Meet the 2025 Southern Region Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year: Jim and Pam Porter
Jim and Pam Porter of Bluffton, South Carolina, have transformed Bailey Mill Plantation into one of the South’s premier examples of private forest stewardship. Named the 2025 Southern Region Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year, the Porters have combined advanced silviculture with a passion for conservation, education, and family legacy.
Their journey began in 2015 with the purchase of 1,847 acres of high-site index southern yellow pine land in coastal South Carolina, later expanded to nearly 3,000 acres. From the beginning, their top priority was American Tree Farm System certification, followed by placing 1,645 acres under a permanent conservation easement with the Lowcountry Land Trust. Their commitment ensures Bailey Mill will remain a working forest for generations.
Timber management at Bailey Mill is as rigorous as it is innovative. The Porters manage their land on a sustainable harvest cycle of roughly 100 acres annually. Every mature stand is carefully clearcut and regenerated, while younger stands are aggressively thinned multiple times to promote strong growth. Mechanical and chemical site preparation, precision planting of advanced genetic seedlings, and targeted fertilization have resulted in survival rates of up to 100% and impressive growth rates. A genetics test plot with 200 seedling families, measured and monitored by scientists with Arbogen, positions the Porters at the cutting edge of private forest productivity. These efforts not only provide steady wood yields but also ensure forest health and resilience.
Wildlife and recreation are just as important to the Porter’s goals. Over 300 acres of open pine is managed for quail habitat, supported by prescribed burning, food plots, and careful thinning. White-tailed deer, wild turkey, and countless bird species thrive across the mosaic of forests, fields, and wetlands.
For the surrounding lowcountry, Bailey Mill serves as a hub for education and outreach. The Porters have hosted countless tours for landowners, conservation groups, schoolchildren, and legislators—including South Carolina’s governor. Permanent interpretive signs are stationed throughout the property, explaining stand age, genetics, harvest history, and management goals. These self-guided “tour stops” allow visitors to see sustainable forestry in action.
Pam has extended their educational mission further with her illustrated children’s book Forestry Forever, introducing young readers to the science and values of forestry. Together, Jim and Pam also serve on boards and committees at the state and national levels, strengthening the Tree Farm program and supporting conservation policy.
With nearly 3,000 acres under active management, Bailey Mill is more than a Tree Farm—it is a living classroom, a productive working forest, and a legacy project for the Porter family. Through their harvests, habitat work, and outreach, Jim and Pam Porter are setting the gold standard for what it means to be a Tree Farmer.