Mid-Atlantic: Project Details
Maryland
The following description is from RGS’ project partner Rick Latshaw at the MD DNR:
Project Description:
Project Justification. This project is designed to improve alder habitat conditions for American woodcock on Mt. Nebo WMA through implementation of the WMA Vision Plan and Al Geis Memorial Woodcock Habitat Plan completed in 2009. In cooperation with the Appalachian Mountain Woodcock Initiative the project will be completed using Best Management Practices and guidelines established for managing alder in the Central Appalachian Mountain Region. Alder is an important forest shrub type for woodcock. When over-mature, stem densities and structure become unfavorable for woodcock and regeneration of the stand restores optimal diurnal habitat conditions.
Within the area(s) outlined on the attached map, all woody stems greater than 0.5 inch in diameter must be cut. All stumps or cut stems must be less than 6 inches from the ground surface. All stems over 6 inches in diameter must be removed or girdled with 2 complete rings and left standing. Tops, branches and debris must be cut to a height no greater than 2 feet from the ground surface. Cutting must be completed during the dormant season after the alder has dropped leaves and before bud swelling in the spring. Acceptable cutting dates are from Dec. 15. – March 15. Cutting must be completed with hand operated saws, or with approved equipment and conditions. The area(s) to be cut are estimated to total 10.0 +/- acres located in 6 blocks. Cutting will be completed by a licensed Forest Product Operator.
General Site Conditions:
Mt. Nebo WMA is a popular wildlife recreation area that is heavily visited by hunters and birders both local and from outside the area. This proposal is for managing shrub and wetland edge habitat in HMU 3 which is characterized as Forested Seepage Wetland, Bog and Fen Wetland Complex, Nontidal Shrub Wetland, Nontidal Emergent Wetland (natural and impounded).
HMU 3 comprises approximately 133 acres of wetland habitat and associated edge ecotone on Mt. Nebo WMA. This wetland complex has large areas of shrub/scrub habitat that is dominated by speckled alder and other shrubs including: ninebark (Physocarpus maxim), high-bush blueberry (Vaccinium spp.), elderberry (Sambucus canadensis), and willow (Salix spp.). This area is designated a Wetland of Special State Concern and does contain state listed plant species and is habitat for state listed wildlife species.
The first stage of the AMWI habitat demonstration project was completed by cutting approximately 15 acres in 2010. To date, these sites are regenerating well. No erosion or adverse effects to species of concern were demonstrated from the project.
Project Considerations:
The considerations below are from the 2010 AMWI plan developed for Mt. Nebo WMA.
Based on slope, soil, and other considerations (e.g., rare plants or sensitive habitats) we estimate that about 380 acres of HMUs 4-8 could potentially be managed for woodcock habitat. HMU 3 (133 acres) is essentially all woodcock habitat, although the quality varies with beaver activity, tree encroachment, and aging of the alder stands. We consider habitat < 20 years old to be favorable for woodcock in forested units. Currently, about 5% of HMUs 4-8 is comprised of habitat < 20 years-old.
Management Goal: Our goal is to manage and maintain about 25% of the potential woodcock habitat in HMUs 4-8, or about 100 acres, in habitat < 20 years-old over the long-term. In addition, we would like to maintain and improve the alder community in HMU 3. The alder community can be improved for woodcock by eliminating encroaching hardwoods and rejuvenating aging alder stands by cutting.
Note: The plan to achieve 25% of HMU 4-8 in < 20 year age class forest has mostly been achieved. However only a small portion of HMU 3 has been managed to improve American Woodcock habitat as outlined in the plan.
Long-term Funding: Much of the management identified in this plan involves forest with no or little commercial value. Clearly, meeting the management goals over the long-term will require funding to get work completed. We plan to seek funding for this effort through the Wildlife Management Institute’s Woodcock Recovery Grant Program using the Geis Estate Funds as well as in kind work by MD DNR and the Ruffed Grouse Society as matching contributions.
