Forest Protection and Habitat Partnership

Objectives

Prescribed fire is one of the most beneficial wildlife habitat management tools. Additionally, prescribed fire is an important tool to mitigate wildfire risk and increase forest health. It is also often the most cost-efficient ways to improve habitat and forest health.
The benefits of prescribed fire are amplified when applied across a landscape. While quail, turkey, deer, songbird, and other wildlife benefit from prescribed fire on one property, the benefits to wildlife populations are greatly increased at larger scales. Wildfire risk is also decreased as more properties use prescribed fire to reduce hazardous fuels. Use of prescribed fire on your property benefits your neighbors and your neighbors use of prescribed fire benefits you!
To help landowners increase use of prescribed fire in this landscape, Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division and Georgia Forestry Commission have partnered together on an innovative program to assist landowners with no cost to them in most instances.

Benefits

Through this program Georgia Forestry Commission will assist landowners to install fire breaks and implement prescribed fire. This prescribed fire will be used to achieve goals of a wildlife habitat management plan that is developed in cooperation with Wildlife Resources Division wildlife biologists. This program will also help reduce long-term risk of wildfire in the landscape by reducing hazardous fuels. In most cases, the landowner will have no out of pocket expenses.

Who is Eligible?

Any landowner within 5 miles of the Moody Forest WMA Boundary is eligible for the program. Landowners will be prioritized based on existing wildlife habitat quality and potential habitat improvement. Priority will be placed on the first 250 acres of prescribed fire per landowner. Program is limited to 5,000 acres in the landscape.