Timberdoodle Stewardship Project (Virginia)

Agreement Narrative: Timberdoodle Stewardship Project 

Primary Funder: USDA Forest Service 

Location: Clinch Ranger District, George Washington & Jefferson National Forest (GW-Jeff) 

Innovation: This project is a stewardship agreement between RGS & AWS and the GW-Jeff. The project is designed to improve forest health and create and enhance wildlife habitat, with special emphasis toward ruffed grouse. Active forest management activities include creation of early successional and open forest habitat through commercial timber harvest, manual post-harvest clearing to promote hardwood seedling development, management of wildlife fields, nonnative invasive plant control, and other activities as authorized by the Decision Notice for the Turkey Cove Ruffed Grouse Habitat Improvement Project.  

Impact: The project will accomplish the following outputs: 173 acres of commercial timber harvests to create young and open forest conditions, 113 acres of clearing to promote hardwood seedling development, 72 acres nonnative invasive plant control, 12 acres shortleaf pine tree planting, and 7.5 acres wildlife field maintenance. 

Partners and Chapter Contributions: We will collaborate closely with GW-Jeff staff on implementation. RGS chapters in Virginia will have the opportunity to assist with wildlife opening maintenance as volunteers.   

 Local contractors will be utilized for implementing the treatments on the ground.  

A specific logo is not needed to recognize funders or partners.  

Deliverables: 

• Supplemental funding has been secured through the Forest Service to directly fund the invasive species treatments, allowing this to occur prior to and independent of the timber sale.
• Additional funding has been secured to incentivize the removal of small and deformed trees, material which previously made the timber offering undesirable to local loggers. 
• Additional funding has been secured to enhance the wildlife opening maintenance service item (provide superior seed mix) 
• RGS has advertised the timber sale, held a show-me trips, and directly negotiated with multiple potential purchasers, and performed outreach to multiple saw and pulp mills.