Better Together
How the GFC Helped Landowners Weather Helene
Winter 2025
By Stasia Kelly
It’s been several months since Ron Calhoun heard a roar “like a train,” followed by the crushing sound of 100-year old pecan trees falling on his house. Not faraway, Calhoun’s Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC) colleague Ken McDonald heard similar sounds. His wife crawled under a mattress in the bathroom, seconds before a giant pine tree plunged through the rafters.
It’s terrifying when 100-mph winds strike in the night to the sounds of cracking trees and flying debris. But not as surreal as when daylight creeps in. “It was like a war zone,” said lifelong Montgomery County resident and GFC Ranger 3 Ken Braddy. “This area has looked the same my whole life. Now, every bit of it is just... gone. ”The region’s GFC teams had prepared for responding to rough weather, but this kind of devastation was unlike anything that could have been imagined. Still, without normal communication systems and without power, a strong pull was connecting these employees.
“I felt like I needed to get to work,” saidMcDonald. “So, we went to cuttin’,” added GFC Toombs Ranger Paul Beasley.
Neighbors fell in line with GFC personnel who’d started digging themselves out. Braddy said it took seven hours for three neighbors with three tractors and three chainsaws to reach a paved road just one mile away. The scene was repeated scores of times across Helene’s path.
Clearing the Way
Following the storm, Treutlen County Commission Chairman Phil Jennings was facing his own troubles. No phones. No internet. No way to gather his own troops of helpers. Cut off from any help, he credits the efforts of the entire Treutlen community for working together to pick up the pieces. And he gives a hearty nod to his Starlink web service, which enabled local leaders to finally reach state emergency contacts.
“You want to talk about who was on the scene first,” Jennings said, “it was GFC. Forestry did an amazing job.”
“A lot of people know us as firefighters,” said McDonald, “but they don’t really know all we do. We are public servants.
It’s terrifying when 100-mph winds strike in the night to the sounds of cracking trees and flying debris. But not as surreal as when daylight creeps in. “It was like a war zone,” said lifelong Montgomery County resident and GFC Ranger 3 Ken Braddy. “This area has looked the same my whole life. Now, every bit of it is just... gone. ”The region’s GFC teams had prepared for responding to rough weather, but this kind of devastation was unlike anything that could have been imagined. Still, without normal communication systems and without power, a strong pull was connecting these employees.
“I felt like I needed to get to work,” saidMcDonald. “So, we went to cuttin’,” added GFC Toombs Ranger Paul Beasley.
Neighbors fell in line with GFC personnel who’d started digging themselves out. Braddy said it took seven hours for three neighbors with three tractors and three chainsaws to reach a paved road just one mile away. The scene was repeated scores of times across Helene’s path.
Clearing the Way
Following the storm, Treutlen County Commission Chairman Phil Jennings was facing his own troubles. No phones. No internet. No way to gather his own troops of helpers. Cut off from any help, he credits the efforts of the entire Treutlen community for working together to pick up the pieces. And he gives a hearty nod to his Starlink web service, which enabled local leaders to finally reach state emergency contacts.
“You want to talk about who was on the scene first,” Jennings said, “it was GFC. Forestry did an amazing job.”
“A lot of people know us as firefighters,” said McDonald, “but they don’t really know all we do. We are public servants.
”Today, Ron Calhoun’s memories are still close to the surface. “There were people stuck in their houses for seven days,” said Calhoun, GFC chief ranger for Montgomery, Toombs and Treutlen Counties. “People who couldn’t communicate, the elderly who needed oxygen and had no lights, no power. GFC opened the path so those critical supplies could be delivered. That’s rewarding.
”In all, some 400 GFC employees, in a variety of roles, served hurricane-ravaged areas across the state. Agency resources included 24 bulldozer strike teams, 10 chainsaw/skid steer task forces, seven fixed-wing aircraft and one helicopter. Countless supplies were delivered, including six generators, MREs (MealsReady to Eat), tarps, and multiple loads of water and cots. Water tanks were provided to nursing homes and hospitals, along with seven refrigerator trucks for food storage. An estimated 40,000 miles of public access roads were cleared. More importantly, it was all done safely, with no GFC injuries.
The GFC, in connection with the University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, has produced an assessment of hurricane impacts statewide. It verifies a total impact of $1.28 billion on Georgia’s entire timber resource. The report documents species, product class, percent damage and location. Hurricane Helene had recorded winds up to 100 miles per hour from Valdosta to Augusta, traversing 8.9 million acres of forestland before exiting the northeast corner of the state.
