Agreement Narrative: 2021 Grouse Habitat Improvements on Cold Mountain Game Land and the Roaring Creek Tract of Pisgah Game Land.
Primary Funder: North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC)
Location: Western North Carolina
Innovation: Our project will increase capacity to conserve ruffed grouse and other “Species of Greatest Conservation Need” identified in the North Carolina State Wildlife Action Plan through forest
habitat management. The Ruffed Grouse Society & American Woodcock Society (RGS & AWS) and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) will restore habitat diversity (structure and age-class) at biologically significant landscape scales. In addition to reversing declining grouse and other
wildlife numbers, the holistic approach will strive to restore ecosystem function, benefitting
wildlife and people. By joining together, we will build capacity for impactful solutions. RGS & AWS and NCWRC seek to leverage funding and resources to improve forest habitat conditions for ruffed grouse and other forest wildlife on the Cold Mountain Game Land and the Roaring Creek Tract of Pisgah Game Land.
We will be implementing a thinning to promote desirable species for wildlife and timber value such as oak, hickory, and cherry. We will also implement small clearcut to promote age diversity and structural complexity within the forest but place the gaps where undesirable pockets of timber are located. We will be implementing a thinning to promote desirable species for wildlife and timber value such as oak, hickory, and cherry. We will also implement small clearcut to promote age diversity and structural complexity within the forest but place the gaps where undesirable pockets of timber are located.
Impact: For Cold Mountain Game Land, Partners will work together to create roadside wildlife fields across 13 acres and road maintenance to facilitate a commercial timber harvest for young forest habitat across 108 acres. The roadside field creation will be performed 50’ from the center of the access roads on both sides to provide herbaceous cover and dense brush. Combined, these treatments will diversify habitat conditions across about 400 acres.
For the Roaring Creek Tract of Pisgah Game Land, Partners will work together to determine the current conditions and desired conditions in terms of forest habitat. Partners will collect forest inventory data, analyze forest data, develop treatment recommendations, and implement active forest management treatments. Combined, these efforts will diversity forest habitat conditions across 134 acres and create a replicable and scalable model for a “dynamic forest restoration block” model at larger landscape levels. The Roaring Creek Tract is contiguous to Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy conserved lands and the Pisgah National Forest. This property will function as an anchor for dynamic forest restoration and outcomes from this Project Agreement can be leveraged for active forest management on adjacent conserved properties and with private landowners at landscape-scales.
Partners and Chapter Contributions: We will collaborate closely with NCWRC and other partners in North Carolina on implementation. Contracts will be awarded to local and regional logging contractors and service work contractors.
$11,681.88 in the Asheville NC RGS Chapter is pledged as nonfederal match to complete the project. $5,400 in the chapter’s habitat funds will go towards direct contracting (roadside daylighting) and the remainder will support our forester to oversee the treatments on the ground.
A specific logo is not needed to recognize funders or partners.
Deliverables:
- Forest Inventory of Roaring Creek Game Lands (Completed September 2022)– Conducted a forest inventory of Roaring Creek Game Lands in Avery County, North Carolina. Took the data we collected and analyzed it (statistical analysis) to understand the forest types and value and how to manage it.
- Completed 13 acres of roadside wildlife field creation at Cold Mountain Game Lands. Cleared roadsides on Cold Mountain Game Lands to get more sunlight on the road so it can stay dry and in better shape. The edge of the roads that are now open and brushy will provide better habitat.
- Assigned prescriptions to stands on Roaring Creek Game Lands for wildlife habitat (Completed September 2022)
- Completed layout of noncommercial habitat improvements on Roaring Creek Tract of Pisgah Game Lands (Completed January 2023) across 50-acres. This includes a noncommercial thinning to promote desirable hardwood trees across 37-acres, small clearcuts (group selections) ranging from 0.5 to 2 acres, totaling 7acres, and 6 acres of clearcut.
- Developed contract prospectus for service work contracting (Completed January 2023)
