Monthly Update - March 2010

March has been a busy month. Contractors have been active at all four sites, spring Longleaf Academies are wrapping up, and the brochure on the Economics of Longleaf Pine Management is under review.

The interior fine lanes at Baldwin were completed. The purpose of these 12-foot wide firebreaks is to separate the forest into smaller compartments that will enable a more manageable controlled burn. The lack of previous fire and the invasion of cogongrass across much of the site have created a heavy fuel load and the potential for significant heat buildup during the burn. This month the ground conditions were dry enough to allow the burn of 100 acres of the site. The burning will be completed as soon as the weather permits. We are working with the road contractor to finalize road improvement plans.

The majority of the chopping at Choccolocco has been completed. In addition to the drum chopper, we added a cutting machine and bulldozer to lay down the thickest areas of privet and small trees. There will be little activity for the remaining part of the spring and summer except for re-treating the kudzu spots from last fall.

Mulching the understory began at Little River during March. Currently there are three machines running and the work will be completed during the first week of April. During the summer these areas will re-sprout with vegetation followed by an herbicide application in early fall.

The weather is cooperating and spring is here so the ground conditions at Geneva are improving. One contractor has begun mulching the additional areas. During the next month, a second contractor will arrive and mulching should be completed by the end of April. The trees planted during the winter suffered some freeze damage, but most of them are showing signs of new growth. The herbaceous release contract on the longleaf planted during the winter has been awarded to Timberland Silvicultural Services.

The herbicide site prep at Choccolooco was awarded to Timberland Silvicultural Services and Crop Production Services. The Geneva and Little River understory control treatment contract was awarded to Crop Production Services. This work is scheduled for late summer and early fall.

Thirty-eight professional natural resource managers have used the $800 scholarships provided through the ARRA grant to attend a Longleaf Academy. There are 12 remaining scholarships scheduled to be used in April. The Academies have provided professional natural resource managers an opportunity to learn more about longleaf pine management.