Wheeler/Telfair Forestry Wins Unit of the Year
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The Georgia Forestry Commission recently commended the Telfair/Wheeler Forestry Unit for their tireless efforts to help the counties recover from Hurricane Helene, as the Commission announced the Unit as this year’s Unit of the Year for Landowner Service.
Each year, the Georgia Forest- continued from page
ry Commission Unit of the Year award recognizes one of the Commission’s units that have gone above and beyond in their efforts to serve their county and community. These units are celebrated for their service and dedication to their communities and counties, as each unit works to ensure that their region is supported in their efforts to maintain and cultivate excellent forests.
Over the last year, member of the Telfair/ Wheeler County Forestry Unit have spent thousands of hours cleaning up forest areas within the county that were damaged during Hurricane Helene, even while experiencing loss themselves. Telfair/Wheeler Forestry Unit Chief Ranger Tim Hartley lost 5,000 acres of timber during the storm – yet, even amidst the loss, recognized his and his team’s duty to serve. “It’s our job, and we’ve got a great bunch to work with. We take it day by day and just keep going,” he emphasized.
The team invested nearly 300 hours in plowing/ burning, and more than 5,200 acres were burned prescribed over the year. At the same time, the unit’s average equipment inspection score was over 97 percent.
In addition to these clean-up efforts, the team also continued to respond quickly and effectively to emergencies, keeping the average wildfire response time to around 4 minutes and the average fire size to 2.6 acres.
This work did not go unseen, as while Governor Brian Kemp and Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones were visiting the area to assess Hurricane Helene damage and clean-up, the men praised the unit for their perseverance in helping the area to recover.
“Going above and beyond is truly the norm at this unit,” remarked Georgia Forestry Commission Director Johnny Sabo. “They consistently produce superior results for landowners, which has never been more evident than in the wake of this destructive hurricane. Telfair/Wheeler is especially deserving of this award.”
