The Longleaf Leader Winter 2022

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T he Long Game VOLUME XIV - ISSUE 4

WINTER 2022

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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P R E S I D E N T ’ S M E S S A G E .....................................2

T E C H N O L O G Y C O R N E R .....................................26 R E G I O N A L U P D A T E S .........................................32 N E X T G E N E R A T I O N ............................................42 A R T S & L I T E R A T U R E ........................................46

Management Checklist............................................4 Letters from the Inbox............................................5 Plant Spotlight.........................................................7 Window into Wildlife .............................................8 Land Trusts and Longleaf .....................................10 2021 TLA Highlights ............................................14

Longleaf Destinations ...........................................50

P E O P L E .................................................................54 S U P P O R T T H E A L L I A N C E ................................56

R E S E A R C H N O T E S .............................................16 L A N D O W N E R C O R N E R .......................................22

Heartpine...............................................................64

P U B L I S H E R The Longleaf Alliance, E D I T O R Sarah Crate, A S S I S T A N T E D I T O R Margaret Platt D E S I G N Bellhouse Publishing, A D V E R T I S I N G Sarah Crate – editor@longleafalliance.org C O V E R Land trusts are essential partners to conserve and restore longleaf pine natural habitats. This longleaf pine

property in south Georgia recently completed a 2,447-acre conservation easement with Tall Timbers. Photo by Shane Wellendorf.

The Longleaf Leader is an official publication of The Longleaf Alliance, 12130 Dixon Center Road, Andalusia, Alabama 36420 and is published quarterly. The Longleaf Alliance reserves the exclusive right to accept or reject advertising or editorial material submitted for publication. Advertising rates quoted upon request. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Longleaf Alliance, 12130 Dixon Center Road, Andalusia, Alabama 36420. Periodicals Postage Paid at Montgomery, Alabama.

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The Longleaf Alliance

president’s message THE LONG GAME

CAROL DENHOF

The New Year is generally a time of reflection on the events for restoration, management, or land protection, is a critical of the previous year and a look forward to the possibilities for first step in making a significant contribution to bringing the future. There is a sense of starting longleaf back. afresh, and some of us make personal In this issue, we learn about the resolutions – exercise more, eat healthy exceptional land trust organizations foods, pick up a new hobby – because working within the longleaf region and we see something that needs the tools they provide to protect lands in improvement or change in the everyday. perpetuity. They provide resources and We set out to exact changes that will expertise to landowners looking for ways make our lives better in one way or to conserve and ensure their land is another. Setting intentions and creating properly managed for future generations. a realistic plan will often affect our With assistance from a respected land ability to sustain these resolutions trust, landowners can develop and throughout the year. implement a conservation easement plan We can use this same approach to plan appropriate for their specific property for the restoration and improvement of and objectives. This is a powerful longlongleaf habitats. We look at the piece term protection tool that provides of land that we are tasked with shaping comfort to a landowner as they look at a into a viable forest, determine our potentially uncertain future for the land SOMEONE’S SITTING IN THE objectives and needed actions, and make they have worked so hard to restore and SHADE TODAY BECAUSE SOMEONE a plan that sets a path towards achieving manage. those goals. The restoration and In 2022 there remains much work to PLANTED A TREE A LONG TIME AGO. conservation of longleaf forests is a long be done in the longleaf restoration effort.

- WARREN BUFFETT game. To quote Rhett Johnson, “It takes Still, I’m encouraged and inspired daily 100 years to grow a 100-year-old Over 4,000 acres of The Walthour-Moss by our Alliance staff, our regional longleaf.” As we look towards the Foundation in North Carolina is now pro- partners, and the landowners we future, we can utilize various tools to tected in perpetuity after their recent dona- interact with who show dedication, ensure we are doing all that is possible tion to the UDSA Forest Legacy Program. enthusiasm, and passion for this special to restore longleaf on appropriate sites Photo by Carol Denhof. forest. and protect existing forestlands. So Many of us relate to Suella much great work is being done to add acres of longleaf, but we McCrimmon’s sentiment she shares in this issue's Landowner can’t overlook the need to keep the healthy longleaf forests Spotlight – “I like knowing the longleaf pine I nurture will intact. Developing a realistic and flexible plan, whether that is touch the future.” This is why we do what we do.

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The Longleaf Alliance Board of Directors Reese Thompson – Chairman Amanda Haralson – Vice Chairman Rufus Duncan – Secretary/Treasurer Marc Walley – Past Chairman

Lynda Guerry Beam Craig Blair Patrick Franklin Angus Lafaye Bill Owen Mickey Parker

Josh Raglin Mac Rhodes Salem Saloom Latimore Smith George Tyson

The Longleaf Alliance's mission is to ensure a sustainable future for longleaf pine ecosystems.

Staff Carol Denhof

Charlie Abeles

Susan French

Brian Schumann

President carol@longleafalliance.org

Wildlife Biologist charlie@longleafalliance.org

GA Sentinel Landscape Coordinator susan@longleafalliance.org

Natural Resource Technician II brian@longleafalliance.org

Lynnsey Basala

Jacob Barrett

Lucas Furman

Elizabeth Shadle

Vice President for Development lynnsey@longleafalliance.org

Technical Assistance & Training Specialist jacob@longleafalliance.org

GIS Support Specialist lucas@longleafalliance.org

Wildlife Technician elizabeth@longleafalliance.org

Jennie Haskell

Kaiden Spurlock

Coastal Partnership Coordinator jennie@longleafalliance.org

Natural Resource Supervisor kaiden@longleafalliance.org

Wendy Ledbetter

Donna Vassallo

Fort Stewart/Altamaha Partnership Coordinator wendy@longleafalliance.org

Natural Resource Technician II donna@longleafalliance.org

Ad Platt Vice President for Operations ad@longleafalliance.org

Nicole Barys Wetland Resource Crew Lead nicole@longleafalliance.org

Anne Rilling Vice President for Business anne@longleafalliance.org

Ryan Bollinger Regional Initiatives Director & LIT Consul ryan_b@longleafalliance.org

Vernon Compton

Karen Zilliox Brown Technical Assistance & Training Specialist karen@longleafalliance.org

Casey White Kay Nail

Sarah Crate

Accounting Specialist kay@longleafalliance.org

Outreach Communications Coordinator sarah@longleafalliance.org

Administrative Assistant office@longleafalliance.org

Bob Wilken Edward O’Daniels

GCPEP Director vernon@longleafalliance.org

Samantha Dillon

Restoration Project Manager edward@longleafalliance.org

Lisa Lord

Wildlife Technician samantha@longleafalliance.org

Alan Patterson

Conservation Programs Director lisa@longleafalliance.org

Alexis Feysa

Natural Resource Technician I alan@longleafalliance.org

Wetland Resource Technician alexis@longleafalliance.org

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Fire Specialist bob@longleafalliance.org

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MANAGEMENT CHECKLIST | WINTER 2022 • Site-Prep Burns: Sometimes, it is important to conduct a site prep burn before planting longleaf. Site prep burns can remove logging slash, lead to better planting jobs, stimulate early growth by increasing available nutrients, and decrease hot spots that may kill young seedlings in subsequent burns. On deep sands or sites with little logging slash, site-prep burns may not be needed; fuel can be saved until the first or secondyear burn.

• Install Nest Boxes: If you want more natural pest control agents like kestrels and owls on your property, install boxes early, as these are among the species that begin nesting in winter.

• Timber Thinning: Take advantage of dry conditions and thin when the bark is less prone to slipping to minimize equipment damage to your stand. Thinnings later in the year may knock off patches of bark when the sap is rising, leading to stress, beetles, loss, etc.

• Planting Longleaf: Early planting is almost always better than late planting to take advantage of the winter precipitation and maximize survival. With containerized seedlings, proper planting depth is the most critical factor for success.

• Mechanical brush management: It may be easier to reduce heavy shrub layers during the cooler months. Allow time to dry down the slash and follow up later with a growing season burn.

• Prescribed Fire: Late December through the end of winter is an excellent time to introduce fire in young, healthy longleaf stands to help control unwanted pine seedlings and other competition. Winter is also a prime time to conduct fuel reduction burns in mature or sapling stands but use caution (or wait) when burning in drought-stressed stands. If reintroducing fire into a long-unburned stand, remember to monitor duff moisture levels before burning and plan to do immediate mop-up.

Reach out to The Longleaf Alliance with any longleaf management questions at longleafalliance.org/contact.

Snowy longleaf in South Carolina.

Photo by Lisa Lord.

• Evaluate Young Stands: Evaluate young stands to determine one-year survival and ensure adequate stocking. Wait until after the first frost when the grass stage longleaf is more easily seen.

• Prune Longleaf: In some stands that lack fuels or have a low stocking rate, mechanical pruning may be an option to avoid the “old field” growth form. Winter is the easiest time to prune and should be finished before the spring green-up. Pruning may not be practical in a large stand.

• Plant Native Warm-Season Grasses: Later winter through early spring is the recommended time to plant our native understory species. Some plants require a cold-stratification period and need to be planted earlier.

• Herbicide Treatments: Basal bark and stem injection herbicide treatments are typically most effective at controlling unwanted or invasive trees and shrubs during the dormant season • Walk the Line: Now is an excellent time to inspect your property lines and freshen up boundary line markings. Take advantage of the cooler weather and greater visibility in the winter woods.

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FROM THE INBOX

Q&A Alliance, Q. DearI Longleaf sprayed Spyder (generic Oust®) over my newly planted (January 2021) longleaf in April. It controlled the weeds. But with such a rainy summer, they came back with a vengeance in late summer. Is it safe to spray Spyder over them again this spring, the beginning of their second growing season?

Angry Weeds in Georgia Angry Weeds, A. DearThanks for reaching out with your question regarding sulfometuron (the active ingredient in herbicides Oust® or Spyder) application in successive years. Sulfometuron is a useful herbicide for controlling broadleaves and annual weeds, especially when converting former agricultural sites back to longleaf. Specific targets include weeds like dog fennel, goldenrod, ragweed, crabgrass, and horseweed.

Perennial grasses, croton, and all trees are less susceptible, which can be useful in promoting fuel recovery for earlier burning.

The label for Spyder allows repeat applications and goes on to say do not exceed more than 3.75 oz. per acre per year. A little goes a long way, and usually, we are talking about 2 oz. per acre. Earlier applications would be more effective because Oust® has both pre-and post-emergent activity on the target species, which are more effectively controlled at the early stages of growth (< 6” tall). Waiting until you have a rank infestation of ag weeds is too late for best control.

For any herbicide treatment, always begin with an assessment of the site to determine the problematic species, the extent, and with an eye also to what desirable species are also returning. This applies to the initial application and even more to any second-year repeat application. We want to use the right tool for the job, the right timing, minimize collateral damage and expense, and be more able to introduce fire before the trees initiate height growth. Put another way, if the first-year

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application was not that effective, was it the right herbicide choice, a timing issue, or just overwhelmed by an extremely wet season? Could another tool better interrupt seed-setting in the problem species? We can help with this evaluation, and the next steps might be to send some photos of the typical problem species on site, sharp and clear enough for identification. We have some time to sort out the best next steps before early spring.

For anyone considering a release application of sulfometuron be sure to keep the following in mind: • For release treatments (applied after planting to “release” the seedlings from weedy competition), do not use any surfactant when going over the top of seedlings.

Note - there are exceptions with certain grass herbicides.

• Dig before you spray! Oust® functions as a root inhibitor and should only be applied over seedlings that have initiated 6+ new roots at least 2" long in the first year following planting. The visual check is much more certain than any arbitrary waiting period and might allow an earlier application.

• Test the soil to ensure the soil pH is 6.2 or below.

• Make sure you are not using the “Extra” version of a product; that "Extra" component is usually metsulfuron (Escort®), which can be lethal to longleaf seedlings even with very low application rates.

• Repeated applications of herbicides can get expensive and may create new challenges as species that are tolerant of the treatment increase or target species become resistant.

Always keep detailed records of any herbicides applied. Memory can be tricky, and management actions and expenses should be detailed both in your plan binder and for any reforestation benefit on your taxes.

Sincerely, The Longleaf Alliance

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By Elizabeth Shadle, The Longleaf Alliance

PLANT SPOTLIGHT r e v o c Lilium iridollae Henry d n u ro G

Panhandle Lily Lily Family — Liliaceae

Nodding Panhandle lily flowers. Photos by Elizabeth Shadle.

Description Panhandle lily is a herbaceous perennial with tall stems reaching 4 - 6 feet tall, often growing above other groundcover to reach sunlight. The stems are lined with lance-shaped leaves 2 - 3.5 inches long. Leaves are whorled at mid-stem, with leaves above and below growing in an alternate pattern. The Panhandle lily flowers from July to mid-August and has little to no fragrance.

The yellowish-orange flowers occur at the top of the stem, nodding downward; the sharply curved petals have distinct brown spots. Each flower has multiple long and slender stamens with brown or red anthers. The fruit is 1 - 2 inches long and shaped as oval capsules. These plants are slow-growing and may take over two years from seed to flower.

related to the Turk’s cap lily (Lilium superbum) and the Carolina lily (Lilium michauxii).

Wildlife Value The nectar of the Panhandle lily is attractive to pollinators.

Butterflies and bees are all known to visit this plant when flowering. Most notably, swallowtail butterflies are the primary pollinators of the Panhandle lily. The fruit capsules contain up to hundreds of seeds.

Discovery Highlights This rare plant was first discovered in 1940 by the famous American botanist and plant collector Mary Henry. It is documented that Mary named the Panhandle lily originally the Potof-Gold Lily in reference to the common saying “a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.”

Distribution & Habitat Panhandle lilies can be found growing near longleaf sites high in soil moisture, such as pine flatwoods, swamps, baygalls, and bogs. These rare flowers mainly inhabit the sides of small streams and seepage slopes. This perennial herb is endemic to the western Florida Panhandle and two counties in nearby Alabama.

References Chafin, L. G. 2000. Field Guide to the Rare Plants of Florida.

Florida Natural Areas Inventory.

Keener B.R., Diamond A.R., Davenport L.J., Davison P.G., Ginzbarg S.L., Hansen C.J., Major C.S., Spaulding D.D., Triplett J.K., and Woods M. 2021. Alabama Plant Atlas.

NatureServe. 2021. NatureServe Explorer [web application].

NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. (explorer.natureserve.org, Accessed: November 15, 2021).

Conservation Status Panhandle lily is listed as a vulnerable species in Florida, critically imperiled in Alabama, and under review by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife. This plant is threatened by human mismanagement, such as over-development, filling of streams and bogs, and fire suppression. This rare species of lily is closely

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By Samantha Dillon, The Longleaf Alliance

When disturbed, rattlesnakes are quite a formidable sight, raising their body into an “S” shape and rattling. Photo by Samantha Dillon.

WINDOW o t n i WILDLIFE

Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake Crotalus adamanteus

A.

B.

A. Many snake sightings occur on road crossings. Photo by Samantha Dillon. B. Eastern diamondback rattlesnake. Photo by Jared Lloyd. C. Hiding in the palmetto fronds. Photo by Jim Peters.

DESCRIPTION, DIET, & BEHAVIOR The eastern diamondback rattlesnake is one of 16 rattlesnake species in North America that belong to the pit viper subfamily Crotalinae. All rattlesnakes have large, hollow fangs that fold against the roof of their mouths when not in use, heat-sensing pits located between the eye and nostril to aid in prey detection, a keratinous “rattle” used to ward off potential predators, and give live birth.

Eastern diamondback rattlesnakes are the largest venomous snake in North America, with an average adult measuring up to 5 feet in length. However, specimens as long as 8 feet have been documented. While distinct when looking at the snake alone, their diamond pattern is perfect camouflage amongst the wiregrass, palmettos, and pine needles of longleaf forests. When disturbed, they are quite a formidable sight, raising their body into an “S” shape and rattling; though, when undetected, they remain still and quiet, relying on their camouflage to conceal them from predators and prey alike. Eastern diamondbacks feed on small mammals and birds.

anywhere throughout their range. They utilize gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) burrows and tree stump holes as a refuge.

