Record gum tree at Caney Mtn. is toppled in recent windstorm

The Missouri state champion black gum tree, located in Caney Mountain Wildlife Refuge north of Gainesville, fell victim to the strong winds that came in an Aug. 13 windstorm. A small notch cut from the side of the ten-foot stump that remains reveals a largely hollow core, a common occurrence with black gum trees.

The tree, which most recently stood 109 feet tall, had a circumference of 10 feet 9 inches and a crown spread of 46 feet. It is estimated to be at least 150 years old and in fact may have lived for several hundred years.

It was originally nominated for the state record book in 1982 as a group effort by former Department of Conservation employees Bill Driscoll, Dan Billings and Lynn Barnickol. It was officially titled the state champion black gum on Sept. 14 that same year.

The nomination idea first arose during a Spring Forest Wildlife Branch conference at Lake Wappallo in early 1982. Billings, then the manager of Caney Mountain Wildlife Refuge, took a side trip to Mingo National Wildlife Refuge, where an agent pointed out a black gum tree that held the state champion title. While looking the tree over, Billings decided the tree in Caney Mountain Refuge was larger.

With the aid of Driscoll, then a forestry aid, and Barnickol, an area resource forester, Billings nominated the black gum to enter the champion tree competition. By that time the competition had named a new champion, a black gum on LaVerne Anderson’s property in Perry County. At the time of its nomination, the tree at Caney Mountain stood 106 feet tall, had a 10 foot 3 inch circumference and a crown spread of 51 feet. It was taller than the black gum at Mingo refuge and outranked the champion in Perry County in both height and circumference, earning it the new champion title.

Billings attributed the tree’s longevity to the protection offered by its home within the refuge. “The tree is well over 100 years old. While there have been other larger black gum trees in the state, most have blown down,” he said. “The tree at the refuge has had the advantage of being protected from the wind and being near the headwaters of Caney Creek for all of these years.”

Driscoll said “some people will think it is sad,” that the tree has been blown down. “But it isn’t,” he said. “It is a part of nature. A part of the cycle.”

Driscoll, who spent more than 30 years with the Department of Conservation in various jobs before retiring, predicts that a tree from Missouri’s Bootheel will take the champion title now.

If a champion tree blows over in a storm, falls victim to disease or is simply cut down, the next-largest contender of that species on file becomes the new champion. Donna Baldwin, Missouri’s state champion tree coordinator, told the Times there is currently no other black gum tree contender on file. Missouri residents are encouraged to nominate trees to the champion tree program; however officials emphasize the importance of only nominating trees of exceptional size.

To be eligible to be nominated as part of the Missouri champion tree program, a tree must be native or naturalized and must be nominated by an individual. The American Forests organization and the Missouri Department of Conservation then use a formula to assess a point value for the trees based upon their height, crown spread and trunk size. The formula adds the circumference in inches to the height in feet to one fourth of the average canopy spread. The tree with the highest point value is named the state champion, and all others that are within 30 points of the champion are filed as contenders.

For more information about the champion tree program, visit http://mdc.mo.gov/landwater-care/landowners-and-farmers/missouri-state-c....

<p>Bill Driscoll, retired Missouri Department of Conservation employee, leans against the tree stump that is all that remains of the state champion black gum tree he helped nominate for the title in 1982.</p>