Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge To Add New Wildfire Buffer Zone

By Eric Durban

Atlanta, GA – The wildlife refuge is getting more than 3.5 million dollars in federal stimulus money to create a mile-wide buffer zone around its border.

Landowners will manage the area by controlling vegetation and planting fire tolerant trees. Much of the refuge's nearly 200 mile border could be affected.

Bo Chesser is a senior forester at the Georgia Forestry Commission. He says the new zone will increase forest health and protect local communities.

“We'll not only protect the infrastructure, people's homes and area communities. But it also will allow for cheaper wildfire suppression costs from a local, state and federal level.”

To stimulate the economy, landowners are required to contract the work and will be reimbursed upon completion. Chesser says the Georgia Forestry Commission is overseeing the process.

“Once the management practices have been completed we'll go back in and do a performance evaluation and make sure they met the required criteria.”

The new zone hopes to prevent destruction seen in the 2007 wildfires.