DATE: 10/6/2005

CONTACT: Bob Franklin, (843) 549-2596

WRITER: Tom Lollis, (803) 284-3343, ext. 241

S.C. has Southern Tree Farmer of Year for third year in a row

HAMPTON – For the third year in a row the National Tree Farm System has selected South Carolina landowners as the Southern Region Tree Farmer of the Year.

The Donald Dyches family, owners of Bo Peep Plantation in Hampton County, were recognized in September during the National Tree Farmer Convention in Springfield, Mass.

The Dyches family, owners of Dyches Construction Co. in Savannah, Ga., purchased 396 acres in Hampton County in 1991 for a hunting retreat and added adjoining tracts later for a total of 891 acres.

The property turned out to be the main portion of an old plantation, so they decided to revive the name – Bo Peep Plantation.

“Initially we never considered the forestry aspect of the property,” said Dyches. “We didn’t have any knowledge of forestry and were planting trees with no overall plan.”

Fortunately they knew several South Carolina Tree Farmers of the Year and two winners of national tree farmer awards who gave them ideas on how to transform Bo Peep.

Dyches’ father, Woodrow, sons Bill and Don Jr. and son-in-law Tommy Danos learned the basics of forest management by taking some or all of the Clemson Extension Master Tree Farmer and Master Wildlifer courses. They even co-hosted one of the regional satellite programs with the University of Georgia in Savannah.

They also joined state forestry associations in South Carolina and Georgia, the S.C. Tree Farm Program and the Hampton County Forestry Land Owners and Wildlife Management Association.

They have begun collaborating with Bob Franklin, Clemson Extension forester, on transitioning loblolly pine stands to longleaf pine through the Lowcountry Forest Conservation Partnership.

Bo Peep will gradually be converted completely to longleaf. Longleaf lumber is a higher grade and the tree is less susceptible to disease than loblolly. The family also considers longleaf to be better for wildlife.

Rotating the loblolly out over time will create an uneven aged longleaf forest.

The Dyches’ participate in the Conservation Reserve Program, which is designed to protect highly erodible land, and the USDA National Resources Conservation Services program, which requires prescribed burning at least once every three years.

The family maintains more than 20 acres of food plots for wildlife and provides numerous supplemental feeding locations and mineral licks. They encourage native plant life critical to the health of various animal species.

“Our goal is to provide an environment that encourages deer, quail, turkey and other wildlife,” said Bill Dyches, one of Donald’s sons. Fox squirrels and red cockaded woodpeckers have also had a resurgence. Dozens of boxes for wood ducks and bluebirds have also been placed around the property.

Randall Johnson of Walterboro is the forester who nominated the Dyches family for South Carolina Tree Farmer of the Year.

“They have put a tremendous amount of work into Bo Peep and made it an outstanding example of what tree farming is all about,” he said.

Franklin noted that the family often hosts school classes, church groups and business associates at Bo Peep.

“They use the property a lot for hunting and outdoor recreation, but they never miss an opportunity to show and tell their guests about natural resource management,” he said.

Previous winners of the Southern Tree Farmer of the Year award include Walt McPhail of Greenville (2003) and John and Mary Rebecca Spearman of Williamsburg Count (2004).

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