Dixon Memorial State Forest

Last updated
Dixon Memorial State Forest
1935 Planted Slash Pine on Dixon Memorial State Forest.jpg
1935 Planted Slash Pine on Dixon Memorial State Forest
Map
USA Georgia relief location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Geography
Location Ware County, Georgia & Brantley County, Georgia, United States
Coordinates 31°7′13″N82°15′17″W / 31.12028°N 82.25472°W / 31.12028; -82.25472
Area35,000 acres (14,164 ha)
Administration
Established1938
Governing bodyGeorgia Forestry Commission
Ecology
Dominant tree species Slash pine (Pinus elliottii)
Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris)
Pondcypress (Taxodium ascendens)
and various hardwoods

Dixon Memorial State Forest is a state forest in Brantley and Ware counties, located 10 miles southeast of Waycross, Georgia bordered by the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge to the south. The forest is approximately 35,000 acres and is the largest state forest owned and managed by the Georgia Forestry Commission. The forest is mostly made up of pine plantations consisting of slash pine, longleaf pine, and loblolly pine as well as wetlands consisting of pondcypress, swamp blackgum, sweetbay magnolia, loblolly bay, and other various hardwoods. [1]

Contents

History

In 1937, the U.S. Resettlement Administration purchased distressed farm and pasture land northeast of the Okefenokee Swamp under a federal land utilization program authorized by the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act. The land purchase was for the Georgia Coastal Flatwoods Upland Game Conservation Project. [2] [3] The following year in 1938, the land was leased to the state of Georgia to manage and was renamed the Waycross State Forest. In 1955, a wildfire burned approximately half of the forest causing catastrophic damage. [4] Later that year, the federal government deeded the forest to the State of Georgia. [5] [6] [7] The Waycross State Forest was renamed in 1974 to Dixon Memorial State Forest in honor of longtime Georgia Forestry Commission board member, Hugh M. Dixon. [8] The 2007 Sweat Farm Fire, which was part of the Georgia Bay Complex, catastrophically burned a significant portion of the southern and western parts of the forest. [9] [10] Then in 2011, the Racepond wildfire burned a path through a large amount of the southeastern state forest. [11] Many of the areas on the state forest that burned in the 2007 and 2011 fires were reforested in longleaf pine. [12]

Current Forest Management

Currently, Dixon Memorial State Forest is managed for multiple uses with timber management as the primary objective. The pine plantation and wetland hardwood forests also provide benefits for wildlife habitats, soil conservation, water conservation, and aesthetics. The forest is also used for research and educational opportunities. [1]

Dixon Memorial State Forest Wildlife Management Area

Dixon Memorial State Forest is also a Wildlife Management Area that provides hunting opportunities for deer, turkey, dove, bear, [13] and small game. The area is jointly managed between the Wildlife Resources Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the Georgia Forestry Commission. [14] The Dixon Memorial Shooting Range is also located on Dixon Memorial State Forest. [15]

Leased Areas

A few entities lease portions of Dixon Memorial State Forest from the Georgia Forestry Commission. These include the Okefenokee Swamp Park, Laura S. Walker State Park, and the Georgia Lions Camp for the Blind. [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Forest Service</span> Agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture

The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages 193 million acres (780,000 km2) of land. Major divisions of the agency include the Chief's Office, National Forest System, State and Private Forestry, Business Operations, and Research and Development. The agency manages about 25% of federal lands and is the only major national land management agency not part of the U.S. Department of the Interior, which manages the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of Land Management.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ware County, Georgia</span> County in Georgia, United States

Ware County is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 36,251. The county seat and only incorporated place is Waycross.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waycross, Georgia</span> City in Georgia, USA

Waycross is the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Ware County in the U.S. state of Georgia. The population was 14,725 at the 2010 Census and dropped to 13,942 in the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Okefenokee Swamp</span> Wetlands in Florida and Georgia, USA

