Forest Habitat Management Plan Okefenokee National

FOREST HABITAT MANAGEMENT PLAN

FOR

OKEFENOKEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

Submitted: Date

Reviewed: Date

\J-~~A - ~p- • YL

Date

Approved: Date FOREST HABITAT MANAGEMENT PLAN for OKEFENOKEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE Table of Contents

Page

Section I Program Relation to Refuge Objectives ..... 1 A. Preface 1 B. History 1 1. Geological History 1 2. itidian Occupation 2 3. Settlement and Economic Development 2 4. Exploitation of Resources 3 5. Early Refuge History. . ,.....,.. 4 C. Refuge Forest Habitat Management Objectives 5 D. Attaining Refuge Forest Habitat Management Objectives 6 1. Tree Removal 7 2. Thinning 7 3. Prescribed Burning 7 4. Forest Reproduction 7 5. Site Preparation 7 6. Disease and Insect Control. ... 8 E. Plant and Wildlife Species to be Favored 8 1. Endangered Species (Plants) 8 2. Endangered and Threatened Species (wildlife).... 8 F. Research Weeds . 11 1. Fire Management 11 2. Site Preparation 11 3. Wildlife Population Census and Habitat Requirement Studies 12 Section II Program Policies and Administrative Control . 13 A. Fish and Wildlife Service Policy 13 B. Policy of Harvest 14 C. Control Records 14 D. Compartment Prescriptions 14 1. Forest Inventory. '. . 15 2. Compartment Prescription Format . . 18 E. Natural Areas .,.'...... ,... 19 1. Research Natural Areas. . . : 19 2. Public Use Natural Areas 21 F. Special Management Consideration and Techniques .... 23 1. Endangered Species. .' 23 2. Wilderness Areas 26 3. Openings 26 4. Swamp Interior , 31 5. Fire Management . . 33 6. Habitat Management in Areas Dedicated for Educational and Cultural Resources. ...-•.... 36 7. Aesthetics 37 G. Insect and Disease Management 37 1. Insects 37 2. Diseases 38 H. Timber Marking and Thinning Procedures 33 1. Pine Management 38 2. Hardwood Management 42 3. Timber Marking Procedures 43 4. Firewood Cutting 44 I. Policy and Administration of Sales. 44 1. Timber Sales 44 2. Administration of Harvesting Operations 45 3. Administration of Receipts for Sale of Forest Management Products ...... 46

Section III Program Description, Problems and Solutions 47 A. Scope''of Forest Habitat Management Program 47 B. Description 47 1. Physical Features 47 a. Geographic Description...... 47 b. Climate r ' 48 c. Topography . 50 d. Drainage and Water Levels 50 e. Soils ...... 51 2. Detailed Description of Habitat Types ...... 55 a. Wetland Habitat Types ' 55 b. Upland Habitat Types 56 3. Timber Type Classification 58 4. Growth and Maximum Cut 58 C. Problems Relating to Past Management Practices 58 1. Wetland Forestlands 59 a. Effects of Fire in Wetlands 59 b. Effects of Logging in Wetlands 59 c. Effects of Sill Construction 60 2. Upland Forests 60 a. Exclusion of Fire 60 b. Timber Harvesting 61 c. Tree Planting 61 D. Program Effect on Local Economy 61

Section IV Program Units — Habitat Management Compartments 62 A. General - . 62 B. Forest Management Compartments 62

Section V Physical Plant and Eguipment Use Requirements ....'... 63 A. Roads 63 B. Forest Management Eguipment 63 C. Engineering Services 63 Section VT Funding and Staffing Requirements ...... 65 A. Funding Requirements 65 B. Staffing Requirements - . 65

Literature Cited 66 Appendix Glossary A Compartment Acreage Summary (Table) . . 3 Volume and Growth Data (Tables) C Refuge and Access Roads (Map) . D Forest Management Compartments/Condition Classes (Maps) . . E Compartment Inventory and Prescription Schedule (Table) . . F Research Natural Areas (Public Use Natural Areas) (Maps). . G Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Colony and Foraging Areas (Maps). . H Okefenokee Wilderness Area (Map) I Swamp Interior Islands (Table) j Vegetative Types (Description). . K Vegetative Types/Acreage Summary (Table). . .• K Vegetative Types (Map) K Prescribed Burning Cycles (Table) L Prescribe'^.. Burning Cycles (Map) L Soil Series (Map) M Openings - Acreage Summary ' N Plant List (Table) .._ 0 Mammal List (Table) . . 0 Bird List (Table) * O Reptile and Amphibian List (Table)...... 0 Association of Species and Habitat Types (Matrix) 0 Invitation to Bid (Exhibit) p List of Prospective Bidders ...... Q Conditions Applicable to Timber Harvesting Permits R Conditions Applicable to Firewood Harvesting Permits. ... S Typical Compartment Prescriptions T Endangered Plants (Description) U FOREST HABITAT MANAGEMENT PLAN for OKEFENOKEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

I. PROGRAM RELATION1 TO REFUGE OBJECTIVES A. Preface The purpose of this plan is to provide guidelines which will strive to make the best use of available management techniques to provide suitable habitat for native wildlife species. The plan stresses maximizing habitat diversity with special emphasis placed on those habitat types which support endangered species. The intent is that these guidelines should be flexible enough to accommodate unforeseen emergencies, newly discovered habitat needs, and to take advantage of new management techniques and research developments. The plan also takes into account other uses such as wildlife observation, sightseeing, research, and environmental education. The Forest Habitat Management Plan pertains to the refuge forestlands as a whole, including forest management compartments, wilderness uplands, swampland forests and brushland. Commercial and non- commercial connotations are de-emphasized. The plan emphasizes habitat changes needed to achieve certain refuge objectives. The most appropriate management technique is then proposed, ranging from modified suppression of a wildfire in a wilderness area to oommer- cial harvesting where permitted on some of the upland forestlands.

B. History 1. Geological History The origin of the Okefenokee Swamp has been debated for years. The traditional theory is that when the Okefenokee area was covered by the Atlantic Ocean about 215,000 to 500,000 years ago, ocean currents caused a sandbar (Trail Ridge) to form. During the Illinois glaciation period, 140,000 to 215,000 years ago, the sea level declined, trapping a large body of salt water. As peat accumulated, the lake gradually turned into a swamp. 'Another theory places the origin of the swamp at a much later date. Recent studies suggest that the sand structures forming the base of the swamp may have been deposited 8,000 to 25,000 years ago during a very dry period (Wisconsin glacial period) by strong winds. As more humid times returned, 6,000 to 7,000 years ago, fresh water ponds formed at various levels in the Okefenokee basin. Fresh water marshes began to form and peat began to accumulate. The early swamp was probably a series of disconnected or partially connected depressions occupied by freshwater marsh vegetation. As peat accumulated, raising the water table, the swamp grew vertically and laterally until it eventually covered higher areas between streams and ponds {Parish and Rykiel, 1979). Current studies in progress indicate that the origins of the Okefenokee were much more conplex than previously believed. Fluctuating water levels, probably associated with fluctuating sea levels and rainfall conditions, may have formed the basin in several stages, A series of badly eroded (and older) low ridges encircle the basin. These ridges are overlain along the eastern rim with the sands that now form Trail Ridge. Another series of crescent-shaped ridges, including most of the islands within the swamp, are much less eroded (and younger) and appear to be sandy scars of the remains of Carolina bays {Wadsworth, J. R., Jr., 1981-83). 2. Indian Occupation No definite evidence of human occupation is available before 6000 B.C. Beginning about 5000 B.C., several periods occurred when unidentified Prehistoric Indians began to utilize the Okefenokee area for such purposes as hunting or camping. Major occupation began about 400 A.D. and ended abruptly about 1200 A.D. (Trowell, C-T. Swamp PrehistoryT 1984). The upland regions around the swamp and the swamp islands were used by the Seminole Indians between 1750 and 1838. They probably began by making hunting and fishing excursions into the swamp and later used the swamp for refuge after skirmishes with the white settlers living around the swamp. General Charles Floyd was cortniissioned to drive the Indians from the swamp in 1838, but the Serninoles had abandoned the swamp before his march began {Hopkins, 1947).

3. Settlement and Economic Development

The first Europeans reported to have visited the general vicinity of the Okefenokee Swamp were French soldiers accompanying Timucuan Indians in the 1580s. In 1769, Savery, an English surveyor, mapped the southeastern corner of the Okefenokee Swamp on his map of Indian hunting grounds. Andrew Ellicott mapped this area again in 1800s. The area was mapped again in the early 1800 as part of Wayne County for disposal in land lotteries. Settlement of the area occurred very slowly because of the apparent worthlessness of the land,- difficulty of transportation, periodic outbreaks of Indian or outlaw attacks, and the difficulty of protecting the settlements. Most of the original settlers had large families skilled in swamp living. They were highly mobile and usually squatted for a few years on government or unclaimed land and then moved on to a more attrac- tive homestead site (Allen 1854; Trowell 1984; Hemperly 1982). The first cormiunity settled in the Okefenokee area was Traders Hill, established on the banks of the St. Mary's River in 1755. In 1811, Fort Alert was established at Traders Hill to protect the settlers from the Seminole Indians. By 1845, Traders Hill had become a busy riverport town and for many years was the Charlton County seat. By 1910, Folkston replaced Traders Hill as the county seat and the area's conmercial center.1 In 1857, railroads began to penetrate the swamp area, and a new settlement, Waycross, was located at an important rail crossing. By 1381, Waycross was the junction for five railways and by 1890 had a population of 3,000. By the turn of the century, railways circled the swamp, helping to build other cities and vil- lages including Folkston, Fargo, Homerville and others (Hurst, 1974). The forest products industry, lumber and naval stores also played a large part in the economic growth of the area. In more modern times, major highways on either side of the swamp began to funnel tourists into Florida. Waycross, Hcmerville, Fargo and Folkston became stopover points for travelers enroute to or from Florida giving the Okefenokee area another economic boost. Today tourism is still important to the area's economy although interstate highways and air traffic have reduced the flow to a fraction of what it was at its peak.

