Woodland Management in the Indian Creek Wildlife Habitat...
Transcript of Woodland Management in the Indian Creek Wildlife Habitat...
Woodland Management in the
Indian Creek Wildlife Habitat
Restoration Initiative Area
Compartments 124, 125, 126, 146,
147, 148, and 149
Newberry County, South Carolina
Enoree Ranger District
Sumter National Forest
USDA Forest Service Southern Region 8
June 2011
Woodland Management in the Indian Creek Wildlife Habitat Restoration Initiative Area
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Woodland Management in the
Indian Creek Wildlife Habitat
Restoration Initiative Area
Compartments 124, 125, 126, 146,
147, 148, and 149
Newberry County, South Carolina
Enoree Ranger District
Sumter National Forest
USDA Forest Service Southern Region 8
June 2011
For Further Information Contact: Responsible Official:
James Knibbs, Elizabeth LeMaster
Francis Marion & Sumter NFS District Ranger
4931 Broad River Road Enoree Ranger District
Columbia, SC 29212-3530 Sumter National Forest
(803) 561-4078
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To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400
Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity
provider and employer.
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Contents Page
Chapter 1.0 Purpose of and Need for the Proposed Action 3
1.1 Introduction 3
1.2 Background 5
1.3 Purpose and Need 5
1.4 Proposed Action 7
1.5 Forest Plan Direction 8
1.6 Scoping 9
1.7 Decision to be Made 10
1.8 Issues 10
Chapter 2.0 Alternatives 12
2.1 Introduction 12
2.2 Alternative 1: No Action 12
2.3 Alternative 2: Proposed Action 20
2.4 Alternative Considered But Not Developed 20
2.5 Comparison of Alternatives 23
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1.0 PURPOSE OF AND NEED FOR ACTION
1.1 Introduction
The Enoree Ranger District (Enoree RD) is proposing management activities on approximately
1,916 acres of national forest system lands in compartments 124, 125, 126, 146, 147, 148, and
149. These compartments are located in Management Area 4 (Piedmont).
The proposed project occurs within the Indian Creek Wildlife Habitat Restoration Initiative
(ICWHRI) project area (see general vicinity map in Figure 1.1-1). The ICWHRI project area
encompasses 16,613 acres, 8,092 acres of which are located on national forest system lands in
Newberry County, South Carolina. The ICWHRI is an award-winning conservation initiative
that began in 2004 with the goal of integrating wildlife habitat enhancement work on a landscape
scale across federal lands managed by the Forest Service and adjoining State and privately
owned lands. The primary objective of the project is to restore and maintain native fire-adapted
woodland savannas and grassland habitats in the piedmont and manage for northern wildlife
species that utilize habitats comprised of open woodlands, grasslands, shrub-scrub habitats and
early seral stage forests. These habitats are declining in the piedmont resulting in a lack of
habitat for open land and/or disturbance-dependent wildlife species.
The area is currently occupied by mostly 60 to 80 year old pine stands intermingled with recent
woodlands created in the last five years. Desirable conditions in this area are open woodlands
and early seral stage habitats within a mosaic of native pines and pine-hardwood habitats. Open
forest canopies with grassy understories, cultivated land, and permanent early successional
habitats including grasslands, meadow, savannas and wildlife openings would be common in the
area.
Treatments would include thinning mature pine and pine-hardwood stands to low residual basal
areas. Herbicide, mastication, mowing and prescribed burning (both dormant and growing season
burning in the area is already covered under an existing decision) would be used to maintain the
desired vegetation conditions. The woodlands and other habitat created would be managed and
maintained for the long term used both in the dormant and growing seasons.
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Figure 1.1-1. General vicinity map of the Indian Creek Wildlife Habitat Restoration Initiative
Area.
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Commercial timber sales would be used to accomplish some of the objectives of this proposal.
This decision is consistent with the Revised Land and Resource Management Plan, Sumter
National Forest (Forest Plan) and tiers to the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the
Sumter National Forest.
This EA has been prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
of 1969 [42 United States Code (USC) 4321 et seq.], which requires an environmental analysis
for major Federal Actions having the potential to impact the quality of the human environment;
the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Regulations [40 Code of Federal Regulations
(CFR) 1500 through 1508] for implementing NEPA; USDA’s NEPA Policies and Procedures (7
CFR Part 1b); Forest Service Manual (FSM) 1950; and Forest Service Handbook (FSH) 1909.15.
1.2 Background
The Enoree RD of the Sumter National Forest (Sumter NF) is located in north central South
Carolina in the piedmont physiographic region between the Appalachian Mountains and the
Coastal Plain. This area is typified by gently to steeply rolling hills and a mild climate.
Much of the land now part of the Sumter NF was adversely impacted by past land use practices.
Today, following the rehabilitation activities of the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s and
1940s, and management of the Sumter NF by the USFS, these lands have been in part restored.
They now support a variety of fish and wildlife, various forms of developed and dispersed
recreation opportunities and a sustainable yield of timber production.
1.3 Purpose and Need
The purpose of the project is to provide and manage for quail, dove, songbirds and other wildlife
species associated with grassland/meadow, open land, savanna and woodland ecosystems. There
is a need to increase early seral stage and woodland habitats due to a decline of this type of
habitat throughout the piedmont.
