Supervisor s Office 5162 Valleypointe Parkway Roanoke, VA

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2 Supervisor s Office 5162 Valleypointe Parkway Roanoke, VA James River Ranger District Glenwood-Pedlar Ranger District 810A East Madison Avenue 27 Ranger Lane Covington, VA Natural Bridge Station, VA Lee Ranger District North River Ranger District 95 Railroad Avenue 401 Oakwood Drive Edinburg, VA Harrisonburg, VA Warm Springs Ranger District 422 Forestry Road Hot Springs, VA The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees, and applicants for employment on the bases of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, religion, reprisal, and where applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental status, sexual orientation, or all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program, or protected genetic information in employment or in any program or activity conducted or funded by the Department. (Not all prohibited bases will apply to all programs and/or employment activities.) To File an Employment Complaint If you wish to file an employment complaint, you must contact your agency's EEO Counselor (PDF) within 45 days of the date of the alleged discriminatory act, event, or in the case of a personnel action. Additional information can be found online at To File a Program Complaint If you wish to file a Civil Rights program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form (PDF), found online at or at any USDA office, or call (866) to request the form. You may also write a letter containing all of the information requested in the form. Send your completed complaint form or letter to us by mail at U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C , by fax (202) or at program.intake@usda.gov. Persons with Disabilities Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities and you wish to file either an EEO or program complaint please contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) or (800) (in Spanish). Persons with disabilities who wish to file a program complaint, please see information above on how to contact us by mail directly or by . If you require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) please contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) (voice and TDD).

3 GEORGE WASHINGTON NATIONAL FOREST TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION Purpose of the Land Management Plan Consistency of Projects with the Forest Plan Plan Structure Relationship of the Forest Plan to Other Documents Previous Forest Plans The George Washington National Forest s Niche Public Involvement and Collaboration CHAPTER 2 VISION Desired Conditions Overview Forestwide Desired Conditions Watersheds - Water, Soil, Air, and Geology Ecological Systems Diversity Species Diversity Old Growth Forest Health Fire Recreation, Scenery and Cultural Resources Infrastructure Roads and Facilities Lands and Special Uses Timber Management Mineral Resources Rangeland Resources CHAPTER 3 STRATEGY Land Allocation Strategy Management Approach and Objectives Watershed Resources (Water, Soil, Air, and Geology) Ecological Systems Diversity Species Diversity Non-Native and Native Invasive Species Climate Change Restoration Fire i

4 TABLE OF CONTENTS GEORGE WASHINGTON NATIONAL FOREST Recreation Landscape and Scenery Cultural Resources Roads, Access and Facilities Lands and Special Uses Timber Management Mineral Resources Inventoried Roadless Areas Old Growth Suitable Uses Overview Suitable Uses Key Activities Wind Energy Development (Utility-scale) Lands Suitable for Timber Production CHAPTER 4 DESIGN CRITERIA Standards Overview Forestwide Standards Water and Soil Quality Air Quality Riparian Areas and Corridors Channeled Ephemeral Zones Indiana Bat Management Species Diversity Caves Vegetation Old Growth Forest Health Non-Native Invasive Plant Species Pesticides Timber Management Wildfires Prescribed Fire Recreation Scenery Rangeland Resources Minerals and Geologic Resources ii

5 GEORGE WASHINGTON NATIONAL FOREST TABLE OF CONTENTS Facilities, Roads and Access Lands and Special Uses Safety Implementation Management Prescription Area Desired Conditions and Standards A Designated Wilderness B Recommended Wilderness Study Areas C2 Eligible Scenic Rivers C3 Eligible Recreational Rivers A Appalachian National Scenic Trail Corridor B Little Laurel Run Research Natural Area C1 Geologic Areas D Botanical-Zoological Areas (Special Biological Areas) D1 Key Natural Heritage Community Areas E Cultural Areas F Mount Pleasant National Scenic Area FA Shenandoah Mountain Recommended National Scenic Area A Administrative Sites B Designated Communication Sites C Designated Utility Corridors A1 Highlands Scenic Byway B Scenic Corridors C - ATV Use Areas D Concentrated Recreation Zones E Dispersed Recreation Areas F Blue Ridge Parkway Visual Corridor G Pastoral Landscapes E4 Indiana Bat Hibernacula Protection Areas E7 Shenandoah Mountain Crest Riparian Corridors-Streams, Lakes, Wetlands, and Floodplains D Remote Backcountry Areas Mosaics of Habitat iii

6 TABLE OF CONTENTS GEORGE WASHINGTON NATIONAL FOREST CHAPTER 5 IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING Introduction Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Monitoring and Evaluation Framework Themes and Elements Research Needs Amendments Revision APPENDIX A: DEFINITION OF RIPARIAN CORRIDOR... A-1 Riparian Corridors versus Riparian Areas... A-1 Determination of Riparian Corridors... A-1 Overview of Riparian Corridors... A-2 Operational Definition for a Riparian Area... A-3 Relationship with Other Management Prescriptions... A-3 Relationship with Best Management Practices... A-3 Relationship with Channeled Ephemeral Streams... A-4 APPENDIX B: OLD GROWTH STRATEGY... B-1 Old Growth Definitions and Inventory Criteria... B-1 Old Growth Status on the Forest... B-3 Old Growth Network and Representation... B-5 Old Growth Management for the Forest... B-7 APPENDIX C: TIMBER ANALYSES... C-1 Introduction... C-1 Lands Suitable for Timber Production... C-1 Timber Sale Program... C-4 APPENDIX D: PRIORITY WATERSHEDS... D-1 APPENDIX E: SUMMARY OF THE ANALYSIS OF THE MANAGEMENT SITUATION... E-1 APPENDIX F: GLOSSARY...F-1 APPENDIX G: RESEARCH NEEDS... G-1 APPENDIX H: MONITORING TASKS... H-1 APPENDIX I: MAPS OF AREAS WITH ADDITIONAL TIMBER HARVEST AND ROAD CONSTRUCTION LIMITATIONS...I-1 APPENDIX J: BIOLOGICAL OPINION INCIDENTAL TAKE STATEMENT... J-1 iv