The Okefenokee Swamp is a shallow, 438,000-acre (177,000 ha), peat-filled wetland straddling the Georgia–Florida line in the United States. A majority of the swamp is protected by the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and the Okefenokee Wilderness. The Okefenokee Swamp is considered to be one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Georgia. The Okefenokee is the largest "blackwater" swamp in North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laura S. Walker State Park</span> State park in Georgia, United States

Laura S. Walker State Park is a 626-acre (253 ha) state park in the U.S. state of Georgia. Located near Hoboken and the Okefenokee Swamp, the park is named after Laura S. Walker, a Georgia writer, teacher, civic leader, and naturalist. The park's location near the Okefenokee makes it home to many exotic plant and animal species, including alligators, great blue herons, and pitcher plants. The park includes a 120-acre (49 ha) lake and a championship 18-hole golf course with a pro shop.

Bartram Forest Wildlife Management Area is a 2,113-acre (9 km2) state land tract in Baldwin County and Wilkinson County, Georgia, United States. The forest was named in honor of naturalists John Bartram (1699-1777) and his son William Bartram (1739-1823).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge</span> Nature center in Folkston, Georgia, USA

The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is a 402,000‑acre (1,627 km2) National Wildlife Refuge located in Charlton, Ware, and Clinch Counties of Georgia, and Baker County in Florida, United States. The refuge is administered from offices in Folkston, Georgia. The refuge was established in 1937 to protect a majority of the 438,000 acre (1,772 km2) Okefenokee Swamp. The name "Okefenokee" is a Native American word meaning "trembling earth."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida Trail</span> A US National Scenic trail

The Florida Trail is one of eleven National Scenic Trails in the United States. It currently runs 1,500 miles (2,400 km), from Big Cypress National Preserve to Fort Pickens at Gulf Islands National Seashore, Pensacola Beach. Also known as the Florida National Scenic Trail, the Florida Trail provides permanent non-motorized recreation opportunity for hiking and other compatible activities and is within an hour of most Floridians. The Florida National Scenic Trail is designated as a National Scenic Trail by the National Trails System Act of 1968.

Chesser Island is an island in the Okefenokee Swamp which is a protected part of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bugaboo Scrub Fire</span> 2007 wildfire in Georgia and Florida

The Bugaboo Fire was a wildfire that helped feed one of the largest fires in Georgia history. It raged from April to June 2007 and ultimately merged with other fires becoming the largest fire in the history of both Georgia and Florida. The Bugaboo, which was not actually named until it had blazed for nearly a month, started in the Okefenokee Swamp, most of which is located in Georgia. It merged with the Sweat Farm Road Fire creating the largest south GA fire in documented history. It was the culmination of several converging fires.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is a government agency in the state of Maryland charged with maintaining natural resources including state parks, public lands, state forests, state waterways, wildlife, and recreation areas. Its headquarters is in Annapolis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forestry in India</span> Environmental resource - India

Forestry in India is a significant rural industry and a major environmental resource. India is one of the ten most forest-rich countries of the world. Together, India and 9 other countries account for 67 percent of total forest area of the world. India's forest cover grew at 0.20% annually over 1990–2000, and has grown at the rate of 0.7% per year over 2000–2010, after decades where forest degradation was a matter of serious concern.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern woodlands of the United States</span>

The eastern woodlands of the United States covered large portions of the southeast side of the continent until the early 20th century. These were in a fire ecology of open grassland and forests with low ground cover of herbs and grasses.

Mohican-Memorial State Forest is a state forest in Ashland County, Ohio, United States. Mohican-Memorial State Forest is used for forest research, demonstrations of good forest management, tree seed for nurseries, recreation, and protection of soil and watershed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bankhead–Jones Farm Tenant Act of 1937</span> U.S. Act which authorized a credit program to assist tenant farmers in purchasing land

The Bankhead–Jones Farm Tenant Act of 1937 was passed on July 22, 1937 and authorized acquisition by the federal government of damaged lands to rehabilitate and use them for various purposes. Most importantly, however, the law authorized a modest credit program to assist tenant farmers to purchase land, and it was the culmination of a long effort to secure legislation for their benefit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Okefenokee Swamp Park</span>