Individuals that occupy barrier islands and keys will readily swim between islands.

VENOMOUS SNAKES & HUMANS It is no secret rattlesnakes are venomous, but snake bites in North America are rarely fatal. The best way to avoid a bite is to maintain situational awareness. Learn about native snakes BEFORE hiking, wear protective footwear, stay on the trail, and never put your hands or feet where you can’t see them. Most importantly, when you encounter venomous snakes, give them space. Venomous snakes don’t want to waste their venom on something they cannot eat and thus do not bite unless threatened. All snakes, including rattlesnakes, play an important role in the food web and contribute to ecosystem biodiversity.

REFERENCES Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. “Living With Snakes.” 2021. myfwc.com/conservation/youconserve/wildlife/snakes.

Means, D. B. Diamonds in the Rough – Natural History of the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake. Tall Timbers Press, 2017.

DISTRIBUTION & HABITAT Eastern diamondbacks are found in nearly every state longleaf occurs, from extreme eastern Louisiana to southeastern North Carolina. They prefer pine woods, palmetto flatlands, abandoned fields, and brushy or grassy areas but can be found

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C.

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LAND TRUSTS

Safeguarding and Restoring Longleaf for the Future

By Charles Roe and Julie H. Moore, Southern Conservation Partners, Inc.

Many conservancies own and manage longleaf pine habitat in addition to holding permanent conservation easements with private landowners.

Zach West burning at TNC's Green Swamp Preserve in North Carolina. Photo by Anne Liles. [ 10 ]

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Landowner Rick Studenmund, TNC Conservation Coordinator Gretchen Coll, and animal lover Milo during a site visit. TNC holds an easement on the Studenmund’s property in North Carolina. Photo by Ryan Bollinger.

Land trusts are essential partners in efforts to conserve and restore longleaf pine natural habitats. Private, notfor-profit land and environmental conservation organizations, known as land trusts or conservancies, are actively involved in longleaf pine habitat protection and restorative management activities across the species’ entire range.

In combination, land trusts hold hundreds of permanent conservation easements on private properties and own reserves themselves containing longleaf pine habitats that encompass many thousands of acres.

preservation and restoration, and it protects 62 properties containing about 10,000 acres of longleaf pine forests or mixed pine forests. Additionally, about 4,420 acres on those easement properties have been identified in the forest management plans as suitable for potential conversion to longleaf pine forest. Landowners are required to provide advance notice before undertaking any forestry practices.

Lowcountry Land Trust owns two properties containing longleaf pine and has devised forest management plans for them. www.lowcountrylandtrust.org

LONGLEAF PROJECTS & CONTRIBUTIONS Each of these featured land trusts protects and restores longleaf pine natural habitats by a combination of conserving and managing existing stands, restoration, and new planting activities.

Alachua Conservation Trust (ACT) has protected over 53,000 acres in north central Florida, including purchasing nearly 20,000 of those acres for public parks, preserves, and wildlife management areas. ACT owns about 2,500 acres of longleaf pine-dominated habitats, and six of the 22 conservation easements it holds contain significant longleaf habitat totaling 1,400 acres in extent. ACT has established management plans for its properties with focused management of existing longleaf natural and planted stands.

ACT's prescribed burning program includes its own equipment, and coordinates with longleaf Local Implementation Teams (LITs) with financial assistance from the Longleaf Stewardship Fund to help private landowners with longleaf restoration and prescribed burning. www.alachuaconservationtrust.org

North Carolina Coastal Land Trust (CLT) owns 45 preserves and holds more than 60 conservation easements protecting nearly 80,000 acres of land in the coastal region of eastern North Carolina. Longleaf pine forest protection and restoration is a major focus of its regional conservation plan.

Its conservation easements require forest management plans when forestry activities are anticipated. CLT’s annual monitoring of all its conservation easement properties includes oversight of longleaf pine management practices by those landowners employing consulting foresters and contractors. CLT has a prominent leadership role with both the Cape Fear Arch and Onslow Bight longleaf local implementation teams. www.coastallandtrust.org

Georgia-Alabama Land Trust (GALT) is active in longleaf pine habitat protection and holds conservation easements on more than 400,000 acres, with about 20,000 acres containing longleaf pine habitat components. Annual monitoring and management consultation with landowners occurs on all these properties. Landowners generally have the discretion to give attention to longleaf pine in the required forest management plans. Additionally, GALT is restoring longleaf on a preserve it owns. www.galandtrust.org

Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy owns and manages 13,000 acres in Florida and Georgia. The Research Station, established in 1958, specializes in prescribed fire and wildlife research. The Land Conservancy work began in 1991, and Tall Timbers now holds 80 conservation easements covering 120,000 acres (about 70 percent of which is forested by upland longleaf pine communities). All Tall Timber easements require forest management plans which include sustainable forestry standards and practices. Hunting is a principal activity on most of the conserved lands. Prescribed burning is critically

Lowcountry Land Trust (LLT) has protected over 135,000 acres of natural habitats and landscapes in six watershed-based conservation focus areas in the 17- county coastal region of South Carolina. LLT focuses on longleaf pine ecosystems [ 11 ]

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Meadow beauty. Photo by Jeff Marcus.

Active management, especially prescribed fire, is critical for conservation of longleaf ecosystems and its unique species. Photo

by Matt Jones.

Biological surveys establish “baseline” characteristics for conservation easement properties. Pictured (R to L) are Tall Timbers’s staff Nelson Ball and Kim Nguyen with plant expert Wilson Baker. Photo by Shane Wellendorf.

important; almost all uplands owned by Tall Timbers are burned on a one to two-year interval. Controlled burning is encouraged and assisted on easement properties. www.talltimbers.org

funds for land trusts and the private landowners they assist.

Most land trusts want to do more but are handicapped by underfunding. They are short-handed by a lack of experienced personnel needed to arrange conservation agreements with willing landowners or to sufficiently assist private owners in preparing and implementing comprehensive forest management plans.

The primary function of conservation easements and deed restrictions by private land trusts is to prevent development incompatible with preserving forest ecosystems. The easements seldom require that landowners undertake proactive longleaf pine management and restoration practices.

The landowners and land trusts are hard-pressed and often unable to implement the best forest management practices ideal for longleaf pine stand improvements and restorations, for conducting regular and frequent prescribed burning programs, for replanting appropriately suited longleaf seedlings and herbaceous plants, and for control of invasive plant species. Only a few land trusts have the financial capacities to employ personnel to implement needed forest management and prescribed burning actions fully on conserved forestlands.

Always challenging is the long-term investment and the long timescale to undertake longleaf pine conservation and management. Often financially restricted to pay for substantial easement transactional costs, more private landowners would likely be willing to accept management agreements on their properties if they secure funding, such as incentive programs and grant assistance. Although there is also interest in replanting longleaf as under-plantings after

The Nature Conservancy (TNC), an international conservation organization, is actively involved in protecting and restoring longleaf habitats across its natural range. TNC owns and manages longleaf pine habitat in fee-simple title and holds permanent conservation easements deed restrictions and management agreements with private landowners. With nine state chapters engaged with longleaf, the comprehensive size and scale of TNC’s longleaf pine efforts are difficult to estimate, but in North Carolina alone, TNC owns over 15,500 acres on which longleaf pine occurs and holds 15 permanent conservation easements on private properties totaling nearly 5,500 acres supporting longleaf pine habitats.

Additionally, TNC frequently acquires longleaf pine habitat lands that are later conveyed to governmental agencies (federal and state). As active partners in longleaf Local Implementation Teams (LITs) across the range, TNC also employs prescribed fire crews in several areas that assist in cooperator burns. www.nature.org SHARED CHALLENGES FOR CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT Despite impressive track records with numerous conservation success stories, many land trusts expressed challenges to expanding their longleaf pine protection and restoration activities. Survey respondents identified a lack of [ 12 ]

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thinning former loblolly stands and clear-cut sites, the challenge is convincing those landowners to undertake expensive conversions and longleaf replanting.

native groundcover areas are designated as Special Natural Areas (SNAs). No clearcutting is allowed in SNAs, only patch-cut and single-tree harvesting with specific harvest guidelines included in the conservation easement management plan.

CASE STUDY: Land protection and active management working together Despite numerous challenges linking the protection of longleaf pine habitats with active management of these properties, there are examples where land trusts and landowners collaboratively support these efforts. The Dogwood Conservation Easement with Tall Timbers is a 2,300-acre property in Thomas County, Georgia, with goals to protect old longleaf pine and native groundcover utilizing sustainable forestry techniques. A conservation management plan with Tall Timbers details the required and recommended management provisions (while allowing for flexibility and agreed upon modifications) for timber management, groundcover protections, and prescribed fire guidelines. Two hundred fifty-four acres of high-quality natural longleaf and

OPPORTUNITY TO STRENGTHEN PARTNERSHIPS With the majority of southern forestland in private ownership, local land trusts are crucial partners in longleaf restoration and conservation. These organizations have established relationships and hold conservation easements with hundreds of private landowners who demonstrate sincere conservation commitments to longleaf protection into the future. Those already engaged with longleaf, including nonprofits, government agencies, and local longleaf partnerships, can strengthen their collaborations with land trust networks to cooperatively increase landowner engagement and assist more private owners of longleaf pine forests.

Tall Timbers's conservation easement management plan outlines the required and recommended guidelines for the Dogwood Conservation Easement.

Cyndi and George Watkins, owners of Dogwood Plantation, next to one of many mature longleaf pines on their property. Photo by Shane Wellendorf.

Timber Harvest Guidelines • • • •

Simplified timber cruise data identifies current and goal basal area Difference determines timber available for patch-cut and single-tree harvesting Requires maintaining minimum 30ft/acre basal area of saw timber Recommends maintaining 5-10 ft/acre basal area of young timber (<6-inch diameter at breast height).

Groundcover Provisions • • • •

Existing firebreaks and disturbance areas can be used – no new disturbances Hunting trails and hardwood control with mowing allowed; no roller chopping Log decks predetermined No new burn piles

Prescribed Fire “Frequent prescribed fire shall be used to maintain and manage upland SNAs as limited by state and/or federal laws.”

This article expands on two recent panels, the 13th Biennial Longleaf Conference session in October 2020 and the follow-up webinar in May 2021, highlighting experiences of six land trusts substantially engaged in safeguarding and restoring longleaf pine habitats in their geographic areas. Both panels were organized by Southern Conservation Partners in partnership with The Longleaf Alliance. Prior to these events, the authors surveyed private land conservation organizations in the longleaf pine’s natural range and compiled a report on their longleaf protection and management experiences. For more information on the land trusts working in longleaf, please visit longleafalliance.org/landtrusts.

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2021 Highlights FROM THE LONGLEAF ALLIANCE Prescribed fire in flatwood salamander pond basins at Escribano Point in Florida. Prior to reintroducing fire, the AMBBIS Teams cut and piled encroaching trees and shrubs around the wetland to facilitate restoration. Photo by Samantha Dillon.

The Longleaf Alliance made significant progress toward our mission to ensure a sustainable future for longleaf pine ecosystems in 2021, all while navigating the ever-changing conditions of the global COVID-19 pandemic. From the Virtual Longleaf Academy Program to record-setting prescribed fire accomplishments, our programs continue to follow our GUIDE-ing framework to achieve key strategic longleaf objectives. The Alliance's G.U.I.D.E. acronym (Growing Understanding - Improving - Diverse - Ecosystems) identifies our key strategic longleaf objectives.

SE FireMap The SE FireMap debuted in 2021 to accurately track and understand wildland fire patterns across the Southeastern United States. Funded by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service's Working Lands for Wildlife program under an agreement with the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities, TLA’s Lucas Furman served as liaison for the project’s technical oversight team. Tall Timbers Research Station used the U.S. Geological Survey’s Landsat Burned Area products to map all detectable burned areas across the longleaf range since 1994, including managed prescribed burns and wildfires. The SE FireMap version 1.0 was released in the spring and was recently updated to include 2020 data.

GROWING — We raise awareness, increase engagement, and grow a love for longleaf across the range.

IMPROVING FOREST HEALTH – Through active stewardship, we improve the condition of longleaf ecosystems across the range.

The Longleaf Alliance (TLA) launched a revamped website in early 2021 with assistance from HLJ Creative. We are thrilled longleafalliance.org continues to offer the same content our visitors have come to expect while also creating a more user-friendly experience. The website transition also launched new features like The Longleaf Library, a searchable tool for outreach resources and longleaf pine-related research.

Gulf Coastal Plain Ecosystem Partnership Landscape In addition to commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Gulf Coastal Plain Ecosystem Partnership, partners also celebrated significant stewardship accomplishments, including a record year for TLA teams assisting partners with prescribed fire in the landscape. During fiscal year 2020-2021, TLA teams, including the EST (Ecosystem Support Team), WEST (Wetland Ecosystem Support Team), and the AMBBIS (reticulated flatwoods salamander) team, burned over 90,000 acres. The Teams continue to assist with invasive species control, wetland restoration, reticulated flatwood salamander head-starting, red-cockaded woodpecker cavities, and other habitat improvement activities in Alabama and Florida.

UNDERSTANDING — We collect and share technical information about longleaf through science-based education, outreach, and technical assistance through methods best for each audience.

Longleaf Academy Program 2021 presented the opportunity to offer an entirely new program – the Virtual Longleaf Academy. With support from our partners, TLA staff offered four virtual courses last year, including a virtual Longleaf 101 (two sessions), Longleaf Foundations, Herbicide 201 (two sessions), and Groundcover 201. Reaching over 300 attendees, representing all nine longleaf states, was a huge accomplishment! We celebrated even further with the return of in-person Academy offerings in late 2021. The Fire 201 Academy, complete with a prescribed fire demonstration, was a milestone event with twenty participants.

DIVERSE FORESTS CONSERVED — We work with landowners to ensure the future of longleaf by conserving highquality, diverse longleaf forests across generations.

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A

B

C A. TLA staff assist longleaf restoration efforts on both private and public properties. During a recent site visit to prepare for planting at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida, Ed O'Daniels spied & photographed this fighter jet. B. Prescribed burn demonstration at the Fire 201 Academy in Georgia, the first in-person academy in over a year and a half. Photo by Carol Denhof.

C. Burner Bob® greets a new friend at the first annual Savannah River Fire Festival in October. Photo by Lisa Lord.

The Georgia Sentinel Landscape The Georgia Sentinel Landscape Pilot Project is a collaboration between public and private stakeholders who have overlapping natural resource management goals in proximity to one or more of the nine military installations that anchor the landscape. The project goals are to help private landowners overcome challenges associated with effectively managing and enhancing their forestlands with prescribed fire by providing technical and financial assistance as well as outreach programs.

A prescribed fire cost-share program was initiated, assisting more than 100 landowners and over 10,500 acres of prescribed fire in the first year. Two new burn trailers are now available for rental by private landowners, one housed at the Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC) Talbot County office and the other at the GFC Glynn County office. Additionally, the WoodsCamp digital platform launched as an effort to reach landowners who might also be interested in managing their

property with prescribed fire and have not been served through traditional outreach methods.

ECOSYSTEMS RESTORED — Through advocacy, policies, assistance, partners, and our own management actions, we facilitate the expansion of longleaf ecosystems across the range.