The iinportance of the forest products industry can best be illustrated by land use data (for eight counties surrounding Okefenokee Swamp) published by the Southeast Georgia Area Plan- ning and Development Commission. Commercial forests occupy 83 percent of all the land in these eight counties. Agriculture accounts for 10 of the remaining 17 percent. In addition, the economy of these Georgia counties now includes a variety of industries (food products, tobacco, textiles and clothing, lumber and building products, and many others), government and private service agencies. 4. Exploitation of Resources

Okefenokee Swamp has long been considered for various schemes of exploitation, generally including a barge or ship canal. Ac- cording to John Hopkins, President Washington is believed to have had some investigations made during his first administration. Subsequent investigations for the same purpose were made in 1829, 1832, 1877, and 1920. In 1856, the State of Georgia (owners of the swamp at the time) conmissioned Colonel R. L. Hunter to survey the swamp with intentions of draining it and utilizing it for agricultural purposes. Nothing was actually done until 1887 when the Georgia Legislature authorized the Governor to grant 235,000 acres of the Okefenokee Swamp to the Suwannee Canal Company for the expressed purpose of draining the swamp (Hopkins, 1947).

In 1891 r a canal was begun between the swamp and the St. Mary's River. Several miles were excavated into the swamp and through the upland before the project finally failed due to economic and engineering difficulties. The company did remove, some pine timber from Camp Cornelia and about 11,000,000 board feet of cypress from the swamp. The logs were floated down the Suwannee Canal to a sawmill, then the lumber was transported by rail to Bull Head Bluff where it was loaded aboard ships (Hopkins, 1947; Trowell, 1984). In 1901, the Suwannee Canal Company holdings, then totaling 257,889 acres, were purchased by Charles Hebard and Son and became the Hebard Cypress Company. The company built railroads throughout the swamp and removed 423,600,000 board feet of lumber between 1909 and 1926 (Hopkins, 1947). Probably as much as 400,000,000 additional board feet of lumber were harvested by other companies as logs and cross ties between 1896 and 1942. Other small companies constructed 250 miles of temporary railroads into the swamp during this period, the same mileage as the Hebard Cypress Company. In addition, Phillips Lumber Company also harvested logs from the Coffee Bay area by tug boat during the 1930s (Trowell, 1983).

5. Early Refuge History Efforts to establish a biological preserve or wildlife refuge in the Okefenokee Swamp can be traced to the first decade of the 20th Century. Between 1909 and 1917, Roland M. Harper and later A. H. Wright, J.G. Needham, and Harper's younger brother Francis suggested that the swamp be preserved (R. M. Harper Collec- tion) . In 1918, the "Okefinokee Society" was organized to give authentic publicity regarding the Okefenokee Swamp; to secure its reservation and preservation for the public, in educational, scientific, and recreational uses (J. G. Needham Collection). During the 1920s, a Cornell group and Francis Harper of the Biological Survey continued to promote the swamp as a preserve. The Georgia Legislature did not act, but the U. S. Biological Survey continued to study the potential of the swamp, especially following the cessation of logging activity by the Hebard Cypress Company in 1927 (Savannah Morning News, July 13, 1924). The U.S. Senate Special Committee on Conservation and Wildlife Resources investigated the feasibility of the Okefenokee as a preserve in 1931. Articles by Francis Harper in such national magazines as National Geographic and Natural His- tory curing the early 1930s sustained interest in theproject (Francis Harper, 1912-1952).

A study by the Biological Survey in 1935 (James Silver, 1935) and a survey by the Works Progress Administration to determine a route for a road across the swamp during the same year (Fortson 1961) finally prompted action in 1936. After completion of a timber cruise by the U. S. Forest Service and Biological Survey, an offer of $1.50 per acre was made to the Regard Cypress Company for the land. The Government took possession of the land on November 30, 1936. Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge was established by Executive Order on April 2, 1937 to preserve habitat for all native species of wildlife, bird, mammal and reptile. At that time, a Government survey showed 292,979.38 acres as the refuge acreage (Hopkins, 1947). Several purchases and donations over the past forty-six years have brought the refuge size up to its present 395,515 acres. Much of the early refuge development was accomplished between 1937 and 1941 by the Civilian Conservation Corps, located at Camp Cornelia with side camps on the Suwannee Canal and on the Pocket. During this period, the corpsmen constructed several roads, buildings, power and telephone lines, fences, boat runs, wells, rest shelters, foot trails and many other facilities (Hopkins, 1947; Trcwell, 1983). Two major fires occurred in the swamp in recent years, one in 1932, several years before the refuge was established and one in 1954-55. Both of these fires burned over most of the swamp, significantly altering the swamp habitat. The role of fire in the swamp is covered in more detail in Section III.C.

Construction of the five-mile Suwannee River Sill began in 1958 to provide some control over swamp water levels. No other major developments occurred until the late 1970s and early 1980s when several buildings, facilities and pieces of equipment were replaced with Bi-Centennial Land Heritage funds. The refuge was given additional protection in 1974 when 90 percent of its area was included in the National Wilderness Preservation system. C. Refuge Forest Habitat Management Objectives The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge includes areas of upland forests, swamp forests, scrub-shrub swamp and open swampland. In addition, a portion of all these areas is included within National Wilderness Area boundaries. The habitat management objectives for Okefenokee Refuge apply to all of this varied habitat and, where applicable, fall within National Wilderness guidelines. The overall forest habitat management objectives for Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge are: 1. To provide habitat and protection for those species of plants and animals indigenous to the refuge which are officially listed as being threatened or endangered. 2. To provide optimum habitat diversity, as management constraints permit, in uplands and wetland forest to provide habitat for a diversity of wildlife species.

3. To provide appropriate conditions for wildlife oriented recreational, environmental education, and interpretive opportunities for people. General forest habitat management objectives involves maximizing habitat diversity for most species, including endangered species* Management techniques available to achieve these objectives are more limited in wilderness areas than in forest management areas. A detailed explanation of proposed management techniques is included in the following sections. Specific management objectives proposed for the endangered red- cockaded woodpecker create seme conflict with general objectives of maximizing habitat diversity. Maintenance of large areas of refuge forest in an open, sparsely stocked, mature or overmature condition limits these areas to a single condition class, thereby reducing habitat diversity; however, management of young, replacement red- cockaded woodpecker stands in more dense conditions helps to reduce this conflict. While proposed objectives do not provide habitat management solely for the woodpecker, management for this species is strongly emphasized. Proposed objectives are to increase refuge populations from 45 to 140 breeding pairs. Section II,F contains a description of the forest management techniques used on Okefenokee Refuge to improve red-cockaded woodpecker habitat. Section I.C.3 above outlines general objectives for management of wildlife-oriented recreational, educational, interpretive and cultural resources. More specific objective and management goals are described in various documents covering management of wilderness , public use, natural, research and cultural areas. A description of how the objectives for each of these management regimes affects habitat management is in Section II.F.6 Special Management Considerations and Techniques.

D. Attaining Refuge Forest Habitat Management Objectives

The means used to attain forest habitat objectives vary depending upon habitat and program needs, understory and overstory species, and the type of area to be treated {upland, wilderness area, public use area, island, swamp forest, brushland, etc.) Before any treatment methods are proposed, wildlife habitat needs, type and condition of available habitat and habitat deficiencies will be determined. Some of the approved management techniques used to accomplish refuge objectives are as follows: 1. Tree Removal Tree removal on a small scale is accomplished by refuge personnel or under cooperative agreements with educational institu- tions, volunteers or youth program personnel. Tree removal as a management tool will not be used within wilderness areas except to reduce safety hazards in public use areas or established wilderness trails. Larger scale operations are more efficiently and effectively accomplished through contracts with local timber producers. Marking, conducting sales, monitoring and administra- ting sales are discussed in detail in Section II of this plan. Commercial operations will take place in accordance with Service policy. 2. Thinning Tninning will be done when trees are too close together to permit the development or maintenance of desired wildlife habitats. Thinning, except on a very small scale, is also done comercially and is generally limited to the forest management compartments. In seme cases, prescribed burning may be used to thin some wilderness area stands which normally would have been thinned by naturally occurring wildfires. 3. Prescribed Burning Prescribed burning is a very useful tool for maintaining certain habitats and will be used on Okefenokee Refuge in the forest management compartments, public use areas, wilderness islands and possibly swamp brushlands to accomplish refuge objectives. Use of fire in various types of management areas is discussed in detail in Section II of this plan.

4. Forest Reproduction Forest reproduction to perpetuate an existing species or to convert an area to a more desirable habitat will be accomplished in several different ways. If possible, natural regeneration will be accomplished through seed tree, shelterwood or clear-cut management techniques. When the desired habitat cannot be regenerated through natural means, artificial means such as-direct seeding or planting will be used. 5. Site Preparation Site preparation is used on Okefenokee Refuge to obtain the desired forest stands. Prescribed burning, chemical use or mechanical clearing or chopping may be used. 6. Disease and Insect Control Disease and insect outbreaks occur naturally and may help to accomplish certain habitat management objectives. These outbreaks will be managed to take advantage of beneficial occurrences but controlled to prevent serious outbreaks that could destroy large areas of existing habitat. Insect and disease control is discussed in detail in Section II of this plan. E. Plant and Wildlife Species to be Favored Habitat management on Okefenokee Refuge involves providing optimum habitat diversity to meet the needs of a wide variety of native wildlife species with special emphasis on habitats that support endangered species. When the habitat needs of an endangered wildlife species conflict with the general concept of managing for habitat diversity, the endangered species will be favored. Like- wise, endangered plant species will be favored where they occur. The following sections describe the endangered plant and wildlife species found on Okefenokee Refuge. Section II.P describes the management techniques used to preserve or improve habitat for these species. 1. Endangered Species (Plants)

The federal endangered plant list contains no plant species found on Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.

