MS SC649

Recognizes Julian Watson of Jackson, Mississippi, as the Mississippi Forestry Association "2009 Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year" for his 1,000-acre timberland in Holmes County

Watson converted eroding farmland, which had been in his family since 1872, into productive timberland beginning in the 1980s as one of the first participants in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)

The property has been under a written management plan for over 20 years and certified as a Tree Farm for 24 years, utilizing thinning, prescribed burning, and forestry herbicides

Watson founded and served as President of the Holmes County Forestry Association, served as President of the Hinds County Forestry Association, and serves on the Mississippi Forestry Association Board

Enrolled 200 acres in a Carbon Credit Program in 2007 and generates income from hunting leases due to improved wildlife habitat on the property