GEORGIA FORESTRY TODAY Volume 9, Issue 6 November | December 2013
DEER TALK: Q&A WITH DNR’S STATE DEER BIOLOGIST
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November | December 2013
Georgia Forestry Today
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On the Cover:
GEORGIA FORESTRY TODAY Printed in the USA
PUBLISHER: A4 Inc. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Alva Hopkins ahopkins@a4inc.com PRODUCTION MANAGER Pamela Petersen-Frey p.frey@a4inc.com This time of year, the thoughts of many Georgia landowners and land managers turn to the same topic: white-tailed deer. See story on page 8
EDITORIAL BOARD Wendy Burnett Alva Hopkins Jesse Johnson Stasia Kelly Sandi Martin Roland Petersen-Frey Brian Stone Steve McWilliams
GEORGIA FORESTRY TODAY is published bi-monthly by A4 Inc., 1154 Lower Birmingham Road, Canton, Georgia 30115. Recipients include participants of the Forest Stewardship Program and the American Tree Farm System. Opinions expressed by the authors are not necessarily those of the publisher, A4 Inc., nor do they accept responsibility for errors of content or omission and, as a matter of policy, neither do they endorse products or advertisements appearing herein. Part of this magazine may be reproduced with the written consent of the publisher. Correspondence regarding changes of address should be directed to A4 Inc. at the address indicated above. Advertising material should be sent to A4 Inc. at the e-mail address: p.frey@a4inc.com. Questions on advertising should be directed to the advertising director at the e-mail address provided above. Editorial material should be sent to A4 Inc. or to Alva Hopkins. GEORGIA FORESTRY TODAY 1154 Lower Birmingham Road, Canton, Georgia 30115
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November | December 2013
Volume 9, Issue 6
November | December 2013
Georgia
FORESTRY TODAY P.08
Deer Talk: Q&A with DNR’s State Deer Biologist
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GFT News
P.11
Message from the Georgia Forestry Commission Director
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Georgia Forestry Association: Advocacy Update
P.12
GFC News
P.27
Employer Mandate
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The Masticator: New Ammunition for Fire Control
P.16
Getting the Most Impact from Your Trail Camera
P.20
New Aquaponics Food Production System Comes Online at Hilsman Middle School
If you have a forestry event you’d like to see on our calendar, please contact Alva Hopkins at ahopkins@a4inc.com with the subject line ‘Calendar Event.’
Forestry Calendar November 13-15 2013 North Carolina Wood Exports Conference Riverfront Convention Center New Bern, North Carolina
December 04 Deer Ecology and Management Flinchum’s Phoenix ~ Athens, Georgia Info and Registration: Ingvar Elle, 706.583.0566 or ingvar@uga.edu
December 8-10 9th Southern Forestry and Natural Resources Management GIS Conference Georgia Center for Continuing Education Athens, Georgia Info and Registration: Ingvar Elle, 706.583.0566 or ingvar@uga.edu
December 25 Merry Christmas!
June 3-6 2014 National Conference of Private Forest Landowners ~ Ritz-Carlton New Orleans, Louisiana Info and Registration: www.forestlandowners.com
Georgia Forestry Today
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November | December 2013
List of advertisers American Forest Management......................................30
HEI .............................................................................30
Arborgen........................................................................6
International Forest Company .....................................14
Beach Timber Company Inc. .......................................30
LandMark Spatial Solutions ...........................................3
Blanton’s ........................................................................7
Lanigan & Associates ...................................................21
Bodenhamer Farms & Nursery ....................................28 Canal Wood LLC.........................................................30 Cantrell Forest Products Inc.........................................30 Davis - Garvin .............................................................22 F2M ..............................................................................4 Farm Credit Associations ...............................................3 Flint Equipment Company ..........................................29
Meeks’ Farms & Nursery ....................Inside Front Cover MorBark ......................................................................30 Outdoor Underwriters .................................................28 Plum Creek....................................................................5 Prudential ....................................................................24 Rivers Edge Forest Products .........................................30
Forest Resource Consultants ........................................23
UPC | Georgia 811 ........................................Back Cover
Forest Resource Services Inc.........................................30
Vulcan on Board Scales .................................................4
F&W Forestry Service..................................................28
Weyerhaeuser ...............................................................21
Gillis Brothers Inc..........................................................4
Yancey Brothers ...................................Inside Back Cover
Georgia Forestry Today
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Deer Talk: Q&A with DNR’s State Deer Biologist
State deer biologist Charlie Killmaster puts a radio collar on a young buck in Harris County as part of a deer movement/ecology study. Through research and management, DNR is striving to keep Georgia’s deer population at about 1 million deer. Credit: David Stone. 8
November | December 2013
White-tailed deer his time of year, the thoughts of many Georgia landowners and land managers turn to the same topic: whitetailed deer.
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OK, make that deer and deer hunting.
During fall and early winter, Georgia Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologists and wildlife management area managers field questions statewide about white-tails. Charlie Killmaster, state deer biologist for DNR Wildlife Resources, answered a handful during a recent Q&A on Facebook. Let’s take a break from this column’s usual focus on management and see what Killmaster had to say about the questions that are top of mind this time of year. (View the entire live chat on Wildlife Resources’ YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/ GeorgiaWildlife).
crop, where you have areas in which certain trees are producing and other trees aren’t. When you have too many acorns, game animals aren’t moving very much because they don’t have to in order to find food, making them hard to hunt. Conversely, when you have few acorns and they’re really spread out, it also makes it hard to hunt. So having a few pockets of good food sources—good trees that are producing acorn—and others that aren’t producing at all, makes for a real good hunting year. We don’t have that in north Georgia this year. But in the Piedmont, it’s a different story. The Piedmont has more of a spotty mast crop. I anticipate a good deer season in that region this year.
Q. Most Georgia properties have ex-
perienced an increase in coyote sightings, and many hunters now see coyotes from their deer stands. What is your opinion on the overall impact coyotes are having on the deer population, and should we shoot every coyote we see while deer hunting?
Q. What happened to the acorn crop
in northwest Georgia this year? There are hardly any white oak acorns on the property I hunt in Chattooga County.
A.
The mast crop was terrible this year in the mountains. Mast crops, in general, are very cyclical in nature, meaning that there are a number of moderate years and then maybe a very good year and then a very poor year following that. We had a pretty good acorn crop last year, so this year we had a poorer crop. It’s a type of survival strategy for the trees.
Unfortunately, poor crops really impact wildlife that depend on mast; particularly bears and deer. With hunting, it’s kind of good to have a spotty acorn Georgia Forestry Today
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First, I would not mess up my deer hunt to shoot a coyote. We’ve been doing a tremendous amount of collaborative research with the University of Georgia and we’ve found that coyotes have tremendous movement patterns. They can have very large home ranges, and their impact on deer is primarily limited to predation on fawns.