The Longleaf Alliance, working in collaboration with restoration partners, supported the planting of 7.2 million longleaf pine seedlings in fiscal year 2021. Planting projects were completed on both private and public land, with funding from Arbor Day Foundation, Eastman Foundation, Enviva, Georgia Pacific, National Forest Foundation, One Tree Planted, USFWS Partners Program, National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, and National Wild Turkey Federation. We also continued our tree planting program with Appalachian Mountain Brewing and Georgia-Pacific’s Aria® brand. [ 15 ]

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LONGLEAF PINE:

RESEARCH NOTES

A Tall Drink of Water

Kitty Weisman, Southeastern Partnership for Forests and Water

l

Lisa Lord, The Longleaf Alliance

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Jeff Lerner, Healthy Watersheds Consortium

Key Messages • Healthy, managed forests help keep drinking water safe, reliable, and affordable.

• Lower tree density, longer rotations, and prescribed fire in longleaf pine forests can have a positive impact on forest health and source water.

• Private landowners can help support clean drinking water through good forest stewardship.

• Helping to support private forest lands conservation can be a good investment for water utilities resulting in increased water yield, water quality improvements, and aquifer recharge.

Did you know that forested watersheds provide nearly two-thirds of the freshwater in the United States? Healthy, well-managed forests provide the cleanest water of any land use and help keep drinking water safe, reliable, and affordable.

Stretching from Texas to Virginia is a heavily forested region with forest densities reaching more than 80 percent in several areas. These forests comprise the headwaters and watersheds that recharge surface and groundwater resources supplying the southeast’s population and businesses with drinking and industrial water. Healthy, managed forests provide water filtration, support water flows, regulate water temperatures, and offer other important benefits such as, timber and wood products and associated jobs, wildlife habitat, and recreational opportunities, all benefiting local communities and economies.

How Forests Contribute to Watersheds and Drinking Water There is a well-researched and documented connection between forests and water quality. Healthy, managed forests provide natural filtration of precipitation and stormwater runoff resulting in cleaner water reaching drinking water treatment plants. This natural filtration lowers treatment costs and enables utilities to avoid building or upgrading expensive treatment infrastructure, keeping water affordable for customers.

If forests are lost, several public health impacts arise, including increased contamination of water supplies, increased flooding, and decreased drinking water availability. Without the natural filtration provided by forests, there may also be depleted groundwater Source water protection areas in the nine southeastern states in the longleaf range.

Source water refers to rivers, streams, lakes, reservoirs, springs, and groundwater resources, increased erosion and runoff, and varying that provide drinking water. water temperatures, which can negatively affect aquatic life.

Forest land conservation and stewardship clearly benefits But the Southeast is at a crossroads when it comes to the drinking water and public health, but it also benefits forest important connection between forests and drinking water. landowners and local economies. Southeastern forests are a Population is expected to increase more than thirty percent foundational element for local economic health and vitality. in the Southeast over the next 40 years compared to 2012 About 80 percent of southern forests are privately owned, levels. Up to 30 million acres of southeastern forests are and 58 percent are family owned. Ensuring forest landowners forecast to be converted to other uses by 2060. Population can hold onto their lands and manage them well supports growth and land-use change will decrease water availability, communities dependent on forest and drinking water but healthy forested watersheds and long-term forest resources. stewardship can help minimize declines in drinking water quality and quantity. [ 16 ]

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RESEARCH NOTES The Longleaf Ecosystem An important tool for watershed stewardship and drinking water protection is restoring native tree species within their historic range. Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) is a excellent candidate for forest restoration in many parts of the Southeast if the site conditions are suitable and if landowner management objectives fit. If managed properly, longleaf pine forests can improve drinking water quality and quantity, provide drought tolerance and resistance to insects and diseases, and enhance the landscape's resilience to windstorms and wildfires.

Longleaf pine forests are an important piece of the landscape puzzle when considering how to restore forest ecosystems that support the Southeast’s growing population.

Longleaf pine forests once covered an estimated 90 million acres from Texas to Virginia. These forests are culturally, ecologically, and economically important and represent one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems in the world.

Before the early 1900s, longleaf pine forests were the largest ecosystem in North America; however, due to overuse and habitat loss, longleaf pine decreased to a historic low of 3% of its original acreage. Today, partner organizations are working together to restore longleaf pine and its natural systems and welcome additional partners in this effort.

Well-managed longleaf pine forests depend on frequent prescribed fire to maintain open, park-like forest conditions for optimal forest growth and health. Trees are often selectively harvested, allowing for natural regeneration, as opposed to southeastern pine plantations planted primarily for shorter rotations and a single age class. Longleaf pines can live to be several hundred years old, and many longleaf forests are managed by landowners as uneven age stands for multiple resource values. The sparse canopy allows for sunlight to reach the ground, promoting a diverse understory beneficial to wildlife. Longleaf pine is used to develop higher quality products, especially sawtimber and poles, rather than fiber and can therefore have higher rates of financial return.

with the longer asset management schedules used by drinking water utilities. The Water Research Foundation recently found that “in most cases, constructing natural asset investments in a way that fit into a local utility’s capital budget likely would have the biggest impact in changing how natural assets investments are viewed and evaluated.”

WATER YIELD

The close relationship between water yield and land cover suggests that forests with wider tree spacing and lower densities are more advantageous for water quantity. Forests with fewer trees lose less water through evapotranspiration while also enabling increased groundwater recharge and stream flow. This results in more ground and surface water being available, which is especially helpful during times of drought.

WATER QUALITY

Longleaf pine forests and their management play a role in water quality by reducing sediment, retaining nutrients, preventing soil loss, and decreasing erosion runoff and stormwater impacts. These benefits result from both the tree species and the longleaf pine ecosystem. Another costeffective forest management tool for improving water quality is prescribed fire. By using frequent, low intensity fires, to maintain the understory, fewer chemical treatments are needed to reduce or control forest growth. Water originating from forests that are frequently burned is less acidic and has lower dissolved nutrients and organic carbon, needing less water treatment.

STRESS TOLERANCE

There is a dynamic relationship between site, species, and climate for longleaf pine. Longleaf pines are drought tolerant and use water efficiently, especially under conditions when water is scarce. In appropriate locations, well-managed longleaf pine forests can play a valuable role in protecting water resources by mitigating stressors from increased water demand, changes in land use, and climate change.

The Benefits of Longleaf Pine to Drinking Water Compared with other forest types in the region, longleaf pine forest management has distinct benefits for water quality and water yield. Longleaf pine management practices such as prescribed fire and thinning can reduce water demand, increase water yield, and improve water quality over time by retaining nutrients and preventing soil loss.

Longleaf pine typically has longer harvesting rotations that are beneficial for watershed health, in part because this approach results in fewer landscape and habitat disturbances.

Longer rotations and long-term forest planning and management associated with longleaf pine is better aligned

GROUNDWATER AND AQUIFERS

In certain regions where critical drinking water aquifers are geographically contained or closed, such as Florida, the reduced tree density of longleaf pine forests may enhance aquifer recharge. This same objective can be achieved with other pine species, but with longleaf pine restoration financial incentives may be available. Because longleaf pine restoration provides multiple other benefits, there are partners, incentives, and opportunities for financial and technical assistance.

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RESEARCH NOTES

B.

A.

A. Longleaf pine forests provide thousands of forest products such as flooring, paper, utility poles, and pine straw. Photo by Ad Platt. B. Longleaf pine restoration on Santee Experimental Forest at the Francis Marion National Forest where researchers are conducting a study on the watershed response to restoration. Photo by Carl Trettin.

Considerations for Landowners • Private landowners play an important role in protecting water resources through forest stewardship and may be eligible for financial incentives to do so.

• Longleaf pine forests can have many co-benefits including recharging water supplies, reducing the risk of harmful insects and diseases, and increasing resilience to windstorms and wildfires.

• Active longleaf pine forest management may be more costly than short-rotation production, but incentive programs are available to assist landowners with various practices.

Check with your state forestry agency or the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office to see what resources may be available to you.

• Uneven-aged forest stand management, low tree density, and prescribed fire can have a positive impact on forest health, resilience, and water quality.

• Increased water yield resulting from lower tree density of longleaf pine forests can be critical for fish and wildlife species during times of drought.

• Water utilities may own land in their source watershed that could benefit from improved forest management. Longleaf pine may be a good choice and may be advantageous from a water quality and water yield perspective (see map).

• Supporting permanent forest lands conservation in source watersheds may be a good investment for utilities, because utilities can benefit from these forest lands without the added cost or burden of owning and managing the land themselves.

• Funding opportunities, such as the USDA RESTORE Council programs, for the Gulf States and NRCS Regional Conservation Partnership Program continue to add momentum and new participants to forest restoration programs in priority watersheds.

• In the future, protected forest lands may also be important for wastewater disposal and water recycling.

Conclusion Conversion of forests to non-forest land uses in certain key areas permanently impairs watershed functions and drinking water supplies. Forest stewardship and protection are important tools to help ensure water quantity and quality.

Longleaf pine forests can be part of the solution because they contribute to healthy watersheds and safe and reliable drinking water. These forests also provide many other benefits including forest resiliency, erosion control, flood mitigation, recreation, fish and wildlife, carbon sequestration, strong economies and forest markets. Maintaining forests and considering longleaf pine restoration in southeastern watersheds will ensure safe, reliable drinking water for current and future generations. Landowners, water utilities, agencies, forest consultants, businesses, local governments, and other partners can work together to make forest stewardship, conservation, and restoration a priority.

Case Study - St. Johns River Water Management District

By Jeremy Olson

Considerations for Drinking Water Utilities and Businesses • Utilities and businesses can consider creating financial incentives for forest stewardship and management. This will likely require educating community leaders and customers but can result in long-term forest and drinking water protection.

• Costs to establish and manage longleaf pine forests can be initially higher than establishing other types of pine forests. Utilities and businesses can partner with forest landowners by contributing towards that cost and seek grant funding with watershed partners to support landowners ability to restore and maintain longleaf pine. This will result in a reliable water supply in the long-term and is far less expensive than purchasing forested lands.

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RESEARCH NOTES

By Jeremy Olson The St. Johns River Water Management District serving northeast and east-central Florida is focused on ensuring a long-term drinking water supply and protecting and restoring the health of water resources in the District’s 18 counties.

Over 774,000 acres of land are managed in cooperation with a variety of federal and state partners to accomplish its core missions including maintaining water quality, water quantity, flood control, and natural systems.

About 100,000 acres of District-managed lands are pinedominated uplands. Many of these forests were intensively managed for silviculture prior to acquisition. There is a commitment to gradually phasing in longleaf pine restoration using revenues from harvesting slash, loblolly, or sand pine plantations to fund restoration and currently manages 17,000 acres of longleaf.

The District is especially proud of the 10,338-acre Lochloosa Wildlife Conservation Area in southern Alachua County. A 400-acre sandhill on the property, densely planted with slash pine, was harvested and the proceeds were then used for longleaf pine forest restoration and management. After harvest, the temporary absence of trees provided an opportunity to level large earthen windrows, eliminating historical erosion and sediment transport into Lake Lochloosa. The windrows (relics of previous silvicultural site preparation) were eroding and contributing to sediment runoff into the lake, making drinking water treatment more difficult and costly. Invasive plants were removed, and the property was replanted with native bunchgrasses and wildflowers collected from sandhill donor sites nearby. Finally, the property was planted with longleaf pine.

Chris Kinslow collecting Lopsided Indiangrass.

Photo by Jeremy Olson.

“Longleaf pine is a great fit for our core missions. Its coevolution with frequent fire fits right in with our prescribed fire program, and the resilience of a fire-maintained upland benefits water quantity and quality while also providing valuable habitat for species dependent on this tree and this ecosystem,” says District Executive Director Dr. Ann Shortelle.

The District is providing funding, research sites, and implementing management actions to continue to better understand the water supply benefits of forest management.

It took a long time to reduce longleaf pine’s dominance over the flatwoods and sandhills of this area and will take some time to bring it back. There are still many areas across the range that can benefit from longleaf pine restoration.

Longleaf pine forests are being planted for the next generation, hoping they too will enjoy the feeling of walking through a successful restoration area with a diverse understory growing under an open longleaf canopy.

Resources • Protecting Drinking Water at the Source • The Longleaf Alliance • Americas Longleaf Restoration Initiative

• • • •

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Forests to Faucets Wildfire Impact on Drinking Water Quality Prescribed Fire Improves Drinking Water Quality Southeastern Partnership for Forests and Water

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“Rehabilitation” of this longleaf stand, with loblolly pine encroachment, is underway. Suella has completed the site’s first prescribed fire in less than a year of property ownership. Photo by Laci Smitherman of Georgia-Alabama Land Trust.

LANDOWNER CORNER

By Suella McCrimmon

Planning FOR LONGLEAF

As a child in the backseat, I rode with my father and uncles to see Jim Fowler’s pine trees. Mr. Fowler was their cousin, and in the mid-twenties, began growing slash pine as a crop in Treutlen County, Georgia. He and Dr. Charles Herty, the chemist who developed newsprint from wood pulp, were actively interested in pines. In 1933, the Soperton News of Treutlen County printed on the first newsprint manufactured from wood pulp. The wood was from Jim Fowler’s trees. The trees I saw impressed me because they were planted in well-defined rows. That trip sparked my interest in pines. When I see pictures of young children surrounded by pines, I remember.

For more than 20 years, I lived in Emanuel County, Georgia, where pines covered approximately two-thirds of the land area. As a retired teacher, I enrolled in forestry classes at the local technical school and read Looking for Longleaf: The Fall and Rise of an American Forest by Larry

Early. Emanuel County was named on the first page of Mr. Early’s book. Longleaf pine became my favorite tree, and I quickly learned about its rich ecology and history.

The wood of longleaf is high-quality, dense, resinous, and strong. Poles are the most valuable of its wood products.

Because the taproot is long and grows straight down, longleaf is drought resistant. It is also resistant to many of the diseases and insects which plague other southern pines. Fire clears competing vegetation, allows seedlings to sprout, and facilitates the return of vegetation natural to a longleaf forest.

Longleaf is, in fact, fire-friendly. At the time of European settlement, there were approximately 90 million acres of longleaf along the Eastern seaboard and northern Gulf Coast.

Longleaf pine had a decided influence on southern history.

In 2010, I planted longleaf on family property in Treutlen County, Georgia, but that planting was unsuccessful. A local producer of longleaf seedlings visited the site and explained [ 22 ]

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Growing longleaf is, for me, a reason to learn and stay active.

Prescribed burn on Suella McCrimmon's family property in Treutlen County. These regularly burned Georgia longleaf are now ten years old.

Photo by Will Heath.

Rolling hills on the McCrimmon property in Perry County, Alabama.

Photo by Laci Smitherman of Georgia-Alabama Land Trust.

the first planting likely failed due to a hardpan in the old fields. He also identified someone who would mechanically loosen the soil and plant seedlings at an appropriate depth.

In the years since, I’ve burned regularly and happily watched my longleaf grow. Once I began thinking seriously about returning to Alabama, where I have family roots and childhood memories, it dawned on me that leaving my trees would be difficult. So in November of 2020, I purchased 66 acres in Perry County, the upper reaches of Alabama’s longleaf belt, about 50 miles south of metropolitan Birmingham. What follows are my reflections on that purchase and my plans for growing longleaf.

My land in Alabama is rolling hills bordered on two sides by the Talladega National Forest (TNF). A preliminary description of the area (L. Smitherman, personal communication, August 9, 2021) described the property type as “rugged hills with rounded tops and slopes that vary from gentle to steep.” The up and down of a newly built road confirms that description. The soil, sometimes described as loamy, is nonsticky clay mixed with sand. On a pre-purchase visit, I spotted two healthy, grass-stage volunteer longleaf. The soil worked well for those young pines. The acreage is in two

plots that touch on a corner. Twenty-eight of the acres are currently planted in eight-year-old loblolly. The remaining portion is in eleven-year-old longleaf, which has not been burned regularly. There is also mesic hardwood along an intermittent creek from the southwest corner of the longleaf portion to the mid-line of its northern boundary adjacent to the TNF. My friend, an experienced Alabama forester, called it a “rehabilitation stand.” In the year that I’ve owned the property, I’ve already sprayed the loblolly stand to control woody competition and burned the longleaf stand.

