Fort Benning’s pine forests are primarily loblolly and shortleaf pine  that seeded naturally on abandoned farmland soon after the Army  acquired the lands in the 1920s and the early 1940s. These tenacious  forests have persisted despite generations of intensive row-crop agriculture, heavy military training, lack of natural fires, and repeated timber harvesting.

 

Fort Benning’s forests are now critical to supporting one of the 15  designated red-cockaded woodpecker (RCW) recovery populations.  However, the forests are unhealthy and dying prematurely from pine forest decline syndrome, which is proceeding at a rate faster than new  growth.

 

The partners first concentrated on identifying the cause of the dieoff and how best to slow it down. Next, they evaluated techniques to convert existing forests to longleaf pine using timber harvests and prescribed burning. Finally, they acquired knowledge and skills needed to artificially reforest areas with nursery grown seedlings. Foresters evaluated reforestation methods under existing pine  canopies, projecting RCW habitat deficiencies and prioritizing longleaf pine restoration activities.