Five plants found in the Okefenokee area are included on the Georgia list of threatened plant species. These species include: Hartwrightia (Hartwrightia floridana); hooded pitcher- plant (Sarracenia minor); parrot pitcher-plant (Sarracenia pslttacina); pond bush and pond spice (Litsea aestivalis); fly- catchers, golden trumpet, and trumpet leaf (Sarracenis flava). Descriptions of these plants can-be found in Appendix "U". 2. Endangered and Threatened Species (Wildlife) Several endangered or threatened wildlife species are located on Okefenokee Refuge. These include the red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis), indigo snake (Drymarchon corais couperi), and Florida panther (Felis concolor coryi) on the uplands, and the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) and wood stork (Mycteria americana) in the swamplands. The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) passes through the area but has not been known to nest here. No confirmed sightings of the ivory- billed woodpeckers (Campephilus principalis) have been recorded in the swamp in recent years. a, Red-Cockaded Woodpecker (Endangered) Approximately 45 clans of red-cockaded wocdpeckers exist on Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. Twenty-eight of the clans are located on upland pine islands in the interior of the swamp and 17 clans are located in the forest management compartments around the perimeter of the swamp. The most densely populated area is Billy's Island (3,319 acres) with 17 clans, an average of 195 acres per clan. Billy's Island has extensive stands of overmature longleaf, slash and loblolly pines and has a long history of wildfires and prescribed fires. Other interior islands large enough to contain woodpecker habitat total 12,433 acres and suppport 11 clans, an average of If030 acres per clan. Although many of these islands support mature stands of longleaf pine, lack of fire for many years has resulted in the encroachment of pine and hardwood midstories, discouraging use by the red- cockaded woodpecker. Prescribed burning activities recently initiated on these islands should expand available woodpecker habitat. The forest management compartments total 15,304 acres and support 17 clans, an average 912 acres per clan. Commercial exploitation coupled with alter- nating periods of fire protection and disastrous wildfires in the past have eliminated most of the overmature longleaf pine stands. The existing woodpeckers use the old stands that escaped the 1932 and 1954-55 fires. The majority of the timber stands regenerated naturally after these two fires and are in the 30 and 50~year age classes. As these stands get older and receive one or more prescribed thinnings, they will provide additional woodpecker habitat. Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge has about 28,000 acres of upland areas large enough to potentially provide habitat for red-cockaded woodpeckers. Based on Lennartz1 studies, if all this area was to be intensively managed solely for the red-cockaded woodpecker, Okefenokee Refuge should eventually be able to support 224 clans, using 125 acres per clan carrying capacity (USFWS, 1985). Although Okefenokee's proposed Habitat Management Plan strongly emphasizes red- cockaded woodpecker management on the upland areas, the upland is not managed solely for the woodpecker. A more realistic carrying capacity for Okefenokee's uplands would be 200 acres per clan, or a total of 140 clans. There are several clans in the Okefenokee area using old longleaf stands in state and local parks, private yards and other public places. Several other clans are located in mature, commercial longleaf pine stands surrounding the swamp. Un- fortunately, these areas are scheduled for cutting and will probably be gone within the next ten years. b. Eastern Indigo Snake (Threatened) A survey began in 1978 by Joan E. Dierner and Dan w. Speake of the Alabama Cooperative Wildlife Research. Unit, Auburn University, indicated a population of approximately 46 eastern indigo snakes in the Okefenokee Basin (Diemer and Speaker 1983). On Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, wintering habitat would be limited to the higher longleaf pine regions in the forest management compartments and the interior islandsr approximately three miles of spoil bank along the upland portion of the Suwannee Canal and parts of Trail Ridge which cross the refuge. Several sightings of this reptile have occurred on the refuge. c. Florida Panther (Endangered) The Florida panther occupies a rather large range of 25 or more square miles of undisturbed habitat. Although the more intensely managed uplands will not provide adequate habitat, the interior of swamp and some of the islands should provide enough suitable, undisturbed habitat for this species. d. American Alligator (Endangered in Okefenokee Area) Present alligator populations in the Okefenokee Swamp are estimated to be about 10-12,000 and the numbers are probably increasing. Annual surveys of this endangered species are conducted. The following are the results of these surveys:

1986 1,403 1985 1,069 1984 412 1983 518 1982 856 1981 1,925 1980 1,156 1979 628 1978 — 1977 1,150 e. Wood Stork (Endangered)

The majority of wood stork nesting occurs in Florida with movement into the Okefenokee Swamp in the suntner and fall after the nesting season. Limited nesting activities have been observed in the swamp north of Craven's Haimock when water level conditions were suitable (Metzen, 1985). Okefenokee does not normally have the ponds typical of south Florida which flood, allowing fish to multiply, then dry up to small areas, concentrating the fish in small ponds. Breeding activities are apparently triggered by these sea- sonally heavy concentrations of fish.

10 £• Bald Eagle (Endangered) Occasional sightings of the bald eagle have occurred as it migrates through the area, but no nesting activities have teen observed. g. ivory-Billed Woodpecker (Endangered) The last confirmed sighting of the ivory-billed woodpecker in Okefenokee Swamp was in 1903 by John M. Hopkins while cruising timber for the Hebard Cypress Company.

Research Needs A great deal of research has taken place on Okefenokee Refuge, primarily dealing with water and nutrient cycling in the swamp and with the origin of the swamp. Many research opportunities are also available in the forest habitat management field. Much of the needed research has already been conducted in other areas, but additional work should be done to adapt the findings to the Okefenokee area. 1. Fire Management Determine differences in habitat values between areas burned on cycles of one through seven years.

Establish more suitable fuel rnodels for fire behavior in Okefenokee fuels.

Determine visitor perception of prescribed burning activities on Okefenokee, Determine effects of prescribed and natural fire on swamp vegetation, particularly scrub-shrub and prairie areas. Determine differences .between summer and winter burning on Okefenokee Refuge, considering tree mortality, growth rate, hazard reduction, changes in understory and ground cover species. Evaluate possibility of using sunnier burning to regenerate longleaf pine on wilderness islands.

Evaluate effects of prescribed burning on endangered species including the gopher tortoise, indigo snake, and the red- cockaded woodpecker. 2. Site Preparation Evaluate effects of various methods of site preparation on ground cover species under varying moisture conditions. Determine succession of ground cover species under certain con-

11 ditions and the beneficial and detrimental effects of disturbing (disking, chopping, plowing) ground surface.

3. Wildlife Population Census and Habitat Requirement Studies

Devise a method of censusing the Indigo snake population.

Complete a more accurate census of the red-cockaded woodpecker in the Okefenokee area. Identify definite boundaries of colony areas. Identify colony areas between Okefenokee Refuge and Osceola National Forest. Determine whether:or•not genetic transfer could take place between the two areas.-'

Determine why the wood stork only rarely nests in the Okefenokee Swamp. Examine the cypress forest for suitable nesting sites. -•-.," •

12 II. PROGRAM POLICIES AND AEMINISTRATIVE CONTROL

A. Fish and Wildlife Service Policy

As the nation's principal conservation agency, the U. S. Department of the Interior is concerned with the management, conservation, and development of its water, fish, wildlife, mineral, forest, parks and recreational resources. The Department works to assure that non— renewable resources are developed and used wisely , tijat park and recreational resources make their full contribution to the progress, prosperity, and security of the United States — now and in the future.. The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service is responsible for the administration of the National Wildlife Refuge System. As of June, 1935, over 400.National Wildlife Refuges and over 140 Waterfowl Production Areas existed within the National Wildlife Refuge System totaling nearly 90 million acres. As one of its administrative responsibili- ties, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service is responsible for develo- ping a program for the restoration, preservation, and management of wildlife and habitat to obtain maximum benefits from these resources.

Management of the National Wildlife Refuge lands includes the management of a great deal of forestland. There are over 5 million acres of forestland on refuge lands, over 700,000 acres of which are potential commercially productive forest. The authority to manage these forestlands comes from several Acts of Congress including the Migratory Bird Conservation Act of 1929, Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956, Wilderness Act of 1964, National Wildlife Refuge System Ad- ministration Act of 1966, and the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The Service's policy is to manage forests in a manner that best meets the overall objectives of a particular refuge. The policy of the Service as it pertains to the 15,304 acres of forestland in the 15 forest management compartments is to manage the forests in a manner that best meets the overall objectives of the refuge. Most of the remaining refuge forestland, 16,518 acres of upland forest, 84,216 acres of swamp forest and 231,187 acres of brushland are within the National Wilderness area and will be managed in accordance with wilderness management policy. Habitat and wilderness management activities within these areas are limited to fire management. In addition to the Service policy outlined in the Refuge Manual, all habitat management activities will be in accordance with approved policies and techniques described in the following documents:

1. Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Recovery Plan, USDI, Pish and Wildlife Service, December, 1985.

13 2. Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Management Plan for Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. 3. Fire Management Plan for Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. 4. Wilderness Plan for Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. B. Policy of Harvest Forest management practices must be consistent with available funds and manpower. Commercial harvest is an important tool available to the Service for accomplishing forest habitat management because it reduces the funds and manpower needed to attain wildlife management objectives. Whenever commercial harvest is the most effective means of accomplishing refuge objectives, volumes are great enough to make a commercial operation feasible, and the area to be treated is within one of the forest management compartments, conrnercial harvest will be used to remove surplus trees. Smaller amounts will be removed by refuge personnel, youth program enrollees or volunteer groups. No trees will be removed or salvaged within wilderness areas except to remove safety hazards along wilderness trails in accordance with the Okefenokee Wilderness Act (Public Law 93-429, October 1, 1974).

C. Control Records Before any harvest is conducted, a forest habitat management prescription on the area will be completed. A systematic prescription inventory will be completed to determine any habitat deficiencies which may exist and to document the treatment necessary to meet refuge habitat management objectives. These prescriptions will be submitted to the Regional Office for approval before any harvesting takes place.