Managing for quail means providing a variety of habitats that meet the needs of all phases of its
life cycle, including nesting cover, brood-rearing cover, feeding/loafing areas, and escape cover.
Quail are considered early successional species because the predominant vegetation that provides
a majority of essential habitat components occur at the beginning of the plant successional
timeline.
Songbirds that require early successional and grassland habitat have also been adversely
impacted as a result of changing land-use practices including the conversion of agricultural and
grassland habitats into forests. In general, birds experiencing the largest decline in the Southeast
are those that require early succession/grassland habitat.
Vegetation would be manipulated on a periodic basis to keep it in an early successional state that
is also beneficial to other species such as prairie warbler, eastern bluebird, loggerhead shrikes, as
well as other neotropical migratory, over-wintering and year-round resident bird species. This
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type of habitat would also benefit other early successional species such as mourning dove,
migratory songbirds, wild turkey, deer and rabbits.
The proposal would also reduce fuel loading in dense pine stands and create conditions where
prescribed fire could be used on a two- to three-year rotational basis. Reducing stocking levels in
pine stands would lower the susceptibility to southern pine beetle attack and also promote
understory herbaceous development.
The intent of the proposed actions is to restore native piedmont habitats including woodlands,
savannas, meadows/grasslands, and open lands as well as to improve mixed pine/hardwood
stands. Treatments are proposed in dense, mature loblolly pine and mixed loblolly pine and
hardwood stands. Additionally, the intent of intermediate thinning treatments is to improve tree
growth and vigor and reduce potential for damage and mortality from insects and disease.
The existing condition of the proposed stands were surveyed and evaluated. The proposed stands
range from mature naturally regenerated loblolly pine stands from 50 years old, to loblolly pine
and mixed loblolly pine-hardwood stands over 100 years old. Some stands were harvested under
previous decisions in the last ten years and contain dense patches of sweet gum and other
vegetation that has low wildlife value for food and/or appropriate cover. The ICWHRI project
area has a large number of stands in the 70-plus age class and only a few stands in the 0 to 10 age
class (regeneration areas), which indicate that there is very little early successional habitat within
the proposed analysis area. The diversity of understory vegetation of forbs, shrubs, and grasses
would be greatly improved with thinning because open canopies allow sunlight to reach the
forest floor. Increased desirable native understory grass and forb species would increase foraging
and nesting habitats for quail, as well as improve habitat for other wildlife species.
Proper cover is often a more limiting factor than food for many species of wildlife. Quail patches
and native warm season grass strips would provide specific cover that is currently lacking in the
forested landscape.
Quail Patches – Annual weeds such as ragweed and partridge pea provide ideal brood-
rearing habitat for quail and attract insects, an essential food for chicks. The structure of
these plants is open underneath to allow ease of movement for quail chicks while
providing overhead cover from avian predators. Quail patches would be concentrated
patches (1/2 acre-1 acre) of these particular forbs planted within the woodland landscape
to provide quality brood rearing habitat, where it is currently lacking.
Native warm season grass strips – these strips would consist of little bluestem, big
bluestem, Indian grass, switchgrass, eastern gamagrass, and sideoats grama have a bunch-
like structure that provides important nesting areas for quail and wild turkeys. This
“bunch” structure provides overhead cover but still offers exposed soil and ease of
movement along the ground for wildlife species. This is especially important for small
quail chicks trying to move along the ground. Exposed soils offer areas that can be
colonized by beneficial volunteer forbs such as beggar’s lice, goldenrod, native
lespedeza, and ragweed. Native warm season grass strips would provide quail and other
wildlife with winter cover as well as excellent nesting, brooding and bedding habitat.
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Prescribed fire and herbicide would be used to maintain desired conditions for quail patches and
native grass areas for the long term. Mechanical brushwork (e.g., bush hogging, mowing, and
mastication) would be needed to periodically control woody vegetation that is not controlled by
harbicide and prescribed fire.
There are no permenantly maintained meadows in the project area. Meadows/grassland areas that
are managed properly create valuable habitat for grassland bird species. Meadows lack trees and
shrubs and consist of a variety of native grasses, wildflowers and forbs. Species that are adapted
to this type of open grassland habitat that would benefit from the establishment of meadow
include rabbit, grasshopper sparrow, dickcissel, Bachman’s sparrow, eastern meadowlark,
northern bobwhite, wild turkey, and white-tailed deer.
The purpose of increasing the size of the Long Lane wildlife fields located in compartment 146
and converting them to create a larger dovefield is to increase and improve open land habitat for
dove, quail and other wildlife, and to create better hunting opportunities for the public. Managed
dovefields provide habitat year-round for mourning doves and other early successional species
that forage for seeds on the ground. Doves are primarily seedeaters and obtain the bulk of their
food from open cultivated fields or from along fence rows. Agricultural crops, such as wheat,
rye, browntop millet, sorghum, and sunflower, along with wild grasses, various sedges and wild
peas make up the majority of a dove's diet. Doves prefer to feed in areas with bare ground on
which seeds are available and are easily seen. They avoid getting wet while searching for food.
These fields are currently fallow with encroaching non-native invasive species. In addition, the
current size and shape of the fields does not provide quality dove habitat and limits hunting
opportunities. There is a need to increase habitat for mourning doves because of this species
popularity as a game bird coupled with the limited number of public dovefields available for
recreational hunting across the piedmont. The dovefields managed by the Enoree RD fill the
need to provide quality hunting recreation.
