs. Stephen W. May IIIMontgomery County Forestry AssociationMr. and Mrs. Mike W. PriestRankin County Forestry AssociationMr. Clinton SmithThomasson Lumber Co.

DEAN’S SCHOLARMr. and Mrs. Brantley BazorMr. and Mrs. Russell Booker Jr.Mr. and Mrs. Malone BuchananMr. and Mrs. E. Glennan GradyMr. and Mrs. James T. GreenMr. Ted. H. Kendall IIIMr. and Mrs. Mike W. PriestMr. Jeffrey S. WesberryMr. and Mrs. Richard W. McDuffie

DEAN’S DELEGATEMr. and Mrs. James E. AllenDr. and Mrs. Kelton L. AndersonMr. Jessie P. AverittBoone Timber Harvesting Inc.Mr. Glenn A. BefortMr. and Mrs. Donald S. BellDr. Monique BelliMr. Bruce A. BurnhamMr. and Mrs. Edward A. CarterMr. Kevin B CokerMr. David D. DaamsMr. William M. DansbyMr. Robert T. DeenDr. and Mrs. Max L. DoolittleCapt. Trevor W. FlintMr. and Mrs. Joseph Fowler Jr.Mr. Billy T. GaddisKarl D. and Kristina GodwinMr. Kenan S. GwinMr. Michael A. HalfacreDr. James C. HamiltonMr. James A. HancockMr. and Mrs. Curtis R. HopkinsMr. and Mrs. Lloyd Huguley Jr.Dr. and Mrs. Jimmy C. HuntleyMr. Alfred F. KyleDr. and Mrs. James D. LandLandtree LLC

Mrs. Carol D. McDuffieMr. Robert E. McGeheeMr. Robert D. McReynoldsMr. and Mrs. David MeriwetherMr. and Mrs. Thomas W. MiddletonDr. and Mrs. James E. MoakMr. and Mrs. David MoorheadMr. James M. MordicaMr. and Mrs. Don NevelsPine Belt Foresters LLCMr. Jeffrey C. PhillipsMr. and Mrs. Randy PopeMr. and Mrs. David L. ReeceMr. and Mrs. Brian G. ReedMs Gloria B. McCarterMr. Robert E. McGeheeMr. and Mrs. Robert S. MossMr. and Mrs. William M. ReynoldsMr. Claude RobbinsMr. Steven S. RogersMr. and Mrs. Michael W. RosamondMr. and Mrs. Cade M. SmithDrs. Tor P. and Emily B. SchultzMr. and Mrs. David W. SennMr. and Mrs. Tom SkeltonSteen, Reynolds & Dalehite, LlpMr. Dannie R. TharpMr. and Mrs. J.R. Tobermann Jr.Mr. James D. ThorsenMr. and Mrs. Benton VanderfordMr. William T. WattsMr. and Mrs. Thomas B. WoodMs. Virginia D. WhiteMr. James L. Young

FEATURES8 College of Forest Resources Newsletter/Fall 2002

Project explores use for small-diameter treesScientists at

Mississippi StateUniversity haveteamed with anAustralian companyto provide a valuableproduct using treethinnings from pineplantations.

Mississippi hasmore than 2.8 millionacres of plantationpine and landownershave had problemsfinding markets forsmall, 13-year oldpine trees thinnedfrom the plantations.TimTek, anAustralian-basedfirm with offices in Wagga Wagga,New South Wales, and Clarkesville,Ga., has developed a process forcreating high strength lumber from thethree-to eight-inch-diameter Southernyellow pine trees.

The company has signed anagreement with MSU to locate theTimTek pilot plant at the ForestProducts Laboratory to produce theengineered lumber.

“The TimTek product is a unique,new, long-fiber structural engineeredlumber that has uniform, stable andhigh-strength properties of select-grade sawn timber,” said Walter Jarck,a director of TimTek Australia. “It canbe produced in lengths and cross-section greater than can be achievedfrom the largest logs available.”

The end product, he added, iseconomically and environmentallysound. “The beams and timbers willcompete favorably with the presentday engineered products for uses in

residential and commercialconstruction as joists, rafters, headersand other uses where strength andquality are required,” he said.

