Forested Flyways in Georgia

There�s a special place just south of Savannah where the Devendorf family is working hard to improve wildlife habitat and return longleaf pine to Georgia�s coast. In the skies above the live oaks and pines of Melon Bluff forest, and in the waters of the Medway River below, long-threatened warblers, egrets and painted buntings are thriving.

In fact, over 300 species of Neotropical birds are flourishing in the woods and wetlands that make up Melon Bluff and provide crucial habitat in Georgia.

Why? Because the Devendorf family is working with the US Fish & Wildlife Service to make their place a better place for wildlife as well as people. Recently, they planted 40 acres of longleaf pine and plan to install platforms on a lake for the threatened Wood Stork. It�s a project made possible by an innovative public-private partnership called Forested Flyways.

Forested Flyways is a new conservation program aimed at improving forest health and wildlife habitat on independent family-owned forests nationwide. As we have on other Tree Farms, the American Forest Foundation is collaborating with public and private partners to create and improve much-needed wildlife habitat. But that�s only half the battle. We urgently need more landowners who can apply these same wildlife-friendly, sustainable forestry practices on their own land.

Why is it so important that other small family forest owners follow the Devendorf�s example?

• 75% of southern forestland is owned by small families – not the government, not large corporations. These landowners have a substantial ability to affect the quality of Georgia�s environment and natural resources, and thus its quality of life and place.

• The worst threat to Neotropical migratory birds is the loss of habitat – the woods, grasslands and swamps where the birds feed, raise their young and escape from predators.

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture ranked Georgia second in the nation for the amount of farmland and woodland being converted to subdivisions, malls and other development in 2000.

• Family forest owners play a key role in protecting the trees, water and wildlife contained within forests, but many of them don�t have the information they need to conserve their land, maximize benefits to wildlife, and protect the quality of Georgia�s water.

• If forest owners don�t find ways to make their land economically viable in the face of taxes and urban sprawl, it won�t remain forest for long.

The longleaf pine ecosystem once covered a reported 90 million acres in the Southeastern United States. Today, less than three million acres remain – over a 97% decline!

Why encourage forest owners to plant longleaf pine?

• Stands of longleaf pine offer more diversity, visual appeal, wildlife habitat, and higher value products than other pine species.

• Over 30 plant and animal species associated with longleaf pine ecosystems are threatened or endangered, including the Red-cockaded Woodpecker and gopher tortoise.

• Longleaf pine, when managed properly with fire, provides excellent bobwhite quail habitat.

• Longleaf pine is relatively wind firm and is resistant to many diseases, insects (including southern pine beetles), and other damaging agents.

• The wood of longleaf is dense and strong, with an inherent resistance to rot and decay. Its growth form, with long, straight boles yields high-value wood products.

On March 23rd, 2002, we are planning to host a field day for small family forest owners in the region at Melon Bluff forest. These events typically draw 100 family forest owners, community leaders and other key local stakeholders for a full day of learning.

These events work. Using proven outreach and communications techniques from other highly successful field days, field day participants will learn how to reap the incredible results of good management, and talk with experts who can help them implement similar projects on their land.

As in other communities that have hosted such field days, this event is expected to enjoy strong local media coverage and expand the program to more area forestlands. Previous field days have inspired landowners and generated other habitat improvement projects with private landowners. That�s a significant change for the better in the Savannah area.

The key to encouraging other forest owners to follow the Devendorf�s stewardship example is to bring them to the forest and show them how they can do it.

On the Georgia coast, rapid development is a major reason for the steep decline – about 50 percent in the past 20 years – of the Painted Bunting, which without a doubt is North America's most colorful songbird.

Click here to see where Melon Bluff is located.