The maintenance activities would provide improved habitat for doves and other species
associated with grassland and open land habitats. These activities would include the planting and
maintenance of preferred plants creating open feeding conditions that attract doves. Field borders
running along the edges of the field would provide critical edge habitat that is important to quail,
dove, turkey and other game and non-game species. The management of this dovefield would be
a cooperative effort between the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) and
the USFS.
1.4 Proposed Action
The proposed action would establish approximately:
770 acres of woodland habitat;
25 acres of early successional habitat;
70 acres of savanna habitat;
28 acres of meadow habitat;
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40 acres of open land habitat (dovefield), and
190 acres of intermediate thinning.
Approximately 818 acres of existing woodlands and areas proposed for treatment under this
proposal would be maintained using herbicide and prescribed fire. Periodic maintenance would
favor grasses and shrubs and retard woody vegetation development. The dovefield would be
disked, seeded, limed and fertilized and prescribed burned on a yearly rotation to maintain open
habitat conditions. Some existing skid trails and landings would be disked and seeded
periodically to maintain early successional habitat areas. Other activities would include disking,
mowing, seeding and masticating to maintain desired habitat conditions. Commercial timber
harvest would be used to establish the desired habitat conditions.
1.5 Forest Plan Direction
The proposed action provides an opportunity to work toward the forest management goals and
objectives as described in the Forest Plan. Forest-wide goals, objectives and standards are
described in Chapter 2 of the Forest Plan.
Specific management Goals for Wildlife Habitat and Forest Vegetation are found on
pages 2-6 to 2-7. Goal 8 states “Maintain and restore habitat communities and habitats
in amounts, arrangement, and conditions capable of supporting viable populations of
existing native and desired non-native plants, aquatic, and wildlife species within the
planning areas suitable to maintain viable populations of all species native to the
planning area, and where appropriate support desirable levels of selected species.”
Objective 8.02, under goal 8, states “Provide 8,000-11,000 acres of woodlands in the
piedmont…on dry-xeric sites in woodland, savanna, open grassland, or shrubland
conditions…over the 10-year planning period.”
Forest Plan guidelines relevant to dovefield establishment and maintenance are summarized
below:
Forest-wide direction is in Chapter 2 of the Forest Plan. Specific management direction
on page 2-6 states, “The Sumter National Forest is charged with creating and
maintaining habitat conditions suitable to maintain viable populations of all species
native to the planning area, and where appropriate support desirable levels of selected
species.”
The individual management areas are described in Chapter 4 of the Forest Plan. The
Desired Condition for Management Area 4 states, “There are a variety of high-quality,
well-maintained developed and dispersed recreation opportunities including…hunting.”
From Appendix H of the Forest Plan, “The vegetation in wildlife openings will be
maintained by a number of methods. These may include prescribed fire, mowing,
disking, herbicide applications, or tree grinding”.
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The project area is contained within five management prescriptions:
7.D. – Concentrated Recreation Zone
7.E.1. – Dispersed Recreation Areas
8.B.2. – Woodland and Grassland/Savanna Habitats
10.B. – High Quality Forest Products (Piedmont Only)
11 – Riparian Corridors
Project activity is proposed in the 8.B.2 and 10.B management prescriptions. Forest Plan
guidelines relevant to establishing and maintaining woodland, savanna and grassland habitats are
summarized below:
The emphasis for 8.B.2 management prescription as described in the Forest Plan, p.3-29 states,
“This area emphasizes providing optimal to suitable habitat for a variety of upland game species
and plant and animal populations. Open park-like woodlands and savannas with herbaceous
ground cover are found”.
The desired conditions for management prescription 8.B.2. - Woodland and Grassland/Savanna
Habitats, p.3-29 states, “Create and maintain woodland habitats (very open forests with low tree
densities) and grassland/savanna habitat. Improve, restore, and maintain habitats for fire-
adapted communities and species. The emphasis on developing and maintaining open forest
woodland to savanna and grassland habitats with scattered trees produces ideal habitats for
Northern bobwhite quail, cottontail rabbit, (Eastern) bluebird, turkey, deer, sparrows, rodents,
raptors, and bats.
The desired condition for management prescription 10.B., p 3-38 states, “Additional open, park-
like woodland conditions may be developed to improve habitat conditions in the area. Existing
openings and linear strips may be expanded or new ones created to improve habitat conditions
or views in the area.”
In addition, the 10.B. prescription states, “As markets allow, pine stands are maintained at
moderate densities (less than 100 square feet/acre basal area) to reduce susceptibility to
southern pine beetle attack, and to encourage development of larger diameter trees.”
Riparian Corridors are management prescription 11. Natural processes will modify most of the
areas within the riparian corridor. However, management activities may be used to provide
terrestrial or aquatic habitat improvement, favor recovery of native vegetation, control insect
infestations and disease, comply with legal requirements, provide for recreation and public safety
and meet other riparian functions and values.
1.6 Scoping
On March 12, 2009, a scoping letter was sent to interested agencies, groups, and individuals
asking for input on the proposed action. This proposal was also listed in the “Schedule of
Proposed Actions,” for the Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests. All public comments
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received during scoping were considered by the interdisciplinary team (IDT). Two comment
letters can be found in the project file from that scoping process.
