 |
About Dr. Saloom
|
Q&A with Dr. Salem Saloom
Dr. Saloom and his family live the NWTF mission with their 1,762-acre Alabama tree farm. They not only provide quality habitat for wildlife, they use their resources and knowledge to educate others about conservation
NWTF: Land management is a family affair for the Salooms. What roles do you, your wife and son play?
Dr. Salem Saloom: We formed a limited liability company in 1996, naming our property Saloom Properties, which allows us to manage our farm not only as a business but to deliberately pass on the legacy of the farm to the next generation. Being an LLC gives us more accountability as managers of our forest, with each family member being a vested owner. We discuss all major decisions as a family and come to a consensus on what to do with the property.
I have a passion for turkey conservation, so I'm proactive in planning and managing for wildlife. Wildlife management, for me, is more than something that has to be done. It is a passion to move stewardship to another level.
My wife, Dianne, is very involved, not necessarily with the day-to-day management, but with discussion, planning, decision-making and ideas. She does not mind getting her hands dirty. She is a trooper when it comes to hard work and enjoys the forest, its beauty and bounty.
We purchased the first part of our property in 1983, the year of Patrick's birth. Each year, we see him becoming more interested in learning and being directly involved, so one day he will be able to take over the management of Saloom Properties.
It is not unusual to see all three of us on fire lines with a drip torch as we perform our own prescribed burn.
NWTF: You and your family completed 95 percent of the work on your property yourselves. Quite a feat! What tasks did you contract out and why?
SS: Owning land comes with the responsibility of caring for it. There is great satisfaction in doing the work ourselves. Getting our hands dirty and wearing out boot leather gives us a better appreciation of our forest. One of my mantras is, "If someone else can do it, then I can learn to do it myself."
The areas that we contract out are important to mention, because one must have good scientific and artful advice in terms of managing his or her forest. We have a qualified registered forester who gives that advice and expertise.
Our consultant forester also coordinates and oversees specific logging operations. The economic returns and results of those operations are far better than if we did it ourselves.
When we have planted large acres of longleaf pine, we contract out the aerial herbicide site-prep, as well as the hand planting of seedlings.
We do all of our own prescribed burning and spraying of invasive species, as well as all roadwork, fire lane construction and any other day-to-day work.
NWTF: When Hurricane Ivan devastated your area in 2004, you restored native longleaf pine on more than 150 acres of damaged forest. Why longleaf pine?
SS: It's a story of being able to turn adversity into an opportunity, making lemonade out of lemons, if you will. With the devastation of Hurricane Ivan in much of south Alabama, our forest did not go unscathed. After five months of logging and clean up, we changed our management plan drastically. Since we are in the upper Coastal Plain of south Alabama, we knew we were in the longleaf range. We are excited about taking part in restoring the longleaf ecosystem within its range.
Establishing longleaf takes more work, more site preparation and management than other pine species. However, we knew the benefits would far outweigh some of those limiting factors.
Longleaf grows a taproot that is usually longer than the other pine species, so it is less subject to damage from hurricane-force winds than loblolly and other pines. Its stem grows straighter than the other pine species and produces better wood products, so the economic value for longleaf is much better.
From a wildlife point of view, the longleaf is much preferred as long as it is planted in a longleaf site. Longleaf is a fire-dependent species. It thrives on it. Fire disturbs the soil and allows native grasses, forbs and legumes to be restored in the undercover. These plants are food for many wildlife species, especially the wild turkey. Even a young longleaf stand is good for nesting and brood habitat.
Since our first planting of longleaf in January 2006, we have reforested 472 acres of it.
NWTF: How has the NWTF helped you in your land and forest management goals?
SS: Over the past 25-plus years as an NWTF member, I have been able to continue my passion for wild turkey management and hunting. The well-known conservation practices of the NWTF continue to inspire turkey hunters, that we have to do our part in continuing this conservation story. It is not about killing turkeys, but about good stewardship practices that transcends into other areas of our lives. It is about emulating that stewardship so others will want to do the same. It is also about going out on a spring morning, enjoying God's creation, hearing a gobbler and bringing back a turkey story to share.
Through NWTF events, programs and personal communication, I have learned more about the wild turkey, its habitat and what we need to improve our property for quality turkey habitat.
I have made wonderful lifelong friends through the NWTF. Two of these special people are Dr. James Dickson and his son, John. Both are wildlife biologists. Jim is a past president of the NWTF Board of Directors and a major, if not the most influential, contributor to our knowledge of the wild turkey. Through his advice and expertise, Saloom Properties, LLC has improved its turkey habitat.
Through my relationship with Luke Lewis, an NWTF regional wildlife biologist, I have not only improved our property for the wild turkey, but also helped educate others.
NWTF: You hosted a Wild Turkey Woodlands Field Day for more than 300 Alabama landowners on your property last year. What can one expect to learn at an event like that?
SS: We hosted not only landowners and hunters, but also stakeholders who have a vested interest in good forest and wildlife management. The emphasis of the field day was on longleaf restoration and wildlife management.
We brought together many state and federal agencies, along with 23 vendors. Participants were able to see the resources available to help them better manage and improve their properties. We also demonstrated specific practices that work for managing smaller as well as larger acres of property than ours. Everyone could apply those practices on their property or hunting club lease.
Also, the field day was a reminder that one person cannot do it alone, of the importance of partnerships. A collective effort of many agencies made the field day a success.
NWTF: How have you benefited from the Wild Turkey Woodlands program?
SS: As a Wild Turkey Woodlands participant, we have been able to proudly display the Wild Turkey Woodlands signage at several access points on our property. Most know I have a passion for the wild turkey and its conservation and management. This signage is a testament to that passion. The program has helped me network with other landowners, as well as other organizations that promote good land management and conservation. I have gotten involved with other conservation and forestry organizations that share common interests and goals in not only longleaf restoration but also in educating others and advocating for policies that affect all family forests in our country.
NWTF: What is the main lesson you want to get across to the general public about land management and conservation?
SS: No matter how large or small the acreage, one can do good forest management and make a difference. Our field days show other landowners they can do things on their property that will benefit not only their timber, but also wildlife populations and our environment.
Those who do not own land, the stakeholders, also need to be educated, because they too have a vested interest in well-managed forestlands — wood products, clean air, clean water, increased jobs.
Educating school-aged children is imperative. Our next generations will carry on the legacies we leave. We want to teach them responsible stewardship and to pass on a sense of passion for being in the outdoors, which is why we host the 5th grade children in our county on a field day every year. We talk about stewardship, the benefits we derive from our forests, and about the forest and our environment. We also educate them on ways they can be involved. They leave with a sense of responsibility to protect their environment.
NWTF: What's the greatest benefit to being an NWTF member?
SS: How wonderful to be associated with a group that has done so much for wild turkey restoration. And this success story is just a part of the many contributions the NWTF is making. The NWTF is carrying on a legacy that is so important to forest landowners, as well as hunters and conservationists. No one is a better steward of the land and its resources than those who hunt. — Karen Lee