”In all, some 400 GFC employees, in a variety of roles, served hurricane-ravaged areas across the state. Agency resources included 24 bulldozer strike teams, 10 chainsaw/skid steer task forces, seven fixed-wing aircraft and one helicopter. Countless supplies were delivered, including six generators, MREs (MealsReady to Eat), tarps, and multiple loads of water and cots. Water tanks were provided to nursing homes and hospitals, along with seven refrigerator trucks for food storage. An estimated 40,000 miles of public access roads were cleared. More importantly, it was all done safely, with no GFC injuries.
The GFC, in connection with the University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, has produced an assessment of hurricane impacts statewide. It verifies a total impact of $1.28 billion on Georgia’s entire timber resource. The report documents species, product class, percent damage and location. Hurricane Helene had recorded winds up to 100 miles per hour from Valdosta to Augusta, traversing 8.9 million acres of forestland before exiting the northeast corner of the state.
This Completely Changes the Landscape’
Following any severe weather event that affects timberland, GFC specialists are the trusted team that stands ready to serve their communities, neighbors and friends— the forest landowners of Georgia.
“The clean-up and restoration effort is a marathon, not a sprint,” said GFCDirector Johnny Sabo. “We’ll be working on this for a while to come.
”Professional ground-level assessments have been occurring since the winds died down and pickup trucks could reach affected tracts. Landowners and foresters involved in cleanup have utilized the important management guide provided below. It details the three pillars of storm management, which are “assess, salvage and restore.
”Thorough assessments are the ground-work that helps determine harvest levels and develop a plan to move forward with a harvest and/or restoration. In many areas, salvage plans have been thwarted by the sheer volume of debris and limitations of mills to accept wood. Each complication weighs heavily on GFC’s landowner partners, and agency personnel as well. There is also the enormous question of money.
“I’m blessed,” said Calhoun. “But how do you recover? What’s your next step? Insurance companies give you a third of what it’s worth and that doesn’t cover anything but the house. I’m offering my timber for free! Y’all can have it! But no one comes. The market is flooded.”
“The one common denominator — and economic supplier — in this area is timber,” said GFC Region 4 Lead Forester Matt O’Connor. “And the timber market was already depressed. Now there’s an undersupply of poles and saw timber. This completely changes the landscape. This hurts everyone in the whole chain.
Following any severe weather event that affects timberland, GFC specialists are the trusted team that stands ready to serve their communities, neighbors and friends— the forest landowners of Georgia.
“The clean-up and restoration effort is a marathon, not a sprint,” said GFCDirector Johnny Sabo. “We’ll be working on this for a while to come.
”Professional ground-level assessments have been occurring since the winds died down and pickup trucks could reach affected tracts. Landowners and foresters involved in cleanup have utilized the important management guide provided below. It details the three pillars of storm management, which are “assess, salvage and restore.
”Thorough assessments are the ground-work that helps determine harvest levels and develop a plan to move forward with a harvest and/or restoration. In many areas, salvage plans have been thwarted by the sheer volume of debris and limitations of mills to accept wood. Each complication weighs heavily on GFC’s landowner partners, and agency personnel as well. There is also the enormous question of money.
“I’m blessed,” said Calhoun. “But how do you recover? What’s your next step? Insurance companies give you a third of what it’s worth and that doesn’t cover anything but the house. I’m offering my timber for free! Y’all can have it! But no one comes. The market is flooded.”
“The one common denominator — and economic supplier — in this area is timber,” said GFC Region 4 Lead Forester Matt O’Connor. “And the timber market was already depressed. Now there’s an undersupply of poles and saw timber. This completely changes the landscape. This hurts everyone in the whole chain.
“We’ll be conducting increased trapping and aerial flights throughout the area next spring and summer, monitoring for possible pests and disease outbreaks.”— Troy Clymer, Chief of Forest Management, GFC
So Now What?
GFC foresters have been fielding numerous calls about salvage resources. The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is getting a lot of interest in the Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP). The program pays a 75% cost-share rate to assist landowners with managing forest debris and reforestation following disaster events. The deadline to apply is June 1, 2025 and impacted landowners should contact their local FSA office to apply for the program.
“GFC has 32 management foresters helping landowners move forward and take the next step,” said GFC Associate Chief of Forest Management Ryan Phillips. “With so much wood on the ground at one time, a limited numbers of loggers, and mill capacities being reached, all the downed timber won’t be salvaged before blue stain and rot starts to affect the quality of the wood.