The Mississippi Land, Water andTimber Resources board is providing$1 million to bring the technology tothe state and provide funds for relatedinfrastructure. Dr. Lester Spell, arepresentative for the board, said thatthese funds are provided for innovativeprojects such as the TimTek/MSUpartnership.

“The TimTek/MSU partnership willbe beneficial to the state, whichcurrently has 18.6 million acres offorest land, 70 percent of which isowned by private landowners,” said Dr.Dan Seale, professor in theDepartment of Forest Products andproject investigator. “In the past, thesmall-diameter trees were used forpulpwood, but with pulpwood demanddecreasing in the South, this productcould offer new revenues for privatelandowners throughout the region.”

Developed andpatented by Australia’sCommonwealth Scientificand Industrial ResearchOrganization, the processuses small-diameter treesto form a resin/wood fibercomposite. The pilot plantwill be used todemonstrate thetechnology to the industry.

TimTek surveyeduniversities and industrialpartners in the UnitedStates and Canada todetermine the best locationfor a pilot plant to producetheir new product. MSUwas chosen because of itsstrong composite wood

product research program.“The purpose of the pilot plant is

to demonstrate that the newtechnology will work with small-diameter raw materials,” Seale said.“The Forest and Wildlife ResearchCenter also will determine the strengthvalues of the product, test the productto help gain building code acceptance,and demonstrate this new technologyto the forest products industry.”

In addition to landowners, wood-processing operations are expected tobenefit from the technology that canbe incorporated into their plants.

“We currently have an excess ofsmall-diameter wood because there’snot much demand,” said Larry Jarrett,landowner and president of theMississippi Forestry Association. “Wehave studied additional markets forsmall-diameter wood and we areexcited about the opportunities thatthe TimTek technology will provide forlandowners throughout the state andthe region.”

Geoff Sanderson (c)) shows a TimTek board to Dr. Sam Foster (l), CFR dean, and Dr.Vance Watson, interim vice president for the Division of Agriculture, Forestry, andVeterinary Medicine.


FEATURES

There’s much more to HancockCounty’s John C. Stennis SpaceCenter than high-tech laboratories andgiant rocket engine test stands. Thelatest in space-age technology existsalong with virtually every species of

MSU helping space center with naturalresource management

wildlife represented in SouthMississippi.

The almost 16,000 acres—about25 square miles—that encompass theNational Aeronautics and SpaceAdministration facility on the Pearl

River “is very rich in naturalresources,” said Don Grebner,assistant professor of forestry atMississippi State.

With a grant totaling nearly$100,000, Grebner has begundirecting a new project to provideNASA with resource managementinformation. He and other scientists inMSU’s departments of Forestry andWildlife and Fisheries will developplans to integrate timber harvest andproduction with wildlife conservation.

“The space center is interestedboth in producing timber andconserving wildlife, including specieswith declining regional populations,”Grebner said. “Because of theabundance of diverse forest habitatsand proximity to New Orleans and theMississippi Gulf Coast, it’s animportant natural resource that shouldbe managed for multiple uses.”

Over the next two years, MSU’sForest and Wildlife Research Centerpersonnel will collect data on Stennis’wildlife and plant populations.Bobwhite quail, white-tailed deer, wildhogs, toads, and plants that indicatewetland habitats will be studied.

The resulting data then will beused to enhance the space center’smanagement planning for the forestsand wetlands.

“The information we present willprovide for healthy and productive treestands, vegetative diversity, forageproduction for wildlife and a wetlandmitigation strategy,” Grebner said. “Italso may provide potentialopportunities for recreational uses.”

Mississippi State’s Forest and Wildlife Research Center is beginning anassessment of both company and individual employee needs in the state’s forestproducts industry.

Commissioned recently by the Mississippi Development Authority, the five-month project will employ a cluster analysis to identify ways to enhance thecompetitive advantages of various industry sectors.

“A cluster is a geographic concentration of sometimes-competing,sometimes-collaborating firms and the related support infrastructure,” saidproject investigator John Gunter. “Previous cluster studies have generatedincreased awareness of the industries involved and can promote public/privatelinkages, resulting in economic growth.”

Gunter, a forest economist, said logging, lumber and wood products, paperand allied products, and wood furniture and related products are the sectorsbeing studied.