What that means if you’re hunting on several hundred acres, or several thousand, if you shoot a coyote in deer season, likely by the time fawns are dropping the following May or June, you’ll have a another set of coyotes
there. So it’s really not going to do you much good on that property to shoot them or trap them in deer season. If you want to reduce coyote impacts through intensive trapping , all the information we have now indicates that you need to do that immediately prior to and during fawning. Now about the overall impact, there’s no doubt we’ve had an increase in the coyote population across the state, particularly in the last 15 years. We don’t have a lot of good ways to gauge that. But we have started asking questions on our telephone surveys of deer hunters and small game hunters on how many coyotes they’re seeing and harvesting. In general, the impact on the fawn crop is evident in what we call the fawn recruitment rate, which is the ratio of fawns to the number of adult does. That’s how we measure the reproductive capacity of the deer herd. When the coyote population increase started approximately 15 years ago, we started seeing a decrease in the fawn recruitment rate. Since then, we’ve seen about a 26 to 28 percent decrease in the rate. From the late ’90s all the way through the mid-2000s, that actually did us a favor. We had too many deer and we were trying to get the herd down to a more reasonable level. Since the mid-2000s, we have pretty much stabilized the population at a little more than one million deer, which is where we’d like to be given the habitat characteristics across the state. The declining trend in recruitment and increase in hunter harvest of females were some of the reasons that led to the decrease in doe days you see this season in most counties. We do recognize that impact from coyotes. We’re taking steps to mitigate that impact, and maintain our objective of 9
stabilizing the deer population at the current level. (For more on coyotes and deer, see the January-February 2012 issue.)
Q. I've heard different things about
doe days this season. Can you elaborate?
A.
You need to check the regulations, on page 24, to see the specific dates for your county, because some do differ. But generally speaking, for most counties Dec. 1-25 is buck-only. We chose those dates to achieve a minor reduction in the doe harvest.
We could have taken doe days out at the very front end of season and seen a bigger decrease in the doe harvest. But we’re taking smaller steps to try and achieve the goal of population stabilization. It’s been about a decade since most counties of the state have even seen a day that was buck-only. So everybody needs to be mindful of that change.
years, that will tell you when the average number of does are breeding in your area, the week-long period that you see the most breeding. Typically, what you observe as the peak of the rut is actually a little bit before peak breeding. Once does come into breeding condition, or estrus, they’ll let the bucks tend them and rut movement decreases from that point. So what you view as peak rut is actually just prior to peak breeding. You may have other questions. Check out Wildlife Resources’ channel on Ustream—at ustream.tv/ channel/georgia-wildlife-live-chat – for upcoming wildlife chats. Learn more about the 2013-2014 deer hunting season in Georgia at georgiawildlife.com/hunting/regulations. Also, subscribe to Wildlife Resources’ YouTube page and view a short version of Charlie Killmaster’s deer season forecast and 2012 recap at www.youtube.com/GeorgiaWildlife. And if you haven’t bought or renewed your Georgia hunting license, there’s plenty of deer season left. Get
a license and deer harvest record at georgiawildlife.com/licenses-permitspasses. Charlie Killmaster is state deer biologist for the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division. Did you know? Hunters pump nearly $1 billion into Georgia’s economy. According to a 2011 survey by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, $965 million was spent statewide on hunting-related activities that year. Average hunting expenditures also increased $1,000 per hunter, and the number of days spent hunting rose 35 percent compared to the previous National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, in 2006. Hunting provides vital support for wildlife management and state economies. See more of the 2011 survey at www.fws.gov/southeast/georgia/economicimpact-ga.html. v
Q. Is there a way to accurately predict when the rut will be in Georgia?
A.
There is. One of the ways we get information to pinpoint when the rut is on an annual basis—and it does vary across the state—is to collect breeding chronology data from does. Go online and search for a ‘fetal aging scale.’ This is a durable plastic scale that can be used to measure, and age, a deer fetus from a doe in late season. Always save your doe harvest until the very end of the season, and collect those fetuses. Lay them on the scale, and it will tell you how many days old that fetus is from conception. Then you can backdate and look at the actual conception date for that fetus.
Once you get a good enough data set from ten or 20 does over a couple of 10
Credit: Rob Pavey November | December 2013
Georgia Forestry Commission
Robert Farris
Message from the Director Dear GFT Reader,
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s 2013 winds to a close, I can't help but look back over the past several years and feel better about the course of our forest industry’s health. Our annual economic impact study is showing upswings in output, jobs, wages, and compensation. And we’re earning some strong support from here at home and across the world that are barometers of continuing success. Governor Deal’s steady focus to make Georgia the number one place to do business has laid a great foundation, and Georgia forestry is poised to continue to make solid new strides in the upcoming years. Several elements are encouraging to me as I review reports and activities across our state and indeed the world. While a few of them reflect tough times for colleagues in other places, I’m glad that our state and industry is prepared to meet new demands that will benefit the people we serve. • Housing starts are on the rise, which of course means construction products will be in higher demand. That means new demand for Georgia’s 85 saw mills, three OSB mills, and two softwood plywood mills. • Georgia is now home to nine pellet mills—and the growing European demand for wood pellets is increasing demand for pulpwood and wood residues. • Georgia’s pulp and paper industry remains strong. While pulping capacity within the U.S. South is declining Georgia Forestry Today
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somewhat because of decreasing use of newsprint and other printing paper, the product diversity of Georgia’s mills has enabled them to continue production levels and even increase production of certain products. The Rayonier mill in Jesup is one example, as it is expected to increase cellulosic fiber production by 190,000 metric tons this year. Mountain pine beetle woes in Canada and the western U.S. will open the door to new opportunities in Georgia and throughout the South. Likewise, increasing western U.S. wood exports to China ultimately creates additional opportunities for southern wood products.
Governor Deal and his team have worked together across all agencies and spectrums to implement a wide range of initiatives to make Georgia an ideal state in which to do business. A few of the practices that support our forestry community and keep our working forests working include: • Energy sales tax exemption. • Executive Order encouraging the use of green building standards and the equal recognition of forest certification standards that promote the use of Georgia grown and manufactured wood products. • Agricultural Commodity Commission for Georgia Grown Products. • Forest land borrow pit exceptions. • Coordinating the collaborative efforts of all the state resources to address
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forestry needs, such as outfitting multi-agency helicopters with water buckets, bringing to bear the manpower and equipment of all agencies during wildfire emergencies, and utilizing the Governor’s emergency fund to cover outstanding costs. Working across agency lines to implement federally mandated regulations, such as NPDES pesticide applications, in a manner that recognizes and supports our forest landowners and industry. Strong support and leadership on a wide range of national issues, ranging from forest roads to procuring federal grants and federal wildfire disaster funds.
