Blackwater River State Forest/Conecuh National Forest

Blackwater River State Park is considered one of the purest sandbottom rivers in the world, the Blackwater River is in its natural state for almost its entire length. Beginning 45 miles upstream in Alabama, it continues downstream for 13 miles before emptying into Blackwater Bay. The river's sand bottom, dark tannin waters and contrasting large, white sandbars have drawn worldwide attention.

Blackwater River State Forest is the largest state forest in Florida, with over 183,000 acres of woodlands, lakes, and streams. It is known for its longleaf pine/wiregrass ecosystem. This system once covered over 60 million acres in the southeastern United States coastal plain area, but less than 3 million of the original acreage now remains. The forest lies on the southern tip of sandy, red-clay soil deposited over West Florida two million years ago. Elevations in the forest range form 80 to 200 feet above sea level. The forest supports at least five principle types of plant communities: longleaf pine-scrub oak, slash pine, swamp hardwood, loblolly pine-hardwood, and Atlantic white cedar. The Florida Division of Forestry tries to manage this land to maintain a proper balance between resource utilization and resource conservation, including management of timber production and harvesting, watershed protection, management and enhancement of wildlife habitat, a program for management of endangered, threatened, and sensitive plant and animal species, and recreation resource management (Crawford 1996).

Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) management is returning as a priority for management at the Blackwater River State Forest. The Florida Division of Forestry is actively responding to public demands for ecosystem rehabilitation, recreation, game and non-game wildlife habitat (particularly for deer, turkey, quail, gopher tortoise, and red-cockaded woodpecker), timber
production, and aesthetic values of forests. The Division is meeting these demands primarily through long-rotation, uneven-aged management that favors the fire-dominated longleaf pine ecotype.

Prescribed Burning Program:

Prescribed fire is essential to the management of the ecosystems in the Blackwater region. The park burns 7% of all U.S. acreage burned by prescription every year, and if the acreage burned on Eglin Airforce Base is included, the figure rises to 20%. It is estimated that historically the landscape of northern Florida burned every three to five years from lightning-ignited fires. Most of the native plant communities of this region depend on frequent fires to survive, both to stimulate regeneration of component species and to prevent encroachment by hardwoods. Blackwater tries to burn most areas every three years, although they do not always have the resources to accomplish this task.

The longleaf pine-wiregrass community seems to be the focus of management activity in Blackwater. The community structure consists of a canopy of pine and an herb layer with no understory in between. If the fire return interval is more than five years, regeneration of the herbs declines and the stratum is eventually eliminated by the growth of a shrubby understory. It is herb seeds and legumes that provide food for most of the wildlife in this system, so maintenance of the herb layer is very important in providing wildlife habitat.

Until ten years ago, burns were conducted in the dormant season. These early spring prescribed burns seem to be a long-standing tradition in the region. Historically, fires occurred primarily in the summer months, when thunderstorms were most frequent. Not long ago it was discovered that growing season burns were better for promoting the flowering of wiregrass, a major component of the longleaf pine herb layer, and for eliminating hardwoods. Although the aboveground part of the plant may be killed, hardwoods often resprout after dormant season fires because there is a large carbohydrate reserve protected in the roots. Growing season fires, however, are often lethal because most of the plants' resources are stored in the leaves at this time of year.

Now about 50% of the prescribed burns conducted at Blackwater are growing season burns. The other 50% are dormant season burns often alternated in an area with growing season burns. As long as tenacious hardwoods are eventually eliminated by a growing season burn before they reach a size that is more fire-resistant, dormant season fires are sufficient to maintain the desired forest structure. An exception is around red-cockaded woodpecker (RCW) colonies. The RCW needs to have a very open understory to prevent predators from reaching their cavities by way of understory branches. In cavity areas, the park burns in the growing season every three to five years to prevent growth of a hardwood understory because once such an understory reaches 15 feet, the birds move out.

