File Code: 1950 Date: December 7, Dear Friend of the Forest:

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1 United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests Oconee Ranger District 1199 Madison Road Eatonton, GA (706) File Code: 1950 Date: December 7, 2009 Dear Friend of the Forest: The Oconee Ranger District, Chattahoochee Oconee National Forest, is beginning environmental analysis of projects proposed to improve forest health and wildlife habitats across the District. These activities would be implemented over the next 5-10 years. Your assistance is needed to identify relevant issues and help direct the environmental analysis. The environmental analysis of the proposed activities will be documented in one or more National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) decisions. Background In February 2008, the Forest began an effort to identify opportunities across the Oconee Ranger District which would be consistent with objectives identified in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan). The assessment is referred to as the Oconee Large Scale Assessment (Oconee LSA). The focus of this effort has been identifying areas for projects that would improve forest health, improve forest community diversity and improve habitat for the endangered Red-cockaded woodpecker. The first public participation meeting was held in June of Several meetings and field trips have occurred since then. Examples of forest community diversity, healthy forest and good habitat for the red-cockaded woodpecker were shown. Meetings were also held to demonstrate the applications of the Ecological Classification System (ECS) that forms the basis for the Oconee LSA. Ecological classification is a hierarchical system of land classification that integrates across variables such as soils, geology, climate, aspect, slope and landform to identify areas with similar ecological characteristics. The Land Type Associations (LTA) and Land Type Phases (LTP) for the entire Oconee Ranger District have been delineated and mapped. This will help resource managers make ecology based decisions for potential treatments to improve forest health and wildlife habitats. For further information on the ECS please visit Purpose and Need The Oconee LSA has allowed us to assess current conditions of the National Forest lands within the project area in relation to the desired future condition and objectives described in the Chattahoochee-Oconee Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan). The Oconee LSA has specifically focused on: Caring for the Land and Serving People Printed on Recycled Paper

2 Strategies to improve ecosystem resiliency and resistance to disease, insects, fire and other natural disturbances. Strategies to protect national forest resources by minimizing adverse effects of invasive native and nonnative species. Opportunities to improve habitat for the Red-cockaded Woodpecker and other wildlife species occurring on the Oconee National Forest. Conditions on adjacent private, state and federal lands will be considered to the extent practicable. A detailed description of the focus for the Oconee LSA follows: Maintain or improve forest health in pine stands with high stem density to improve forest resiliency and resistance to natural disturbances, disease infestations and insects, particularly southern pine beetle. Pine stands with encroaching mid-story vegetation and overstocked stands with high numbers of trees per acre (stem density) occur throughout the Oconee National Forest. This condition results in declining growth due to competition for nutrients and water. These overstocked stands lessen the health of the trees in those stands. Trees with declining health are at increased risk to disease, insect attack such as Southern Pine Beetle (SPB), fire, drought, storms, and other natural disturbances. Lowering the number of trees per acre (stem density) in these stands is critical to improving tree growth and forest health. The Forest Plan outlines vegetative objectives to achieve increased viability on the Oconee National Forest (see Table 1 below). Table 1: Annual Production Needed to Meet Quantitative Forest Plan Vegetation Objectives for the Oconee NF. (Revised Chattahoochee-Oconee Land and Resource Management Plan 2004) Objective # 3.3 Terrestrial Plant & Animal 3.4 Terrestrial Plant & Animal 3.6 Terrestrial Plant & Animal 3.7 Terrestrial Plant & Animal 4.1 Terrestrial Plant & Animal Plan Topic Page Objective Description Annual Acres p. 2-6 restore shortleaf pine 110 p. 2-6 restore oak woodland 100 p. 2-6 restore oak & oak-pine 55 p. 2-6 reduce density in oak and oak-pine Forest p % early successional habitat in riparian 7.1 Terrestrial Plant & Animal p. 2-7 canopy gaps in mesic ?

