Fruithurst, AL 36262 - Cleburne County

Poised for future timber management and immediate recreational fun, Rosewood Tracts offers four tracts that can be purchased separately or combined in Cleburne County, Alabama.

Location

The Rosewood Tracts are in the upper Piedmont region of mid-eastern Alabama, located just a few miles east of the Talladega National Forest, the southernmost reaches of the Appalachian Mountains. Other timbered properties surround the tracts on all sides. The town of Fruithurst is just 5 miles to the south of the Rosewood Tracts. Fruithurst has a small family-owned restaurant and a Dollar General for immediate needs. Heflin, Alabama, and Tallapoosa, Georgia, are about 11 to 12 miles from the tracts. Both provide multiple dining, fuel, and grocery options. Tallapoosa also has a hotel. The closest hospital is located in Bremen, Georgia, approximately 20 miles from the tract. The Talladega National Forest is located just a few miles west of Rosewood and has multiple recreational opportunities. The Rosewood Tracts are only 10 minutes from US Hwy 78 and 15 minutes from I-20.

The City of Anniston, Alabama, is roughly 32 miles away, only a 40-minute drive from Rosewood. Anniston is a major town in mid-east Alabama with multiple dining, grocery, and hotel options. It also has three hospitals and a regional airport. Atlantas Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is only an hour and fifteen minutes away, granted you do not have to navigate any rush hour traffic.

Access

The Rosewoods Tracts currently comprise one contiguous tract segmented by Cleburne County Roads 232 and 255. Each tract has public frontage and some interior logging roads or trails. While County Roads 232 and 255 are technically public and county-maintained, they are dirt roads and may require 44 during wet periods. Internal roads and trails are the same. Each tract has nice public frontage along the county roads.

The approximate public frontage is:

Rosewood Tract #1 2,150 feet along CR 255

Rosewood Tract #2 3,175 feet along CR 255 and 985 feet along CR 232

Rosewood Tract #3 1,375 feet along CR 255 and 775 along CR 232

Each tract has a driveway cut. There is electricity availability nearby at the intersection of County Road 255 and County Road 14, approximately a half mile to a mile north of the tracts.

Site Description

The Rosewood Tracts have rolling terrain indicative of the area and are very evident thanks to recent timber harvests. Soils are well drained and productive for timber.

Approximate elevation ranges for each are (in feet above sea level):

Rosewood Tract #1 1040 to 1140

Rosewood Tract #2 1020 to 1140

Rosewood Tract #3 1020 to 1100

Each tract has at least an intermittent stream within its boundaries, meaning there will be running water during the wetter times of the year. Rosewood Tract #3 has a very nice perennial stream. Each tract either has existing food plots or space where one can easily be established. The Rosewood Tracts are well suited for wildlife when considering all the adjoining properties. They have water and browse, and cover will develop as the young plantations develop. There is a lot of game sign on these tracts.

Timber

The Rosewood Tracts were harvested of their upland merchantable timber during 2021 and 2022. There is still merchantable timber within the natural bottomland hardwood stands that follow the run of the drainage systems. However, State Best Management Practices limit the amount of harvest that can take place within these areas to protect the integrity of the streams. As such, no merchantable timber volume or value is assigned to these tracts currently.

Regarding the upland areas that were harvested in 2021 and 2022, these acreages were replanted with genetically improved loblolly pine in the winter of 2023.

For timber management, the new plantations should grow vigorously over the next several years. They should be ready for a thinning at or near age 15. This thinning will generate some timber income, but its purpose is primarily to keep the plantation healthy, growing well, and help it transition into higher-value timber products such as sawtimber. Timing this thinning at or near 15 is very important to gain these benefits; we recommend this thinning at this time regardless of the overarching objective. If the objective is to maximize return on timber value, it could be made most productive by conducting a woody release and fertilizing post-thinning. It should be ready for a second thin at or near age 21 and reach full financial maturity between the ages of 25 and 28. At this time, a final harvest could be conducted to capture its value.

If your objective is to enhance aesthetics and wildlife value, after the age 15 thinning, a prescribed burning regimen can begin every two or three years. Conducting control burns will enhance wildlife value, reduce the risk of loss to wildfire, improve aesthetics, and aid in controlling undesired species

within the plantation.

Summary of stand types on each tract:

Rosewood Tract #1

Loblolly planted in 2023 27 Acres

Hardwood Drains 3.5 Acres

Rosewood Tract #2

Loblolly planted in 2023 54 Acres

Hardwood Drains 5 Acres

Rosewood Tract #3

Loblolly planted in 2023 27 Acres

Hardwood Drains 4 Acres