I look forward to allowing the loblolly to grow until it’s mature enough to be harvested for pulpwood, then replant longleaf. With frequent prescribed fire, the vegetation and creatures natural to longleaf will hopefully return. I’ve observed birds and butterflies and the tracks of deer and smaller four-legged animals on walkabouts. Those creatures roam freely to and from the adjacent TNF. The endangered redcockaded woodpecker is also established in the TNF. The nearby Cahaba, Alabama’s longest free-flowing river, shelters abundant biodiversity.

Trees provide useful wood products, pleasant settings for recreation, and offer environmental benefits. Sustainability [ 23 ]

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LANDOWNERS CORNER

recognizes that production matters and that harvested trees should be replanted, but also that trees facilitate clean water and carbon sequestration. Georgia Congressman David Scott reported the EPA’s latest estimate that forests in the U.S. sequester over 10% of our emissions (“Q&A Mr. Chairman,” 2021). My 66 acres of approximately ten-year-old pine sequester roughly 358 tons of greenhouse gases (D. Chappell, personal communication, September 2021). Trees Natural longleaf recruits may be grown sustainably, embody the future Suella but growing trees requires McCrimmon envisions for time, patience, problemher property. Photo by Laci solving, and long-range Smitherman of Georgiaplanning.

Alabama Land Trust.

The principle of an “ecological civilization” rings true for me. Doyle (2021) described the origin of that phrase; then used it to represent a fundamental mutual relationship between humanity's well-

being and our planet's well-being. Planting longleaf is my one small step toward an ecological civilization.

Because I have no direct heirs, I intend to establish a conservation agreement with an organization to care for the property after my death. Longleaf pine can be managed to enhance its ecological setting and live for 300 years or more.

Hopefully, red-cockaded woodpeckers will someday flourish in the longleaf ecosystem of which my property is a part. I like knowing the longleaf pine I nurture will touch the future.

Planning well is necessary to accomplish any long-term goal; for me, that goal is to grow longleaf pine. I expect to read, ask questions, and maintain relationships with more knowledgeable people to do just that. I like being a learner, am active and alert in my late seventies, and hope to remain so in the years ahead. Growing longleaf is, for me, a reason to learn and stay active. Watching trees grow is fun!

References Doyle, L.A. (2021). Toward an ecological civilization: Perspectives from Daoism. Journal of Daoist Studies. 14.

221-228.

Q&A Mr. Chairman. (Summer, 2021). Georgia Forestry. 5, 24-28.

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TECHNOLOGY CORNER

By Elizabeth Shadle, The Longleaf Alliance

Tools of the Trade – Saving Reticulated Flatwoods Salamanders, One Egg at a Time Drift fence checks. Photo by Samantha Dillon.

Upon entering a longleaf pine ecosystem, many are drawn upward to take in the large, elegant pine canopies sprawled against the blue sky. However, if one stops to take in the whole ecosystem, they may be surprised to find numerous small but crucial animals specializing in these ecosystems. Wildlife species specializing in longleaf habitats provide biodiversity and beauty to the landscape. The Longleaf Alliance is dedicated to supporting conservation and restoration efforts that support and aid in the recovery of endemic (native and not found anywhere else!) longleaf species under threat.

One key species of interest is the reticulated flatwoods salamander (Ambystoma bishopi or RFS for short), an imperiled species in need of restoration of fire-maintained pine flatwoods for continued survival. These salamanders rely on terrestrial and aquatic habitats to support their complex life cycles (egg hatched out to aquatic larvae metamorphosed to terrestrial salamander). These salamanders spend their time developing in seasonal wetlands and climb out of the water onto longleaf pine stands as newly developed adults.

As RFS populations continue to decline, a team of wildlife biologists emerged to aid their recovery, supported through a collaboration between The Longleaf Alliance and partners in the Gulf Coastal Plain Ecosystem Partnership Landscape, including the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and federal agencies. The AMBBIS Team (short for Ambystoma bishopi), first established in 2018, has grown to

include a lead wildlife biologist, two wildlife technicians, and a crew of four seasonal restoration technicians.

To better depict what is involved in the restoration and conservation of an endangered species, this article will walk you through a field season and highlight the work of TLA’s AMMBIS Team. These tasks aid in our ability to monitor, conserve, and protect this unique salamander and its beautiful home in longleaf flatwood wetlands.

As a biologist, you quickly learn there is no typical day-to-day schedule because it varies on numerous factors. Most are out of your control, such as weather and seasons.

Life as a Wildlife Biologist

It is vital to understand rare species’ life history habits and gather population estimates to assist conservation. There are a few remaining populations of the rare, reticulated flatwoods salamander. RFS breed during the winter months, and our schedule primarily works around their breeding cycle.

We perform various tasks, including drift fence monitoring, egg searching, dip-netting, cattle tank rearing (head-start), and releasing (see timeline graphic).

Monitoring The salamanders move from upland longleaf pine forests to seasonal wetlands where they deposit their eggs during the breeding season. So each fall through spring, we set up and run drift fences to capture this migration. Drift fences are long durable sheets of thin galvanized aluminum flashing. Two fences divide the uplands from two wetlands. Along each side of the fence, we have three wire funnel traps with an opening

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Notes from the Field

Dip-netting. Photo by Natalie DePalma.

at either end. The traps allow individual animals to enter but not leave until released by one of our trained wildlife biologists.

If an individual encounters a drift fence, it will move alongside it to find a way around until it enters the funnel traps. Like many other wildlife species present in longleaf flatwoods, RFS are nocturnal, meaning they typically move at night. To ensure maximum animal safety, we check the traps each morning before sunrise, followed by numerous checks after sunset in the evenings.

Another technique we commonly use to monitor populations of this rare salamander is called dip-netting. This involves walking along edges of filled wetlands and using a very large net to sample who is home. While dip-netting, we gently but swiftly stick our nets into the water in hopes of catching any unexpecting young wildlife. We always take note of other animals in the wetlands to get a better idea of what prey and predators may be lurking. One cannot help but marvel over the food webs in longleaf pine flatwoods and how there is so much connection between the trees, animals, and even us. Dipnetting is a common method used in many projects to collect data and can be done in one’s backyard. All you need are high boots, a net, and some patience. Dip-netting has been one method the team has bonded over as it often requires the most time together, and there is something astonishing when we find a salamander baby swimming in a wetland!

Head-starting Aside from drift fence checks, we spend a chunk of time on hands and knees searching for tiny salamander eggs in seasonal wetlands as the water recedes. RFS lay eggs in small clusters or individual eggs spread throughout grass clumps. Each egg is about the size of your pinkie nail! Our supplies needed for this task include a spoon (to carefully excavate the eggs), flagging, [ 27 ]

Driving out to the site, I get ready to complete the daily evening check of our opened drift fence.

I arrive as the sun is setting and make sure I have all my supplies ready. Our team has a large black case to hold everything, including a camera, Rite in the Rain ® notebook, pencil, soil probe, measurement tools, and of course, headlamps.

Typically, we all carry a rain jacket because fieldwork does not stop for rain. In fact, rainy nights caused by fall cold fronts are often best for RSF activity because the wet weather encourages salamanders to move from the uplands to wetlands. Our target is to catch any moving adult salamanders. In the still, dark night, I can hear frogs calling, insects chirping, and mosquitos buzzing. I focus on the task at hand and carefully make my way up to the drift fence. With only my headlamp beam guiding me, I walk along one side and investigate each trap before walking along the other side to check those traps. I see movement in the last trap and freeze in excitement! In the GPS unit, headlamp, and strong attention to detail as it takes past, we’ve caught a wide range of Once animals, concentrated effort to find the hidden eggs. eggsfrom are crayfish to snakes, frogs, salamanders, and located,large we collect as much data as possible, including location, vegetation type, and number of eggs. collection informs even a mouse.

I hope for aData reticulated flatwoods future searches and furthers our understanding of this rare, so I can process it by collecting data elusive salamander animal. sex, a length, weight body.

Each such year, weascollect subset of and eggs from a fewofknownoccupied sites to rear Unfortunately, this in timeour it’s ahead-starting lone southernprogram. leopard Head-starting not fence our checks, target we species. collect Asidefrog, from drift spend a We chunkstill of time on information on other animals caught, record hands and knees searching for tiny salamander eggsso in Iseasonal wetlands the water RFS layrelease eggs in the smalltoad clusters or myasnotes for recedes. the night and on his individual eggs spread throughout grass clumps. Each egg is merry way. past season, 2020-2021, I never about the size of yourThis pinkie nail!

Our supplies needed for this personally an adult the task include a spoonencountered (to carefully excavate the RFS eggs),along flagging, drift fence line. However, other members of our team were able to find a few individuals. At times it can be frustrating working with a rare species that spends most of its time underground. But that is one of the many things I love about being a wildlife biologist, the endless joy of always searching, learning, and conserving. I cannot let myself get discouraged as I know there will be many more nights of drift fence surveys.

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TECHNOLOGY CORNER

Flatwood wetlands near salamander breeding sites.

Photo by Samantha Dillon.

Life stages of the reticulated flatwoods salamander - eggs, larvae, and adult. Photos by Elizabeth Shadle and Jessica Sandoval.

GPS unit, headlamp, and strong attention to detail as it takes concentrated effort to find the hidden eggs. Once eggs are located, we collect as much data as possible, including location, vegetation type, and number of eggs. Data collection informs future searches and furthers our understanding of this rare, elusive animal.

Each year, we collect a subset of eggs from a few knownoccupied sites to rear in our head-starting program.

Head-starting is a common conservation technique used for endangered species, in which eggs (or young larvae) are raised in artificial control tanks and then released into the wild. This method allows for a higher proportion of young animals to reach maturity without risk of desiccation (drying out from lack of water), predation, or other natural deadly causes.

Rearing salamanders requires a myriad of time and effort. This method would not be possible without our team, partners, and of course, the salamanders!

Large blue cattle tanks serve as artificial wetlands to mimic salamander habitat. Each fall, we set up the 320-gallon tanks to include all the basic necessities: food, shelter, water, and oxygen. This process involves collecting local leaves, adding

water, mesh lids, collecting food for the salamanders, lots of heavy lifting, and an eye for organization. This past season we fit 29 of those large blue plastic tubs into a single area while allowing room for us to walk through and access each tank. Our work does not end after set up; we diligently monitor the tanks, watch the eggs develop into larval salamanders, and keep predators out until the salamanders are ready for release. After a few months, each individual salamander is removed from the tanks, measured, and marked (so we know who everyone is if we find them again in the wild!). We tediously sort through leaf by leaf to ensure no one gets left behind. Now swimming on their own, the salamanders are released back into the wetlands before they dry. This allows the swimming late-stage larvae time to complete metamorphosis and climb onto land where they will bunker down for spring – fall months until the wetlands refill and it’s the breeding season again.

The Work is Not Finished Head-starting tasks are completed by late spring, and we celebrate knowing over 200 new baby RFS are swimming around in the wild, helping increase population numbers. [ 28 ]

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TECHNOLOGY CORNER

Salamander field work timeline. Graphic by Elizabeth Shadle.

Southern leopard frog found along the drift fence. Photo by Elizabeth Shadle.

Cattle tanks used for rearing reticulated flatwoods salamanders. Photo by Samantha Dillon.

However, the work does not stop there. As biologists and conservations, we are also managers and planners, trying to continue to take the next step in learning more about this endangered species and restoring habitat for them. Some of the other vital tasks include restoring longleaf pine ecosystems. The restoration of longleaf pine flatwoods and the wetlands throughout is vital to the survival of RFS. This project and the restoration (through hand-clearing, chainsawing, and prescribed fire) thus far would not have been possible without our fabulous seasonal crew team members, the Ecosystem Support Team (EST), and the Wetland Ecosystem Support Team (WEST).

Also essential to our job is data entry. Throughout all these field “tasks,” we collect data that can be used to help us better understand the species, as well as quantify restoration work. So far, the team on this project has treated over 47 acres of land, discovered six new wetlands occupied by these salamanders, and released 712 salamanders back into the wild.

One egg reared at a time, in hopes we continue witnessing the connection between these small yet beautiful salamanders to the large yet elegant longleaf pines. [ 29 ]

Field Work Packing List l

l l

l l

l l l

Headlamp, extra batteries, long sleeves (to keep mosquitoes off) Masking tape, sharpies, and pencils Rite in the Rain® field notebook Flagging tape High rubber boots (need to be bleached if coming from another property) Water, plenty!

Snacks Rain gear, never know when a pop-up rain storm is going to hit, we’re in Florida after all. Plus, we try to go out on rainy nights as salamanders are more likely to move during that time.

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REGIONAL UPDATES

By Colette DeGarady, The Nature Conservancy, Longleaf Partnership Council Chair

News from the Longleaf Partnership Council Colette DeGarady monitoring new plant growth at Sandy Island Preserve in South Carolina one month after a wildfire in 2009. Photo by Tom Johnson.

I received a perfect assignment prior to stepping into the Longleaf Partnership Chair role. The U.S. Forest Service asked if I would document America’s Longleaf Restoration Initiative (ALRI) as a model of Shared Stewardship. I have been participating with ALRI since 2012, but this exercise of reviewing the evolution of ALRI and summarizing why our collaboration is a model for others increased the pride and purpose I felt in being part of the Longleaf Partnership Council Leadership Team. Some components of this report include: • How ALRI formed and why the initial Conservation Plan was a critical component • Suggested elements for establishing and maintaining a successful collaborative • Description of the 3-tiered governance structure for ALRI This document, America's Longleaf Restoration Initiative Shared Stewardship Performance Pilot, is now available online at americaslongleaf.org under Resources (Rangewide History and Policy publications). It not only provides a good summary of our work to new and existing participants in ALRI but also is a tool for other collaboratives to use when thinking through successful elements needed to drive partnerships forward in meeting a common goal.

In my current role with The Nature Conservancy as the Longleaf Pine Whole System Director, I work with teams across the 9-state historic range to boost the enabling conditions to accomplish longleaf protection, management, and restoration.

Before taking this regional position, I helped create and lead one of the Local Implementation Teams (Sewee Longleaf Conservation Cooperative), where I gained useful experience in facilitating and planning steering committee meetings, landowner engagement, and implementation of longleaf projects. Now I carry that on-the-ground experience in my mind as I work toward influencing partnerships, policy, and resources on a broader scale.

Some of the work on the horizon for 2022 includes: continuing consistent communication around the resilience and co-benefits of longleaf pine forests, advancing the work of the Longleaf for All working group, proceeding with the execution of an updated Longleaf Resource Value map to inform the next Conservation Plan for ALRI, and scheduling an in-person Longleaf Partnership Council (LPC) meeting. I look forward to following an impressive group of leaders who have filled the role of LPC Chair and building on the large body of work in motion.

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REGIONAL UPDATES

Longleaf for All Marks First Year of Accomplishments In less than a year, America’s Longleaf Restoration Initiative’s (ALRI) newest working group, Longleaf for All, is seeing incredible results in the forestry outreach community. Longleaf for All utilizes ALRI’s network and platform to increase minority participation in forestry-related programs, practices and activities, and help landowners reap the economic, ecological, and cultural benefits of owning forested land. In the past calendar year (2021), Longleaf for All achieved the following results: • Formed a highly effective working group consisting of 23 participants from various organizations and entities formed to engage and guide Longleaf for All. This group has convened five times (as of October 2021) through highly interactive virtual meetings and identified challenges facing minority landowners and professionals, as well as recommendations and networks that have led to potential on-the-ground results through the development of demonstration projects.

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•

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•

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Developed a charter to officially guide the leaders and working group on goals and outcomes by setting an annual plan of work, approved by the Longleaf Partnership Council (LPC) and Longleaf Federal Coordinating Committee.