Some of the major tenets of ecosystem management are to address the connectedness and ecological integrity of systems and to work across the varieties of public and private interests and lines practicing it. An important area in the northwest part of Florida and in adjacent southern Alabama where the challenge of applying these tenets face us, is the combined area within the Conecuh National Forest (in Alabama), Blackwater River State Forest, Yellow River Aquatic Preserve and Eglin Air Force Base (moving from north to south). This article will outline the various distinct and shared aspects of these related areas and the natural corridor they establish. As above, the flow of the article will follow the natural topography downward (north to south) beginning with the Conecuh [pronounced, cone-ne-cuh] National Forest after first reviewing the overall system-wide perspective and the present resource acquisition proposals for the area.

I. System wide Perspective

The Conecuh-Blackwater-Eglin (CBE) area remains distinctive due, in part, to the presence of some of the largest remaining tracts of mature Longleaf Pine forest. As with the Okeefenokee-Pinhook Swamp-Osceola Forest Corridor several hundred miles to the east, the CBE stands out as an area where conditions support natural corridor delineation and protection. Helping to define this corridor are a number of natural features such as the Blackwater and Yellow Rivers and their multiple dendrites of streams is a seepages. Upland of these streams is a relatively continuous forested area with extensive tracts of longleaf pines, sand pines, pitcher plant bogs and hardwood swamps.

A major ecosystem component is longleaf pine in association with the wiregrass/bluestem understory. Historically, fires have played a major role in maintaining this ecosystem. Because of the reduction of this ecosystem throughout the South, many of the plants and animals dependent on this unique ecosystem have declined in the last century.

Logging of he longleaf pines and their replacement with faster growing slash pine monoculture forest has been the principle reason for the decline over the years. The fast growing slash pines met the needs of the wood pulp products industry, but did so at the expense of the extensive acreage of longleaf pines. The longleaf pines, though excellent for board timber production, are slower growing.

In recent years, foresters, ecologists and others have come together to reverse this decline of the native longleaf pine ecosystem. In few places has this effort been as extensive as in the Conecuh-Blackwater-Eglin corridor.

Ecosystems Focus Across Agency Lines

Ecosystem management across the institutional boarders of differing agencies, levels of Florida government and between state and federal agencies has been coalescing in the BCE area. Besides the recognition of shared management needs and expansion of the longleaf pine forest associations, has been the discussion and action toward better physical linkages between these areas. The CBE area forms a continuum of natural land and streams which have been severed in recent times by roads and competing uses of the land. At present there are a number of on-going land acquisition efforts that if completed, could once again link the areas.

Areas of Proposed Acquisition
a. Blackwater River & State Forest Additions
The Blackwater River and Blackwater State Forest proposed CARL acquisition project consist of approximately 14,300 acres of land in Santa Rosa County. This addition includes the majority of the unprotected portions of the lower Blackwater River watershed and two of the blackwater's major tributaries, Big Juniper and Big Coldwater Creeks. These fast flowing shifting sand streams are of particular importance for the continued existence of a state endangered fish, the Blackmouth Shiner, as well as a number of endemic species of mayfly and cadisfly.

Another unique resident of the more mucky portions of the area is the Panhandle Lily (Lilium iridollae). This lily is limited to only a few localities in the western Florida Panhandle and two southeastern counties of Alabama. In total the area is known to host five Florida Natural Area Inventory Special Plants.

b. Yellow River Ravines
As with the Blackwater River project, the Yellow River Ravines area has been note for its inherent resource values and because it would serve as a direct connector between the Blackwater River State Forest to the north and Eglin Air Force Base to the South.

As the heart of this approximately 10,500 acre proposal are several seepage streams, Julian, Burnt Grocery and Garnier Creeks. These streams arise in xeric uplands originally covered by a sandhill community. They drop through relatively steep terrain, pass under State Highway 90 and Interstate Highway 10 and eventually flow into the Yellow River. The proposal area includes five miles of frontage along the north side of the Yellow River. A number of rare amphibians and reptiles are associated with the seepage streams in this area such as the Flatwoods Salamander (Ambystoma cingulatum), Pine Barren Tree Frog (Hyla andersonii) and the Bog Frog (Rana okaloosae)
The uplands between the streams was originally covered by longleaf pines. Most all of this has been cut for timber and has been replaced by sand pines and slash pines.