The first stage of the project completed in 2010 was funded by the Al Geis Estate in conjunction with the Wildlife Management Institute. Funding from the Al Geis Estate is still available and earmarked for this project. The Ruffed Grouse Society has the funds and has expressed interest in providing additional funds to support the project.
Woodcock habitat management at Mt Nebo Wildlife Management Area
Mineland reforestation at Jennings Randolph Lake (Army Corps of Engineers facility)
Since 2013, RGS and our Backbone Mountain Chapter have been collaborating with JRL staff and partners to improve forest habitat and recreational opportunities through forest management and planting projects. RGS is excited to expand on our successful collaboration with JRL as well as to include nearby private landowners, improving habitat at scale.
2013—RGS and JRL sign memorandum of understanding to collaboratively implement JRL’s natural resource management goals
2013—RGS funds weed control, fertilizing, and planting 2-5 acres of trees on old quarry site (site 4 on map).
2014—RGS helps plan and implement 45-acre forest management and habitat improvement project on east or WV side of Jennings Randolph Lake.
2015—RGS, MD Forest Service, and Office of Surface Mining Reclamation, and Enforcement (OSMRE) plan and plant a 24-acre mineland reforestation project.
Next steps:
- JRL and NRCS forester Dylan Kesner will implement a 58-acre overstory removal, tentatively planned for 2024, within the 133-acre stand on the west or MD side of Jennings Randolph Lake.
- RGS will work with neighboring private landowners to implement good forest management and/or mineland reforestation projects.
- In 2023, JRL, RGS, and others will consider additional habitat and/or forest management projects as part of JRL’s updated Environmental Assessment.
New Jersey
Alder planting at Prospertown Lake
In the Fall of 2020 The Jersey Shore AWS chapter had an early morning meeting/tour with NJ Fish and Wildlife, Bureau of Land Management team members. Prospertown Lake WMA was identified for our first chapter woodcock habitat project.
Our field of dreams was a 1.1 acre field that has been cleared in the past, but was filling up fast with invasive Russian Olive trees. The discussion was how to reclaim the field for the benefit of American Woodcock. The NJ Bureau of Land Management team has offered to have a farmer focus their habitat responsibilities on clearing the field and planting winter wheat in the coming months. This would manicure the field greatly.
Next steps would be to plant a perimeter of alder trees in Spring 2021 to start creating staggered edges. The Jersey Shore chapter of the American Woodcock Society, would assist in the planting of the alder seedlings by having a group of volunteers working Sunday, May 16th on our first habitat project! We hand planted 135 alder seedlings and then applied seedling protector tubes to encourage growth and protect from natures’ nibblers.
Thank you to Animals and Gardens Unlimited in New Egypt, NJ for their healthy donation of supplies for this event. They have a great family run store for pet/livestock food, farm supplies and a really nice hunting/fishing section with live bait. https://animalsandgardensunlimited.com/
This habitat project is a great example of how AWS and NJ Fish and Wildlife can partner to provide for American Woodcock. It also is a strong commitment to demonstrate how AWS is supporting local NJ projects so our chapter can grow and demonstrate how local donations are helping right in our members’ backyards. We would like to thank the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife team for purchasing the alder seedlings and their commitment to be great partners.
Pennsylvania
[Jeff Herrick, Habitat Management Biologist Contractor with the Wildlife Management Institute submitted the following blog for RGS’ Bellwether newsletter]
Pennsylvania State Parks Create Forest Habitat Diversity to Benefit Young Forest Wildlife
By: Jeff Herrick
Partnerships Make Things Happen!
The collective spirit to achieve a desired goal of restoring young forest habitat leading to more abundant and diverse wildlife populations.
Collective thoughts to plan, design and implement management techniques to create forest disturbance.
Matching Partners to raise funds needed to complete plans.
Implementing an action plan through coordination of contractors, agencies, and conservation organizations.
