The Apalachicola National Forest is one of the largest contiguous blocks of public land east of the Mississippi River. This extensive forested area has few paved roads, making it one of the state's best habitats for wide-ranging species such as black bear. The National Forest is renowned for its longleaf pine and wiregrass ecosystem; its bay and swamp ecosystems; and its large acreage of flatwoods. It provides habitat for many rare plants and animals, including the world's largest and most viable population of the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker, as well as some of the states largest populations of game animals including turkeys, deer, and wild hogs.

More than 500,000 people visit the Apalachicola National Forest every year to camp, swim, picnic, boat, hunt, fish, hike, bicycle and horseback ride. The Trout Pond Recreation Area provides recreational opportunities for physically challenged visitors. Other sites include Florida's only federally designated scenic road, the Apalachee Savannahs Scenic Byway, the New and Sopchoppy Rivers (both being considered for designation as National Wild and Scenic Rivers), two federally designated red wilderness areas, and the Florida National Scenic Trail.

The proposed Georgia, Florida and Alabama (G.F.$ A.) Rail-Trail would compliment these and other recreational opportunities available in the Apalachee region. Once completed, it will connect Tallahassee to Sopchoppy and Carrabelle on the Gulf of Mexico.

Growth and Development

Though the Apalachicola National Forest and other public lands are conserved as part of the public trust, there still are a number of threats to these public conservation lands.

Residential development on privately owned lands within and adjacent to the National Forest's boundary is one of the biggest threats to the forest. These private holdings have a significant influence on how the public lands can be managed. For example, homes at the edge of the forest make it difficult for the Forest Service to undertake prescribed burns. A number of roads, as well as electricity and natural gas transmission lines, pass through the National Forest, fragmenting its habitat and threatening wildlife, especially the Florida black bear.

Other threats to the Apalachicola National Forest include degradation of outdoor recreation opportunities by overuse, timbering and seedling planting; increased human access; pollution of surface waters; pressures to increase timber sales; and disturbance of wilderness areas and archaeological and historic sites by road construction, recreation and maintenance facility construction.

In recent years, the U.S.D.A. Forest Service's management practices have placed less emphasis on maximizing timber harvests and more on conserving the mature forest needed to provide habitat for the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker. Emphasis also has been placed on improving recreational opportunities.

Recommendations

Minimize disturbance of riparian areas, wetlands, and significant ecological and recreational corridors.

Protect the habitat of the red-cockaded woodpecker.

Protect the route of the Florida National Scenic Trail and safeguard its use during hunting season.

Acquire Tates Hell Swamp in Franklin County and undeveloped inholdings.

The Tallahassee-Leon County Planning Department should do a critical area study for the Lake Talquin Recreation/Urban Fringe Future Land Use Category.

RARE AND ENDANGERED SPECIES IN THE NATIONAL FOREST
Animals:

Florida black bear
fox squirrel
Cooper's hawk
Florida pine snake
flatwoods salamander
Apalachicola king snake
Woodville cave crayfish
red-cockaded woodpecker

Plants:
karst pond xyris
Panhandle meadowbeauty
Chapman's crownbeard
wire-grass gentian
Florida skullcap
Drummond's yellow-eyed grass
scare-weed
West's flax
Apalachicola dragonhead
Florida beargrass
Chapman's butterwort
Godfrey's blazing star
Ashe's magnolia
Harper's beauty (found only in the forest)