We are very thankful for Rhett and Dean. While our organization was not the focus of this video, we look forward to celebrating our 30th anniversary in 2025!

@@TheLongleafAlliance Thanks. I just think the founding of the LA should always be mentioned because some people seeing your video don't know that - sort of an introductory for newcomers. Maybe it adds one minute or less to any video you produce. My wife and I have been supporters of the LA site its beginning.

Thank you for bringing this forward.

We agree that the beauty of longleaf pine ecosystems is that they support a diversity of plants and animals. When restoring an area, you want to select other species that can be burned early and regularly alongside the young longleaf pines - like many native groundcover species. Shrubs and others species of trees have a place in the longleaf landscape too, but the trees you mention would need a longer establishment period before burning.

​​​​​@@TheLongleafAlliance The Longleaf Ecosystem isn't something I would call a Restoration. It's not natural when there are trees missing. In my yard I had the natural Ecosystem until Hurricane Rita. I had nearly century old Long Leaf, Shortleaf, Southern Red Oak, Black Jack Oak, Post Oak, Sand Post Oak, Dogwood, Huckleberry and Crab Apple. The number of southern Red Oak equalled the number of Longleaf and we burned this off Every Year so that the broomsedge grass could come back green. My mom and I picked enough huckleberries to make jelly every year. My yard is starting to bring back what is missing despite my attempts at planting non-native Oak trees.

@@GoneCarnivore Habitat restoration is a long-term game. Planting trees doesn't mean the job is done. The scale of these projects matter too; landowners and land managers will be the first to tell you their properties have a host of different habitats.

@@GoneCarnivoreYour last comment seems to have disappeared or been edited so the content is much different than it was originally, which is very confusing to anyone who might see these comments down the road. We are glad your property is recovering well after Hurricane Rita, but suggest you reach out directly to us if you would like to continue this discussion: longleafalliance.org/contact/

Great questions! The first burn isn't necessarily more difficult to "control" as a lot of specific site factors come into play to determine the complexity of the prescribed fire. That said, there can be a good amount of prep work that goes in initially (like fire break creation) that can gets easier over time. As for assistance and cost, most state forestry agencies will come out to visit a landowner free of charge and create a burn plan for them (also free of charge). If the landowner would like their state agency personnel to conduct understory burning, plow firebreaks, etc. there's typically fees associated depending upon multiple factors such as the state, number of personnel needed, and equipment needed. Here's a link to South Carolina Forestry Commission's website that provides fee/rental services and equipment as an example (www.scfc.gov/management/landowner-services/fee-rental-services/). Private burn contractors are also available for these services but can be more expensive. Depending on where the landowner lives, renting a burn trailer may also be an affordable option as they typically provide a lot of equipment for an average rental fee of around $100/day. Please reach out if you'd like more specific information for your location at longleafalliance.org/contact/

Exactly right! We meant to say applying herbicide on cogongrass is best when the plant measures at least 12 inches. We don't want to meet 12 foot cogongrass!!!

Hi Tim - thanks for the question about fire timing and ground nesting birds like quail and turkey. Timing of prescribed fire is a balance between burning objectives and burn windows. In general, a very small portion of land in the Southeast is burned each year (and only a portion of those occurring during nesting). Burning in the fall could be an option for some, but there are tradeoffs for promoting groundcover and controlling woody encroachment. For example, fall burning would prevent seed production for many native grasses and fall flowering species. Burn windows in the fall tend are also hit or miss - think about the extreme precipitation fluctuations we see from year to year in the fall. We may experience droughts (and wildfire potential) to tropical storm/hurricane rain events. Would be happy to connect further on this subject if you'd like - drop us a note at longleafalliance.org/contact/

Hopefully the fire didn't burn too hot, if it burns too hot it'll kill off seed banks and sap moisture from the soil

@@nathana5549 It was hot, I will keep that in mind. Thank you

We recommend this online resource: sites.cnr.ncsu.edu/southeast-fire-update/insurance// to get started on the subject. But please send us a message (longleafalliance.org/contact/) and we'd be happy to discuss this more!

The biggest contributor to wildlife quail decline is habitat destruction. How can you be so short-minded to assume these people are responsible for it?