Companies at home and abroad are recognizing these strong foundations, along with the sustainability of our forests and business climate, by making tremendous investments in Georgia. The steadily growing investments in our timberlands, the opening of new pellet mills, a new chip mill, the expansion and upgrades of our sawmills and pulp mills validate that Georgia is doing the Right Things Right. It seems hard to believe this year has passed so quickly and that it’s time to wish you another joyous holiday season. I hope it’s one of your very best ever! Sincerely, Robert Farris GFC Commissioner v 11
GFC News Representatives from GFC’s Utilization Department have been busy spreading the word about Georgia’s abundant forest products to new audiences. Utilization Forester Specialist, Dru Preston, recently participated in the Timber Expo wood products trade show in Birmingham, United Kingdom. Preston represented the forest industry of the US South and the Southern Group of State Foresters as part of an international wood products marketing and business development project. Information about the potential wood products buyers obtained during this event will be distributed soon to Georgia’s forest product exporters. GFC Utilization Chief Forester, Nathan McClure, and Staff Forester, Risher Willard, also promoted the export of Georgia’s wood products recently during the International Agribusiness Expo in Savannah. e It’s easier than ever to get a burn permit and keep up with news from the Georgia Forestry Commission! It’s all at your fingertips at GFC’s new mobile Web site, www.gatrees.mobi. You’ll find the same information you get online at your desktop or laptop, just formatted specially for mobile devices. That includes permits, access to GFC’s social media sites, and registration for bi-monthly GFC eUpdates. A link to the mobile site can be found on the home page of our regular site, and a link to the full site is on the mobile site. Faster, friendlier, easier! Let us know how you like it. e In preparation for the upcoming fall and winter burning season, the Georgia Prescribed Fire Council met recently in Tifton. Prescribed fire practitioners and advocates shared information, heard about new programs and opportunities, and were updated on the current political climate for prescribed burning in Georgia. Some of the topics included the effects of prescribed fire on hardwood stands and wild turkey management, ATV safety, media relations, and reports from the GFC and Georgia Environmental Protection Division. For more information, visit www.garxfire.com. e If you haven’t placed your order yet for GFC tree seedlings, now is the time! A good selection is still available, but with planting season at hand, demand for specific species is increasing. Don’t forget about the Georgia Giants, fast-growing loblolly pines that are getting rave reviews, and popular mast-producing specimens to attract wildlife. Pin oak and Georgia oak, pear, and pecan, are also available for the first time. Visit gatrees.org today to reserve your selection! e 12
November | December 2013
By stasia Kelly
The “Masticator” is an effective new tool used where traditional understory control methods such as prescribed burning and chemical treatment are unsuited.
the Masticator: New ammunition for fire Control From a distance, the shaking brush evokes memories of Jurassic Park triceratops munching on lunch. Something is at work, but the telltale sound of a bulldozer is absent. Step closer. Small diameter trees and understory growth are being cleared at a good clip. A single operator sits in a cab, behind the controls of a peculiar-looking mower of some sort, guiding it through thick vegetation and leaving a clean path in its wake. Meet the Georgia Forestry Commission’s newest tool in its wildfire mitigation arsenal: the mechanical fuel treatment machine known as the ‘Masticator.’ e 83-horsepower diesel engine vehicle has an 88” front rotary mount that houses three thick, flat blades that push debris back to a rear discharge system. With a zero turn radius and slope-mowing capability accommodating zero to 32-degrees, the machine is a safe and rugged option for clearing up to 1.5 acres per hour. It removes underbrush and trees up to four inches in diameter and reduces undergrowth to small cuttings that lay flat on the ground. e Masticator is considered ideal for use in places
where other fire mitigation methods are restricted. “is machine fills a critical gap,” said Georgia Forestry Commission Wildfire Mitigation Program Manager, Eric Mosley. “We always encourage landowners to use prescribed fire whenever possible, but in some situations, they can’t. is is definitely the next best thing.” Mosley said that similar machines have been utilized in western states for some time, and that he first saw them in action when working on wildfires in Florida in 2007. e compact powerhouses
Client Larry Hodges appreciates the value of the Masticator’s acre-and-a-half-per-hour clearing capability. Georgia Forestry Today
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that made history of palmetto-clogged bogs and charred young pines alike came with a reputation for efficiency and affordability. According to Frank Sorrells, Chief of Forest Protection of the Georgia Forestry Commission, “In 2012, a partnership came together between the GFC and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. Our objectives are to protect people and the places they live from wildland fires, so through this partnership, the Masticator program was developed.” Sorrells said six machines plus supporting vehicles specifically designed for the task were obtained. “is equipment can operate efficiently in and around communities at risk,” Sorrells said. “It helps reduce hazardous fuels and create fire resilient landscapes. e acquisition of these machines enhances our ability to reduce the threat of fire to Georgia citizens.” Shane Barrow, chief ranger for GFC District 3, has been booking his district’s Masticator as fast as he can. “We’ve got one for our district, and we’re almost busy enough to ask for another one,” said Barrow. “We did a demonstration
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awhile back for landowners, consultants, city officials and the media to come see what it can do. I had three jobs before the demo was over!” Barrow said word of mouth about the machine’s capabilities has been a powerful form of advertising. “I’ve got a lot of people calling and asking to get on the schedule,” Barrow said. “Much better than goats!”
Larry Hodges is a trust forester for Queensborough National Bank and Trust Company who manages thousands of acres of forestland in the South. One of the biggest selling points of the Masticator for him is the biological advantages it provides. “A lot of the land I manage is under cost share programs,” Hodges said. “Some areas require biological control, so no pesticides can be used. is equipment works great in these sensitive areas, and it’s much faster than having a herd of goats out there! I plan to use it quite a bit,” Hodges said. Hodges is also a fan because of the machine’s prowess in post-first thinnings.