Future management scenarios for the area, if acquired, would most likely emphasize reforestation to longleaf pines in the upland area. If managed for old growth timber, this connection could help to provide a link between currently isolated populations of redcockaded woodpeckers found in the Conecuh/Blackwater areas to the north, and those found on Eglin to the south. Further, the Yellow River Ravines site with both Garnier, Burnt Grocery and Julian Creeks may provide some linkage between the Blackwater River just to the north and the Yellow River which could help in the support of free ranging species of wildlife such as Black Bear, bobcat, white-tailed deer, grey fox and the eastern indigo snake.

c. Blackwater River Corridor Acquisition
The Blackwater River originates in the Conecuh National Forest in Alabama. It has a large portion of its watershed in Florida protected by the Blackwater State Forest. In all, nearly 50 miles of the river corridor is remote and undeveloped. As a result, the Blackwater is considered one of the State's most pristine waterways and has received designation as a Special Water and an Outstanding Florida Water. A joint acquisition with the Florida Division of Forestry has been proceeding to bring into public ownership much of the lower, least protected portion of river floodplain and estuary.
The project includes a large area of mature longleaf pine forest and considerable acreage of
bottomland forest and marsh, upland mixed forest, blackwater stream and seepage slope
communities.
As with the Yellow River Ravines Project discussed above, the inclusion of this river corridor linkage helps to secure the habitat requirements for a number of the free ranging species of the area such as the Black Bear, bobcat and the grey fox.

d. Escribano Point Acquisition
This 4,830 acre property lies between the Eglin Air Force Base and the Blackwater Bay and East Bay portions of Pensacola Bay. Its acquisition will help consolidate protection of the local bay systems that was originated by the Northwest Florida Water Management District's purchase of the Garcon Point project. Purchase of this area would also provide downstream protection along both the Blackwater and the Yellow/Shoal river system.

A considerable portion of the project is wet prairie, bay swamp or tidal marsh that serve as important sources of nutrients or as nurseries for many of the animal species found in Pensacola Bay. The largely natural hydrologic conditions that exist in most of the project are regarded as fragile and as extremely susceptible to damage as a result of development

The natural biological communities on the property, including, freshwater marsh, wet prairie, hardwood swamp and bay swamp, are relatively undisturbed and are regarded as excellent remnant examples of previously widespread communities that have locally been lost owing to conversions to other land uses. Acquisition of the property also provides an opportunity to connect existing conservation areas (Garcon Point, Yellow River Marsh Aquatic Preserve and Eglin Air Force Base) and to form a large habitat corridor connecting a wide variety of wildlife habitats.

e. Yellow/Shoal River Corridor Acquisition

The Yellow River has its headwaters in Alabama's Conecuh National Forest and it forms the northern border of Eglin Air Force Base across much of Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties. Included in the project area is a segment of the lower part of the Shoal River, the largest tributary to the Yellow. Three timber companies own a majority of the floodplain in this project, but considerable areas of the bordering and buffer lands are important to ensure effective management and the protection of water resources. To accomplish these objectives, acquisition of the bordering lands within 100-year floodplain, along with an additional 50-foot upland buffer, is desirable. The Northwest Florida Water Management District anticipates working over a period of several years to acquire the buffers and the three primary properties.

Wetlands throughout these basins provide habitat and refuge for a large number and variety of designated species, including the panhandle lilu (Lilium iridollae), sweet pitcher plant, yellow fringeless orchid, orange azalea, silky Camellia, Atlantic sturgeon, Florida pine snake, gopher tortoise, alligator snapping turtle, Eastern chipmunk, woodstork and several endemic varieties of mayflies. These rivers have been recognized as significant natural and recreational resources and have received designations as Outstanding FloridaWaters and Recreational Canoe Trails.

II The Conecuh National Forest

The Conecuh National Forest is the Alabama link of this natural corridor. The forest is approximately 84,000 acres and is adjacent to the Blackwater State Forest across the state line in Florida . Several years ago the Forest Service recognized the importance of looking at management of their lands on a scale much larger than individual stands or small watersheds. Their current policy is to manage on a landscape or ecosystem scale.

The U.S. Forest Service has been in contact with the management of Eglin and the Blackwater State Forest concerning land management and handling of their respective populations of threatened, endangered and sensitive (TES) species of plants and animals.

