Georgia Magazine - October 2024 - 30

Pinewood heritage
W
Claire Shelton Lee walks
through the family tree
farm with her cousin
Richard Shelton, who
serves as the company's
secretary/treasurer and
corporate attorney.
Tree farmer Claire Shelton Lee carries forward her family's legacy
By Pamela A. Keene
hen Claire Shelton Lee worked as security manager for Macy's in the '80s
in Atlanta, her family's 6,000-acre tree farm in South Georgia was the
furthest thing from her mind. A graduate of Valdosta State University's
criminal justice program, she thought she had found her life's work.
" My daddy [George Shelton Jr.]
and his brother, Tom, managed the
property and had their own careers,
too, " she says. " Things were different
in the '60s, '70s and '80s when it came
to growing trees. They weren't
foresters; it was like a weekend job
for them. "
Everything changed when her
father died in 1987. Her uncle was left
to manage the land, and he was in his
70s with failing health. It eventually
fell to Lee, the youngest of three sisters, to take over
managing the property. It didn't come easy.
" I loved my job in Atlanta, but it was a real eyeopener
when my father passed, " she says. " My sisters
both had families with small children, and I had
more flexibility to move back to South Georgia, but I
didn't have any idea about growing trees or forestry. "
She enrolled in the Abraham Baldwin
Agricultural College (ABAC) School of Forestry in
Tifton and three years later earned associate degrees
in forestry and wildlife.
" I was ready to come back home and continue
our family's legacy, and my uncle asked me to take
over Shelton Land Co., " she recalls.
A family's investment
Georgia is
consistently ranked
the No. 1 forestry
state in
the nation.
Longleaf pines grow tall and straight, making
them a good source for utility poles.
30 Georgia Magazine October 2024
The farm began more than 125 years ago, when
her great-grandfather, Cowper Irby Shelton,
purchased the land to produce turpentine. To
generate income and to meet a demand for
lumber in the early 20th century, he began
leasing his land to timber companies.
In 1948, when Georgia became part
of the American Tree Farm System-the
oldest family-forest certification program
in the U.S.-her grandfather, George Shelton
Sr., was among the first to join the Georgia Tree
Farm (GTF) Program.
" When my grandfather joined the Georgia Tree
TOMMY WALTON / FUEL FILMS CO.
ALAN MOTHNER PHOTOGRAPHY
MIKE GREGORY / GEORGIA FORESTRY ASSOCIATION

Georgia Magazine - October 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - October 2024

Contents
Georgia Magazine - October 2024 - Intro
Georgia Magazine - October 2024 - Cover1
Georgia Magazine - October 2024 - Cover2
Georgia Magazine - October 2024 - Contents
Georgia Magazine - October 2024 - 4
Georgia Magazine - October 2024 - 5
Georgia Magazine - October 2024 - 6
Georgia Magazine - October 2024 - 7
Georgia Magazine - October 2024 - 8
Georgia Magazine - October 2024 - 9
Georgia Magazine - October 2024 - 10
Georgia Magazine - October 2024 - 11
Georgia Magazine - October 2024 - 12
Georgia Magazine - October 2024 - 13
Georgia Magazine - October 2024 - 14
Georgia Magazine - October 2024 - 15
Georgia Magazine - October 2024 - 16
Georgia Magazine - October 2024 - 17
Georgia Magazine - October 2024 - 18
Georgia Magazine - October 2024 - 19
Georgia Magazine - October 2024 - 20
Georgia Magazine - October 2024 - 21
Georgia Magazine - October 2024 - 22
Georgia Magazine - October 2024 - 23
Georgia Magazine - October 2024 - 24
Georgia Magazine - October 2024 - 25
Georgia Magazine - October 2024 - 26
Georgia Magazine - October 2024 - 27
Georgia Magazine - October 2024 - 28
Georgia Magazine - October 2024 - 29
Georgia Magazine - October 2024 - 30
Georgia Magazine - October 2024 - 31
Georgia Magazine - October 2024 - 32
Georgia Magazine - October 2024 - 33
Georgia Magazine - October 2024 - 34
Georgia Magazine - October 2024 - 35
Georgia Magazine - October 2024 - 36
Georgia Magazine - October 2024 - 37
Georgia Magazine - October 2024 - 38
Georgia Magazine - October 2024 - Cover3
Georgia Magazine - October 2024 - Cover4
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