The Georgia Forestry Commission will conduct a carefully planned forest management project on approximately 75 acres of planted loblolly pine forest on the University of Georgia Skidaway Marine Science Campus starting in January 2026. It will include a clearcut harvest, a prescribed burn, and replanting with native longleaf pine, a preferred native species traditionally found throughout the Southeast that provides critical habitat for several threatened and endangered species, including the gopher tortoise, indigo snake, red-cockaded woodpecker and others.
The project will be carried out along McWhorter Drive for about a mile south of the developed section of the Skidaway campus. Timber harvest activities are expected to start on January 5, 2026, and last for approximately six weeks. The one-day prescribed burn will take place in October 2026. The specific date of the burn has not yet been set and will be determined only a few days in advance, based on weather and environmental conditions required for safe and effective burning. Replanting will take place in spring 2027.
Prescribed burns help manage and protect forests and grasslands. They are important for restoring native ecosystems and improving wildlife habitat. A prescribed burn plan has been developed that contains sufficient control measures to ensure public safety. Georgia Forestry Commission staff will monitor the fire and conditions that might affect it until it is completely out.
During the burn, local residents are asked to not go near the fire or attempt to assist in any way. Warning signs will be placed along the side of the road in the vicinity of the prescribed burn area, and drifting smoke is possible. Motorists are advised to use headlights and proceed with caution when driving through drifting smoke. Officials do not anticipate any disruptions to traffic.
Additional details, including specific dates, will be announced as they become available.
Writer: Jackson Schroeder, 912-598-2325, Jackson.Schroeder@uga.edu
Contact: Marc Mascolo, 912-598-2482, Marc.Mascolo@uga.edu