♪ Oh, I came to tell you what Jesus said ♪ [CHUCK LEAVELL] On this episode of America's Forests, we journey to South Carolina.

♪ what Jesus said ♪ The forests here are rich with history - tales that began with the freeing of the slaves at the end of the Civil War.

[JOSEPH HAMILTON] When asked, "As an enslaved person, what do you want if you are set free?"

He said, "Land!"

[CHUCK LEAVELL] Across the state, African-American landowners are turning lands that they've inherited into productive, profitable tree farms.

[YVONNE KNIGHT-CARTER] We have about 6 stands, so we have a lot of work to do.

[CHUCK LEAVELL:]The result is a stronger community and a stronger economy.

[JENNIE STEPHENS] These landowners can unearth the potential in their land and make it work for them.

[CHUCK LEAVELL] Trees are paving the way for a bright future.

[MARY HILL] It's been the best thing that has ever happened to me.

[CHUCK LEAVELL] It's good to be a tree farmer, isn't it?

[JOSEPH HAMILTON] It's good to be a tree farmer!

All right man!

[CHUCK LEAVELL] Join me as I get to do two of my favorite things: Play music and plant trees!

Perfect!

Wooh, you re a good tree planter!

[CHUCK LEAVELL] Hi, I'm Chuck Leavell.

You know, in addition to my beautiful family, there's two things in my life that I have a special interest in and love for; Music and Trees.

My wife Rose Lane and I own and manage our own forest land right here in Georgia, Charlane Plantation.

We grow Southern Yellow Pine as well as other species here.

And you know as I get to travel the world with The Rolling Stones or some of the other artists that I'm so privileged to work with, I get to meet all kind of folks that also have a passion and love for trees, forests, and the outdoors.

And now I get to share their stories with you.

So join me as we journey through America's Forests ♪♪ ♪ I'm going back down to South Carolina ♪ ♪ going down there to stay ♪ [CHUCK LEAVELL] Welcome to the low country of South Carolina.

These forests are filled with beautiful longleaf and loblolly pines, but they're not just wonders of nature, because you see, they connect the land to the people, to their past, to their present, and to the future.

♪♪ [JOSEPH HAMILTON] My name is Joseph Hamilton, and most people call me Joe.

We're here in Colleton County, Green Pond, South Carolina.

I grew up here.

CHAIN SAW SOUND I am a country boy in the sense that I love the soil, I love the trees, the openness.

What I love about being a tree farmer is the sustainability.

It produces and it is a product that not only I can use, but all Americans and all people can use.

[CHUCK LEAVELL] Becoming a tree farmer is a dream that I can certainly relate to.

But for Joe, the journey was filled with legal obstacles.

[JOSEPH HAMILTON] I knew my family had ownership of this fairly large tract of land, I just did not know whether we had paperwork to show ownership of it.

Oftentimes inherited land is passed down from generation to generation without a will or without legal proceedings, and because of that, some families have had to fight in the courts for years to prove that their land is legally and rightfully theirs.

[CHUCK LEAVELL] For Joe, the first step of proving ownership led to the Colleton County registry of deeds where land records go back to just after the Civil War.

Alright, so where is this book you were telling me about?

[JOSEPH HAMILTON] Yeah, all of these just records of deeds and whatnot, but here, here s my book that I m telling you about, this is the book.

[CHUCK LEAVELL] Wow, look at all this.

Joe, you've done a tremendous amount of research into your family history, so tell me about it.

[JOSEPH HAMILTON] Well, y'know, I was still working with the Department of Defense and I realized that we were living on heirs ' property and something had to be done, because with heirs' property, it's just, for lack of better description, it's a quagmire.

[JENNIE STEPHENS] Heirs' Property, according to us at the Center for Heirs' Property Preservation is land that has been passed down without a will or the um, loved ones of the deceased individual did not probate their estate within the time allotted by state law, and therefore the heirs end up owning the land jointly.

It's like shares in a corporation.

They don't own a piece of the land, they own a share.

[JOSEPH HAMILTON] The best example is a pie, beautiful pie, cut into several slices, you can just never lift your piece out of that pie pan.

