Newspaper Page Text
THURSDAY. DECEMBER 10. 2020 PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS PAGE 11A
Ga. Forestry says now is time to order, plant trees
Georgia’s tree planting
season is well underway,
along with brisk seedling
sales by the Georgia Forestry
Commission. Buyers have
been busy choosing popular
hardwood and pine selec
tions, and supplies are begin
ning to diminish. Genetically
improved loblolly and slash
pine seedlings remain in
stock and available to
landowners at attractive price
points.
“Georgia’s climate is ideal
for tree planting right now,”
said Georgia Forestry Com
mission Reforestation Chief
Jeff Fields. “The soil is
moist, temperatures are just
right for healthy growth, and
we still have seedlings avail
able for every region of the
state.” Seedling planting
should take place “the sooner
the better,” according to
Fields, and be in the ground
by March 1.
The GFC is a member of
two tree improvement coop
eratives, which insures the
best genetic material for slash
and loblolly is available to
landowners. These seedling
qualities include straightness,
fast growth rate and fusiform
rust-resistance.
“The fast-growing ad
vanced cycle loblolly, ‘Geor
gia Giants,’ have been very
popular again this year,”
Fields said, “along with the
‘Elite Straight Loblolly.’”
The GFC also offers the most
advanced open pollinated
slash pine selections avail
able.
An up to date inventory of
all seedlings can be found at
gaseedlings.org, and a cata
log with prices is posted at
GaTrees.org. Buyers may
also contact the GFC nursery
directly, at 478-508-0056, or
their local GFC office.
For more information
about seedlings and services
of the Georgia Forestry Com
mission, visit GaTrees.org.
State’s freight capacity needs will require private investment
By Dave Williams
Bureau Chief
Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA - Georgia is
going to need $135 billion to
$150 billion during the next
30 years to keep up with the
demand for freight capacity
of a fast-growing state, a lo
gistics industry executive
said Wednesday.
That’s far too much
money for the state govern
ment to cover, Brad Skinner,
a board member at Denver-
based freight railroad opera
tor OmniTrax, told members
of the Georgia Freight & Lo
gistics Commission. Georgia
is going to have to turn to the
private sector for help, he
said.
“There’s not enough
money to do some of the
things Georgia needs to do,”
said Skinner, who also serves
as a member of the commis
sion. “You have to find pri
vate investors with deep
pockets.”
Georgia has experience
with public-private partner
ships in the transportation
sector. The interstate toll
lanes that have begun to pop
up across metro Atlanta dur
ing the last several years are
being built and financed by
private consortiums that are
recovering their investments
from toll revenues.
Another example is the
Appalachian Regional Port
near Chatsworth, an inland
terminal built by the Georgia
Ports Authority, Murray
County and CSX Corp.
A subcommittee headed
by Skinner recommended
Wednesday that the commis
sion submit legislation to the
General Assembly expanding
the role of the State Road and
Tollway Authority (SRTA) -
which oversees the toll lanes
- to negotiating public-pri
vate partnerships for freight
infrastructure projects across
the state.
“There’s a lot of money
out there that I believe can be
captured,” Skinner said.
Rep. Kevin Tanner, R-
Dawsonville, one of the com
mission’s co-chairmen, said
financing freight infrastruc
ture improvements through
public-private partnerships
would give the state a new
economic development tool.
“Expanding the role of
SRTA could really be a
game-changer, especially for
rural Georgia,” he said.
While the state courts pri
vate investment in freight
projects, some public funding
will also be required.
Tanner said he and state
Sen. Brandon Beach, R-Al-
pharetta, the commission’s
other co-chairman, plan to
meet with officials from the
Georgia Department of Rev
enue this month to talk about
potential sources, including
creating a dedicated trust
fund for freight improve
ments.
But Stephanie Smith, sen
ior vice president of supply
chain and delivery for The
Home Depot and a commis
sion member, warned against
imposing any taxes that
might damage the state’s rep
utation for welcoming corpo
rate investment.