The Conecuh National Forest has over a dozen species of plants and animals listed as threatened, endangered, or proposed for listing. These mostly occur in the more upland fire-dependent longleaf pine associations. One of these species is the gopher tortoise. The gopher tortoise, one of the area's significant indicator species of this ecosystem, requires loose sands to construct its burrows. Throughout its native range, much of this habit has been lost to development.

The gopher tortoise is a very important creature in the ecosystem due to the fact that there are more than350 species known to utilize its burrows. Some of the more well-known inhabitants are the eastern indigo snake, eastern diamondback rattlesnake, the Florida pine snake, and the dusky gopher frog. Research has shown that foraging for food is a major factor limiting tortoise population. For this reason forest managers are looking at ways to enhance the areas where gopher tortoises may eat. In following this approach it is speculated that the local populations of the gopher tortoise will also increase.

About 30 years ago, the Forest Service began converting the longleaf pine forest to a faster-growing slash pine forest. This was done because the seedling survival was much higher in slash pine than longleaf and it met the needs of forest tree production in support of the pulp/paper industry. After being planted, the slash pine grew fast and shaded the forest floor, which decreased the growth of a young longleaf forest. Longleaf normally grows best in more open areas, when it is young. The slash pine plantings are now showing signs of stagnation. Also, the slash pine does not have a tap root like the longleaf pine, so on the sandhills it has a more difficult time reaching adequate soil moisture. In turn, this stresses the tree and makes it more vulnerable to disease.

About 5 years ago, the Forest Service realized this was not proper ecosystem management and is now looking at many areas where slash pines were planted to be converted back to longleaf pine. The change to ecosystem management has been encouraged, applauded, and supported by the environmental community as evidenced by an unprecedented exchange of ideas, information, and cooperation on several recent projects. Currently, the Conecuh plans to convert most of te slash pine forests to longleaf pine when they get 35 to 40 years old. At this age, the slash pines are expected to produce a merchantable product. In areas where the slash pines have poorer soils, they will be converted to longleaf in the next decade.

Conecuh's Nellie Pond: Home to Unique Animals

Nellie Pond, located in the Sandhills Ecosystem of the Conecuh National Forest, is an oasis for some of the State's most unique species. Some of these animals are now being monitored and used as indicators of how well this ecosystem is recovering.

In 1989, Mark Bailey, of Auburn University, began studying the dusky gopher frog on the Conecuh. He visited or located active or known duskey gopher frog breeding ponds on the Conecuh and monitored them for two breeding seasons. The frog breeds in ponds that normally dry up annually or during droughts. It was concluded that this normal drying prevents fish from occupying the ponds and eliminates natural predation on the frog eggs and tadpoles [for a related article see, Wildlife Values of Small, Isolated Wetlands in the Southeastern Coastal Plain, by Paul E. Moler and Richard Franz, 1987].

After the spring breeding seasons, the frog moves to the sandy ridges of the Sandhills Ecosystem. In order for this frog to survive, it must be able to find refuges to escape the heat of summer. The refuges they prefer are the burrows of the gopher tortoise. These are often located near the fishless ponds. As for Nellie Pond, it is one of three study ponds located on the Conecuh. Two of them were stocked by anglers wanting to enhance the ponds' fish populations.

A few years ago, the Forest Service began evaluating the area for a timber sale and also began working with Auburn University to monitor the changes in the area's gopher tortoise population. Also, the Forest Service designed plans to rid Nellie Pond of the fish that were preying on the frog's eggs and tadpoles. In 1992, the Forest Service found most of the environmental community in favor of the project.

In August 1992, the Forest Service held a public meeting to explain the proposed project to the public. At this meeting, several environmental experts explained the inter-relationships of the communities involved. The district ranger made an appeal to the local community for its support. The public was supportive of the project and the Forest Service was able to reach agreement to move ahead. The ponds were drained and the fish eliminated. The fish that could be caught from the ponds were relocated or utilized by the public. Projects are now underway in and around Nellie Pond to evaluate the recovery of the area's unique animal life as an indicator of the ecosystem recovery.