Moraine State Park in Western PA, has become one of the most recent State Parks to initiate a plan to diversify its’ forest habitat over the last 3 years. PA DCNR Parks Field Services Specialist Mike DiRinaldo, and Habitat Management Biologist Jeff Herrick under contract with The Wildlife Management Institute began planning habitat management actions within the 1,021 acre focus unit on the east end of the park four years ago.
To implement the plan partner funding was needed to regenerate stands of aspen and successional hardwoods, along with opening up the forest canopy for native fruit producing trees and shrubs to thrive. RGS / AWS along with support from the Neshannock Creek Chapter quickly became a significant funding partner to support the plan with contributions of nearly $18,000 over the last three years to accomplish the habitat restoration efforts. The DCNR, Bureau of Parks has contributed funds for habitat efforts and to pre-treat sites for control of undesirable invasive species. The Richard K. Mellon Foundation has provided funding for essential technical support and coordination through the WMI Biologist. Whitetails Unlimited joined the effort with a one-time contribution of $4,000.
Early this year chainsaw crews regenerated 29 acres of forest patch cuts to impact 38 acres of habitat enhancements, including the adjacent thermal cover in two units. Since 2019 crews have completed 71 acres of patch cuts to enhance 100 acres of habitat improvements in 7 units within the 1,021 acre young forest management unit. Assessments have identified another 8 units to be restored with future efforts as funds become available. The Bureau of Parks has also identified several more sites where additional forest management techniques can be utilized to improve the mosaic of different aged forest stands to compliment the projects already completed by the Conservation Partners throughout the unit.
In April, this year the first Young Forest Habitat Workshop and woodcock viewing was held at Moraine State Park. The goal of the workshop was to create public awareness of the habitat work initiated on Moraine and to educate landowners on how to develop young forest early successional habitat on lands they own. Forty attendees enjoyed the presentation on habitat techniques and learned how they could help 50-60 wildlife species that need young forest to survive. After the presentation they were entertained by male woodcock performing their spectacular skydance up close at dusk!
To learn more about the Young Forest Project in 17 states go to www.youngforest.org which is provided by the Wildlife Management Institute and its many partners. Landowners interested in seeing more wildlife on their land should click on the “Resources” tab. Access the new publication titled “Young Forest Guide” which is a personal favorite.General Site Conditions:
Mt. Nebo WMA is a popular wildlife recreation area that is heavily visited by hunters and birders both local and from outside the area. This proposal is for managing shrub and wetland edge habitat in HMU 3 which is characterized as Forested Seepage Wetland, Bog and Fen Wetland Complex, Nontidal Shrub Wetland, Nontidal Emergent Wetland (natural and impounded).
HMU 3 comprises approximately 133 acres of wetland habitat and associated edge ecotone on Mt. Nebo WMA. This wetland complex has large areas of shrub/scrub habitat that is dominated by speckled alder and other shrubs including: ninebark (Physocarpus maxim), high-bush blueberry (Vaccinium spp.), elderberry (Sambucus canadensis), and willow (Salix spp.). This area is designated a Wetland of Special State Concern and does contain state listed plant species and is habitat for state listed wildlife species.
The first stage of the AMWI habitat demonstration project was completed by cutting approximately 15 acres in 2010. To date, these sites are regenerating well. No erosion or adverse effects to species of concern were demonstrated from the project.
Project Considerations:
The considerations below are from the 2010 AMWI plan developed for Mt. Nebo WMA.
Based on slope, soil, and other considerations (e.g., rare plants or sensitive habitats) we estimate that about 380 acres of HMUs 4-8 could potentially be managed for woodcock habitat. HMU 3 (133 acres) is essentially all woodcock habitat, although the quality varies with beaver activity, tree encroachment, and aging of the alder stands. We consider habitat < 20 years old to be favorable for woodcock in forested units. Currently, about 5% of HMUs 4-8 is comprised of habitat < 20 years-old.
