Greene County: Title III Program

Tucked away in a quite corner of southeastern Mississippi, the small communities of Greene County are ideally suited for raising trees, crops, and families. It seems that most of the people there have taken that to heart. Greene County may not be "on the way to anywhere in particular", but its 13,000 residents have discovered that it is a great destination in its own right. For certain, there are few places in the state with the availability of forest recreation you will find there.

With 92% of its total land area in forest cover, Greene County can boast the greatest percentage of forestland acreage in the state. With so much timberland around it's a small a wonder that so many of its people are forestland owners. Almost 25 percent of its people own forestland, and almost half of those own 20 acres or more.

Greene County's 420,000 acres of forestland is fairly evenly divided between public, industry, and private non-industrial forest landowners. In the year 2000 the value of the standing timber sold in Greene County was estimated to be $22.4 million and was worth $29.4 million as a delivered product.

This web site is sponsored by the Greene County Board of Supervisors through Title III of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act of 2000.

Supervisors

• District 1 - G.L. Dearman
• District 2 - Morris Hill
• District 3 - Earnest Holder
• District 4 - Lee Lambert
• District 5 - Marion Pierce

Other Forrest Forestry Information

• Learn more about Forestry
• Greene County Forestland Demographics
• Recent Greene County news and events
• Forest History Calendar Available

Sources of Forrest County Assistance

• County Forester, MS Forestry Commission, James Albritton - (601) 394-2785.
  Provides management advice to landowners. Responsible for forest fire control and management of 16th section lands. A primary source of regeneration assistance, the MFC has 2 seedling nurseries where improved varieties of loblolly and slash pine are grown. NOTE: Order your seedlings early through the County Forester, as there has been a seedling shortage in recent years. The County Forester is also the primary contact for regeneration assistance through the Forest Resources Development Program (FRDP), which provides cost-share monies for both site prep and planting.
• County Director, MSU Extension Service, Mark Gillie - (601) 394-2702.
  The County Director provides educational programs and assistance to landowners. The County Director also has a variety of Extension Service publications available that address many forestry and forest-related topics. The Director is also actively involved with the local County Forestry Association.
• Farm Service Agency, Joe McFadden - (601) 735-6651.
  USDA has administered federal farm programs since the 1930's. USDA reorganized in 1994 and created the FSA by combining the former Agricultural Stabilization and conservation service (ASCS) with the farm loan division of Farmers Home Administration (FmHA). FSA currently administers forestry-related programs such as the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) as well as other agriculture programs.
• Natural Resources Conservation Service, Kenny Caves - (601) 735-6651.
  The NRCS provides technical advice, and frequently works with other agencies to address various natural resource conservation issues. This agency provides the Soil Surveys for individual counties, in addition to field surveys for ponds, terraces, gully control and conservation planning.
• County Forestry Association.
  Composed of landowners, foresters, and others interested in forestry and forestry-related issues. This group holds meetings, field days, and other events to promote the management and protection of Mississippi's vital forest resource. Each County Forestry Association is affiliated with the Mississippi Forestry Association. Membership in the Forrest County Forestry Association is $10 per person or $15 per family. Contact any of the agencies listed on this sheet for more information.
• Mississippi Forestry Association.
  A statewide organization of landowners, forester, natural resource professionals, and others interested in Mississippi's forest resources. The MFA's mission is to serve as the "Voice of Forestry" in Mississippi and to conduct public affairs, communications, and educational programs that will foster better understanding of and an appreciation for the forests and forest-based industries of Mississippi.
• Consulting Foresters.
  A consulting forester spends most of his or her time each year performing technical forestry work on a fee or contract basis. These services are offered to the public rather than to a single full-time employer. A list of consultants in the area can be obtained from the County Forester or the Board of Registration for Forester website, http://www.cfr.msstate.edu/borf/.
• Landowner Assistance Programs.
  Various large timber companies (Georgia-Pacific, International Paper, and others) have programs for private landowners. They vary from company to company, but all serve to help landowners manage their forestlands. These programs can offer regeneration assistance, herbicide spraying, general timber management, and other service useful to a landowner. Contact you County Forester for information on firms in your area offering such programs.

Calendar of Events

• To Be Announced