Sept. 8, 2011-- Private landowners, forestry professionals and wildlife biologists and managers are invited to a Longleaf Restoration Field Day on Wednesday, Oct. 5 in Long Leaf, La.
The event registration begins at 8 a.m. at the Southern Forest Heritage Museum and includes morning and afternoon information sessions plus lunch. Field day activities conclude at 3 p.m.
Participants will learn how to restore Louisiana’s native longleaf pine forests through stand conversion and planting seedlings, which will generate wildlife values such as wild turkey, bobwhite quail and deer habitat while increasing timber values with dependable returns from high quality wood.
Information about generous state and federal cost share programs will also be provided to assist with restoration of longleaf pine.
Longleaf pine forests once covered millions of acres throughout the Southeastern United States. Today, longleaf pine habitat is limited to several thousand acres. Longleaf pine habitat can contain as many as 300 different species of groundcover plants per acre, and approximately 60 percent of the amphibian and reptile species found in the Southeast. Additionally, this forested habitat is home to at least 122 endangered or threatened plant and animal species including the red-cockaded woodpecker and gopher tortoise, plus the northern bobwhite, a species of concern.
This field day event will provide time to meet professionals who can share their knowledge of the longleaf pine ecosystem and wildlife habitat it supports. Participating partners include the Texas-Louisiana Longleaf Taskforce, National Wild Turkey Federation – LA Chapter, Louisiana Forestry Association, Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, US Forest Service- Southern Research Station, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Natural Resource Conservation Service, LSU AgCenter, Larson-McGowin Forest Managers and Consultants, the Louisiana Society of American Foresters and The Nature Conservancy.
Send registration to Mary Anne Sayer, Alexandria Forestry Center, 2500 Shreveport Hwy, Pineville, LA. 71360. The $15 registration fee includes a Cajun shrimp boil.