“[The Carters] understood that simple gestures like planting and caring for trees help our environment, community and spirit. Trees, among other things, keep the air and water clean and our minds tranquil. This prolongs the longevity of healthy lives, as President Carter has shown us.” — Dr. Meredith Evans, Director, Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum
PictureCarter as a boy on his family farm in Archery, GA.
As a political leader whose roots were sown in rural Georgia, President Jimmy Carter brought trees to the forefront of American conservation. By shedding a light on the environment and the value of natural resources, President Carter was a champion for the conservation of land and water in Georgia throughout his political career. But his journey in championing nature began long before his presidency.
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“From the Carters’ creation of a tree farm in the 1950s near Plains to their interest in the trees on the Carter Presidential Center grounds, we see their values have always been larger than themselves,” said Dr. Meredith Evans, the director of the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum. “They understood that simple gestures like planting and
caring for trees help our environment, community and spirit. Trees, among other things, keep the air and water clean and our minds tranquil. This prolongs the longevity of healthy lives, as President
Carter has shown us.”
PicturePresident Carter and Rosalynn Carter planting a tree.
Growing up near Plains, Georgia, instilled President Carter’s lifelong commitment to land conservation and stewardship. Here, his love for nature grew and his passion to keep land both protected and productive flourished. As many agricultural farmers do, the Carter family planted pines in order to produce timber on less productive farmlands. The growing forests soon became President Carter’s favorite pastime. Walking, hunting and riding his bike under the trees became traditions that lasted a lifetime. His dedication to  protecting the land that he loved was at the helm of his political career, rooted in the rolling farmlands and pine forests that he called home.

Richard Lewis, past director of the American Tree Farm System, remembers the first time that a President of the United States recognized the forest management efforts of a Certified Tree Farmer, the first being National Outstanding Tree Farmers Henry and Florence Langford of Virginia. The following year, in a ceremony recognizing National Outstanding Tree Farmers Albert and Ella Dieshl of Washington, Rich Lewis noticed that President Carter was not only interested but very knowledgeable as he discussed growing trees with the Dieshls.

“I recall that President Carter presented the Dieshls with a Tree Farm flag and they gave him a potted pine seedling with a small Tree Farm sign in it,” Lewis said.

“I was also struck by the warmth, friendliness and openness that President Carter exhibited to us. The way he communicated with us verified to me that he was not a typical pretentious elected official and that he truly cared about all people regardless of their station in life.”
“If you grow trees, you’ve got to use them, because otherwise, you won’t be able to afford to practice proper land stewardship. And not only is that important and very satisfying, it’s also the right thing to do.” ​— Blake Sullivan, Carter Family Forestry Consultant
PicturePresident Carter holding a custom guitar made from a tree that he planted.
A Lifelong Environmental Steward

Once he returned to Georgia from the White House, President Carter continued his commitment to being a good environmental steward. The Carters managed their land to be economically productive and to provide for wildlife and recreation, eventually making it a certified Tree Farm. Blake Sullivan, forestry consultant for the Carter family for nearly 50 years, continues to manage the working forests that produce timber, as well as those that are under conservation.

According to an article by the University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, Sullivan
was able to bring students to a 16-acre stand of slash pines that Carter planted by hand in the mid-1950s.
“Mr. Carter likes to see those trees,” stated Sullivan in the article, which was published before President Carter’s
death. “It gives him a lot of pleasure to see them grow and to walk among them.

That’s a part of his value system.” Blake Sullivan and President Carter used to meet monthly to tour the forests
and discuss management opportunities. “We try to be good stewards of the land,” said Sullivan, “and to practice forestry
in a way that promotes Mr. Carter’s value system. If you grow trees, you’ve got to use them, because otherwise, you
won’t be able to afford to practice proper land stewardship. And not only is that important and very satisfying, it’s also
the right thing to do."
He recalled that President Carter and Rosalynn Carter would often spend the rest of their visits walking or riding
through the forest. According to Sullivan, working in nature and being a steward of these lands continues to bring him joy and fulfillment to this day.

As President Carter’s legacy continues to inspire and educate the world, his working forests will continue to serve our
environment and produce the products that millions of people depend on — both here in Georgia and worldwide.

When he was 95 years old, President Carter had custom guitars crafted from trees that  he had grown himself. Much like his working forests, his achievements and the dedication that he exemplified will continue to impact generations to come.

As timber markets continue to evolve and Georgia’s forestry industry recovers from the impact of Hurricane Helene, it is the embodiment of this unwavering commitment that will keep Georgia’s forests working well into the future.

“My thoughts on conservation are grounded in a lifelong love of the natural wonders of Georgia and our responsibility to pass on the land, water and forests in a better condition than we inherited  them,” President Jimmy Carter said in his acceptance of the Georgia Conservancy’s Distinguished Conservationist Award in 2019.

In a written message, he also reminded everyone of their most important role as conservationists: “Future generations of conservation leaders must remember that we are stewards of a precious gift, which is not an unpleasant duty but rather an exciting challenge. We must safeguard our land so that our children and grandchildren can enjoy fresh water, clean air, scenic mountains and coasts, fertile agricultural lands, and healthy, safe places to live and thrive.” ■

Gloria Camacho-Stancliff serves as the Director of Programs & Engagement for the Georgia Forestry Foundation. As a landowner of a small family tree farm in Marion County, she combines her firsthand experience with her passion for storytelling to advocate for the people and landscapes that define Georgia’s forestry industry.