Has anybody ever lost timber to fire on CRP land?

GATreeGrower · July 18, 2012, 08:15:56 PM

If so, what was the outcome?

WDH · July 18, 2012, 09:12:15 PM

I have CRP plantations, and they have had fire, but it was prescribed.

beenthere · July 18, 2012, 09:23:59 PM

What size was the "timber" and what age?

GATreeGrower · July 18, 2012, 09:37:17 PM

26 yr old mostly chipnsaw...this too was a prescribed burn...GFC techs set it and walked all the way around the stand with torches, all the fire ran into the middle in a hot spot, and once it got into the canopy, it killed about 3 acres from the burn, about 2-3 more acres is being eaten up by the bugs

WDH · July 18, 2012, 09:45:21 PM

That is a shame. I am not sure what the casualty loss rules are with the IRS anymore. They used to be complicated

. The fire damage probably brought the bugs in.

GATreeGrower · July 18, 2012, 09:52:43 PM

WDH, that's what my granddaddy has been stewing about. It comes out of CRP in Oct and he sees no choice but to cut it to prevent the whole stand going down. Then of course it can't go back into CRP.....the forester recommended thinning it this summer...ehh

GATreeGrower · July 18, 2012, 09:54:13 PM

I just dont know about thinning in summer months when bugs are already present

WDH · July 18, 2012, 10:00:28 PM

I don't think that is a problem as the bark beetles seek out the weak trees, and the thinning will strengthen the leave trees. The Ips beetles will get a few, but they always get a few. It would be good to know which species of bark beetle that you have in the area damaged by the fire. I suspect that they are Ips, which would be much better than if they are Southern Pine Beetle. The SPB's can be nasty.

Is your Forester associated with the GRC/NRCS, or private?

GATreeGrower · July 18, 2012, 10:17:12 PM

He's the CRP (NRCS) forester for that county...or one of them, don't know how that works. I don't know, WDH, alot of it was scorched to the point where the bark will fall off at the touch. I don't know that thinning it wouldn't just result in a slower death of some good trees :/ ?

WDH · July 19, 2012, 07:30:08 AM

I am pretty confident that thinning will help it. If I get over that way, I will come over and look at it with you if you would like.

Texas Ranger · July 19, 2012, 10:07:11 AM

If the burners were licensed, they need to have the license reviewed. That type of burn is a no no. They created the problem.

Claybraker · July 19, 2012, 10:45:56 AM

GFC would be Georgia Forestry Commision. I knew they would cut fire breaks for cheap, and help with a fire, but didn't know they would handle all of it. Something I need to check into.

barbender · July 19, 2012, 10:59:11 AM

Sounds like maybe they can't handle it :

WDH · July 19, 2012, 08:01:35 PM

Sometimes, things happen, if you know what I mean :

.

GATreeGrower · July 19, 2012, 09:50:25 PM

Texas Ranger, I agree.....that is the most frustrating part. I understand people make mistakes, but the way the burn was conducted seemed like a lot of carelessness to me. I don't like fire.

GATreeGrower · July 19, 2012, 09:57:12 PM

WDH, I would like for somebody else to look at it for sure. The forester there hacked into a good tree to test and didn't seal it...that seems like a "don't give a *DanG" move to me...same with the burning

thecfarm · July 20, 2012, 06:35:43 AM

What is CRP?

Norm · July 20, 2012, 06:40:57 AM

It's called crop reserve program. Basically it's a government program that you enroll land into it and agree to not farm it in my area. You do have to keep the weeds down but most in my area just let them go so they can seed the neighbors land. You do get paid for doing this also.