Okefenokee Swamp Park is located 12 miles south of Waycross, Georgia, United States. The park is accessed by taking the Vereen Bell Memorial Highway to the southern side of the Cowhouse Island. This is the northernmost entry point to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. The Okefenokee Swamp is the most extensive blackwater swamp in North America and covers over 438,000 acres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia State Route 177</span>

State Route 177 (SR 177) is a 29.5-mile (47.5 km) state highway in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. It exists in two distinct sections, split by the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Okefenokee Swamp, and Okefenokee Wilderness, that travels south-to-north through portions of Clinch, Ware, Charlton, and Brantley counties.

Swamp Girl is a 1971 American backcountry drama film, independently made on a low budget in Georgia by Donald A. Davis Productions, Inc., co-produced and co-written by Don Davis, Jack Vaughn and Jay Kulp. The sole name billed before the title is that of country singer Ferlin Husky, with second billing going to country singer-songwriter Claude King. The title role is played by Georgia native Simone Griffeth who receives an "Introducing" credit in her film debut.

Spirit Creek Forest is a state forest in Richmond County, Georgia. The forest is 725 acres and is managed by the Georgia Forestry Commission. The forest is mostly made up of wetlands, loblolly pines, and bottomland hardwoods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tree plantation</span> Tree farming

A tree plantation, forest plantation, plantation forest, timber plantation or tree farm is a forest planted for high volume production of wood, usually by planting one type of tree as a monoculture forest. The term tree farm also is used to refer to tree nurseries and Christmas tree farms.

References

  1. 1 2 "State Managed Forests". Georgia Forestry Commission. Archived from the original on 2022-10-18. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Human History of the Okefenokee Swamp". New Georgia Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 2022-10-17. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
  3. ↑ Thomas J. Straka; S. Knight Cox; Heather T. Irwin. "Current Use of Federal Land Utilization Projects Granted to State and Local Agencies" (PDF). Department of Forestry and Natural Resources Clemson University. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-06-08. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  4. ↑ Cypert, Eugene (October 1961). "The Effects of Fires in the Okefenokee Swamp in 1954 and 1955". The American Midland Naturalist. 66 (2): 485–503. doi:10.2307/2423049. JSTOR   2423049. Archived from the original on 2022-10-27. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  5. ↑ "History of The Georgia Forestry Commission" (PDF). Georgia Forestry Commission. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-10-23. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
  6. ↑ "Georgia forestry, Vol. 8, no. 4 (Apr. 1955)". Galileo Georgia Government Publications. Archived from the original on 2022-10-18. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
  7. 1 2 Ray, Janisse (2005). Pinhook: Finding Wholeness in a Fragmented Land. Chelsea Green Publishing. p. 168. ISBN   9781603581684.
  8. ↑ "Georgia forestry, Vol. 27, no. 3 (Sept. 1974)". Galileo Georgia Government Publications. Archived from the original on 2022-10-17. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
  9. ↑ "Sweat Farm Damage Map" (PDF). NIFC Public Information Server. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-10-18. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Big Fires Break Out Near Waycross". Georgia Outdoor News. Archived from the original on 2022-10-27. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  11. ↑ "Sweat Farm Again Map" (PDF). NIFC Public Information Server. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-10-17. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
  12. ↑ "ARRA grant turns challenges into successes". Southern Group of State Foresters. Archived from the original on 2022-10-21. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
  13. ↑ Trani & Chapman. "American Black Bear: Ursus americanus" (PDF). The Land Manager's Guide to Mammals of the South. USDA. p. 518. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-10-27. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  14. ↑ "Dixon Memorial WMA". Georgia Department of Natural Resources-Wildlife Resources Division. Archived from the original on 2022-10-20. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
  15. ↑ "Dixon Memorial Shooting Range". Georgia Department of Natural Resources - Wildlife Resource Division. Archived from the original on 2022-10-20. Retrieved October 16, 2022.

Coordinates: 31°7′13″N82°15′17″W / 31.12028°N 82.25472°W / 31.12028; -82.25472

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.