“is is a good fit aer first thinnings, especially in sensitive areas where we can’t burn,” said Hodges. “It’s also good on old loading decks, where all the limbs and tops are. It does a great job with ‘melt down,’ and can go in and harrow up food plots,” Hodges said. Eric Mosley is especially pumped about the Masticator’s potential in no-burn zones. “It’s excellent up against fences and other places you just can’t burn,” he said. “And in the dead of summer, when we’re restricted in a lot of places during the burn ban, we can still do hazardous fuel treatment with the Masticator. It’s a more efficient use of time and money.” Mosley emphasized that this mechanical fuel treatment service is ideal in areas that are particularly smoke-sensitive, such as along busy road corridors or near towns. Land near gas lines, power lines, rights of way, and in the wildland urban interface are especially well suited to this treatment. While the Masticator’s performance is key, Mosley said its price point turns heads as well. “e first thing people ask our foresters
November | December 2013
aer ‘What does it do?’ is ‘What does it cost?’” said Mosley, “and this is much more economical for our traditional landowner. As compared to the big mulchers, which can run three to 400-dollars an hour, the Masticator costs 95-dollars an hour, with a two hour minimum. For folks who have 25 to 100 acres, it provides great service and does a really good job of reducing hazardous fuel loads,” Mosley explained. Operator Tripp Rooks, a Ranger 1 in GFC’s District 3, enjoys providing that service to customers from a machine that works efficiently and is comfortable to navigate. “It’s climate controlled, and the cab is user-friendly,” Rooks said. “We’ve got to keep it greased and the filters cleaned, but otherwise it’s pretty easy to run,” he said. “And it’s pretty quick,” added fellow operator Rob Moore, GFC ranger 1. “You can cut real close and you can see well what's around you.”
Rooks said he appreciates the many safety features built into the Masticator, and added that regular communication between GFC operators who are using the machines statewide is extremely beneficial. “We had a conference call about the operations of the machine,” said Moore. “at really helped everybody understand how to maximize its capabilities to give customers the best service.” Busy Times Ahead
Masticator operators Rooks and Moore are enjoying their assignments on a piece of equipment that is in heavy demand in their district. “We make our own schedule when providing these services,” said Rooks, “and everyone I talk to is thrilled about the results they get. Our primary fire suppression and wildfire response duties come first, and if needed, we respond to those situations,
and this work comes second. But all the people I work with understand and appreciate that,” Rooks said. “Word of mouth is definitely our best advertisement,” added Chief Ranger Shane Barrow. “We’ve always been a county that does a lot of pre-suppression plowing and prescribed burning assistance. I felt like this would take off because of our customer base that understands the importance of protecting their property.” Barrow was right. He and chief rangers all across Georgia are keeping these pieces of equipment busy making Georgia forestland more resistant to the ravages of wildfire. As Tripp Rooks succinctly put it while watching colleague Rob Moore plow through a stretch of thick Jefferson County vegetation in the Masticator, “Yea, it does a reeeeally good job!” v
The Masticator’s safety features and dependability are appreciated by GFC equipment operators, Rob Moore and Tripp Rooks.
Georgia Forestry Today
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Getting the Most Impact from Your Trail Camera By John Trussell
Black bears have large roaming territories, up to 50,000 acres for males, so surprisingly one might show up on your trail cam.
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November | December 2013
ithout a doubt, trail cameras are one of the coolest inventions to come along in the hunting world in many years, and they have both increased our knowledge of the deer we hunt and made us better hunters. Not only are they a very useful tool, they greatly add to the hunter’s satisfaction of being outdoors and actively being involved in the pursuit of game year-round. Although hunters can’t be on their deer stand 24/7, with a little digital assistance, they can be there in spirit and catch the game activity on a trail camera. us, animals can be observed in their natural environment in an undisturbed manner. In years past, a hunter would take a stand in the woods with little idea of what game animals he might expect to pass by. We would just pick an active trail with some deer sign close by, such as a scrape line or deer antler rubs, and hope for the best. But all that changed when a host of innovators perfected the trail camera. First used by nature photographer George Shiras in the late 1880s, cameras evolved into multi-shot film cameras with crude motion sensors into today’s high tech devices that can use both incandescent or infrared flash to capture thousands of images on a single secure digital memory card. e next wave of innovation is using wireless technology to transmit pictures taken instantly to your phone or e-mail if you have a compatible data plan with your wireless service provider. As you can expect, this is expensive for now. However, today’s great quality digital trail cameras, made by Moultrie, Cuddeback, Primos, Bushnel, Wildgame Innovations, and Leupold, with motion sensing and a host of other features, let us know the areas deer are using, locate a big buck, and monitor food plot activity. Just because you see a good buck on a trail camera does not mean that getting a shot at him is a sure thing, as buck movements during the rut can be erratic and bucks can move as much as five miles as they search for receptive does. However, there are several plans of action to help you get the best photos possible to narrow down buck activity. First, let’s look at where to place a trail camera. Georgia Forestry Today
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If you use a supplemental feeder, it is usually a good location to get a wide range of shots at deer, wild hogs, and turkeys on your property, but most activity will be at night and most of the bucks will be small, as wiser, older bucks avoid feeder sites. To make sure your feeder does not spook game, a camo cloth or branches around it will make game more at ease around it. If you put out supplemental feed, be aware that it could pull in undesirable species, such as wild pigs, which can spook deer from the area. On the other hand, feeder sites can be good locations to concentrate and kill wild hogs, so take your pick. Other good locations to place the camera are major trails, near buck scrapes, stream crossings, funneling areas, and salt/mineral block locations. e camera’s distance from the ground can vary from 24 to 40 inches. Place it a little higher if you are getting too many photos of squirrels and birds. e camera should face north if possible; facing east or west may be troublesome because of a rising or setting sun. A slightly shady spot is best because too much hot sun on the camera body may adversely affect the heat sensor. To get the best pictures of entire animals, place the camera about 15 to 20 feet away from where you expect the deer to cross the motion sensor. Although it is tempting to point the camera directly at the intended target area, it is better to point the camera for a coming in or going away shot to give the camera’s sensor a little more time to adjust, especially if the trigger lapse time is one to two seconds. Some better cameras have a trigger time of less than one second and are quick to catch the action, which results in less deer rear end shots. But what about resolution, type of flash, and other features? As cameras have advanced over time, the move has been to add more pixels and up the price. However, most hunters want to know how many deer are coming by, whether there were any bucks in the area, and what time did they pass by? Most cameras in the 100-200-dollar price range can get this done as nearly all have time and date stamping. For most camera users, high quality pictures are not a priority, thus high pixel 18
Placing a trail cam around a salt/mineral block next to a deer food plot will get a lot of good pictures.
