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Monday 7am - 4pm Tuesday 7am - 4pm Wednesday 7am - 4pm Thursday 7am - 4pm Friday 7am - 4pm Saturday 7am - 4pm Sunday 7am - 4pm

Florida Forest Service - Blackwater Forestry Center

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Florida Forest Service - Blackwater Forestry Center

The Florida Forest Service - Blackwater Forestry Center serves Escambia, Santa Rosa,Okaloosa counties This page is not always monitored.

Official page for the Florida Forest Service – Blackwater Forestry Center. In case of an emergency, please call 911!

09/01/2026

Beginning today, non-industrial, private forest landowners can apply for the 2026 Southern Pine Beetle Assistance and Prevention Program.

08/06/2026

🏹 Save The Dates 🏹

The first of three fundraiser archery contests for the Blackwater branch of Operation Outdoor Freedom starts in September at Gum Creek Lodge in Baker.

New for this year is the "Backwoods Triple Crown Archery Series." Shooters can participate in one or all of the events as they choose with divisions for hunters, women, youth and traditional archery with prizes for the top spots.

The top scorers in each division who shoot ALL THREE events will win a custom belt buckle to commemorate the series.

Dates:
Sept. 12 at Gum Creek Archery, Baker.
Sept. 26 at 12364 Environmental Center Road, Holt.
Oct. 11 at the Munson Community Heritage Festival @ Krul Lake.

Further details in the attached flyer or call Amanda at 850.240.3191 or Joe at 850.206.2675

06/19/2026

UPDATE- June 22, 2026
Coldwater Recreation Area has reopened but some roads within Blackwater River State Forest remain close because of water over the roadway.

Please see Santa Rosa County Emergency Management below for the latest updates.

🚫 Closures at Blackwater River State Forest 🚫
Recent rains have brought flood conditions to some areas of northern Santa Rosa County, and officials at Blackwater River State Forest have closed the campground and horse stables at Coldwater Recreation Area through at least Sunday.
In addition to these facility closures, several forest roads have been impacted and are not safe to access. Visitors are urged to use extreme caution, find alternative routes, and avoid flooded areas.
For a complete list of road closures, visit Santa Rosa County Emergency Management

05/06/2026

🚨 Forecast Drags Wildfire Season into Heart of Summer 🚨

Florida’s already active fire season likely will extend further into the summer, pushing dangerous wildfire conditions past what is typically considered the state’s dry period, according to outlooks released by the National Interagency Fire Center.

04/16/2026

National Arbor Day Tree Giveaways Scheduled

Join us in celebrating National Arbor Day and Earth Day with three events in our district.
Saturday, April 18: In Escambia County, the City of Pensacola is hosting a tree giveaway starting at 10 a.m. at Bayview Park. Available trees include white oak, redcedar, bald cypress, maple, chinquapin, fringe, mayhaw, flatwood plum, pawpaw, and sweetbay.
Wednesday, April 22: Santa Rosa County is hosting a tree giveaway at Bagdad Mill Site Park (6953 Main Street, Bagdad) from 9 a.m. until noon or all trees are gone. The event will include nature-related booths, and water and snacks. Available trees include red maple, Virginia willow/sweetspire, sand live oak, and highbush blueberry in 1-gallon containers. There is a limit of one tree/plant per person/family limit.
Friday, April 24: The town of Century in Escambia County is holding a tree giveaway at the Century Ag Building on Highway 4 from 9 a.m. until trees are gone. Tree species include mayhaw, redbud, sycamore, and sweetbay.
For more information on these events, contact Ashlee White, Santa Rosa County Senior Forester, at [email protected] or (850) 626-3028; or contact Cathy Hardin, Escambia County Senior Forester, at [email protected] or call (850) 587-5237.

04/15/2026

The Florida Forest Service is working a 50-acre wildfire on Blackwater River State Forest and have it 85% contained and there are no structures threatened. The fire is located just south of State Road 4 about 5 miles east of State Road 87.

Crews have lines around the entire fire and there is little to no active flame but with current drought conditions, organic materials in the soil have ignited and are smoldering well beneath the surface causing increased smoke and poor visibility along area roads especially during the early morning hours.

Motorists in the area bounded by SR 4 to the north, SR 87 to the west, Springhill Road to the south and Munson Highway to the east should use extreme caution while driving. If you encounter smoke on the road, slow down, treat it as fog, turn on your low-beam headlights and allow extra space between other vehicles. If visibility becomes too poor to proceed, pull all the way off the road and turn on your emergency flashers.

Firefighters are working to mitigate smoke from this fire using heavy equipment and a complex sprinkler system drawing water from nearby creeks as well as mopping where possible using brush trucks and water tenders.

04/07/2026

Today, during Florida Wildfire Awareness Week, Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson and the Florida Forest Service are urging Floridians to take steps now to be prepared for what is forecasted to be an extremely active peak wildfire season.

Address

11650 Munson Highway
Milton, FL
32570

Opening Hours

Monday	7am - 4pm
Tuesday	7am - 4pm
Wednesday	7am - 4pm
Thursday	7am - 4pm
Friday	7am - 4pm
Saturday	7am - 4pm
Sunday	7am - 4pm

Telephone

+18509575701

Website

http://www.FDACS.gov/FLForestService

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