United States Proposed Action for the Department of Agriculture Foothills Landscape Forest Service Project October 2017

Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests Dawson, Fannin, Gilmer, Habersham, Lumpkin, Murray, Rabun and White Counties, Georgia

For More Information Contact: Angie Bell, Foothills Team Leader Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests 1755 Cleveland Hwy, Gainesville, GA 30501 [email protected] FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English. To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: [email protected]. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.

2 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

Table of Contents Overview ...... 4 Location ...... 4 Purpose and Need and Proposed Action ...... 5 Connection to the Restoration Plan ...... 5 Adaptive Management Approach ...... 6 Biologic Integrity ...... 7 Resilience to Disturbance ...... 18 Connectivity ...... 22 Improvements to Soil and Water Quality ...... 29 Proposed Changes to the Project Boundary ...... 37 Connected Actions ...... 40 Project Design Criteria ...... 42 Citations ...... 45 Apppendix A: Old-growth Designation Stands ...... 47

3 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

OVERVIEW The Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests is planning an effort designed to restore the biological integrity, resilience to disturbance, connectivity, and soil and water quality across the Foothills Landscape. The Forest Service is preparing an Environmental Assessment (EA) that proposes to conduct restoration activities within the 143,500 acre project area that is part of the Conasauga, Blue Ridge and Chattooga River Ranger Districts.

The Foothills Landscape project is a restoration project intended to assist in the “recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed. Ecological restoration focuses on reestablishing the composition, structure, pattern, and ecological processes necessary to facilitate terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems sustainability, resilience, and health under current and future conditions” (FSH 2020.5). The restoration is framed by the Forest Service Strategic Goal “to protect National Forest System watersheds by implementing practices designed to maintain or improve watershed condition, which is the foundation for sustaining ecosystems and the production of renewable natural resources, values, and benefits” (FSM 2520). The Chattahoochee-Oconee Forest Plan (2004) outlines a need to manage, or restore where necessary, watersheds to provide resilient and stable conditions to support the quality of water necessary to protect ecosystem functions (page 2-20).

The Southern Appalachian Assessment (1996) points out that watershed health represents the integration of terrestrial, aquatic, atmospheric and social aspects of the ecosystem. Williams et al. (1997) described the five characteristics of a healthy watershed as having a high biologic integrity, being resilient to disturbance, being highly connected, supporting high water quality and soil productivity in the long-term, and providing essential ecosystem services.

The Foothills Landscape project was developed with collaborative input stretching from October 2016 to October 2017. There were two rounds of Community Conversations, four integrated workshops, five small group meetings and seven field trips convened during this time. The purpose of the engagement was to discuss and debate the restoration needs on the landscape and the potential tools to improve the ecosystem’s resilience to disturbance and sustainability.

LOCATION The Foothills Landscape is located on the Conasauga, Blue Ridge, and Chattooga River Ranger Districts of the Chattahoochee National Forest in northern Georgia. The project is located in the area where the mountains are visibly reduced to the foothills. The project area includes portions of the Cohutta Wildlife Management Area and Dawson, Fannin, Gilmer, Habersham, Lumpkin, Murray, Rabun and White Counties.

4 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

Figure 1: Vicinity map showing the general location of the project area relative to major cities and highways in Georgia.

PURPOSE AND NEED AND PROPOSED ACTION The proposed action for the Foothills Landscape project is organized to first describe the overall need of the project. A need is the overarching theme that was discovered while comparing the existing environmental conditions to the desired, achievable future conditions. In order to identify the underlying purpose of the project regarding the four primary needs, the interdisciplinary team incorporated the objectives from the Forest Plan, the US Forest Service Watershed Condition Framework, Georgia’s State Water Regional Plans, the Georgia State Wildlife Action Plan, Community Wildfire Protection Plans, Georgia’s Forest Action Plan, Shortleaf Pine Restoration Plan, Recovery Plans for Threatened and Endangered Species in the project area and information provided through the collaborative effort.

The range of actions intended to meet the above mentioned purpose has been developed by the interdisciplinary team using best available science, expertise and input from the collaborative community. A more detailed description of the proposed treatments can be found in the Foothills Landscape Restoration Plan. The description of the range of actions includes the description of where the action would occur, how it would be accomplished and how much (acres, miles, sites, etc.) is being proposed.

Connection to the Restoration Plan This proposed action represents the culmination of all of the input from the collaborative effort and the work by the interdisciplinary team to outline the need for restoration, gather the best available science and their professional judgement and experience. The Foothills Landscape Restoration Plan (https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd544658.docx) was an intermediate step to document the logic and background between the inception of the project and the official proposed action. It was designed as a tool to help improve transparency, solicit feedback about the process and detail the logic that was used to generate this proposed action. You will see sidebars with links to the Restoration

5 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

Plan. We have made these connections to make it easier for you to read the background on the recommendation if you are interested in digging deeper into the topic.

We recognize that there are discrepancies between the two documents. Not all of the recommendations made in the Restoration Plan are included in the Proposed Action. The reasons for the differences range from the recommendation being already authorized by an existing decision, the recommendation being inconsistent with other restoration activities, or that there was little or no opportunity to implement the recommendation. Where there are differences the official proposal is the on captured in this Proposed Action document.

Adaptive Management Approach We are using the ‘toolbox approach’ in planning this project. You will note, that with a few exceptions, the descriptions do not include the exact stands or locations where implementation would occur. The treatments under the toolbox approach are guided by the on-the-ground conditions during implementation, which would better ensure that the treatment would set the landscape on the trajectory toward desired conditions. We use site characteristics (what we encounter on the ground) and treatment tools (the tools) as a more flexible way to achieve our desired conditions.

The maps shared during the collaboration and cited in the Restoration Plan illustrate the current information on tree stand conditions. They are not treatment location maps, rather they illustrate what we know about the current condition using our existing information. The treatment locations would be determined by on the ground assessments of the condition of the stands prior to implementation.

The interdisciplinary team would start with a group of site characteristics to define where a potential treatment may occur within the project area. Examples of site characteristics such as stand composition, structure, age, slope, site index and soil conditions. The treatment would also be in the larger context of the desired pattern, composition and structure of the larger landscape (FSH 2020.5- definition of ecosystem restoration). For instance, the existing extent of open woodland habitats or shortleaf pine forests may be very limited as compared to what may have historically been present or is needed to meet the needs of native wildlife species.

Once an area with specific site characteristics is located, we would then identify the types of treatment tools that we could use to treat those features. It lets us account for incomplete information and adapt to changes in environmental conditions. In this way, as landscape conditions vary, even within a vegetation type like shortleaf pine, the appropriate tool is applied to achieve the desired result. A tool that might be appropriate in one area may not be the right tool to use somewhere else. The acres reported below represent the maximum acres of treatment to meet each purpose. This was determined using the distance from the existing road system and the areas of operable ground (less than 35 percent slopes).

We would monitor effects of the individual and cumulative actions and make changes to the treatments if the effects differ from what we predicted. The interdisciplinary team would use best available science, professional judgment and input from the collaborative community to develop design criteria. Design criteria are sideboards, additional instructions or limitations on the treatments, or tools, that we would apply to any of those site characteristics. For example, streams in the treatment units would only be crossed at designated crossings. Preliminary design criteria can be found at the end of this document.

6 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

Biologic Integrity There is a need to improve the biologic integrity of the Foothills Landscape. Paul Angermeier and James Karr (1994) defined biologic integrity as terrestrial and aquatic habitats that support adaptive communities and reflect, as best as possible, natural processes. Many of the natural processes have been disrupted across the Southern Appalachian Mountains. The Southern Appalachian Assessment (1996) outlines the need to restore rare habitats which include woodland communities, table mountain/pitch pine, wetlands and mountain bogs to maintain the high biologic diversity for which the Blue Ridge ecoregion is known. The Southern Appalachian Assessment also describes the undesired effect of changes in forest composition and condition of the forest due to past practices and exclusion of fire. Forest composition is being threatened by the current trend of oak decline and the reduction of native yellow pine forests. The Shortleaf Pine Initiative reports that shortleaf pine forest has been reduced by 53% throughout its range due to lack of appropriate fire disturbance, conversion of sites to loblolly pine, hybridization, southern pine beetles and littleleaf disease (SPI, 2016).

Forest Composition A purpose of the Foothills Landscape project is to enhance, restore, manage or create habitats including shortleaf pine, pitch pine, table mountain pine, woodland communities, and oak/oak-pine forest types (Forest Plan Goal 3). The treatments would encourage a diversity in the age of oak stands as well as a diversity of species of oak (Forest Plan Goal 10), and furthermore, contribute to the viability of wildlife species and to provide a diverse range of habitat (Forest Plan Goals 1 and 2). We need to contribute to maintenance or restoration of native tree species whose role in forest ecosystems have been reduced by past land use or by insects and disease, fire exclusion, forest succession, or other factors (Forest Plan Goal 8). In Georgia, the Shortleaf Pine Restoration Plan (SPI, 2016) recommends the maintenance or improvement of existing shortleaf pine and shortleaf pine – oak woodland forest stands using appropriate site-based prescriptions such as thinning, reduction of understory vegetation and the use of prescribed fire.

Southern yellow pine is declining across the landscape. Virginia and white pine or loblolly pine often dominate areas where other more desired yellow pine species once occupied. Oak and oak pine stands have a lack of age diversity with many of the stands reaching mid to late successional ages. Oak regeneration is lacking due to fire exclusion and resulting shaded forest conditions. Many of the forest stands are becoming overly dense which means that open forest types with herbaceous understory such as woodland communities are on the decline. These communities are important to many wildlife species, including rare tree-roosting bats such as the endangered Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis). More complete descriptions of the existing and achievable future conditions for these forest types are in the Restoration Plan.

Range of Actions Southern Yellow Pine Maintenance and Restoration Southern Yellow Pine Forest maintenance is proposed for up to 12,400 acres. The treatment is Background recommended within existing mid to late successional shortleaf pine stands and stands that contain in the pitch or table mountain pine. Stands that can be regularly burned using prescribed fire would be Restoration Plan on commercially thinned to about 40-60 square feet per acre of basal area of desirable pine type. Page 20 Commercial thinning would be accomplished with ground-based equipment. The treatment areas

7 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

would be further treated with herbicides and prescribed fire to reduce undesired tree and brush competition. Herbicides would be selectively applied to undesired understory vegetation using directed foliar, cut-stem or basal bark/streamline methods. Where appropriate prescribed burning would be utilized to achieve site specific objectives. Site conditions would be evaluated for prescribed burning and the appropriate burning season (either dormant or growing season) would be implemented. Prescribed fire treatments would continue until the desired results are achieved, which include the reduction in the woody hardwood understory and a restored and receptive seedbed. Upon achievement of the desired conditions, fire treatments would be applied less frequently. This would allow for pine seedling recruitment to be initiated in the understory.

For stands where fire cannot be regularly used we would employ the expanding gap silvicultural method. The expanding gap method is being proposed in collaboration with the Southern Research Station. Gaps would be created in the stands by removing overstory trees to create ½ acre up to one acre openings. Initial canopy gaps would be located where advanced shortleaf, pitch, or table mountain pine regeneration exists or where a need for structural diversity is determined and recruitment of southern yellow pine regeneration is anticipated. Scarification of ground surface layer may be needed to promote recruitment of additional natural regeneration of preferred southern yellow pine. Artificial regeneration may also be implemented planting on an 8 foot by 8 foot, or wider spacing while also potentially clumping seedlings together in clusters of 5 to 15 seedlings. After the seedlings are able to compete with surrounding vegetation in a free-to-grow condition (8- 12 years) the gap would be ready to expand by another one to two tree lengths around the perimeter by removal of over story. The surrounding stand would be thinned to a basal area of 50-70 square feet per acre. The treatment areas would be treated with herbicides to reduce the competition with undesired species.

Southern Yellow Pine Forest Restoration is proposed on up to 5,800 acres within the landscape, and would be implemented on dry sites currently dominated by mid to late successional Virginia or white pine. This treatment would also be applied in mixed oak-pine stands where evidence of previous occupation by shortleaf/pitch/table mountain pine exist (presence of old pine stumps). Opportunities for restoration may also exist within off-site loblolly or white pine plantations. Up to 1,700 acres of restoration on these sites is proposed. Restoration of Southern Yellow Pine would be implemented using either artificial or natural regeneration methods. In stands where artificial reforestation is used, a two-aged regeneration harvest with a minimum basal area of 15 square feet per acre would be followed with site preparation burning (growing season) and directed herbicide treatments (foliar and cut-stump methods). Shortleaf or pitch pine seedlings would be planted on an 8 feet by 8 feet or 10 feet by 10 feet spacing, or wider. Seedlings may also be planted in clumps throughout the planted area, varying in numbers from 5-15 seedlings per cluster. Release treatments would be applied to free planted seedlings from immediate competition using herbicides (directed foliar or basal bark/streamline methods). A pre-commercial thinning using manual methods (chainsaws) would be applied 7-10 years post-planting to regulate stand composition prior to canopy closure in the newly formed stands.

