Deadhead Logging

The late 19th century brought countless changes to the face of Florida. The landscape of towering pine trees and expansive cypress swamps on the southerly peninsula invited new inhabitants and pioneered new industries, including several northern logging companies. In those early years, armed with only an ax, loggers clear cut the longleaf pine forests and harvested the giant cypress. These hundred year old pines and cypress, some thousands of years old, and subsequent hand-cut logs were then rafted together and floated downriver to nearby sawmills. It has been estimated that nearly 10 percent of these cut timbers sunk while in transit and were lost to river bottoms where they were preserved by the cool water and lack of oxygen.

Modern day craftsman highly regard the wood that is milled from these pre-cut submerged timbers, or deadhead logs, because of their great strength, durability and resistance to rot. Wood from the sunken logs, revered for its tight grain and array of colors ranging from blond to caramel to black, is up to 10 times more valuable than conventional wood. It is used to make upscale paneling, flooring and furniture.

The State of Florida claims ownership of most of the logs since they are located in sovereign submerged lands. However, logs that were originally branded by the logging companies may still be claimed by their original owners. In 2000, a moratorium prohibiting deadhead logging was lifted allowing loggers to retrieve deadhead logs from Florida water bodies upon authorization and according to specific legal and environmental conditions.

Today, the authorization is provided through DEP’s issuance of a Dredge and Fill Permit from the Submerged Lands and Environmental Resource Permitting Program and through a Use Agreement from the Governor and Cabinet serving as the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund.

The Deadhead Logging program is based out of DEP’s Northwest District Office in Pensacola. Since its inception, there have been 49 permittees with 127 permits issued extending from Escambia to Seminole counties. For additional information about deadheading a new link has just been added to the DEP’s Web site; visit www.dep.state.fl.us/water/wetlands/erp/deadhead.