When mounting your trail cam to a post or tree, set it about 24 to 40 inches from the ground. If your camera is spooking deer or getting a lot of birds and squirrels, mount it a little higher. count may not be important. If you want to make high quality eight-by-ten prints, then consider a camera with eight or more pixels. Most experienced camera users suggest at least one camera per 50 acres, but there is usually no harm in placing out more. To catch more deer action, I have four cameras out on my 57 acre hunting tract. To reduce human scent around my cameras, especially as the hunting season approaches, I only check the cameras on a one to two week
schedule and use a cover scent. Battery life is always an issue and if the camera is active with several deer a day passing by, the batteries usually only last a month or so. High quality batteries such as Duracell or Energizer are best for replaceable batteries. To reduce the drain on the batteries, set your camera timer to only take pictures about five minutes or longer apart. If you are taking pictures at night at 30 second intervals using the flash, you can go November | December 2013
through batteries very quickly! If your camera gives you the option of infrared or candescent flash, choose the infrared as it uses less battery energy and spooks less deer. Another option is to use rechargeable batteries and set up a solar panel to keep them juiced up. Although you will pay more up front, aer a few months you break even, and soon you’re saving a good bit of money. Check with the manufacturer before you buy a camera to determine if it is rechargeable battery compatible. Now that you have a considerable amount of money invested in your trail cameras, you may need to protect them from thieves. Many manufacturers sell locking devices that will help secure your camera to the tree. Although they can help protect your camera, no locking device can really stop a determined thief. Help hide them by placing them deep within your land boundaries and away from roads. While we are discussing criminal activity, trail cameras can help protect your land from trespassers by placing them near your gates or access areas to take photos of the offender or possibly his vehicle tag. Use your imagination, but cameras can be placed in bird nesting boxes, bush piles or on a tree, hidden by camo
Georgia Forestry Today
Does are a big portion of Georgia's deer harvest and in recent years comprise 60 percent plus of the deer harvest.Trail camera pictures can give you some idea of the number of does using the property and general level of health. This is a good, healthy doe.
cloth. One photo of an offender is worth a thousand words in court! Now, let’s consider saving photos. e good thing about trail cameras is that they take lots of good photos. e bad thing is that you have hundreds, if not thousands, of photos, oen of the same animals. To save memory space on your ipad or computer, consider deleting all but the special ones. Make sure you have numbered all your cam-
eras and organize your photos in some order that makes sense to you. With a little more effort, you can conduct a trail camera field survey of your deer herd to determine deer per square mile and the sex ratio. e Quality Deer Management Association has a book on this topic, ‘Deer Cameras-e Science of Scouting’ to get you started and you can check it out at their Web site www.qdma.com. v
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These Scouts drill holes that allow water from the fish tank to drain into the grow beds.
New Aquaponics Food Production System Comes Online at Hilsman Middle School Joint UGA-Boy Scouts project a new learning tool for middle schoolers By Sandi Martin | Media Relations | Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources
Robby Ratajczak was looking for a Boy Scouts project this past summer, but he didn’t have to look far for inspiration, his dad’s work. Bob Ratajczak, a research coordinator at the University of Georgia, talked a lot about the new aquaponics food production systems he’d helped build in UGA’s Whitehall Forest and UGArden. The simple, yet elegant, systems use fish waste to feed plants, which 20
in turn clean the water for the fish. “I was pretty excited, because Dad is always working with it,” the 13-year-old Ratajczak said. “So I wanted to incorporate it into my Boy Scouts Life project.” So he did, building an aquaponics system at Hilsman Middle School with the help of his dad, some fellow Boy Scouts, and donated equipment and tilapia from the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. Now the school not only has
a unique teaching tool for students, but UGA students from Warnell are developing lesson plans for teachers to use to in science and math classes. It’s an amazing opportunity for the school, said Selena Blankenship, principal of Hilsman Middle School. “The lessons that are developed around it are interdisciplinary, and the kids love it,” she said. An aquaponics food production system is something researchers at Warnell November | December 2013
nect the theories they learn in the classroom with something tangible—even edible.” Bringolf is also teaching a First-Year Odyssey Seminar on aquaponics. His students built a system and are maintaining it in a Warnell lab. “They’re really into it,” Bringolf said. “Many have expressed interest in building their own systems at home or in community gardens.” Also, three Warnell students—Kevin Dunn, Kathy Riordan, and Alex Vann— are working with a professor in the UGA College of Education to develop lesson plans the Hilsman teachers can use with the aquaponics system. Dunn said the lesson plans will encompass multiple Georgia Performance Standards. “We’re trying to
and the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences have been experimenting with for several years. Dr. Robert Bringolf, Warnell Associate Professor of fish biology, has overseen design, construction, and operation of both of the systems that have been built on campus. An aquaponics system works like this: Tilapia growing in a tank produce waste into the water. This water flows out of the tank first through a filter to remove solids —uneaten food, feces—and then into gravel-filled grow beds where beneficial bacteria convert the dissolved waste, toxic ammonia, into non-toxic nitrate. This nitrate is then taken up by the roots of plants in the beds. The water, cleaned by the
Georgia Forestry Today
plants, then flows out of the beds and gets pumped back to the tilapia tank to start the cycle over. The Hilsman Middle School system consists of a 200-gallon tank with 55 tilapia and two ten-foot-long grow beds filled with flourishing tomato, lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, and strawberry plants. Bringolf is excited about the possibilities an aquaponics system offers for research into sustainable food production—and how Hilsman Middle can use it to teach students about everything from biology to agriculture to math. “The deepest levels of learning occur when information is combined with hands-on experience,” he said. “A system like this provides students with a unique and valuable opportunity to con-
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get the kids outside of the classroom and to the aquaponics system to give them some hands-on learning opportunities about what the system is and incorporating it into the lessons we are covering,” Dunn said. They are already working with science and math teachers on developing lessons specifically for them, including one that teaches students how to calculate the volume of the fish tank, the average volume of one of the tilapia in the tank, and displacement in a large graduated cylinder. Hilsman Middle is an International Baccalaureate candidate school, Dunn said, so teachers challenge students to “intellectually make connections between what they learn in the classroom to the real world. This includes an interdisciplinary learning approach, and we are trying to fulfill that by combining concepts and scientific instruments between science and math classes.” Although the elder Ratajczak, who works in Warnell, and a horticulture student are helping oversee the system at Hilsman Middle, Bringolf said the ultimate goal is for the school to become self-sufficient so they no longer need assistance maintaining it. Students now already take care of the tilapia Monday through Friday, Ratajczak said. Blankenship said that is an added bonus. “Not only is it a teaching tool, but it also teaches kids responsibility,” she said. Ratajczak said he was thrilled when son Robby was inspired to build a system for one of his Boy Scouts projects. Although Robby had hoped to do it over the summer for his Star Project, the funding wasn’t there. But the school secured grant funding just before school started, so he and five fellow Boy Scouts from Troop 22 got to work in August for his Life Project, building the system over four days. Ratajczak, who attends Hilsman, has 12 of the 21 merit badges he needs to become an Eagle Scout. He’s still wrapping up the Life Project requirements, and is still helping maintain the aquaponics system. Hilsman Middle School may be just the first local school to get such a setup. 22
UGA researchers have applied for grant funding to build five more systems in local schools, but there has been no decision on funding the expansion project. David Berle, faculty advisor for the UGArden and associate professor in the UGA Horticulture Department, said the aquaponics systems at UGA grew out of a desire for he and Bringolf to teach a section about aquaponics in Horticulture’s sustainable food production course, and it expanded from there. Moving the system into a middle school is a way to get kids interested in science and math. “It’s something different,” Berle said. “There are many things that could be connected to the aquaponics system. So really it’s a drawing card to get students interested in learning.”
