Logging has begun at the A.L. Mangham Jr. Regional Airport. The thinning of Block 1, which is a 46-acre stand on the east side of the airport and along Terry Crawford Drive, is the first phase of the 25-year Timber Management Plan developed by John Crawford, Consulting Forester. The block is being thinned selectively, with the older and weaker trees being selected for harvest and the younger more vibrant trees left to grow.
In 2010, Mr. Crawford and the City of Nacogdoches Engineering Department identified 170 acres of timber, which was divided into five blocks, on airport property. Block 2 is just north of Block 1 and on the northeast side of Runway 18-36. Block 3 is on the northwest side of Runway 18-36 and Block 4 is on the southwest side. Block 5 is 4.5 acres, which adjoins the current National Guard Armory property. The timber management plan calls for half of the volume to be cut on the blocks scheduled to be thinned, and should improve growth rate from 4% to 8% on the residual volume. This is comparable to the interest rate on a savings account.
“Thinning blocks 1, 2 and 5 creates a multiple use timber stand for wildlife and for use as an educational tool for field study,” stated Mr. Crawford, “and this was a considerable factor in our management decision.”
“The initial harvest is expected to generate over $100,000 in revenue for the airport,” said Mary Uresti, Airport Manager. “These funds are marked for capital improvement projects at the airport.”
