Hike the Headwaters of Choccolocco Creek

Choccolocco Creek

Mark your calendars for April 28th from 1pm – 5pm, the Choccolocco Creek Watershed Alliance will host a hike through the Choccolocco Creek Watershed. The trek will be lead by Jacksonville State University’s own Francine Hutchinson. She is the Assistant Herbarium Curator as well as a seasoned Ethno-botanist. She will bring a wealth of knowledge with her on our hike. Come prepared to learn some interesting things about the forest as well as the plant species that have been an important resource for hundreds of years.

Trailhead Location:  Dugger Mountain Rd within the Talladega National Forest.

Directions: From Piedmont, AL head East on Vigo Rd. for approximately 2.5 miles.

                         Turn right onto Hebble Hwy heading South towards Dugger Mountain.

                         Turn left onto Dugger Mountain Rd (also called CR 500), still heading South.

                         Stay on Dugger Mountain Road for approximately 1.5 miles as it bends through the Vigo  community  and enters Talladega National Forest (there will be a sign)

                         Once you enter Talladega National Forest, the trailhead will be another 1.5 miles.

                         The paved road becomes dirt and you will pass a “One Lane Bridge”sign.

                         Continue another 1/4 mile down Dugger Mountain Rd.

                         Look for the Dugger Wilderness sign on the right, at the tree-line.

                         Park along the side of the road.

Please Register for this free hiking event and bring a friend, water, snacks and your camera.

This will not be a difficult or fast-paced hike. To register or for  more information, go to www.choccoloccocreekalliance.org

 

Job Opening for ACUB Program Director

The Georgia Land Trust is seeking applications for the director of ACUB Programs. The director of the Ft. Stewart Army Compatible Use Buffer(ACUB) is based in GLT’s Savannah office and is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the ACUB program. Other responsibilities include over seeing the land conservation program in the Savannah area and habitat restoration on Land Trust owned property. The director will also assist with other GLT-related conservation operations.

The Georgia Land Trust is seeking qualified applicants. A bachelor’s degree in natural resources, ecology and environmental studies is a must, plus 3-5 years work experience in land conservation. Candidates with a legal background or a law degree are preferred. Even though this job is based in an office environment, candidates must also be able to work outside in changing weather conditions on occasion.

Salary is commensurate with experience and full benefits are available. For more information or to send a cover lettter and resume, contact kmalloy@galandtrust.org. Please reference “Program Director” in your subject line. No phone calls please. For more details on this opening, click the link Job Description_FSGa ACUB Program Manager_3Apr13

 

Public Comment Needed: Accreditation Process Begins

Alabama Land Trust, Georgia Land Trust, and The Chattowah Open Land Trust need your help.  Our organizations are applying for national accreditation with the Land Trust Accreditation Commission’s accreditation program and we need your input.

The accreditation program’s seal is recognition of a land conservation organization’s performance under the Standards & Practices of the Land Trust Alliance.

“Accreditation will establish our commitment for meeting national standards for excellence and professionalism,” Katherine Eddins, executive director of ALT, GLT, and COLT said.

Gaining the accreditation seal would place ALT, GLT, and COLT in the company of other leaders in the land conservation movement around the country that have demonstrated strong adherence to sound stewardship principles, and that also utilize the 12 organizational and transactional practices recognized as the leading standards by the Land Trust Alliance.

The Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, conducts an extensive review of each applicant’s policies and programs. This process will result in a thorough assessment of the policies and practices we use and ultimately will guide us to a more efficient and effective way of operating.

The Commission is seeking public input and is accepting signed, written comments on pending applications. Comments must relate to how the Alabama Land Trust, Georgia Land Trust, and the Chattowah Open Land Trust comply with national quality standards. These standards address the organizational and transactional practices of a land trust. For the full list of standards see www.landtrustaccreditation.org/tips-and-tools/indicator-practices .

To learn more about the accreditation program visit  , and to submit a comment, visit www.landtrustaccreditation.org/submit-a-comment-on-a-current-applicant , or email your comment to info@landtrustaccreditation.org .

Comments may also be faxed or mailed to the Land Trust Accreditation Commission,

Attn: Public Comments: (fax) 518-587-3183;

(mail) 112 Spring St., Suite 204,

Saratoga Springs, NY 12866.

Comments on our applications should be submitted by June 1.

 

Lula Lake Spotlighted by “Chattanooga Magazine”

Patricia King and Noel Durant

Best Day Hikes

From “Chattanooga Magazine”

Visitors and residents need easy access to outdoor recreation for exercise and the opportunity to see the natural world around Chattanooga. Fortunately there are several great trails that are perfect for day hiking. Some are relatively new and they offer interesting views over a variety of terrain. Those featured here are easy to moderate trails that hikers of all ages may enjoy. The trails are maintained by various conservation organizations or by the city.