Copies of compartment prescriptions, prescription inventory data and all other prescription records pertaining to the volumes of timber to be removed for ccntnercial or other purposes are filed in the refuge files. (See Refuge Management; Forest Habitat Management; Compartment Prescriptions). D. Compartment Prescriptions Forest management prescriptions apply primarily to the areas designated as compartments. Activities conducted in other areas to accomplish certain refuge objectives are prescribed in the Red- Cockaded Woodpecker Management Plan for Okefenokee NWR, the Fire Management Plan for Okefenokee NWR, Okefenokee Wilderness Act and, on a project by project basis, in memos to the Regional Office. Most of these activities are described in Section II, F.I, Endangered Species Management,

14 The forest management compartments contain 15,304 acres of upland forestland, mostly pine, and are divided into 15 compartments ranging from 150 to 2,500 acres. These compartments are grouped into ten working groups. Each group represents an area .which can be conveniently cruised and treated according to the prescription in one year. This management system will balance the workload from year to year, concentrate the work area to one group of compartments , limit the area to be inventoried each year, and reduce the time between inventory and application of the prescription. Every stand in each compartment will be examined once every ten years and treated if necessary. All data collected and management records will be based on compartments. 1. Forest Inventory Each year one of the ten working groups will be systematically inventoried to gather the necessary data to prescribe habitat management treatments. A one to three precent line-plot cruise will be used to collect field data. Plots are one- tenth acre in size. The following data is taken during the prescription inventory: a. Forest Stand Size and Density Class This stand type class describes the stand, is composed of three elements, and represents the composition of 'the stand after the proposed treatment. (1) Species The following species symbols will bs used to describe the general species:

P - Pine H - Hardwood C - Cypress (2) Size

. The size classes refer to commercial applications but are also useful for habitat management purposes.

1 - Less than 5 inches DBH. Regeneration and precommercial sizes, generally less than 16 years of age. 2 - 5.0 inches to 9.9 inches DBH. Pulpwcod size, generally 16 to 30 years of age.

15 3 - Over 10.0 inches DBH. Saw timber sizes, generally over 30 years of age.

(3) Crown Density Crown density refers to the amount of overhead space the crown occupies and indicates the amount of light that is available to plants growing in the understory and midstory.

A - Dense crown canopy (70%-1QO% closure) B - Semi-dense crown canopy (40%-7Q% closure) C - Sparse crown canopy (40% or less closure)

Examples of stand descriptions are as follows: Pi - Pine regeneration area. If the stand is over six feet in height, a density symbol will be added. P2A - Pine pulpwood sized stand with dense canopy closure with very little light reaching the ground. P3C - Pine saw timber sized stand with a sparse canopy. A great deal of light reaches the forest floor. The size designation indicates the stand is suitable for red-cockaded foraging area. The density designation indicates that the stand may be suitable for a red-cockaded colony area. PH - Mixed pine hardwood. Age and density symbols may be added if applicable. U and B may be used with hardwood to indicate upland or bottomland. These designations are also shown within each stand on the forest compartment maps located in Appendix "E". b. Age The age of the stand will be determined. If a stand contains two age classes, the dominant age class will be recorded. If the subordinate age class is important for wildlife management purposes, it will also be recorded. For example, a 40-year old slash pine stand may contain scattered 80-year old longleaf pine suitable for red-cockaded cavity trees. c. Understory Species Understory (ground cover) species will be recorded in each plot using the following symbols:

16 P - Palmetto G - Gallberry GO - Ground and runner oaks Gl - Annual grasses in open area G2 - Perennial grasses in open area GW - Shade tolerant grasses HB - Huckleberry-Blueberry F - Ferns and wetland species S - Spagnum moss Hu - Hurrah bush H - Myrtle X - Greenbriar V - Grapevines Bb - Blackberry Unidentified species will be assigned with a number until a sample is positively identified. The understory species information will be compiled, mapped and used for the following purposes: 1. To document long-range changes in the understory and ground cover due to forest management activities. Altering crown densities often result in a variation of understory species. Implementation of new prescribed burning cycles (one to seven years) will produce long- range changes in species composition. Various methods of site preparation and regeneration may produce long- range variations of understory types. These changes will become evident after one or more prescription cycles. 2. To identify existing or available understory types for habitat management purposes and to determine whether or not the desired habitat diversity is available. 3. To aid in determining site preparation methods, regeneration methods and species selection for forest management purposes. 4. To determine the type of rough in each stand for fire management purposes. Understory type maps can be' used to determine the type of firing methods to be used .in a particular stand or what kind of crown scorch may be expected. Understory types also provide useful information for the planning of wildfire suppression tactics. e

17 d. Cut and Leave Data Total heights and diameter classes are recorded for pulpwood. Merchantable logs and diameter are . recorded for timber-sized species.

e. Openings Size, type, and location of openings will be recorded. f. Other Information Wildlife observations, road and fireline conditions, potential for red-cockaded woodpecker habitat and any other useful management information is recorded during the prescription inventory.

A system of continuous forest inventory plots, established by a cooperator, Lake City Ccrrmunity College, is also used to determine the overall growth rate of the managed forest system. This data is used to compare forest conditions on the same area over a period of years and can also be used to compare forest conditions between two different areas. Tables listing total stand acreage for each condition class by compartment and growth data for each stand condition class are located in Appendices "B" and "C". 2. Compartment Prescription Format A management prescription is a plan that applies to a forest management compartment and describes the management techniques proposed to accomplish refuge objectives on specific stands of forest habitat within that ccmpartrnent. After approval by the Regional Director, the prescription becomes a working plan to be used in the field by those personnel who actually accomplish the proposed management treatment. Forest management prescriptions will be written in accordance with instructions in 6 RM 3 and contain the following information:

General Description (Location, topographic features);

Management History (Past ownerships, timber sales, habitat and facility improvements); Fire Management (Wildfire, prescribed fire); Endangered Species Management;

18 Description of Existing Habitat Types (Overstory species, composition, age, vigor, stand densities; site description; understory habitat composition; reference maps and tables);

Refuge Management Objectives vs. Habitat Deficiencies; Recoitnended Management Actions (Selective thinning, regeneration areas, prescribed burning, road, fireline and facilities maintenance, openings, special measures desirable for endangered species, habitat diversity, aesthetics, manpower,and funding necessary, reference maps and tables). Contract Supervision.

E. Natural Areas Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge has eight Research Natural Areas and five Public Use Natural Areas totaling 35,901 acres. A description of each natural area follows. Locations of natural areas are shown on the map in Appendix "G". 1. Research Natural Areas a. Pond Cypress Research Natural Area (14,989 acres) - The Pond Cypress Research Natural Area was established in 1967 to preserve a 7,600-acre pond cypress (Taxoduim acendens) stand (SAF type 100). The area is located between Big Water Lake and Dinner Pond. In addition to pond cypress, the site also contains 7,300 acres of herbaceous marsh, mixed shrub swamp and broad-leaved evergreen swamp. b. Sweetbay Research Natural Area (2,560 acres) - This area was was established in 1967 to preserve SAF type 104, Sweetbay- Swamp Tupelo-Redbay (Magnolia virqiniana Nyssa sylvatic var. biflora, Persea borbonia). The area is located between Suwannee and Cane, Creek. c. Floyds Island Research Natural Area (swamp island, 160 acres) - Floyds Island Natural Area was established in 1967 to protect a 160-acre stand of Southern Scrub Oak (SAF type 72), This hardwood hammock also contains pure stands of live oak (SAF type 89) and is located on the highest or central ridge of Floyds Island. d. Pine Island Research Natural Area (swamp island, 90 acres) - This entire island was established as a natural area in 1973 to preserve an almost pure stand of pond pine (Pinus serotina) (SAF type 98). e. Territory Prairie Research Natural Area (marsh and bay, 1,450 acres). Territory Prairie was established in 1973 as

19 a representation of the many open pond or marsh areas (known e locally as "prairies") which occupy about 15 percent of the swamp areas. The prairies are usually shallowly flooded and are occupied principally by acid-tolerant aquatic and marsh herbaceous vegetation. Scattered throughout the prairies are clumps of trees and shrubs known locally as "houses". The houses are on harrcnocks of peaty soil a few inches higher in elevation than the surface of the prairies. Within the shallow waters of the prairies grows a unique association of aquatic flora. The ground surface elevation of .the prairies, being slightly lower than the ground of the forested areas, is subject to more continuous flooding. This inhibits the establishment of woody vegetation. Water- lily (L-Jymphaea odorata), bonnet (Nuphar advena), bladderwort (Utricularia spp.), spikerrush (Eleocharis elongata), neverwet (Orontium aqua ti cum), and hatpin (Eliocaulon compress urn) make up the principal cover. Blackjack Island Research Natural Area (15,017 acres) - This area consisting of about 15,017 acres, contains four of the major habitat types found within the Okefenokee Swamp* The habitat types along with the approximate acreage of each are listed below:

Swamp Island - Blackjack Island is one of several sandbar islandswithin the Okefenokee Swamp. The island is about five miles long, one mile wide, consists of 3,253 acres and is the second largest island in the swamp. The majority of the island is forested with longleaf and slash pine (SAP type 83). Several red-cockaded woodpecker colonies are located on the island. Swamp Prairie - The prairie habitat is usually shallow flooded and occupied principally by acid-tolerant aquatic and marsh herbaceous vegetation. Scattered throughout the prairies are clumps of trees and shrubs. The prairie habitat in the Blackjack Natural Area consists of about 2,000 acres.

