Bob Franklin Received Alumni Award For Extension Public Service

"He is known as an ardent supporter of Master Tree Farmer and wildlife programs across the South," Barker said. He praised Franklin for his "tireless efforts to teach landowners and natural resource professionals by organizing workshops, making site visits and producing educational materials." Among Franklin’s publications are "Stewardship of Longleaf Pines: A Guide for Landowners," and "Introduction to Prescribed Fire," which teaches the benefits of prescribed burns for seedling growth in new stands. Fellow Clemson forester Larry Nelson credits Franklin with helping restore and conserve longleaf pine and wildlife habitat. "Plantings of at least 70,000 additional acres of longleaf pine in South Carolina are a direct result of his efforts," said Nelson. Franklin is currently working full time on the South Carolina Lowcountry Forest Conservation Program, an effort to protect 2.9 million acres of forest lands in the state’s Coastal Plain. A native of Columbis, Ga., Franklin grew up in Smiths Station, Ala.

He graduated from Smiths Station High School in 1973 and earned a B.S. degree in forestry from Auburn University in 1978. He also received an M.S. degree in forestry from Auburn in 1985. He is a registered forester in both Alabama and South Carolina and a Society of American Foresters Certified Forester. Prior to joining the Clemson University faculty he worked as an assistant county agent with the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service in Escambia County and as a consulting forester and timber buyer in that state. He still manages family forestland in Alabama and Georgia. Franklin and his wife Barbara, who live in Walterboro, have three children – Mary Beth, Scott and Jess. He is a son of the late Crawford Monroe Franklin and Bess McCants Franklin, who lives in Smiths Station.

Clemson University serves the state's citizens, communities and businesses through Public Service Activities that include research, Extension and regulatory services for animal and plant health. For more information: www.clemson.edu/public/