Created a Barriers and Recommendations document detailing the challenges that face minority landowners, as well as guidance and action steps to address these challenges. The four main categories include: 1) Property rights; 2) Property size and scale of properties; 3) Access to capital, resources, and markets; and 4) Outreach challenges from distrust and disconnection.

A number of these recommendations have already been integrated into ALRI’s 2022-2024 Strategic Priorities and Actions document, and these recommendations are being provided to ALRI and partners with additional plans forming for implementation and next steps.

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provided data on historical participation in the Farm Bill

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Members of Longleaf for All walk along a fire break in a longleaf stand. Photo by Tiffany Woods.

•

Herbert Hodges, a landowner in South Georgia working on one of Longleaf for All’s demonstration projects, shows a longleaf tract to Vontice Jackson (NRCS) and Tiffany Woods. Photo by Luther Jones.

program to identify gaps and areas to prioritize in the future. The Longleaf for All Committee has requested additional NRCS granular data to pinpoint the locations to target our efforts.

Demonstration Projects: On behalf of Longleaf for All, National Wildlife Federation (NWF) applied for funding for two shovel-ready projects: o Herbert Hodges Demonstration Forest: NWF and NRCS Georgia are working together to develop a model farm in South Georgia with Mr. Herbert Hodges. Work is scheduled to start in the fall of 2021, with outreach events planned to begin spring of 2022 including a “Learn and Burn” and workshop focusing on estate planning. o Hoke County Community Forest: NWF was awarded a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation through the Longleaf Landscape Stewardship Fund to work with project partners (including the Sandhills Prescribed Burn Association and The Longleaf Alliance, among many others) to

restore longleaf pine on a community-owned forest in Hoke County, North Carolina. Grant funds will support longleaf pine restoration activities, including wiregrass and longleaf seedling plantings on the forest.

This Community Forest will generate timber sale revenue that will go directly to the citizens of Hoke County, which is a minority-majority county. Funders of this project include: Altria, U.S. Department of Defense, USDA- NRCS, U.S. Forest Service, and NRCS North Carolina.

Another significant accomplishment has been the level of engagement, excitement, and camaraderie that Longleaf for All has brought to the ALRI, forestry, and minority outreach community. In a challenging period from the COVID-19 pandemic, this working group has brought individuals together and garnered new levels of excitement from the many meetings and presentations thus far. One individual that has worked in minority outreach perhaps captured it best by saying: “I’ve waited my entire career to work on a project like this.”

Longleaf for All Working Group Members: Ryan Bollinger, The Longleaf Alliance ● Sam Cook, North Carolina State University ● Freddie Davis, Federation of Southern Cooperatives ● Jacqueline Davis-Slay, USDA, Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement ● Colette DeGarady, The Nature Conservancy ● Amadou Diop, USDA Forest Service Southern Region ● Amelia Dortch, USDA NRCS ● Chris Erwin, American Forest Foundation ● Jennifer Fawcett, North Carolina State University ● Mavis Gragg, Sustainable Forestry and African American Land Retention Program ● Stephanie Hertz,* Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute ● Kyle Jones,* USDA Forest Service ● Luther Jones (Co-lead*), retired USDA NRCS ● Laurel Kays, North Carolina State University ● Jessica McGuire, Quail Forever ● J.T. Pynne, Georgia Wildlife Federation ● Lexie Rue-Harris, USDA Forest Service Southern Region ● Jon Scott, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation ● John Ann Shearer, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service ● Hannah Sodolak,* Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute ● Matthew Vandersande, USDA NRCS ● Jesse Wimberley, NC Sandhills Prescribed Burn Association Coordinator ● Tiffany Woods (Co-lead*), National Wildlife Federation *Longleaf for All Leadership Team [ 34 ]

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REGIONAL UPDATES

ARSA Membership Meet In-Person on a New Conservation Property

By Brian Pelc, Apalachicola Regional Stewardship Alliance LIT Coordinator

ARSA members pose in front of the bluffs of the Ochlockonee River on the newly conserved state acquisition on St. James Island/St. Theresa. Agencies representatives include The Nature Conservancy, and Florida State Parks, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Forest Service, Tall Timbers Research Station, and Northwest Florida Water Management District. Photo by Brian Pelc.

The dedicated members of the Apalachicola Regional Stewardship Alliance (ARSA) chose a crisp fall morning to meet in person for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the joy at being together again was only overshadowed by the excitement of visiting the new acquisition

by Florida Forest Service and Florida State Parks. This to-be-named 17,000-acre property located between Tate’s Hell State Forest and Bald Point State Park is ripe for partner cooperation with thousands of acres of potential sand pine conversion to sandhills, groundcover restoration where necessary, and lots and lots of prescribed fire management. Participants in the ARSA meeting toured the property, discussing floodplain and marsh ecosystem management, roads and recreation for the public, and several rare plants identified by a recent natural communities assessment conducted by the Florida Natural Areas Inventory. Most of the property was historically longleaf pine sandhill, but there are also notable sections of embedded native scrub as well as miles of floodplain, hardwood forest, and marsh along the Ochlockonee River. Both Florida Forest Service and Florida State Parks plan to transition any off-site pine back to longleaf over time. The community of ARSA land managers will be there for support as needed.

Conservation Lands and Compatible Community Development on the Chattahoochee Fall Line By LuAnn Craighton, The Nature Conservancy For more than 15 years, Fort Benning and the Department of Defense have worked in coordination with partners to encourage public and private land conservation along the Fall Line in west Georgia and east Alabama near the installation. These efforts help protect the current and future military mission inside Fort Benning’s boundary by maintaining an Army Compatible Use Buffer (ACUB) “conservation buffer” outside the installation’s boundary. The ACUB program emphasizes conservation actions that support longleaf pine ecosystem conservation, restoration, and management on buffer lands.

Recently, the ACUB Advisory Board set a goal to further understand the nexus between ACUB conservation lands and compatible rural The River Valley Compatible Community Development economic development. A two-year project, funded by the Office of Project will focus on developing actionable plans for Local Defense Community Cooperation, will explore these issues and Talbot, Taylor, Marion, Chattahoochee, and Stewart create actionable outcomes in six rural counties near Fort Benning, the counties in Georgia and Russell County in Alabama. region’s largest economic driver. The goals of the recently launched Map by Carl Vinson Institute of Government.

River Valley Community Compatible Development Project are to understand how conservation lands can simultaneously protect the military mission, provide desirable ecological outcomes, sustain rural communities, and enhance quality of life. The project is facilitated by the River Valley Regional Commission, Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia, Fort Benning, The Nature Conservancy, and partner ACUB Advisory Board organizations.

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REGIONAL UPDATES

Kisatchie National Forest Recognized for Recovery Efforts

By Dan Weber, The Nature Conservancy The Kisatchie National Forest (KNF) was recognized by the 2021 Regional Forester’s Honor Awards for the staff’s response to Hurricanes Laura and Delta that hit in 2020 and reshaped portions of the 182,000-acre Calcasieu Ranger District.

The District responded by structuring creative sale packages resulting in profit to KNF rather than paying contractors to take away unmerchantable trees. Of the 20,000 acres flattened, almost 13,000 have been salvaged and are now ready for planting longleaf seedlings. As a result, 53,000 cunits (100 cubic feet or ccf) of mostly salvage timber was sold. For these efforts, the Calcasieu District of KNF was recognized as the 2021 ‘Ranger District of the Year.’

Matt Pardue, wildlife biologist on the Vernon Unit of the Calcasieu, was recognized for his leadership in reestablishing a red-cockaded woodpecker (RCW) population Post-salvage area showing damaged significantly reduced by the storms. Out of 249 RCW clusters, 224 had at least one former RCW cavity tree. Photo by Collette tree down, and several had no trees left standing. All total, 851 RCW trees were DeGarady. down or broken off, with many more leaning and unusable. Even with almost 900 RCW trees destroyed, the Vernon population was saved by installing 450 new inserts and associated cluster rehab work. Now, a little more than a year after the storms, clusters are close to pre-storm numbers.

KNF forms the core of the Kisatchie/Fort Polk Significant Geographic Area where the local longleaf implementation team, the West Central Louisiana Ecosystem Partnership, have united to restore longleaf pine and other native ecosystems within a sixparish conservation area.

Coastal Headwaters Longleaf Forest Link Added to Florida Wildlife Corridor

By Vernon Compton, GCPEP Director, The Longleaf Alliance As announced in September 2021, a 2,115-acre parcel within the Coastal Headwaters Longleaf Forest Florida Forever project in Santa Rosa County, Florida, was acquired and added to Blackwater River State Forest. It provides another important link in the statewide wildlife corridor and adds to a wildlife/ecological connection between Naval Air Station Whiting Field and the state forest. This connection has long been a land protection priority of the Gulf Coastal Plain Ecosystem Partnership. Erin Albury, State Forest and Florida Forest Service Director, signified the importance of the project stating, “Blackwater River State Forest is our largest state forest, so the acquisition of this tract will ensure active forest management while preserving the habitat connectivity and the ecosystem.”

“The Coastal Headwaters Forest conservation effort aims to protect and restore working longleaf pine habitat in the lower Alabama/Florida Panhandle,” said Lauren Day, The Conservation Fund’s Florida State Director. “The protection of these 2,115 acres in Florida advances this landscape-level initiative, helping to reverse the trend of longleaf pine loss across the Gulf Coastal Plain. We’re honored to partner with the state of Florida, the U.S. Forest Service, the National Fish and Wildlife Service/Walmart, and Resource Management Service, which has a long history of sustainable forest management and Blackwater River State Forest near environmental stewardship. We also thank Florida’s U.S. congressional delegation for RMS Land. Photo by Vernon Compton. their support of the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, which enabled this important effort.”

“The forests being acquired by the state of Florida have been managed for decades as a working forest, providing wood for societal needs, wildlife habitat, and clean air and water,” said Jimmy Bullock, Senior Vice President of Forest Sustainability at Resource Management Service. “We are honored to collaborate on this unique partnership dedicated to restoring the longleaf ecosystem, benefiting both the environment and the local economy, providing permanent greenspace near strategic military installations and recreational opportunities for the local community.”

Quotes from Florida Department of Environmental Protection Press Release, Tallahassee, Florida.

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REGIONAL UPDATES

First Annual Savannah River Fire Festival – Fun for the Whole Family

By Susan French, The Longleaf Alliance The first annual Savannah River Fire Festival was held in October 2021 at the Mary Kahrs Warnell Forest Education Center in Effingham County, Georgia. Hosted by The Longleaf Alliance and partners, it was a huge success.

The festival was a fun day jam-packed with outdoor activities for approximately 200 attendees, including a live burn demonstration, meet and greets with Burner Bob®, guided nature hikes with Georgia DNR biologists, gopher tortoise burrow explorations, delicious food trucks, and nature-themed face painting. Families and kids learned about natural resource conservation efforts in the Southeast and why prescribed fire is beneficial to people, forests, Jon Burns, the Georgia House of Representatives and wildlife. The festival even made the local Savannah news!

For more information about the Georgia Sentinel Landscape Pilot Project, Majority Leader, discussed the importance of you can visit longleafalliance.org or contact Project Coordinator Susan French, forestry in the state and the role of prescribed fire. susan@longleafalliance.org.

Okefenokee/Osceola LIT Boundary Expansion

By Rebecca Shelton, The Nature Conservancy With the expansion of the Okefenokee-Osceola Local Implementation Team (O2LIT) boundary, it was determined that new and updated objectives on conservation priorities were needed.

To set, prioritize and highlight greater restoration support and resource opportunities, a small subcommittee was created. The subcommittee’s goal is to update the O2LIT Charter and Conservation Plan with the new boundary and other new/updated points since its 2016 inception.

The subcommittee intends to provide a range-wide framework for longleaf ecosystem conservation. This framework identifies the most significant strategic actions to conserve these systems and serves as a catalyst to further conservation and restoration actions in a strategic and outcome-oriented fashion. The Conservation Plan does not intend to be prescriptive. Instead, it acknowledges that the true work of identifying and addressing specific conservation activities will occur through subsequent efforts, with as many stakeholders as possible working collaboratively under the umbrella of America’s Longleaf Restoration Initiative (ALRI).

Current priorities within the O2LIT are to identify additional partners and their programs and initiatives, spatially define areas that have the greatest need of longleaf restoration or are in a maintenance condition, and determine a unified vision for the desired future conditions of the O2LIT. With respect to landowner outreach, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, in cooperation with The University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension Office, held another landowner outreach meeting in Baker County, Florida, in November 2021. The purpose of this outdoor meeting was to allow landowners to network and connect with resource professionals. Landowners discussed the cost-share programs offered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service and Best Management Practices. This meeting provided the opportunity to connect to multiple participants, including private owners, land managers, contractors, and conservation partners, potentially influencing restoration on over 45,000 acres of private land.

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REGIONAL UPDATES

Restoration of Industrial Forests in the SoLo-ACE Landscape - Hamilton Ridge and Palachucola Wildlife Management Areas By Gary Burger, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Many longleaf enthusiasts are familiar with South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) Webb Wildlife Center in Hampton County, South Carolina, due to its beautifully maintained, mature longleaf forests that support a significant population of red-cockaded woodpeckers, and a wide array of other important game and non-game species of wildlife. Webb, the former Belmont Plantation, is SCDNR’s oldest wildlife management area (WMA) and countless visitors have enjoyed these longleaf pine forests for 80 years under the state’s ownership. What Left: A former loblolly plantation planted with longleaf pine after some may not be as familiar with are the more recent chemical site prep and prescribed burn on Hamilton Ridge WMA. additions adjacent to the north and south, respectively.

Hamilton Ridge WMA was formerly owned by Right: An explosion of Liatris and other native vegetation on the same International Paper and Palachucola WMA by site roughly one year later. What you can’t see are the wonderful surMeadWestvaco. Together, the three properties now viving young longleaf and the thousands of butterflies. Photos by Gary encompass some 27,000 contiguous acres and miles Burger. of river frontage on the lower Savannah River.

It doesn’t take a forester to realize the former industrial landowners planted as much plantation loblolly on the upland areas of these properties as they could. They were, after all, in the fiber production business. But that is changing under SCDNR’s management, and key partners such as The Longleaf Alliance and the Arbor Day Foundation have been instrumental in helping SCDNR restore longleaf to these industrial forests. Wildlife-friendly thinning and prescribed burning are certainly the heavy hitters in managing these “seas” of loblolly pine plantations into open-pine habitat. An increasing number of sites on both properties are selected for clearcut and replanting to longleaf pine each year. Over 1,100 acres have been converted in recent years, with more in the works. One of the most exciting parts of these conversions has been the fantastic response of native understory vegetation on sites that had been industrially managed. Mother Nature is resilient, and with a little helping hand, we can reclaim longleaf habitat even in the most unlikely places.

Improving RCW Habitat on Private Lands

By Charles Babb, Sandhills Longleaf Pine Conservation Partnership Coordinator The South Carolina Sandhills Longleaf Pine Conservation Partnership began winter maintenance on artificial nest cavities located on three privately owned lands. Twelve artificial cavities were installed in the winter of 2020 to attract red-cockaded woodpeckers from nearby public lands. Sites were initially selected because of the existing habitat, such as a low basal area number, hardwood control, and the use of prescribed fire.

To improve the habitat surrounding the cavities, LIT Coordinator Charles Babb and his son Thomas recently removed all midstory hardwoods within one hundred feet of the cavities by either cutting and herbicide stump treatment or basal bark treatment.

These actions reduce nest predation, make cavities more accessible, and increase sunlight to improve sap flow from pitch wells created by the birds.

