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Member Spotlight: Russel “Dale” Perry, Tri-state Drumming Feathers Chapter, Huntington, West Virginia

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by Grant Erhard, RGS & AWS Southeast Regional Engagement Coordinator When we hear the word conservationist, everyone thinks of something different. Maybe it’s the exact definition: “a person who advocates for the preservation and protection of the environment and its resources, particularly wildlife, forest and natural areas.” Or, maybe, you think of a specific person – someone like Gifford Pinchot, who viewed conservation as the prescription for finding balance between human activity and the workings of nature – an idea that helped create what we know today as conservation. When I think about what makes a conservationist, I reflect on the...

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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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A Nuanced Approach to Habitat Management for Ruffed Grouse and Other Wildlife

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Laurel Bed Lake at Clinch Mountain Wildlife Management Area in Virginia

by Sean Barry | RGS & AWS Forest Conservation Coordinator, Southern Appalachians Laurel Bed Lake at Clinch Mountain Wildlife Management Area in Virginia The faint change of leaves glistened along Laurel Bed Lake’s shore as early fall made itself vaguely known. One of those mornings that begins brisk and then warms up – a start in a jacket, end in a t-shirt type of day. The plan was to mark boundaries for a crop tree release at Clinch Mountain Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in southwest Virginia. This work is part of our project with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources and made...

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RGS & AWS Hires Spencer Marshall as Forest Wildlife Specialist

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RGS & AWS welcomes Spencer Marshall as a forest wildlife specialist for state lands in western Virginia. Marshall is originally from Galax, Virginia, and earned his bachelor’s degree in wildlife conservation with a minor in forestry from Virginia Tech. He continued his education at the University of Tennessee where his graduate research was focused on white-tailed deer response to prescribed fire. Marshall’s professional interests include applied management to enhance habitat quality for various game species. In his free time, he enjoys fly fishing, hiking, camping and hunting. Marshall is excited to return to southwest Virginia to work on the state lands...

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