In stands that have adequate shortleaf, pitch or table mountain pine in the existing stand for natural reforestation, a commercial shelterwood harvest would reduce the basal area to 30-40 square feet per acre of trees with high-crowns that are seed-producing pine species. Site preparation burning to

8 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

coincide with seed fall and directed herbicide treatments (foliar, cut-stem and basal bark/streamline methods) would follow. A follow up harvest to remove the residual seed trees would occur once the site has been adequately regenerated to the target species.

Oak and Oak-Pine Community Maintenance and Restoration Multiple oak maintenance treatment methods are proposed, each designed with consideration for Background site productivity, presence of existing oak regeneration, and whether connected prescribed fire in the treatments could be feasibly implemented. Proposed treatments are intended to increase oak Restoration Plan on regeneration potential within existing oak-dominated stands, establish areas of young oak forests, or Page 27 increase the dominance of oak in existing immature oak stands.

Oak-pine community maintenance would include up to 14,800 acres of mid-story reduction in mid to late successional oak stands on moderate to highly productive sites. This treatment would be carried out by targeted herbicide treatments applied to trees below the main canopy using directed tree injection and/or basal bark methods. Treatments would be tailored to the site based on site productivity, with the level, or intensity, of the mid-story reduction decreasing as site productivity increases.

Oak maintenance treatments on moderate to lower productivity sites are proposed on up to 11,200 acres, and include either commercial regeneration, intermediate thinning treatments, or non- commercial mid-story reduction treatments. Commercial regeneration harvests would be implemented on up to 2,000 acres of this amount and would be limited to sites where field surveys indicate that there is an adequate population of oak seedlings in the understory to replace the current overstory through natural regeneration. The overstory would be reduced to a residual stocking of 15 to 25 square feet of basal area under the regeneration treatment. site preparation using prescribed fire (growing season) and direct herbicide applications (foliar and cut-stump methods), and tree seedling release treatments would follow the commercial regeneration harvest. Release treatments would be implemented one to multiple times during the first decade of regeneration using manual methods or selectively and directed applications of herbicides (basal bark/streamline, foliar or cut-stem methods).

In stands where there is a lack of oak seedlings and where fire can be applied regularly, a commercial intermediate thinning or a non-commercial mid-story reduction treatment (tree injection with herbicides) would be implemented (up to 9,200 acres of the 11,200 acres). The intermediate thinning would reduce overstory trees to 40-60 square feet per acre, favoring oaks, hickories, shortleaf and/or pitch pine. The harvest would be followed by prescribed fire and/or herbicide treatments to reduce unwanted understory vegetation. Herbicides would be selectively applied to undesired understory vegetation using directed foliar, cut-stem or basal bark/streamline methods. Initial prescribed burning would be conducted during the dormant season. Subsequent burn treatments would be applied during the growing season until the desired conditions have been achieved (development of oak reproduction). Periodic burn treatments would be applied to maintain the desired condition using a combination of dormant and growing season treatments and frequency would be altered to allow oak seedling to gain height and prepare for canopy recruitment. If non- commercial mid-story reduction treatments are applied, methods previously described for the

9 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

higher productivity sites (above) would be employed and tailored to the sites based on site productivity.

In oak and oak-pine stands where fire cannot be used regularly, an expanding gap silvicultural method would be used to maintain the oak and oak-pine stands. This method would be implemented on up to 14,600 acres of existing mid to late successional oak stands within the project area. The expanding gap method is being proposed in collaboration with the Southern Research Station. Gaps would be created in the stands by removing overstory trees to create up to ½ acre openings. Initial canopy gaps would be located where advanced oak regeneration exists or where a need for structural diversity is determined and recruitment of oak regeneration is anticipated. After the seedlings are able to complete with surrounding vegetation the gap would be ready to expand by another one to two tree lengths around the perimeter by removal of over story. The surrounding stand would be thinned to a basal area of 50-70 square feet per acre. The treatment areas would be treated with herbicides to reduce the competition with undesired species.

Up to 3,200 acres of immature oak forest in the Foothills Landscape is proposed for non- commercial crown-touching release treatments. Under this treatment, individual oak competitors with crowns that touch selected oak trees would be slashed-down with chainsaws or killed using directed herbicide applications (tree injection) to increase oak domination of the sites. Approximately 70-100 oak trees would be selected per acre for individual release within treatment areas.

Opportunities to increase oak abundance through restoration also exists within the Foothills Landscape. Restoration activities are intended to promote oak-dominated forests on sites currently dominated by other species. Oak and oak-pine restoration would occur on up to 1,700 acres of off- site pine plantations (these are the same acres proposed for Southern Yellow Pine Restoration in off-site plantations, therefore restoration of these sites to either oak or Southern Yellow Pine is implied). Restoration of these sites to oak would be emphasized in off-site plantations with low pine stocking where these sites have adequate pre-existing oak either in the canopy of the plantations or in the understory to successfully restore the sites to an oak-dominated composition.

If oak is adequate in the overstory, the proposed treatment includes commercial thinning of off-site pine to a residual basal area of 40-70 square feet per acre. The wide range of basal area would allow for the retention of all existing oaks and other desirable species. On sites where oak restoration is elected and oak is abundant in the understory as seedlings, oak restoration treatments would include a commercial regeneration harvest followed by site preparation using directed herbicide applications (foliar and cut-stump) and prescribed burning (growing season) to naturally regenerate the area to oak. Individual oak seedlings would be released using manual methods or directed herbicide treatments (basal bark/streamline or cut-stem) during the first decade following the regeneration harvest.

There may be additional opportunities to restore oak and oak-pine communities in dry upland mid- late successional white or Virginia pine stands recommended for southern yellow pine restoration (described above) if they have oaks in adequate abundance for natural reforestation. If a stand is found to have adequate oak seedlings in the understory it would be treated using two-aged regeneration commercial thinning. The residual basal area would be reduced to 15-20 square feet

10 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

per acre. Oaks, hickories or desirable yellow pines would be retained as reserve trees. Herbicide treatments (foliar and cut-stump) and prescribed burning (growing season) would be used to prepare the areas for natural regeneration to oak. Individual oaks would be released using manual methods or directed herbicide treatments (basal bark/streamline, foliar or cut-stem) during the first decade of regeneration.

General Forest Health Maintenance Forested stands outside of the activities described above may receive midstory reduction treatments. Primary focus of this treatment would be to reduce shade tolerant species in the understory and midstory to create gaps in the canopy to allow diffuse and direct light to reach the ground in a patchy mosaic pattern. The goal of this treatment is to recruit a pool of advanced regeneration, particularly outside of where conventional commercial timber sale operations occur. The treatment would also increase the component of grass and herbaceous understories under healthy oak, oak- pine, pine communities. Implementation would be accomplished with either handtools, herbicide injection, or a combination of the two including cut surface applications. Initial midstory work is not intended to require long term maintenance to retain these light conditions over time. The treatment would provide approximately 10 years’ worth of ideal recruitment conditions that would allow advanced regeneration of preferred species to replace overstory trees in the event of a natural disturbance remove the parent trees. If the need to maintain these conditions becomes beneficial the forest may introduce prescribed burning or selected herbicide treatments to promote and release advanced regeneration. Additionally, if a natural disturbance (i.e. tornado swath) removes overstory trees, the forest may also implement non-commercial crown touching release treatment, of desired species, described above. In the event of a natural disturbance removing the overstory trees, artificial regeneration and subsequent release treatments may also be implemented, also described above.

Non-native Invasive Species The Forest recognizes that non-native invasive plants threaten ecosystems by Background degrading natural habitats and decreasing biodiversity. The three Chattahoochee in the National Forest districts currently treat non-native invasive species with a combination Restoration of manual, mechanical, and herbicide treatments, authorized under existing National Plan on Page 93 Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) decisions. Herbicidal treatments on non-native invasive species are covered by existing Decisions. The Vegetation Control: Non- native Invasive Species and Shortleaf Pine Restoration Release project on the Chattooga River Ranger District and the Non-native Invasive Species Treatment project on the Blue Ridge and Conasauga Ranger Districts where both signed in 2008.While the Foothills Landscape project is not proposing any additional non-native invasive species treatments, the non-native invasive species treatments authorized under the existing NEPA decisions will continue.

The Foothills Landscape project includes proposals that are intended to reduce the effects of other non- native invasive pests such as the hemlock woolly adelgid, the probable invasion of gypsy moths, and to a very small degree the chestnut blight. The Forest is working with researchers and experts to design silvicultural treatments to combat the hemlock woolly adelgid along with using insecticides in the hemlock conservation areas. Healthier stands would be more resilient to invasions of the gypsy moth. The

11 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

project is creating chestnut orchards to maintain a reliable source of chestnuts for experimentation on the species’ resilience to the blight.

Unique and Threatened & Endangered Species Habitat A purpose of the project is to improve biological diversity by maintaining or restoring unique habitats and contributing to the recovery of Threatened and Endangered Species. The Forest Service interdisciplinary team, Georgia Department of Natural Resource, US Fish and Wildlife and the collaborative community identified the management activities needed to maintain or restore characteristic structure, composition, and function of rare communities in the Foothills Landscape (Forest Plan Objective 9.F-01). Forest Plan Goal 3 direct the restoration of 10,000 acres of open woodlands, savannas, and grasslands. The collaborative effort included working with Georgia Department of Natural Resources and US Fish and Wildlife to identify opportunities to contribute to the conservation of Threatened, Endangered, State-listed and locally rare species (Goals 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19).

Forest Plan Goal 41 calls for us to 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 insects or disease attack. The restoration would include collaboration with researchers and other experts to improve our understanding of the extent and severity of nonnative invasive species on forest health (Goal 39 and 43). This knowledge would help understand the appropriate management to reduce populations of native and non-native pests (Goal 40). The Georgia State Wildlife Action Plan and the Georgia State Forest Action Plan include biodiversity as a statewide issue and included the need to restore wetlands, protect riparian corridors and headwater streams.

Unique communities contribute to biologic diversity across the landscape. Many of these areas are threatened by encroachment of undesirable vegetation, non-native invasive species and past management activities, including fire exclusion. More complete descriptions of the existing and achievable future conditions for these unique habitats are in the Restoration Plan.

Range of Actions Woodland Community Restoration The sites associated with this habitat are sites where periodic fires occurred historically to maintain Background the woodland structure with widely spaced overstory trees, little or no midstory and a well- in the developed herbaceous layer. In general, these would include upper slopes and ridge tops, south and Restoration Plan on west aspects, and often (but not always) lower elevations found in the foothills. The restoration is Page 35 most likely to be successful in areas previously occupied by woodland communities. The Forest is working with local experts to develop a list of indicator species that represent woodland communities and would be used as a tool to prioritize where woodland restoration would occur. The list and other treatment tools will continue to evolve and be shared with the Collaborative Community through small group meetings throughout the next year. The restoration opportunities would be narrowed upon field reconnaissance with a focus on finding these areas with the best fit of aspect, elevation, indicator species, and ability to use prescribed fire. There would be up to 7,400 acres of woodland community restoration in the project area.

Open woodland blocks of various sizes would likely require both timber harvest and prescribed burning to start the process of transitioning them from their current conditions to a desired open

12 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

habitat type. Commercial timber harvest of over story and mid story trees, with a residual basal area of 20-40 ft2 per acre, would be preferred because of the fuel loading that would be produced by a non-commercial slash-down treatment. The removal of smaller trees would likely be necessary too. The need for fire to maintain the woodland structure would necessitate that each woodland block is within a prescribed burning unit, and the site is able to be frequently burned, possibly during both the growing season and dormant season over the life of the treatment. Herbicide application to control the woody understory would also be required if prescribed burning alone is not adequate. Herbicide applications would be directed at undesired woody vegetation in the understory and would include a combination of foliar, cut-stem, or basal bark/streamline methods.