You can look at it, you can show other people the pie, your slice, but you can never use it nor taste it, nor enjoy it.

[CHUCK LEAVELL] Joe spent 3 full years researching the chain of title for his land.

It took him that long to find the missing piece of the puzzle.

Joe, who was Steve Cunningham?

I see his name right here.

[JOSEPH HAMILTON] He's my great grandfather.

Steven Cunningham was.

um.

born an enslaved person.

I looked at some of the history associated with this, because I, what I was doing, I was building a case.

I'm basically doing paralegal work, without paralegal training and then I started doing the research and then I came across uh one gentleman, his name was Dr Thomas Lenning, and I remembered as a child my parents would refer to the area where we lived as Lenning!

This document here really showed the transaction that took place.

Dr. Thomas Lenning conveyed that property over to Steven Cunningham in 1874.

[CHUCK LEAVELL] 1874!

[JOSEPH HAMILTON] If this former enslaved person - no education - could see the value of land, it would be a travesty if I did not pursue this.

♪ Sometimes I feel like a motherless child ♪ [CHUCK LEAVELL] Joe's story is all too common among African-American families.

Some freed slaves were allotted land after the Civil War thanks to General Sherman's Special Field Order 15 which came to be known as Forty acres and a mule.

But the compensation of land did not endure.

[JENNIE STEPHENS] After the Civil War, y'know, to whom were they going to turn?

There weren't any lawyers of color, so who could they trust to actually help them take care of their affairs.

...didn't trust the system cause the system had proven that it shouldn't be trusted, and then there's the whole issue of lack of knowledge.

Low income folk usually don't sit around the dinner table and talk about estate planning.

♪♪ [JOSEPH HAMILTON] I always quote the gentleman Garrison Frasier, who had a conversation with Mr. Stanton who was the Secretary of War under Abraham Lincoln and General William Tecumseh Sherman when asked, "What do you, as an enslaved person, what do you want if you're set free?"

He said, "Land.

Give us land.

We will work it.

We will acquire more land and we will make it productive."

So, that is the fire in the belly that I come to the table with.

Give me the land or show me how to acquire that land and I will make that land produce.

♪♪ [CHUCK LEAVELL] For some families, proving that they own the land is just the beginning of a long journey.

Making that land productive is the next big step.

♪ LOGGING SOUNDS ♪ [JOSEPH HAMILTON] When we were children standing at the head of this road, the trucks would fly by, loaded with logs.

I would wonder how did those logs get on that truck and where were they taking them?

♪♪ [CHUCK LEAVELL] Forests have been an integral part of SOUTH Carolina's history and economy - from pine tar.

to turpentine.

to paper.

During the late 1800's there were 31 sawmills in Sumter County alone.

By the end of World War I, most of South Carolina's virgin timber was depleted and some thought the industry was finished.

Luckily, by the 1930's, interest in reforestation and sustained yield helped bring the industry back from the brink.

Today, trees are the number one cash crop in South Carolina.

[JOSEPH HAMILTON] But you know something else I found out?

You don't just get lumber out of trees!

We get diaper products!

Doors.

[CHUCK LEAVELL] Oh yeah!

Chewing gum.

Cleaning products JOSEPH HAMILTON: That's it!

coming from trees.

[CHUCK LEAVELL] Even though African-Americans owned a significant percentage of the land, most were not benefiting financially from the profits generated by the lumber industry.

[JENNIE STEPHENS] For South Carolina, forestry is a $21 billion dollar industry.

There hadn t been a good relationship with this industry with African-Americans.

Oftentimes the land is not seen as an asset, it's seen as a liability, Because people have spent their lives working for the land to maintain it, rather than the land working for them and generating some income.

[SAM COOK] Well the ultimate goal is for you to learn about forestry as a whole, to understand the mechanics around why you should manage your land.

[CHUCK LEAVELL] That's where organizations like The Center for Heirs' Property Preservation come in.

[SAM COOK] The Timberland Index climbed by an average of 15%.

The point to this slide is to show to you, that you don't only need to invest in the stock market, you should invest in your timberland.

