Pygmy Fringe Trees add to beauty of scrub
NOTE: This is a full version of my column that appears in the print edition of The Ledger. Watch for these posts every Thursday. Most of the endangered plant species on the Lake Wales Ridge are...
View ArticleFWC bans campfires in WMAs
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials announced that campfires are banned until further notice on land the agency manages because of the extreme wildfire danger. In unincorproated...
View ArticleSmoky North Florida
I came through North Florida on I-95 a week ago and it was a little hazy, but today visibility in places was only about a quarter mile in places and that was in broad daylight. Night will likely be...
View ArticleWill We See Polk Burn Ban This Spring?
Although the weather has been mostly pleasant with mild temperatures and little rain this winter, there is a downside. These conditions increase the risk for wildfires. Polk County fire officials are...
View ArticleOutdoor Burn Ban May End Soon
Polk County Fire Chief David Cash reportedly is getting ready to lift the outdoor burning ban that was imposed earlier this year because of the wildfire threat. Cash’s decision came after the week of...
View ArticleIf Florida Wants Corridor Study, Do An Honest One
There have been a number of articles written recently about the Florida Department of Transportation’s decision to pay a couple of well-connected men $106,000 to meet with large private landowners and...
View ArticleGator Creek Closed Following Prescribed Burn
Gator Creek Reserve, a 2,700-acre Polk County Environmental Lands site in the Green Swamp Area of Critical State Concern, is closed until further notice following a prescribed fire Tuesday. Some areas...
View ArticleFlorida Forestry Officials Offer $ To Aid Landowners In Cogon Grass Fight
The Florida Forest Service is now accepting applications for the Cogongrass Treatment Cost-Share Program. Cogongrass is an invasive species that was brought to Florida decades ago and which has become...
View ArticleFlorida’s Wild Lands Need Fire
The next time you see a news report that states a wildfire “destroyed” a section of a forest, you might want to get a second opinion from a biologist. Most of Florida’s ecosystems require fire to...
View ArticleForesters Set Good Fire Record
As I have written earlier this year, fire is a good land management tool. The Florida Forest Service staff has done a good job of demonstrating this. I received a press release today that said the...
View ArticleWildfire Week highlights fire safety
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam and the Florida Forest Service are asking citizens to exercise caution with all outdoor fires during Florida’s Wildfire Awareness Week, April 10-16....
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