Management Goal: Our goal is to manage and maintain about 25% of the potential woodcock habitat in HMUs 4-8, or about 100 acres, in habitat < 20 years-old over the long-term. In addition, we would like to maintain and improve the alder community in HMU 3. The alder community can be improved for woodcock by eliminating encroaching hardwoods and rejuvenating aging alder stands by cutting.
Note: The plan to achieve 25% of HMU 4-8 in < 20 year age class forest has mostly been achieved. However only a small portion of HMU 3 has been managed to improve American Woodcock habitat as outlined in the plan.
Long-term Funding: Much of the management identified in this plan involves forest with no or little commercial value. Clearly, meeting the management goals over the long-term will require funding to get work completed. We plan to seek funding for this effort through the Wildlife Management Institute’s Woodcock Recovery Grant Program using the Geis Estate Funds as well as in kind work by MD DNR and the Ruffed Grouse Society as matching contributions.
The first stage of the project completed in 2010 was funded by the Al Geis Estate in conjunction with the Wildlife Management Institute. Funding from the Al Geis Estate is still available and earmarked for this project. The Ruffed Grouse Society has the funds and has expressed interest in providing additional funds to support the project.
RGS Young Forest Partnership at Moraine State Park
Forest management and habitat work on the Loyalsock State Forest
In 2019, as part of a collaboration with the PA DCNR, RGS helped fund herbicide treatment as part of a forest management and habitat project on 26 acres of the Loyalsock State Forest.
(Note that pin location isn’t specific to the project but is for the Loyalsock State Forest.)
In 2019, RGS paid for the construction of 5 miles of fire lines at Buchanan State Forest, which will enable PA’s Bureau of Forestry to re-introduce prescribed fire and diversity habitats for grouse and other wildlife.
Fire line construction at Buchanan State Forest
Collaborative habitat project at Erie National Wildlife Refuge
Habitat Restoration (submitted by wildlife biologist and project coordinator Jeff Herrick; a version of this description was published in Covers magazine)
In 2011, The Wildlife Management Institute (WMI) teamed up with refuge staff as part of the Young Forest Initiative to chart the course for restoring and increasing young forest wildlife habitat, through a variety of management techniques, over the next decade. Soon after, Refuge Manager Vicki Muller and WMI Habitat Biologist, Jeff Herrick who have coordinated the activities, were reaching out to find additional partners to help accomplish the ambitious plan. Numerous partners contributed to this project.
We thank the Ruffed Grouse Society / American Woodcock Society, the Allegheny Northwoods and many other Chapters in PA for:
More than $20,000 in funding throughout the decade has helped to restore nearly 200 acres of the 735 acres of young forest / early successional habitat.
Chainsaw crews were contracted to regenerate several units of aspen and other successional hardwoods to create and restore high stem density young forest habitat.
Chainsaw crews cut successional hardwoods that were shading out and suppressing native fruit bearing shrubs and small trees. This allowed the gray and silky dogwoods, viburnums, high bush blueberry, crabapple, hawthorn, elderberry, and many others to survive and increase soft mast fruit production and high stem densities.
Provided $2,000 for purchase of a tree planter utilized to plant aspen and native alder
US Fish and Wildlife Service Partners program contributed the use a hydroax mulching machine.
National Wildlife Turkey Federation contributed financial support.
In close collaboration with the PA Game Commission (PGC), RGS supported habitat management planning and implementation on SGL 42 with funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in 2018 and 2020.2020 funding from NFWF will support the mowing of 171 acres on SGL 42 as part of the PGC’s broader habitat plan for SGL 42, which they describe:The habitat management goal for SGL 042 is to maintain mixed succession conditions with a focus on practices that favor habitat requirements for white-tailed deer, wild turkey, and ruffed grouse. Hunting for these species, as well as for bear and squirrel, is popular in this area.