Blackjack Lakes - The lakes within the prairie habitat are of fire origin. They were formed during years of severe droughts when wildfire burned large pockets within the peat deposits of the swamp. The Blackjack Lakes consist of about five acres. Wooded Swamp - The majority of the acreage of the Okefenokee Swamp can be classified as a "wooded bay" and sphagnum scrub beg. Wooded bays are usually characterized by an overstory association of pond cypress, black gum, and loblolly-bay trees, Interspersed within this overstory is a brushy understory of titi and hurrah bush, bamboo, sweet spires and other minor associates. The lower zone is occupied by a

20 soft carpet of sphagnum moss. Among the sphagnum thrives a e unique association of herbaceous vegetation. The wooded bay habitat within the Blackjack Natural Area comprises about 10,362 acres. g. Cowhouse Island Research Natural Area (10 acres) - This area established in 1973 represents a typical hardwood hammock (live oak, SAF type 89). Hardwood hammocks were once conronly scattered throughout the pine barren lands of southeastern Georgia, but with the intensive management .for pine timber, most of these hammocks have been cut over and destroyed. About the only localities where hammocks remain are along the river banks and on portions of the sandy islands within the Okefenokee Swamp. The hardwood hammock on Cowhouse Island was established as a Research Natural Area because of its natural interest and location away from any developed public use area. The hammock is about ten acres in size and surrounded by pine forest. The trees and shrubs within the hammock form a fairly dense growth, shutting off much of the sunlight, limiting the number of herbs that can survive beneath them. Since many of the trees and shrubs are evergreen, the hammocks are quite shady in winter as well as in summer. Live oaks, magnolia and other oaks make up the bulk of the canopy. The shrubs are denser and higher than those of the pine barrens. The abundance of acorns, huckleberries, smilax berries, myrtle berries, chinquapins, and various other fruits is a strong factor in attracting numerous mammals and birds to this habitat. h. Number One Island Research Natural Area £126 acres) - In the early 1900s, logging companies built extensive railroads into the Okefenokee Swamp and harvested most of the pine trees from the scattered islands and drier areas as well as much of the cypress in wetter sites. Number One Island was overlooked in this operation; therefore, a stand of virgin pine trees remains on the island. Number One Island consists of SAF 83 Longleaf Pine - Slash Pine habitat type. The pines reach heights of 100 feet and diameters exceeding 30 inches. The understory consists 'of a relatively dense growth of saw palmetto and gallberries that, together with the pines, provide food and cover for many species of mammals and birds including the black bear and the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker.

2. Public Use Natural Areas

a, Chesser Island Bay (swamp forest, 100 acres) - This area is characterized by an overstory association of pond cypress, back gum and loblolly-bay trees. Interspersed within this overstory is a brushy understory growth of titi and hurrah bush, sweet spires and other minor associates. The lower zone is occupied by a soft carpet of sphagnum moss. Among

21 the sphagnum thrives a unique association of herbaceous vegetation. Plants of particular interest to the refuge visitors include a variety of terrestial orchids and insec- tivorous plants, such as the sundews, bladderworts and pitcher-plants, Public access to this natural area is by a boardwalk ex- tending from Chesser Island to Seagrove Lake. The area extends one-eighth mile on each side of the boardwalk for about 3,000 feet from Chesser Island to the rest shelter at Bear House. The elevated boardwalk permits a large number of visitors an opportunity to observe and photograph this habitat with very little impact on the naturalness of the area. b. Chesser Island (hardwood hammock, 11 acres) - The hardwood hammock on Chesser Island was proposed as a Public Use Natural Area because of its accessibility to the visiting publi c. The haircuDck cons i st i ng of about 11 acres is surrounded by pine woods. The trees and shrubs within the haimock form a fairly dense growth, shutting off much of the sunlight, which limits the numbers of herbs that can survive beneath them. Since many of the trees and shrubs are evergreen, the haimocks are quite shady in winter as well as in sunmer. Live oaks, magnolias and other oaks make up the bulk of the canopy. The shrubs are dense and higher than those of the pine lands. The abundance of acorns, huckleberries, smilax berries, myrtle berries, chinquapins and various other fruits is a strong factor in attracting numerous martroals and birds to this habitat . c. Floyd's Island (swamp island, 575 acres) - Floyd's Island contains three upland habitat types which occur in a natural state: sand scrub, hardwood haimock, and open pine lands. The hardwood haimock is also a research natural area and was described in the last section. The sand scrub represents the same SAF type as the hardwood hammock area (Southern scrub oak, SAF type 72) but the trees reach only shrub height because of the dryness and low fertility of the soil. Very little ground cover exists under the scrub oak. The open park-like pine stands located on the north end of the island are probably longleaf pine (SAP type 70) or longleaf\h pine (SAP type 83) and contain a low gallberry, palmetto, huckleberry, or grass understory. d. Chesser Prairie Rookery (wading bird colony, 3 acres) - The Chesser Prairie rookery area is located approximately two miles west and one-half mile south of the Suwannee Canal Recreation Area in Chesser Prairie. The "house" in which the area is located is about three acres in size and vegetated with a brushy association of titi, hurrah bush, sweet spire, etc. The rookery area is not accessible to the

22 public; however, selection as a public use natural area was e made based on the location being about 200 yards from a public boat trail which provided excellent opportunity for viewing. When the rookery was active, the area was a focal point for birdwatchers and for both professional and amateur photographers. During its peak use period in 1972, about 3,000 nests were tallied within this rookery. The birds observed nesting in the rookery were cannon egrets, little blue herons, cattle egrets, green-backed herons, white ibis and anhingas. Nesting activities began to decline after 1973 and no nesting has been observed after 1974.

e. Chesser Prairie (marsh prairie, 800 acres} - About 15 percent of the Okefenokee Swamp is occupied by areas of more or less open pond or marsh, known locally as "prairies." This portion of Chesser Prairie (about 800 acres) is an excellent example of the prairie habitat. The prairies are usually shallowly flooded and occupied principally by acid-tolerant aquatic and marsh herbaceous vegetation. Scattered throughout the prairies are clumps of trees and shrubs.

Public access to this natural area is by a 4,000-foot boardwalk which terminates at an observation tower overlooking the proposed Chesser Prairie Public Use Natural Area. This boardwalk and tower permit a large number of visitors an opportunity to view Chesser Prairie without disturbing its natural integrity. F. Special Management Considerations and Techniques 1. Endangered Species a. Red-Cockaded Woodpecker (Endangered) The Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Recovery Plan's goal of a viable population of 250 clans may never be attained for Okefenokee Refuge. This plan .proposes a goal of 140 breeding pairs when all of the available designated habitat becones suitable. Several of Okefenokee's clans are located within 15 miles of the Osceola National Forest in Florida which supports an estimated 44 clans. The long-term genetic viability of the Okefenokee woodpecker clans may depend upon the . existence of a few scattered clans on private lands to bridge the gap between Okefenokee National Wildlife "Refuge and the Osceola National Forest. The Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Management Plan.for Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge (March 1977) prescribes the following management practices for optimizing woodpecker habitat on the refuge:

23 — All colonies of cavity trees will be located, marked, mapped and censused annually. Data files will be maintained on each cavity tree. — 125 to 200 acres (or maximum area available) of contiguous pine forest suitable for colony and foraging habitat will be maintained. — Overmature trees will be retained in colony areas {no rotation will be set). Rotation in foraging areas will depend upon pine species and other habitat management uses. — V'Jhere possible, colony areas and support stands will receive prescribed fire to control understory and midstory species. — Dead snags and trees' will be left for feeding areas and to provide cavity trees for competing species. — Basal area in colony areas will be limited to 80 square feet per acre. Trees and saplings which interfere with cavity trees will be removed, and mature pines will be retained as replacement cavity trees. — Abandoned cavity trees for use by competing species will be retained to reduce competition for active cavities. — Cavity trees will be protected during prescribed burning operation by raking debris, litter and vegetation from base of tree. N — Mo new roads will be constructed through colony sites. — Minimum possible treatments will be used for serious insect outbreaks. — Forest sites suitable for longleaf pine will reforested to this species when an area is regenerated. Dead trees and snags will be retained in regeneration areas. — Mo harvesting, site preparation or other disturbing operation will occur in the colony area during the nesting period (March through July). — Regeneration areas within foraging area will be small patches of from one to five acres to minimize the width of open area the bird will have to cross. The overall result of these practices will be to maintain open, sparsely stocked stands of mature pine. The maintenance of large areas of a single condition class (P3C) for the red-cockaded woodpecker will diminish overall habitat diversity; however, this condition will be offset somewhat by the maintenance of replacement woodpecker stands. These replacement stands will be maintained in a fairly dense condition to develop long stems with a high crown in accordance with research by Locket Conner and Kroll (1983). The stands will be heavily thinned to the basal area preferred by the woodpecker as they approach maturity. Appendix "H" contains maps showing the location of each colony on the refuge, areas suitable for colony areas and areas suitable for foraging. b. Eastern Indigo Snake (Threatened) No management activities have been specifically proposed for the indigo snake. The eastern indigo snake is very dependent upon the gopher tortoise for its wintering habitat, and the gopher tortoise seems to fare very well in areas managed for the red-cockaded woodpecker. Generally, management practices that benefit the red-cockaded woodpecker should also benefit the indigo snake. Prescribed burning, certain methods of site preparation and any other activity which tends to increase herbaceous bicmass benefits the gopher tortoise and in turn provides more burrows for indigo snake wintering habitat (Diemer and Speake). c. Florida Panther (Endangered) Management activities that benefit the Florida panther include managing for a healthy deer herd via the hunting program and maintaining the undisturbed wilderness qualities of some of the upland and wetland areas in the swamp interior. d. American Alligator (Endangered In Okefenokee Area) Proposed upland management activities would affect the alligator very little and there is no conflict between management for this and other species. Experimental prescribed burning activities proposed in the swamp may help to maintain open areas in the swamp for nesting and support areas. e. Wood Stork (Endangered) Proposed management activities on Okefenokee Refuge include protection of roost areas, observation and surveys, and providing research opportunities. Proposed prescribed burning activities will help to maintain existing open areas for feeding (USFWS, 1985).