After internal discussions and data review, and through IDT meetings and discussions, there
have been several changes made to the proposal since March 12, 2009. This proposal will be re-
scoped in conjunction with the 30-day Notice and Comment period required for all
Environmental Assessments. Changes to note include: the removal of two stands from the
proposed action (compartment 124/stand 1, and compartment 147/stand 6) due to operability
concerns, the establishment of a permanent dovefield in Compartment 146, and addition of two
stands into the herbicide treatment and prescribed burning regime (compartment 14/stands 4 and
10). These stands were thinned to 10-20 ft2/acre of basal area (BA) under the 2005 Lower
Enoree-Indian Creek decision and would be maintained as savanna habitat using prescribed
burning and herbicide treatments.
1.7 Decision to Be Made
This EA discloses environmental effects of the proposed action and alternatives. The
Responsible Official (Enoree District Ranger) will make a decision based on a review of the EA.
The Responsible Official will decide:
1. Whether to proceed with the proposed action or the “No Action” alternative.
2. Whether the decision that is selected will have a significant impact on the quality of the
human environment or not. If the determination is made that the impact is not
significant, then a “Finding of No Significant Impact” (FONSI) would be prepared.
Significant impacts on the quality of the human environment would require the
preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement [NEPA, 1501.4 (c) and (e)].
The decision of the Responsible Official will be documented in a Decision Notice (FSH,
1909.15, 43.2).
1.8 Issues
All comments received in responses to scoping for this project in the past were considered by the
IDT in helping to identify issues, develop mitigation measures and in effects analysis [NEPA,
1501.7 (2)]. Issues were identified as either key or non-key issues. Key issues were those used to
develop another action alternative and to develop mitigation measures. Non-key issues are
concerns that are already addressed by law or policy, are outside the scope of this project or are
not supported by science.
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The following non-key issue was identified by the IDT:
Issue 1:
Comment: This issue involves concerns that the use of herbicides would contaminate
groundwater and surface waterways and would pose health risks to the public and to USFS
personnel.
Response: This issue would be addressed with the use of standards and guidelines found in the
Forest Plan to mitigate adverse effects. A non-herbicide alternative was considered but not
developed to address this issue. It was determine that the purpose and need could not be met
without the use of herbicides. Site-specific mitigation measures have also been developed to
minimize risk of contamination by requiring herbicide mix water to be carried to the site and that
trucks containing herbicide or tank mixed herbicide would not park near streams or ponds. In
addition, herbicides would be selectively applied with backpack sprayers manually to targeted
vegetation and this would limit the amount used in the project area. The effects of herbicides,
methods of applications and design criteria would be analyzed in the environmental
consequences section of this EA.
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2.0 ALTERNATIVES
This section describes the proposed action and the no action alternatives.
2.1 Alternative 1: No Action
Current management activities would continue in the project area. Management activities as
proposed would not be implemented.
2.2 Alternative 2: Proposed Action
The proposal would establish 28 acres of permanent meadow habitat in compartment 146, 70
acres of savanna habitat (10-20 BA pine overstory) in compartment 124, and 25 acres of native
grass strips and quail patches imbedded within other treatment areas scattered throughout the
proposed units. The proposal would establish and maintian 770 acres of woodland (open forests
conditions with low tree densities). Some stands in compartment 146 would be managed to
enhance hard and soft mast production. Approximately 818 acres of already existing woodland
habitat would just receive periodic maintenance treatments consisting of herbicide and
prescribed fire. A 40 acre dovefield (including 10 acres of field borders) would be established
and approximately 190 acres would receive an intemediate thinning.
Control of the understory during maintenance activities would be accomplished primarily by use
of herbicide and prescribed burning. Other activities would included slash removal, stump
grinding and/or removal, disking, planting, and mechanical/manual understory treatments.
Prescribed burning of all units (except the dovefield) is covered under an existing decision
signed February 4, 2008, Prescribed Burning on the Piedmont of the Sumter National Forest,
South Carolina.
Acreages for specific treatments are calculated using GIS (Geographic Information System)
based data sources. GIS based calculations of acreage and distances are approximate. Final unit
size may vary during on-the-ground implementation. See list of treatments in Table 2.2-1 and
proposed activities map in Figure 2.2-1.
Woodland Habitat Establishment and Maintenance (770 acres) – Stands to be treated are
comprised of mature pine stands and mixed pine-hardwood stands. Current stand densities range
from 60-140 basal area per acre (BA). Residual basal areas would generally range from 30 to 40
BA for some stands to 50 to 60 BA for others. One stand would be managed to 60 to 70 BA.
Management Prescription 8.B.2, Woodland and Grassland/Savanna Habitats –
Generally speaking, stands in this management prescription would be managed at lower basal
areas. Desirable hard mast species (e.g., oaks and hickories) and soft mast species (e.g., black
cherry, persimmon, and dogwood) would be retained to maintain this food source for
wildlife.
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Management Prescription 10.B, High Quality Product Forest Products – Generally
speaking, basal areas would average 50-70 BA in these areas in order to sustain another
harvest in these stands in future years. Compartment 147/stand 10 is the exception and would
be thinned to 30-40 BA to improve stand health.
