Mission
Avon Park Air Force Range (APAFR) plays an important role in the training of the men and women that defend our nation. The largest bombing and gunnery range east of the Mississippi River, APAFR has approximately 400 square miles of restricted airspace and 1,000 square miles of military operating area. Located in central Florida in Polk and Highlands Counties, APAFR’s 106,000 acres provide an important training facility for active duty, guard, and reserve military units from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard.
The Range is home to other organizations, such as the State of Florida Juvenile Academy, the Florida National Guard, and the Avon Park Correctional Institution. The Range also hosts civilian public safety and homeland security unit training including the South Florida Community College Law Enforcement Academy’s training activities. Other programs that contribute to the economies of Highlands and Polk County include outdoor recreation, cattle grazing, forest management and timber sales. The Range’s environmental stewardship program protects the unique plant and animal habitats and cooperates with The Nature Conservancy and Archbold Biological Station to study and protect the rare plants and endangered species inhabiting the Range.
Environmental
Range Environmental Stewardship Program
The US Air Force, as a federal agency, implements federal laws to provide environmental protection and compliance for the lands and waters of the Avon Park Air Force Range (APAFR). The environmental stewardship program is focused on three major areas: management of the installation’s cultural and natural resources; identifying, investigating, and cleaning up spill or chemical release sites, and ensuring compliance with current federal and state environmental laws and regulations.
Natural Plant Communities
The Range has an exceptionally rich and diverse flora, with many rare, threatened, and endangered plants. To date, botanists have cataloged more than 1,200 different plant species at APAFR. Approximately 47% of all the native plants known from central Florida have been documented at APAFR. This is in part due to the presence of relatively large areas of fairly intact, frequently burned natural vegetation. Field surveys have revealed numerous rare plants and have led to the discovery of several plants that have been described as “New to Science”. Ongoing surveys of these habitats consistently reveal new and interesting rare plants. Of the rare plants at APAFR, 13 are globally imperiled (known from fewer than 20 locations worldwide) and two are federally listed: pigeon-wings and wireweed. (Common names) Many others are currently under review for possible listing as federally protected plants.
The primary tool used to manage rare plant populations is to mimic a natural fire regime by applying prescribed lightning season fire to the landscape. Many of the rare plants at Avon Park Air Force Range exhibit a fire-stimulated flowering response. Our monitoring efforts include documenting rare plant locations by using Geographic Information Systems global positioning technology to record population sizes and locations. More recent management strategies include removal of woody encroachment in rare plant sites that were historically fire suppressed and removal of feral hogs from sensitive plant sites that are being altered by destructive hog rooting.
Endangered Species on the Range
APAFR is home to over 12 federally threatened and endangered and numerous state species of special concern. Although the habitat of all species is managed to enhance their survival, the Avon Park environmental stewardship program has focused on following three listed species:
- The Red-Cockaded Woodpecker (RCW) occurs in mature pine forest. RCWs excavate cavities in live pine trees, as opposed to excavating cavities in the softened wood of dead trees. RCW are found in longleaf pine forests with low understory (known as “flatwoods”). The RCW feeds on beetles, ants, insect larvae, spiders, wood roaches, some fruit and seeds. Management of Red-cockaded woodpecker populations has been ongoing since the 1970’s. Our goal is conservation of our longleaf pine forests by replicating the natural fire regime with prescribed fires. Artificial nest cavities are installed in live longleaf pines where natural cavities are in short supply. Also, birds are captured from other Florida populations and released in APAFR to maintain genetic diversity.
- The Florida Scrub-Jay (FSJ) is found only in Florida and is restricted to dry oak scrub. Jays are omnivorous, eating fruits, seeds, invertebrates, reptiles, birds, eggs, and small mammals. Acorns, a crucial food source in late winter, are cached in the fall in open spaces between shrubs. Overgrown scrub (unburned for 15 years or more) becomes unsuitable for FSJ; acorn production and open ground decrease while predators and competitors increase. Our goal is to maintain the oak scrub habitat in prime condition for FSJ by periodic application of prescribed fire. Over-mature scrub is treated with saw and tractor so that fire can once again play its role: preserving a natural scrub ecosystem.
- The Florida Grasshopper Sparrow (FGS) is small nondescript bird endemic to the dry prairie habitat of Avon Park. It is found in only two other protected locations: the Kissimmee Prairie Preserve and Three Lakes Wildlife Area. FGS will avoid areas near tall trees or shrubs. It nests on the ground in clumps of low shrubs, palmetto or grass from April through August. The bird requires a large expanse of dry prairie with low vegetation, one foot in height or less. Natural fires are needed to maintain habitat in good condition. Our management actions for this species include prescribed fire, grazing management to avoid overuse of crucial prairie habitat, and reduction of off-site slash pines, oaks, and other plants which encroach on the historic prairie habitat.
