Throughout the decades, as ancient pine forests were thinned out, the population of the Red-cockaded Woodpecker decreased. By 1970 the Red-cockaded Woodpecker was on the brink of extinction.
Unlike most woodpeckers that are content to build their homes in a wide variety of dead tree trunks, Red-cockaded Woodpeckers are very particular about where they make their nests. This species seeks out open stands of long leaf pine which have been living for at least 80 years. But the only trees soft enough to allow the woodpeckers to carve out a nest - a process that can take up to three years - are ones that have been infected with a disease called red-heart fungus.
A few years ago, JOE biologists discovered a group of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers—one female and several solitary males—living on St. Joe land in an old long leaf pine forest at Wetappo Creek. Our wildlife experts kept a close watch on the small community and saw that, before long, the lone female died. Without intervention, the rest of this tiny population would soon die out as well. Working in concert with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife commission, the company received permission to bring two young females from a research forest in South Carolina and introduce them into the existing population at Wetappo creek. Immediately after the release of the females in 2000, pair bonds were formed. One of the female woodpeckers reproduced that first year, and since then there have 2 to 3 new offspring every year. This initial relocation became the first in a series with the latest relocation of two pairs occurring October 24, 2006. Currently, the Wetappo Creek area supports eight active clusters of over 30 Red-cockaded Woodpeckers.
The company takes great care to monitor and track the woodpecker nests. Each spring, the eight-day old chicks are captured and carefully marked with colored leg bands so they can be monitored. If there are not enough holes in suitable host trees, the staff will help things along by drilling holes or inserting well-disguised nesting boxes in the trunks of the trees.
The key to continuing success in the effort to increase the population of the Red-cockaded Woodpecker is providing permanent protection for the forest habitat. That is the reason the company created a joint agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to manage and protect the old long leaf pine forests at Wetappo Creek in Gulf County and Lathrop Bayou in Bay County. Environmentalists hailed the agreement as a model for environmental stewardship.