GROWING TOWARD THE FUTURE
AHERO Hosts A Meeting of the Minds on Land Management and Preservation
By Connie Conway
On June 4th this year , a group of AHEROsupporting landowners , Veterans and volunteers met with Lee Stuckey and land management experts to learn about issues and solutions affecting the woodlands and fields that AHERO ' s wounded and injured Veterans hunt . They focused on the following topics :
• The use of controlled burns in preserving the health and viability of private lands to support wildlife and plant growth
• The rising problem of wild-hog infestation and how to combat its destructiveness
• Career opportunities open to Veterans whose military training and discipline make them ideal candidates for employment in the landmanagement field
Present among those attending were Allen Deese of The Wildlife Group ; Jason Stevens , whose land management team takes care of the 30,000 acres belonging to the tribal lands of the Poarch Creek Band of Indians ; and John McGuire , director of Tall Timbers Private Lands Prescribed Fire Initiative .
In addition to describing the benefits to the land of controlled burns , McGuire later stated his intent , going forward , to : “ connect Veterans with the restorative power of stewarding the land and to develop the skilled workforce needed to expand prescribed-fire use . That is the powerful concept that our new ‘ intern ,’ Major Lee Stuckey , is working on . Through the Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Internship Program , Lee is helping Tall Timbers Research Station & Land Conservancy identify creative ways to make this a reality .”
Tall Timbers is an internationally recognized research station with over 60 years of experience studying fire-adapted ecosystems and advocating for prescribed fire use . “ The partnership between AHERO and Tall Timbers makes sense ,” McGuire added .
AHERO Magazine ’ s Winter 2021-22 issue will feature a full story on Tall Timbers and its programs .
36 AHERO MAGAZINE SUMMER 2021
The following representatives from various organizations attended the April ‘ 21 land-management meeting at AHERO Farm :
John McGuire with Tall Timbers
The Coles with the Order of the Purple Heart
Dr . Bill Puckett and his team from the Department of Soil and Water Conservation
Rod Pinkston and his team from Jager Pro
Rick Oates , the Alabama State Forester and his Macon County Foresters
Jason Stevens from the Poarch Creek Band of Indians
Robert Trincado and his team from the National Interagency Prescribed Fire Training Center
Country Music singer-songwriter Kevin Adair
Lee Stucky and the AHERO team
Use of controlled burns is an effective tool for preserving the health and beauty of private and public woodlands .