Ten years ago, a thick Alabama forest was harvested for its timber. Today, a new forest thrives in its place.Even after 10 years, Bubba Brush recalls the sound of "zing, zing, zing" rising above the forest. The noise went on for hours as a feller buncher—its sharp, circular saw spinning—cut across 62 acres of mature trees fronting his land. A quick "zing" signaled the end of a small tree. A longer "z-z-Z-I-I-I-N-n-n-g" told Brush a large tree had been cut. "It sounded like nature was crying," he recalls. "It was awful; it was sad."That's not to say Brush opposes logging. He doesn't. As the manager of his family's farm, outside Montevallo, Alabama, Brush oversees the development of commercial-sized hardwoods and pines. He holds an Alabama Treasure Forest Association designation andconsults regularly with a professional forester on the forest growth and diversity. MONEY GROWS ON TREES. Forests are big business in Alabama. Timberland accounts for 69% of the state'stotal land area and generates $21 billion a year in revenue. Non-industrial, private landowners own 90% of Alabama's 23 million forestacres—a third planted to pine plantations. Loblolly pines are the most prevalent, growing on 8.5 million acres.
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