Point Washington State Forest controlled burn south of 98

[florida girl]

I question the control burn policy, how can an environmental agency create turmoil in the ecosystem particularly with animals? Where do they go? What about their eggs and young? It seems like they just like to set fire to stuff and watch it burn! It's too hard to use a bush hog I guess!

 

[Kurt]

I question the control burn policy, how can an environmental agency create turmoil in the ecosystem particularly with animals? Where do they go? What about their eggs and young? It seems like they just like to set fire to stuff and watch it burn! It's too hard to use a bush hog I guess!

Without fire pine forests would be superseded by hardwood forests. Fire in a pine forest is a natural process needed to sustain the unique ecosystem. Before man, fires would start from lightning, but now the forestry service doesn't allow natural fires but rather opts to use controlled burns to protect human property and to better manage plants and animals.

A bush hog would not have the same effect. Do a search on pine forest ecology to learn more about the unique life cycle of which fire is a crucial part.

 

[Kurt]

The Florida Division of Forestry will conduct a 200 acre prescribed burn in the Blue Mountain/Santa Rosa Beach area between 8:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. today, Jan. 6, on the south side of U.S. 98 in the forest area west of CR 83 towards Satinwood Drive.

 

[Andy A]

Yep. I can see it from our place now and wondered if that's what it was. Thank you, Kurt, for keeping us informed and go FDF!

 

[florida girl]

Without fire pine forests would be superseded by hardwood forests. Fire in a pine forest is a natural process needed to sustain the unique ecosystem. Before man, fires would start from lightning, but now the forestry service doesn't allow natural fires but rather opts to use controlled burns to protect human property and to better manage plants and animals.

A bush hog would not have the same effect. Do a search on pine forest ecology to learn more about the unique life cycle of which fire is a crucial part.

Actually, most of those pine forests were planted by St. Joe, on a lot of low lying wet land. Those pines grow everywhere, wherever they find any wet organic matter. I've seen seedlings on roofs, windshield crevices, cracks in decks, etc. Imagine South Walton without all those pines and that's what it used to look like. The original long leaf pine was used for Turpentine, and had a lot of sap. Fat lighter, impervious to insects, but highly flammable. I am very skeptical on the notion that a burn is necessary. Dad had a tree farm from the 40?s or 50?s, and he saw no need for a control burn.

 

[30ashopper]

Actually, most of those pine forests were planted by St. Joe, on a lot of low lying wet land. Those pines grow everywhere, wherever they find any wet organic matter. I've seen seedlings on roofs, windshield crevices, cracks in decks, etc. Imagine South Walton without all those pines and that's what it used to look like. The original long leaf pine was used for Turpentine, and had a lot of sap. Fat lighter, impervious to insects, but highly flammable. I am very skeptical on the notion that a burn is necessary. Dad had a tree farm from the 40?s or 50?s, and he saw no need for a control burn.

Is there any area in SoWal that didn't get cleared and is still completely native? I'd love to see what real old growth looks like. It always saddens me when i zoom in on an "old growth" parcel and notice the pine trees somehow managed to grow in straight lines.

Something tells me mother nature isn't this organized!

 

[florida girl]

St. Joe had a huge amount of acreage here, all planted pine, tree farm. It wasn't natural. The advantage of them is that each tree drinks a huge amount of water every year, helps to dry out the land.

 

[Kurt]

Actually, most of those pine forests were planted by St. Joe, on a lot of low lying wet land. Those pines grow everywhere, wherever they find any wet organic matter. I've seen seedlings on roofs, windshield crevices, cracks in decks, etc. Imagine South Walton without all those pines and that's what it used to look like. The original long leaf pine was used for Turpentine, and had a lot of sap. Fat lighter, impervious to insects, but highly flammable. I am very skeptical on the notion that a burn is necessary. Dad had a tree farm from the 40?s or 50?s, and he saw no need for a control burn.

Before tree farming there were natural pine forests here consisting mostly of longleaf pine. Almost all of the natural pine, oak, cedar, and cypress in the area was logged.

In recent years, the forestry division has planted over one million longleaf pine seedlings in Point Washington to help return the area to its natural state.

Most of the burns go on in areas where longleafs are growing or where they will be planted. In other areas burns reduce the amount of underbrush so that in the event of an unplanned fire, the fire doesn't spread out of control.

Read this article to learn about fire in the life cycle of a longleaf pine forest.

The seedlings you see that grow like weeds are likely sand pines. They are the ones with extremely shallow roots which grow very close together.

 

[Kurt]

Is there any area in SoWal that didn't get cleared and is still completely native? I'd love to see what real old growth looks like. It always saddens me when i zoom in on an "old growth" parcel and notice the pine trees somehow managed to grow in straight lines.


Something tells me mother nature isn't this organized!

There are few areas left untouched except for some areas close to the gulf and bay, and some wetlands. Some inland areas managed by the forest service are well on their way to returning to the natural longleaf pine forest that existed before logging.

 

[beachFool]

Most of the state forest is second growth long leaf pine forests.

However, if you look carefully (and know what to look for) you can find old trees with cat faces from turpentine harvesting from the 1930s. When St Joe bought the land it had little use for turpentine since "wood turpentine" is a byproduct of the Kraft papermaking process. Timber with a cat face was always selected for harvest so I infer the land has been left alone since then.

Some land was clear-cut by Joe for their mill but Walton County was pretty far from their mill in Port St Joe for harvesting plus the number of trees per acre is low on sandy soils( I surmise). Pulpwood is the lowest type of wood for harvesting anyway.

Prescribed burning is a sign of good forest management and I like the way it smells...reminds me of my childhood.