In the News
Curious about what the life of a young gopher tortoise is like?
View this new video “A Tortoise Called Pumkin Spice” to find out more!
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZ6xak2Bh6Y
The gopher tortoise is Georgia’s official state reptile!
The Gopher Tortoise Conservation Initiative recently achieved its goal of permanently protecting 65 gopher tortoise populations across the state. Many conservation partners collaborated on this initiative which helped keep Georgia’s state reptile off the Federal Endangered Species Act list.
Prescribed Fire Certification Class
Dec. 1 and 2, 2025
Americus, GA
The Georgia Forestry Commission will host a Prescribed Fire Certification Class on December 1–2, 2025, at Bison Valley, 1085 Tallent Store Rd., Americus, GA. This two-day, 16-hour course offers CFE credits and state-level certification and is open to both private and public practitioners. Registration is limited to 50 participants, with fees waived for the first 35 who sign up by November 5, 2025, at https://arcg.is/10nH4m5. For details, contact RT Lumpkin at 478-957-0307 or rlumpkin@gfc.state.ga.us.
Burning for Birds – Landowner Event
September 5, 2025, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. (lunch provided)
Ellaville, GA
Join us to learn how birds are impacted by prescribed fire in Georgia . Weather permitting see and participate in a live prescribed burn.
Where: Ellaville, GA (exact address will be provided via email as the date approaches)
Format: Some walking is necessary, however truck trailer travel provided between sites
For more information and registration, visit https://georgiaconservancy.org/land-burning-for-birds/
Forestry & Wildlife Expo
Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Rain or Shine)
Marion County High School
1 Eagle Drive, Buena Vista, GA
Join us for an informative event where you can meet local contractors, consultants, and agency representatives to explore a variety of resources designed to help you achieve your land management goals. Learn about topics including prescribed fire, pond management, forest markets, chronic wasting disease (CWD), and cost-share opportunities for private landowners. Enjoy both indoor and outdoor exhibitors, delicious food, and a chance to win exciting door prizes!
Learn more at this VIDEO.
Free admission
For information, rlumpkin@gfc.state.ga.us
(478) 957-0307
Estate Planning for Georgia Forest Landowners and Farmers
Friday, August 22, 2025 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Talbot County Chamber of Commerce
12 Madison St., Talbotton, GA
Landowner Workshop: Plan, Preserve, and Prosper
Join us for an in-depth workshop designed specifically for landowners. This free program will take a deep dive into critical topics around land and family planning, heirs property issues, and forest management—with plenty of time for Q&A and discussion.
Topics Include:
- Planning Ahead for Your Land and Family
- Addressing Heirs Property Concerns
- Accessing Legal Services in Georgia
- Forest Management Assistance
Cost: FREE for Landowners
Reserve Your Spot – Seats Are Limited!
Register now (https://longleafalliance.org/events)
(803) 607-5466
Longleaf Planting Support Available
October 2025-March 2026
For program details contact: Complete Forestry (334) 651-3575
Planting projects in east Alabama and west Georgia within the Chattahoochee Fall Line Conservation Partnership (CFLCP) area will be considered for this program.
“Longleaf & the Landowner” program
June 5-6, 2025
9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Henderson Hall, Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, AL
Don’t miss the “Longleaf & the Landowner” program in Tuskegee, AL, June 5–6! New landowners can explore hands-on learning through classroom sessions and field tours—register now to take the first step in managing their land.
To register, visit https://longleaf.info/tuskegee
For questions, call Karen Zilliox Brown at 803-607-5466.
Burning with Purpose: Why Understanding Prescribed Fire Matters
Prescribed fire is a carefully planned and science-based land management tool used to protect our communities, forests, and economy. By intentionally setting controlled fires under specific conditions, land managers reduce the buildup of overgrown vegetation that can fuel catastrophic wildfires. This proactive approach not only makes wildfires less intense and more manageable for firefighters, but it also promotes healthier forests that support biodiversity and resilience. Additionally, prescribed burns help sustain local industries—like forestry, tourism, and agriculture—that depend on thriving, well-managed natural landscapes. In short, we burn smart today to protect what matters tomorrow. Learn more at whyprescribedfire.org. This site includes links to Georgia and Florida maps showing active fires in those respective states.
Provide your feedback on the SWAP plan by April 11.
Learn More About Georgia’s New State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP)
Georgia’s updated State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) outlines conservation efforts for species of greatest conservation need. The document linked below provides an easy-to-understand overview, key statistics, and insights into how conservation partnerships help protect species and prevent the need for federal listings.
