Trees burn, and when the majority of a base is nestled in a vast training area covered with trees, the threat of fire is constant. At Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., the Jackson Guard keeps trees and tradition alive by: guarding Eglin's wild lands

Mark Kinkade

Long before there was an Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., people protected the longleaf pine forests that covered the vast area. Today, those people are called the "Jackson Guard." But they do more than protect trees. They are the guardians of Eglin's vast wild lands.

In a plain military style building hidden behind a grove of pine trees a few miles from Eglin, approximately 44 civilian employees and contractors gather daily to look over maps, update the latest happenings and review new information about animals and plants that populate the base's enormous test ranges. It's the home of Eglin's Natural Resources Division, known for generations as the Jackson Guard.

Opinions differ about where the name came from. Some say it's a reference to an old logging road Andrew Jackson used to chase Seminole Indians during a series of campaigns in 1836. Others say the title was given when President Jackson put large portions of public land in the Florida panhandle under federal protection.

Whatever the case, the Guard takes its role of environmental steward to heart. The list of specialists working environmental issues reads like the faculty list for a good-sized college science department. It includes biologists, foresters, archaeologists, botanists and fire protection experts.

"This place can be a dream come true for people who spend their lives studying wildlife," said Bruce Hagedorn, a Jackson Guard biologist. "We have a lot of colleges that do cooperative research with us because we offer them a unique environment. It's a natural habitat, but it's faced with unique challenges posed by the military mission of the base."

Sandy Pizzolato, a soil conservation specialist, joined the Jackson Guard to help protect the Okaloosa Darter, a small fish that lives in streams throughout the test range.

"I'm helping the Air Force reach the goal of getting the fish off the endangered list," he said. "If it weren't for the fish, I probably wouldn't be here."

All this ecosystem management is done in the name of the mission. By being good stewards of the environment, the mission goes on without undue delays or pressure from regulatory agencies. But protecting Eglin's natural resources also means the Guard must sometimes deliberately destroy some of the non-native and invasive plants.

"Prescribed fire is the number one tool we use to ensure the health of the ecosystem," said Paul White, a fire management technician and forester with the Jackson Guard. "The use of fire eliminates undesirable plant species that don't belong here and allows longleaf pine, native grasses and animals that depend on it to flourish."

With more than 700 square miles of heavily wooded and grassy rangeland within the base perimeter, wildfires are persistent and ominous threat. As a result of "controlled burns" throughout the year, the potential for massive wildfires is reduced.

"We can't have 100,000 acre wildfires on Eglin," said Mr. White, who started working at Eglin in 1980. "If we conduct hazard reduction burns of thick vegetation in a controlled manner, we reduce fuel for potential catastrophic wildfires."

In the past, as many as 250 wildfires per year would occur across the reservation. But that was before Jackson Guard began controlled burns. In the early 1900's many fires would often burn unabated until they hit a creek or stream, and would often burn for weeks unchecked. Few roads on the range made it impossible for firefighters to get their equipment to the scene.

As a result of the Guard's burning, those wildfires were reduced to less than 100 per year.

"Now we've got more roads," Mr. White said. "And we have a plan. We get in, cut back the fuel source and remove the threat."

The plan has been so successful that the Air Force approved another 130,000 acres for burning in 2004. And like the guys who paint the Golden Gate Bridge, the "smoke eaters" of the Jackson Guard know their work never ends.

"When we finish burning those acres, we'll have more to do," Mr. White said. "Then the new growth will get too thick and we'll have go back and burn it again. As long as we continue to apply fire to the reservation, we nut only improve the health of the longleaf pine ecosystem, but also preserve mission flexibility."

Eglin at a Glance

Mission: Home of the 33rd Fighter Wing, 53d Wing, 46th Test Wing, 96th Air Base Wing, Aeronautical Systems Center, the Navy Joint Service Explosive Ordnance School, 919th Special Operations Wing, Air Force Research Laboratory's munitions directorate and the host unit of Air Force Logistic Command's Air Armament Center. Eglin's primary mission is to provide test and training ranges for a wide variety of Department of Defense and federal customers.

Location: Sixty miles northeast of Pensacola on Florida's "Emerald Coast." Small communities, such as Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Destin, Valparaiso and others, surround the base on three sides while the Gulf of Mexico lines the southern approach.

Getting around: By road: Highway 98 snakes along the coast near Eglin, and connects with most major routes to the base. From the Okaloosa Regional Airport, Highway 85 leads to the front gate.

Population: Eglin: Factor in active duty, reserves, civilians and family members, and the Eglin population nears 36,000 people. Nearby Fort Walton Beach: 170,000 people.

History: In 1931, the Army Air Corps was looking for a bombing and gunnery range. They found a sparsely populated forest near Valparaiso. A local businessman donated the land to entice the military to set up operations in the area. On Aug. 4, 1937, the base was redesignated Eglin Field in honor of Lt. Col. Frederick I. Eglin, U.S. Air Corps, killed on Jan. 1, 1937, in an aircraft accident. In 1940, the U.S. Forestry Service ceded to the War Department the Choctawhatchee National Forest, consisting of 384,000 acres. In 1941, the Air Corps Proving Ground was activated and Eglin became the site for Army Air Forces fighter pilot gunnery training, as well as a major aircraft-testing center.

Climate: An average annual temperature of 67.2 degrees provides just enough of a change to mark the passing of four mild seasons. High temperatures in the summer range from 80 to 91 degrees, and winter highs range from 50 to 75. Rainfall averages nearly 70 inches per year. Hurricane season is from June 1 to Nov. 30 and the base and community have detailed evacuation plans in case of a weather emergency.

Cost of Living: This location is considered a premiere vacation spot. Rent for an apartment will cost from $350 to $750 monthly; rent for a house will cost from $750 to $1,400 a month.

Recreation: If it happens on water, you can do it at Eglin. From boating to jet skiing, scuba diving to swimming, and fishing--water is a major draw for vacationers and locals alike. Also, the densely wooded undeveloped areas are prime camping, hiking, biking and hunting locations.

More Info: www.eglin.af.mil; www.afcrossroads.com; www.emeraldcoast.com.

COPYRIGHT 2004 U.S. Air Force, Air Force News Agency
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group