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
Innovation: 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 role of working forests in climate change adaptation and mitigation, ruffed grouse and American woodcock management and conservation of associated habitat characteristics, and conservation education. This first project is proposed on the Grandfather Ranger District (GRD) of the Pisgah National Forest and will enhance forest conditions and wildlife habitats in the Armstrong Creek area of western North Carolina.
Impact: The GRD has about 230 acres of implementable thinning units from the Armstrong Creek Project. RGS & AWS will collaborate with the GRD to implement approximately 116 acres of noncommercial habitat improvements through thinning and patch clearcut openings across these units, including helping plan, layout, and mark the treatment areas. RGS & AWS will perform the administration of contracts to implement the treatments on-the-ground. It is expected that this supplemental challenge cost share agreement will be modified in the future to include similar cooperative management activities across the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests.
Partners and Chapter Contributions: We will collaborate closely with the Pisgah National Forest and other partners in North Carolina on implementation. Contracts will be awarded to local and regional logging contractors and service work contractors.
$11,029.16 in the Asheville NC RGS Chapter is pledged as nonfederal match to complete the project. $2,500 in the chapter’s habitat funds will go towards direct contracting and the remainder will support our forester to oversee the treatment on the ground.
A specific logo is not needed to recognize funders or partners.
Ongoing Deliverables:
- Inspected 234-acres of stands across the Armstrong Creek Project Area on the Grandfather Ranger District and proposed management recommendations (Completed August 2022)
- Develop preliminary management recommendations for project lead Tara Anderson (now Matt Keyes) and approve recommendations (Completed September 2022)
- Conduct project layout with flagging boundaries and group selections of treatment area (Completed November 2022): Total 121-acres
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Stand 246-23-12: 12-acres
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Stand 246-15-20: 20-acres
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Stand 242-6-24:24-acres
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Stand 246-16: 25-acres
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Stand 262-5-24: 24-acres
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Stand 262-28-16: 16-acres
- Develop Maps for all treatment areas (Completed December 2022)
- Confirm treatment areas with FS project lead and partners (Completed April 2023). Delayed due to FS project lead transition from Tara Anderson to Matt Keyes.
- Project Prescription Summary: We are going to implement a non-commercial crop tree release to promote desirable species such as oak, hickory, and cherry to ensure they become the dominant species. We are also going to create tiny clearcuts ranging from a 1/10 acre to ½ acre in size to create a more diverse and complex forests and prolong the young forest component. The forest is currently 20-30 years old.