3 7.2 Terrestrial Plant & Animal 8.3 Terrestrial Plant & Animal 8.3 Terrestrial Plant & Animal 8.4 Terrestrial Plant & Animal hardwoods p. 2-7 restore open pine-oak & oak-pine 110 p. 2-7 thin shortleaf pine 230 p. 2-7 reduce mid-story in shortleaf p. 2-7 thin loblolly pine outside Red-cockaded woodpecker (RCW) habitat management areas (HMA) 40.1 Forest Health p reduce stem density in overstocked loblolly pine stands < 30 yrs. old 8D-08 Red-cockaded woodpecker p within RCW HMA thin pine cover types 8D-09 Red-cockaded woodpecker p within RCW HMA, regenerate pine 8D-10 Red-cockaded woodpecker p within RCW HMA, control mid-story 9F-05 Rare Communities p restore canebrake 15 9F-06 Rare Communities p prescribe burn canebrake communities 500 1,100 3,500 2, , Improve habitat for the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker The red-cockaded woodpecker (RCW), Picoides borealis, is a federally listed species endemic to open and mature pine ecosystems in the southeast. The RCW was listed as endangered in 1970 and is receiving federal protection under the Endangered Species Act of The Oconee National Forest (south of I-20) and adjacent Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge (owned and administered by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service) combined make up the Recovery Area for the species. Most of the existing RCW population on Oconee National Forest lands is on the Hitchiti Experimental Forest in Jones County, with the remainder in Jasper County. The National Forest portion of the recovery area is located in the Piedmont ecological subsection of central Georgia and is estimated to be 51,746 acres of predominantly loblolly and shortleaf pine in the overstory, with a dense mid-story of persistent and frequently sprouting sweetgum, pine and oak species. The majority of this area consists of pine plantations located on lands that were agricultural fields prior to Forest Service acquisition. In the Forest Plan, this portion of the

4 Oconee is mostly allocated to Management Prescriptions 3.B (Hitchiti Experimental Forest), 8.D (RCW HMA) and 8.D.1 (RCW sub-hma) (see Table 1 above). Current threats to RCW recovery on the Oconee are: Loss of foraging habitat and proper stand structure through encroachment of woody vegetation, mainly due to the absence of fire, Loss of suitable habitat through an unimpeded succession of pine and pine-hardwood towards hardwood dominating conditions, and Loss of pine nesting and foraging habitat due to SPB infestations. Implementation of the actions proposed would serve three primary purposes: Restore foraging and nesting habitat conditions preferred by the RCW as described in the Recovery Plan for the species, Reduce stem density in stands that are potential habitat for the RCW, and Improve forest health and vigor of loblolly and mixed pine stands. Restore and/or maintain native forest types and habitats in areas more ecologically suitable for those community types than what is currently present on-site. The lands that now make up the Oconee National Forest were primarily agricultural lands from the late 1700s to the early 1900s. Intensive cultivation during this period depleted soil productivity and typically resulted in abandonment of the farms of the time period. Idle lands were devoid of vegetation leading to devastating erosion, with deep gullies that destroyed the once fertile areas. Research studies indicate a loss of soil ranging from 7 to as much as 16 inches deep occurred. Soil surveys conducted by the Forest Service classified the soil erosion as moderately to severely eroded, with a loss of 25 to 75 percent of the original topsoil. To address the devastating soil loss, the Federal government began acquiring the abandoned farms in the 1930s. Conservation practices were begun to restore vegetation cover. Some of these areas are more ecologically suited for a pine-hardwood mix, hardwood-pine mix, or in some cases a predominant hardwood stand. However, at the time these lands were acquired, loblolly pine was used because it was readily available, was adaptable to many ecological conditions and had a high survival rate. Loblolly also stopped the severe erosion and established the forest vegetation needed to curb erosion and begin to restore productivity. For that period of time, establishment of forest with loblolly pine played an important function to protecting the land against further damage. The Oconee LSA considered opportunities to maintain or restore the hardwood composition in those stands currently dominated by pine, but ecologically suitable for a pine-hardwood or hardwood-pine mix. Diversifying the tree species composition in these stands will increase the diversity of wildlife species using these areas. An increase in the diversity of hard mast and soft mast producing species would provide a sustained food source for the wildlife species using these stands. On current pine sites where the ecological suitability as defined by the ECS is a pine forest type, the stands will be maintained as pine stands.

