Drought Affecting WMA’s, Says Ga. DNR

Extreme drought conditions continue to effect northeast Georgia.

Smoke from wildfires in North Carolina made its way to the region Sunday, noticeable to those in Stephens County.

Meanwhile, there is a campfire restriction on multiple Georgia Wildlife Management Areas, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division.
That means that until further notice, hunters and visitors to the Wildlife Management Areas must refrain from building, maintaining, attending or using a fire or campfire. However, the Georgia DNR says that commercially available fuel stoves are excluded from restriction.

Wildlife Resources Division Chief of Game Management John Bowers says that due to the lingering and continued drought conditions, there is elevated risk of wildfire in north and central Georgia and suspending the use of campfires on Wildlife Management Areas minimizes the risk of dangerous wildfires that threaten public safety and forest resources.
Bowers says this action is consistent with the policy recently established for National Forest Lands by the USDA Forest Service and is supported by the Georgia Forestry Commission.

In addition, Wildlife Management Areas located on Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest land are subject to the fire restriction policy established by the USDA U.S. Forest Service, which dictates that campfires are restricted to developed recreation areas only, and confined within receptacles designed for fire in developed campsites.

Stephens and surrounding counties all remain in a state of extreme drought, the second-worst level of drought status on the U.S. Drought Monitor.

However, the worst kind of drought, exceptional drought status, has made its way into White County.