New Management Strategy Helps Recover Ecosystems on the Conecuh

The Conecuh National Forest is an island of historic ecosystems, which have thrived on fire and lightning producing storms. These ecosystems changed when man cut the original forests, fire was controlled, and we grew a new forest with tree species that wouldn't sustain the natural ecosystem. Today, professional land managers are working to reclaim the ecosystems of the Conecuh, its populations of endangered species, natural bogs, and the unique Sandhills Ecosystem.

Because of past deforestation, farming, and controlling natural fires, the health of Conecuh's ecosystems was placed in jeopardy. These problems are still playing a role in the area, as evidenced by the recent listing of some of the area's sensitive and endangered species. For example, the red-cockaded woodpecker requires old, live, longleaf pine trees for nesting. The problem is that most of the Conecuh was clear-cut in the 1930's . It was reforested with slash pine. This reduced the number of nesting trees for the endangered woodpecker. However, with the reforestation from slash pine to the native longleaf the number of red-cockaded woodpeckers should begin to increase in time as the tree mature. If slash pine had been replanted, the problem would have continued, the ecosystem would be out of balance and nesting trees for the red-cockaded woodpecker reduced even further.

Conecuh is approaching the new management challenge by:

* restoring the longleaf ecosystem;
* providing for prescribed-burning to mimic natural fires of the past;
* installing nest-boxes inside trees for the red-cockaded woodpecker;
* relocating woodpeckers to increase the population. (Some red-cockaded woodpeckers have been relocated to Conecuh from the Apalachicola National Forest near Tallahassee, Florida); and ,
* eliminating trees that compete with those needed to sustain the red-cockaded woodpecker population

In addition, Conecuh has begun reclaiming some of the area's unique bog ecosystems by inventorying the forest and then control burning the area in the summer to mimic lightning fires of the past. The fires help reduce the encroachment of hardwoods and small shrubs into the bogs, which can eventually alter the plant community and ecosystem.

III. Blackwater River State Forest

The Blackwater River State Forest is the next segment of this environmentally valuable corridor. It is a beautifully sculptured tract of land, 184,000 acres in size in Santa Rosa and Okaloosa Counties. This forest lies on the southern tip of sandy, red-clay soil deposited over west Florida two million years ago. It is contiguous on the north side to the Conecuh National Forest in southern Alabama and almost contiguous to the Eglin area on its southern boundary. The Blackwater River State Forest is known for its longleaf pine/wiregrass ecosystem, which when combined with Conecuh National Forest is the largest contiguous ecological community of this typ remaining in the world.

Numerous canoeable streams pass through the Blackwater including Juniper Creek, Coldwater Creek and Sweetwater Creek and its namesake, the Blackwater River. The Blackwater River begins to the north in neighboring Conecuh County, Alabama, and meanders approximately 50 miles southwestward through the forest toward the Blackwater Bay near Milton, Florida. Blackwater River has studied and contains a wide and remains in virtually the same pristine condition as when it was discovered by Spanish explorers. It is one of the few shifting sand bottom streams which remains in its natural state for nearly its entire length due to the protection afforded by the Conecuh and Blackwater River Forests. This River and the other streams are clean, dark tannin stained streams which emerge and cut through the hilly topography of the forest.

Blackwater's outstanding forest and water resources offers an excellent opportunity for dispersed resource based outdoor recreation such as, hiking, camping, swimming, fishing, hunting, nature study, bicycling, horseback riding, and canoeing. So popular is canoeing there that the 1980 legislature designated Milton as "The Canoe Capital of Florida". Today, over 300,000 people visit this forest to enjoy the wide variety of outdoor recreational themes.

Through sound multiple-use management practices, the Florida Division of Forestry works toward maintaining a proper balance between resource utilization and resource conservation. These practices include management of timber production and harvesting, watershed protection, management and enhancement of wildlife habitat, and a program for the management of threatened/endangered plant and animal species. The Blackwater River State Forest is managed under a program of sustained yield with selected trees protected against cutting, and spaced to emphasize natural reestablishment of new forest. The forest is allowed to regenerate itself naturally, without assistance or care except for periods of controlled burns to inhibit midstory hardwood development, reduce ground fuels and to provide space for young pine regeneration.

