Schools Get Largest-Ever Take from Forestry

At the Oct. 7 meeting of the county commission, Matthew Johnson, operations manager for Tate's Hell State Forest, presented the annual report from the state Division of Forestry (DOF).

Johnson told commission that the DOF presented the Franklin County School system with over $80,000, the largest amount to date.

Every year DOF returns 15 percent of total revenue collected from state forests to the counties where the revenue was generated. This includes revenue from timber sales, recreation permits, apiary leases, firewood permits, and miscellaneous sources.

On June 5, Forester David Morse delivered a check for a little more than $81,916 to the school board for revenue generated on Tate's Hell State Forest during the 2006-2007 fiscal year. This is the largest check delivered to the board since Tate's Hell was established as a state forest.

During the 2007-08 season, DOF firefighters responded to 27 wildfires during the year, burning 2426.5 acres. The most common cause of fire was lightning, which started 10 fires and burned 64 acres.

Five fires resulting from arson/incendiary burned 105 acres; five fires caused by debris burning burned 17 acres; and four fires of unknown origin burned 2,240 acres, for a total of 2,426 acres burned by wildfire last season.

Johnson said 284 authorizations for legal outdoor burning were issued during the year involving 107,624 acres in Franklin County. Smoke management and outdoor burning authorizations continue to become more important as more people move into Franklin County. An authorization is issued only when DOF is satisfied the smoke would not create a hazard.

The department assisted private landowners on three occasions with fire-line plowing and burning assistance on their property, collecting a total of $658 in revenue.

 State Fire Protection Rate Skyrockets

 In 2008 the Florida Legislature amended Florida Statute 125.27 by increasing the per-acre rate, from three cents to seven cents, each county must pay toward countywide fire protection of forests and wild lands. During the last fiscal year, Franklin County paid a little more than $1,378 for protection of 45,949 acres, with the state paying the remainder of the total cost of nearly $61,818.

As outlined in the Amended, Cooperative Franklin County Fire Control Agreement - 2008, the county will be expected to pay a little more than $4,142 for protection of 59,173 acres, with the state paying the remainder of the nearly $74,352. Annual variances in acreage are due to improvements in mapping technology and changes in information provided from Florida Natural Areas Inventory and the United States Geological Survey.

 St. James Bay Honored

 In April 2008 the St. James Bay Community was recognized as a "Firewise Community." Agreements were signed with property owners of 222 vacant lots for DOF to conduct prescribed burn in St. James Bay to reduce hazardous fuels. As of March, 180 of these lots had been burned.

Firewise Communities/USA recognizes communities that demonstrate the spirit, resolve and willingness to take responsibility as a partner in wildfire protection. The program seeks to help prevent and reduce losses to wildland from urban interface fire, and foster community participation in applying Firewise principles. Administered by DOF, the program works to educate homeowners and community managers, assist with fuel reduction and implement defense procedures in the event of a wildfire.