ATLANTA – A nearly $2 million grant from the U.S. Forest Service to the National Wildlife Federation’s Southeast Forestry program will help create a pilot program to help private landowners restore and conserve longleaf pine habitats. The program will help ensure that landowners who manage and harvest longleaf pine products utilizing wildlife-friendly methods earn premiums and reach new customers. Wildlife-friendly pine straw harvesting and management ensures the continued health of this critical habitat, home to gopher tortoises and about 30 other threatened and endangered species.

“Landowners who take extra precautions to protect wildlife during the harvesting of longleaf pine straw needles are a crucial part of the strategy to protect these habitats while increasing their resilience to climate disasters,” said Tiffany Woods, senior director of the National Wildlife Federation’s Southeast Forestry program. “This grant will help us ensure these landowners are rewarded for doing the right thing and increase consumer access to wildlife-friendly longleaf pine straw. Traditional harvest methods for pine straw can result in unintended consequences and detriments to the overall forest health and wildlife habitat in these natural areas. We will continue to work with the Forest Service to promote and foster underserved and small landowners who prioritize wildlife and climate by utilizing best practices that protect the wildlife ”

Well-managed longleaf pine forests serve as habitat for many threatened and endangered species. Compared to other southern species, longleaf pine forests have increased tolerance to drought, wildfire, disease, and insects. This resiliency is extremely valuable for our forested habitat in an era of increasing climate threats.