This natural reforestation technique has been well examined and tested in the longleaf pine/wiregrass ecosystem and virtually eliminates site disturbance, soil movement and sedimentation into the adjacent streams. Due to the management practices and the work done by the personnel on the ground, this forest is considered as the crown jewel of such areas under Florida's custodial umbrella.

The Blackwater stand is one of the finest natural stands of longleaf pine remaining in the world and will continue to be successfully managed to ensure its perpetuation. Other important components of the Blackwater ecosystem are the hardwood swamps found in the wet or overflow areas, Loblolly Pine/hardwood associations, and large stately Atlantic White Ceder along the Blackwater River and its tributaries. There are also numerous Pitcher Plant Bogs scattered in wet depressions and more upland seepages throughout the forest. Several species of these pitcher plants coexist in the bogs and some listed as endangered or threatened by the State of Florida.

Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers - Center Stage Species

Mature longleaf pine forest are a necessity for large healthy colonies of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers. There are presently more than 197 known red cockaded woodpecker cavity trees within Blackwater. The state foresters have developed protective zones around each individual tree or group of trees and ensure management in and around these areas is specifically tailored to the needs of the woodpeckers. Presently, timber removal within 21,600 acres of protective zones is strictly monitored and limited to saplings, pulpwood sized pines, and hardwoods that may be inhibiting the flight of the birds into their nesting trees.

The forest also provides critical habitat for eagles, Pine Barren Tree frogs, Bog frogs, Gopher Tortoises, Panhandle Lilies, and other threatened and or endangered plants. Forest management practices have been targeted to limit vehicular traffic of any type in these environmentally sensitive areas. Further, in order limit the encroachment of upland plant communities into the unique wet depressional or seepage sites variations in the burning schedules and intensity are being explored along with follow-up monitoring of the vegetative growth and succession to gain a better understanding regarding sprouting, growth and reproduction of the areas.

The Division of Forestry is also now growing containerized wiregrass plants in their nursery to be used in ground restoration projects. Although this plant is not on the endangered list, it is considered a plant of "special concern" and an integral part of the Longleaf Pine forest ecosystem. As part of its efforts to encourage an expansion of this once common ecosystem component the Division of Forestry is using these wiregrass seedlings for various groundcover restorative programs throughout the State.

As with Blackwater, Eglin Air Force Base (adjacent to the south) is also spending a significant amount of their time and energy trying to restore the Longleaf Pine/Wiregrass Ecosystem over their extensive lands. In the recently published, "Closing the Gaps In Florida's Wildlife Habitat Conservation System" by James Cox, Randy Kautz, Maureen MacLaughlin and Terry Gilbert of the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission (1993), the following was noted about the close association of Blackwater River State Forest and Eglin Air Force Base as it relates to the Red Cockaded Woodpeckers and the Longleaf/Wiregrass ecosystem.

"The proximity of Eglin Air Force Base to the Blackwater State Forest would allow frequent exchanges to occur if the habitat lying between these two areas was restored. The Conecuh National Forest in Alabama is also very close to the Blackwater State Forest, and together all three managed areas support approximately 270 active sites. Connecting these three areas is a logical proposition [Harris 1985, Anon. 1988] but, as in the case of a proposed Osceola-Okefenokee connection, proper habitat management on existing lands must be viewed as the foremost concern of woodpecker management. It seems unlikely that these areas will produce a surplus of dispersing individuals given that the populations on all three areas are below their carrying capacity and apparently are declining. [Green 1993, James 1993]"
Presently, there is a lot of information exchanged between Eglin Air Force Base land managers and the Blackwater Forestry Center. This exchange of information, ideas and further research projects has helped, and will continue to help, to ensure the perpetuation of one of southeast's more valuable natural ecosystems.

IV Eglin Air Force Base

Eglin Air Force Base (AFB) is a major research, development, test and evaluation and training area for national defense. This important national asset covers a large expanse of land 724 square miles, and includes control os 86,000 square miles of air space and water range in the Gulf of Mexico. Eglin is the largest forested military base in the world consisting of approximately 464, 000 acres in San Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton Counties in northwest Florida.

