Spirit Creek Forest

State forest in Georgia, United States

Spirit Creek Forest

Geography
Location| Richmond County, Georgia, United States
Area| 725 acres
Administration
Governing body| Georgia Forestry Commission
Ecology
Dominant tree species| Loblolly pines (Pinus taeda)
Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris)
and various hardwoods

Spirit Creek Forest is a state forest in Richmond County, Georgia. The forest is 725 acres and is managed by the Georgia Forestry Commission. The forest is mostly made up of wetlands, loblolly pines, and bottomland hardwoods.[1][2]

## History

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The land where Spirit Creek Forest is currently located used to belong to the Gracewood State School and Hospital. They grew their crops and raised cattle and chickens. The field where then abandoned for a period of time before being leased to local farmers. These farmers converted the land to bahia grass fields to raise cattle.[2]

In 1984, the fields were given to the Georgia Forestry Commission. In the winter of 1984–1985, loblolly pines were planted on approximately 480 acres.[2]

## Present day

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Currently, Spirit Creek Forest contains loblolly pines along with other types of timber, including longleaf pines and mixed strands of hardwood. Benefits provided by the forest include timber production, wildlife habitats, soil conservation, water conservation, aesthetics, and educational opportunities. The forest is located in the southern part of Richmond County and is 30 minutes away from Augusta, Georgia.[2]

## Spirit Creek Forest Wildlife Management Area

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The Spirit Creek Forest Wildlife Management Area is a 570 acre property adjacent to Spirit Creek Forest that provides hunting opportunities for deer, turkey and small game hunting. The area is jointly managed between the Wildlife Resources Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the Georgia Forestry Commission. The main hunting opportunities at the Spirit Creek Forest WMA include archery deer, archery turkey, squirrel, and rabbit, along with some dove and waterfowl. Only shotguns and archery equipment may be used for small game hunting. Other activities available within the Wildlife Management Area include biking, geocaching, and wildlife viewing. Several bike trails also run through the area.[3][4]

## See also

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* List of Georgia state forests

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "State Managed Forests". Georgia Forestry Commission. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
2. ^ a b c d "Spirit Creek Forest". Georgia Forestry Commission. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
3. ^ "Spirit Creek Forest - WMA Hephizibah". Georgia Department of Natural Resources - Wildlife Resources Division. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
4. ^ "Spirit Creek Forest Wildlife Management Area". Explore Georgia. Retrieved November 8, 2018.

## External links

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* Spirit Creek Forest, Georgia Department of Natural Resources

* v
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Protected areas of Georgia

Federal|

| National Historical Parks,
historic sites and military parks|

* Andersonville NHS
* Jimmy Carter NHP
* Martin Luther King Jr. NHP
* Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park
* Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
* Ocmulgee Mounds NHP

|

National monuments|

* Fort Frederica
* Fort Pulaski

National forests|

* Chattahoochee–Oconee

National wildlife refuges|

* Banks Lake
* Blackbeard Island
* Bond Swamp
* Eufaula
* Harris Neck
* Okefenokee
* Piedmont
* Savannah
* Wassaw
* Wolf Island

National Natural Landmarks|

* Heggie's Rock
* Marshall Forest
* Okefenokee Swamp
* Panola Mountain
* Wassaw Island

Wilderness areas|

* Big Frog Wilderness
* Blood Mountain Wilderness
* Brasstown Wilderness
* Cohutta Wilderness
* Cumberland Island National Seashore
* Ellicott Rock Wilderness
* Mark Trail Wilderness
* Okefenokee Wilderness
* Raven Cliffs Wilderness
* Rich Mountain Wilderness
* Southern Nantahala Wilderness
* Tray Mountain Wilderness

Wild and scenic rivers|

* Chattooga River

National trails|

* Appalachian Trail
* Pinhoti National Recreation Trail

Other protected areas|

* Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area
* Cumberland Island National Seashore
* Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary
* Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve

State|

| Parks|

* Amicalola Falls
* Black Rock Mountain
* Chattahoochee Bend
* Cloudland Canyon
* Crooked River
* Don Carter
* Elijah Clark
* F.D. Roosevelt
* Florence Marina
* Fort Mountain
* Fort Yargo
* General Coffee
* George L. Smith
* George T. Bagby
* Georgia Veterans
* Hamburg
* Hard Labor Creek
* High Falls
* Indian Springs
* Jack Hill
* James H. "Sloppy" Floyd
* Laura S. Walker
* Little Ocmulgee
* Magnolia Springs
* Mistletoe
* Moccasin Creek
* Panola Mountain
* Providence Canyon
* Red Top Mountain
* Reed Bingham
* Richard B. Russell
* Sapelo Island
* Seminole
* Skidaway Island
* Smithgall Woods
* Sprewell Bluff
* Standing Boy Creek
* Stephen C. Foster
* Sweetwater Creek
* Tallulah Gorge
* Tugaloo
* Unicoi
* Victoria Bryant
* Vogel
* Watson Mill Bridge

|

Historic parks
and sites|

* A. H. Stephens
* Chief Vann House
* Dahlonega Gold Museum
* Etowah Indian Mounds
* Fort McAllister
* Fort King George
* Fort Morris
* Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation
* Jarrell Plantation
* Jefferson Davis Memorial
* Kolomoki Mounds
* Lapham–Patterson House
* Lebanon Plantation
* Little White House
* New Echota
* Pickett's Mill Battlefield
* Robert Toombs House
* Travelers Rest
* Wormsloe

Forests|

* Bartram
* Broxton Rocks
* Dawson
* Dixon Memorial
* Hightower
* Paulding
* Spirit Creek

Other|

* Centennial Olympic Park
* Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center
* Jekyll Island
* Len Foote Hike Inn
* Radium Springs
* Sapelo Island
* Stone Mountain Park

County,
municipal
and other|

| Parks|

* Bobby Brown Park
* Chehaw Park
* Cobb County Parks
* Hartwell Lakeside
* John Tanner
* McIntosh Reserve
* Murphey Candler Park
* Okefenokee Swamp Park
* Robert G. Hunter Memorial Park
* Roswell Recreation and Parks
* Seaborn Jones Memorial Park
* Shaking Rock Park

|

Forests and
nature preserves|

* Autrey Mill Nature Preserve & Heritage Center
* Fernbank Forest
* Marshall Forest
* Morningside Nature Preserve
* Phinizy Swamp Nature Park
* Reynolds Nature Preserve

Nature and environmental
education centers|

* Birdsong Nature Center
* Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center
* Chattahoochee Nature Center
* Cochran Mill Nature Center
* Dauset Trails Nature Center
* Dunwoody Nature Center
* Elachee Nature Science Center
* Georgia Nature Center
* Grand Bay Wetland Education Center
* Melvin L. Newman Wetlands Center
* Oatland Island Wildlife Center
* Oxbow Meadows Environmental Learning Center
* Panola Mountain State Park Nature Center
* Sandy Creek Nature Center
* Savannah-Ogeechee Canal Museum & Nature Center
* Tidelands Nature Center
* Tybee Island Marine Science Center
* West Atlanta Watershed Alliance Outdoor Activity Center

* Georgia Department of Natural Resources
* Georgia Forestry Commission

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