In the Spring of 2021, the Partnership monitored eight cavities that were used as roost sites, with one nesting pair successfully raising a brood. Cavity monitoring will continue this winter using trail cameras to gather photos of the nesting process, site competition from songbirds, and predators. These photos are used to produce educational materials Thomas Babb uses a chainsaw to re- for youth groups and landowners. move large hardwoods from around a The SLPCP is pursuing similar agreements with additional private landowners to aid RCW nest cavity. red-cockaded woodpecker expansion from public lands onto private parcels.

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REGIONAL UPDATES

Private Lands Conservation– Two Generous Actions Protect >7,500 Acres of Longleaf in North Carolina By Hervey McIver, The Nature Conservancy Classic open longleaf pine woodlands are a sight to behold.

The majestic beauty that draws us to it as landowners and land managers also inspires others to live among these tall trees. This is the ironic conundrum of conserving well-managed older longleaf stands in areas experiencing rapid human growth; we are susceptible to loving them to death. Fortunately, development will not be the outcome for two significant properties in the North Carolina Sandhills due to generous private protection actions in 2021.

The Walthour-Moss Foundation Blue Farm’s longleaf and wiregrass, as far as the eye can see. Horse-drawn cart on The donated a conservation easement on 3,946 acres of land to the Forest Walthour-Moss Foundation. Photos by Jeff Marcus.

Legacy Program with the U.S. Forest Service. With additional easements with the NC Department of Transportation and Three Rivers Land Trust, 4,140 acres of this beautiful property are now protected in perpetuity. Ginnie and Pappy Moss created The Foundation in the ‘70s to support equestrian recreation that flourished around Southern Pines, North Carolina. Seeing the region’s rapid growth, The Foundation donated the conservation easement to limit potential future encroachment of roads and infrastructure. This rolling land of beautiful longleaf lies just west of Fort Bragg.

In the 22-year history of the North Carolina Sandhills Conservation Partnership, the Blue Farm has been the top priority for conservation. The Blue family, whose Scottish roots date back to the 1700s, once owned tens of thousands of acres from which they extracted naval stores. The nearly 3,496-acre Blue Farm was acquired in the 1890s, and more recently, has been used for hunting and pine straw production. The land, which supports nine red-cockaded woodpecker clusters, lies in the heart of the critical corridor linking Fort Bragg to Camp Mackall and the Sandhills Game Land. The Nature Conservancy was seeking an arrangement to purchase the property in phases when the family decided to sell the entire property quickly. Fortunately, Tim Sweeney, a North Carolina entrepreneur and dedicated buyer of conservation lands, stepped in and successfully acquired the Blue Farm. Sandhills partners will continue to engage with the Blue Farm’s new management team to support its long-term management and protection, but for now, all conservationists are relieved to see this land in safe hands.

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NEXT GENERATION

Photos courtesy of Bryan Kerns

By Sarah Crate, The Longleaf Alliance

the pulaski club bringing fire science to high school students

A

t Dobyns-Bennett High School in Kingsport, Tennessee, students know how to derail a lesson on factored polynomials by simply asking for a “fire story” from math teacher Bryan Kerns. A natural storyteller, Bryan has plenty of material from his time as a wildland firefighter out West and locally in the Appalachian Mountains. It is Bryan’s passion for fire and for helping students that led him to take his fire stories from classroom distraction strategy to classroom curriculum.

In 2018, Bryan initiated an after-school club dubbed the Pulaski Club. “Kids would be stoked about my fire stories, asking, ‘How do I get into that?’ My response was always so vague and didn’t get at the real answer. So, I invited kids to my classroom to talk about conservation, wildland fire, and prescribed fire after school. Thirty-five kids showed up at the first meeting. Eventually, the Club thinned out to 11 dedicated seniors, seven of which were 18-years-old and got their redcard or Incident Qualification Card immediately after graduation.”

So how exactly did these recent high school graduates begin their summer with nationally recognized wildland firefighting qualifications?

The Dobyns-Bennett Pulaski Club meets two Mondays each month and essentially goes through National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) training standards. Each member works through S-130 Firefighter Training & S-190 Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior courses independently, [ 42 ]

online. Meetings are usually hands-on demonstrations to reinforce concepts and safety. Training is key, but the Pulaski Club’s ultimate goal is to provide students opportunities to experience a live prescribed fire. And that is exactly what Bryan has made possible.

On-campus Fire Ecology Area: Bryan initiated a one-acre hillside prescribed fire demonstration area bordering the high school track; its prominent placement makes it highly visible to students and the whole community. The site is divided into six units burned at different times of the year by Pulaski Club students. The students write a burn plan for each burn and carry out the burn from start to finish. Throughout the school year, the Biology and Earth Science classes also use the area for general fire effects monitoring.

Prescribed Fire Module: The Pulaski Club is now functioning as a viable prescribed fire resource. The crew consists of Mr. Kerns and three to four seniors (who have completed S-190 & S-130), complete with full PPE, hand tools, drip torches, and line gear. Students are considered field observers during the burns, wearing full PPE and carrying hand tools. For the 2020-2021 school year, Club members were on five prescribed burns, totaling 125 acres.

The momentum has only continued from there. In addition to math courses, Bryan now teaches a Career and Technical Education (CTE) course at Dobyns-Bennett High School called Fire Science I – Principles of Fire and Emergency Services, with structure fire and emergency services guest speakers and an

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emphasis on fire ecology and prescribed burning. Several Pulaski Club alumni are now working in fire and emergency services or studying natural resources in college.

• Two recent graduates are wildland firefighters with the Tennessee Division of Forestry.

• Five recent graduates are in EMT classes and/or are working locally in this profession.

• Several graduates are serving in local Volunteer Fire Departments.

• Two graduates spent last summer on a hand crew out West (Lone Peak Hot Shots and Clearwater-Potlatch Timber Protective Agency Fire Crew).

• One previous student even found their way to prescribed fire in longleaf country, serving on The Nature Conservancy's seasonal Sandhills burn crew in North Carolina.

“My dream is to expand this program beyond my classroom and see it take off in other schools across the country. If kids have the chance to see fire while in high school, they will have a greater understanding of fire across the landscape. Maybe they even get bit by the fire bug and discover a career.”

Learn more about the Pulaski Club at sites.google.com/k12k.com/dbhs-pulaski-club/home.

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Obstacles are opportunities to move forward.

Liability — Since this program falls under the Career & Technical Education (CTE) Department, Dobyns-Bennett High School added Fire Science student coverage to its existing school insurance policy.

PPE & Equipment — With limited funding, Bryan solicited support from family, partners, and businesses, including these critical contributions: • Bullard Helmets donated wildland firefighter hard hats.

• Mystery Ranch Packs donated fire packs; the actual ones used in the movie Only the Brave!

• White's Boots donated pairs of seconds, blemished, and/or returned boots.

• Tennessee Valley Authority donated fire shelters, hand tools, radios, compasses, gloves, and eye protection.

• Anonymous hand-me-downs, pretty much "dumpsterdiving" for old Nomex® shirts and pants, have been rehabbed and repurposed.

• Dobyns-Bennett High School CTE Program purchased a 65-gallon WATERAX skid unit.

• Senator Bill & Tracy Frist provided a generous monetary donation that helps fill in the gaps.

Note - The Club is on the lookout for a 4-door, 4-wheeldrive pickup truck!

Age restriction — The 18-year-old age requirement is only a barrier when participating in agency burns. Otherwise, burns on campus and local private lands have no restrictions on age.

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ARTS & LITERATURE

LONGLEAF

Art SPOTLIGHT

Clay Burnette 1. FROM NATURE 12”H x 12”W x 15”

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3.

4.

2. TIPPING POINT 14”H x 21”W x 21” 3. WEDGED TOGETHER 10”H x 9”W x 25”L 4. WHY KNOT? 8”H x 14”W x 18”D

ABOUT THE ART

ABOUT THE ARTIST

I use the basic basketmaking technique of coiling to create contemporary shapes that incorporate lots of patience, persistence, and imagination.

I begin the process by gathering fresh pine needles from longleaf pine trees that grow in the sandhills of South Carolina.

The needles are colored with fabric dyes, acrylic paints, and iridescent inks, then sewn into coils using various colors of waxed linen thread. My tools are simple: a large steel upholstery needle and a pair of sharp-pointed scissors. When completed, each piece is preserved with a light coating of beeswax and signed with my initials.

I follow no patterns and make no preliminary sketches before I begin a basket. Time is irrelevant whenever I am stitching.

Exploring color, pattern, texture, and form keeps me focused on the moment but always thinking of what is yet to come. I treat each basket as a new adventure.

South Carolinian Clay Burnette is a self-taught pine needle basketmaker, coiling longleaf pine needles with waxed linen thread for almost 45 years.

His work is included in numerous public and private collections and has been exhibited in over 250 venues throughout the U.S. and abroad. Significant exhibitions include Rooted, Revived, Reinvented: Basketry in America (2017-2020), Tradition/Innovation: American Masterpieces of Southern Craft & Traditional Art (20072013), Contemporary International Basketry (1999-2000 in the United Kingdom), and 100 Years - 100 Artists: Views of the 20th Century in South Carolina Art (2000). In 2013 and 2019, his work received the Award of Excellence from the National Basketry Organization. He is the recipient of the South Carolina Arts Commission’s Craft Fellowship for 2022, which he also received in 1988. Burnette lives in Columbia, South Carolina.

For more about the artist, visit clayburnette.com or find Clay on social media: Clay Burnette, basketmaker (Facebook), clayburnettebaskets (Instagram), or PineNeedleBasketsCB (Etsy). [ 46 ]

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ARTS & LITERATURE

LONGLEAFLITERATURE The Secret Explorers and the Plant Poachers The Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) is one of the most recognized plants worldwide. Even among carnivorous plants, their unique snap traps set them apart, captivating people’s imaginations and inspiring their numerous appearances in art and literature. Unfortunately, their fictionalization has fostered many misconceptions about the plant, including its size and habitat.

Beyond the sensationalized meateating plant in Little Shop of Horrors, numerous lesser but still detrimental flytrap fallacies are presented across many media types.

I recall venting to my then threeyear-old when an educational children’s program used a Venus flytrap image to depict Malaysian carnivorous plants. From my time as an environmental educator in North Carolina, this struck a nerve as many people falsely assume “exotic” flytraps are found in distant tropical jungles. In reality, these natives thrive in the pine savannas of coastal North and South Carolina.

So, I was both excited and skeptical when I learned that the newest installment of a favorite children’s book series, The Secret Explorers, would feature Venus flytraps and, better yet, was actually set in North Carolina. In The Plant Poachers, the explorers are on a rescue mission for stolen flytraps.

Along the way, they discuss flytrap biology and encounter a handful of native wildlife during their search for the poachers. The final “Mission Notes” provide helpful summaries and graphics on the featured species. There are even quiz questions and a glossary too.

The book does a good job introducing important concepts — the need to protect rare plants, why some plants are

By SJ King DK Publishing, 2021 Reviewed by Sarah Crate, The Longleaf Alliance

carnivorous, and the specifics on how flytraps’ snap traps work. It is not often that a rare plant is the “star,” and I am thrilled to see Venus flytraps featured in a book series alongside familiar childhood subjects like dinosaurs and tropical rainforests.

My favorite part is when one of the explorers sees a flytrap for the first time, saying, “I thought they’d be bigger.” I’ve heard the same sentiment time and time again from people as they experience their first flytrap. Their surprise in the flytrap’s small size is a perfect opportunity to introduce the concept of “good fire” and how flytrap habitat benefits from regular fire to reduce competition from larger plants. Unfortunately, this aspect of flytrap ecology is not mentioned; instead, the habitat descriptions and illustrations elicit closed-canopy imagery. While the book’s geography is correct, the author missed a chance to introduce other unique species which could co-occur in these ecosystems, including the iconic longleaf pine and the redcockaded woodpecker.

Still, I’ll happily read this book with my children and recommend it to others. However, I encourage all readers (and their adults) to delve deeper to identify the most significant threats to Venus flytraps. While poaching is a concern (and a felony in North Carolina), flytrap habitat loss due to development, hydrologic alterations, and fire suppression is of greater concern. I suggest visiting venusflytrapchampions.org for a wonderful, comprehensive collection of information, management, and research.

The Secret Explorers is a fiction chapter books series featuring eight children from around the world who have expertise in different areas like engineering, geology, or paleontology. Their exciting missions combine real-life facts and cartoon illustrations to engage science-loving early readers. [ 47 ]

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Longleaf Destinations

Boykin Springs Recreation Area — Angelina National Forest, Texas

Text and photos by Jacob Barrett, The Longleaf Alliance

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Boykin Springs Lake surrounded by upland pines

Pearl, the Boykin spaniel who is always up for a road trip adventure

h

In addition to the numerous recreation opportunities onsite, the 2.75-mile Sawmill Hiking Trail connects the recreation area to the Aldridge Sawmill Historic Site.

The ecology of the area is what brought me here, but the history is quite fascinating as well.

E

ach summer, I make it a point to escape from the Florida Panhandle’s nearly debilitating heat and humidity. This year I stuck it out for a couple of extra months and took my dog, Pearl, with me for a late October camping and hunting trip in the high plains of Nebraska. Within the same time that I was planning my trip, I was asked to visit the piney woods of eastern Texas and speak to the Texas Longleaf Implementation Team. Having never been to East Texas, I was more than willing to rearrange my travel plans to make it happen.

Usually, as I am road tripping, I try to explore and visit new places as my schedule permits. After meeting with so many

great partners in Nacogdoches, I was left with a few hours to spare for the day. I had Angelina National Forest in my sights, one of the four National Forests located in the piney woods of Texas. With daylight hours waning, I knew that I would not be able to do much exploring off-trail so I focused my attention on recreation areas within the Forest. These areas provide easy access via paved roads to established campsites, restrooms, pavilions, etc. Being that Pearl is a Boykin spaniel, the recreation area named Boykin Springs immediately caught my attention, although the name is not connected with the dog breed.

The ecology of the area is what brought me here, but the [ 51 ]

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LONGLEAF DESTINATIONS

Longleaf groundcover in fall is a collection of gold and purple, including Lobelia and yellow ray flowers.

Sunset in the Texas piney woods

history is quite fascinating as well. Boykin Springs is named from concrete due to repeated fires at the site, and their shells after the Boykin community, one of several freedman remain as windows into the past. The nearby community, also settlements described in the book Freedom Colonies: Independent named Aldridge, followed in the mill’s tracks and was a ghost Black Texans in the Time of Jim Crow. Sterling Boykin, a white town by 1927. man with a large multiracial family, first settled in the area Unfortunately, Pearl and I arrived too late to visit much of around 1850 and was challenged for teaching his the trail, but we did get to sneak in some Native and African American children to read botanizing. The recreation area and Angelina and write, with one attack on the family National Forest, as observed on the drive in, resulting in a break-in and book burning. is on a landscape of rolling hills. It is always Sterling is buried in the small Boykin interesting to note how much plant Cemetery onsite. communities change by a matter of feet Now a recreation area, Boykin Springs and sometimes just inches of elevation is one of over one thousand sites change. Much of the area was dominated constructed by the Civilian Conservation by pinehills bluestem (Schizachyrium Corps (CCC). A 9-acre man-made scoparium var. divergens), with sightings of spring-fed lake, built in 1938, is big bluestem (Andropogon geradii) mixed surrounded by a gorgeous setting of wellinterspersed across the area. A mix of maintained longleaf pine. In addition to golds and purples was also prominent Boykin Springs camping, fishing, swimming, and canoeing including Lobelia and yellow ray flowers. opportunities, hiking trails directly stem from As our evening ended at Boykin Springs, it was the recreation area. The 2.75-mile Sawmill Hiking hard not to wonder what this place and the rest of Trail connects the recreation area to the Aldridge Sawmill East Texas would have looked like a few hundred years ago.