Prominent fur taking opportunities include raccoon and fox. In addition to practices geared toward game species, all management activities on SGL 042 will consider avian and mammalian species of greatest conservation need, and those habitat improvements that can be made to support them.
This proposed habitat project is 171 acres in size, found in Compartment 2, stands 175 and 201 of SGL 042. The project is primarily located in Upper Yoder Township, Cambria County with small portions extending into Fairfield Township, Westmoreland County and Conemaugh Township, Somerset County. The proposed habitat project “Wicked Witch II” will consist of 1 mechanical treatment block found within a low-quality Red Oak – Mixed Hardwood Forest (AR36 & AR32).Past management in this area includes an herbicide application in the Fall of 2019, performed in order to treat hay-scented fern and prepare for mechanical treatment.
The goal of this habitat project is to create desirable early successional habitat that is beneficial to grouse and other species that utilize early successional forests for food and cover. A secondary goal for the proposed project is to reduce/remove midstory clutter (witch hazel and black birch) by mechanical treating the mid/understory using a mowing/mulching machine that would mimica prescribed fire. The strategy to reach these goals will be to use a mowing/mulching machine to mow all species 5” DBH and less in the mid/understory. All stems will be severed allowing more sunlight to reach the forest floor to help establish new desirable regeneration. Sprouting of severed stems will provide a flush source of browse and the cut stems will create ground cover. Another benefit that will be achieved from mechanical treatment will be the scarification of the forest floor. Scarification will expose rich soil that in hope will create a desirable seed bed for future regeneration.
Habitat management on SGL 42
The Laurel Highlands and PA Wilds Birdscapes project
This project, which focuses on private lands in priority areas in PA, was funded by a 2020 grant from National Fish and Wildlife Foundation that RGS, PA Game Commission, the American Bird Conservancy, and the Indiana University of PA have been implementing together.
The Laurel Highlands and PA Wilds Birdscapes project is a logical expansion of RGS’ and our partners’ previous Laurel Highlands and PA Wilds Dynamic Forest Restoration Block (DFRB) Projects.Based on success of past projects this is modelled after (Central Appalachian Habitat Stewardship and Delaware River Restoration Grants, specifically, the Delaware River Dynamic Forest Blocks and Pennsylvania Wilds efforts) the Principals (Dr. Ben Jones- the Ruffed Grouse Society, and John Taucher-Pennsylvania Game Commission) are expanding this effective model to all private woodland owners within the Laurel Highlands and PA Wilds Birdscapes.
The landscape will anchor off successful work on eight DFRB’s and expand onto privately owned woodlands with the intent to address forest health by increasing structural diversity of the forest. This project will fund management activities identified in existing plans to maximize implementation impact.
Consulting foresters will be engaged to overcome challenges faced by traditional family woodland owners, such as upfront costs to address invasive species. We will continue to coordinate with NRCS to direct consulting foresters and landowners to traditional Farm Bill programs, however this proposal will provide another tool in the toolbox for address the complexities for health forest management.
RGS is coordinating the implementation of this project with the PA Game Commission, Indiana University of PA, the American Bird Conservancy, and other partners. The project was funded by a 2020 National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant.The Laurel Highlands and PA Wilds Birdscapes project is a logical expansion of RGS’ and our partners’ previous Laurel Highlands and PA Wilds DFRB Projects.
The Laurel Highlands and PA Wilds Birdscapes project
Kittatinny Ridge
In 2016, PGC foresters and the PGC’s grouse biologist Lisa Williams began working with RGS & AWS to develop a grouse habitat plan for the State Game Lands (SGLs) that run along the Kittatinny Ridge from Harrisburg to the Delaware River. From these discussions came a plan to increase young forest cover at a landscape scale over the next 10-15 years.The PGC’s SE Region Kittatinny Ridge grouse plan has 6 goals. The first goal is to regenerate a mosaic of young forest stands that shift across the landscape over time.
