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Healthy Forests, Abundant Wildlife, Conservation Ethic

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Featured Habitat Project – Dynamic Forest Restoration on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee

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by Nick Biemiller | RGS & AWS Forest Conservation Director – Southern Appalachian Region The Cumberland Plateau is located at the southwestern edge of the Appalachian Mountains and includes much of eastern Kentucky and Tennessee with portions of northern Alabama and northwest Georgia. In Tennessee, the Cumberland Plateau is dominated by very flat, dry sites at the top of the plateau known as tablelands, with deep gorges and ravines dropping off the plateau into the Ridge and Valley Ecoregion. The plateau contains one of the largest expanses of continuous forests in the eastern U.S. and is dominated by a variety of...

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Message to Members Re: Nantahala & Pisgah National Forest Plan

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The Nantahala & Pisgah National Forest’s (the Forests) Forest Plan was finalized on February 17, 2023. RGS & AWS has been deeply engaged throughout the Forest Plan revision process advocating for the habitat needs of ruffed grouse, forest wildlife, and forest health. This includes comments we submitted to the draft Forest Plan on June 29, 2020, and objections we submitted to the revised Forest Plan on March 22, 2022. Combined, the Nantahala & Pisgah National Forests total about 1.04 million acres in western North Carolina and contain a large proportion of mid- to high-elevation sites within their boundaries, representing one of...

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Potential Forest Management Impacts from the Changing Climate on Climate Change

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by Brent A. Rudolph, Ph.D. | RGS & AWS Chief Conservation & Legislative Officer Beliefs and attitudes on climate change vary considerably among Americans. However, regardless of personal opinions, the future of forest management will be substantially impacted by climate policies. An opportunity exists to leverage those policies to benefit forest health and wildlife. The Ruffed Grouse Society & American Woodcock Society is actively working in the policy arena to harness these initiatives to help our conservation mission. Without our involvement, the outcomes could be quite different and not conducive to the active forest management that we know benefits wildlife so...

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Know Your Cover: Southern Appalachian Forest Types

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Southern Appalachian forests are some of the most biologically diverse forests on the planet. Western North Carolina alone contains all the major forest types you would see driving from Georgia to Maine, concentrated in one region and distributed by elevation. The incredible diversity of forest types makes active forest management in the region exciting, complex and challenging! Across our diverse Southern Appalachian forests, we observe the same trend, an unnaturally high level of closed canopy, middle-aged forests and a lack of appropriate levels of young, open and old forest structure. The lack of structural diversity across the regions’ forest types...

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Updates from RGS & AWS in the NE Region

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Todd Waldron and Nate Kennedy highlight the great work happening in the Northeast Region Nate Kennedy, Regional Engagement Coordinator (left) and Todd Waldron, Forest Conservation Director – NE (right) Chapter Engagement & Events: We’re engaging chapters and members across the Northeast, and it’s inspiring to see that folks have had a productive hunting season, happy holidays, and are back in action for another year of conservation greatness! Chapters are setting dates and planning events — we’ve got Birds & Brews, game dinners, and banquets in the works (keeping COVID safety in mind!). In addition, some chapters are getting creative in the new year....

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USDA announced details of the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities

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According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the new Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities opportunity provides up to $1 billion for pilot projects that create market opportunities for commodities produced using climate-smart practices. USDA is now accepting project applications for fiscal year 2022. RGS & AWS is grateful for Secretary Vilsack’s leadership and we are excited that forestry practices are included as priorities in the Partnership for Climate-Smart Commodities. Our Forest Conservation Directors have contributed input to USDA as the program and early drafts were being developed. Healthy forest practices include “reforestation and sustainable forest management,” and “increasing on-site carbon...

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