All stands would be maintained as pine woodlands with open grassy understories. Herbicide
would be used to control early pioneering species such as, but not limited to, sweetgum and other
undesirable understory species. The initial burning would be done to eliminate undesirable
vegetation and would be used on a 2-3 year cycle to maintain a grassy understory of native
species throughout the area. Both growing season and dormant season burns would be applied
across the project area in a mosaic pattern. Quail patches and native grass strips would be created
in both management prescription areas.
Existing Woodland Habitat Maintenance (818 acres) – Existing woodlands would be
maintained with herbicide to control early pioneering vegetation. Prescribed burning would be
done on a 2-3 year cycle under and existing prescribed burn decision.
Savanna Habitat Establishment and Maintenance (70 acres) – Compartment 124/stands 4
and 10 have a current density ranging from 10-20 BA and would be managed as savanna habitat.
Prescribed burning would be used on a 2-3 year cycle to maintain a grassy understory of native
species throughout the area. Herbicide would also be used to control early pioneering species
such as, but not limited to, sweetgum.
Intermediate Thinning (190 acres) – The residual basal area in stands following thinning
would range from 70-80 BA. Dominant and co-dominant pines would be left as well as desirable
oaks and hickories. All except one of the units would be periodically prescribed burned.
Early Successional Habitat Establishment and Maintenance – The establishment and
maintenance of early successional habitat is proposed in compartments 125, 126, 146, 147, 148,
and 149.
Quail Patches/Native Warm Season Grass Strips (25 acres) – Small (1/2 to 2 acres)
herbaceous/grass (e.g., partridge pea, ragweed, and NWSGs) openings and linear strips
would be established and maintained in various sites throughout proposed harvest units.
These areas would be located on mostly flat (no highly erosive soils), upland (dry) terrain
and would be located on existing log decks and skid trails. These areas would be
maintained and improved using mechanical methods (e.g., bush hog, disks, chainsaw,
mastication, etc.), prescribed burning, herbicide and planting (e.g., seedbed preparation,
fertilizing, liming and seeding).
Meadow Habitat Establishment and Maintenance (28 acres) – A meadow would be
established and maintained in compartment 146/stand 25. All trees would be cut using
conventional timber harvest methods. Slash remaining after timber harvest would be
burned or removed and stumps within the meadow area would be ground up to within
ground level in order to prepared seedbed and to allow disking and mowing within the
area. Prescribed fire and herbicide would be used to maintain desired conditions for
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meadow habitat for the long term. Mechanical brushwork (e.g., bush hogging, mowing,
and mastication) would be needed to control woody vegetation that was not controlled by
prescribed fire.
Field Borders (10 acres) – A field border consisting of native warm season grasses
forbs, annuals and non-invasive legumes would be established and maintained around the
dovefield. Periodic disking and seeding would be needed to maintained desired
conditions.
Open Land Habitat Establishment and Maintenance – Dovefield (40 acres) – In
compartment 146, the two existing wildlife fields and the surrounding area would be developed
and maintained as a dovefield. Establishment of cultivated portions of the dovefield would be
accomplished by removing trees and stumps, clearing land, and conditioning the soil where
topography permits (less than 5% slope). The remainder of the area would be maintained in a
low basal area of trees and field borders of native warm season grasses and forbs.
Unmerchantable material and stumps would be chipped/ground-up, piled and/or dispersed
around the edge of the unit. The areas would then be disked, seeded and maintained in an open
condition. Crop species planted in the dovefield would include but not be limited to browntop
millet, winter wheat, corn, sunflower and sorghum. Non-native invasive species would be treated
with herbicide under an existing decision. Maintenance work would consist of disking, seeding,
mowing, crop rotation, using herbicides, liming, fertilizing, and prescribed burning (see Table
2.2-2 for timing of maintenance activities). Agricultural practices would occur on the contour or
planted with no-till seeding. Crop rotation and winter/spring disking (as weather permits) would
be used to control emergent grasses. Herbicides would be used as needed to control aggressive
plant species that reduce effectiveness of planting and crop rotations. Prescribed burning would
be used to control woody vegetation and parch seeds to reduce sprouting of undesirable plants
and as well as prepare the field for fall hunting season.
Table 2.2-2. Dovefield Maintenance Activities
Spring Summer Fall
May – June:
liming and fertilizing
April – June:
disking, planting and herbicide July – August:
mowing, burning and herbicide October – November:
disking and planting
Maintenance activities would include applying glyphosate, a post-emergent herbicide, in
combination with disking, mowing, crop rotation and prescribed burning. Glyphosate would be
applied at an estimated rate of 1.07 pounds per acre between July and August. Glyphosate would
also be sprayed on corn, sunflowers, and winter wheat to defoliate and “brown” the vegetation to
provide weed control. It would be applied using equipment such as a tractor boom low-volume
sprayer. Backpack sprayers would be used if smaller areas need to be treated.
Additional herbicides would be used to control grasses if disking does not provide adequate
control of crab grass and non-native invasive species such as Johnson grass, Bermuda grass and
tall fescue. A mixture of imazapyr and water would be used (imazapyr at an estimated rate of
0.31 lbs per acre) as a mid-summer control of Bermuda grass or non-native invasive plants such
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as, but not limited to, sickle pod and horse nettle. These species are more difficult to control with
glyphosate alone and may require periodic use of this herbicide. Selected areas or the entire field
may be burned thirty days after vegetation has been treated with herbicide.
