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The Story of the Savannah River
Chapter 1: The Beginning (1950–1969)
The story of the Savannah River began in 1950, when the U.S. government, then operating through the Atomic Energy Commission, started purchasing land for a new national project. At the time, the landscape looked very different from what we see today. In 1951, about 44% of the land was forested, mostly along streams and the Savannah River. Another 38% was farmland, and the remaining 18% consisted of abandoned fields slowly growing back into forest. Years of heavy farming had left much of the soil in need of restoration.
Because of the Forest Service's ability to manage and maintain forests, an agreement was initiated between the AEC and the USFS to repair the land. The Forest Service launched a massive reforestation effort. Its mission was to stop erosion, reduce dust and weeds, protect groundwater, improve timber stands and rebuild healthy forests.
A planting crew plants pine trees by hand circa 1950's.
Each year, the agency planted about 10 million seedlings. In 1955, it introduced a new method called “prescription planting,” which made the work faster and more successful. By 1960, the 75 millionth pine tree had been planted, and more than 59,000 acres had been restored. That same year, the Forest Service began planting longleaf pine using direct seeding. As the decade continued, the agency expanded its role by supporting scientific research on the site. By 1968, the first pulpwood harvest took place, and the 100 millionth pine tree was planted — a major milestone in the land’s recovery.
Chapter 2: Protecting Wildlife and the Environment (1970–1989)
By the early 1970s, most of the reforestation work was complete, and the focus shifted toward improving forest quality and protecting wildlife. Managers concentrated on improving understocked scrub oak areas, replacing slash pine with longleaf pine, and enhancing wildlife habitat. New environmental laws also shaped how the land was managed, pushing the Forest Service to adopt more sustainable practices.
In 1975, the Savannah River Operations Office outlined a new mission for the Forest Service that emphasized protecting endangered species, improving wildlife habitat, maintaining healthy forests for research and safeguarding soil and water. One of the most significant efforts during this period involved the red-cockaded woodpecker, an endangered bird that depends on old longleaf pine forests. In 1978, only 4% of the site was managed for this species. By 1988, that number had grown to 44%, reflecting a major commitment to restoring its habitat.
Erosion effect from outflow area.
Throughout the 1970s, the Forest Service also improved secondary roads to support forest management and logging efforts. Forest managers began restoring damaged areas such as borrow pits and spoil piles, turning them back into usable natural spaces. These efforts helped shift the site from simple reforestation to a broader focus on environmental stewardship.
Chapter 3: Stewardship and Ecosystem Restoration (1990–Today)
From the 1990s onward, the Savannah River Site entered a new era of land stewardship. Instead of focusing only on trees, managers began looking at the entire landscape — species diversity, habitat structure and long-term ecological health. Their goal was to balance the site’s national mission with responsible care for its natural resources.
Today, management efforts center on creating healthy, sustainable forests, improving hardwood stands, restoring longleaf pine habitat, and replacing nonnative species with native species. Restoring natural habitats has become a major priority. This includes protecting rare plants like coneflower and pondberry, supporting species such as the red-cockaded woodpecker and wood stork, and restoring wetlands through projects like the 2004 mitigation bank. Longleaf pine ecosystems, once common across the Southeast, are being rebuilt along with the native understory plants lost during earlier farming. Stream and riverbank areas, including those at Pen Branch, have also been restored to healthy bottomland hardwood forests.
Red Cockaded Woodpecker cavity tree in a clearing recently burned with prescribed fire.
Prescribed fire is now used year-round to restore a major function of the longleaf pine ecosystem. Fire is also used prepare land for planting, reduce wildfire risk and control unwanted vegetation. New technology, such as Terrestrial LiDAR, helps monitor fuel levels more efficiently.
The Forest Service also maintains the site’s secondary roads, boundary lines and trail systems, all while supporting the broader missions of SRS. Today, the site serves as a major research area where scientists study forests, wildlife and ecosystems. The Forest Service manages the land to support conservation, provide educational opportunities and generate revenue from forest products — all while working within the unique constraints of the site’s nuclear mission.
The Legacy of SRS
From farmland to one of the most successful restoration projects in the United States, the forests of the Savannah River Site show how land can recover when people commit to long-term care. Today, SRS stands as a living example of how forests, wildlife and science can thrive together.