Berle said they have a good chance of expanding the systems to other local Athens schools, “and possibly any other schools that have a greenhouse and agriscience program like Hilsman. That is a lot if you look statewide. The system is relatively inexpensive and easy to build, using mostly locally available materials.” He said it’s also possible for residents to have their own aquaponics systems. “The technology is pretty low-tech, and the cost is not too out of line for a homeowner,” he said. “It would be like having a pet or aquarium. It just requires daily attention. But it’s not particularly difficult to start up on a homeowner scale.” More information can be found at www.facebook.com/UGAquaponics. v
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November | December 2013
NEWS Georgia Delegation applauds House passage of Savannah Harbor Expansion Authorization In October, the U.S. House passed the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA), which authorizes the development and maintenance of the nation’s waterway infrastructure, among other critical projects. e legislation includes a key provision that authorizes the funding necessary for the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project to move forward. is provision will end a 14 year delay of the project to deepen the harbor from 42 to 47 feet in order to accommodate new supertankers that will soon be coming from the Panama Canal. e expansion of the harbor will ensure it remains a vital piece of the national infrastructure and have a major economic impact on Georgia and the nation. All 14 House members of the Georgia Congressional delegation voted for WRRDA today, and both of Georgia’s senators voted for the senate version of the bill earlier this year. e following delegation members issued statements applauding the House bill’s authorization of the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project:
support 352,000 jobs in our state and service more than 21,000 companies throughout the country. Passage of this bill is a critical step toward ensuring this economic engine can continue its vital role in our regional and national economies. Deepening the harbor will free up $213 million in private capital each year that can be invested in job creation and business expansion. For every dollar invested in the project, there is a $5.50 return. Let’s get this bill signed into law and this important project underway.” v
Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Georgia), “I am pleased the House
passed the Water Resources Reform and Development Act with bipartisan support from the entire Georgia delegation. e Savannah Harbor Expansion Project is critically important to our state and local economies, and this bill provides the authorization needed to complete such an important project. I look forward to a deepened harbor and our future export capabilities.” Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Georgia), “e House’s passage of the
Water Resource Reform and Development Act that included a critical authorization for the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project is a great victory for the United States and the state of Georgia. I applaud Chairman Shuster and the House for its support and for recognizing the huge economic impact of this project, which will bring $174 million in annual net benefits to the United States and create 11,554 jobs. I remain committed to seeing this project through to the very end.” Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Georgia-1), “Georgia’s deep water ports Georgia Forestry Today
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Georgia-Pacific CEO elected to SFI Board’s Economic Chamber CEO and President of Georgia-Pacific Jim Hannan was recently among three leaders who were elected to the independent Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI) Board of Directors to fill positions in each of its three chambers, Environmental, Social, and Economic. SFI Inc.’s governance represents environmental, social, and economic sectors equally to meet the many needs of forests and communities. SFI's 18-member board includes representatives of public and private landowners, manufacturers of forest products, conservation groups, academia,
aboriginal interests, community organizations, and labor and government officials. Hannan, CEO and President of Georgia-Pacific, has been elected to fill a vacant seat in the SFI Board's Economic Chamber. Previously, Jim served as GP’s president and chief operating office aer being promoted from executive vice president and chief administrative officer. His industry board affiliations include Past Chairman of the American Forest & Paper Association and member of the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement (NCASI). "I have great respect and appreciation
for the work SFI does to promote responsible forest management and sustainable forestry," said James Hannan, CEO and President of Georgia-Pacific. "All of us who depend on the future of our forests need to continue to work together to achieve our shared goals, and I am pleased to play a role in that crucial process." Other elected board members include Chair of the Steelworkers Wood Council, Bob Matters, to fill a seat in Social Chamber and President-Elect of the Wildlife Society, Jonathan Haulfler, to fill a seat in the Environmental Chamber. v
Waycross wood pellet plant receives European Pellet Council ENplus A1 certification Wood pellet producer Georgia Biomass, a subsidiary of RWE Innogy GmbH, has reached an important milestone: the high quality of wood pellets produced at its Waycross, Georgia facility has recently been recognized by receiving the European Pellet Council ENplus A1 certification. is recognition signifies the capability of the plant to produce pellets to the most stringent requirements as set by the European residential market. e majority of the wood pellets continue to be sold into the export industrial market via the port of Savannah. erefore, critical to Georgia Biomass’s long term success is securing off-take agreements with European utilities. e company recently signed competitively priced supply contracts with different companies for up to 660,000 metric tons per year, including two large volume contracts through 2019 with Drax Group plc.,a major UK energy company, and RWE Supply and Trading GmbH, a leading European energy trading 24
house. Integral to these long-term agreements is the requirement that Georgia Biomass demonstrates and maintains its commitment to the highest sustainability standards as mandated by European customers. Exemplifying this commitment is
the achievement of certifications from the Sustainable Forestry initiative and the Forest Stewardship Council, along with several others. v
November | December 2013
GEORGIA FORESTRY ASSOCIATION: ADVOCACY UPDATE By Matt Hestad | Communications Coordinator Timber security was a key focus of the Georgia Forestry Association’s advocacy efforts this year. In addition, GFA will be working to promote the use of wood in nonresidential construction and using all of its available resources during the 2014 legislative session to ensure adequate Georgia Forestry Commission funding to retain a qualified staff to accomplish wildfire prevention and other vital services. e following is a brief report of these activities:
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UPDATE: Legislative committee meets on timber security
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On Tuesday, September 10, the House Study Committee on Timber Security held its initial meeting at the State Capitol in Atlanta. e committee was appointed earlier this year by Speaker David Ralston as a result of a GFA-sponsored resolution, HR 644, which created the study initiative to investigate the extent of timber the and timber trespass in the state and to recommend legislation to address landowners’ concerns. State Representative Wendell Willard (RSandy Springs), Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, chairs the study committee. Following a morning session featuring a number of speakers, the group determined key provisions that should be considered for legislative action. e recommendations below are now being compiled into a dra bill for the 2014 legislative session: • e State Forestry Commission should have the authority to investigate incidents of timber the and trespass. • Combine all laws related to timber security into a single code section, probably in Chapter 16 - Crimes and Offenses. • Increase damages for unintentional trespass that results in the unauthorized cutting of timber from the current 'one times the value' of the timber to ‘three times the value.’ • In cases of intentional trespass, punitive
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Georgia Forestry Today
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damages would be available to landowners in addition to treble damages for trees taken. Require that scale tickets on unit sales be returned to original seller within 20 days. Failure to provide tickets within the required time limit would be a misdemeanor. Failure to pay for timber valued at $1500 or more would be a felony, consistent with changes made in Georgia’s the statutes last year. Statute of limitations for civil actions related to unauthorized timber cutting would be set at four years. Property owners selling timber would not be liable if timber harvester cuts over property line. Property line surveys would not be required by property owners selling timber; however, in order to protect landowners and harvesters from an unintentional timber trespass, the study committee should consider a statute to address actions that should be taken to limit timber trespass. e state of Arkansas has a statute (15-32-101) which gives landowners and timber harvesters, or buyers, three options to help reduce timber trespass. e statute allows for using a survey, an established property line or agreement of landowners. ese three options would allow for more accurate harvests near property lines, while limiting costs and delay of the harvest.
