gopher tortoise

Sansavilla, GA lies at the heart of Georgia’s forest industry. Its well-managed forests annually support more than 130 timber-related jobs and contribute $13.2 million in timber sales and shipments.

The gopher tortoise earned its name for good reason – because it likes to dig and spends much of its time underground. The gopher tortoise, the Southeast’s only land-dwelling tortoise, burrows in the sandy soils below longleaf pine forests where it can escape heat and danger. Its burrows are popular...

Did you know the Forest Legacy Program is the only federal grant program focused on the permanent protection of important private forestland, conserving over 2.5 million acres to date? This incentive-based and voluntary program managed by the U.S. Forest Service conserves working forests and...