Forests of the Apalachicola River region affected by Hurricane Michael
by Diane Hines
On February 12th, a Hurricane Recovery Workshop was held in Blountstown entitled: Taking the Next Steps to Salvage and Restoration of Forests and Natural Resources Impacted by Hurricane Michael. By a show of hands, more than ten Northwest Florida counties were represented, including Jackson, Gadsden, Calhoun, Liberty, Gulf and Franklin. It was standing-room-only with an estimated 200+ individuals in attendance. Participants included timber landowners, farmers, ranchers, timber company representatives as well as multiple agency leaders and staff.  Keynote speaker, Dr. Salem Saloom, a timber landowner himself, whose lands were deeply impacted by Hurricane Ivan in 2004, likened the emotions following a hurricane disaster to the grief one feels following the death of a loved one. The five stages of grief (identified by famed Swiss psychiatrist Elizabeth Kubler-Ross) are applicable:  denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. The most important thing is to get to the point of acceptance, Dr. Saloom remarked, so a plan of action can be formulated. It was recommended that a consultant forester or similar professional would be the best place to start. A salvage and cleanup plan, onsite help, good advice and the expertise of a professional can make all the difference.
Florida’s forestry community and timber lands were severely impacted by Hurricane Michael. According to official estimates, approximately three million acres of Florida forestland were hit, with economic damages conservatively estimated to be $1.3 billion. Speakers during the day covered topics related to the types of assistance available, what to do about replanting, what is allowed related to burning, what are the new fire dangers that now exist, what are the tax implications of claiming losses, to name just a few of the topics. A variety of agencies at the local, state and federal level are available to timber landowners.  The workshop provided a 35-page booklet to all participants with excellent contact information.  In Florida, over 16,000 forest landowners were impacted by Hurricane Michael. Each landowner’s objectives and financial situation are different. Acceptance and a plan of action are critical to moving forward.
Workshop resource contacts are available HERE.
Diane Hines is Deputy Director at Apalachicola Riverkeeper
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