“Forest products are an important component of Mississippi’s economy,supporting directly and indirectly some 152,000 employees and total annualindustry output of $14.8 billion,” he explained. “With more than 18.6 million acresof timberland, ensuring Mississippi’s lead in the world’s forest products market istremendously important for the state’s economy.”

Mississippi’s forest products industry includes several hundredmanufacturing sites operated by companies ranging from multi-billion dollar fullyintegrated global multi-site businesses to small family-owned firms.

“Companies at both ends of this spectrum often find it necessary to hireemployees with more education and to implement training programs for existingemployees,” Gunter said. “In addition to defining cluster linkages, the study willidentify employers’ needs, workforce availability, existing educational and trainingprograms, and skills gaps.”

The project also will assess the readiness of the currently availableworkforce and of the projected workforce through the year 2006 based onexisting educational programs.

When completed later this year, the study will include specificrecommendations “for building a stronger, more competitive forest productsindustry in Mississippi,” Gunter said.

Project explores forestproducts industry needs

FEATURES10 College of Forest Resources Newsletter/Fall 2002

MSU study:Color forest industry economic impact very green

A recently completed MississippiState report shows just how much ofthe state’s economy rests in the shadeof its vast forest lands.

While it’s well known that forestryis important to the state, mostresidents may not appreciate that “themore than 18 million acres of forestland in Mississippi means trees covertwo-thirds of the state’s land area,”said Ian Munn of the university’sForest and Wildlife Research Center.

The associate professor offorestry said a center-sponsored studysought “to measure the total economicimpact of the $1.3 billion worth oftimber products harvested and

delivered to mills and manufacturingplants in Mississippi each year.”

Completed by Munn and graduatestudent James E. Henderson, theproject examined the forest industry’sfour main sectors: logging, solid woodproducts, pulp and paper, and woodfurniture manufacturing. Employing acomputerized database and modelingsoftware, they looked at employment,wages paid, total value of production,and value added through themanufacturing process.

Using 1998 data--the most recentavailable--they found the forestry/forest products industry:

—Accounts for about 13 percentof Mississippi’s total economic activity,contributing $14.8 billion in totalindustrial output and generating $6.5billion in value-added income, and

—Employs more than 151,000Mississippians.

“These employees hold 10 percentof all jobs in the state and receive $4.2billion in wages,” Munn said. “Also, theaverage income for forestry and forestproducts jobs is $29,065, or $5,820more than the average wage forMississippians in general.”

Scientists working to fill wood preservative gapWithin two years, U.S. home-

owners will lose their first line ofdefense against the forces that candestroy decks, fences, and otherwooden outdoor structures.

The Environmental ProtectionAgency recently announced thephase-out of chromated copperarsenate—CCA—a wood preservativeused to pressure-treat lumber forprotection against termites, fungi andother wood-destroying organisms.

Currently, more than 95 percent ofall treated lumber used in homes,decks, and for other residentialpurposes is treated with CCA,according to Dr. Tor Schultz, a woodchemist in the Forest ProductsLaboratory at the Forest and WildlifeResearch Center.

“The total cost to U.S.homeowners caused by termites anddecay fungi is estimated at about $5billion per year, so it’s important to usetreated lumber to protect houses andother structures built of wood,” he said.

Schultz and other MSU scientistsare moving to fill the gap left by theelimination of currently available woodpreservatives.

“Industry has developed secondgeneration of copper/organic woodpreservatives, but their use will likelybe relatively short term because of theenvironmental risks associated withcopper and issues involved withdisposal of wood treated with anymetal,” Schultz said.

Anticipating the eventuality of aCCA ban, Forest Products Labscientists began work in 1988 on newtypes of preservative mixtures. Termed“totally organic biocides,” thesepreservatives will be easier to disposeof because they are environmentallybenign.

While Mississippi State alreadyhas received three patents based onorganic biocide research, universityscientists are working to make theproducts even more effective andeconomical.

“Organic biocide mixtures arecostly to make,” Schultz said. “Toaddress this, we have developedformulations that increase theefficiency of the mixture and lower thecost by using inexpensive additives,some of which are so safe they alsoare used as food additives.”