7 GEORGE WASHINGTON NATIONAL FOREST TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES Table 2-1. Reference Watersheds Table 2-2. Drinking Water Supplies Within or Downstream of the Forest Table 2-3. Ecological Systems and System Groups Table 2-4. Definitions of Structural Classes Table 2-5. Federally Threatened and Endangered Species Table 2-6. Management Indicator Species Table 2-7. Operational Maintenance Levels of Forest Roads Table 3-1. Land Allocation of Management Prescription Areas Table 3-2. Relationship between New Scenery Management System (SMS) and Old Visual Management System (VMS) 3-19 Table 3-3. Scenery Treatment Guide Table 3-4. Possible Old Growth Acres Objective Table 3-5. Lands Suitable for Key Activities Table 3-6. Tentatively Suitable Acres for Timber Production (Stage I Suitability Analysis) Table 3-7. Final Suitable Acres for Timber Production (Stage III Suitability Analysis) Table 4-1. Unacceptable Weather Conditions for Herbicide Application Table 4-2. Rotation Ages Table 4-3. Working Groups CMAI Ages Table 4-4. Stocking Levels Table 4-5. Wilderness within the GWNF Table 4-6. Eligible Scenic Rivers Table 4-7. Eligible Recreational Rivers Table 4-8. List of Special Biological Areas Table 4-9. Sensitive Recreational Roads and Travelways Table ATV Areas Table High Density Dispersed Recreation Areas Table 4-12 Desired Conditions for Management Prescription Area Table A-1. Riparian Corridor Minimum Widths for Perennial Streams, Lakes, Ponds, Wetlands, Springs or Seeps... A-2 Table A-2. Riparian Corridor Minimum Widths for Intermittent Streams... A-2 Table B-1. Operational Criteria for Determining Existing Old Growth... B-2 Table B-2. Crosswalk Between Old Growth Forest Community Types and FSVEG Forest Types... B-2 Table B-3. Current Acres of Possible Old Growth Compared to 10 Years and 50 Years in the Future... B-4 Table B-4. Current (2010) Possible Old Growth and Future Old Growth... B-5 Table B-5. Large, Medium and Small Old Growth Patches... B-6 Table C-1. Tentatively Suitable Lands, Stage I Suitability Analysis... C-2 Table C-2. Determination of Acres Suitable for Timber Production for Stage III Suitability Analysis... C-3 Table C-3. ASQ and Total Timber Sale Program for the First Decade... C-4 Table C-4. Estimated Silvicultural Treatments in the First Decade on Lands Suitable for Timber Production.... C-5 Table C-5. Silvicultural Methods within Each of Three Silvicultural Systems... C-8 Table C-6. Crosswalk Ecological Systems, Forest Community Types, Eastern Forest Cover Types and FSVeg Forest Types. C-9 v

8 TABLE OF CONTENTS GEORGE WASHINGTON NATIONAL FOREST Table C-7. Applicability of Silvicultural System for Forest Community Types... C-11 Table C-8. Even Aged Silvicultural System Justification for Not Recommended (NR)... C-12 Table C-9. Even Aged Silvicultural System Justification for Recommended with Conditions (RC)... C-13 Table C-10. Un-even Aged Silvicultural System Justification for Not Recommended (NR)... C-14 Table C-11. Un-even Aged Silvicultural System Justification for Recommended with Conditions (RC)... C-14 Table C-12. Un-even Aged Silvicultural System Justification for Possible (P)... C-14 Table C-13. Two Aged Silvicultural System Justification for Not Recommended (NR)... C-15 Table C-14. Two Aged Silvicultural System Justification for Recommended with Conditions (RC)... C-16 Table D-1. List of Priority Watersheds... D-1 Table E-1. Current Supply of Day-Use Developed Areas on George Washington NF... E-4 Table E-2. Developed Access Points for Dispersed Recreation on the George Washington NF... E-5 Table E-3. Approximate Miles of Trail Offered on the George Washington NF... E-5 Table E-4. Ranking of Outdoor Recreation Activities Based on Percent of Households Participating... E-6 Table E-5. Fifty Year Projected Activities in Outdoor Recreation on GWNF (number of people, in thousands)... E-7 Table E-6. GWNF Mineral Status and Marcellus Shale... E-11 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1-1. Vicinity Map of the George Washington National Forest Figure 1-2. Ranger Districts of the George Washington National Forest Figure 3-1. Slash Retention Guide Figure A-1. Simplified Representation of a Riparian Corridor... A-2 Figure A-2. Relationship of Riparian Corridor to Streamside Management Zone... A-4 Figure E-1. Market Area for George Washington National Forest Wood Products... E-10 vi