Forestry and Wildlife Agent Update- Tom Brant

January 5, 2021

During the pandemic, I have remained in contact with my forestry and wildlife clients in McCormick by phone, text, and email. I answered a wide array of questions including, bark falling off white oaks, dying pine trees with beetle issues, and identifying yellowstriped oak worms. I was able to assist a client in enrolling his timberland property into the SC Tree Farm program. I assisted a landowner with advice on managing quail on his property.  There were some traditional forest management questions too. Particularly on the proper time to thin pine stands and how to get timber thinned or final harvested.

I sent several virtual program announcements to my client list. The announcements included program topics on invasive plants, invasive insects, pesticide credit classes, and timber tax issues. One directed specifically to women was the Women Owning Woodlands program.

I have remained in contact with the McCormick County Forestry Association Board members concerning their quarterly meetings and their plans for these meetings. The current Board members were asked and agreed to remain in place moving forward to 2021 to provide continuity in leadership for the Association. I also worked with a group of other Agents to provide Virtual Association programs to Association members. We presented programs on Fall Wildlife Food Plots and Controlling Privet in Your Woodlands. We had over 100 participants at both and plan to continue with more of these meetings.

I assisted with installing a series of demonstration plots on the John de la Howe school property. Plots on chemically controlling kudzu in timberland and controlling understory competition in timber stands were set up and treated. The goal was to have in-person tours for timberland owners in the surrounding area showcasing the treatments’ results. However, issues around the COVID virus prevented those in-person programs from taking place. We are currently working on a virtual program to discussing the results.

For more information on Forestry and Natural Resource related issues and programs, please contact Tom Brant by email at jbrant@clemson.edu or phone at 864-465-5030.

View across several kudzu control demo plots.    Understory vegetation being affected by treatment in demo plot