Longleaf Pine Initiative:Longleaf Pine Initiative:Restoring Native Warm Restoring Native Warm

Season GrassesSeason Grasses

Seven Rivers RC&D CouncilSeven Rivers RC&D CouncilStan Moore, RC&D Coordinator Stan Moore, RC&D Coordinator

USDA, NRCS Baxley, GAUSDA, NRCS Baxley, GA

Seven Rivers Resource Seven Rivers Resource Conservation & Development Conservation & Development

CouncilCouncil RC&D public/private RC&D public/private

partnership partnership Locally LedLocally Led VolunteersVolunteers Non profitNon profit Seven Rivers Mission: Seven Rivers Mission:

Local people working Local people working together to develop, together to develop, enhance, and protect enhance, and protect our resources for the our resources for the betterment of our betterment of our economy and economy and environment.environment.

Longleaf Pine EcosystemLongleaf Pine Ecosystem

200 years ago: 90 200 years ago: 90 million acresmillion acres

Today less than 4 Today less than 4 millionmillion

High diversity of High diversity of plants in understoryplants in understory

Numerous wildlife Numerous wildlife speciesspecies

Frequent fire neededFrequent fire needed Navel IndustryNavel Industry

CRP Longleaf Pine InitiativeCRP Longleaf Pine Initiative

Purpose: Purpose: reestablish reestablish Longleaf Pine Longleaf Pine Stands and native Stands and native warm season warm season grasses grasses

Benefit Wildlife Benefit Wildlife Protect Water Protect Water

QualityQuality

CRP Longleaf Pine InitiativeCRP Longleaf Pine Initiative Sign up started Sign up started

December 2006December 2006 Continuous Sign UpContinuous Sign Up Allocated 64,750 acres Allocated 64,750 acres

in GAin GA Additional 20,000 Additional 20,000

acres acres Cost share for site Cost share for site

prep, tree seedlings, prep, tree seedlings, planting, NWSG planting, NWSG planting and planting and maintenance maintenance

ExperienceExperience

Planted longleaf trees Planted longleaf trees beforebefore

First CRP Longleaf First CRP Longleaf plantings not plantings not successfulsuccessful

Never planted any Never planted any NWSG in GA on a NWSG in GA on a large scale beforelarge scale before

Landowners had Landowners had questions about questions about NWSG, to plant or notNWSG, to plant or not

NRCS CRP Native Warm Season NRCS CRP Native Warm Season Grass Seed MixtureGrass Seed Mixture

Big Bluestem 1.5 lbs PLS/ac Indian grass 1.5 lbs PLS/ac Little Bluestem 1.5 lbs PLS/ac Switch grass 0.5 lbs PLS/ac Forbs 1 lbs/ac_____ TOTAL 6 lbs/ac

Weed pressure if not planted in Weed pressure if not planted in Native Warm Season GrassesNative Warm Season Grasses

Partnership for NWSGPartnership for NWSG

Seven Rivers RC&D sent Invitation to Seven Rivers RC&D sent Invitation to bid on grassland planting programbid on grassland planting program

Must meet certain criteria. Such as Must meet certain criteria. Such as experience, warranty and promotionexperience, warranty and promotion

Seven Rivers accepted FDCE’s bid Seven Rivers accepted FDCE’s bid from Ohio from Ohio

Seven Rivers RC&D- FDCE Partnership-Seven Rivers RC&D- FDCE Partnership-dedicated to establishing successful native dedicated to establishing successful native

grasses & conservationgrasses & conservation

Public-Private partnerships Public-Private partnerships strengthen conservationstrengthen conservation

Seven Rivers RC&D outreach and Seven Rivers RC&D outreach and educationeducation

FDCE superior grassland FDCE superior grassland establishment techniques and resultsestablishment techniques and results

The ResultsThe ResultsThis site was planted in early spring 2008. This site was planted in early spring 2008.

Picture was taken late spring 2008Picture was taken late spring 2008

The ResultsThe ResultsThis site was planted in early spring 2008. This site was planted in early spring 2008.

Picture was taken September 2008Picture was taken September 2008

Grasslander NWSG DrillGrasslander NWSG Drill

NWSG planting NWSG planting needs for small needs for small acreage acreage landownerslandowners

USFWS Partners USFWS Partners Program Program

Seven Rivers RC&D Seven Rivers RC&D FundsFunds

Grasslander Field Day February Grasslander Field Day February 20092009

NWSG Seed for SaleNWSG Seed for Sale

Seed mix meets NRCS Seed mix meets NRCS specifications of CRP specifications of CRP programprogram

Mixed for Grasslander Mixed for Grasslander drilldrill

Plus a couple of Plus a couple of wildflowers specieswildflowers species

Partners: Seven Partners: Seven Rivers, Grasslander, Rivers, Grasslander, Soil and Water Soil and Water Conservation DistrictsConservation Districts

Grasslander Drill and Seed ProjectGrasslander Drill and Seed Project

Planted over 300 Planted over 300 acres so far 2009acres so far 2009

Assisted over 30 Assisted over 30 landowners in CRPlandowners in CRP

Planting EQIP Planting EQIP wildlife openingswildlife openings

Demo planting Demo planting AlfalfaAlfalfa

Other ProjectsOther Projects GA native grass seed GA native grass seed

sourcesource Only Midwest grass Only Midwest grass

species planted CRP species planted CRP now now

Gather and grow seed Gather and grow seed locallylocally

Collected ten species Collected ten species of grass last fall of grass last fall

Looking for fundingLooking for funding Partners: Seven Partners: Seven

Rivers, Tall Timbers, Rivers, Tall Timbers, USFWS.USFWS.

CRP Save Acres For wildlife CRP Save Acres For wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) ProgramEnhancement (SAFE) Program

New opportunities for reenrolling CRP New opportunities for reenrolling CRP TreesTrees

In GA: restoring native pine savanna In GA: restoring native pine savanna Must be located in Longleaf areaMust be located in Longleaf area Approximately 90 -100% cost shareApproximately 90 -100% cost share Rental payments for 15 yearsRental payments for 15 years Purchase another nwsg drill, Seven RiversPurchase another nwsg drill, Seven Rivers Partners: GA Forestry Commission, GA Partners: GA Forestry Commission, GA

DNR, Environmental Defense Fund, NRCS, DNR, Environmental Defense Fund, NRCS, Seven Rivers RC&DSeven Rivers RC&D

Seven Rivers Resource Conservation and Development Seven Rivers Resource Conservation and Development CouncilCouncil

Stan Moore, RC&D Coordinator USDA, NRCS Baxley, GA Stan Moore, RC&D Coordinator USDA, NRCS Baxley, GA 912-367-7679912-367-7679

www.sevenrivers.orgwww.sevenrivers.org