5 Forest Plan Direction The Forest Plan guides all natural resource management activities and sets management standards for the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests in Georgia. It describes resource management practices; levels of habitat production, protection, and management; and the availability and suitability of lands for resource management. The Forest Plan consists of both Forest-wide and area specific goals objectives and standards that provide for land uses with anticipated resource outputs. Forest wide goals and objectives are identified in the Forest Plan. The Oconee LSA is designed to support the following goals identified in the Forest Plan: Goal 2 A diversity of habitat will be provided for the full range of native and other desired species. Sufficient amounts of interior or late-successional habitat as well as early-successional habitat will be provided to meet needs of all successional communities. Early successional habitat will be well distributed in all forest types, elevations, aspects, and slopes including riparian corridors. Goal 3 Enhance, restore, manage and create habitats as required for wildlife and plant communities, including disturbance-dependent forest types. Goal 4 Maintain and restore natural communities in amounts, arrangements, and conditions capable of supporting viable populations of existing native and desired nonnative plants, fish, and wildlife species within the planning area. Goal 7 Manage forest ecosystems to maintain or restore composition, structure, and function within desired ranges of variability. Goal 8 Contribute to maintenance or restoration of native tree species whose role in forest ecosystems: (a) has been reduced by past land use; or (b) is threatened by insects and disease, fire exclusion, forest succession, or other factors. Goal 10 Manage for a diversity of oak species to minimize yearly fluctuations in acorn supplies. Goal 15 Contribute to conservation and recovery of federally-listed threatened and endangered species through habitat maintenance and/or enhancement and, where possible, for their reintroduction into suitable habitats, and contribute to avoiding the necessity for federal listing of other species under the Endangered Species Act. Goal 16 Cooperate with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources in providing habitat for the reintroduction of native wildlife, including threatened, endangered and sensitive species. Goal 22 Watersheds are managed (and where needed, restored) to provide resilient and stable conditions to support the quality of water necessary to protect ecological functions and support intended beneficial water uses.

6 Goal 24 Maintain or restore soil productivity and quality. Goal 40 Through appropriate management, reduce populations of native and non-native pest species or vulnerability to them. Goal 41 Enhance forest health conditions in forest stands that are: (1) substantially damaged by fire, wind throw, or other catastrophes; or (2) in imminent danger from insect or disease attack. Goal 51 Contribute to the conservation and recovery of the red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis) until species viability is assured throughout its range and it is no longer listed as an endangered species under the endangered species act. Goal 72 Cooperate and coordinate in data collection and analysis efforts with, adjacent National Forests, the USFWS, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, and other public or private entities, such that data can be shared for larger scale assessments of habitats and populations across jurisdictional boundaries. Proposed Actions Proposed actions needed to improve forest health (Forest Plan Goal 40 and 41): 1. Reduce the number of trees in loblolly pine stands (Forest Plan Objective 40.1) Treatments would include thinning using commercial timber harvest and prescribed burning. In young stands, the number of small diameter trees would be reduced by cutting stems, which are less than merchantable size, also known as pre-commercial thinning. Proposed actions needed to restore/maintain native ecosystems and improve wildlife habitat (Forest Plan Goal 2 and 4); enhance, restore, manage, and create wildlife and plant habitats (Forest Plan Goal 3); contribute to maintenance/restoration of native tree species (Forest Plan Goal 8); and manage forest ecosystems to maintain or restore composition, structure, and function (Forest Plan Goal 7) include: 1. Restoration of native shortleaf pine and restoration/maintenance of native loblolly pine (Forest Plan Objectives 3.3, 8.3, 8.4) Treatments needed to meet this objective would include commercial or noncommercial timber harvest and/or site preparation by herbicide/handtools, usually followed by prescribed burning, then hand planting pine seedlings. This would be followed within 2-3 years with release of pine seedlings by handtool cutting or very targeted and selective herbicide use. 2. Restoration or maintenance of oak, oak-pine, pine-oak (Forest Plan Objective 3.6, 3.7, 7.2) Treatments needed to meet this objective would include commercial or non-commercial timber harvest and/or site preparation by herbicide/handtools, usually followed by prescribed