Wetland/Bog Restoration There are few known sites in the project area. These are Tom’s Swamp and Hale Ridge are bogs Background that are known to occur in the foothills project area. Hale Ridge Bog was recommended to be in the included in this project by the Department of Natural Resources – Wildlife Resources Division. Restoration Plan on Goldmine Branch and Holcomb Branch have been mapped remotely as potentially having the Page 62 constituent elements of bog habitat. Beaver ponds are scattered throughout the foothills, including Persimmon Gap and Alaculsy Valley. Where they occur and do not impact other resources such as roads or recreation, beaver would be left uninhibited. Hydrological restoration (using existing spoil piles to restore ditches and streams, by filling or plugging ditches (plugging might include leaving some ditches open as salamander habitat), by restoring steam sinuosity and raising stream profile) and the removal of unwanted vegetation (both native and non-native) from wetlands and bogs where they have been modified and natural processes no longer function is proposed to restore the function and composition. The Forest is proposing to reduce woody vegetation encroachment and to reduce or eliminate non-native invasive species in wetlands and bogs. Plant reintroduction would be considered depending on the wetland or bog site condition and characteristics. On sites that we have assessed that there is appropriate hydrology and soils we would work with partners (Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance, Atlanta Botanical Garden, State Botanical Garden, Dept. of Natural Resources), to remove encroaching woody vegetation (mostly with hand tools) to get more sunlight to the ground. Partners would grow plants that are rare bog endemics in greenhouses and then plant them on site. Canebrake Restoration Canebrakes provide a unique wildlife habitat supporting up to six species of butterflies that are Background cane obligates as well as rare birds such as the Swainson’s and Bachman warblers, woodcock, in the swamp rabbits and many other species. Cane is a native grass found in the alluvial floodplains and Restoration Plan on bottomlands that once formed extensive canebrakes throughout the southeastern United States. Page 64 One estimate suggests that up to 98% of canebrake ecosystems have disappeared since colonial times (Noss 1995). Many floodplains have been converted to agriculture, and an invasion of exotic species have both worked to displace native cane. Canebrake restoration would be focused in areas where there are small scattered patches of existing cane.

A great example of an area with canebrake restoration potential is the area north of the Highway 28 bridge, contiguous (but not currently included) to the proposed project area for the Foothills Landscape project. This area would be suitable for a canebrake restoration effort and would also

13 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

resolve concerns relating to non-native invasive plant species and environmental degradation resulting from high recreational use in the area. This area is proposed for inclusion into the project boundary (see “Proposed Changes to Project Boundary” section below).

A wide variety of treatments would be needed to restore canebrakes and many treatments would be adaptive management to see what canopy cover and fire regime works best. Canopy tress would be reduced mechanically to get sunlight to the cane and herbicides and mechanical treatments would be used to control hardwoods and exotics species. The density of canopy cover would be variable but would be reduced to less than 50%canopy with trees widely space or clustered in a mosaic pattern. In general canebrakes would have very little canopy cover. Cane may be transplanted from a site within the project area to an area where it is sparse. In areas infested with exotic species multiple treatments may be needed and would be complete using the existing decisions on non- native invasive species control, using existing authorization under an existing decision, would also be used with fire, with a wide variety of fire regimes which may include high intensity or low intensity fire.

The US Forest Service may authorize Revitalization of Traditional Cherokee Artisan Resources (RTCAR) to harvest cane from the project area for traditional cultural purposes. Cherokee artisans may use selective harvesting methods to take culms at least four years old and at least three- quarters of an inch in diameter. Culms would be cut with hand tools and would be trimmed to ground level for safety. Harvesting would impact less than 25 percent of the existing cane and usually less than 10 percent would be harvested at one time.

Hemlock Conservation The Foothills Landscape project would expand the existing Hemlock Conservation Areas on up to Background 1,400 acres. The expansions will be in areas of hemlock associated forest types immediately in the adjacent to existing hemlock conservation areas that may offer the opportunity to extend our Restoration Plan on current hemlock conservation program. Field surveys and more local knowledge would be needed Page 41 to determine if a hemlock component is still present in these areas. Vast mortality across much of the Forest would likely reduce the potential for expanding our current hemlock conservation efforts. Treatment would only occur if viable hemlocks are present.

Within existing or expanded conservation areas, treatment would include soil injections of imidacloprid or other approved insecticides at the base of infested but responsive hemlock trees in neighboring areas to existing conservation areas or in other areas where hemlock survival is still fairly adequate and accessible. The same mitigations for stream/water protection from the insecticide used in our existing conservation areas would be employed for any additional areas added for soil injection treatments. Rates, timing and other considerations currently used in our existing conservation areas would be adopted for the additional conservation areas established.

The forest is currently working with the University of North Georgia (UNG), Southern Research Station (SRS), Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC), and other specialist to expand the forests ability to utilize specialized silvicultural treatments in the conservation of Hemlock. Of particular interest is the Southern Research Station research that indicates a benefit to hemlocks using silvicultural practices. They are thinning around hemlocks to create conditions allowing varying amounts of sunlight to reach midstory or overtopped hemlock trees. In forested areas with existing

14 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

hemlock trees, we would implement non-commercial thinning, commercial thinning, expanding gap, or midstory treatments to create light environments conducive to healthier conditions for existing hemlock. In addition to these silvicultural treatments, we would plant hemlock seedlings throughout these treated locations to add structural and age diversity where needed. Planted seedlings would be treated initially after planting by soil injection with imidacloprid or other insecticide, and then re-treated every 3 to 7 years thereafter to suppress the hemlock woolly adelgid.

These treatments would be applied both within hemlock conservation areas and throughout the general forest where hemlock trees exist. Biological control, predator beetles, or other future USDA approved bio-control options may be used throughout these locations also. Hand tool or herbicide applications would also be applied, where necessary, to silviculturally treated areas to control the invasion of non-native invasive species or species composition in favor of hemlock as needed.

In addition to the specialized silvicultural treatments, the forests work with Georgia Forestry Commission, University of North Georgia, and Southern Research Station has identified the need for insectaries strategically placed across the Foothills landscape. Currently University of North Georgia is rearing beetles indoors in laboratories, this is costly and infested hemlock foliage with HWA must be brought into the labs to feed the rearing beetles. Functional insectary locations must have healthy hemlock trees that have branches with foliage cascading down to ground level. Typically these trees receive light conditions from the top to the bottom of the tree from various aspects.

Functional insectaries would be developed over time utilizing the silvicultural treatments described above and in collaboration with Georgia Forestry Commission, University of North Georgia, Southern Research Station, and other specialist. Insectaries would not be located within conservation areas where insecticides are utilized, rather dispersed throughout the Foothills landscape where hemlock trees currently exist. The forest intends to create sustainable insectaries varying across elevations and aspects to provide potential for a viable population of USDA approved hemlock wooly adelgid predator beetles now and into the restorable future of the currently declining hemlock trees.

Chestnut Orchard Designation As part of its mission, Georgia chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation must establish Background orchards where trees (resulting from controlled crosses of American, Chinese, and hybrid in the chestnuts) can be cultivated, grown, inoculated and evaluated for their performance when Restoration Plan on challenged by chestnut blight and/or Phytophthora cinnamon Rands. Working with the Georgia Page 43 chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation we would establish up to 6 acres of American chestnut orchard. These chestnuts would be 15/16 American chestnut and 1/16 Chinese chestnut. Sites selected for these orchards would be cleared of any existing vegetation and would be easy to access for regular monitoring and maintenance.

The major inputs and resources required to carry out these projects includes fencing for deer control, tree tubes for rodent control, irrigation supplies including drip irrigation and well digging and development, fertilizer, herbicides and pesticides, and ground cloth or plastic mulch.

15 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

Small Whorled Pogonia Conservation The small whorled pogonia is currently federally-listed as threatened. Although the recovery plan Background from 1992 calls for limited disturbance, in the northern portion of its range, this species has shown in the a positive response to canopy manipulation that results in more sunlight on the ground. On the Restoration Plan on Chattahoochee National Forest, this species has been protected from active management and has Page 65 continued to decline. Both the number of extant populations and number of individuals in these populations have decreased. Cooperatively with the Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance and the Atlanta Botanical Garden, the Forest is working to determine what management activities would generate a positive response in this species. These actions may include thinning, mid-story control, invasive species control, and prescribed fire to reduce the canopy and mid-story over extant and historic populations. Monitoring the response to management would be critical. Pollinator Habitat Conservation This treatment was added to the proposed action after it was suggested to the Forest during the Community Conversations in September 2017. Plantings in wildlife openings and canopy gaps would include native plantings that support pollinators where appropriate. This would specifically include planting milkweed for monarch butterflies. The Forest would work with Monarchs Across Georgia and the Atlanta Botanical Garden to determine the correct plants to consider and the proper locations to conserve and enhance the pollinator habitat across the landscape. The restoration of woodland communities would also create pollinator habitat. Aquatic Habitat Improvement A purpose of the project is to restore or maintain aquatic ecosystem components to support viable populations of all native and desired nonnative aquatic plants and animals (Forest Plan Goal 26). The Watershed Condition Framework defines the desired condition of a watershed as having large woody debris in the streams and appropriate stream geometry and bank stability.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources lists the primary beneficial use of the majority of the streams and water bodies within the Foothills Landscape as “fishing” (Georgia EPD 2017). Conditions supporting this use include properly functioning stream channels, riparian corridors, and high water quality. The stability of some of the aquatic habitats is at risk due to changes in stream morphology and embeddedness as a result of sediment delivery. More complete descriptions of the existing and achievable future conditions for the aquatic habitats are in the Restoration Plan.

Range of Actions Stream Habitat Improvement The addition of large woody debris to streams in the Foothills Landscape is proposed in order to Background increase structural complexity in streams where a lack of wood is impairing the hydrologic and in the biologic processes of the aquatic environment. Large woody debris is a critical element in pool Restoration Plan on formation and function by trapping sediment and decreasing rates of nutrient loss (Doloff 1994). Page 76 Maintenance and enhancement of existing stream structures is proposed to provide important cover for many species of amphibians, reptiles, invertebrates, and fish. In order to maintain their effectiveness, stream structures need to be repaired and upgraded occasionally. The project would improve brook trout habitat by constructing in-stream structures in order to improve riffle-pool

16 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

ratios and other habitat components in brook trout streams. This type of treatment increases stream habitat complexity and provides more habitat for all life stages of brook trout.

Augmentation of spawning substrate for blue shiner (Cyprinella caerulea) was proposed by the Department of Natural Resources during collaboration. This work is not being proposed under this decision because it is already covered by previous NEPA decision. This work would be on-going as needed to meet the desired condition.

Maintaining adequate amounts of vegetation in riparian areas helps filter sediment, maintain stream temperatures, aid in bank stabilization, provide vegetation and wood inputs to the stream, and has aesthetic value. The project would maintain adequate vegetation in riparian areas by following Georgia Best Management Practices and Forest Plan Standards during implementation. In areas where stream banks are not adequately vegetated and severe erosion is occurring (defined by the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission as if the linear extent is greater than three times the bank height and is occurring at a rate unacceptable for safety, environmental, or economic reasons) the treatment would include the prevention of trampling of the area by people and vehicles using social engineering methods such as signing, education, and physical barriers. Stabilization would utilize native riparian vegetation and bioengineering practices where needed in order to decrease erosion rates, trap sediment, improve fish and wildlife habitat, improve shade, and improve aesthetics.

Treatments of invasive plant species in the riparian corridor would be completed as needed using mechanical methods and herbicides where appropriate. This activity is ongoing and is authorized under existing NEPA decisions as described in the Canebrake Restoration Section above.

Lake Habitat Improvement Structures to improve fisheries in lakes and ponds in the project area would be installed. These Background structures could be as simple as dropping Christmas trees in the bodies of water to building more in the complex structures out of PVC piping or similar material and installing them. Restoration Plan on Page 76 There may be opportunities to create vernal pool habitat by creating shallow depressions to allow for high groundwater to gather at the surface during the wet part of the year and immediately after substantial rain events. The potential location of these small pools would be focused in former agricultural areas where forest vegetation has recovered but small wetland habitats have not. Vernal or seasonal pools provide breeding habitat for Cope’s gray tree frog (Hyla chrysoscelis), wood frog (Lithobates sylvaticus), chorus frogs (Pseudacris species), Eastern spadefoot toad (Scaphiopus holbrookii), several Ambystoma species of salamander, and many invertebrates. Forest bats utilize small pools both as drinking water sources and insect foraging sites.

The Department of Natural Resources proposed during collaboration the continuation of the lake fertilization programs. This work is not included in this proposal because it is completed using a categorical exclusion category that does not require a decision memo. It will be considered an on- going action under cumulative effects in the analysis. The Department of Natural Resources also proposed the modification of water impoundments to provide deep-water releases. The interdisciplinary team reviewed the project area and did not find any opportunities for this work on the Foothills Landscape. It was not brought forward into the proposed action for the project.

17 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

Resilience to Disturbance There is a need for the landscape to be resilient and recover rapidly from natural and human disturbances. A healthy forest has relatively low risk of tree mortality due to insects or disease outbreaks (USFS, 2011). Epidemic levels of native pests and aggressive non-native invasive species are threatening the forests across the Southern Appalachians. The Southern Appalachian Assessment (1996) explains that fire has been a natural and human caused disturbance for more than 10,000 years in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. The forests were shaped and evolved with this disturbance. In recent times, the last 80 years or so, fire has been excluded from the landscape. This has led to an increase in fuel loading and changes to vegetation conditions that make the forests more susceptible to high intensity wildfire. This combined with the entanglement of residential neighborhoods with forested lands leads to reduced ability for the landscape to be resilient to wildfire (SAMAB, 1996). Fire, both natural and prescribed, should be able to safely remain an effective disturbance in the watersheds.