The Base is considered to be one of the largest and most important public land holdings in the southeast United States. It contains an unique assemblages of plants and animals, including several species and subspecies found nowhere else. The terrain consists of rolling sand hill ridges dissected by numerous clear, cool perennial seepage streams which total approximately 600 miles and include some of the highest quality steephead creeks in the southeast.

The most prominent natural community type (78%) on Eglin is the sandhills with excessively drained sands which are generally strongly acidic and low in natural fertility and organic content. The xeric uplands sandhill association is dominated by an overstory of scattered longleaf pine with an understory of turkey oaks, bluejacks, sand post oaks and live oaks. Rare plant species include southern three-awned grass (Aristida simpliciflora), toothed savory (clamintha dentata), and pineland hoary pea (Tephrosia mohrii). Wire does occur in some portions of the sandhills, however, its distribution is limited. Reasons for this are not well understood at this time.

Much of this association has been affected by early navel stores, logging, and fire control practices which severely reduce the pine overstory and led to encroachment by sand pine and various scrub oaks.

Elgin is considered to be the largest intact sandhill ecosystem in the southeast and is thought to possess the largest contiguous old growth longleaf pine forest remaining in the world. Eglin's sandhill ecosystem supports the world's fourth largest population of red-cockaded woodpeckers, 95% of the entire range of the endangered Okaloosa darter, the only known population of the endangered lichen Cladonia perforata and , because of the soil structure, supports an extremely high diversity of rare herpetofauna.

In addition to the sandhill community, Eglin includes almost half of the currently recognized 83 natural communities in Florida, making the base a tremendously important area for preserving biodiversity. There are over 47 taxa of rare plants found on the base including two which are almost exclusively restricted to Eglin. The Base also contains 20 miles of pristine barrier islands along the Gulf of Mexico which provides habitat for numerous rare species. Eglin's barrier island supports the largest intact population of beach mice in northwest Florida and 53% of the entire state's population of threatened snowy plover (a bird). In addition, Eglin's beaches provide nesting areas for loggerhead and green sea turtles and sere as an important rest area for neotropical migratory birds.

Eglin's Ecosystem Management

In order to better manage Eglin's vast resources, Eglin managers decided that a departure from traditional resource management was necessary. The Natural Resource Division was reorganized to make better use of existing personnel, empower employees and improve interdisciplinary integration. One of the first steps was the creation of the current long range, strategic ecosystem-base natural resources management plan. Eglin's long range planners, which consisted of the section chiefs of fish and wildlife, forestry, and Fire Management, spent over 18 months preparing the document. It is the first ecosystem-based naturel resource plan for the Department of Defense. Maintaining the health of ecosystems is the overriding goal of the plan.

Policy is developed and monitored by means of an adaptive process. Science and scientist play a critical role in this process. To date, some 20+ scientific investigations are underway or have been completed, involving more than 60 researchers and staff. Altogether, more that 100 outside scientist and managers from other organizations and agencies have been involved in formal dialogs.

Eglin has recently won several awards in recognition for their accomplishments. These include The Nature Conservancy's Presidents Conservation Achievement Award for 1993, the Florida Chapter of the Sierra Club Award for Excellence in Environmental Planning in 1993, the
Secretary of Defense's natural Resources Conservation Award in 1994, and most recently, the Florida Chapter of Wildlife Federation's Land Conservationist of the Year Award for 1994.

Eglin's Historical Development

Historically, the base was developed from lands that were part of the Choctawhatchee National Forest which was established in 1908 by presidential proclamation. In 1940, the 340,890 acres of the Choctawhatchee National Forest were transferred to the War Department and between then and 1943, an additional 123,000 acres of inholdings were acquired for the purpose of developing an air proving ground.

In the early years as a National Forest the principle purpose was to manage the area for the production of naval stores. Overall, the local population was small, likely due to the poor soil conditions of the prevalent sandhill ecological association.

This article was developed with the assistance of Mr. Marty Barber and Vernon Compton, Florida Department of Agricultural & Consumer Services, Division of Forestry; Mr. Gary Taylor and Alex Buldog of the Conecuh National Forest; Mr. Carl Petrick, Natural Resource Branch, Eglin Air Force Base; and, Dan Pennington and Ruark Cleary of FDEP.