Historic Site. En route to the mill site, this trail has views of This is often a question that I think about whenever I visit the Neches River from multiple points, and portions of the new places. It is encouraging to see and know that longleaf trail follow an old tramway once used as a rail line to haul logs strongholds such as these remain throughout the Southeast. to the sawmills. The mill was initially constructed in 1905 by Pearl and I will be back to visit soon.

Hal Aldridge. By 1918, the mill was churning out about To get to Boykin Springs Recreation Area, take Highway 63 125,000 board feet per day. This proved to be unsustainable, east from Zavalla for 10.5 miles; turn right (south) onto Forest and the mill operation buckled in 1923 as the surrounding Service Road 313 for 2.5 miles to the campground. timber declined. The mill’s abandoned structures were built [ 52 ]

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PEOPLE

New Faces with The Longleaf Alliance

The Longleaf Alliance welcomes Craig Blair to its Board of Directors. Craig is a forester, forest landowner and former President of Resource Management Service (RMS), a 71year-old forest investment firm. He joined RMS in April 1992, became President and CEO in October 2010, and retired in 2021 to assume his current role as Chairman of RMS’ Board of Managers. During his tenure as President, Craig had responsibility for the company’s investments and operating businesses in the United States, Brazil, Australia, and New Zealand. As President, he leads an experienced team of forestry and financial professionals that manage a global timberland portfolio of over $4 billion. In the course of his 39-year career, he has held a variety of positions at RMS and in the forest products industry, with experience in acquisitions, resource planning, forest management, and wood procurement.

Craig earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Forest Management from the University of Arkansas at Monticello and a Master of Forestry degree in Forest Business from Mississippi State University (2018 Alumni Fellow). In addition to his role on RMS’ board, he serves as a board member of the World Forestry Center (Chair), and formerly served on the boards of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, Inc. (Chair, 2017 President’s Award), the National Alliance of Forest Owners (Chair) and the Auburn University Research Advisory Board.

A strong proponent of public-private collaboration and partnerships, Craig has worked to advance innovative approaches to landscape-level species conservation, including the ongoing Coastal Headwaters longleaf restoration project.

He and his wife Rita live on their tree farm in Ralph, Alabama, attended by three dogs of questionable heritage.

They have two sons, Braden and Paul, that live nearby.

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Wendy Ledbetter recently joined The Longleaf Alliance staff as the Fort Stewart/Altamaha Partnership Coordinator.

Wendy will support the FTSA Local Implementation Team in this role, advancing longleaf ecosystem restoration in the Coastal Georgia landscape.

Most recently, Wendy served as the Executive Director for the Big Thicket Association, a non-profit dedicated to preserving, protecting, and promoting the Big Thicket’s natural and cultural resources through advocacy, education, and research. Much of Wendy’s prior experience was with The Nature Conservancy: she began as the first preserve manager for the Colorado Chapter. She worked as an intern on groundcover restoration at Florida’s Apalachicola Bluffs & Ravines Preserve for the National Fire Management Program. Wendy started as a biologist with the Texas Chapter in 1993 and ultimately was the Chapter’s Forest Program Manager. Her work included developing partnerships, preserve management, overseeing certified organic citrus and agricultural leases, and advancing working forest conservation easements. Her focus included forest system restoration, rare species management, and education and outreach. Prior to her time with The Nature Conservancy, Wendy worked at Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy in Tallahassee, Florida as a plant ecology research technician. Wendy had an eight-year term as a park ranger with the Florida Park Service in central and north Florida.

Serving at five sites, her lifelong interest in the longleaf pine ecosystem, fire management, and understory diversity began at Lake Kissimmee State Park and Payne’s Prairie State Preserve.

Wendy earned her A.A.S. in Fish & Wildlife Technology from the State University of New York in Cobleskill, New York, and a B.S in Wildlife Biology from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. Wendy enjoys birdwatching and working on projects that merge her love of nature and the arts.

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SUPPORT THE ALLIANCE

YOU ARE the Lifeblood of This Organization

By Lynnsey Basala, The Longleaf Alliance

The Longleaf Alliance is stronger than ever, thanks to your unwavering support. Despite the collective challenges in recent years, your new or renewed memberships and conservation partnerships allow us to press on and get the job done in a safe and impactful manner. Just look at the robust list of supporters in 2021!* You are not stepping back. You are stepping forward in ways we did not anticipate. Whether you contributed $10 or $10,000, we accepted your donation with excitement and gratitude. You are the lifeblood of this organization.

This year, with the help of thousands of dedicated individuals from Virginia to Texas and beyond, TLA allocated 86% of its income to programs and services. We are eager to carry this momentum into the New Year. We aspire to expand on our many achievements from 2021, some of which (but not all!) are highlighted in this issue. We look forward to meeting

more folks face to face and continuing to do the good work of which we are all proud. *The list of 2021 Supporters contains those that contributed monetary or in-kind goods between October 1, 2020, and September 30, 2021. The Longleaf Alliance is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Contributions are tax-deductible as allowed by law.

Thanks to our supporters for being a part of the longleaf team.

AMBBIS Team members know the power of working together to reach a common goal. Last summer, they celebrated a successful prescribed burn in reticulated flatwood salamander restoration sites after months of preparation. TLA's restoration crews cut and piled encroaching trees and shrubs around the wetlands, a very labor-intensive process, before reintroducing prescribed fire. Pictured are Charlie Abeles, Elizabeth Shadle, Jessica Sandoval, Samantha Dillon. Photo courtesy of Samantha Dillon. [ 56 ]

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SUPPORT THER ALLIANCE

2021 Supporters Members of The Longleaf Alliance’s Palustris Society The Palustris Society was founded by several members of The Longleaf Alliance Board of Directors to further the legacy that Rhett Johnson and Dean Gjerstad created to protect and restore longleaf forestlands. Since its inception in 2015, thirty members representing eight states across the longleaf range have joined this elite group of dedicated conservationists who share a dream of restored and viable working longleaf forests by making a donation or pledge of $10,000 or more to The Longleaf Alliance.

Commitments range from annual contributions of $10,000 or more to single commitments of $10,000 to be paid over a period of up to five years. $50,000 Level Barclay & Jane Perry McFadden Charley & Susan Tarver* The Waterfall Foundation, Inc. $25,000 Level Rufus & Marianna Duncan $10,000 Level Lynda Beam* The Sid & Vivian Beech Trust Gary & Melda Boyd Judd Brooke Patrick & Emma Franklin Ellen Jacobs David & Jane Kidd Angus & Cary Lafaye Amanda Haralson & Thomas A. Livesay

Friends of The Longleaf Alliance Robert & Yvonne Abernethy Russell Acree John Adams Amanda Albert Eric & Sherri Amundson Jada Anderson Quinton Anglin Cordelia Apicella William Ardrey Jon & Kathleen Arnold Paul Arthur Allyne Askins W. Franklin Aultman Jason Ayers Clifton Bailey Margaret Bailey Alan Bailey Terry Baker

Michael & Magdalena Martin The McGue Family Foundation Julie Moore Dr. William Owen III Dr. Mickey & Stephanie Parker William J. Payne Andrew Van Pittman Richard & Rita Porterfield* Josh & Shannon Raglin Mac Rhodes Dr. Salem & Dianne Saloom and Family* Audrey Thompson Reese Jordan Thompson & Pam McIntyre Thompson Beryl Trawick Drs. George & Anne Tyson* Marc & Penny Walley Phillip & Debbie Woods*

W. Wilson Baker James Baker Leslie Baker Harold Balbach Steven Ball* Julie Ballenger Ed & Darleen Barbee Ann Barber* Dennis Baricevic Jan Barlow Eva Barnett Gabrielle Barnett* Elizabeth Barnhardt & Brent Wilson Craig Barrow Michael & Lynnsey Basala Ann Bass* Allen Bearden Justin Beck Brady Beck [ 57 ]

Gregg & Janice Beck Scott Bedenbaugh Travis Bedsole William Bega Barbara Bell Cindy Bennington Liza Berdnik Seth Bigelow James Biondi Marshall Black Mike Black W. Robert Blackledge Jessica Blake William Bodiford Don Boggs Alex Boldog Mark & Marsha Bollinger Jacob Bopp Hunter Bowman George Boyd

*These donors have designated all or a portion of their contribution to The Longleaf Alliance Endowment.

Jamie Bracewell James Bracewell Nathan Bracewell Mary Bradley Daniel Bradley Patricia Branyon Heather Brasell Jon Brater Nancy Brennan Brenda Brickhouse Gertrud Briggs Dale Brockway Nicholas Brokaw Randy Brooks Hugh Brooks Paul Brouha Jake Browder Charles Brown Ted Brown Karen Zilliox Brown

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SUPPORT THE ALLIANCE James Buchan* Ellen Buchanan Ansel Bunch Forest Burks Ryan Burnett Chip Byrd Jones Cahill Rob & Alicia Calley Christopher Campbell David Campbell Thomas Carlton Leif Carpenter Susan Carr Douglas & Elizabeth Carter Russ Carter Robert Carter Joseph Carter William Cate Doug Causey Cecil Chambliss Charles Chapin Steve Chapman Lloyd Douglas Chapman Bruce Chapman George Chastain Nephtali Chavez Mike Chism Robert Ciminel Martin Cipollini William Clark Barry Clark Gregory Clayton Herbie Clearman William Cleckley Robert Clontz Catherine Cobb* Joe Cockrell Bill Cole Thomas Coleman Durden Collins Dave Conser Libby Cook Eugene Cook Barry Coulliette Charles Cox David Craig LuAnn Craighton Bob & Carol Crate Shannon Crate Thomas & Sarah Crate Elwin Cropp Jeremy Crossland Nathan Crowe David Daigle William Dailey Nona Dailey

James Daly John Daniels Tom Darden Howard Daugherty Edward Davidson Henry Davis Michael Davis Nicholas Day Tom Deans Richard Deas Paul Deese Colette DeGarady William Delk Robert Demere Samuel Denham Ronnell & Linda Denhof Doug & Carol Denhof Hoyt Lane Dennard Ann deSaussure H.J. DeValk Christopher di Bonaventura Donald DiMauro C. C. Dockery Jimmy Dodson Vic Doig Arthur Domby Abigail Dowd Carson Dugger Wendy Dunaway Jacalyn Duncan Rufus & Marianna Duncan Lawrence Earley Katherine Eddins Andrew Edelman Laura Edwards Bernard Eichold R. Patrick Elliott David Elliott Jeffery Elliott* Thomas & Judith Ellis Chambers English Todd Engstrom Sam Erby Kent Evans Andrew Fairey George Farmer David Farnsworth Jennifer Fawcett Christian Feliberty Grace Fernandez-Matthews John Fezio Eugene Filipowicz Robert Fisher Robbie Fisher Wiley Flanagin Nick & Elisa Flanders

Earl Fleming Wade Fletcher William Forbes Royce & Melva Fowler Patrick & Emma Franklin Robert Franklin Conrad Franz Reed Freeman Brenton & Susan French Ann Fuller James Furman Ellen Gass Michael Giordano Angie Gnann Howard Gnann Pat Godbold David Godwin Matthew Goff Janice Goodson Monty Graham Bryan Green Jeremy Green Matt & Aubrey Greene Paul Greene Sam Griffin Renee Guerin Jim Guldin Julia Hall Deborah Haller Joseph Hamilton Jim Hamilton James Hamrick Eleanor Hand F. Simons Hane Amanda Haralson & Thomas A. Livesay Russell Hardee David Hardin Shannon Hargrove Nancy Harmon Monica Harmon Kyle Harms Charles Harrell Wade Harrison Claudie Harvie* Jennie Haskell Phil Hazle Vaughan Hedrick James Helmers Jimmy & Cheryl Helton Nathan Hendricks Frank Henley* Tom Hess Clifton Hill James Hinkle Larry Hodges

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Harry Hodges Valentijn Hoff Gerald Hogsette Thomas Holbrook Jamie Hooker John Hoomes Scott & Becky Hoover Jessica Hope Rick Horsley Michelle Horton Chase Howard William Howard Adam Hoyles Brian Hudson Trey Huey Jean Huffman Jimmy Hughes Nelson Hughes David Huguenin Stephanie Huguenin James Hunsucker William Hunter Carolyn Hunter Michael & Mary Ann Huston Jon Ingram Kris Irwin A.J. Isacks Joe Ivey Karen Jackson Glenn Jackson John Jager Harold James Kimberly Jensen Knowlton Johnson Clifford Johnson Jon Johnson Carter Johnson Rhett & Kathy Johnson Miles Johnston Gail & Phillip Jones David Jones James Jordan Thomas Jordan Melanie Kaeser Clifton Kalibjian Anderson Kane Laurel Kays Jim & Leslie Kellenberger Neil Kennedy David Kidd Wallace Killcrease Ivor Kincaide Robert Klug Benjamin Knapp Lisa Kruse John Kupfer

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SUPPORT THE ALLIANCE John Ladson Stacey Lance Charles Lane Paul & Jan Langford William & Kimiko Langford Eleanor Lanier L. Keville & Weezie Larson Stallworth Larson William Laseter Judy Latham Scott Layfield Tom Ledbetter David Lee Anne Lee Doug Leonhardt Martin Levisen Stephen Lindeman Frank Lipp James Lockwood Rebecca Logan Linda Loose* Jeff & Lisa Lord Peter & Babette Loring Deborah Love Matthew Lowe Neil Loyd Paul Lyrene Edward Mackay Gil & Anne Mackey Kyle Marable Jeff Marcus Jo Ann Marsh* Joe Martin Thomas Martin Craig Maurice Bobby McAfee James McAlpin Jerry McCallister Robert McCartney James & Susan McCracken Suella McCrimmon Mark & Peggy McElreath Mitchell McElroy Mike McEnany Barclay & Jane Perry McFadden Helen McFadden Jane McFaddin Margaret McFaddin Mark McGehee Dan McGue Trippy McGuire Hervey McIver Rodney McKay Emma McKee Billy McKinnon

Kimberly McLain Larry & Virginia McLendon Frank McLeod Chester & Patricia McMaster Joe McNeel Wendy McNeil C.G. Meador Jen Medvidick* Leslie Melton Tim & Suzi Mersmann Roger Mickelson John Miller Lou Ann Miller Eli Miller Robert Mills Courtney Mitchell Glen & Vicki Mixon Buddy & Robin Moody Ginger Moore James Mordica John Morgan Forrest Morgan M. Lane Morrison Nathan Moyer Gary Mozel Kim Mumbower Mark Munkittrick Lytton Musselman Rebecca Nahwoosky Kay Nail Rachel Nation John Neal Lawson Neal Henry Nechmemias Janet Nelson Darin Newman James Neyman Kenwood & Joanna Nichols Matt Nicholson Shannon Nielsen Coby O'Brien Ben O'Connor Raymond Oliver Julia O'Neal Mike O'Neill Steve Osborn* Kenneth Outcalt Roger Overton Taylor Pack J. Mark Paden Ronnie Padgett Anne Parker William Parkes Greg & Michele Paschal Karen Patterson Sandy Peacock

Fernand Pecot, III Robert Peet Tami Pellicane Jesse Petrea William & Charlotte Pfeiffer Bill Pickens* Thomas & Carol Pinckney Clarissa Pipes William Pittman Craig Pittman Jerry Pittman Dana Pittman William Pittman Rusty Plair Ad & Margaret Platt Beth Plummer Tom Porter Dotty Porter Richard & Rita Porterfield Rick Potter Sara Potts Richard Powell Laura Prevatte Michael Prevost Tom Proctor Sally Querin Tom Rankin David Ratcliffe Dan Rather James Rawles Walter Reeves Bob Reid* Steve Reynolds Charles & Suzanne Rhodes Allen Rice Michael Rice Phil & Helen Richardson Abraham Rifkin Joseph Riley Adrian & Carol Ringland Louie Rivers Sonny Roberts Calvin Robinson Charles Roe Chad Rogers Curtis Rollins Sara Beth Rosen Helen Roth Ed Rowan Rosalind Rowe Keith Rowell John Rowley Carey Russell Edward Rutledge Scott & Julie Sager Mark Salley