Protecting Communities from Wildfire A purpose of the project is to reduce the risk of extreme wildfire behavior, to the extent practicable, to protect communities in the wildland urban interface and to aid in keeping firefighters and the public safe in fire management operations (Forest Plan Goal 57 and 58). Fuels reduction work would be prioritized based on fire management issues, protection needs and potential effectiveness in the wildland urban interface (Goal 58). Georgia Forestry Commission’s Forest Action Plan also calls for improved fire management. Primarily reducing the risk of wildfire to those communities with high and very high risk from wildfire. A more complete descriptions of the existing and achievable future conditions of the forest adjacent to private lands are in the Restoration Plan.

Range of Actions The areas that would be prioritized for fuels reduction, are National Forest Lands located down Background slope of developed private lands, where if a fire starts on National Forest Lands it would burn onto in the private lands upslope. In addition, priority would be given to areas where the Southern Wildfire Restoration Plan on Risk Assessment Portal (SouthWRAP) shows the highest probability of effectiveness for Page 85 mitigation efforts. Another criteria for prioritization are areas where the ecosystem has departed from a fire dependent or fire tolerant one, to an unhealthy forest with highly flammable and/or non-fire tolerant species. Additionally, private lands that meet the requirements of Ready Set Go, Firewise and other fire adapted community programs that have a desire to treat their lands would be considered. There would be potential for up to 2,000 acres of treatment throughout the implementation of the Foothills Landscape project.

Treatments that create resilient forest conditions would have an indirect effect on reducing the risk of wildfire on communities. Hazardous fuels reduction (the act of reducing fuels) and hazardous fuels mitigation (the act of altering fuel characteristics to a state that is more easily suppressible) are direct strategies that would be utilized to accomplish the desired outcome. The tools available are prescribed fire and mechanical fuels treatments (timber harvest and fuels mastication or mulching). The preferred option is prescribed fire which can be done in conjunction with mechanical treatments, where needed. In areas where prescribed fire may not be an option, mechanical treatments may be used, but have limitations, such as topography, accessibility, and cost. These tools would help to reduce the risk of property damage and improve public and firefighter safety by reducing the risk of severe fire behavior due to fuel characteristics. In areas

18 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

where herbicide can be used to treat stump sprouting, it would extend the time period between mechanical treatments. Mechanical fuels treatments have operability limitations that would be addressed in each site area. Expanding the Role Fire A purpose of this project is to expand the role of fire in fire-adapted ecosystems through the use of prescribed fire and managed ignition fires as much as possible (Forest Plan Goal 61). Forest management should contribute to the maintenance or restoration of forest ecosystems that are lacking on the landscape or threatened by insects, disease or fire exclusion specifically shortleaf and pitch pine forests (Forest Plan Goal 8). Hazardous fuels in a watershed should be reduced and the fire frequency, severity and pattern of fire across the landscape should be reestablished to produce desired effects from wildfire and prescribed fire (USFS, 2011). The Georgia State Forest Action Plan also identifies the need to reintroduce fire into the landscapes.

Fire is also a major influence in shaping wildlife habitats in the southern Appalachians (Van Lear and Harlow 2000). Because fire was historically so prevalent and frequent across the landscape, wildlife became adapted to fire in order to survive. Depending on the frequency, intensity, and severity of fire, a shifting mosaic of habitats was maintained. The exclusion of fire has resulted in a homogenized landscape to the detriment of the wildlife associated with it. A more complete description of the existing and achievable future conditions for expanding the role of fire is in the Restoration Plan.

Range of Actions Prescribed burning is most efficient if it is done in larger blocks. The Forest Service team has Background reviewed the landscape including the existing burn units and potential opportunities for new burn in the units, totaling up to 50,000 acres, to help achieve our restoration goals. Restoration Plan on Site specific prescribed fire plans would be prepared for each burn unit. These site specific plans Page 19 are detailed in the desired prescription to meet the specific objectives for the area. These plans describe weather and fuel conditions needed to meet the desired site specific objectives, fire intensities and ignitions methods, and evaluating risk to safely execute the prescribed fire while considering the effects of the fire on other resources, including smoke impacts. Containment lines would consist of natural barriers, existing roads, streams, or constructed fire lines. Fire lines would be rehabilitated as appropriate including installing water bars, revegetation, and blocking of the ‘take offs’ on roads to prevent illegal motor-vehicle use.

Risk to Forest Health Georgia’s Forest Action Plan (Georgia Forestry Commission, 2008) includes objectives to identify, manage, and reduce threats to forest and ecosystem health, including insects, disease, and invasive plants. Forest Plan Goal 12 calls for the minimization of adverse effects of invasive and non-native species. A purpose of the project is to reduce the effects of native and non-native forest pests by using adaptive management to enhance or protect forest health in forest stands that have been damaged or are in immediate danger from insects, disease or other catastrophic disturbances. The Forest Plan directs managers to address this specifically in shortleaf stands and loblolly plantations (Forest Plan Goal 40 and 41).

19 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

The Watershed Condition Framework (USFS, 2011) describes a properly functioning watershed as having adequate forest cover and invasive species at rates that do not effect watershed processes including soil productivity, vegetation, and water resources. One indicator described by the Watershed Condition Framework describes a properly functioning watershed that has less than 20 percent of the area in imminent danger of abnormally high levels of tree mortality due to forest pests. Restoration would include collaboration with researchers and other experts to improve our understanding of the extent and severity of nonnative invasive species on forest health (Forest Plan Goal 39 and 43). This knowledge would help understand the appropriate management to reduce populations of native and non-native pests (Forest Plan Goal 40).

The pine plantations in the project area are currently overstocked and susceptible to forest pest outbreaks. Forest pests such as ips beetle, the southern pine beetle or the gypsy moth are inevitable in the project area. The exact locations and timing are not known but the best defense is rapid response with the appropriate treatments. More complete descriptions of the existing and achievable future conditions related to forest resilience are in the Restoration Plan.

Range of Actions Pine Plantation Treatments The project would improve forest health in overstocked pine stands. This goal is directed towards Background young, overstocked, even-aged pine stands established during the last half-century. Due to high in the stocking rates, these stands are at risk for southern pine beetle or other bark beetle infestations. Restoration Plan on About 13,800 acres of pine plantations are proposed for commercial thinning to reduce the risk for Page 38 bark beetle infestations. Commercial thinning would reduce the basal area to less than 80 square feet per acre. An estimated 3,500 acres of non-commercial thinning is also proposed in pine plantations where trees sizes limit the opportunity for commercial treatment. Non-commercial thinning could include crown-touching release or other non-commercial methods such as pre- commercial thinning.

Response to Insect or Disease Outbreak The project area is impacted by outbreaks of pine bark beetles, gypsy moths, emerald ash borer, Background hemlock wooly adelgid. Intervention to curtail the effects would occur when the spots of tree in the mortality become more than isolated outbreaks. This is when there are significant infestations Restoration Plan on across a wide range of stands and spots are rapidly forming and spreading. Page 40 The treatment required to mitigate the effects of an outbreak are pest specific. For example, in the event areas of the project area become infested by bark beetles, infested areas may receive suppression treatments, followed by connected reforestation actions. Suppression of bark beetle infestation could include non-commercial cut-and-leave operations, especially in areas without direct access. Infested areas with direct or logical points of access could be treated through commercial cut-and-remove salvage harvests. These treatments would be implemented in a manner consistent with the Forest Plan, while improving forest health and reducing hazards to visitors for safety or legal reasons. Follow-up connected reforestation actions may include site preparation activities (manual, herbicides and/or prescribed burning), artificial regeneration by planting of ecologically suitable tree species, and subsequent release treatments using manual

20 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

methods or herbicides. If the event of an ips beetle outbreak the treatment is similar as southern pine beetle except the material must be removed from the site to be effective.

The work would be prioritized based on the specific issues related to the infestations. For example, if infestation is along private boundary, it may be a high priority to treat/suppress these areas to prevent spread on to non-FS lands, esp. if the DR is getting complaints from our neighbors. If infestation is threatening a rec site with large pine trees that are part of the visual appeal of the site, then priority may be there. The most logical areas would be those that we can access for treatment, whether it be commercial or non-commercial. Actions to suppress the outbreak are time sensitive and would need to be able to respond as soon as possible to reduce threats to sensitive places and loss of timber. Most salvage contracts are short 3 month windows.

The approach to mitigating the effects of the hemlock wooly adelgid are outline in the hemlock conservation section of the proposed action.

Resilience to Climate Change The project has incorporated resilience to climate change by including treatments Background intended to improve forest health and resilience to high severity wildfire, native pest in the outbreaks and invasive species. A purpose of the project, identified through the Restoration collaborative effort, is to maintain the forest’s resilience to climate change. The Plan on Page 92 Southern Forest Futures Project reports that the temperatures in the south are expected to increase with little change in precipitation. This is expected to change water use, carbon sequestration, and species composition. Climate change is a risk to the forests of Georgia because the warmer conditions could lead to an increased vulnerability to pests. There is a risk of higher mortality in plantations on drier sites (Wear and Greis, 2013). In northeast Georgia and the Blue Ridge Mountains, climate change models indicate significant increases in air temperatures from historic and current levels. Precipitation patterns are predicted to be relatively stable, averaging slightly less to slightly above current conditions (Keyser et al. 2014). Forestlands across the region are experiencing increased threats from fire, insect and plant invasions, disease, extreme weather, and drought. Invasive and aggressive plant and insect species may increasingly outcompete or negatively affect native species in the future. Heat stress may limit the growth of some southern pines and hardwood species. Stresses from drought and wide-scale pest outbreaks have the potential to cause large areas of forest dieback. Wildlife species would be affected in different ways. Amphibians may be most at risk, due to dependencies on moisture and cool temperatures that could be altered. A changing climate may be harmful to the endangered gray bat by impacting their food supply and the internal temperature of their roosting caves (USFS, 2016). Some responses to climate change in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National forest could be: manage tree densities through practices such as thinning and prescribed fire to maximize carbon sequestration and reduce the vulnerability of forest stands to water stress, insect and disease outbreaks, and fire; continually monitor for new invasive species moving into areas where they were not traditionally found, especially following events such as hurricanes and fire; prescribed burning can also be a management option for reducing the impacts of any future increases in wildfire potential emanating from climate change and d)restore and reinforce vegetation in headwater and marsh areas to help alleviate runoff of sediment

21 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

during heavy rain, reduce climate-induced warming of water, and decrease water sensitivity to changes in air temperature (USFS, 2016). Carbon sequestration is not a direct purpose of the Foothills Landscape project. There is likely to be benefits to carbon sequestration as a result of the project and those will be explored further during the effects analysis. The Forest Futures Project predicts a slight decline in carbon storage by forests across the south over the next 50 years primarily due to the loss of forest by changing land uses (Wear and Geis, 2013). Healthy trees have faster growth rates, accumulate more woody biomass and thus sequester more carbon than nutrient, water or light limited trees under most climate conditions. Active management (including harvest) may reduce forest risk of carbon loss by disturbance such as insect outbreak and wildfire (McNulty et al. 2017).

Connectivity The field of landscape ecology is expanding rapidly. Land managers are at the forefront of new theories, technologies, and research, which point to the fact that the landscape scale is well suited for management decisions (Turner et al. 2001). Landscape ecology focuses on the spatial patterns of habitats and other elements; not only how much there is of a particular component, but how it is arranged.

The distribution and connectivity of habitats across a landscape are increasingly understood to be critical concepts. Several elements of the Southern Appalachian National Forests’ Forest Plans, including the Chattahoochee-Oconee’s, are based on a spatially interconnected and well-distributed network of habitat patches at both ends of the successional spectrum: young forest and old-growth forest. The decision to distribute these habitat components at the landscape scale was based upon the concept that a highly diverse and widely-distributed age-class or successional stage structure would benefit the greatest number of native plants and animals. The creation of well-distributed patches of young forest habitat and conserving additional small blocks of future old-growth habitat are important components of the Foothills Landscape proposed action.

Forest Structural Diversity A primary purpose of this project is to maintain and restore communities in amounts, arrangements, and conditions capable of supporting viable populations of wildlife, plants and fish including in the riparian corridors (Forest Plan Goal 4). In meeting this purpose the project would contribute to a well-distributed network of old-growth habitat blocks across the landscape (Forest Plan Goal 10 and 20), as well as improving successional stage diversity across the landscape. The project will contribute to the viability and diversity of habitat of native and other desirable wildlife species (Forest Plan Goal 1, 2 and 3). A variety of successional stages need to be established across the landscape as a part of a shifting mosaic of forest age structures. This includes adequate amounts of young forest habitat and old-growth forest habitats (Forest Plan Goals 2, 10, and 20). Currently, a majority of the landscape is mid to late successional forest. For more detailed information about successional stage habitats, see the Foothills Landscape Restoration Plan.