Herbicide Applications – Herbicide would be used in conjunction with prescribed burning to
control encroachment of unwanted woody vegetation in proposed treatments listed in Table 2.2-
1, except for the intermediate thinnings. Herbicide would be applied at label rates to control
sprouting of hardwood species, such as sweetgum and maple, and pine seedlings in areas where
treatments remove a substantial portion of the overstory. All treated areas would be monitored to
determine the need for further herbicide treatments. Treated areas would be prescribed burned no
sooner than 30 days following herbicide treatments. Low-volume backpack sprayers and tractor
mounted booms would be used to apply herbicide to target vegetation. The hack-and-squirt
method would be used in conjunction with foliar treatments to control larger vegetation left
(hardwoods and unmerchantable loblolly pine) remaining after harvest.
Foliar Spray - Herbicides would be applied using a backpack sprayer to spray the foliage
of targeted plants. A mixture containing 0.5 ounce of imazapyr (Arsenal AC or
equivalent), 1 ounce of a water-soluble dye spray pattern indicator, and 0.5 ounce of
limonene adjuvant per gallon of water would be used. The anticipated application rate
would be ten gallons of mix, 5 ounces of imazapyr per acre. Herbicides would be applied
to targeted vegetation by speckling the leaf surface during the period of June through
early October of the second or third growing season. All treated areas would be
monitored for further follow-up treatments after the initial treatment. All downed
vegetation would be left on-site to decompose.
Hack-n-Squirt - Targeted vegetation (greater than six feet tall) would be treated with
imazapyr (Arsenal AC or equivalent) and triclopyr (Garlon 3A or equivalent) herbicide
that is sprayed/injected into cuts made into the cambium layer with a manual cutting tool
(such as an axe or sandvik). The herbicide mixture used would be 50 percent triclopyr, 50
percent water, plus 6 ounces of Arsenal AC per gallon of water. All treated areas would
be monitored for further follow-up treatments after the initial treatment. All treated
vegetation would be left on-site to decompose.
*NOTE: Commercial herbicides/adjuvant/dyes referenced in this document (Garlon 3A, Arsenal
AC, Cidekick, and Bullseye) represent those formulations that are commonly used for the
proposed forestry treatments. However, other equivalent formulations may be used for
implementation of the proposed treatments. Equivalent formulations would include any other
brand name herbicides that have an equivalent proportion of the specified active and inert
ingredients.
Woodland Management in the Indian Creek Wildlife Habitat Restoration Initiative Area
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Table 2.2-1 Proposed Action Treatment Table
Compt. Stand Acres Prescription Activities (periodic or one time)
124 4 32
Savanna habitat establishment and
maintenance
Herbicide to control early pioneering
vegetation. Prescribed burn on 2-3 year cycle.
124 10 38
Savanna habitat establishment and
maintenance
Herbicide to control early pioneering
vegetation. Prescribed burn on 2-3 year cycle.
124 12 62
Woodland habitat establishment and
maintenance - Thin to 30-40 BA/Acre
Herbicide to control early pioneering
vegetation. Prescribed burn on 2-3 year cycle.
125 2 78 Woodland habitat maintenance
Herbicide to control early pioneering
vegetation. Prescribed burn on 2-3 year cycle.
125 4 96 Woodland habitat maintenance
Herbicide to control early pioneering
vegetation. Prescribed burn on 2-3 year cycle.
125 7 80
Woodland habitat establishment and
maintenance - Thin to 50-60 BA/Acre
Herbicide to control early pioneering
vegetation. Prescribed burn on 2-3 year cycle.
126 3 64 Woodland habitat maintenance
Herbicide to control early pioneering
vegetation. Prescribed burn on 2-3 year cycle.
126 11 56
Woodland Habitat Establishment -
Thin to 50-60 BA/Acre
Herbicide to control early pioneering species.
Prescribed burn on 2-3 year cycle.
Mechanical mid-story removal using
mastication.
126 12 83 Woodland habitat maintenance
Herbicide to control early pioneering
vegetation. Prescribed burn on 2-3 year cycle.
126 15 60
Woodland habitat establishment and
maintenance - Thin dense pine clumps
to 50-60BA/Acre
Herbicide to control early pioneering species.
Prescribed burn on 2-3 year cycle.
Mechanical mid-story removal using
mastication.
126 18 48
Woodland habitat establishment and
maintenance - Thin to 50-60 BA/Acre
Herbicide to control early pioneering species.
Prescribed burn on 2-3 year cycle.
Mechanical mid-story removal using
mastication.
146 3 83
Woodland habitat establishment and
maintenance/mixed pine/hardwood
habitat - Thin to 50 BA/Acre
Select to remove pines and undesirable
hardwoods during thin. Herbicide release to
control early pioneering species. Prescribed
burn on 2-3 year cycle.
146 7 19 Woodland habitat maintenance
Herbicide to control early pioneering
vegetation. Prescribed burn on 2-3 year cycle.
146 13 16
Woodland habitat establishment and
maintenance
Thin to 30- 40 BA/acre, remove undesirable
hardwoods. Herbicide to control early
pioneering species. Prescribed burn on 2-3
year cycle.
146 14 42
Woodland habitat establishment and
maintenance - Thin to 30-40 BA/Acre
Herbicide to control early pioneering
vegetation. Prescribed burn on 2-3 year cycle.