Environmental Restoration Cleanup & Compliance Program
The Air force has identified over 70 sites where there is evidence of previous chemical releases that may require clean-up. They range from cattle dip sites that were used in the early 1900’s to old landfills and sites were petroleum spills have occurred. The Air Force partners with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) to ensure that the appropriate site investigations and clean-up strategies are implemented. To date, over 70 sites have been investigated; for 60 of the sites investigated, it has been confirmed either that no clean-up is required or that they have been treated.
Current Range activities are continuously monitored to ensure all actions comply with state and federal laws and regulations. The Air Force has obtained all required permits from the FDEP and federal agencies for our activities. They include permits for monitoring stormwater run-off in the industrial areas to permits for the collection and management of hazardous waste. The Air Force employs a staff of environmental specialists to monitor all permitted activities.
Conservation & Wetlands Protection & Restoration
The Avon Park Air Force Range’s extensive natural and cultural resources are managed to maintain their unique ecological characteristics and to ensure the long term sustainability of the Range’s military training mission. The program is one of the most extensive in the Air Force and encompasses protecting wetland and endangered species habitats as well as utilizing these resources for numerous benefits.
More than 54,000 acres of wetlands are found on the APAFR. These areas are protected to make sure their ecological integrity is not compromised. The Air Force is currently working with the US Army Corps of Engineers for the restoration of the Kissimmee River, which flows along the eastern boundary of the Range, and with the South Florida Water Management District to improve over 2,500 acres of floodplain of Arbuckle Creek, as a part of the Lake Okeechobee Protection Program.
Agriculture and Forestry
Agricultural & Forestry Programs
In addition to protecting the unique plant and animal habitats at APAFR, the Air Force manages portions of the Range for multiple-use benefits, including public recreation, cattle grazing, and forest management. These programs provide economic and social benefits to both the Air Force and local communities and citizens.
Cattle Grazing
The Air Force leases over 84,000 acres of the installation for cattle grazing. Approximately 3,500 cattle are present on the APAFR. The grazing strategy emphasizes the use of deferred grazing and herd rotation within individual pastures to maintain a healthy forage resource composed of native grasses. As in the other two revenue-generating programs, funds received from lessees are used to maintain lease improvements, including fences, cattle pens, and watering facilities.
Forest Management
Forest Management is a unique program throughout the Department of Defense. Revenue generated from the sale of forest resources is returned to the installation to offset program expenses. Over the last 25 years the program has generated over $6,000,000 with expenses of approximately $4,600,000. In accordance with public law, $650,000 has been distributed to both Highlands and Polk Counties to improve roads and schools.
Even though generating revenue is important to program stability, the primary objective is to maintain a healthy forested community. This is done by using selected forest management techniques. One commonly used method is to thin over-stocked timber stands. This reduces competition among trees, creating a strong and healthier individual tree. Residual trees are now less susceptible to drought, flooding, fire, and hurricanes which are part of the natural landscape of Florida.
The Air Force presently manages approximately 32,000 acres of various forested communities. These include 11,000 acres of planted slash pine, 15,000 acres of longleaf pine and south Florida slash, and 6,000 acres of cypress and mixed hardwood. The planted pine is managed on a 30- to 40-year rotation for commercial forest products. The longleaf pine, south Florida slash, cypress and mixed hardwoods are managed for biodiversity allowing only selected harvesting which promotes an uneven-aged structure yet maintains forest health.
Forest products are commonly sold for fence posts, mulch-wood, utility poles, and various structural lumber products.
Cultural Resources
The Air Force is actively inventorying and protecting cultural resources on the APAFR. Over 150 important sites have been identified on the Avon Park Air Force Range. They range from early European settlement sites to pre-historic Native American sites.
Public Recreation
Recreational activities on the range include hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, and wildlife viewing. The public is permitted to participate in these activities as military use allows. The Avon Park Air Force Range is a popular recreation destination in central Florida. It is considered a premier hunting location for the Osceola sub-species of the Wild Turkey. A portion of the Florida Scenic Trail passes through the Range, and the Air Force has partnered with the US Forest Service and the Florida Trail Association to maintain the trail. The Air Force charges a fee for recreational activities, and funds received are used to support the program. Further information is available at www.avonparkafr.net.