Gator Pond Restoration – Covington County

Approximately 50 acres, adjacent to Conecuh National Forest, of the longleaf pine ecosystem will be restored.

This property presents a tremendous potential for the benefit of amphibian and reptile species in greatest conservation need. Upland vegetation will be restored via prescribed burning, removal of deciduous hardwood midstory, establishment of longleaf pine and wiregrass and control of invasive weedy grasses. Gopher tortoises will be head-started due to the high mortality rate of gopher tortoise eggs and juveniles. A complex of wetlands (three) will be created to establish a breeding population of gopher frogs. Rare bat roosting habitat will also be established for the benefit of the Rafinesque’s big-eared bat and the southeastern myotis.