[JENNIE STEPHENS] We're providing either the legal services or the forestry technical assistance that these land-owners can unearth the potential in their land and make it work for them.

[PREACHER] We thank you right now.

And we ask these things, in the holy Jesus name Hallelujah!

Hallelujah!

Hallelujah!

[CHUCK LEAVELL] Moncks Corner is home to Yvonne Knight-Carter.

And like me, Yvonne is a musician first who had to learn how to become a tree farmer.

She's the organist and choir director for the Greater Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, and she graciously let me sit in.

[CHOIR] ♪ Oohhh make it alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright Jesus make it right...♪ [YVONNE KNIGHT-CARTER] When I retired and came back here, y'know I looked back there and there were lots of trees then, behind me and I just said, it was just woods and then I met the Center for Heirs' Property... CHUCK LEAVELL: Uh-huh yes, Wonderful organization YVONNE KNIGHT-CARTER: And learned how to think about it in a different way.

Started to think about what my land ethic was, so what we eventually did was plant trees - and then I didn't have woods anymore, I had forests.

[CHUCK LEAVELL] How many acres do you have of forestland?

[YVONNE KNIGHT-CARTER] We have about 264 acres of forestland.

In the plan we look at when to thin it, when to clear-cut it, and when to go on and re-plant, so this was the first of our efforts and we have about 6 stands, so we have a lot of work to do.

As you get into it, you find that there's even more.

Not only did we plant trees, but then we looking out for wildlife, so we left acreage specifically for that, which is also income.

We lease for hunting and there are people out here looking for somewhere to hunt, people are looking for acreage to plant.

[JENNIE STEPHENS] So, what the Center has done is we've helped land owners have an, "Ah-hah" moment, that they recognize the value that is contained within the land.

And then we're connecting them to the proper tools.

[WORKSHOP SPEAKER] The economic impact of forestry in our state is #1 among the manufacturing industries, it provides 90 thousand jobs and a payroll of over 2.4 billion dollars.

[CHUCK LEAVELL] Those tools come from a wide range of groups - both non-profits and government agencies - that have come together to create the Sustainable Forestry and African-American Land Retention program.

[SAM COOK] One of the goals with the sustainable forestry program, is to provide the education piece that shows why we are doing what we're doing.

[CHUCK LEAVELL] Scores of farmers throughout the South are being helped by this partnership between the US Endowment for Forestry and Communities and two US Department of Agriculture agencies the Forest Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

It may sound like alphabet soup, but it adds up to one mighty powerful mission.

[SAM COOK] And by the end of the day, we hope that you should have enough information and knowledge, that you can make some decisions on what to do.

[LEONARD JORDAN] So it's just a fantastic program, and it helped people to get an understanding that the land they have is more than a liability.

And now they have something that is income generating.

[CHUCK LEAVELL] And what I think is is so wonderful, about this program, Chief, is that it's all about keeping families on the land and keeping the land in families.

[LEONARD JORDAN] That's a very very powerful thing.

Growing up on a family farm myself, I mean I get it.

And this community of folks that have transitioned from not having an appreciation for the wealth that they had that they were unaware of, now they value it and it's their land y'know.

"Don't touch my land.

Because this is my land."

And they have a sense of such a sense of pride and ownership.

And that transcends into a stronger families, that's my belief anyways, they're stronger families and stronger communities and ultimately a stronger country.

♪♪ [JOSEPH HAMILTON] Well I owe a great debt of gratitude to NRCS and the South Carolina Forestry Commission, I partnered up with them and, I understand now the value of land.

As you can see, the trees have kind of taken on its own now and look at that one, that thing is about maybe 10-12 feet almost.

Here this is what we call a Happy Tree [MICHAEL BROOM] I remember looking back over your Stewardship Plan, y'know timber income was your highest priority.

Typically, in at least in this particular area of the world, Loblolly will make you a little bit more money than Longleaf will.

[KIP TERRY] It's all genetics.You know, these trees are probably second generation improved Loblolly Pine, but they 're still it s all about genetics, and you can see, across the way, like I say, you will see some, some trees are probably 10-foot tall or taller.