Testing of the new wood-protecting formulations began aboutfive years ago, but still has severalyears to go before the products will beready for public use.

“We are conducting both ground-contact and above-ground testing ofthe products and we need at least 10years of outdoor results,” Schultzadded. “The long testing periods arenecessary because treated wood isexpected to last for many years instructures like fences and decks.”

The research could be a majorstep in developing environmentallyfriendly and relatively low-cost woodpreservatives, which are important toboth the forest products industry andhomeowners, Schultz added.

FEATURES11College of Forest Resources Newsletter/Fall 2002

Mississippi State scientists withexpertise in sophisticated electronictracking systems are part of an ongoinginternational effort to protect the fewremaining great apes of Africa. A university team at the Forest andWildlife Research Center is usingequipment that can generate informationbased on geographic location todetermine when and where endangeredmountain gorillas come in contact withhumans and domestic animals.

The MSU effortis part of theMountain GorillaVeterinary Project,which provideshealth care for the 650 remaining gorillas in theCentral African countries of Rwanda, Uganda, andthe Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Every year, tourists from throughout the worldpay big bucks to trek into the gorillas’ distant junglehabitat. While they contribute much-needed revenueto the cash-strapped region, the visitors also posepossible health risks to the animals.

“The mountain gorillas have been catchingdiseases from tourists in the Virunga Mountains andVwindi Impenetrable National Park,” said MSUresearch scientist Rich Minnis. “Though only about

10 tourists make guided visits to the gorillas each day, a recent outbreak of mange amongthe animals has prompted scientists to take a closer look at the interaction of the mountaingorillas with humans, other primates, and livestock.” Minnis said the MSU research effort focuses on spatial information—time and space—in relation to the gorillas. Using data collected by guides as they take tourists into therefuge, the researchers record the location of the animals with a global positioningsystem, which uses satellite signals to plot locations on the ground. “This data can then be incorporated into a geographic information system, or GIS, todetermine where the gorillas travel and when they cross paths with humans,” Minnisexplained. “During the next nine months, we expect to record about 1,200 gorillaobservations. “Once incorporated into the GIS, the data will tell us where the gorillas travel and atwhat times and locations they come in contact with humans or livestock,” he added. Funded by the Englewood, Colo.-based Morris Animal Foundation, the Mountain

Gorilla Veterinary Project includes scientists from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., the Baltimore Zoo, and theUganda Wildlife Association, among others. The organization began work with the gorillas in 1986 at the urging ofanthropologist Dian Fossey, whose 18-year study of the endangered primates inspired the 1988 movie “Gorillas in theMist.”

Research helping protect real �gorillas in the mist�

Minnis


EVENTSAlumni

ALUMNIEVENTS

Fishing Derby and Picnic

CFR Social Events at Upcoming Annual MeeintgsLook for the CFR Alumni Society meeting at these upcoming events

WILDLIFE SOCIETY MEETING, Sept. 24-28, 2002 , Bismarck, N.D.MSSISSIPPI FORESTRY ASSOCIATION, Oct. 22-24, 2002, Jackson

SOCIETY OF AMERICAN FORESTERS, Oct. 5-10, 2002 , Winston-Salem, N.C.SOUTHEASTERN ASSOCIATION OF FISHERIES

AND WILDLIFE AGENCIES,Oct. 27-30, 2002, Baltimore, Md.

MISSISSIPPI SOCIETY OF AMERICAN FORESTERS, February, 2003, Tupelo

Forestry alumnus Ramsey Russelland son show off one of theircatches.

Ruth Cook, president of theCFR Alumni Society, addressesthe group as Dean Sam Fosterlooks on.

Interim President Charles Leeand wife Pat came by to enjoythe picnic festivities.

Wildlife and Fisheries alumnusDarren Miller and daughter showoff their catch.

Forestry professor Andy Ezell and hischildren seemed to have the best location forcatching the big ones.

Forestry alumnusI.Q. Eubanks andwife were able toreel one in.

Of the 2,519 current graduates ofour College of Forest Resources, youprobably wouldn’t be surprised to hearthat 58 percent currently are residingin Mississippi. However, test yourself.Can you correctly answer these twoquestions about your fellow alumni:

• CFR alumni can be found in howmany states of the union?

