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Southern Appalachians Projects

Sugar Mountain Project: A Crucial Step for Ruffed Grouse Conservation in Tennessee

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The U.S. Forest Service is moving forward with the evaluation process for the Sugar Mountain Project on the Tellico Ranger District of the Cherokee National Forest. This initiative is a critical opportunity to restore high-elevation forests and improve habitat for ruffed grouse and other wildlife that depend on young forest conditions. Project Overview The Sugar Mountain Project in its current form focuses on 12,241 acres of national forest east of Tellico Plains, Tennessee, with management activities targeting areas above 3,000 feet where ruffed grouse populations were once abundant. Over time, declining timber harvest levels, fewer natural disturbances and ongoing forest maturation have...

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RGS & AWS Supports Nantahala Mountains Project to Improve Wildlife Habitat and Forest Diversity

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The Ruffed Grouse Society and American Woodcock Society (RGS & AWS) is excited to share that an important forest management project is underway on public land. The Nantahala Mountains Project on the Nantahala Ranger District will treat about 870 acres through commercial and noncommercial activities. These treatments include group selection, noncommercial midstory removal, noncommercial crown-touch release, clearcut and shelterwood harvests. Road maintenance will also be prioritized. RGS & AWS was heavily involved with this project throughout the public comment period and advocated for additional forest management activities. We are glad to see that the U.S. Forest Service retained the original scope...

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Cherokee National Forest Timber Sale Adds Habitat Diversity

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by Zac Chandler | RGS & AWS Forest Wildlife Specialist – All-Lands Tennessee Forester Ruffed grouse populations in the Southern Appalachians are declining, mainly due to the loss of suitable habitat. As the bulk of Appalachian forests increase in age, this results in a drop in ruffed grouse numbers as they primarily depend upon early successional forests for much of the year. Ruffed grouse thrive in forests kept young and vigorous through repetitive, active forest management like prescribed fire and timber harvesting. These repeat disturbances create an abundance of woody and herbaceous diversity, maintaining critical food and cover resources necessary for supporting...

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Collaborative Project to Improve 100 Acres of Wildlife Habitat on North Carolina’s National Forests

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First published, June 9, 2023 – updated on May 30,2025.Agreement Narrative: Collaboration to maintain, restore and enhance forest conditions and wildlife habitat on the National Forests in North Carolina. Primary Funder: USDA Forest Service Location: Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina Overview: The Ruffed Grouse Society and American Woodcock Society (RGS & AWS) and the National Forests in North Carolina (NFsNC) have mutual interest in efforts to improve habitat and forest health across the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests. RGS & AWS and NFsNC will exchange personnel, funding and other resources, in matters relating to sustainable forest management, forest health and ecosystem restoration, the...

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Fightingtown Creek Habitat Improvement Project on the Chattahoochee National Forest

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by Daniel Kutschied | RGS & AWS Forest Wildlife Specialist – Public Lands Georgia Ruffed grouse in North Georgia are at the southernmost extent of their range in the Eastern United States and face unique challenges and vulnerabilities. Conserving and improving habitat through active forest management in North Georgia — at the fringe of their range — is critical to ensure the continued presence of ruffed grouse in the Southern Appalachians. In the Chattahoochee National Forest (CNF), young hardwood forests with high stem density and herbaceous cover have become increasingly rare. Forest conditions are dynamic and can change rapidly. Common hardwood trees…

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RGS & AWS Chapter Volunteers Plant Help Plant 15,900 seedlings in Kentucky’s Daniel Boone National Forest

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On March 16, volunteers from the Kentucky River Chapter planted 900 shortleaf pine seedlings on public land within the Daniel Boone National Forest (DBNF) as part of the Peter’s Branch Stewardship Agreement between RGS & AWS and the DBNF. This agreement allows RGS & AWS to improve forest habitat diversity on hundreds of acres of the DBNF’s London Ranger District, including the creation of oak-pine woodlands. Oak-pine woodlands are an open-canopy forest type that provides a mix of low cover and abundant forage for wildlife. These once-common ecosystems have become rare due to changes in land management and outbreaks of southern…

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