Will
B,
After years of hearing about John de la Howe School Old Growth,
I finally
went down and spied out the land. This 5,000 acre compound was
originally
settled in 1765. This mixed forest is butted up against Sumter
National Forest (the
site of the National Champion Shagbark Hickory). In his will,
Prof Howe
designated 1,000 acres be left undisturbed. For one reason or
another, only 160
acres have been so left since "1796". About 10 years
ago, this climax
community suffered a terrible SPB outbreak, shortly after, a
rare SC tornado touched
down in the same exact area.
This
pristine OG remnant of a bygone area was
pretty much gutted because of natural elements, the South's past
fancy of
overplanting "SPB food" and the school's failure to
allow sound forest management,
which would have called for "access roads" and
"cut-n-leave felling" (to stop
the SPB outbreak). While a 200 to 500 yard periphery of 2 to 4
feet diameter
pines (some 'possibly' 140 foot tall), and 2 to 5 foot diameter
chestnut oak,
red oak, and yellow poplar remain. If there "were"
record size OG here, they
are now gone. One oak that recently failed showed 217 growth
rings.
I did get
close to several wild turkeys and found some 18th century
remains of
civilization. Sound forestry management may have better honored
the late Prof's dying
wish to have all 1,000 acres preserved "forever".
They're now down to 160
acres, the heart of which, has been gutted by pests, wind events
& and poor
management. Since you're so close to GSMNP, this is not worth
your drive down
here. Shangrila will have to wait. If I ever make a return trip
and find a record
height pine for you to climb, I'll waste no time in contacting
you. I do
believe you would enjoy Jekyl Island, GA.
Randy
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