3,300 acres of young forest habitat have been established on the Kittatinny Ridge and 3,700 acres have received preparation cuttings. A combination of commercial and non-commercial projects was utilized to improve these acres.
The second goal is to provide grouse with all necessary habitat types within one mile, including good brooding habitat and patches of older forest to serve as nesting and feeding habitat, especially for buds during the winter. No-cut islands and travel corridors within larger tree cutting projects provide this type of habitat for grouse in areas with high amounts of early-successional forest.
The third goal is to establish “permanent young forest areas” in select areas where terrain and habitat type limits the size of commercially-viable forest management projects, either with forestry mowing equipment or prescribed fire, which is more cost-effective.
The fourth goal is to establish and improve conifer cover on the game lands to improve winter thermal cover for grouse. Though the Kittatinny Ridge is dominated by hardwoods, remnant pines are scattered along the ridgetops.
The fifth goal is improving road access to ‘stranded’ PGC parcels so that logging crews and equipment can conduct more cost-effective forest management. The Charles Bechtel Chapter and the National Wild Turkey Federation have helped fund many road-improvement projects. Investing in road improvements is a far cry from traditional habitat projects, but the Charles Bechtel Chapter saw how roads make possible the forest management that creates young forest habitat at greater scale and at cheaper per-acre cost.
The final goal is to encourage neighboring forest landowners to conduct forest habitat projects on their properties that will expand the young forest habitat mosaic. For example, the PGC is working on habitat projects with Weiser State Forest. In addition, RGS & AWS and the PGC will be reaching out to private landowner cooperators in the PGC’s Hunter Access Program whose forestland is near the SGLs and then connecting interested landowners with a consulting forester who can help them manage their forestland. This targeted outreach will expand the habitat mosaic unto private lands.Finally, RGS & AWS will be helping to fund grouse monitoring conducted by Jeff Larkin, a research professor with the Indiana University of PA and American Bird Conservancy’s Eastern Forest Bird Habitat Coordinator. Using autonomous recording units (‘ARUs’), Larkin and a graduate student will be assessing forest type, elevation, and other factors that influence grouse occupancy in young forests along Kittatinny Ridge and other areas in PA. The team plans to deploy 120 ARUs within 8-15 year-old forests in southwestern, southeastern, and northcentral Pennsylvania. Each ARU will be programmed to record 1.5 hours each morning from mid-April through late May.
Once ARUs are recovered from the field, Larkin’s collaborators at University of Pittsburg will use super computers to process the recordings using a machine learned classifier that is extremely effective at detecting grouse drumming. The use of ARU’s and the machine learned classifier is a game changer for our ability to rigorously monitor drumming grouse at large number of young forest patches across large spatial extents annually.RGS & AWS thanks the PGC, Jeff Larkin, and other partners who are helping restore habitat at landscape scale along the Kittatinny Ridge and elsewhere.This project description is based on a more detailed version written by Randy Baumann, retired SE Region Forester with the Pennsylvania Game Commission. A longer version of this project description was published in the Summer 2022 issue of Covers.
West Virginia
The Beulah Wildlife Enhancement Project on the Monongahela National Forest (WV)
For more information about the Beulah project, see:
The Early Successional Habitat (ESH) Partnership is a five-year program that began in 2016 and includes Ruffed Grouse Society, WV Division of Natural Resources, USDA Forest Service. WV Division of Forestry, and National Wild Turkey Federation.
The partnership involves innovative funding and collaboration to create early successional habitat on state and federal lands, primarily with two skid-steer mounted mulching machines.
In 2021, the ESH partnership created over 20 acres of early successional habitat on the Potomac WMA on the Monongahela National Forest.
Since 2016, the ESH partnership has created 1,727 acres of early successional habitat.
Early Successional Habitat Partnership
RGS’ Tri-State Drumming Feathers Chapter and RGS financially supported a collaborative, 4,000-acre habitat project with WV DNR, involving skid roads, tree saplings and seed.