We encourage you to review the plan and share your feedback by April 11.
To learn more about SWAP, please click HERE or visit https://cflcp.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/SWAP-AnnualReportInsert_SaraCaliffGaDNR.pdf.
Red-cockaded Woodpecker
Across the Fall Line region Fort Benning, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, The Nature Conservancy, and private landowners are actively conserving, restoring, and managing longleaf pine forests which these special birds and many other kinds of native wildlife rely on in order to thrive.
For More Information: https://www.fws.gov/press-release/2024-10/downlisting-red-cockaded-woodpecker-endangered-threatened
Prescribed Fire Certification Class
December 9-10, 2024
Dates: December 9th & 10th, 2024
Location: Bison Valley, 1085 Tallent Store Rd., Americus, Ga. 31719
This class offers state-level certification and CFE credits. It is open to both private and public practitioners. The first 35 registrants will have their fees waived, and the class is limited to 50 participants.
Sign Up: Register at https://arcg.is/1K8zPu1
or Register here
For questions, contact RT Lumpkin at 478-957-0307 or email rumpkin@gfc.state.ga.us.
Georgia Prescribed Fire Council 2024 Annual Statewide Meeting
Thursday, September 19, 2024
2024 Annual Meeting
Thursday, September 19, 2024
Lake Blackshear Resort & Golf Club
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
2459-H U.S. Highway 280 West
Cordele, GA 31015
To register, visit https://www.garxfire.com/index.php/events
Forestry and Wildlife Expo
Saturday, August 24, 2024
FREE Admission
Stop by and visit with local contractors, consultants, and agency representatives to discover resources
that will help you achieve your land management goals.
The day will include exhibitors, talks, demonstrations, and great door prizes!
FREE Admission
9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Inside & Outside Exhibits)
Marion County High School
1 Eagle Drive
Buena Vista, Ga.
For more information contact RT Lumpkin (478) 957-0307
Landowner Workshop: “Making Your Forest Land Work for You”
Friday, June 7, 2024
Pre-registration required
The Nature Conservancy, Longleaf Alliance, and Georgia Forestry Commission are collaborating to host a “Making Your Forest Land Work For You” landowner workshop at the Chamber of Commerce building in Talbotton, Ga., on June 7th.
New landowners, landowners just beginning to think about land management, underserved landowners, and landowners with heirs property concerns are especially encouraged to attend.
Information will include forest management basics, an introduction to local resource people who can provide land management advice, different ways to make money from your forested land, and details about cost share programs landowners can apply to that will help pay for land management activities.
Staff from The Georgia Heirs Property Law Center and McIntosh S.E.E.D. programs will also be on the agenda and provide information about clearing title to land enabling landowners to access cost share programs along with estate planning and the transfer of generational wealth.
Preregistration is required and audience size is limited.
Register here today: https://longleafalliance.org/
Columbus and the Valley Magazine
“The Nature Conservancy: Conservation Activities Focused on the Long Haul”
The Nature Conservancy has worked across the Chattahoochee Valley since the 1990s in partnership with Fort Benning to conserve, restore, and manage the natural landscapes around Columbus. Enjoy the short article starting on page 19 of the March-April 2024 issue to learn more!
National Public Radio
“Georgia Department of Natural Resources Reintroduces Rare Birds Back to Sprewell Bluff WMA:
After almost 50 years, red-cockaded woodpeckers are back at Sprewell Bluff WMA!
The red-cockaded woodpecker, or RCW, is an endangered bird species once found throughout the southeastern U.S. However, habitat loss has drastically reduced their populations and the species was last documented at Sprewell Bluff in 1976.
Crews from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources brought fire back to Sprewell Bluff in 2001, followed by years of timber thins, longleaf pine planting, and hack-n-squirt efforts to control hardwoods. Following the hard work to restore longleaf pine woodlands beneficial to these birds and other wildlife, three pairs of RCWs were transported from Fort Stewart and released into artificial nest cavities on the WMA. This process of translocation was coordinated through federal and state conservation agencies with the hope the birds take to their new home and begin raising young starting this spring, ending the species’ long absence from these woodlands.
This project was funded by the Georgia Ornithological Society, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Knobloch Family Foundation, and the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Program. More translocations are planned for the coming years. The hope is Sprewell Bluff WMA will someday support about 25 cluster sites of red-cockaded woodpeckers.