146 15 100 Woodland habitat maintenance
Herbicide to control early pioneering
vegetation. Prescribed burn on 2-3 year cycle.
146 17 47 Woodland habitat maintenance
Herbicide to control early pioneering
vegetation. Prescribed burn on 2-3 year cycle.
Woodland Management in the Indian Creek Wildlife Habitat Restoration Initiative Area
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146 18 12
Woodland habitat establishment and
maintenance - Thin to 30-40 BA/Acre
Herbicide to control early pioneering
vegetation. Prescribed burn on 2-3 year cycle.
146 19 49
Intermediate Thinning - Thin to 70-80
BA/Acre Area west of the creek would not be treated.
146 20 79
Woodland habitat establishment and
maintenance - Thin to 50 BA/Acre
Herbicide to control early pioneering
vegetation. Prescribed burn on 2-3 year cycle.
146 24 9
Woodland habitat establishment and
maintenance
Thin to 30- 40 BA/acre, remove undesirable
hardwoods. Herbicide to control early
pioneering species. Prescribed burn on 2-3
year cycle.
146 25 28
Meadow establishment and
maintenance
Remove all slash and grind stumps to ground
level for seedbed preparation. Herbicide to
control early pioneering species. Prescribed
burn on 2-3 year cycle. In addition, use
manual/mechanical methods (mastication) to
control undesirable tree species.
146 26 40
Permanent dovefield establishment
with field borders and maintenance
Remove all slash and stumps within dovefield
area for seedbed preparation. Herbicide to
control early pioneering species and non-
native invasive plant species. Prescribe burn
as part of dovefield maintenance and
preparation.
146 27 24
Woodland habitat establishment and
maintenance - Thin to 50 BA/Acre
Herbicide to control early pioneering
vegetation. Prescribed burn on 2-3 year cycle.
147 10 49
Woodland habitat establishment and
maintenance - Thin to 30-40 BA/Acre
Herbicide to control early pioneering species.
Prescribed burn on 2-3 year cycle.
Mechanical mid-story removal using
mastication.
147 12 20
Woodland habitat establishment and
maintenance - Thin to 60-70 BA/Acre
Herbicide to control early pioneering
vegetation. Prescribed burn on 2-3 year cycle.
148 7 51 Woodland habitat maintenance
Herbicide to control early pioneering
vegetation. Prescribed burn on 2-3 year cycle.
148 9 106 Woodland habitat maintenance
Herbicide to control early pioneering
vegetation. Prescribed burn on 2-3 year cycle.
148 11 46 Woodland habitat maintenance
Herbicide to control early pioneering
vegetation. Prescribed burn on 2-3 year cycle.
148 12 77 Woodland habitat maintenance
Herbicide to control early pioneering
vegetation. Prescribed burn on 2-3 year cycle.
148 16 74
Woodland habitat establishment and
maintenance - Thin heavier portions
of stand to 50-60 BA/Acre for a total
of 30-40 BA/Acre for entire stand
Herbicide to control early pioneering
vegetation. Prescribed burn on 2-3 year cycle.
148 17 56
Woodland habitat establishment and
maintenance - Thin heavier portions
of stand to 50-60 BA/Acre for a total
of 30-40 BA/Acre for entire stand
Herbicide to control early pioneering
vegetation. Prescribed burn on 2-3 year cycle.
Woodland Management in the Indian Creek Wildlife Habitat Restoration Initiative Area
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149 10 33 Woodland habitat maintenance
Herbicide to control early pioneering
vegetation. Prescribed burn on 2-3 year cycle.
149 11 20 Woodland habitat maintenance
Herbicide to control early pioneering
vegetation. Prescribed burn on 2-3 year cycle.
149 12 21
Intermediate Thinning - Thin to 70-80
BA/Acre
Thin to 70-80 BA/acre. Prescribed burn on 3-
5 year cycle.
149 14 49
Intermediate Thinning - Thin to 70-80
BA/Acre
Thin to 70-80 BA/acre. Prescribed burn on 3-
5 year cycle.
149 18 71
Intermediate Thinning - Thin to 70-80
BA/Acre
Thin to 70-80 BA/acre. Prescribed burn on 3-
5 year cycle.
Total 1,916
Woodland Management in the Indian Creek Wildlife Habitat Restoration Initiative Area
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Figure 2.2-1. Map of Proposed Treatments
Woodland Management in the Indian Creek Wildlife Habitat Restoration Initiative Area
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Connected Actions
Skid Trails, Landings and Roads
Connected actions associated with this project include construction of skid trails, landings and
temporary roads for the commercial removal and loading or chipping of trees on site. Logs
would be skidded with heavy equipment to landings where they would be decked for removal by
logging trucks. Existing and new skid trails would be used during skidding operations. Best
Management Practices for Forestry (BMPs), site-specific mitigation measures along with Forest
Plan standards and guidelines would be used to limit exposure of soil and protect streams from
sedimentation. Typically, skid trails and landings are water-barred and re-vegetated to reduce
soil erosion. A mixture of annuals and native warm season grasses would be used for
revegetation of these areas to reduce erosion.
