The popularity of Alabama’s Champion Tree program continues to increase as 51 trees were nominated for “Champion” status in 2011. That’s 21 more nominations than in 2010. Of the 51 nominated trees, 20 have been proclaimed as new champions: 16 are outright champions and four are co-champions, indicating trees whose total scores are within 5 points of each other. Of the 16 new outright champions, four trees defeated current champions, while 12 trees filled vacancies for species that did not have a current champion. With the addition of these new champions, Alabama now has a total of 159 champion trees.

     For those unfamiliar with Champion Tree, the purpose of the program is to discover, recognize, and preserve the largest tree of each species in Alabama. Anyone can nominate a tree for Champion Tree designation by completing an on-line nomination form; however, an Alabama Forestry Commission (AFC) forester is responsible for collecting the tree’s measurements.
     When determining a champion, three of the tree’s components are taken into consideration: circumference, height, and crown spread. The formula used to determine the size of a tree is as follows: one point for each inch of circumference, plus one point for each foot of height, plus one point for each four feet of the average crown spread.
     For a tree to be eligible for the Champion Tree program, it must be a species that is recognized as native or naturalized in Alabama. A naturalized tree is an “introduced” species that has established itself in the wild, reproducing naturally and spreading. One change to the program that went into effect in 2011 is that tree species considered to be “invasive” by the Alabama Invasive Plant Council (ALIPC) are no longer eligible. Champions of invasive species have been removed from the 2011 list of champions.

     Once a new champion is identified, both its owner and nominator receive a certificate. The nominator is also presented with a permanent tree marker by AFC county personnel, which is placed in proximity to the base of the tree. New champions are added to the AFC’s “Champion Trees of Alabama” publication which can be found on the AFC website at: www.forestry.alabama.gov.

     If you know of a tree that you think might be the largest of its species in the state, you are encouraged to send in a nomination. To complete a form on-line, visit the AFC website and click on the “Market/Informational Resources & Publications” link. Due to limited AFC resources, a nominator is strongly encouraged to review the measurements of the current champion to get an idea if the candidate tree has a chance of defeating the current champion’s score before sending in a nomination. After all, there are millions of “big” trees in Alabama, but to be a CHAMPION, a tree must be THE “biggest.” Nominations may be sent in year round. For a tree to be eligible for Champion Tree designation in 2012, the nomination form must be received by the program coordinator no later than June 1, 2012.

     From now through June 30, 2012, current Champions that were last measured in 2007 will be re-visited, and re-measured if still living. Champions that are found to be no longer living will be listed on the last page of the Champion Tree publication. This publication will be updated a minimum of once per month. To learn more about the Champion Tree Program, visit the AFC’s website at www.forestry.alabama.gov. The Alabama Forestry Commission is a state agency committed to protecting Alabama citizens and the state’s invaluable forest assets.
    The AFC congratulates all of the nominators and owners of the new champion trees for 2011!