And you're going to have some closer to the 6, and then some even shorter, maybe 4.

So it's all depend on where they were planted, how they were planted and so forth.

And you look at all the grasses out here.

You know, one thing that we've talked about before that you have to do is maintain your firebreaks down both sides and across the back.

And always make sure your firebreaks are maintained annually.

♪♪ CHUCK LEAVELL: Shulerville, South Carolina, is where Mary Hill, another landowner who's benefited from the Sustainable Forestry and African-American Land Retention Program, is tending her forest.

This land has been in her family since the 1860s.

[MARY HILL] We own approximately 114 acres in four different tracts.

The story is that after slavery, ending of slavery, the master gave to my husband's great-grandfather this tract.

For years after my husband passed away, I wondered what we could do with this land to make it more profitable for us.

It was just, just sitting there barren.

After your timber has been harvested, then they will offer you a program to, to re-plant your forest land.

And then, of course in the next 15 or 20 years, you will have more trees and you will be able to sell your timber and realize a profit from that.

And then, hopefully, it will go on and on.

[CHUCK LEAVELL] It wasn't always easy developing trust between landowners and the agencies - it took time to build these relationships.

[LEONARD JORDAN] So they went into these communities,and let them know, you know, that, "We are private.

We're not the government.

If you have the fear of the government."

So that piece came together and so, it was a matter of helping them to understand that there's value associated with their land for which they own.

Many of them saw it only as a liability, which means that anybody that drives down the road, that offered them what seemed to be a good dollar, they were ready to take that dollar and lose the opportunity to make improvements that, that benefits themselves and their families.

So the endowment cleaned all that up for them, showed them that you can actually manage this in a way that it provides a revenue stream for you and your family.

[MARY HILL] At first, I did not have trust in the program, because so many folk have lost their property to the government and all.

But when I saw other folk from the community joining the program, and it was successful for them, then I figured it was the right thing for me as well.

So I uh, I joined the program and, it's been the best thing that has ever happened to me I think.

[JENNIE STEPHENS] With all of that experience around the issue of forestry, but also the resources to help land owners implement these conservation practices, was the game changer.

[MARY HILL] It's been a blessing to a lot of other folk, and to me.

[LORI BATALLER] So Ms. Hill - what we re gonna do is I m gonna dig a soil, a little bit of the soil out - to see if it's suitable for longleaf pine or loblolly pine planting over here.

So let me get a little bit of the soil out and we ll look.

And, at the top it's a little bit sandy, it s got some brown, so it's not too bad but you can feel the moisture in the soil right?

[MARY HILL] It's been an educational thing to work with the trees.

We've already cut the timber on the property and then now to know, some 18-20 years later, we'll be able to profit again, so it keeps growing over and over and over.

[LORI BATALLER] Okay one more time, ooh there we go - okay!

Wait til you feel this - if you feel now see how heavy clay that is - squeeze, it's a lot heavier soil, but it's uh definitely more, you can make a ribbon, it's definitely suited for loblolly pines.

[JENNIE STEPHENS] So you've got low income individuals owning the asset, if they receive some tools, could help them move out of poverty.

So it's, it s a win, win situation - everybody is benefiting, and on top of that, we're also improving upon the environment.

♪♪ [CHUCK LEAVELL] As a tree farmer myself, there s one thing that I know for certain and that is that the vision you have for your land is a long-term vision, so that the seedlings that take sprout today you may not harvest in your lifetime, or even your children's lifetime.

It's something to be passed along to future generations.

[CHUCK LEAVEL] You just want the lower branches right?

[JOSEPH HAMILTON] Just the lower branches, and uh, the bush hog will come through again, and we will, we'll take off a few of those.

[CHUCK LEAVELL] I want you to remember now, when this tree gets big, Chuck did this.

[JOSEPH HAMILTON] Chuck did this!

I will put a sign!

This is a Chuck tree!

[CHUCK LEAVELL:] Chuck tree.

[JOSEPH HAMILTON] But you know, one other thing.

I planted some of them ... My one-year-old grandson, soon to be one year old, I planted some that, uh, that's going to grow right along with him.