• Behind Mississippi, which arethe next five most “populated” states?

Mull on these while I update youon your CFR Alumni Society.

As in the past, we’ll be hostingbreakfasts or “socials” at the upcomingannual meetings. In the future, we’rehoping to expand these opportunitiesto get together through some regionaldinners and at neighboring states’forestry meetings, so watch fornotices. This upcoming spring, we’relooking to work with the Department ofForestry and the Forestry Club to holdour Spring Reunion in conjunction withthe Forestry Club’s Mini-Conclave/Field Day—so think about sharpeningup your skills! You’ll be getting moredetails shortly.

Budget cuts over the past yearshave left major holes within the collegethat grants and existing privatedonations have been unable to fill.The CFR Alumni Society is planningon stepping in to help. Boardmembers are working diligently withDean Foster, the department heads,and CFR faculty members to identifyand fill current specific needs withinthe college. Plans include supplyingresearch funding, acquiring teachingmaterials and equipment, and beefingup existing scholarship endowments,among other projects. By the time thisnewsletter is published, we should bewell under way.

Are you ready for answers? CFRalumni currently are represented in 48states and the District of Columbia.And the two we’re missing? Wyomingand Hawaii—any volunteers? BehindMississippi, CFR alumni are mostheavily concentrated in Alabama(249), Georgia (94), Tennessee (89),Florida (82), and Louisiana (80).

Letter from CFR alumnipresident Ruth Cook


Student ServicesSAF leads project learning tree Student places in

annual conclave

STUDENTSERVICES

Members of the Society ofAmerican Foresters Student Chapterat Mississippi State recently ledProject Learning Tree at Starkville’sOverstreet Elementary School.More than 300 students entered anessay contest, with Kristina Kunzfrom Harriet Rook’s class receivingthe $10 first prize and certificatefrom Brian Berryman, forestrysenior, and Jessica Smith, forestrygraduate student. The third-gradestudents not only receivedinstruction from university students,but also were encouraged to enter the essay contest based on the quotation,“What the Forest Means to Me.”

MSU student KevinParker of DeKalbrecentlyparticipated in the45th annualAssociation ofSouthern ForestryClubs Conclave atTexas A&MUniversity inCollege Station. A forestrysenior, Parker placed third in polefelling and second in logchopping during the competition.

Kristina Kunz, (l), receives her prize from BrianBerryman and Jessica Smith.

Parker

CFR AWARD WINNERSStudents were honored at the College of Forest Resources Annual AwardsBanquet for academic, service, and leadership accomplishments. Theyinclude (seated, l-r) Shelley Earles, outstanding member of the WildlifeLaw Enforcement Club; Joe Mallard, outstanding undergraduate student inforestry; Judson Hulsey, senior academic achievement in forestry; AmandaGrau, U.S. Forest Service science award and senior academic achievementaward in forestry; and Susan Stewart, outstanding undergraduate student inwildlife and fisheries. Standing are (l-r) Jacob Shively, sophomoreacademic achievement in wildlife and fisheries; Brad Stombock, senioracademic achievement and outstanding undergraduate awards in forestproducts; Robert Harmon, sophomore academic achievement award inforestry; Matthew Vrazel, outstanding graduate student in forest products;Andrew McKelroy, sophomore academic achievement award in forestproducts; Stan Copeland, outstanding forester award for the Forestry Club;Chad Dacus, Gluesing, outstanding graduate student in wildlife and

fisheries award and the David Nabi Memorial Award; and Mehmet Cetin Yuceer, Moehring Outstanding Graduate Student in Forestry Award. Eric Ehlers,outstanding graduate in forest products, and Ryan Toby, senior academic achievement in wildlife and fisheries, were unavailable for the photograph.

SPRING 2002 GRADUATESA special reception and ceremony honoring spring 2002 graduatesand their families was held in May. The dean presented thestudents with a certificate of completion as they marched in, and aclass photo was taken for the students.


ALUMNIUPDATES

Joe Snider (forestry, 1973) livesin Coffeeville.

Randy Pope (forestry, 1974) is aresident of Meridian. He and wifeAngie have three children, Matt, Jodi,and Savannah. Randy is self-employed.