Cloudland Connector Trail

Long Branch Trail may be accessed at the Nick-A-Jack Trailhead

The Lula Lake Land Trust protects the 4,000-acre Rock Creek watershed on Lookout Mountain and oversees the new Cloudland Connector trails that encompass three segments—the Long Branch Trail section, with direct access from Nick-A-Jack Road, the popular 5-Points Trail and a the Ascalon Trail section. Five-Points is well used by mountain bikers on the weekends.

The Lula Lake Land Trust was established by the will of Robert M. Davenport in January of 1994. The Trust is governed by a 10-member board and has a staff of two, new Development Director Tricia King and Land Manager Noel Durant. King, who was formerly with Land Trust for Tennessee, was recently tapped to develop the education component of the work of the Trust. Noel came to the Trust over two years ago from the park service and is knowledgeable about the biological inventory of plant life found there.

“Hikers are welcome. We can accommodate scout troops and class outings,” says King. “And the trails are open seven days a week through our partnership with Cloudland Canyon State Park.” The core property where the lake and falls are is open to the public from 9-5 on the first and last Saturday of each month. Groups may reserve the core property during the week for outings by contacting Noel Durant.

Parking is free at the Nick-A-Jack Trailhead where hikers may access the Long Branch Trail. The other trailheads in the system require a $5 parking fee.

The Long Branch Trail is open for hiking biking and horseback riding. The trailhead has a pavilion for picnicking and a latrine-style, enclosed outhouse. Well-maintained trails and dramatic views of the mountains are a highlight of this day hike, which is especially beautiful in spring and fall. The trailhead is 15 minutes south of Chattanooga.

Visit www.lulalake.org for directions to the trailhead and maps.

 

Timber Tax Sources Available for Forest Landowners

Timber Tax Sources Available for Forest Landowners

The National Timber Tax Website -  http://timbertax.org – Is sponsored by the USDA Forest Service and managed by the University of Georgia’s Center for Forest Business.  It contains valuable information and links to timber tax information including federal, estate and state tax law websites.  It also has a section on new developments with links to new publications, workshops, related sources of information and a whole lot more.

Dr. Linda Wang, Timber Tax Specialist with the Forest Service is responsible for the content.

NWOA Timber Tax Website – http://timbertax.com – Is maintained and managed by the National Woodland Owners Association.  It has valuable links to service providers and state Extension Services and other course sponsors.

Federal Income Tax on Timber: A Quick Guide for Woodland Owners, 4th Edition, 2012 – FS-1007 – Click here for link to an online pdf file.

Tax Tips for Forest Landowners for the 2012 Tax Year – Management Bulletin R8-MB 141.  Click here for link to an online pdf file.

In addition, the forestry webinars portal (http://forestrywebinars.net) hosted a live webinar on timber taxes recently.  The archived version can be accessed at any time by following the prompts on the website to search for past webinars.  Make sure you search for the webinar entitled “Income Tax on Timber for Your 2012 Tax Return Filing”.

 

 

Choccolocco Creek Watershed Alliance

Volunteers show how much garbage was collected in Choccolocco Creek.

Choccolocco Creek Watershed Alliance

www.choccoloccocreekalliance.org

The Choccolocco Creek Watershed Alliance (CCWA) is an exciting and relatively new project of the Alabama Land Trust. The new group consists of volunteers from various walks of life working together to improve the Choccolocco Creek Watershed. The group is a non-advocacy, broad based group that promotes improving the quality of the watershed and helps encourage the protection of the watershed for the benefit of wildlife, residents and businesses.

The Alabama Land Trust has taken an active role in steering the group towards many events and partnerships throughout the area. In fact, the Alabama Land Trust’s own Christy Claes serves as the Choccolocco Creek Watershed Coordinator to ensure that various projects and events are a success. Choccolocco Creek has been a special project area for the Alabama Land Trust as it has spent the better half of a decade working to encourage landowners to protect the creek corridor and help retain forested riparian buffers critical to water and habitat quality.

The CCWA is new but it has already held many events in and around the watershed.  2013 is shaping up to be a great year  and the first event kicks off in March.

* Clean-The-Creek Event: March 23, 2013 - 8am-Noon

CCWA teamed up with Alabama Power’s Renew Our Rivers effort by hosting a Clean-The-Creek event on the lower Choccolocco. Last year 25-30 volunteers removed 65 garbage bags of trash from the creek. This year, CCWA is hosting the Clean-The-Creek on March 23, from 8 am  until noon and we are always in need of additional volunteers! Register for the event and get  your bags, gloves and free volunteer t-shirt on the CCWA website.

 

Job Opening for Conservation Planner

The Georgia Land Trust has a job opening for the position of Conservation Planner.  The Planner (CP) will work for the Georgia Land Trust, Inc. under a cooperative agreement with Fort Stewart to assist in the administration of the Army Compatible Use Program (ACUB).  The CP will be located in GLT’s Savannah office and work directly with the ACUB Program Manager and other GLT staff.

Salary is commensurate with experience and full benefits will be available. Please send a cover letter and resume to kmalloy@galandtrust.org.  No phone calls please.  Please reference “Conservation Planner” in your Subject line.  Please click the link for a full job description. Conservation Planner_Job Description_KM_30Jan13