In the Foothills Landscape, old-growth conservation is proposed across the Foothills landscape to meet old-growth conservation requirements in accordance with Forest Plan direction: within each 6th-level watershed with at least 1,000 acres of national forest lands, 5 percent of the land base would be allocated to old-growth conservation (Forest Plan objective 20.1).

22 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

The creation of canopy gaps in mesic hardwood stands would improve structure and function of these communities (Forest Plan Goal 7). This need for this type of treatment is discussed in detail in the Foothills Restoration Plan.

Range of Actions Young Forest Creation To ensure provision of the various successional stage habitats, the Forest Plan assigned different Background successional stage objectives across the Forest based on Management Prescription Areas (different in the emphasis zones within the Forest to direct and inform management). The objectives for young Restoration Plan on forest range from 0% to 17% of the Management Prescription Areas. According to an analysis of Page 45 existing successional stages, there is approximately 500 acres of young forest habitat currently in the Foothills landscape, therefore we have an opportunity to create up to 9,500 additional acres in this project. Young forest could be created as a result of the following sources:

Young forest habitat would be created primarily as a result of restoration treatments in pine forests as described in the Biologic Integrity section above. Restoration of the declining yellow pine species, oak and oak-pine tree species and the restoration of plantations would create up to 8,500 acres of young forest.

Young forest habitat would also be created by regenerating about 2-4% of the existing oak forest in the Foothills. This is proposed in order to distribute young oak stands within the large mature oak forest community, and to be consistent with Goal 2 of the Forest Plan: early-successional habitat (i.e. young forest) will be well distributed in all forest types, elevations, aspects, and slopes including riparian corridors.

The proposal also includes up to 500 acres of young forest creation in more mesic stands, including yellow poplar and white pine. This represented about 3% of the mesic deciduous forest in the Foothills. Young forest in more mesic sites differs from that created in drier sites (pine and oak) and provides habitat for a different suite of species (such as ruffed grouse). There are also opportunities to create young forest by treating the boundaries of permanent openings such as wildlife openings, utility corridors, and selected road segments. This treatment (known as “daylighting”) is the practice of removing the over story tree canopy within a certain distance from the open area (road or utility corridor, wildlife opening) to create young forest and increase edge habitat for wildlife benefit. This would occur in areas with a limited amount of young forest treatment but where the roadside slopes are gentle enough to complete the work. Up to an additional 500 acres of young forest would be created by these treatments. The edges of permanent openings may be treated by removing most or all of the trees within a 25-50 foot buffer around or beside the opening. This work is often be accomplished in association with other commercial timber harvest treatments or may require non-commercial treatment.

Old-growth block designation Achieving the old-growth conservation goals for the Foothills Landscape project would be focused on the 14 applicable watersheds that do not meet the 5 percent minimum described above. A minimum of 3,578 acres of small block old-growth allocations would be made in these watersheds. They would be arranged in a mosaic across the landscape and be connected by other habitat types.

23 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

Additionally, there are 720 acres within watersheds already meeting the 5% old-growth Background designation that are recommended for designation to meet the Forest Plan Old-growth Forest-wide in the Standards as long as they do not hinder the attainment of other identified goals of the project. Restoration Plan on Overall, it is proposed to designate an additional 5,050 acres as old-growth in the Foothills Page 54 Landscape. This treatment does not follow the adaptive management approach outlined in the introduction of this document. We have chosen to determine the old-growth by forest stand for two reasons. First, we are incorporating information from surveys completed by Georgia ForestWatch and know that these areas contain old growth characteristics. Second, we have chosen to identify the stands to ensure that other treatments not consistent with old-growth management do not occur in these areas while we are implementing the project. The stands proposed for designation are in Appendix A.

Canopy Gap Creation Mature mesic deciduous forests (also called mixed mesophytic or cove hardwoods) are fairly Background abundant and well-distributed across the Foothills Landscape. This includes yellow poplar in the dominated stands and the more mesic oak forests. A preliminary assessment of data from the Restoration Plan on Foothills indicates the opportunity for applying canopy gap treatments within existing mid/late- Page 51 successional mesic deciduous stands may exist on up to 8,100 acres within the landscape.

A combination of commercial timber harvest and/or non-commercial treatment would be utilized to establish variable-sized canopy gaps. Gaps in the canopy would be created by retaining variable tree densities across the proposed areas, resulting in small (one-half acre) to larger openings (2 acres). A more diverse vertical structure would result as young growth develops in the variable- sized openings.

Maintain, Expand or Construct Permanent Openings There are currently 184 wildlife openings in the Foothills totaling approximately 275 acres. Background Maintaining these openings would be accomplished by a combination of mowing, disking, in the prescribed burning, and/or periodic replanting with a preferred seed mixture or plant. Wildlife Restoration Plan on openings with non-native invasive vegetation would be sprayed with an approved herbicide Page 52 mixture, then replanted.

There is the potential to create/expand/maintain permanent openings on up to 1% of the area within each 6th level HUC unit (sub-watershed) in the Foothills Landscape. This is up to 1,400 acres. This would result in a well-distributed network of permanent openings across the landscape. The creation of new permanent openings would be primarily connected to timber harvest activities. New openings would range in size from one-half acre to five acres and could be managed in a variety of ways: as grass/forb habitat (either as planted “food plots” or “old field” habitat), shrub habitat, or as pollinator habitat, with specific plantings for birds and butterflies, such as monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus).

Along their migration routes and on their summer ranges, monarchs require two suites of plants: (1) host plants for monarch caterpillars, which are primarily milkweeds (Asclepias spp.) upon which adult monarchs lay eggs; and (2) nectar-producing flowering plants of many other species that provide food for adult butterflies. Having both host and nectar plants available from early spring to late fall and along migration corridors is critical to the survival of migrating pollinators

24 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

(Mader et al. 2011). Through management of these openings, better habitat would exist for monarchs and other pollinators.

Another type of existing permanent opening includes utility corridors and rights-of-way, such as overhead powerlines and gas pipelines that traverse national forest land. These are maintained by the utility provider by manual or mechanical methods, every 1-3 years. They are 50-100 feet wide and typically are vegetated with woody saplings and often, non-native invasive species. They could provide excellent habitat for pollinators and other wildlife if they were improved. In other areas, utility right-of-ways are often managed to provide habitat for golden-winged warbler and other shrubland birds (Petzinger et al 2014). Allowing the use of herbicide in right-of-ways would increase the ability of those areas to play an enhanced role in benefiting wildlife. The conversion of the utility easements into native grasses and forbs would provide bugging, rearing and other food sources for many native wildlife. In most situations there is increased development of wild flowering plants and shrubs benefitting pollinators. In conjunction with herbicides, the diversity and density of low-growing plants provide control of tall-growing species through competition. Aquatic Habitat The Foothills Landscape project would restore or maintain aquatic ecosystem components to support viable populations of desired aquatic plants and animals (Forest Plan Goal 26) including removing aquatic organism barriers. The Watershed Condition Framework defines the desired aquatic condition as having no artificial habitat barriers or fragmentation. The proposal is to provide for aquatic organism passage at road/stream crossings to restore habitat connectivity. A more complete description of the existing and achievable future conditions of the aquatic organism passage are in the Restoration Plan.

Range of Actions There are about 208 road-related stream crossings in the Foothills Landscape. Barriers to aquatic Background organism passage (mainly culverts) exist in several important Foothills Landscape streams, in the including Mill Creek, a significant Conasauga River tributary on the Conasauga Ranger District. Restoration Plan on An assessment of these sites is ongoing. The replacement of these barriers with appropriate Page 76 structures (bottomless culverts, bridges, or low-water fords) is proposed. This would involve removal of existing structures, installation of new structures (if warranted), and associated road reconstruction.

Human Connectivity The Forest Plan directs managers to provide a wide range of high-quality recreational opportunities by adapting facilities, as needed, to shift limited resources and to respond to emerging recreational trends and needs (Forest Plan Goal 31 and 32). The transportation system should be safe, environmentally sustainable, financially sound, and provide effective access to National Forest Lands (Forest Plan Goal 47). More complete descriptions of the existing and achievable future conditions of the recreational experience are in the Restoration Plan.

Range of Actions Enhance the Recreational Experience Several proposals to provide loops instead of “out and back” trails have been received for the Willis Knob, Bear Creek, and Jake and Bull trail systems. Proposed actions would include new

25 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

trail construction, re-routes and road to trail conversions that would result in spreading out visitor Background use, lessen visitor contact and conflict with other trail users, and reduce resource impacts to in the provide for a more enjoyable trail experience. Of the proposals received, they would add Restoration Plan on approximately 10 miles of trail to the Forest’s overall trail system. Along with the proposals Page 79 received, the forest intends to move forward with selected recommendations for our existing trail systems made in the Collaborative Trails Assessments (see project website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=52509).

Trail construction and maintenance would be completed using the Trail Construction and Maintenance Notebook (USFS, 2007). Equestrian Design Guidebook for Trails, Trailheads, and Campgrounds (Hancock et al, 2007), and IMBA Trail Solutions (https://www.imba.com/trail- solutions). Trail construction and maintenance includes the removal of vegetation, construction of tread using manual and mechanical methods, and construction of structures such as turnpikes, causeways, retaining walls, climbing turns and switchbacks to increase the sustainability and longevity of the trail. It also includes installation and maintenance of drainage structures such as culverts, low water crossings, bridges and water diversion devices.

Development of an official designated trail system adjacent to Chattooga River is also proposed. We intend to engage with local boaters, fly fishermen, Trout Unlimited and the Chattooga Conservancy to evaluate existing trails, determine access needs and add or decommission trails as needed to create a network of pathways and access areas that meet the needs of the visitors while providing for long-term protection and stabilization of the riverbank ecosystem along the Chattooga River in the areas adjacent to the Highway 28 bridge. This proposal would complement the canebrake restoration that is proposed in the same area. This proposal was introduced by the Chattooga Conservancy to rehabilitate the area and control the currently unmanaged recreation in the area.

The biking community in Ellijay has proposed changes and improvements in the Bear Creek trail system and along the Pinhoti Trail during the Community Conversation in September 2017. The treatments would include road to trail conversions, beginner trails and relocation of parking to a more accessible location. This proposal would extend loop opportunities, spread use and reduce stress on existing trails. Also, Tibbs and Milma trails have been identified to be decommissioned for OHV use. Segments of these trails may be converted to hike and bike use. There is also a proposal to decommission the Tatum Lead OHV trail beyond the junction with the Rock Creek trail. This would minimize conflicts of OHV vehicles accessing private property, reduce soils and water concerns, and minimize illegal off trail use. In addition, it is proposed to remove the OHV designation from the Rocky Flats Trail, but keep it as a seasonal road (see road access changes section).

There is a proposal to enhance the Holly Creek Day Use Area by making improvements in the parking/access and adding accessible fishing piers. All developed recreation site and trail improvements would be evaluated for social, financial and environmental sustainability with use of the Southern Regions Sustainable Recreation Evaluation Tool called PACE IT (example can be found on the project webpage at https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=52509).

26 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

The project proposes to improve parking at Pinhoti, Bear Creek, Jake and Bull, Willis Knob, Dicks Creek and Stonewall/White Twister Trailheads. Parking improvements and expansions would comply with Chapter 20 of the Trail Management Handbook (FSH 2309.18). This may include the removal of vegetation, grading of the area and the installation of barriers.

Road Access Changes The Forest is proposing changes to the maintenance levels or the season of use to the Forest Background Service road system that would restrict motorized access on some roads. The proposal includes in the Restoration changing 20 miles of road to Maintenance Level 1. There are 33.6 miles of road proposed for Plan on seasonal closure. Twenty-eight miles of the existing road system will be changed to allow for Page 65 administrative access only. The changes would include an update to the Motorized Vehicle Use Maps and barriers such as berms, rocks, or gates would be used to restrict motorized access. To find out more about the difference between the Maintenance Levels see the Guide for Road Maintenance Levels at https://www.fs.fed.us/t-d/pubs/pdf/11771811.pdf. The locations of the roads can be found on the associated maps found in the scoping material on the project webpage at https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=52509.

Table 1: Changes proposed to the Forest Service System Road System that would modify motorized access.