Among those who addressed the study committee were Steve McWilliams, GFA President; Bill Guthrie, Weyerhaeuser; David West and Jonathan Calore, South Carolina Forestry Commission; Brian Clavier, Georgia Forestry Commission; Mike Matre, Matre Forestry Consulting; David Hogan, Hogan Forest Services LLC; and Josh Lewis III, Georgia Land Surveying Company. e committee will meet again on Oc-
tober 26 to review a legislative dra of the proposals. For more information about GFA’s timber security initiative and best practices for landowners to prevent timber the, visit www.gfagrow.org/timbersecurity. ACTION: GFA pushes to remove DOE restrictions on wood
In an effort to promote the use of wood in non-residential construction, GFA recently renewed its efforts to remove restrictions on the use of wood in structural applications in public schools. For years, the Georgia Department of Education (DOE) has operated under facility construction guidelines that amend the International Building Code (IBC) to create a prohibition on wood frame construction in the state’s public schools. “Georgia is one of a handful of states that create this obstacle to the use of wood,” GFA President Steve McWilliams said. “is policy is outdated and needs to be eliminated.” In a meeting on September 24 with DOE Facilities Services Director Mike Rowland, McWilliams appealed to the department to remove the restriction. Previous discussions of the matter, which began two years ago, have stalled due largely to staffing changes at DOE. Rowland has held his position for only a year. Similar restrictions on wood use in public schools have been removed in the past few years in Arkansas and South Carolina. Chris Voso, an architectural advisor to the committee that evaluated the issue for the South Carolina Office of School Facilities, noted, “When properly detailed and constructed, wood framed buildings give the school district a facility that meets all International Building Code requirements concerning life safety while at the same time freeing up budget dollars to be used on needed educational spaces.” 25
In Arkansas, where the ban on wood was eliminated in 2008, several schools originally designed in steel or concrete were converted to wood framing, resulting in cost savings ranging from $20 to $40 per square foot. “Mr. Rowland appears willing to work with GFA to resolve the concerns of the forestry community,” McWilliams said. “Our goal is to see that this restriction on wood use in Georgia’s public schools is soon ended.” INSIGHT: GFC faces staffing pressures
At the invitation of GFA’s Executive Committee, representatives from the Georgia Forestry Commission told the Association leaders that the agency’s employee retention is at record lows. is can pose life-or-death situations for wildland firefighters, and it risks increased property losses due to devastating wildfires. While most state agencies have endured budget cuts since 2008, GFC’s struggle dates back much further. A 2003 Georgia State University analysis determined that while the state’s general budget had doubled, GFC’s budget fell 42 percent below established baselines. Over the past decade, GFC has experienced: • An additional 41 percent reduction in funding • 26.2 percent reduction in fire control personnel • 21.5 percent reduction in forest management personnel Digging deeper to determine the true impact of decreased funding levels, association leaders learned that: • Turnover of rangers doubled in FY13 from prior five year average of 10.8 percent, leaving offices understaffed and resulting in more ‘on call’ time for remaining employees. • It costs GFC $39,000 to hire and train a new fire control employee; one out of every six firefighter positions is currently vacant, which amounts to $1.95 million. • Average fire sizes in Georgia are in26
In 2012, the Commission’s 369 firefighters worked to manage and suppress 4,938 wildfires which burned 25,000 acres. Georgia, on average, has 6,668 fires that burn 77,992 acres annually. creasing, while the experience level of According to Georgia Forestry Comthe employees is decreasing, resulting mission officials, in order to address the critin an increase in injuries sustained on ical staffing needs and escalating employee the job. Employees with fewer than five retention crisis, GFC would require $3.551 years of experience accounted for 44 million in fiscal year 2015 and an additional percent of workers’ compensation $684,788 in fiscal year 2016. Failure to reclaims in FY13. ceive the necessary additional funding re• ree-quarters of all rangers have a sec- quires the agency to redirect funds ond job; 73 percent of their supervisors internally by an amount that equates to an have a second job; and 35 percent of additional 15 percent reduction in staff. foresters and district management staff GFA representatives will be calling on have a second job. the forestry community’s friends in the leg• Exit interviews indicate that employees islature in 2014 to appropriate the funds who resign are leaving for 30 to 60 pernecessary to ensure that the agency retains cent more pay. a qualified staff sufficient enough to accom• Drastic rise in health insurance costs plish wildfire prevention and other vital since 2009 means that more than 18 percent of a ranger’s gross pay now goes services in the future. v to insurance resulting in an actual reduction of nearly $200 in net monthly pay (from $2,057 to $1,885). • e average salary for a ranger is $28,118. A family of four on this salary qualifies for PeachCare and food stamps. “Forests represent the major land use in Georgia, and they generate $25 billion of manufacturing revenue for the state’s economy,” GFA President Steve McWilliams said. “e tens of thousands of private forest landowners who are responsible for the benefits of our forests depend on a state forest agency that is equipped to provide rapid and meaningful response in the case of destructive wildfires that can destroy their woodlands and nearby structures.”e commission responds to an average of 6,000 wildfires each year.
Georgia’s forests provide countless economic, recreational, and social benefits to the state’s citizens each year. It is the primary mission of the Georgia Forestry Association (GFA) to safeguard these benefits through advocating for a healthy business and political climate for Georgia's forest environment, forest landowners, and forestbased businesses. The priority goals that guide GFA’s mission are improving tax policy for woodland owners in Georgia, removing obstacles to the use of forest products, avoiding unreasonable and unwarranted environmental regulation, opposing measures that erode private property rights, and supporting fairness in the application of subsidies for new wood and fiber markets.
November | December 2013
Employer Mandate Strategic Planning Can Change the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act from a Roadblock into a Stepping Stone By Willard D. ompson & William P. Horkan | James-Bates-Brannan-Groover-LLP
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he recent news from Washington has been dominated with the debate over the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (‘PPACA’ or ‘e Act’). Almost exclusively, the news focus has been on the ‘individual mandate’ that requires every American to have health insurance either through their employer or by obtaining coverage through policies provided on either a state-sponsored marketplace (which is not available in Georgia) or via the Federal marketplace located at www.healthcare.gov. is ‘open enrollment’ period began on October 1, 2013, and runs through March of 2014. However, the PPACA is not limited to individuals only as the Act places several burdens on employers. With the PPACA, employers not only face the difficulty of decoding the complicated regulatory scheme, but must also bear the financial burdens of both compliance and non-compliance with the Act.