And uh, that's looking good, Chuck, you can take that last one out right there.

I tell other landowners, "It's our time.

It's our time."

People of color, typically were not involved in the forestry arena.

Now, we can look back on that and we can wring our hands and say how terrible this has been and say "Woe is me .

But I'm looking forward to tomorrow.

I'm enjoying today and I'm looking forward to tomorrow.

So yes, this tree farm industry is here to stay.

It's a sustainable, economic engine!

[Joseph Hamilton] (to dog) That my boy right there - Go ahead and sit for me boy, sit buddy, sit!

That s a good boy.

[JOSEPH HAMILTON] One has to have a long-term vision.

I have trees planted just shy under three years.

I cannot go out and harvest them right now, unless I just want to harvest sticks.

But uh, I hope to live to be in my 90s.

And so, I would see the first thinning of these trees we planted.

But after that, I have three grown children, one grandson, see you guys, it's yours.

I'm enjoying life.

I am a very, very fortunate, very, very happy man!

So, it's good to be a doctor, be a dentist, and whatever.

And air conditioning, refrigeration.

But it's good to also know about your trees.

[CHUCK LEAVELL] It's good to be a tree farmer, isn't it?

[JOSEPH HAMILTON] It's good to be a tree farmer!

All right man!

[CHUCK LEAVELL] From one to another!

What a pleasure.

♪♪ [YVONNE KNIGHT-CARTER] Happy to have learned that managing the forest will then give it some longevity and looking forward to the future for the next generations coming behind us [CHUCK LEAVELL] Those next generations are pitching in already.

Mary Hill has enlisted the help of her son and grandchildren to plant and care for her trees.

CHUCK LEAVELL: OK, here we are - Alright, y'all ready?

[JONATHAN] Yeah!

Here we go.

]JONATHAN] Where are we?

TREY BAILEY: We're gonna plant some trees.

CHUCK LEAVELL: Yeah man.

Trey's gonna take the trees and he's gonna show y'all how to put the tree in the ground, ok?

We got a good spot right here.

Gotta make us a hole.

[TREY BAILEY] We're gonna take the seedling, and we're gonna tap it on here, so it breaks the plug loose.

We're gonna pull it out, right in that hole.

You wanna put it in the hole?

[JONATHAN] Mm-Hmm {CHUCK LEAVELL] Alright!

[TREY BAILEY] Good job!

[CHUCK LEAVELL] Good job, indeed.

Alright, now we gotta tighten it up.

Jennifer needs to plant one.

Alright, OK perfect.

Whoo, you a good tree planter.

[JONATHAN] My turn!

[MARY HILL] I don't have funds to leave my grandchildren.

But at least I feel good in knowing that I will be able to leave them the trees, and they will profit from harvesting the trees.

... it's a long-range thing.

[CHUCK LEAVELL] Good job.

Jennifer, how old are you?

(Six.)

You re six?

Jonathan's four.

Now, these seeds are just maybe two years old, and I would say in three years they'll be as tall as you, and then in five years they're gonna be way taller than you, and then in fifteen years, what do you think, Trey?

[TREY BAILEY] Probably thirty feet.

[CHUCK LEAVELL] Thirty feet?

Wow!

So, maybe.

uh.

by the time you guys get to be adults, you can come back here and look at these trees and you ll have a brand new forest.

What do you think?

[JONATHAN] Yeah!

[JENNIFER] Yeah!

[CHUCK LEAVELL] Pretty cool.

[JONATHAN] So, can we plant some more?

♪♪ [MARY HILL] Oh, I'm so excited because these aremy grandchildren and these are the future farmers of the Oak Hill.

♪ CHOIR SINGING ♪ [CHUCK LEAVELL] The past will never be forgotten in the forests of South Carolina, but the future is filled with promise.

The trees planted today, will sustain generations to come, and it s a good feeling.

♪ CHOIR SINGING♪ Thanks so much for watching, and I hope you'll join us on the next episode of America's Forests with me Chuck Leavell.

In the meantime, enjoy the woods and enjoy the music.