Route Route Name Miles Current Access Change Num. Maintenance Level 1 Doogan Mnt 2.5 Maintenance Level 3 Maintenance Level 2 - Administrative Use Only 135 Three Sisters 2.6 Maintenance Level 2 Maintenance Level 2 - Administrative Use Only 14 Stroud Mnt 0.7 Maintenance Level 2 Maintanence Level 1 148 Rymer 0.4 Maintenance Level 2 Maintanence Level 1 148A Rymer Br A 0.7 Maintenance Level 2 Maintanence Level 1 157 Gold Mine (Willis 1.0 Maintenance Level 3 Maintanence Level 1 Knob) 157 Gold Mine (Willis 4.5 Maintenance Level 3 Maintenance Level 2 - Knob) Seasonal Restriction 157B Holden Cemetery 0.9 Maintenance Level 2 Maintenance Level 2 - Administrative Use Only 159 Pollywah Knob 2.7 Maintenance Level 2 Maintenance Level 2 - Seasonal Restriction 17A Pleasant Gap 3.5 Maintenance Level 2 Maintenance Level 2 - Seasonal Restriction 1A Doogan Mnt Br A 2.3 Maintenance Level 2 Maintenance Level 2 - Administrative Use Only 218 Muskrat Creek 3.3 Maintenance Level 3 Maintenance Level 2 - Seasonal Restriction 258 Whispering Pine 0.2 Maintenance Level 2 Maintenance Level 2 - Administrative Use Only 266 Long Branch 0.5 Maintenance Level 2 Maintanence Level 1 267 Oakey Mnt 1.1 Maintenance Level 2 Maintanence Level 1 27 Crow Creek 1.7 Maintenance Level 2 Maintenance Level 2 - Seasonal Restriction

27 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

Route Route Name Miles Current Access Change Num. Maintenance Level 279 Wiggins Camp 2.2 Maintenance Level 2 Maintenance Level 2 - Administrative Use Only 288 Cochran Falls 0.2 Maintenance Level 2 Maintenance Level 2 - Administrative Use Only 28B Moss Hill 2.5 Maintenance Level 2 Maintenance Level 2 - Seasonal Restriction 321 Raper Mnt 1.0 Maintenance Level 2 Maintanence Level 1 376 Raper Creek 2.7 Maintenance Level 2 Maintenance Level 2 - Administrative Use Only 384 Speed Gap 0.3 Maintenance Level 2 Maintenance Level 2 - Administrative Use Only 410 Ann Gap 2.6 Maintenance Level 2 Maintenance Level 2 - Administrative Use Only 416 Stonewall Knob 1.4 Maintenance Level 2 Maintenance Level 2 - Seasonal Restriction 417 Pigpen Gap 1.5 Maintenance Level 2 Maintenance Level 2 - Seasonal Restriction 429 Upper Bad Creek 0.3 Maintenance Level 2 Maintanence Level 1 450 Ash Bridge 0.4 Maintenance Level 2 Maintanence Level 1 516 Stone Place 0.5 Maintenance Level 2 Maintenance Level 2 - Seasonal Restriction 517 Muscadine 0.4 Maintenance Level 2 Maintanence Level 1 51D Horseshoe Bend Camp 0.8 Maintenance Level 2 Maintenance Level 2 - Administrative Use Only 60 Nester Creek 3.5 Maintenance Level 2 Maintanence Level 1 60A Nester Creek BR . 1.1 Maintenance Level 2 Maintanence Level 1 630A Mill Creek Br A 0.8 Maintenance Level 2 Maintenance Level 2 - Seasonal Restriction 630B Hickory Ridge 3.5 Maintenance Level 2 Maintenance Level 2 - Seasonal Restriction 630D Rocky Flats 2.7 Maintenance Level 1 Maintenance Level 2 - Seasonal Restriction 630H Muddy Branch 0.8 Maintenance Level 2 Maintenance Level 2 - Administrative Use Only 76 Piney Ridge 1.9 Maintenance Level 2 Maintanence Level 1 76 Piney Ridge 3.8 Maintenance Level 2 Maintenance Level 2 - Seasonal Restriction 78 Tibbs 5.1 Maintenance Level 1 Maintenance Level 2 - Administrative Use Only 78B Milma Creek 2.8 Maintenance Level 1 Maintenance Level 2 - Administrative Use Only 8 Upper Cliff Creek 1.3 Maintenance Level 2 Maintenance Level 2 - Seasonal Restriction 825A Hollifield Place 0.4 Maintenance Level 2 Maintanence Level 1 825B Timber West Spur 0.4 Maintenance Level 2 Maintanence Level 1

28 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

Route Route Name Miles Current Access Change Num. Maintenance Level 83 Bull Mnt 1.9 Maintenance Level 2 Maintenance Level 2 - Administrative Use Only 84 Sockem Dog 0.4 Maintenance Level 2 Maintanence Level 1 844 Mack Mnt 1.0 Maintenance Level 2 Maintanence Level 1 90A Stillhouse 2.1 Maintenance Level 3 Maintanence Level 1 977A Rile Bend 0.6 Maintenance Level 2 Maintanence Level 1 98 Dunn Branch 1.1 Maintenance Level 2 Maintanence Level 1 Improvements to Soil and Water Quality There is a need to improve water quality and soil productivity. The Southern Appalachian Assessment discusses the need to reduce the non-point source pollution that delivers sediment to the rivers and streams of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Non-point sediment sources on Forest Service Lands are primarily roads and trails, but can include degraded recreation sites. Soil erosion from past practices and the change in nutrient cycling from vegetation deviations have led to compromised soil productivity. Watershed needs are based on the presence of Threatened and Endangered aquatic species, 303(d) or 305(b) listed streams, municipal watersheds, watersheds designated for restoration or listed as functioning at risk by the Watershed Condition Framework process.

The Foothills Landscape project seeks to implement the applicable recommendations in the Georgia State Regional Water Plans and includes meeting total maximum daily loads (TMDL’s) for 303(d) listed streams (Forest Plan Goal 22 and 25). The activities proposed to accomplish the goal of improving water and soil quality would be prioritized and implemented based on watershed needs (Forest Plan Goal 24 and USFS, 2011).

Reduction of Sediment Delivered to Streams The Watershed Condition Framework outlines the need to meet total maximum daily load requirements as set by Department of Natural Resources-Environmental Protection Division and to manage other water quality problems in order to improve watershed condition. The Coosa River Basin total maximum daily load for sediment summarizes the need to implement sediment reducing practices such as vegetation stream buffers, best management practices (BMP’s) and reducing sediment from unpaved roads (DNR- EPD, 2016).

The transportation system should be safe, environmentally sustainable, financially sound, and provide effective access to National Forest Lands (Forest Plan Goal 47). Action would be taken on roads and trails that are adversely affecting water or soil resources (Forest Plan Goal 34, 48 and 49). The Watershed Condition Framework (USFS, 2011) is a strategy intended to improve watershed conditions across National Forest Lands. It includes open road density, road maintenance and proximity of the road system to water as measures of watershed function. A complete description of the existing and achievable future conditions of the watershed sediment regimes are in the Restoration Plan.

29 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

Range of Actions Upgrade Existing Roads System It is proposed to upgrade existing roads including culverts, stream crossings, surface material and Background configuration using recommendations in the Riparian Restoration, Roads Field Guide (USFS, in the 2005) and Georgia’s Better Backroads Field Manual (Georgia Resource Conservation and Restoration Plan on Development Council, Inc., 2009). Priority for upgrades would be given to watersheds with 303(d) Page 65 or 305(5) listed streams or streams with Threatened and Endangered species habitat. Road upgrades in other watersheds would take place opportunistically.

Decommission Forest Roads Decommissioning existing Forest Service System roads where the risks to water quality outweigh Background the benefits is proposed to reduce the sediment delivered to stream channels. The proposal in the includes 12.5 miles of Forest Service System road decommissioning. Decommissioning work may Restoration Plan on include one or multiple of the following: Complete removal of all stream crossing fills and Page 65 culverts; crushing and burying inlets (and/or removal) of cross-drain culverts; partial removal of fill material from swales; outslope road surface; excavate and/or stabilize road cut and fill failures; seed and mulch disturbed areas; and obliterate take-off. The locations of the roads can be found on the associated maps found in the scoping material on the project webpage at https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=52509.

Table 2: National Forest System Roads proposed for removal from the system and decommissioning

Route Num. Route Name Miles Current Maintenance Level Access Change 10 Rock Creek 0.4 Maintenance Level 2 Decommission Road 135 Three Sisters 0.3 Maintenance Level 2 Decommission Road 135A Three Sisters Br A 0.7 Maintenance Level 2 Decommission Road 25B Dads Ridge 1.5 Maintenance Level 1 Decommission Road 262 S. Bryant Creek 0.8 Maintenance Level 2 Decommission Road 288 Cochran Falls 0.3 Maintenance Level 2 Decommission Road 290B Lucy Gap 0.6 Maintenance Level 2 Decommission Road 318 Adams 1.0 Maintenance Level 1 Decommission Road 319A Shoal Branch 0.9 Maintenance Level 1 Decommission Road 319B Crow Mnt 0.5 Maintenance Level 1 Decommission Road 365 W. Jones Spur 0.1 Maintenance Level 2 Decommission Road 453 Yahoola Work 0.1 Maintenance Level 1 Decommission Road Center 511B Raven Rock 0.3 Maintenance Level 1 Decommission Road 51C Ken Mnt 1.0 Maintenance Level 2 Decommission Road 630F Mill Creek Spur 0.7 Maintenance Level 1 Decommission Road 631 Tatum Mnt 1.8 Maintenance Level 1 Decommission Road 68B Conasauga Camping 0.2 Maintenance Level 1 Decommission Road 720 Reynolds 1.1 Maintenance Level 1 Decommission Road

30 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

Improve Sustainability of Recreational Experience There is a proposal to re-route unsustainable sections of Oakey Mountain OHV Trail System and Background portions of the Jake and Bull Trail System that do not meet the specifications outlined in design in the parameters for system trails (FSH 2309.18). We will continue to coordinate with adjacent Restoration Plan on landowners to address any conflicts with the proposed changes to the Jake and Bull Trail System. Page 79 Re-routing would include decommissioning the existing trail section including modifying tread for proper drainage, removing any stream crossings or cross drains and all structures and obliterating the trail tread. Trail reroutes include the removal of vegetation, construction of tread using manual and mechanical methods, and construction of structures such as turnpikes, causeways, retaining walls, climbing turns and switchbacks to increase the sustainability and longevity of the trail. It also includes installation and maintenance of drainage structures such as; culverts, low water crossings, bridges and water diversion devices.

Another proposal to reduce sediment delivery is to decommission low use trails including Murray’s Lake Trail, and Peeples Lake Trail, and portions of Sumac Creek Trail, and Jake and Bull System. Trail decommissioning includes scarifying the existing trail section, modifying tread for proper drainage, removing stream crossings and/or cross drains along with all structures and installations. The changes to the Whissenhunt OHV System are not included in this proposal because the decision on the Whissenhunt OHV Trail System Improvement authorizes the needed work. You can find information on the project at https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=48671.

While assessing the proposal to add trail mileage along the Chattooga River trail for hiking, fishing and boating access, an assessment would be conducted collaboratively to identify user created trails and dispersed campsites for decommissioning. User created trails and dispersed campsites within 50 feet of the Chattooga River corridor would be decommissioned unless posted with an official sign (36 CFR 261.50(e)(6)). Decommissioning the existing trail section would include modifying tread for proper drainage, scarifying, revegetating areas as needed, and preventing trampling of vegetation using social engineering.

Boggs Creek Campground and Oakey Mountain Campground would be decommissioned. Campground decommissioning may include the closing the access roads using physical barriers and removal of all infrastructure and facilities. A site assessment would be conducted at Boggs Creek to see the feasibility of reducing the services and converting to a day use area. Some roads within the recreation area may be decommissioned and seeded with native or non-perpetuating vegetation. The majority of the amenities would be removed including the picnic tables, fire rings, kiosks, and signage. If the assessment results with removal of the vault toilet we intend to properly dispose all material and backfill the remaining hole.

Dispersed camping sites would remain open in areas officially signed within 50 feet of perennial stream channels. If a site is not officially signed opened camping is prohibited. Hardened dispersed camping sites within 50 feet of the water would be decommissioned. Site decommissioning includes scarification, construction of physical barriers, installation of signs to inform users of closure and monitoring.

The recreation sites are ranked as moderate or low priority for financial sustainability are listed in Table 3. A complete assessment would be conducted to determine the amount of investment the

31 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

forest can incur to maintain a site affected by a triggering event. The occurrence of any of these factors may trigger a change in site management. Each site would be evaluated to determine existing funding sources, potential partnership opportunities, availability of alternative funding sources, and the potential for reducing services or partial decommissioning. If none of these alternatives are found to be viable, the site would be considered unsustainable and would be fully decommissioned. Decommissioning work includes closure of the access roads using physical barrier and removal of all infrastructure and facilities. Throughout this process the public would be notified of proposed changes and have an opportunity to comment by partnership meetings, on-site notifications, website announcements, email notification and partner outreach. The process is summarized in Figure 2.

32 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

Table 3: Recreation sites in the Foothills Landscape that would be evaluated for reduction in services or decommissioning if a triggering event should occur.