7 burning, then hand planting oak seedlings. Any existing oak would also be maintained on site. This would be followed within 2-3 years with release of pine and oak seedlings by hand tool cutting or targeted and selective herbicide, with a pre-commercial thinning at about age ten. 3. Restoration or maintenance of natural communities (Forest Plan Objective 4.1, 7.1) Treatments needed to meet this objective would include creating canopy gaps in existing mid-late successional mesic hardwood stands through the use of commercial or noncommercial timber harvesting. 4. Restoration of open pine or oak-pine woodlands (Forest Plan Objective 3.4) Treatments needed to meet this objective would include commercial or non-commercial thinning followed by a prescribed burning interval of 3-5 years to maintain open woodland conditions once they are created. This treatment would occur only on sites ecologically suitable for woodland creation as defined by the ECS. Again, field verification would be needed to determine appropriateness of the treatments for a particular site. Proposed actions needed to Improve Habitat for the Endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Forest Plan Goal 51, Objective 08.D-08, 09, 10) include: 1. Contribute to the conservation and recovery of the red-cockaded woodpecker (Forest Plan Goal 51) Treatments needed to meet this objective would include commercial and/or non-commercial timber harvest, mid-story control with handtools/herbicide/prescribed burning and/or site preparation by herbicide/handtools, usually followed by prescribed burning. Tabular display of potential treatments along with a sample of maps depicting suitable locations can be found on the Forest website: Overall, an estimated 81,378 acres have been proposed as having a need for some type of treatment across the Oconee Ranger District. Please note that not all of these proposed areas will receive treatment. These areas are based on the findings of the Oconee Ecological Classification System (ECS) and will need to be field verified before implementation activities begin. Implementation will also be limited by available funding and resources in any given year. The potential treatment activities listed above would be implemented to meet the objectives of the purpose and need of the Oconee LSA and the Forest Plan. How to Submit Your Comments Comments will be used to define any issues that may be associated with this project, to develop alternatives to the Proposed Action, and to refine the analysis of environmental effects. Please be as specific as possible when responding. If you provide data or research results, please identify why the information is pertinent to this project and provide a copy of the information.

8 Comments will become a part of the public record and, therefore, will be available for public review upon request under the Freedom of Information Act. We would appreciate your comments no later than January 15 th, We ask that you include your contact information, such as name, mailing address, address, and/or phone number, along with your comments. You may send in your comments as follows: U.S. Forest Service Oconee Ranger District 1199 Madison Road Eatonton, GA ATTN: Oconee Forest Health and Wildlife Habitat Improvement message or document to: jmcdonald@fs.fed.us Subject line: Oconee Forest Health and Wildlife Habitat Improvement FAX Send to Oconee RD FAX number: (706) Attention: Jeff McDonald Subject: Oconee Forest Health and Wildlife Habitat Improvement Electronic versions of the information provided in this scoping notice are available on the Forest s website at: If you have questions related to this project, please contact Jeffrey McDonald, IDT Leader, at the address provided on this letterhead. I look forward to your continued participation in the management of the Oconee Ranger District. Sincerely, /s/ Erin M. Bronk ERIN M. BRONK District Ranger