Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest

The Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests, spanning nearly 867,000 acres across northern Georgia, are a haven of natural beauty and ecological significance. These forests are composed of two distinct areas: the Chattahoochee National Forest and the Oconee National Forest. Despite their differences, they are collectively referred to as the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests and jointly support diverse ecosystems, including rolling hills, rugged mountains, and pristine waterways.

In recent years, these forests have faced significant environmental challenges. Wildfires, particularly in areas like the Cohutta Wilderness, have grown more intense and frequent, leaving the land vulnerable to erosion and habitat loss. Prolonged droughts and climate change further stress the ecosystems, complicating natural recovery. Additionally, invasive species and human impacts disrupt the delicate ecological balance.

This replanting initiative focuses on restoring native vegetation in damaged areas to stabilize soils, reduce erosion, and enhance biodiversity. Native tree species such as longleaf pine, loblolly pine, red oak, and hickory will be planted, along with berry-producing shrubs that provide food and habitat for wildlife. These efforts benefit animals like black bears, white-tailed deer, wild turkey, the eastern box turtle, and the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker.

As part of this initiative, two major reforestation projects have already made significant progress in restoring these forests. In 2021, the Walden Hollow Reforestation project planted 391,000 longleaf and shortleaf pine seedlings across 573 acres, helping to combat the effects of insect and disease outbreaks while providing long-term habitat for endangered species like the red-cockaded woodpecker. The following year, the Longleaf Pine Restoration project added 385,000 trees to the landscape, focusing on long-lived, fire-resistant species that support the recovery of native ecosystems and enhance biodiversity.

By planting fire-resilient species, the project supports wildlife habitats, improves water quality, and contributes to global climate change mitigation through carbon sequestration. These efforts aim to ensure the forests’ long-term health and sustainability for future generations.

In parallel with these efforts, the Montane Longleaf Pine Restoration project is set to launch in 2025, encompassing areas in the Chattahoochee National Forest in Georgia and the Tallapoosa Wildlife Management Area in Alabama. This initiative will plant 328,248 montane longleaf pine trees across approximately 1,000 acres, implement controlled burns across 24,000 acres of existing habitats, and develop a long-term forest management plan. Additionally, data will be collected on key species such as the pine snake to guide future conservation efforts. With this comprehensive approach, the project seeks to enhance biodiversity, restore natural processes like fire, and protect threatened species such as the red-cockaded woodpecker, solidifying the role of these ecosystems in climate change mitigation and community development.