David Barge (forestry, 1976) iswith Barge Forest Products Co. Heand wife Yvonne live in Macon.

Stephen A. Services (forestry,1976) lives in Homer, N.Y., with wifeGail. He is employed by GutchessLumber Co.

Stephen M. Butler (forestry,1977) is president of TimberCorp Inc.,a full service consulting forestry firm.He and wife Beth Barksdale Butler livein Brandon with daughter Elizabeth.

Jim Walley (forestry, 1977) is thehead of the Jones Junior Collegeforestry program. He and wife Debbielive in Ellisville. Jim’s son Jamie is a2001 graduate of the CFR and is acontractor providing forestry services.

Roy E. Trask Jr. (wildlife andfisheries, 1979) has worked for 22years with James M. Vardaman andCo. Inc. where he is district manager.He and wife Charlotte live inShreveport, La. They have twochildren, Kim and Trey, threegrandsons and two granddaughters.Roy and Charlotte say they areenjoying their grandchildren andtraveling.

Catalino A. Blanche (forestry,1981) is the national program leaderfor the USDA CSREES, administering$22 million a year in CooperativeForestry Grants and $5.7 million inWood Utilization Research Grants.Catalino and wife Fe Celeste live inWashington, D.C. They have twochildren Kathyrn, a 2000 MSUgraduate, and Kathleen.

Mark Gibson (forestry, 1981) isat the Naval Air Station in Pensacola,

Fla. He and wife Candace Gibson livein Cantonment with son Cory, 13.Mark also has a 23-year-old son,Philip.

Kathleen H. Kennedy (forestry,1984) lives in Potts Camp with herhusband Joe and stepson Joshua.

Keith Weaver (wildlife andfisheries, 1986) is the refugemanager of the Nulhegan BasinDivision, USFWS in Island Pond, Vt.He completed his Ph.D. in ecology atthe University of Tennessee in 1999,studying Louisiana black bear ecologyand management. He is married toTamara C. Weaver.

David B. Smith (forestry, 1988)works for Bowater Inc. He and wifeCheryl have two children, Chris andSarah, and live in Cleveland, Tenn.

Donna Oberholtzer (forestry,1989) works for Tate Lumber Co./T.Cattle Co. She and husband Nealhave two children, Emily and Matthew,and live in Skipwith, Va.

Keith Bain (forestry, 1990)currently is employed with LewisBrothers Lumber Co. in forestrymanagement. He and wife Donnahave a toddler, Carrington Davis.

Hongshu Guan (forestry, 1991)is employed by Harvard University. Heand wife Yulin Liu have one child,Clavin X., and live in Norwood, Mass.

Jason Spigner (forestry, 1991) iswith Spigner Inc. in Fulton. He andwife Samantha have two children,Joshua and Rachel.

Jeff Rogers (forestry, 1995)works as a procurement manager forGeorgia Pacific Corp. He and wifeKaren have two children, Chandlerand Peyton, and live in Brookhaven.

Jason B. Cutshall (forestry, 1996and 1999) is the executive director forthe Mississippi Loggers Association.

David A. Edwards Jr. (wildlifeand fisheries, 1996) is a wildlife

consultant/biologist with the GulfStates Paper Corp.–WesterveltWildlife Services in Demopolis, Ala.He previously was a wildlife biologistfor the Florida Game and FreshwaterFish Commission. David and wifeHeather have one son, Clayton.

Mary O. Owen (forestry, 1996)works for the Florida Division ofForestry. She is a forester at Tate’sHell State forest in Franklin County.

Kurt Michael Hodges (wildlifeand fisheries, 1998) is working forthe Florida Fish and WildlifeConservation Commission as theassistant leader of the small gamemanagement section. Kurt and wifeBeth live in Tallahassee.

Gregory Warren (forestry, 1998)is working for the USDA ForestService as a forest technician. Gregand wife Andrea live in Poplar Bluff,Mo.

Michael Boler (forestry, 1998)works for International Paper Co. inNatchez.

Aprille Barrett Cook (forestry,1998) was promoted to managementforester and transferred to Demopolis,Ala. She was married to Chris Cooklast fall.

