Lathrop Bayou Prescribed Burn ‘A Great Success’

LATHROP BAYOU, Fla. -- On Feb. 8, 2024, BLM Eastern States and its partners conducted a prescribed burn at Lathrop Bayou in the Florida Panhandle with a goal of reducing ground fuel vegetation over 561 acres of public and private land and improving the habitat for imperiled plants and animals. 

Flames lick at the base of slash pine trees in Lathrop Bayou, Fla. During a prescribed burn held by the Bureau of Land Management. The burn will improve the habitat for plants and wildlife in the area. (BLM photo by Bart Kicklighter)  

The burn was a combined effort that included Eastern States’ own Jackson Interagency Hotshot Crew, BLM Colorado’s Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire and Unaweep Wildland Fire Module, as well as U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service personnel from Tyndall Air Force Base, St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, and Panama City Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office. 

“The prescribed burn in Florida was a great success,” said BLM Eastern States State Fire Management Officer Bart Kicklighter. “We worked with two private landowners to accomplish 561 acres consisting of BLM-managed land and the adjoining private property. These lands provide habitat for the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker, two active bald eagle nests, and numerous listed threatened and endangered plant species.” 

BLM and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff observe the prescribed burn at Lathrop Bayou, Fla. from a FWS boat. (BLM photo by Bart Kicklighter)   

The burn used two separate types of ignition techniques, in order to assure the safety of those animals and their nesting areas according to Kicklighter. In areas where the red-cockaded woodpecker is known to thrive, ground ignition methods were utilized, while unmanned aircraft systems commonly referred to as drones lit the flames over the rest of the acreage.    

A drone operated by BLM Colorado’s Unaweep Wildland Fire Module comes in for a landing after being used to ignite fires during a prescribed burn at Lathrop Bayou, Fla. Drones are used to ignite the fires remotely, and accurately, leading to increased safety for all involved. (BLM photo by John Norton-Jensen) 

Taking that extra precaution was important, as was the entire burn which should be conducted every 2-4 years according to Patty Kelly, a wildlife biologist with the US Fish & Wildlife Service’s Florida Ecological Services Field Office. 

“Lathrop Island is an ecological hidden gem with rattlesnakes big enough to knock you over and many endemic species,” said Kelly. “It is thrilling to witness the beauty of a prescribed burn, knowing that the 3 federally listed plants, multitude of state listed plants, and the last red-cockaded woodpeckers known to Bay County will benefit from the outcome of this collaborative effort. The Fish and Wildlife Service appreciates the active and continual collaboration with BLM to manage the habitat that moves species recovery forward."  

A red-cockaded woodpecker returns to it's nest with a captured flying insect. The Lathrop Bayou burn aimed to help animals, including the red-cockaded woodpecker, thrive.(U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service photo) 

Prescribed burns reduce the threat of wildfire by thinning trees and brush, and removing fuel like branches, needles and leaves in a more controlled manner. This helps to reduce the severity of naturally occurring fires, as well as slowing their spread. In a fire-adapted ecosystem like longleaf pine, these burns help to start various stages of plant succession, which is beneficial to wildlife as well. 

All trees known to house red-cockaded woodpeckers and bald eagle nests were found to be in great shape after the burn, with follow-up monitoring for the burn area planned for the spring and summer, according to BLM Eastern States fire management specialist John Norton-Jensen.  

A bald eagle nest on a longleaf pine tree following a prescribed burn held by BLM Eastern States at Lathrop Bayou, Fla. Following the burn, all bald eagle nests in the area were checked and found to be in good condition. (BLM photo by John Norton-Jensen) 

Along with wildlife, the burn will improve conditions for the growth of longleaf pine trees. Estimated to have been the dominant species over 90 million acres from Virginia to Texas, prior to European settlement of America, the longleaf now covers about 5% of that original range. 

BLM Eastern States State Fire Management Officer Bart Kicklighter stands in front of longleaf pine trees following a prescribed burn held by BLM at Lathrop Bayou, Fla. The burn will reduce the chance of wildfires while improving the habitat for plants and animals in the area. (BLM photo by John Norton-Jensen) 

Funding for the prescribed burn at Lathrop Bayou comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, a major investment in the conservation and stewardship of America’s public lands. The law is meant to improve outdoor spaces and habitats for people and wildlife for generations to come by providing funds for fuel treatments to help reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire and improve wildlife habitat.