On Thursday, Jan. 27, Save Our Sandhills will host Beth Evans, a certified wildlife biologist, to speak about Fort Bragg and Camp Mackall’s commitment to endangered species.

The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at the Southern Pines Civic Club.

Both Fort Bragg and Camp Mackall are located within the rare longleaf pine-wiregrass ecosystem. Less than three percent of the original 92 million acres of this ecosystem still exist. This ecosystem, dependent on fire maintenance, supports a wealth of flora and fauna populations, many of which are endangered or rare.

These installations contain 23 vegetative community types with more than 1,200 plant species, approximately 200 bird species, 51 reptiles, 44 amphibians, 41 mammal species, and more than 50 known aquatic species.

Among these species, five are federally endangered; namely, the red-cockaded woodpecker, Saint Francis satyr butterfly, American chaffseed, rough-leaved loosestrife, and Michaux’s sumac. Overall, 48 species are considered rare. A few rare species of flora, such as the Sandhills lily and Sandhills pixie moss, are on the Army’s Species at Risk list, and could potentially impact military training if they become federally listed. Some rare fauna species, such as the Gopher frog, Eastern salamander, Northern pine snake, Southeastern bat, and Rafinesque big-eared bat, are also being studied for their survival and management requirements.

Of the five federally endangered species, the red-cockaded woodpecker (RCW), listed in 1970, was declining through loss of habitat by fire suppression, forest management practices and urban development. In 1990, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a jeopardy biological opinion and recommended specific military training restrictions, monitoring, surveys and habitat restoration in order to stem the decline. In 1992, Fort Bragg biologists began monitoring the RCW population, provided cavity enhancement, worked on habitat restoration and placed protective measures around cavity trees.

And in 2005, Fort Bragg succeeded in reaching its goal of 350 breeding pairs with assistance from the Sandhills Conservation Partnership and was able to reduce training restrictions by 50 percent.

The Saint Francis satyr butterfly, listed in 1995, was thought to be extinct. It has been rediscovered, however, and is being studied by Fort Bragg biologists and university researchers in order to understand its survival requirements and to manage its habitat.

The three federally listed plants, American chaffseed (listed in 1992), rough-leaved loosestrife (listed in 1987), and Michaux’s sumac (listed in 1989), are found in open uplands and in wetland ecotones. The areas in which these plants are found are monitored and managed by midstory removal and frequent fire.

Beth Evans will identify these five federally endangered species and discuss their life histories and management requirements. She will also highlight a few other rare species in our globally rare longleaf pine ecosystem of the Sandhills.

Evans received a bachelor’s degree in wildlife management from the University of Vermont in 1990. Subsequently, she served as a research assistant at Eglin Air Force Base in northwest Florida, surveying RCW cavity trees and becoming a member of one of the first teams to initiate banding of these endangered birds.

Evans has been with the Fort Bragg Military Installation since 1993, working her way up from biological science technician to certified wildlife biologist. She monitors and surveys Fort Bragg’s endangered and rare flora and fauna species and is involved with all aspects of protection and habitat restoration. Nevertheless, the majority of her work pertains to the RCW. Evans also participates in the N.C. Sandhills Conservation Partnership and the N.C. Chapter of the Wildlife Society and conducts educational presentations to military personnel and the general public.

Refreshments will be served. The Southern Pines Civic Club is located at the corner of Ashe Street and Pennsylvania Avenue.