What is the Employer Mandate? The ‘employer mandate’ is a requirement of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (‘Affordable Care Act’) which was previously scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2014, but, in reality (because of the delay in the penalty provisions) does not take effect from an enforcement perspective until January 1, 2015. The ‘employer mandate’ is part of a two pronged approach taken by the Affordable Care Act to promote the availability, affordability, and quality of health insurance. The other prong, known as the ‘individual mandate’ faced significant legal opposition before being declared constitutional by the United States Supreme Court on June 28, 2012. Generally speaking, the ‘employer mandate’ requires that certain large employers offer a qualifying health care plan to their emGeorgia Forestry Today
ployees, or make one of two required payments to the federal government. ese payments, generically known as the ‘pay or play’ and the ‘pay and play’ payments are penalties for non-participation. Employers meeting certain requirements must offer qualifying health insurance to substantially all of their full-time employees, the employee’s share of the insurance premiums must be affordable, and the insurance offered must provide minimum value under the terms of the law in order to avoid these penalties. When does it come into effect? Although the some of the law requirements still go into effect on January 1, 2014, the ‘penalties’ for non-compliance have been delayed until January 1, 2015. us, for all practical purposes the employer mandate component of the PPACA has been delayed until January 1, 2015. Who is subject to the employer mandate? e answer to this question is determined by whether the employer qualifies as an ‘applicable large employer.’ An applicable large employer is one who employed an average of at least 50 full-time employees on business days within the preceding calendar year. ‘Applicable large employers’ are required to offer affordable insurance coverage which provides minimum value to its full-time employees. For 2015, employers can, subject to certain provisions, select a minimum of six consecutive calendar months from 2014 in order to determine whether or not they qualify as ‘applicable large employers.’ Additionally, there are special rules for seasonal employees. Who qualifies as a full-time employee for purposes of the employer mandate? e ACA defines a full-time employee as one who averages at least 30 hours of service per
week. Additionally, a part-time employee’s hours are added to the hours of other parttime employees to count as ‘Full-Time Equivalents.’ Large employers must ’offer‘ affordable health insurance to all of their employees. Under the PPACA, all applicable large employers must provide employees with the opportunity to enroll in health insurance that meets the PPACA’s requirements for affordability and minimum coverage. As long as the employer-sponsored health insurance meets the affordability and coverage requirements, the applicable large employer will not be responsible for paying the ‘penalties’ under the Act. What constitutes ‘affordable’ coverage? e definition of ‘affordable’ under the PPACA is based on the price of single coverage for an employer-sponsored plan. ‘Affordable’ means that an employee’s required contribution for employer-sponsored health insurance is 9.5 percent or less of the employee’s household income (which includes income from the employee and the employee’s spouse). Obviously, one difficulty that employers face in trying to determine whether the health insurance coverage they offer meets this ‘affordability’ requirement is that employers are going to have to know how much income an employee’s spouse brings in, which is not typically an inquiry employers previously had to make. Under the PPACA, applicable large employers should require employees to provide this information to ensure they are meeting the PPACA ‘affordability’ standard. What does the term ‘minimum value’ mean? Under the PPACA, ‘minimum value’ is de27
fined as the health insurance paying for at least 60 percent of covered health care expenses. What are the penalties for an employer’s non-compliance? An employer who fails to offer a qualifying health insurance plan which is affordable and provides minimum coverage to its full-time employees is subject to one of two penalties. Each penalty is triggered by an employee obtaining subsidized health insurance coverage through the federal health care exchange (aka the on-line ‘marketplace’ through www.healthcare.gov, which has been plagued with issues). e penalties will be assessed on a monthly basis and be paid at year end through a process administered by the Internal Revenue Service. e ‘Pay or Play’ penalty is assessed on those employers who fail to offer coverage to its full-time employees. e penalty is a nondeductible payment of $2,000 per full-time employee, per year. However, an employer’s first thirty full-time employees are exempted from the calculation and part-time employees do not count in the payment calculation. us, a company with 51 full-time employees would be charged a penalty of $42,000 (51 full-time employees – 30 exempt employees = 21 employees x $2,000 = $42,000) per year. e second penalty, known as the ‘Pay and Play’ penalty is assessed on those employers which offer health insurance which is either insufficient under the law or unaffordable under the law. e penalty is $3,000 per year,
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per employee who gets a credit or cost-sharing reduction. ere are no exempted employees. An employer with 51 full-time employees who each get a credit or cost-sharing reduction would be subject to a $153,000 penalty for a year of non-compliance. Businesses falling below the 50 employee threshold will not be subject to these penalty provisions. Additionally, ‘small’ employers (those with less than 25 employees and less than $50,000.00 in average annual wages) may be eligible for a tax credit in exchange for offering affordable health insurance that meets the minimum coverage requirements to its employees.
mented, and there does not appear to be any indication that the employer mandate will not come into effect in January of 2015. erefore, employers should take the one-year reprieve to become as familiar as possible with the PPACA requirements and use 2014 as a trial run to ensure that they are meeting the minimum standards of the PPACA, which will avoid the penalties that will come into effect in 2015. All materials and examples presented in this article are for general information only and should not be acted upon without additional details and/or professional assistance.v
So what does all of this mean to employers? e PPACA clearly changes the average U.S. employers’ cost of doing business. Previously, employers might only be interested in offering health insurance coverage to their employees for legitimate business reasons such as hiring incentives or business insurance purposes. e PPACA has changed that to be more focused on whether an employer can afford to either provide the insurance or pay the penalty. Either way, the employer is going to pay something, and this is a significant change. Additionally, as with all massive federal statutory and regulatory schemes, there have been and will be continued implementation issues which will keep the PPACA at the forefront of the U.S. political debate. Regardless, the fact remains that the PPACA is being imple-
November | December 2013
GEORGIA FORESTRY TODAY DIRECTORY OF PRODUCTS & SERVICES
Georgia Forestry Today
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GEORGIA FORESTRY TODAY DIRECTORY OF PRODUCTS & SERVICES
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www.hippenterprises.com Todd Hipp
(803) 924-0978
todd@hippenterprises.com
Eric Hipp
(803) 924-4131
eric@hippenterprises.com-
Chad Hipp
(803) 924-5940
chad@hippenterprises.com November | December 2013
GEORGIA FORESTRY TODAY DIRECTORY OF PRODUCTS & SERVICES