Recreation Site Name Existing Site Opportunities and Partnership Fee Next Steps Amenities Challenges Area

Dicks Creek Dispersed Dispersed No fees, no amenities, day use No Conduct site assessment, Minor Camping Area, Blue Ridge camping area area, evidence of resource maintenance, Seek partnerships, Reduce Ranger District damage services, Close when warranted, Minor maintenance, Seek partnerships, Reduce services, Close when warranted

Hickey Gap, Conasauga 5 sites, picnic Law Enforcement Issues No Conduct site assessment, Minor Ranger District tables, grills, no maintenance, Seek partnerships, Reduce fees, single services, Close when warranted, reduce vault toilet services by removing potable grills, picnic tables

Sumac Creek Shooting 2 picnic tables, Routine maintenance needed $5.00/vehicle Conduct site assessment, Minor Range, Conasauga Ranger shelter, double every 3-4 years. Road and maintenance, Seek partnerships, Reduce District vault toilets drainage at trailhead need services, Close when warranted, reduce addressed. Restore ADA services by closing facility Tuesday- access Thursday

Holly Creek Day Use, 3 grills, picnic Swimming holes, high use, Conasuaga River Conduct site assessment, Minor Conasauga Ranger District tables, viewing trash issues, high sense of Watershed Alliance, maintenance, Seek partnerships, Reduce platform place for surrounding Keep Murray Clean, services, Close when warranted, Fix communities, sedimentation Murray County, Boy drainage issues in parking area, Install bi- issues from the road, bridge Scouts of America lingual signs to promote Leave No Trace, needs replaced, wooden steps Construct accessible fishing pier near the need maintenance bridge, Address parking issues along the Holly Creek corridor

33 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

Recreation Site Name Existing Site Opportunities and Partnership Fee Next Steps Amenities Challenges Area

Willis Knob, Chattooga Day Use Area Interest in more connecting No Replace/update existing infrastructure River Ranger District trails and loops that offer (when needed) without significant change varying distances

Cottonwood Patch, 9 sites, Monthly water testing Back Country Conduct site assessment, Minor Conasauga Ranger District handpump, required Horsemen of maintenance, Seek Partnerships, Reduce troughs, double Northwest Georgia services, Close when warranted, Remove vault $8.00/night water facilities when warranted, reduce services

Cohutta Overlook Observation Repairs needed along stairway No Conduct site assessment, Minor deck and viewing platform maintenance, Seek partnerships, Reduce services, Close when warranted

Ball Field Dispersed No facilities on Group camping area. Access No Conduct site assessment, Minor Camping Area, Conasauga site road and trailhead (Emery maintenance, Seek partnerships, Reduce Ranger District Creek Trail) need gravel and services, Close when warranted, reduce barriers services, Close Jan-March

Lake Conasauga Overflow 6 sites, double Group camping area $8.00/night Conduct site assessment, Minor Camping Area, vault maintenance, Seek partnerships, Reduce Conasauage Ranger services, Close when warranted, Remove District trash cans, Close Jan-March, Reservation system as group site

Murrays Lake, Conasauga Day Use Only - Trail and access issues No Conduct site assessment, Minor Ranger District No facilities identified. Consider removing maintenance, Seek partnerships, Reduce bridge and making services, Close when warranted improvements to boat launch

34 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

Recreation Site Name Existing Site Opportunities and Partnership Fee Next Steps Amenities Challenges Area

Mill Creek Overlook, Wooden, Graffiti, some dumping No Conduct site assessment, Minor Conasauga Ranger District decked maintenance, Seek partnerships, Reduce structure services, Close when warranted

Barnes Creek Picnic, 1 table, no grill, Cascading waterfall No Conduct site assessment, Minor Conasauga Ranger District railed path and maintenance, Seek partnerships, Reduce catwalk over services, Close when warranted falls.

Warwomen Dell Picnic area, Toilet needs to be replaced No Conduct site assessment, Minor toilet, CCC and CCC shelter needs maintenance, Seek partnerships, Reduce pavilon and repaired services, Close when warranted trail

35 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

Figure 2: Process for evaluating existing low and moderate priority recreational sites. The sites would remain as is until a triggering event happens. Then the needs would be determined as well as the cost to meet the needs for repair. Potential funding source would be explored. The entire process would include public engagement including multiple communication tools such as emails, written notification and outreach.

36 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

Improving Soil Quality The Watershed Condition Framework (USFS, 2011) outlines the need for soil productivity and a reduction in soil erosion as essential for a properly functioning watershed. Soil productivity is defined as the capacity of the soil to support appropriate site specific biological resource management objectives, which includes the growth of specified plants, plant communities, or a sequence of plant communities to support multiple land uses. Areas where soil nutrient and hydrologic cycling processes are impaired, therefore hindering the ability of the soil to provide enough resources for vegetation to grow to adequate site potential levels, would be identified as restoration areas. The severity of these areas would be determined utilizing the Soil Disturbance Field Guide (USFS, 2009). A complete description of the existing and achievable future conditions of soil quality is in the Restoration Plan.

Range of Actions Every aspect of this project entails activities and best management practices that could potentially Background improve soil quality. In addition to the previously described actions, the following may take place in the in areas identified within the Foothills Landscape: 1) revegetation in areas that do not meet the Restoration Plan on Forest Plan standards for percent of vegetative cover, 2) compacted areas would be decompacted Page 68 by using ripping or disking and 3) recontouring unneeded landings or temporary roads may occur as needed.

Proposed Changes to the Project Boundary The collaborative effort has resulted in proposed modifications to the project boundary to aid in meeting the purpose and need of the project and to best coordinate with other ongoing restoration efforts adjacent to the current project boundary. There is a proposal to extend the boundary to include Hale Ridge Bog (Figure 3). The bog has a modification of hydrology and is threatened by nonnative invasive species. The sooner the restoration work is initiated the more effective restoration efforts would be according to the Department of Natural Resources. Extending the project boundary to include a section of the Chattooga River corridor that has potential for canebrake community restoration would complement efforts on the Sumter National Forest. The area proposed for inclusion by the Chattooga Conservancy in coordination with the Eastern band of the Cherokee Tribe currently is being affected by user created trails accessing the river and non-native invasive plants. Restoration of this ecosystem complements the purpose and need of the Foothills Landscape project. The extension of the boundary to include Boggs Creek Campground is proposed so that the work needed to decommission the campground that was damaged in 2011 can finally be accomplished (Figure 4).

37 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

Figure 3: Potential additions to the Foothills Landscape project boundary to include the proposed work in Hales Ridge Bog and the canebrake restoration proposed by the Chattooga Conservancy.

38 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

Figure 4: Proposed addition to the Foothills Landscape project boundary to include Boggs Creek Campground.

39 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

CONNECTED ACTIONS Road Related Actions Temporary road construction would occur to provide access for the timber harvest and could include: removal of vegetation, brushing of roadside vegetation, surface blading, spot placement of gravel, improvement or installation of drainage structures, and erosion control (including reclamation of sites).

Road reconstruction activities could include: curve widening or realignment to accommodate timber hauling activities, removal of vegetation in roadbed surface, replacement of existing culverts and drainage structures to address present and future resource needs and Best Management Practices, spot surface placement of gravel, and erosion control.

Road maintenance activities would be conducted on segments of existing Forest Service System roads utilized for the vegetation management activities included in this proposal. Activities could include surface blading, brushing of roadside vegetation, spot placement of gravel, maintenance or improvement of drainage structures, and erosion control.

Landing Construction or Re-opening Log landings used for ground-based harvest units are located near existing Forest Service system roads where suitable sites can be identified, or along temporary roads a short distance from permanent roads if needed. Landings are developed at least 100 feet from riparian corridors to provide adequate buffer distance between ground disturbance and streams. Landings are typically cleared of vegetation and maintained as openings during operation periods, with periodic clearing to maintain proper drainage for overland flow, and help maintain dry soils during use periods. Landings generally are subjected to compaction during the equipment use periods.

Pesticide Use

The Proposed Action includes the use of herbicides for connected site preparation, release and mid-story control treatments in certain restoration and maintenance treatment areas.

Site preparation: In areas proposed for southern yellow pine and oak restoration, and oak regeneration, harvested areas would be site prepared for regeneration using a combination of foliar and/or cut-stump methods through directed applications of herbicides. Treatments would be directed at non-desirable woody vegetation remaining on site following the commercial thinning - typically stump sprouting vegetation less than 6 feet tall (foliar method) or standing trees from 1 inch to 8 inches dbh (cut-stump method).

Release: Connected release treatments would be employed in areas proposed southern yellow pine and oak restoration, and oak regeneration to promote growth of planted or naturally regenerating seedlings. Planted and/or naturally regenerated seedlings would be released one or more times by directly applying herbicides to competing vegetation within a three to four foot radius of seedlings using basal bark/streamline, cut-stem or foliar spray methods. Selection of treatment methods for release would be informed by the degree, type and size of competing vegetation, risk to non-target vegetation and preferred season of application (dormant versus growing season).

40 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

Mid-Story Control: In areas proposed for open woodland restoration and shortleaf pine and oak maintenance, mid-story vegetation would be treated with herbicides to create a more open understory environment. Mid-story vegetation would be treated using a combination of foliar, basal bark/streamline, cut-stump, and/or tree injection methods through directed applications of herbicides. Foliar methods would be employed to treat stump sprouting vegetation and other woody vegetation less than 6 feet in height as a connected action following proposed commercial thinning treatments (oak maintenance, woodland restoration, southern yellow pine maintenance). Cut-surface methods (cut-stump or tree injection) and basal bark methods would be used for taller vegetation or as an alternative to foliar applications for shorter vegetation as a connected action following proposed thinning treatments (oak maintenance, woodland restoration, southern yellow pine maintenance) or the primary action for oak mid- story treatments or oak crown-touching release.

Estimated herbicide rates to be applied under the proposed herbicide treatments are shown in in the table below.

Table 4: Estimated rates of herbicide to be applied for site preparation, release and mid-story control treatments

Herbicide Application Lbs ai/gal % (fraction) in Gallons of Lbs ai/acre Method(s) solution solution/acre

Cut-surface Triclopyr (cut-stump and 3.0 50% 1.0 1.5 (amine) tree injection- hack-n-squirt)

Triclopyr Foliar 3.0 4% 15 1.8 (amine)

Triclopyr Streamline/basal 4.0 20% 1.5 1.2 (ester)

Triclopyr Foliar 4.0 2% 15 1.2 (ester)

Imazapyr Foliar 4.0 0.5 20 0.45

Risk analysis of imidacloprid soil injection applications were done at 0.4 lbs/acre (active ingredient). Risk analysis for dinotefuran soil injection were done at 0.54 lbs/acre (active ingredient)

41 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

PROJECT DESIGN CRITERIA The items displayed below provide an overview of important aspects of the project that would be implemented to address soil and water resources, riparian corridors, heritage resources, non-native invasive species, vegetation management, and visual quality.

Resource Design Feature

Temporary roads would be constructed on previous exiting routes (old woods roads or skid trails) where possible to minimize the need for new temporary road construction.

Temporary roads would follow the general contour as practical and would generally not exceed sustained grades over 10%.

The travel way of temporary roads would generally not exceed 14-16 feet except at turnouts and landings.

Drainage structures, such as outsloping and waterbars, would be installed along temporary roads when the use of the road is no longer needed.

Once the temporary roads are no longer needed, they would be closed to normal vehicle traffic and so that illegal ATV use is discouraged. The closures may include such things as the installation of an earthen barrier, re-contouring, placement of logging debris along the road surface, or placement of boulders.

Skid trails would be closed at their junction with landing sites by placing slash on the skid trail in order to discourage illegal motorized vehicle use.

Log landings and skid trail locations would be evaluated and approved by the Forest Soil and Water Service prior to harvesting in order to ensure that they are placed in locations with adequate drainage and away from sensitive soils or riparian areas as per the Georgia State Best Management Practices.

Skidding and decking would be limited to designated and approved routes along ridges and gentle slopes to protect sensitive soils. Skidding would not be allowed on sustained slopes over 35%.

Operation of ground-based equipment would only be allowed when soils are dry. Soil moisture would be assessed during harvest operations to determine periods when equipment should be halted to minimize compaction and rutting per Forest Standard FW- 060.

On all soils dedicated to growing vegetation, re-vegetation to appropriate species would be completed to a minimum of 85% coverage within the first growing season following the completion of project activity. Compacted soils on skid trails, temporary roads, and log landings would be ripped or tilled in areas of detrimental soil compaction to maintain soil quality standards and increase water infiltration.

Water control structures necessary for control of surface water movement resulting from soil disturbing activities would be constructed within 30 days of completion of the activity.

42 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

Resource Design Feature

Sensitive soils discovered during timber sale layout would be protected by restricting access or activities in these areas.

Water diversion structures would be installed on prescribed fire control-lines to prevent erosion.

Where prescribed burn control-lines enter or cross the Riparian Corridor, hand constructed fire-lines would be used to minimize soil disturbance.

There would be no herbicide application within of 25 feet for artificial channels such as roadside ditches that have hydrological connectivity to waters of the state.

Gerogia Best Management Practices would be followed for all activities.

