Longleaf Pine Reforestation
About
The Reforestation of longleaf pine will concentrate efforts to restore, enhance, and conserve longleaf pine ecosystems within the Longleaf Ridge and Big Thicket SGAs, two landscapes that have been identified as priority areas within the America’s Longleaf Range Wide Conservation Plan.
The importance of this project:
The Big Thicket SGA, Significant Geographical Area contains a large number of plant species of significant conservation concern, and high concentration of scenic and unique natural features that are important conservation sites. The Big Thicket SGA also contains some of the last remnants of wet longleaf pine savanna in Texas. This ecosystem type is highly threatened to urban development and fire suppression. This project is expected to have direct and positive benefits for many species because they are dependent upon the longleaf pine habitats that this project will restore and/or enhance through prescribed burning, hardwood encroachment control through herbicide application, reduction of overstory basal area, and the encouragement of native ground covers. Strategic restoration work on private lands will connect isolated tracts of longleaf to the National Forest and other large scale longleaf anchors in these SGAs.
9,000 💼
Jobs will be provided.
500,000+ 🌳
Trees will be planted.
875+ 🌳
Acres will be restored.
Impacts & Benefits:
Project benefits include:
- Recreational income for landowners and rural communities and wildlife habitats are improved and expanded.
- Employment of consulting foresters and contractors to plan and implement management (planting, mechanical treatments, herbicide, prescribed fire) required for Longleaf restoration.
- Timber asset protection, which benefits all in the forest sector due to Longleaf pine’s superior resilience to wind events, drought, and insect threats, compared to other southern pine species