System road reconstruction and maintenance (estimated at a little over ten miles) would be
needed. Reconstruction work would consist of, but not be limited to, gravelling road surfaces,
replacing culverts, ditch cleaning, removing brush and trees along road rights-of-way, installing
or replacing gates and correcting road safety hazards. Maintenance would consist of spot gravel,
road grading, cleaning culverts, light brushing and mowing. Specific information on roads is
contained in the project file.
Monitoring
Activities and effects would be monitored to ensure compliance with the Forest Plan.
Monitoring activities would ensure that the herbicide work complies with federal regulations
during transportation, mixing, and application. Monitoring is done through project plan reviews
and periodic on-site evaluations. Follow-up evaluations would determine the effectiveness of the
proposed treatments. Timber harvest activities would be supervised by a Forest Service timber
sale administrator.
2.3 Alternatives Considered but not Developed
An alternative action without the use of herbicides was considered but not developed because the
purpose and need of the proposal could not be met without herbicide use. Manual, mechanical
and prescribed burning methods alone are not as effective at controlling understory vegetation.
Monitoring of existing woodlands indicates that woody vegetation is becoming dense and cannot
be controlled effectively with fire alone.
Woodland Management in the Indian Creek Wildlife Habitat Restoration Initiative Area
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2.4 Design Criteria
Design Criteria that apply to all action alternatives are incorporated from the following
documents:
The Forest Plan provides specific standards and guidelines to ensure proper layout of
units and during project implementation.
South Carolina’s Best Management Practices for Forestry (South Carolina Forestry
Commission 1994).
Soil and Water Conservation Practices Guide, Southern Region, (U.S. Department of
Agriculture 2002).
The following design criteria would be used to reduce adverse effects during project
implementation.
1. Identified heritage sites would be avoided during site disturbing activities associated with
logging and follow-up treatments.
2. Identified PETS species location would be avoided during site disturbing activities
associated with logging and follow-up cultural treatments.
3. Temporary roads and skid trails would be located in such a manner to roll with the terrain
to reduce water concentrations. Drainage dips and lead-outs would be incorporated in
construction of temporary roads. Gully crossings would be avoided and water from roads
would not be directed into gullies.
4. Skid trails and log decks would be seeded, fertilized and mulched at the time each harvest
area is closed. Seed mixtures would include native grasses and legumes or other desired
non-native species beneficial to wildlife.
5. Trees would not be harvested within gullies or on steep slopes adjacent to gullies unless
needed to promote stabilization or recovery efforts.
6. Streams would be identified on sale area maps and protective measures would be
specified in the timber sale contract.
7. Desirable oaks and hickories would be retained within treatment stands.
8. Hardwood inclusions, to be protected within and adjacent to harvest units, would be
identified on-the-ground and on the sale area map of the timber sale contract.
9. Water used for mixing herbicides and cleaning would come from a public water supply
and be transported to the site in separate labeled containers.
Woodland Management in the Indian Creek Wildlife Habitat Restoration Initiative Area
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10. Trucks containing herbicide or tank mixed herbicide would not be allowed to park within
200 feet of streams or other bodies of water.
11. Check dams would be installed in ephemeral stream channels adjacent to harvest units.
Check dams would not be used in intermittent or perennial streams.
12. Water-bars on skid trails that cross ephemeral streams would be constructed and
maintained to avoid discharging water directly into stream channels. Water-bars would be
reconstructed and skid roads revegetated at the time each harvest area is closed. Skid
roads would be blocked to limit motorized vehicle use.
13. Erosion control devices such as diversions and temporary rock sediment dams would be
installed prior to road reconstruction and maintenance activities where needed to deter
soil runoff into streams. Erosion control devices would be maintained in working order
throughout project activities including linear wildlife strips and until plant growth is
established and stable enough to control runoff and erosion. Road ditch lines would not
be routed toward stream crossings, but instead into vegetative buffers.
14. Weather conditions would be monitored and herbicide applications scheduled so that drift
is minimized or eliminated. In addition, herbicides would not be applied previous to or
during periods of rain.
15. Dovefield disking, herbicide application, liming and fertilizing would not be
implemented when periods of rain events are expected. Exposed soils should be
monitored and erosion control measures implemented when off-site movement of soil
occurs with this annual activity.
Woodland Management in the Indian Creek Wildlife Habitat Restoration Initiative Area
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2.5 Comparison of Alternatives
This section compares aspects of the alternatives to one another. Analysis of the effects can be
found in the next section, Environmental Consequences.
Table 2.2-1 Comparison of Alternatives
Treatment
Alternative 1
(Acres)
Alternative 2
(Acres)
Woodland Habitat Establishment and Maintenance 0 770
Existing Woodland Maintenance 0 818
Savanna Habitat Establishment and Maintenance 0 70
Intermediate Thinning 0 190
Early Successional Habitat Establishment and Maintenance
Quail Patches, NWSG Strips and Field Borders (embedded within
other treatments) 0 25
Meadow Habitat 0 28
Field Borders (embedded within dovefield) 0 10
Open Land Habitat Establishment and Maintenance - Dovefield 0 40
Herbicide Use to Control Undesirable Vegetation1 0 1,726
Total 0 1,916
1 Backpack sprayers would be used if smaller areas need to be treated using the foliar spray method. The hack-n-
squirt method would be used on larger stems by treating the cambium layer. Herbicide would be applied using
equipment such as a tractor boom mounted with a low-volume sprayer.