Skidding would not occur within riparian corridors, except for at designated crossings.

No heavy equipment, other than mechanical fellers, would be allowed to operate within the riparian corridors during harvest activities. The exception to this would be at designated crossings.

Harvest activities in riparian corridors would take place under dry soil conditions defined as when the water table is below 12” of the surface or when the soil moisture is below the plastic limit (FW-060). Riparian Areas Where streams are used as natural control-lines for prescribed burning, only low intensity fire would be allowed in the Riparian Corridor to mimic a natural burn mosaic.

Heritage resources subject to direct or indirect effects resulting from the activities associated with this project would be avoided and protected from project effects where possible. The appropriate measures, in coordination with Georgia State Historic Preservation Office, would be taken if an indirect effect of the project is needed to meet purpose and need.

Heritage Resources Heritage resource sites would have a minimum protective buffer of 50 feet as needed. The buffer would be marked on the ground and excluded from project activities.

Significant infestations of NNIS along planned access routes would be pre-treated systematically within timber sale areas in order to prevent the spread of NNIS into new areas.

Equipment cleaning would be required in order to minimize the spread of NNIS and to minimize the potential to introduce new NNIS to the area. Non-native Invasive Species Skidding through known populations of NNIS should be avoided, where possible, to reduce (NNIS) the potential for spread.

Skid trails, log landings, temporary roads, or other areas of exposed soil, would be seeded (with either native species or non-native non-invasive species) as soon as practical in order

43 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

Resource Design Feature

to restore vegetative cover and reduce the potential for erosion. Fertilizer should only be in areas without presence of invasive species or reseeding with native perennial species.

Even-aged regeneration harvests would be limited to 40 acres in size. Known populations of Threatened & Endangered or locally rare plants would be protected by placement of a buffer zone around them where possible. The appropriate measures, in Pesticide Use coordination with Georgia State Historic Preservation Office, would be taken if an indirect effect of the project is needed to meet purpose and need.

No herbicide is ground-applied within 60 feet of any known locally rare plant. Buffers are clearly marked before treatment so applicators can easily see and avoid them. Selective applications to control competing vegetation within this buffer designated to protect locally rare plants may occur when needed to protect the locally rare plants from encroachment by Rare plants invasive plants and when a non-soil active herbicide is used.

Regeneration areas in or abutting deciduous or mixed forests must include a 50-foot zone along mature forest edges in which intensity of silvicultural treatment decreases, resulting in a transitional or feathered edge (FWS-007).

Visual Quality Layout of regeneration areas would incorporate irregular-shaped boundary edges to minimize straight-edge effects and contrast between un-treated areas.

Layout of regeneration areas would incorporate a no-harvest zone between unit boundaries and open Forest roads.

Layout of regeneration areas by design would leave areas un-harvested along prominent ridge-lines and/or sites of higher elevation to reduce “sky-lighting” effects and to obscure areas of lower elevation in regeneration.

In all silvicultural treatments, retention priority is given to the largest available trees with favorable characteristics as bat roost trees (yellow pines and oaks with crevices, cracks, or hollows). Snags would be retained within regeneration harvest units in a manner to comply with Indiana Bat standards as well as other Federally-listed bat species.

In even-aged regeneration, create 5 snags per acre if not present.

In even-aged regeneration stands larger than 10 acres, maintain a minimum of 15 sq. feet of basal area. These can be arranged in clumps, corridors, or feathered edges.

In stands over 10 acres with restoration prescriptions (including regeneration) with Wildlife Habitat reserves, maintain a minimum of 20 sq. feet of basal area. Retain all trees within 20 feet of 5 snags per acre for windthrow protection and snag recruitment.

Protect known bat roosts from cutting or modification as long as has suitable roosting characteristics.

Vegetation management activities would not utilize existing trails as access routes without a review by recreational staff. Trails used would be restored to the original trail width and

44 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

Resource Design Feature

character upon project completion. Character trees/blaze trees that define the trail corridor would not be cut unless to mitigate safety concerns.

Coordinate with District recreation staff and post advance notices when hiking trails are to Recreation be closed during felling operations and prescribed burning.

CITATIONS (SPI) Anderson, M., Hayes, L., Keyser, P., Lituma, C., Sutter, R. and Zollner, D. 2016. Shortleaf Pine Restoration Plan. Shortleaf Pine Initiative. http://shortleafpine.net/tools-and-resources/restoration- plan/shortleaf-pine-restoration-plan Appalachian Mountains Joint Venture. 2007. Implementation plan for the AMJV: A foundation for all- bird conservation in the region. http://amjv.org/documents/implementation_plan.pdf DNR-EPD. 2011. Coosa-North Georgia Regional Water Plan. Georgia State Department of Natural Resources, Environmental Protection Division. http://www.georgiawaterplanning.org/documents/CNG_Adopted_RWP_000.pdf DNR-EPD. 2016. Total Maximum Daily Load Evaluation for Fifty Stream Segments in the Coosa River Basin for Sediment.42 Fish Community Impacted 8 Macroinvertebrate Community Impacted. DNR-WRD. 2015. Georgia State Wildlife Action Plan. Department of Natural Resources- Wildlife Resources Division. http://georgiawildlife.com/sites/default/files/wrd/pdf/swap/SWAP2015MainReport_92015.pdf Dolloff, C.A. 1994. Large woody debris: the common denominator for integrated environmental management of forest streams. In Implementing integrated environmental management. Edited by J. Cairns Jr., T.V. Crawford, and H. Salwasser. Center for Environmental Management and Hazardous Materials Studies, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Va. pp. 93–108. Georgia Forestry Commission.2010.Statewide Assessment of Forest Resources. Georgia Forestry Commission. http://www.gatrees.org/about-us/strategic-plan/GAStateAssessment-6-17-10.pdf Georgia Resource Conservation and Development Council, Inc. 2009. Georgia Better Back Roads Field Manual. https://epd.georgia.gov/sites/epd.georgia.gov/files/related_files/site_page/Better_Back_Roads_Field_Man ual_May_2009.pdf Hancock, Jan ; Vander Hoek, Kim K. Jones; Bradshaw, Sunni ; Coffman, James D.; Engelmann, Jeffrey . 2007. Equestrian Design Guidebook for Trails, Trailheads, and Campgrounds. 0723 2816. Missoula, MT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Missoula Technology and Development Center. 312 p. Keyser, T.; Malone, J.; Cotton, C.; and Lewis, J. 2014. Outlook for Appalachian-Cumberland forests: a subregional report from the Southern Forest Futures Project. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-188. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, southern Research Station. 83 pp. Mader, E., Shepherd, M., Vaughan, M., Hoffman-Black, S., Lebuhn, G. 2011. Attracting Native Pollinators: Protecting North America’s Bees and Butterflies. Storey Publishing, North Adams, MA. McNulty, S.; Treasure, E.; Jennings, L.; Meriwether, D.; Harris, D.; Arndt, P. 2017. Translating national level forest service goals to local level land management: carbon sequestration. Climate Change

45 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

Noss, R.F., LaRoe, and J. M. Scott. 1995 Endangered Ecosystems of the United States: A Preliminary Assessment of Loss and Degradation. Petzinger, S., Langen, T., Kubel, J., Roth, A., Barker-Swarthrout, S. 2014. Golden-winged Warbler Habitat on Utility Right-of-ways in the Appalachians. Golden-winged Working Group. www.gwwa.org. (SAMAB) Southern Appalachian Man and Biosphere. 1996.The Southern Appalachian Assessment of Terrestrial Technical Report. Report 5 of 5. Atlanta, GA. Forest Service, Southern Region. Turner, M.G., Gardner, R.H., and R.V. O’Neill. 2001. Landscape ecology in theory and practice: pattern and process. Springer-Verlag New York, Inc. 401 pages. US Forest Service. 2016. Assessing the potential effects of climate change on Chattahoochee and Oconee National Forests. TACCIMO Fact Sheet. 4 pages. USDA Forest Service. 2011. Watershed condition framework. FS-977 (Forest Plan) USDA Forest Service. 2004b. Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests Land and Resource Management Plan. R8-MB 113 A. USDA Forest Service, Southern Region, Atlanta, GA. USFS. 2007. Trail Construction and Maintenance Notebook. Tech. Rep. 0723-2806 MTDC. Missoula, MT. Website: https://www.fs.fed.us/t-d///pubs/pdfpubs/pdf07232806/pdf07232806dpi72.pdf (12 October 2017) USFS. 2008. Forest Service Handbook 2309.18. Chapter 20. Trails Management Handbook, Trail Development. https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5403615.pdf USFS. 2009. Soil Disturbance Field guide. 0819-1815 SDTDC. 1940 Inventory and Monitoring Field Guide. https://www.fs.fed.us/eng/pubs/pdf/08191815.pdf USFS. 2010. Connecting People with America’s Great Outdoors: A Framework for Sustainable Recreation. Recreation, Heritage and Volunteer Resources Program. https://www.fs.fed.us/cdt/news/connecting_people_with_americas_great_outdoors_june_2010.pdf USFS. Roads Riparian Team. 2005. Riparian Restoration: Roads Field Guide. 0577 1801P. San Dimas, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, San Dimas Technology and Development Center. 128 p. Van Lear, D.H. and R. E. Harlow. 2000. Fire in the eastern United States: influence on wildlife habitat, In: The role of fire in nongame wildlife management and community restoration: traditional uses and new directions. USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station. GTR NE-288. Wear, David N.; Greis, John G. 2013. The Southern Forest Futures Project: technical report. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-GTR-178. Asheville, NC: USDA-Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 542 p. Williams, J.E.; Wood, C.A.; Dombeck, M.P. (eds). 1997. Watershed restoration: principles and practices. Bethesda, MD: American Fisheries Society

46 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

APPPENDIX A: OLD-GROWTH DESIGNATION STANDS Stands that are currently being proposed for designation as Old-growth in old-growth deficit Subwatersheds.

Subwatershed HUC Subwatershed Name Compartment Stand Acres 031501020301 Upper Mountaintown Creek 770 2 22 770 3 22

770 4 28 770 5 28 770 6 23 770 33 19 770 36 15 770 43 22 770 44 12 770 59 22 771 10 26 771 41 12 771 46 15 776 8 14 776 9 40 776 26 11 778 13 7 778 18 22 778 27 59 031501020303 Conasauga Creek 774 26 27 774 27 21 774 29 15 031501010402 Mill Creek-Holly Creek 756 35 86 754 7 25 756 14 45 031501010405 Rock Creek 784 5 120 789 3 43 789 5 30 789 25 40 789 27 15 789 32 15 789 33 40 789 35 36 789 76 19 789 77 15 031501010203 North Prong Sumac Creek 719 4 18

47 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

719 7 31 719 3 61 720 21 102 030601020107 Stonewall Creek 85 11 32 82 7 58 88 41 77 65 22 15 65 11 4 85 14 21 83 10 17 65 34 31 65 32 30 87 21 13 84 23 91 84 22 12 030601020108 Lower Tallulah River 71 15 29 71 21 124 030601020205 Upper Warwoman Creek 35 22 21 36 14 201 37 2 117 36 17 72 37 12 370 42 1 48 52 36 35 030601020206 Sarahs Creek 29 45 23 29 56 51 47 37 69 29 27 26 29 44 37 47 30 20 47 32 12 32 26 37 32 8 25 33 6 79 031300010202 Lower Soquee River 240 33 85 239 16 16 239 14 40 031300010502 Upper Chestatee River 554 15 30 554 24 18 554 23 22 554 13 9

48 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

554 11 31 554 10 20 554 4 15 031300010602 Yahoola Creek 527 9 34 558 23 84 031501040102 Jones Creek 577 167 71 577 168 45 577 162 53 577 161 27 577 121 37 577 120 19 577 181 49 577 154 33 577 152 56 577 184 43 577 151 34 031501040103 Nimblewill Creek 577 77 67 577 91 60 577 88 64 577 92 40 577 93 32

Stands that are currently being proposed for designation as Old-growth in Subwatersheds that currently meet the Forest Plan minimum for designation.

Subwatershed HUC Subwatershed Name Compartment Stand Acres 031501010206 Upper Mill Creek 752 10 45 752 11 26 752 12 43 752 13 35 753 10 20 753 29 27 753 30 26 753 31 23 754 5 27 754 6 34 754 8 40 758 22 37 759 23 32 759 25 30 759 26 33

49 | P AGE FOOTHILLS LANDSCAPE PROJECT PROPOSED ACTION

759 27 54 759 28 33 759 29 47 031501040101 Headwaters Etowah River 564 15 53 564 11 26 78 1 54 56 2 45 28 28 81 48 3 10 48 2 19

There are portions of stands in Emery Creek-Holly Creek subwatershed (031501010401) that possess old- growth characteristics. The stands need to be remapped before final designation would occur. These stands are 765-3, 766-19, 766-31, 766-35, 766-37, and 772-15.

50 | P AGE