National Forest Grew from Rehabilitated Lands

By Alex Demas, Washington Office of Communication

In December of 1934, the president of Tuskegee Institute, Dr. Robert R. Moton, met with several federal and state officials to determine how to help the impoverished farmers of central Alabama. Primarily working as tenants on small-acreage farms, these predominantly Black farmers were hit with one disadvantage after another, from severely worn eroded lands robbing the soil of its fertility to the Great Depression sapping markets of cash to buy crops or borrow money from banks.

The plans that arose from the meeting of the Tuskegee Institute and the New Deal government agencies would lead to the resettlement of several hundred farmers onto more productive land as well as the acquisition of thousands of acres of unproductive farmland that would give rise to the Tuskegee National Forest, located in Macon County, Alabama.

From the Great Depression to a New Life
Before the land could be restored, the officials needed to get an idea of the land condition. After an exhaustive survey with lots of interviews from locals, the Tuskegee Institute and Department of Agriculture published a report detailing the state of the region. It was not good. Erosion had robbed the land of its fertility and wealth and deeply scarred the hillsides. Most of the timber had been removed. The valleys were, for the most part, filled with sediment, which had washed into the streams impacting fish and aquatic life.

The Tuskegee Institute and USDA were undaunted. Starting small, with just 35 workers and five acres, they began reseeding and planting trees for a new project named the Tuskegee Land Utilization project. Pine, oak, elm, magnolia—all iconic and native species of trees began pushing roots deep into the degraded, eroded and infertile soils, anchoring them for rehabilitation.

Many of the former farmers who had sold their land for this project found work on the restoration, keeping their connection to the land strong. Others who had not sold their land were still able to get the farmlands rehabilitated under the project. The Black families that needed to move were relocated to the small community of Prairie Farms by the

Resettlement Administration, another New Deal agency
Throughout the rest of the Depression, the work continued swiftly, growing in scale and goals. The 35 workers grew to 350, and by 1936, more than 300,000 seedlings had been planted throughout the area. The original five-acre nursery was producing trees, more than 134,000 worth, which joined the other seedlings in the recovering lands of central Alabama. At the close of 1936, more than 2,650 workers had labored on the land, and more than 1 million trees had been planted.

The ecosystem was beginning to recover as well, with rapid increases in wildlife like quail, dove, rabbits and turkeys observed. The streams and waterways improved, as did drainage, decreasing erosion.

Developing a Community’s Forest
With the forest well on its way to recovery, the partnership between the Tuskegee Institute and USDA began to turn towards how best to use this nascent forest. With the nearby community of Tuskegee interested in recreational opportunities like hiking, camping and picnicking, the Works Progress Administration lent some of its resources to develop campgrounds, sports fields and hiking trails. A fire patrol system was stood up, along with more than 29 miles of firebreaks established.

Unfortunately, because these were the days of Jim Crow laws in the South, the facilities in what would become Tuskegee National Forest were separated by race. There were separate picnicking areas, shelters, benches and sports facilities for Blacks and for whites. These would remain separate even after the establishment of Tuskegee National Forest until the end of Jim Crow in the 1960s.

Tuskegee Institute also wanted to use the recovering forest as an outdoor classroom, teaching farmers and arborists best practices and new techniques. More than 5,000 acres were set aside for this task, and soon regular timber sales began. By 1954, when the USDA Forest Service took management of the Tuskegee National Forest, it was expected that 400,000 board feet would be cut from the forest each year.

Small but Mighty
The 11,347-acre Tuskegee National Forest is the nation’s smallest National Forest. But to Tuskegee and Macon County, Alabama, it’s an important part of their community. Recreation opportunities abound, with activities like dispersed camping, target shooting, hunting, picnicking and fishing.

There are also hiking, cycling and horseback riding trails, particularly the Bartram National Recreation Trail. This trail is named for naturalist William Bartram, who traveled much of the Southeast in the 1770s, documenting new species of plants and animals. Of particular note is the Pleasant Hill Fire Tower, which was historically used for fire lookout and is now published in the Historic Register.