25 f. Bald Eagle (Endangered) No proposed management activities exist for this species except for protection of the areas the eagles might use during migration. 2. Wilderness Areas Approximately 89 percent of the refuge area is contained with National Wilderness area boundaries. All management taking place within these areas will be within the wilderness management guidelines and will be conducted to maintain habitat for endangered species or to preserve the conditions for which the area was set aside. The major management tool used in wilderness areas is fire. The open-park like longleaf pine stands conmonly found on the wilderness islands, for example, were once maintained by periodic natural fires which swept throughout southeast Georgia. Periods of fire protection have allowed a heavy rough to replace the open understory and have allowed slash pine to gradually replace longleaf pine in the overstory. Prescribed and wildfire management will be used to maintain the historic condition of these islands as well as to maintain the open stands preferred by the red-cockaded woodpecker. Other fire management activities in wilderness are described in other sections of this plan. Appendix. "I" contains a map showing areas included in the Okefenokee National Wilderness area. 3. Openings Openings are defined as upland areas that are permanently or temporarily in the early grass or successional stage habitats. Most temporary openings are forest regeneration areas and are useful as openings for three to eight years depending on forest species planted and regeneration methods used. Permanent openings include managed clearings, relict forest openings, road right-of-ways, firelines, loadings areas created during timber harvesting operations, helispots and. others. . A.combination of natural, managed clearings and other temporary and permanent openings provide the variety of habitats necessary to meet forest habitat management objectives. The natural presence of openings in the traditional longleaf- slash .pine forest of southest Georgia is well documented. Disturbance of the earth's cover caused by winds, fire, disease and insects have occurred since time began. Openings resulting from such disturbance are a natural part of the forest environment (Miller, 1965). Seventy to eighty percent of the coastal plain area was once dominated by very sparsely stocked stands of longleaf pine. Frequent summer fires encouraged perennial grasses, throughout the area (Harris, 1980). Many small natural openings, containing the same cover types commonly occur in stands such as this. Early native Americans also created

26 openings for agricultural purposes, trapping of game. etc. Ac- cording to Miller (1965), it was in an environment such as this that many local native wildlife species evolved. Exclusion of fire in recent years, not to mention the connercialization of 90 percent of southeastern forestland, has resulted in large areas of unbroken forests (Harris, 1980; Miller, 1965). Where such conditions exist, openings must be provided to produce the habitat needed by native wildlife species. While Okefenokee's upland forests are not managed to fulfill comiercial objectives, pre-refuge commercial harvesting, exclusion of fire and two disastrous wildfires have resulted in the destruction of most of the open, old growth longleaf pine stands (See Section III.2). Where these stands once existed, slash-longleaf and pure slash pine stands, generally bunched into 30 and 50-year age classes, now stand. Normal forest habitat management activities provide many openings throughout the refuge, but additional openings must be provided in some areas to improve habitat diversity. To insure that openings are utilized to the most beneficial and practical extent in Okefenokee's forest management compartments, all openings (temporary, permanent, natural and cleared) will be inventoried during each prescription inventory. The compartment prescription will contain a ten-year plan describing any management activities proposed during that prescription cycle. Beneficial openings in upland wilderness areas will be maintained as much as possible with the use of prescribe>. d fire. a. Role of Openings in Forest Habitat Management Openings in a forest canopy satisfy wildlife requirements for nesting, resting and feeding of most species. The perimeter of an opening is the most sensitive area as far as nesting is concerned. Cover in the interior part of the opening, stimulated fay full sunlight, is too dense for nesting. The potential for avian predation is also greater near the center of an opening. .Within the stand, less predator pressure exists, but cover may be non-existent. The zone where the opening meets the forest receives the right amount of sunlight to stimulate moderate cover and at the same time the forest stand provides some protection from predators. During cold seasons or after rain, many species of wildlife seek out openings in the sunlight to warm up and dry out. At other times, most species spend time loafing in the sun (Miller, 1965). Full sunlight also stimulates seed, nut and berry production. Insect populations are also generally quite high (Miller, 1965). Studies in northern Wisconsin show that tear and deer use grasses common in openings; bears make considerable use of openings in search of insects and fruit, and high numbers of small mammals are found around the edges

27 of openings (McCaffery, 1981). Browse species are stimulated by the full sunlight of open areas. Halls (1968) reports several tiroes more browse and herbage volumes and up to 32 times more fruit yield in open areas than in fully stocked (70 to 90 ft. basal area) areas. b. Inventory of Openings As Forest Habitat Management Prescriptions are completed, all existing openings will be inventoried. Any management techniques proposed as well as any new permanent openings proposed for the current ten-year prescription cycle will be described. Appendix "N" contains a list of openings of various types by compartment. A more detailed description of each opening will be included with each compartment prescription. The following types of openings will be utilized on Okefenokee Refuge: Temporary Openings — Prescriptions are completed on approximately 1,500 acres of forestland each year. Generally, 35 or more acres will be regenerated during the prescription process. These regeneration areas will be useful as openings for three to eight years depending upon the species planted and site preparation methods. Relict Forest Openings — Most of the forest management compartments and several of the wilderness islands still contain a few stands of sparsely stocked old growth longleaf pine similar to the stands found throughout the southeast. These stands contain many openings ranging from one-tenth to one acre in size which have been maintained by prescribed and wildfires. Most of these relict openings are the result of prolonged disturbances by man such as past logging, settlement, and fires. McCaffery (1981) defines relict openings as less than 10 percent stocked (nine or fewer trees per • acre in this area) and dominated by perennial grasses and forbes. In this area, they would also contain clumps of palmetto, ground oaks, blueberry, huckleberry and other low woody plants. These openings contain many of the desirable features described in literature and their maintenance complements other management programs. Roads and Shoulders — Sixty-four miles of roads provide access to the 15 forest management compartments. These roads provide several successional stages of vegetation from freshly turned soil to dense stands of grasses and forbes. Periodic mowing helps to maintain road right-of-ways as useful openings. The refuge road system provides about 266 acres of openings.

28 Firelines — A total of 112 miles of firelines cross the forest management compartments. Firelines are reworked on varying schedules ranging from twice per year to once every several years resulting in a variety of ground, cover types. Firelines provide 88 additional acres of openings. Firelines lines may also tend to extend the useful period of regeneration areas as openings. Wide double lines must .be plowed around regeneration areas to protect them from prescribed fire for the first two or more burning cycles, setting back the succession along the very edge of these temporary openings. Administrative Areas — Administrative areas include the headquarters sites r developed public use areas, service facilities, and others. Although these are popular feeding areas for many species of wildlife, the primary benefit is probably edge effect.

Remote Helispots and Fire Management Areas — Each major group of forest management compartments will have one or more permanent openings which will serve as helispots or parking areas. These areas will be maintained with the road system and should provide valuable additional openings. Managed Permanent Wildlife Openings — All of the managed permanent openings on Okefenokee Refuge are presently limited to Compartments 3, 4 and 8 in the vicinity of the Camp Cornelia and Pocket headquarters sites. The primary purpose of most of the openings along the Swamp Island Drive in Compartments 3 and 4 is to provide opportunities for wildlife observation. Intensive management, plowing, ferti- lizing, seeding and mowing takes place on these openings. One five-acre opening in Compartment 8, The Pocket, is also intensively managed. Three less intensively managed permanent openings are also planned for The Pocket. These less intensive managed units will be maintained by harrowing or burning as needed. c. Management of Openings

Managed permanent wildlife openings are probably the most beneficial to wildlife because they can be strategically located and managed specifically as wildlife openings. However, their use on Okefenokee Refuge is extremely limited because of the expense of maintenance. Woody shrub growth is very aggressive in the Okefenokee area, making fairly intensive management necessary to maintain the openings. In most cases, existing permanent openings and openings created for seme other purpose will have to be utilized for wildlife openings. In order to obtain the greatest habitat management benefit from openings, the following factors should be considered when planning all openings:

29 Percent o£ Area Maintained as Openings — Many recommen- dations ranging from 1 to 35 percent are available regarding the percentage of forsstland that should be maintained as openings. Many managers .settle on a figure in the neighborhood of five percent. On Okefenokee Refuge, when all of the permanent openings, existing and proposed, including relict openings, are added, the total will amount to slightly over three percent (See Appendix "N"). Distribution — Permanent openings should be uniformally distributed throughout the forest management area. New openings ideally should be located in areas with the greatest distance between existing openings. Although restraints may make the most ideal distribution impossible, distribution will be a factor considered when locating openings. For example, a helispot and parking area created for fire management purposes can be located seme distance apart for better opening distribution and still be effective for their designed purpose. Site Preparation — Sites for construction of new openings will be carefully selected. Generally, sites that are already highly productive, particularly hardwood sites, should not be cleared for openings. Sparsely stocked areas are most easily cleared and maintained for openings if soil conditions are suitable. Insect infestation areas and small wildfire hot spots may advantageously be salvaged

30 6. Construction Techniques — New openings will be proposed when compartment prescriptions are conducted. Natural clearings, proposed loading sites or insect killed areas will be utilized as openings where needed. Commercial harvesting followed by prescribed burning is the most economical method of constructing openings. Clearing and disking are often necessary.

7. Maintenance Techniques — Prescribed fire is the most economical method of maintaining openings. Openings constructed for other purposes are graded, plowed, mowed, etc., in connection with other refuge projects. More intensively managed openings are mowed, disked, fertilized, and seeded periodically.

8. Wilderness Openings — Most of the openings discussed are in the forest management compartments. Wilderness management constraints prevent the construction of openings in wilderness uplands; however, several techniques are available which will provide openings in these areas. Prescribed winter and summer fires can be used to maintain existing openings or create new ones. The wilderness management guidelines (6 RM 8.81) also permit the maintenance of helispots in certain wilderness areas for essential wilderness management protection, fire suppression areas and other emergencies.