”The state of Georgia has allocated $25 million to the Georgia Development Authority to help reduce the public safety threat of wildfires to communities by heavy fuel on the ground. The GFC has developed Fuel Mitigation cost share and firebreak programs that will help reopen recently installed firebreaks. Cleared forest roads and firebreaks will help landowners better assess their property and monitor it for any future issues.The increasing risk of wildfire is something that has the full attention of GFC Chief of Protection Thomas Barrett. January through March is key fire season in the state, and Barrett’s been alerting his team they’ll have to be nimble and adapt to changing conditions. He praised the agency’s rangers, who have a solid reputation for their fast response, expert tactics and swift, safe resolutions.“Now we’ll have to go slower,” said Barrett. “Tractors can’t push all that debris out of the way and we’ll need to get more distance between us and the fires.To safely contain a one-acre fire, it’ll take five to seven acres’ clearance. And it’ll be especially bad in the hardwood drains; we may not be able to go in there at all.
”While response time will be the same, Beasley said, “our on-scene time will probably be two or three times longer. We’ll need two or even four tractors, rather than just one. And the fuel load.There’s tons and tons that will go up. We just don’t know what’s comin’.
”Another threat the storm-damaged area brings to Georgia’s forest is the possibility of disease, pest and invasive species outbreaks. Southern pine beetles have been very active across the state’s Piedmont area. With Hurricane Helene-damaged timber littering the eastern part of the state, more forest health concerns could arise. “We are monitoring conditions along the path of Helene,” said GFC Chief of Forest Management Troy Clymer. “We’ll be conducting increased trapping and aerial flights throughout the area next spring and summer, monitoring for possible pests and disease outbreaks. We’re here to help landowners take the next steps to mitigate risks to their timber stands.
”GFC Director Sabo added: “This was and continues to be a massive demonstration of teamwork. The synergy between state and other agencies, Georgia’s elected officials and all of the boots on the ground have made a huge difference.[It’s] leadership in action at its best.” ■
Stasia Kelly is a media relations specialist with the Georgia Forestry Commission. She is focused on telling the story of forestry and exploring the immense impact of the industry on Georgia’s environment, economy and heritage.
GFC foresters have been fielding numerous calls about salvage resources. The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is getting a lot of interest in the Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP). The program pays a 75% cost-share rate to assist landowners with managing forest debris and reforestation following disaster events. The deadline to apply is June 1, 2025 and impacted landowners should contact their local FSA office to apply for the program.
“GFC has 32 management foresters helping landowners move forward and take the next step,” said GFC Associate Chief of Forest Management Ryan Phillips. “With so much wood on the ground at one time, a limited numbers of loggers, and mill capacities being reached, all the downed timber won’t be salvaged before blue stain and rot starts to affect the quality of the wood.
”The state of Georgia has allocated $25 million to the Georgia Development Authority to help reduce the public safety threat of wildfires to communities by heavy fuel on the ground. The GFC has developed Fuel Mitigation cost share and firebreak programs that will help reopen recently installed firebreaks. Cleared forest roads and firebreaks will help landowners better assess their property and monitor it for any future issues.The increasing risk of wildfire is something that has the full attention of GFC Chief of Protection Thomas Barrett. January through March is key fire season in the state, and Barrett’s been alerting his team they’ll have to be nimble and adapt to changing conditions. He praised the agency’s rangers, who have a solid reputation for their fast response, expert tactics and swift, safe resolutions.“Now we’ll have to go slower,” said Barrett. “Tractors can’t push all that debris out of the way and we’ll need to get more distance between us and the fires.To safely contain a one-acre fire, it’ll take five to seven acres’ clearance. And it’ll be especially bad in the hardwood drains; we may not be able to go in there at all.
”While response time will be the same, Beasley said, “our on-scene time will probably be two or three times longer. We’ll need two or even four tractors, rather than just one. And the fuel load.There’s tons and tons that will go up. We just don’t know what’s comin’.
”Another threat the storm-damaged area brings to Georgia’s forest is the possibility of disease, pest and invasive species outbreaks. Southern pine beetles have been very active across the state’s Piedmont area. With Hurricane Helene-damaged timber littering the eastern part of the state, more forest health concerns could arise. “We are monitoring conditions along the path of Helene,” said GFC Chief of Forest Management Troy Clymer. “We’ll be conducting increased trapping and aerial flights throughout the area next spring and summer, monitoring for possible pests and disease outbreaks. We’re here to help landowners take the next steps to mitigate risks to their timber stands.
”GFC Director Sabo added: “This was and continues to be a massive demonstration of teamwork. The synergy between state and other agencies, Georgia’s elected officials and all of the boots on the ground have made a huge difference.[It’s] leadership in action at its best.” ■
Stasia Kelly is a media relations specialist with the Georgia Forestry Commission. She is focused on telling the story of forestry and exploring the immense impact of the industry on Georgia’s environment, economy and heritage.
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