“Georgia is a very busi
ness-friendly state,” she said.
“We need to be careful not to
do anything that makes Geor
gia less competitive.”
The commission, formed
last year to look for ways to
move freight more efficiently
through Georgia, is expected
to deliver its recommenda
tions to the General Assem
bly before the 2021
legislative session begins
next month.
Chattahoochee Tech names new
Dean of Health Sciences
Acworth - Chattahoochee
Tech has named Dr.
Stephanie Puffer as the col
lege’s new Dean of Health
Sciences to replace Dean
Ron Webb, who has retired.
Puffer served previously as
program director for the
Chattahoochee Tech Physical
Therapist Assistant (PTA)
program. In 2019, Puffer re
ceived the Chattahoochee
Tech Rick Perkins Instructor
of the Year award. This
award honors the Technical
College System of Georgia’s
most outstanding instructors
who make significant contri
butions to technical educa
tion through innovation and
leadership in their fields.
Puffer’s work in the Chatta
hoochee Tech PTA program
work has helped create and
sustain a standard of excel
lence that includes a decade
of all PTA program graduates
obtaining licensure on their
first attempt.
“Dr. Puffer has high ex
pectations, clear vision, and
operates with integrity in all
things,” said Chattahoochee
Tech Vice President of Aca
demic Affairs and Economic
Development Jason Tanner.
“She believes in our mission
and in our students. She also
is the product of higher edu
cation and dreams that began
at a two-year college, like
many of our students.”
Approximately one third
of the Chattahoochee Tech
student population is enrolled
in health sciences. Programs
of study include essential
workforce training in clinical
laboratory technology, para-
medicine, radiography, surgi
cal technology, occupational
therapy, medical assisting,
and dental assisting.
For more information,
visit www.Chatta-
hoocheeTech.edu.
Bring In This Ad
& Get
1/2 OFF Pork Plate
th the Purchase of a
Pork Plate
and
2 Drinks
fNof Valid With Other SpecialsJ
TENDERS • WINGS • SALADS
CATERING • DINE IN OR TAKE OUT
VET MESSY 706-635-RIBS (7427)
FAX 706-635-7429
289 Highland Crossing • East Ellijay, GA 30540
2 ”H 13 kU MCr0 » 3<E ^ Htj
mm
ANESRIE
CK.COM
Across from Walmart
^ Atlanta Gas Light
atlantagaslight.com/safety
Smell Gas? Act Fast!
Natural gas is a colorless and odorless fuel. For safety reasons, a chemical odorant called
mercaptan is added for easy detection of a suspected natural gas leak. This odorant has a
distinctive "rotten egg" type odor. Natural gas odors should be reported immediately.
lHay olor a gas? jActue rapldo! El gas natural es un combustible Incoloro e Inodoro. Por razones de seguridad, se le agrega
un aromatlzante quimlco llamado mercaptano para que se pueda detectar facllmente. Este aromatlzante tlene un otor
caracteristlco a "huevo podrldo." Los olores a gas natural deben Informarse de Inmedlato.
If you detect even a small amount
of this odor in the air:
Si detecta este olor en el aire, por mmimo que sea:
• Do not try to locate the source of the smell.
No intente localizar la fuente del olor.
• Leave the area immediately and alert others.
Abandone el area Inmediatamente y alerte a los demas.
• Avoid using any sources of ignition, such as cell phones,
cigarettes, matches, flashlights, electronic devices,
motorized vehicles, light switches or landlines.
Evlte usar cualquier fuente de ignicion, por ejemplo, telefonos celulares,
clgarrlllos, fosforos, linternas, aparatos electronicos, vehiculos a motor,
interruptores de luz o telefonos fijos.
• Call Atlanta Gas Light at 877.427.4321 or 911 once you
are out of the area and in a safe place.
Llame a Atlanta Gas Light at 877.427.4321 o al 911 una vez que este fuera del
area yen un lugar seguro.
2020 Southern Company Gas. All rights reserved. AGL-20003