4. Swamp Interior The Okefenokee Swamp interior includes all of the area within the swamp line, including the wilderness islands but excluding the forest management compartments - Most of the swamp interior is designated as National Wilderness Area. This subsection describes the management techniques used on the wilderness islands, swamp forests, swamp brushlands (scrub-shrub swamp) and open marshes and lakes. Although open marshes and lakes are not included In Okefenokee's • forestlands, they are briefly considered in this plan because of the opportunity to use prescribed fire to return scrub-shrub areas to open marshlands or to prevent the encroachment of brushlands into the few remaining open marshlands.

a. Upland Islands In addition to the 15,304 acres -of forest management compartments, there are 16., 518 -acres of upland forests located on islands within the swamp interior. Management techniques used on some of these islands include prescribed burning, wildlife and habitat surveys, limited insect and disease control and in some cases, public use management.

31 The interior islands support stands of longleaf pine (SAP type 70} and longleaf-slash pine (SAP type 83) on higher, better drained sites; southern scrub oak (SAF type 72) on the highest well drained ridges; and slash pine {SAF type 84)r pond pine (SAF type 98} and several hardwood types on the wetter sites. Most of the larger islands support red- cockaded woodpecker colonies. Appendix "J" contains a table which lists all of the named interior islands of the swamp and some of the management activities which take place on them.

Of all the wilderness islands, Billy's Island supports the largest number of red-cockaded woodpecker colonies and these colonies are censused annually. Several of the other islands also support colonies which are marked and recorded whenever an opportunity arises to visit one of the islands. Access is very limited to most of the islands, Floyd's Island and Craven's Hamrrock are accessable by boat. Old logging trams or trails may be walked into others, such as Strange Island, Bugaboo Island or Hickory Hammock. Helicop- ters can land on some of the more open islands such as Blackjack or Mitchell's Islands. In most cases, however, it is necesary to cut a trail at least partway through the swamp vegetation into the island. Management of most of these wilderness islands is, therefore, generally limited to aerial surveys and an occasional visit. b. Swamp Forest Swamp forest types (84,216 acres) include stands of bay, bay-cypress and mixed wetland pine (SAF type 104), cypress and mixed cypress (SAF type 100) and blackgum (SAF type 103) and represent about 21 percent of the total refuge area. Most of the swamp forest area is included in the national wilderness area. Generally, the only management activities conducted are wildlife censuses and observations. Special provisions in the wilderness policy for Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge allow for some mechanical and chemical control of vegetation on boat and canoe trails within the swamp interior. No prescribed burning is being planned for this area. c. Scrub-Shrub Swamp Okefenokee Swamp contains approximately 231,187 acres of various types of scrub-shrub wetland (See Appendix "K"), 58 percent of the total refuge area. The various brush species are often ten or more feet tall and are usually tangled together with greenbriar species. Access by boat, air or

32 foot is almost impossible. The edge and to some extent, the interior of this habitat type is utilized by a variety of seed and insect eating songbirds and probably some small mammals and reptiles. Because of the vast size of these areas and their tendency to continually encroach upon the few remaining open areas in the swamp, the overall wildlife value of the swamp interior would be benefitted if the growth of this habitat type could be controlled. If future research can determine that this encroachment has been increased by man's activity, then in order .to maintain natural conditions, future management may involve the use of prescribed or natural fire to control the growth of scrub- shrub areas. d. Prairies and Lakes There are approximately 49,384 acres of prairies and lakes on the refuge representing 12 percent of the total refuge area. Prairies and lakes are Okefenokee's major migratory bird and alligator habitat. As these open areas are gradually replaced by the scrub/shrub type, Okefenokee's value as a wetlands refuge also diminishes. Depending on research funding, prescribed and natural fire management may be considered to prevent the encroachmentof the scrub-shrub type into the prairie areas. Fire management is discussed in detail in Section II F.5. Other management activities include periodic wildlife and habitat surveys and research projects conducted by various university groups. 5. Fire Management Fire management on Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge involves both wildfire .suppression, and. the use of -prescribed fire to accomplish certain habitat management activities.

a. Wildfire In accordance with the Refuge Manual (6 RM 7), the suppression of wildfires is given priority over all activities except for those involving the safeguarding of human life. The highest priority is given to the avoidance of disastrous fires by aggressive prevention and suppression actions. The refuge will provide sufficient initial attack forces to contain wildfires on or threatening refuge lands at ten acres or less during the first burning period. For wildfires which escape initial attack, the refuge will provide sufficient support forces to contain 90 percent of the wildfires at Class C (100 acres) or less. The Refuge

33 Manual (6 RM 7) provides for modified suppression action in seme cases (see below). Wildfire management on Okefenokee Refuge is described in detail in the refuge Fire Management Plan, Section III. 1. Beneficial Effects Wildfire helps to accomplish some habitat management objectives that for financial, safety, liability or policy reasons cannot effectively be accomplished with prescribed fire. For example, a summer fire may be needed to establish natural regeneration in a longleaf pine stand; however, a summer fire cannot safely be prescribed for the area. Although a wildfire may have other disastrous effects on or off the refuge, the fire may accomplish the desired objective. Where wildfires may be utilized to accomplish desired objectives without spreading to non-refuge lands or threatening public health or safety, suppression actions may be modified to allow the wildfire to burn certain areas (See Fire Management Plan, Section III.C.3, Modified Suppression Action areas). 2. Detrimental Effects — Destruction of Resources - The greatest detrimental effect of wildfire on habitat management is destruction of resources particularly potential red-cockaded woodpecker habitat. — Disruption of Planned Forest Management Objectives - • Planned prescription work must often be delayed until another cutting cycle to accommodate rehabilitation work in the area. — Large, Single-Age Classes - Habitat diversity is im- proved when regeneration areas . are distributed throughout a compartment. Wildfires often result in a large regeneration area, covering the major part of a compartment. The 1932 and 1954-55 wildfires resulted in single-age classes of forest stands over most of the refuge. Prescribed Fire Prescribed fire objectives, methods, prescriptions, evalua- tions and smoke management methods are described in detail in Section II of the Fire Management Plan for Okefenokee NWR. This section discusses the effects of prescribed fire upon forest habitat management plans and activities. Prescribed fire is a tool which can be used to enhance, modify, and replace other forest habitat management activi-

34 ties. Seme of the ways prescribed fire modifies or affects forest habitat management are: 1. Increase Habitat Diversity Prescribed burning, used in conjunction with variations of stand species, age, and density classes helps to provide optimum diversity throughout the forest management compartments. Prescribed fire helps to mitigate the effects of maintaining large areas of open, mature stands for red-cockaded woodpecker management by mani- pulating the understory to provide diversity lacking in the overstory. Burning cycles varying from one to seven years have been shown to provide increased habitat diversity in the stand understories, benefitting many wildlife species, particularly non-game birds (Meyers, 1982 and Thomas, et. al., 1975). A map showing burning cycles for each prescribed fire area is included in Appendix "L". A table, also in Appendix "L" shows the burning cycle and size of each area to be burned. Prescribed fire is also used on seme of the wilderness islands and is the most useful tool available to maintain in accordance with policy. 2. Aid in Establishing Natural Regeneration Prescribed fire aids in establishing natural regeneration making site preparation and planting unnecessary. Summer fires are particularly useful for the establishment and maintenance of longleaf pine stands. While the Fire Management Plan does not presently schedule any summer prescribed burning, the possibility of research to determine the feasibility of sunmer burning is discussed in the plan. 3. Maintenance of Longleaf Pine Stands Prescribed fire, particularly summer fires, prevent the encroachment of slash pine into longleaf stands. This reduces the need for pre-cconiercial and early commercial thinning.

4.. Maintenance of Understory In addition to enhancing habitat diversity, prescribed burning aids forest management activities such a prescription inventories, timber marking and harvesting by opening up the understory.

35 6. Habitat Management in Areas Dedicated for Educational and Cultural Resources a. Wildlife Oriented Public Use Opportunities for environmental education occur at each of the three primary entrances to the refuge. The interpretive program is guided by three major themes: The .history of man's interaction with the Okefenokee Swamp; the natural history of the swamp; and the role of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service in wildlife resource management. Optimum wildlife habitat is continually provided and im- proved upon in public use areas with the joint benefit of providing for the wildlife while allowing visitors to view wildlife in their habitats. Wildlife clearings have been developed, prescribed burning has been initiated (to increase available wildlife food supply), natural wildlife food sources have teen developed, and diversity of habitats has been increased. b. Archeological and Cultural Resources Historical and archeological sites located on the refuge include traces of Indian settlements, soldier explorations, logging operations, and early 20th century homesteads. Ten of the most significant sites were nominated to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. A description of the areas and their significance in the overall preservation of the swamp's history is located in Section II.E. Historic and cultural resources have some impact on forest habitat management. Appropriate actions will be taken to protect areas of significance during selective thinning, regeneration and other management activities. Known areas of interest will bs addressed in forest management compartment prescriptions. Any cultural or historic resources discovered during prescription inventories or other management operations will be reported to the Regional Historic Preservation Officer. Field surveys by qualified personnel will bs conducted before any major construction projects are initiated. c. Natural Areas Okefenokee's research and public use natural areas are described in Section II.E. These areas are essentially left in an undisturbed state. The only habitat management they receive are activities that help to maintain the natural state of the area. For example, where fire played a natural

36 role in the establishment of the area, prescribed fire may be used to maintain the area. Other management activities include wildlife and habitat surveys.

