Agreement Narrative: Project Planning Support for the George Washington & Jefferson National Forest Primary Funder: USDA Forest Service (Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds) Location: Clinch Ranger District, George Washington & Jefferson National Forest (GWJEFF) Innovation: This project increase capacity for planning active forest management projects to restore forest habitat conditions at large landscape scales on National Forest System lands in Virginia. RGS & AWS will collaborate with the GWJEFF to have our Forest Wildlife Specialists and Forest Wildlife Technicians develop a pipeline of active forest management projects to feed into the Forest Service’s National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) planning process. RGS & AWS foresters...
Projects
Helderberg Forest Resiliency Initiative US Forest Service Landscape Restoration Grant (New York)
Primary Funder: New York Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) – Conservation Innovation Grant Funding Amount: $110,000 Project Title: Helderberg Forest Resiliency Initiative US Forest Service Landscape Restoration Grant Location: Towns of Berne, Knox, Westerlo and Rensselaerville, Albany County NY and Broome, Wright, Schoharie & Middleburgh, Schoharie County, surrounding the 6,594-acre Helderberg Bird Conservation Area which includes Patridge Run State Forest, Partridge Run WMA, Knox (Burke) WMA, and Cole Hill State Forest. Innovation: The Helderberg Forest Resiliency Initiative (HFRI) will help launch a dynamic forest restoration block across public and private land ownerships surrounding the Helderberg Bird Conservation Area in Albany & Schoharie Counties, New...
Copper Country Habitat Restoration Project (Michigan)

Agreement Narrative: Copper Country Habitat Restoration Project MOD01 Primary Funder: Ottawa National Forest Location: Kenton Ranger District, Ottawa National Forest, Michigan Innovation: This cost-share agreement allows for the funding of an RGS-employed project coordinator who works with USFS staff to implement forest management projects on the Ottawa NF. This is mutually beneficial as it allows for RGS to implement on-the-ground habitat projects while assisting the often-understaffed Ottawa NF wildlife management division to implement goals outlined within the forest’s management plan. 2023 MOD Update: In 2023, working with the Ottawa NF, a Modification that added $262,622.83 in Great Lakes Restoration funding extended the employment of...
Expanding the Geographic Scope of REGEN3 in Support of Forecasting Hardwood and Oak Restoration Potential Across the Eastern Hardwood Forest (Indiana, Virginia, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania)
Agreement Narrative: Expanding the Geographic Scope of REGEN3 in Support of Forecasting Hardwood and Oak Restoration Potential Across the Eastern Hardwood Forest Primary Funder: USDA Forest Service– Southern Research Station Location: Indiana, West Virginia, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania Innovation: U.S. Forest Service researchers are in the process of expanding the scale and scope of a hardwood regeneration model, REGEN3, to areas beyond the current modeling footprint. This model is particularly useful for forecasting the success of natural oak seedling development after commercial timber harvests. This can be used to improve the outcomes of managing desired tree species and young forest conditions on private, state,...
South Zone Jefferson Forest Management Support (Virginia)
Agreement Narrative: South Zone Jefferson Forest Management Support Primary Funder: USDA Forest Service Location: Clinch Ranger District, Eastern Divide Ranger District, Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, George Washington & Jefferson National Forest (GW-Jeff) Innovation: This is a modification to our challenge cost-share supplemental project agreement (21-CS-11080800-198). This project will support active forest management projects to improve overall forest health, wildlife habitat, and meet the objectives from the Forest Plan on the Clinch Ranger District, Eastern Divide Ranger District, and the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. To accomplish this the Ruffed Grouse Society & American Woodcock Society (RGS & AWS) will perform active forest...
Timberdoodle Pre-commercial Thinning and Site Preparation for Wildlife Habitat Enhancement (Virginia)
Agreement Narrative: Timberdoodle Pre-commercial Thinning and Site Preparation for Wildlife Habitat Enhancement Primary Funder: USDA Forest Service (BIL funds) Location: Clinch Ranger District, George Washington & Jefferson National Forest (GW-Jeff) Innovation: This agreement is being created as a mechanism through which to utilize funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation (BIL), toward vital program activities in the Timberdoodle Ruffed Grouse Habitat Improvement Project area. The Timberdoodle Project is being implemented through a Stewardship Agreement with the RGS & AWS. This existing partnership is the vehicle through which these funds will be utilized in the project area. The purpose of this agreement is to document the...