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Salem & Dianne Saloom Vernon Sanders Jane Martin Sandlin Lisa Sandoval Holley Sanford Andrew Saunders C. David Sawyer Jennifer Schafer Dan Scheffing Doug Schorr Jon Scott Jeff Shadle Elizabeth Shadle Randall Shaffer Rob Shapard Terry Sharpe Judy Sharpton Gates Shaw Judith Sheahan Harry Shealy John Ann Shearer Richard Shelfer Rebecca Shelton Chad Shepard David Sherman Gary Shurette Kent Simmons Graham Simmons Charles Simon James Simons Richard Sinkovitz Gerhard Skaar Estella Smith Mathew Smith Gary Smith William Smith James Smith* Byron Smith Latimore & Nelwyn Smith Bill & Becky Smith Jim & Danna Smith* David Smitherman Grant Snitker Hector Socias Geoffrey Sorrell David Sowers Kathryn Stack Paul & Brenda Standish Peter Stangel Ken Stanton Deck Stapleton Betty Sterling Lewis Stewart Jonathan Stober Ken Stocks Matthew Stoddard

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SUPPORT THE ALLIANCE Perry Stowe Robert Strange Jonathan Streich Herbert Strickland Carl Strojan Rhonda Sturgill Bill & Shanna Sullivan Rob Sutter Charles & Susan Tarver* Randy Tate Philip Tatum Wayne Taylor Marshall Taylor Donald Temple Adam Terry Joshua Teyler James Thacker Caroline Theus Lindsay Thomas Buddy & Joan Thomas Helen Thompson M. Frank Thompson Reese J. Thompson William Tietjen Stanford Tillman Enoch Timothy Gena Todia John Traylor Meredith Trible Jackie & Rob Trickel Thomas Troll W. Bennett Tucker Sandy Tucker Adam Tyson George & Anne Tyson* Jimmy Vaughn John Vick Sylvia Vollmer James Wadsworth Lomax Walker Cassidy Wallace William Walley Marc & Penny Walley Melanie Walter* Ron Ward Larry Warren Anna Wasden George Watkins John Watson Elliot Weaver Ben Weaver Clarke Weeks Kevin Weis David Weiss Shane Wellendorf Joel Wernick

Michael Wetherbee Evan Wheeler E. John Whelchel Gary White Barbara White George Whitehurst Suzanne Williams Charles Williams Keith Williamson Linda Wilson Patrick Wilson Jesse Wimberley John Winn Fremont Wirth James Wise Larry Wood Andrew Woodham Phillip & Debbie Woods John Woodward Steve Worthington Larry Wright Zan Joyce Yarbrough Jason Yearty Gary & Julia Youngblood Samuel Youngblood John Yung Martha Zierden Lamar Zipperer *These donors have designated all or a portion of their contribution to The Longleaf Alliance Endowment.

Corporate Conservation Partners $10,000 and Above Level Enviva Management Company Georgia-Pacific $5,000 Advantage Forestry Container Pines, LLC ArborGen, LLC Blanton's Longleaf Container Nursery Drax Flowing Well, LLC Manulife Investment Management International Forest Company Kronospan Land Limited Meeks’ Farms & Nursery, Inc. Milliken Forestry Company, Inc. Outdoor Underwriters, Inc. Packaging Corporation of America

PRT Growing Services Resource Management Service, LLC The F.A. Bartlett Tree Expert Co. Whitfield Farms & Nursery Wolfe Timber $4,500 - $2,500 Level Appalachian Mountain Brewery Aria Journey Bodenhamer Farms & Nursery Callaway Blue Springs, LLLP Domtar Paper Co., LLC Ernst Conservation Seeds Evergreen Packaging Finite Carbon Forest Investments Associates Forestate Growers, LLC Fram Renewable Fuels, LLC International Paper Longleaf Ridge, Inc. New-Indy Catawba, LLC Pro-Serve, Inc. Roundstone Native Seed, LLC Timberland Investment Resources, LLC

Resolute Forest Products Spring Lake Tree Farm, LLC Taylor's Nursery, Inc. The Wood Yard Wake Stone Corporation White Oak Forestry Corporation Woodstone Resources, LLC

$450 - $250 Level Broadwell Brothers, LLC Burke Holdings, L.P. Cedar Creek Investments, LLC Chanobe, LLLP Chatham Nurseries Cheeha Combahee Plantation Craftsman Life Crest Natural Resources, LLC Cumberland Plantation Dargan, King & Knight., LLC Deep South Land, Inc. Flowers Forestry, LLC Hoota Woods Plantation, LLC JE Pittman Pea River Farm, LLC JJJ Getaway, LLC John L. Russell Properties, LLC Laurelin Rian Art Lentile Family Partnership, L.P. Loblolly Forest $2,000 - $1,000 Level Longleaf Energy Group, Inc. Anonymous Nancy R. Walters Consulting Charles Ingram Lumber Co. Norman Plantation, LLC Coastal Pine Straw Oakridge Partners, LP Cohassett Farm, LLC Proptek Green Assets Ridge Properties, LLC Hood Industries, Inc. Jordan Thornsburge Macroscope Southern Seed Company, Inc. Stone Mountain Farm, LLC Pictures The Woodlands Nature Larson & McGowin, LLC Preserve Little Thomas, LLC Tree Ring Co. LJR Forest Products Varn Wood Products, LLC Merrily Plantation, Inc. Visions, LLC Mid Atlantic Pine Straw Wybulu Farm & Timber, LLC Molpus Woodlands Group, LLC Porter Land & Timber $200 - $100 Level SunFarm Energy Acme of Edisto The Cargo Hold Aquatic Services The Westervelt Company Aucilla Pines, LLC WD CHIPS, LLC Bankhead Land & Timber Bill Ardrey Forestry, Inc. $500 Level Black Mingo Plantation, LLC American Forest Management, Bradco, Inc. Inc. Bradley Tree Farms, LLC Batts Tree Farm C.V. Forestry Services, Inc. Crosby Land & Resources Charles Dixon & Co., LLC Crowell Forest Resources, LLC Coastal Expeditions Diamond Timberlands, LLC Congaree River, LLC Nalty Timberlands

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SUPPORT THE ALLIANCE Creek Ranch Holdings Creekwood Land & Timber Dexter Longleaf, LLC Dexter Timber Farm, LLC Elizabeth Pottery Forestall Company, Inc. G G & G Corp.

Gaskins Timber & Wildlife Grace Acres Farms Gregg Forestry Services, LLC Henderson & Associates, Inc. Hill Forest Management K & L Forest Nursery Keim's Forestry Services Light Forestry Consulting Services, LLC M and M Dairy May Nursery, Inc. Mulberry Plantation, Inc. O.W. Cox Naval Stores, LLC Oak Grove Farm Oser Forestry Services Paint Hill Farm Pasley River Farms, Inc. Peppermint Land Pine Garden Baskets River Ridge Plantation Scott Davis Chip Company, Inc. Shelbourne Law Sizemore & Sizemore, Inc. Southlander, LLC Stuewe & Sons, Inc. Sunny Brook Farms* Taylor Forestry Thomas Farms, Inc. Thompson Forest Consultants, Inc. Timber Wood Prints Truax Company Uchee Farms, LP Wildland Management Services, LLC Woodland Cottage, LLC Up to $100 Level Adams Longleaf Pine Plantation Arabie Environmental Solutions, Inc. Arbor Creek Forestry BB & MS Rounsaville Farms BGB Farm, LLC Bladen Farms Brewer Lands, LLC Caldwell/Sheheane Industrial, Inc.

Caldwell-Dietzel Farms Chartered Foresters, Inc. Chilton Timber & Land Co., LLC Dopson Forestry Services Forest and Land Management, Inc. Forest Lodge Farms, LLC Gillespie Lumber, LTD Good Earth Systems, LLC Goose Creek Forestry Hand Me Down Farm, LLC Harrison Woodlands, LLC Hilltop Pines, LLC Home and Hoop Hursey Farms Ion Master Naturalist Association* Jasper Pellets McArthur Woodlands, LLC Never Fail Farm North Bassett's Creek Timber Management Ole Pataula Farms, LLC Palmer Forest Management Patchwork Timber, LLC Plantation Pinestraw Pottage Patch, LLC Sivell Farms Partnership Southern Forestry Consultants, Inc. Spring Creek Land Company, LLC Staten Plantation, LLP Sunbelt Management Company* The Gall Mash, Inc. The Natives Timberland Transitions, LLC TJR Farms, LLC Typebird Creative Varn Turpentine & Cattle Company W.A. Freise & Sons Timber and Land Company, Inc. Willowbrooke Farm, LLC Woodland Vegetation Management., Inc. Woodward GA Stewardship Forest Agency Conservation Partners Chesterfield Soil & Water Conservation District Alabama Soil and Water Conservation District

Florida Department of Natural Resources Management, Escambia County Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Florida Forest Service Florida State University Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division Georgia Forestry Commission Naval Air Station Pensacola Naval Air Station Whiting Field North Carolina Forest Service South Carolina Forestry Commission Texas A & M Forest Service Texas Parks & Wildlife University of Georgia U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Alabama Partners U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Coastal Programs U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Georgia Partners U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, North Carolina Partners U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, South Carolina Partners U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Texas Partners U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Air Force U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Navy USDA Forest Service, Apalachicola National Forest USDA Forest Service, Conecuh National Forest USDA Forest Service, DeSoto National Forest USDA Forest Service, Kisatchie National Forest USDA Forest Service, National Forests in Alabama USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Louisiana USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, South Carolina USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Alabama

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USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Georgia Virginia Division of Forestry Nonprofit Conservation Partners Alabama 4H Foundation Alabama Forest Owner's Association American Forest Foundation Anonymous Anonymous Arbor Day Foundation Audubon South Carolina Bicknell Family Charitable Fund Eastman Foundation Ellen A. Jacobs Charitable Fund Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Florida Friends of St. Marks Wildlife Refuge Gulf Power Foundation Henry Fair Family Fund Hobcaw Barony Howle-Throckmorton Grant Fund John Winthrop Charitable Trust Lillian C. McGowin Foundation Louisiana Ecological Forestry Center Meadowview Biological Research Station Mobile Botanical Gardens Moore Farms Botanical Garden, LLC National Audubon Society National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative National Fish and Wildlife Foundation National Woodland Owners Association NextEra Energy Foundation, Inc. North Carolina Sandhills Prescribed Burn Association North Florida Land Trust One Tree Planted South Carolina Bluebird Society Southeast Regional Land Conservancy, Inc. TERN Inc.

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The Amazon Smile Foundation The Black River Cypress Preserve The Enterprise Holdings Foundation The Jones Center at Ichauway The National Forest Foundation The Nature Conservancy, Louisiana Chapter The Nature Conservancy, Georgia Chapter The Nature Conservancy, South Carolina Chapter The Norfolk Southern Foundation The Orianne Society

The Richard & Rita Porterfield Educational Trust The Sledge Foundation, Inc. The Solon & Martha Dixon Foundation The Walthour-Moss Foundation Universal Ethician Church U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities Wildlife Mississippi *These donors have designated all or a portion of their contribution to The Longleaf Alliance Endowment.

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HEARTPINE

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Earlene Jackson burning around a RCW cavity tree (marked with the white band) during a prescribed fire

Living and Learning in Longleaf

By Earlene Jackson, USDA Forest Service

As a native of southern Alabama, longleaf pine has always been a part of my life. I’ve walked through many longleaf pine communities and admired the beauty, smells, and sounds of these ecosystems. Even amongst Alabama’s diverse tree composition, including eight native pine species, longleaf pine’s unique silvics make it stand out. After initially designating the ‘southern pine tree’ as Alabama’s State Tree in 1949, the longleaf pine was later named the official tree in 1997.

Longleaf pine has been prominent throughout my professional journey, which includes a silvicultural practice skill set, knowledge in longleaf pine silvics, and silvicultural treatment implementation. I received a Bachelor of Science in Forest Management from Alabama A&M University, then gained field experience with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service. I started with the USDA Forest Service as a forestry trainee then transitioned to a permanent forester position. Working for this agency

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HEARTPINE

s Longleaf pine needle weaved basket, Alabama-

s

Coushatta Tribe. Photo courtesy of U. S. Department of Agriculture.

Contract crew members and USDA Forest Service employees work together to inspect longleaf pine cones for insect damage and other defects after harvesting for seed collection at the Sabine National Forest in Texas.

I learned first-hand that fire is an essential element in longleaf pine communities. provides a management platform while also creating an opportunity to share and acquire valuable information and experiences from project successes and lessons learned.

My first prescribed burn in a longleaf pine dominant ecosystem was with the Asheville Hotshot Crew assisting the Apalachicola National Forest in Florida. The objective for this burn was to improve and restore the red-cockaded woodpecker (RCW) habitat. I was amazed by the fire behavior on a welldrained, sandy soil following rainy weather and further impressed by how well, and with ease, fire carries across the landscape under these conditions. I learned first-hand that fire is an essential element in longleaf pine communities.

On the Angelina and Sabine National Forests in Texas, where longleaf is a significant and desired species, I continued to further my experience in longleaf pine management with a greater emphasis on reforestation. One of many things I’m proud of during my time there was the longleaf pine cone collection. Collecting these cones secures quality seed sources for future planting and increases the genetic diversity across public land. I’d only seen tree shakers in videos previously, and to see them in action was amazing. Although the Bobcat® is considered small equipment, it was enough to get the job done. My contribution in this operation was collecting and inspecting the cones before they were shipped for processing at Ashe Seed Extractory in Mississippi.

Fire and silviculture are not the only experiences I’ve gained. Tribal relations were another opportunity I received during my time in Texas, working with the AlabamaCoushatta Tribe to learn more about their cultural connections to longleaf. Longleaf pine has always been a part of their history and the key resource for their hand-woven baskets. Longleaf pine needles are used to weave intricate baskets for utilitarian and artisan purposes. Some needles are woven with dyed raffia, allowing the baskets more diversity in telling the story of their culture. The Angelina-Sabine Ranger District and Alabama-Coushatta Tribe built a partnership that enables them to work collectively on longleaf pine management and educational programs, ensuring the species is present for future generations.

I’ve visited several longleaf sites across the Southern Region, and among them, I have a few favorites. One of my favorites to stroll through is the outstanding park-like and scenic longleaf pine stand at Boykin Springs Recreational Area in Jasper, Texas (see page 50). This area is an example of a well-managed longleaf pine community comprised of natural regeneration, hillside seepage bogs, and grassy understory under mature longleaf pines. Just one more reason why I strive to ensure longleaf pine communities exist on public lands for future generations to experience and enjoy, hoping they will continue the legacy of longleaf pine restoration. [ 65 ]

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P U B L I S H E R The Longleaf Alliance, E D I T O R Sarah Crate, A S S I S T A N T E D I T O R Margaret Platt D E S I G N Bellhouse Publishing, A D V E R T I S I N G Sarah Crate – editor@longleafalliance.org C O V E R Land trusts are essential partners to conserve and restore longleaf pine natural habitats. This longleaf pine

property in south Georgia recently completed a 2,447-acre conservation easement with Tall Timbers. Photo by Shane Wellendorf.

The Longleaf Leader is an official publication of The Longleaf Alliance, 12130 Dixon Center Road, Andalusia, Alabama 36420 and is published quarterly. The Longleaf Alliance reserves the exclusive right to accept or reject advertising or editorial material submitted for publication. Advertising rates quoted upon request. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Longleaf Alliance, 12130 Dixon Center Road, Andalusia, Alabama 36420. Periodicals Postage Paid at Montgomery, Alabama.