U.S. Military to the Rescue for Endangered Woodpecker

The red-cockaded woodpecker (RCW), Picoides borealis, is an endangered species native to the southeastern United States. The Army Corps of Engineers states that it is found in stands of pine that average 85 years old. Longleaf pine is the preferred habitat but other southern pines are also used by this bird for its colonies. These woodpeckers excavate cavities in living trees for their nests.

The United States military has a number of installations throughout the range of the red-cockaded woodpecker. The military has been very active in supporting conservation efforts to increase the numbers of this species.

The U.S. Army Environmental Command (USAEC) reports on its website as of the summer of 2008:

"From 1998 to 2006, Army posts have experienced a 43% increase in active red-cockaded woodpecker clusters. That's 31 percent higher than the population increase rates of national forests and 14 percent higher than the rate of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service land holdings. " The Army has issued management guidelines for the RCW on Army installations.

Fort Benning, Georgia, houses over 130,000 soldiers along with civilian employees and soldiers' families. It has an active RCW program that involves foresters, wildlife personnel and even firefighters. Frequent fires help maintain the open pine stands favored by the woodpecker. The post is also now planting longleaf pine instead of loblolly pine in reforestation areas. The Benning website reports that there are 287 known colonies or clusters that are active with about 700 birds. 953 artificial cavities have been installed in some locations where natural cavities are limited. The Fort's goal is 360 active breeding clusters.

Benning has been able to trap and send some 145 birds to other locations in the Southeast where breeding populations of the RCW are being established.

Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, houses about 40,000 Marines, along with their families and civilian personnel. It also has an active RCW program, having begun with 49 active clusters in 1999 headed to a goal of 173 active clusters.

Fort Bragg, North Carolina is another post working to preserve the red-cockaded woodpecker. It has 81,200 acres of longleaf pines to serve as a habitat for the RCW. The post houses two separate subpopulations of woodpeckers.

Eglin Air Force Base, Florida and Fort Polk, Louisiana, are two other military installations with populations of the red-cockaded woodpecker.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has this to say about military conservation efforts on behalf of the red-cockaded woodpecker:

"From 1994 to 2002, red-cockaded woodpecker populations increased as much as 50 percent at six military installations that include primary core populations required for delisting. These are Eglin Air Force Base (Florida), Fort Benning (Georgia), Fort Bragg (North Carolina), Fort Polk (Louisiana), Fort Stewart (Georgia), and Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune (North Carolina)."

The military's conservation efforts will continue.