Kimberly L. Sykes (forestry,1998) is employed as a forester withInternational Paper Co. and resides inFordyce, Ark.

Braxton Rushing (forestry,1999) is working for J.C. Penney Co.as a senior department manager inSlidell, La.

Stephen Bass (forestry, 1999) isworking for Amerisafe Inc. as anaccount executive. He lives inStarkville.

Michael Williams (forestry, 2001)is working as a soil scientist with theNatural Resource ConservationService in Ellisville.


As part of the College of Forest Resources newsletter, the alumni updates helpkeep us all connected. Please let us know about you, your careers, and family so we can let your friends andclassmates keep up with you. Please use the form below to share career changes, recognitions or honorsreceived, family updates, or other news. If you need more space, include a separate sheet of paper.

Name Spouse

Social Security Number

CFR Degree(s) and Year(s) Received

Address

City State ZIP

Home Phone Business Phone

E-mail

Occupation

Name of Business

Children/Grandchildren

Update Information

We want your news! To be included in the update, completeand return the form to MelissaMontgomery, Box 9680, MississippiState, MS 39762-9680 or [email protected].

The CFR Alumni Society helps support the College of Forest Resources. Although we work cooperatively withthe MSU Alumni Association, we are an entirely separate organization. To be a full-fledged member of the CFRAlumni Society, you must pay $25 dues annually. These dues are separate from any paid to the MSU AlumniAssociation. The alumni association does not collect dues for the CFR Alumni Society. CFR society dues arevalid from October 1 to September 30. If you would like to support the CFR Alumni Society, you may remit thisform with a $25 check or money order. You do not, however, have to be a member of the CFR Alumni Society tohave your news included in “Alumni Updates.”

Become a member of the CFR Alumni Society

College of Forest ResourcesBox 9680Mississippi State, MS 39762-9680

Mississippi State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, or veteran status. www.msstate.edu

Nonprofit OrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDMississippi State, Mississippi

Permit No. 81

Check out these new publications on our Web site

PUBLICATIONS

Financial maturity concepts with application to three hardwood timber standshttp://www.cfr.msstate.edu/fwrc/finmaturity.pdfIn this report we summarize basic financial maturity concepts from the applied standpoint of a forester or

other timber management professional. Our intent is to help foresters and others understand the backgroundand usefulness of financial maturity concepts. The concepts can be applied to many types of existing stands to

determine the optimal age of final harvest from a financial standpoint.

Forestry and forest products: The impact of the industry on the Mississippi economy–An input-output analysis. Basedon 1998 data.http://www.cfr.msstate.edu/fwrc/foinms2.pdfThe forest products industry includes four main sectors: logging, solid wood products, pulp and paper, and wood furnituremanufacturing. This study evaluates the importance of the forest products industry to the state’s economy.

Values, attitudes, and perceptions of forest industry constituency groupshttp://www.cfr.msstate.edu/fwrc/values.pdfAn industry-funded study identified the values, attitudes, and perceptions of constituents regarding forestry and the forestindustry in Mississippi. These constituencies included teachers, public agencies, loggers, non-industrial private forestlandowners, conservation/environmental groups, bankers, and legislators. The study also investigated the appropriatecommunication methods and messages preferred by each constituency group when receiving information about forestry.

Economic Choice for Hardwood Sawmill Operationshttp://www.cfr.msstate.edu/fwrc/echo.pdfThe Economic Choice for Hardwood Sawmill Operations (ECHO) is a software package developed to help analyze the economicbenefit of installing thinner-kerf and higher-accuracy sawing machines.

Innovate or Evaporate: Business concept innovation in the furniture industry in the age of informationhttp://www.cfr.msstate.edu/fwrc/business2.pdfToday, perhaps the most important competition is among “business concepts” – and innovative business concepts are fastevolving in many industries as a result of new information technologies.

A new nest box for wood duckshttp://www.cfr.msstate.edu/fwrc/nest.pdfNest boxes, which usually are made of wood, have been used widely for more than 60 years to establish and increase woodduck populations throughout the United States and Canada. It is believed that nest boxes are especially important for wood duckproduction in Mississippi and other southeastern states because suitable natural cavities are scarce.

forest resources - mississippi state university · earlier by the wildlife and fisheries...

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