Flomaton Natural Area clear cut

I recently received the following via email and was curious as to the circumstances surrounding the decision to have it clear-cut:

"Sometime, this past week, the last old-growth longleaf pine forest in lower Alabama was cut; just east of Flomaton. The 60-acre area was well known, well researched, and well used. What made this forest biologically unique is that it was well over 3 centuries old and was among the last parcel of land of its kind in the world (only a few other virgin longleaf pine stands remain across 9 southern states; and now no more of its kind in Alabama). To put it another way, this one forest was over 100 years old before Alabama became a state in 1819.

The original owner of the tract in the early 1900's was Alger-Sullivan Lumber Company and the owner set it aside on purpose (having cut everything else around it). Local folklore indicates this owner called it the "hell freezes over area"; which were the conditions under which he would have cut it. Since then, the property has changed hands several times; all to large timber companies. Due to its rarity, these forestry companies continued to preserve the location as natural area significant to Alabama and the Southeast. In 1963, the National Society of American Foresters (SAF) designated it as E. A. Hauss Old Growth Longleaf Natural Area. The SAF's definition of a natural area is "a tract of land set aside to preserve permanently in unmodified condition a representative unit of virgin growth of a major forest type, with the preservation primarily for scientific and educational purposes". The area was used extensively by local 4-H clubs, civic groups, etc. In 1998 when the adjacent state highway was widened, Champion International offered the trees removed from the ROW to Colonial Williamsburg to restore historic buildings due to the scarcity of old growth longleaf pine timbers. Also, Auburn University School of Forestry used the area for over a decade to study the conditions of longleaf pine forests in their most primal state. It was later renamed the Flomaton Natural Area see:
http://www.forestry.state.al.us/publication/T...

It seems that the tract was recently divested by Resource Management Services out of Birmingham to an adjacent landowner who then clear-cut the area and sold the old logs. RMS purports to have contacted various conservation organizations to see if they had an interest in buying the property."

If anyone could provide details, it would be much appreciated.

EPH wrote:

I recently received the following via email and was curious as to the circumstances surrounding the decision to have it clear-cut:
"Sometime, this past week, the last old-growth longleaf pine forest in lower Alabama was cut; just east of Flomaton. The 60-acre area was well known, well researched, and well used. What made this forest biologically unique is that it was well over 3 centuries old and was among the last parcel of land of its kind in the world (only a few other virgin longleaf pine stands remain across 9 southern states; and now no more of its kind in Alabama). To put it another way, this one forest was over 100 years old before Alabama became a state in 1819.
The original owner of the tract in the early 1900's was Alger-Sullivan Lumber Company and the owner set it aside on purpose (having cut everything else around it). Local folklore indicates this owner called it the "hell freezes over area"; which were the conditions under which he would have cut it. Since then, the property has changed hands several times; all to large timber companies. Due to its rarity, these forestry companies continued to preserve the location as natural area significant to Alabama and the Southeast. In 1963, the National Society of American Foresters (SAF) designated it as E. A. Hauss Old Growth Longleaf Natural Area. The SAF's definition of a natural area is "a tract of land set aside to preserve permanently in unmodified condition a representative unit of virgin growth of a major forest type, with the preservation primarily for scientific and educational purposes". The area was used extensively by local 4-H clubs, civic groups, etc. In 1998 when the adjacent state highway was widened, Champion International offered the trees removed from the ROW to Colonial Williamsburg to restore historic buildings due to the scarcity of old growth longleaf pine timbers. Also, Auburn University School of Forestry used the area for over a decade to study the conditions of longleaf pine forests in their most primal state. It was later renamed the Flomaton Natural Area see:
http://www.forestry.state.al.us/publication/T...
It seems that the tract was recently divested by Resource Management Services out of Birmingham to an adjacent landowner who then clear-cut the area and sold the old logs. RMS purports to have contacted various conservation organizations to see if they had an interest in buying the property."
If anyone could provide details, it would be much appreciated.

Have you verified that this in fact occurred?

Hi Yes fact is indeed correct. There wasnt much to clearcut though. After Hurricane Ivan tore through here it took down most of the trees there with exception of a few that were left damaged.

That is unfortunately untrue about Hurricane Ivan. It only impacted about one-third of the forest and regeneration had already begun to established itself. I feel people are telling themselves that to make this easier.

If you want to know the whole truth, here is the name of a doctor at Auburn University who worked directly in the forest and has published much research about it, including an article on its demise:

John Kush, Ph.D.
kushjoh@auburn.edu

if it can be destroyed, it will be destroyed.