problems, helping landowners locate reputable 
vendors, coordinating the distribution of tree 
planters, establishing demonstration plots, plus 
training foresters, vendors, and landowners in all 
phases of reforestation. 
3. Landowner conferences 
A large number of Georgians who own forest 
land make their homes in urban areas, often some 
distance from their rural property. In order to ap- 
prise these absentee owners of the economic im- 
portance of regeneration, the value of sound forest 
management practices, and the various services 
offered by the Georgia Forestry Commission, 
landowner conferences are held each year in sever- 
al of the State's large cities. These conferences are 
cosponsored by the Georgia Forestry Commission, 
Cooperative Extension Service, Forest Farmers As- 
sociation, Georgia Forestry Association, and forest 
industry. 
4. Vendor workshops 
A series of 18 workshops was held around the 
State. They attracted more than 1,100 participants, 
50 percent of whom were landowners and 26 per- 
cent vendors. The workshops are conducted to 
help improve site preparation and planting tech- 
niques. 
5. Seed-tree demonstration plots 
To increase the use of natural regeneration and 
encourage landowners to plan for the future before 
they harvest, we have established 65 demonstration 
plots throughout the State to show landowners vari- 
ous low-cost regeneration alternatives. 
6. Herbicide demonstration plots 
To show landowners how herbicides can in- 
crease forest productivity, we have established re- 
search and demonstration plots in 100 of Georgia's 
159 counties, using materials donated by chemical 
companies. 
7. Direct seeding demonstration areas 
Because direct seeding can provide landown- 
ers with some regeneration when more successful 
methods of tree planting and natural regeneration 
are not economically feasible, the Commission pro- 
24 
vides seed and various seeders to landowners who 
request this aid. 
8. Conservation Reserve Program 
More than any other single effort, the initiation of 
the Conservation Reserve Program in 1986, through 
the efforts of Senators Nunn, Cochran, Hefner, and 
others, has boosted reforestation efforts in Georgia 
and throughout the South. This is the first year since 
the Soil Bank days of the 1950's that nonindustrial 
private forest landowners' planting efforts have ex- 
ceeded those of industry. We expect this trend will 
continue for the duration of the program. 
Through the mutual cooperation of the Georgia 
Forestry Commission, Cooperative Extension Serv- 
ice, Soil Conservation Service, Agricultural Stabi- 
lization and Conservation Service, and other 
groups, 135,000 acres were approved to be planted 
in trees in Georgia during the 1986 signup periods. 
This figure comprises 30 percent of the total nation- 
al acreage to be planted in trees. Furthermore, 
nearly 98 percent of the Conservation Reserve 
Program acres in Georgia will be planted in trees. 
For 1987, 168,000 acres have been tentatively 
accepted in Georgia thus far, and a total of 518,710 
acres have been tentatively accepted throughout 
the southern region. 
9. Nurseries 
Together, the Conservation Reserve Program 
and the Georgia Forestry Commission's reforesta- 
tion efforts have increased the demand for tree 
seedlings. 
At present, forest industry in Georgia owns sev- 
en nurseries that produced 178 million tree 
seedlings in 1986. In addition, the Georgia Forestry 
Commission's four nurseries produced 156 million 
seedlings. 
In 1987, industry nurseries will produce approxi- 
mately 180 million seedlings. The Georgia Forestry 
Commission will establish a fifth nursery with a ca- 
pacity of 50 million seedlings. The Commission is 
planning to produce a total of 200 million seedlings 
this year, although as recently as 1976, the produc- 
tion was only 39 million seedlings. 
This year's total seedling production of 390 mil- 
lion will help us achieve our goal of regenerating an 
acre of trees for every acre harvested in Georgia. 
We anticipate another record-breaking planting 
season. Since the Forestry Development Commit- 
tee was formed in 1983, a total of 1,235,000 acres of 
