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GulfCoast66

(11,949 posts)
40. As a plant/biology guy I geek out on this subject!
Sat Jul 6, 2019, 09:29 PM
Jul 2019

The pine tree swindle pulled from South Carolina to east Texas may become a great asset.

Swindle? For the past 50 year tons of landowners were convinced to plant pines on their land as sure money. And they did by the millions of acres. But the predictable happened. They are now not really worth the price of harvesting. What with the digital age and recycling there is no demand for them. Sucks for the landowners. But might be good for us. It not worth plowing the down and planting row crops because the price of the crops does not pay for the effort on most of the land, which is marginal for row crops anyway. Which is why pines were planted in the first place.

But given time those pines start to give way to the hardwood forest evolution dictated. I already see this happening where I deer hunt in Arkansas. Forest that were all pine when I was a kid 45 years ago are turning into hardwood forests.

Sure, there is still harvesting going on. But not at a level that will use all or even most of the forest.

And over time these families come to like their new woods. My right wing uncle sure does.

Florida has an innovative program where families can basically ‘sell’ the development rights to the land. They keep it with greatly reduced tax assessments. But can’t develop it.

We have been reforesting this country for the past 50 years. My dad remembers a South with no deer that looked like the Great Plains. One small farm or sharecropper after another.

Sorry for carrying on. But this is a subject that gets me going. My goal is that someday our grandchildren can see the great forest of the Eastern US that died over the past 3 centuries. I sure won’t.




It would be a good start... Wounded Bear Jul 2019 #1
Its a terrific start! Bayard Jul 2019 #2
Excellent idea and sources! 🌳 Duppers Jul 2019 #24
Thanks for this. I love trees, and I plant some every year. cwydro Jul 2019 #49
Pine and oak trees in particular consume more co2, so focus on them ck4829 Jul 2019 #3
From my experience, plant pines and the oaks will come csziggy Jul 2019 #7
Cedars suck ground water starving most everything else.......... Bengus81 Jul 2019 #33
Well, we're in the South - most years no worry about cedars using too much water csziggy Jul 2019 #34
Just as an FYI. Not taking anything from your excellent post. GulfCoast66 Jul 2019 #38
Interesting - they were sold by the Forestry Department as Southern Red Cedars csziggy Jul 2019 #42
Yeah. They are called cedars by everyone, including me. GulfCoast66 Jul 2019 #46
Not trees...bamboo - invasive as hell. Grows MUCH faster than trees, excellent carbon sink. harumph Jul 2019 #4
Bambo can be used as a building material, flooring and paneling material. Blue_true Jul 2019 #8
Hemp G_j Jul 2019 #9
Yes. nt Blue_true Jul 2019 #19
Bamboo is invasive in North America. GulfCoast66 Jul 2019 #39
Better yet, plant lots of succulent plants. Blue_true Jul 2019 #5
Love succulents mcar Jul 2019 #6
Read up on how they convert COx to oxygen 24/7. Blue_true Jul 2019 #15
I will mcar Jul 2019 #29
Kicked and recommended. Uncle Joe Jul 2019 #10
But Reagan told us that trees pollute. Everyman Jackal Jul 2019 #11
Drones are capable of planting a LOT of trees mn9driver Jul 2019 #12
This message was self-deleted by its author Chin music Jul 2019 #26
Meanwhile, in the Amazon... Snarkoleptic Jul 2019 #13
+! jalan48 Jul 2019 #16
Bolsonaro, G_j Jul 2019 #25
So f'ing depressing man ... we are DOOMED ... (nt) mr_lebowski Jul 2019 #31
This will only work if business and big corporations can make an obscene profit.. mitch96 Jul 2019 #14
Actually honeowners and thoughtful farmers can have a major impact. Blue_true Jul 2019 #17
5 acre to 1 million acre farms can have a major positive impact on the ecosystem " mitch96 Jul 2019 #35
Try a mixture of Aloe and Red Oak trees. Blue_true Jul 2019 #36
"Aloe and Red Oak trees." mitch96 Jul 2019 #43
Somebody has to pay for the seeds and seedlings Trees don't grow on trees, you know. marylandblue Jul 2019 #28
Fine, then pay them off for doing it ... it's still cheaper than climate change (nt) mr_lebowski Jul 2019 #30
Kick and Recommend. A ray of light in the dark. bronxiteforever Jul 2019 #18
Trees of Hope, wonderful. appalachiablue Jul 2019 #20
Stop all deforestation. roamer65 Jul 2019 #21
I have a stream that I allow to grow wild. Farmer-Rick Jul 2019 #22
It is great that you are doing what you are. nt Blue_true Jul 2019 #37
Ocean plankton. paulkienitz Jul 2019 #23
Or drink eco friendly vodka and let someone else do the planting Brother Buzz Jul 2019 #27
Kick, nt stopwastingmymoney Jul 2019 #32
As a plant/biology guy I geek out on this subject! GulfCoast66 Jul 2019 #40
I see forestry done in Fla off 19 north of Cheifland mitch96 Jul 2019 #44
And lots of cows! GulfCoast66 Jul 2019 #45
" lots of cows!" mitch96 Jul 2019 #47
The Mormon Church owns millions of cattle farming acres. Blue_true Jul 2019 #48
I'm glad this story was written -- I've seen it several places -- but it still baffles me misanthrope Jul 2019 #41
Kick ck4829 Jul 2019 #50
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