7. Aesthetics Due to its vastness and limited access, the public normally sees very little of the refuge. Public use activities affect forest management activities in Compartments 3, 4, 8 and to some extent, Compartment 1. Forest management activities will . be conducted to keep the affected areas aesthetically pleasing and to enhance the visitors' environmental education experience. Forest habitat management in public use areas is described in Section II.H. Although the visiting public sees only a small percentage of the refuge, all management activities will be conducted so as to keep all areas as aesthetically pleasing as possible. G. Insect and Disease Management Insects and diseases are natural forces that affect and alter forest composition and in doing so, help to increase wildlife habitat diversity. Conversely, a diverse forest with many small stands of varied species, density and age classes tends to have fewer insect and disease problems than larger stands of one even aged species. Insect and disease management activities on Okefenokee Refuge will concentrate upon major outbreaks that may destroy valuable wildlife habitat or spread to adjacent forestlands, outbreaks that may occur in valuable public use areas and any outbreaks involving introduced insect and disease species that may spread unchecked by natural forces. 1. Insects The only insects posing a threat to refuge habitat are those in the bark beetle group. The most destructive of the pine bark beetles, the southern pine beetle (Dsndroctonus frontalis), fortunately seldom invades the Okefenokee area. Ips beetles (Ips spp.) are common but serious outbreaks occur only in periods of stress such as during a drought or after a wildfire. Black turpentine beetles (Dendroctonus terebrams) generally attack individual trees and are considered a threat only in public, use areas and red-cockaded woodpecker colonies. Small outbreaks are usually left untreated and provide clumps of dead cavity trees. Serious outbreaks may involve salvaging the infested area as well as a buffer zone, felling and spraying infected trees, and in some cases where only a suppressed midstory is infested, .felling and chipping. As a preventative practice, during timber harvesting operations, damaged trees will be removed or sprayed. Chemical treatment generally involves spraying with lindane mixed with water. Since black

37 turpentine beetles generally inhabit only the bottom six or eight feet of the tree, valuable trees may be saved by treating the infested area with lindane. The refuge staff will cooperate with other agencies to prevent the spread of other insects which may have been introduced in the area. 2. Diseases The most common disease in this area is fusiform rust (Cronartium fusiformae) which affects slash pine and pond pine. Oak is the alternate host for this rust species which forms a spindle shaped canker on pine branches or on the main stem. Often the main stem is girdled, killing all or part of the tree but more often a flat, sunken area is formed in the bole of the tree. Wind breakage often occurs in this area. Control of the disease involves planting resistant seedlings or pine species such as longleaf pine which are not susceptible to the disease. During thinning operations, infested trees will be harvested. Prescribed burning helps in seme cases to kill the canker area and to prune the infested limbs. Pitch canker (Fusarium lateritium forma pini) is a disease of minor importance affecting slash pine. Control involves planting resistant seedlings and culling out infested trees during selective thinnings. Needle cast disease (Hyooderma lethole) is a common disease of all the local pines except longleaf pine. The fungus causes needles to turn brown resulting in a heavy needlecast. Although growth is reduced, trees seldom die. The disease is important only in nurseries. Brown spot disease (Scirrhia acicola) attacks all southern pines but only longleaf pine seedlings are seriously damaged. This fungus disease results in the death of individual needles, resulting sometimes in complete defoliation. Light to moderate infestation keeps the seedling in the grass stage. Severe infestation will eventually result in death of the seedling. When the seedling passes out of the grass state, it is no longer susceptible to the disease. Prescribed burning during the winter months destroys the infected needles and most of the inoculum available for reinfection.

H. Timber Marking and Thinning Procedures

1. Pine Management Approximately 93 percent of the forest management areas are stands of pine. All of the cover types found in the forest management areas are described in Appendix "K" and include

38 longleaf (SAP type 70), longleaf-slash pine (SAF type 83), slash pine (SAF type 84), pond pine (SAF type 98), and loblolly pine (SAF type 81), The techniques used to manage these stands vary according to the type of stand, its location and the management objective for the area.

A distinct prejudice in favor of longleaf pine is shown by the management techniques proposed in this plan. In addition to the preference of longleaf pine (over other local pines) by the red- cockaded woodpecker, longleaf pine is considered to be intrin- sically superior to slash and loblolly for wildlife (Harris, 1980). Harris credits this superiority to several factors: a greater foliage height diversity attracts inore birds; longleaf's greater tolerance to fire allows more advantageous uses of prescribed burning; and longleaf seeds are very large and visible to birds and seed-eating mammals. Low density stands of longleaf pine interspersed with hardwood (oak) hammocks, hardwood creek bottoms, hardwood and cypress ponds, and small relict openings are superior to other pine types as wildlife habitat (Harris, 1980; Miller, 1965). A sparse, longleaf stand maintained by frequent fires supports an understory of perennial grasses, clumps of palmetto, patches of ground oak, dwarf huckleberries and other seed, nut and berry producing plants. When accompanied by other stand age and density classes, low density longleaf pine stands provide nesting cover, food, shelter and resting areas for a wide variety of wildlife species (Miller, 1965; Ripley, et. al., 1962). Wherever practical, longleaf pine will be favored over other pine species on Okefenokee Refuge. a. Longleaf Pine Most of Okefenokee's red-cockaded woodpecker colonies are located in longleaf or longleaf-slash pine stands, and most of the stands will be managed as colony or support stands. In colony areas, thinning will be done selectively when necessary to maintain the open park-like stands preferred by these birds. These stands are sometimes all-aged. Natural regeneration will be encouraged, -when necessary, by cutting a few over-mature trees to open up the crown. Rotation age will be in excess of 300 years. Cavity trees will never be cut and will be retained as snags after the tree dies to provide cavity space for competing cavity nesting species. Basal area will be maintained at 40 to 55 square feet per acre. Foraging stands for the red-cockaded woodpecker will be managed in a manner similar to other pure longleaf stands except for the longer rotation. These stands will be managed as small even-aged units. Small regeneration areas

39 (five acres or less) will b3 established as clumps of old trees begin to die. Natural regeneration is encouraged in these areas but, if necessary, longleaf seed or seedlings will be planted. As support stands develop, basal area will be maintained at less than a medium density (40-55 square feet per acre). All-aged longleaf stands will be maintained in public use areas, using natural regeneration, if possible, to replace dead or harvested trees. These stands will also be maintained in an open, park-like fashion similar to the woodpecker colony sites. Excess regeneration or young trees will be removed to maintain the desired stand density or to improve the appearance of the stand. On Okefenokee Refuge, most of the picturesque old longleaf stands are adjacent to red-cockaded woodpecker colonies and will be maintained in a condition suitable for a woodpecker colony or support stand. Other pure longleaf pine stands will be maintained as small even-aged units (1 to 15 acres) with a rotation of 100 years or more. Natural regeneration will be encouraged. Scroa areas will be direct seeded or, if necessary, seedlings will be hand or machine planted. Young longleaf will be maintained at a density of 60 to 100 square feet of basal area per acre. Periodic thinning will maintain mature stands at a medium density of 55 to 70 square feet basal area. If the possibility of habitation by red-cockaded woodpeckers deve- lops, the stands will be thinned to a less than medium density (40 to 55 square feet basal area). All longleaf pine stands will be managed as potential red-cockaded woodpecker habitat. Prescribed fire is used throughout these stands to maintain the understory density and to control natural regeneration. These stands contain some individual or small clumps of oak trees. These .hardwoods will be retained in the stand and in some cases, pine trees will be removed from the vicinity of these oaks reducing fine fuels (needles) on the ground to minimize damage from prescribed fires. b. Longleaf-Slash Pine Where red-cockaded woodpecker colonies are located in these stands, management techniques will be identical to the colony stands in pure longleaf stands except that any thinning will favor longleaf pine. Prescribed burning and regeneration methods will also favor longleaf pine eventually resulting in pure longleaf stands. : If left unmanaged, slash pine seldom used by red-cockaded woodpeckers for cavity areas would continue to 'take over these areas.

40 Red-cockaded woodpecker foraging stands will generally be managed as small even-aged stands. Longleaf pine will be favored in these stands by thinning and burning. Rotation age will favor the longer lived longleaf pine and regeneration methods will favor pure longleaf stands if the site is suitable. Natural regeneration in these mixed stands favors slash pine; however, prescribed burning will be used to eliminate most of the slash pine seedlings. Where planting is necessary, longleaf seed or seedlings will be used. Ivhere red-cockaded woodpeckers are not in the vicinity, the slash-longleaf type will be managed in small uneven-aged stands for optimum diversity. The understory will be more varied ana contain more shrub species than in the woodpecker colony and support stands. Longleaf will still be favored during thinning and regeneration operations. In public use areas, most longleaf-slash pine stands will be managed in all-aged stands similar to pure longleaf stands. Rotation will be long {100 years or more). Natural regeneration will be depended upon to replace dead and harvested trees. Thinning will be done primarily to prevent crowding and to improve appearance. c. Slash Pine Slash pine, except in certain cases, will be managed in small even-aged stands on a rotation approaching biological maturity, usually 80 to 100 years in this area. Slash pine stands are presently bunched into two age classes, dating back to the last two major fires. Some young slash pine stands will bs regenerated in order to break up sane of these 30 and 50 year old stands. Both the overstory and understory will be managed to provide optimum habitat diversity. Periodic thinning will maintain a medium stand density {55 to 70 square feet per acre basal area) to insure that light passes through the crowns to the understory. Prescribed fire in cycles varying from one to seven years will be used to maintain habitat diversity. Haps indicating areas of each burning cycle are located in Appendix "L". Natural regeneration will be used where possible; slash pine seedlings will be planted in other areas. Where site conditions are suitable, some stands may be converted to longleaf pine to add diversity and to provide future red-cockaded woodpecker nesting habitat.

41 Where slash pine stands are used as woodpecker foraging stands, stand density will be maintained at a lower level and prescribed fire will be used to maintain an open understory. In public use areas, longer rotations will be used. Periodic thinning and prescribed burning will be used to maintain the desired appearance of each area. When regeneration is necessary, very small even-aged stands will be regenerated. d. Pond Pine Pond pine stands will be treated very much like slash pine. The stands are usually located in poorly drained areas next to ponds and the swamp edge and usually have a very high, dense understory. Very intense prescribed fires are often used to open up the understory along the swamp edge. These stands regenerate naturally. Red-cockaded woodpeckers occasionally use pond pine for cavity trees. When this occurs, the stand will be maintained in as open a condition as possible. e. Loblolly Pine Very few stands of loblolly pine exist. These scattered stands are usually managed in conjunction with adjacent stands. Red-cockaded woodpeckers scmetimes use loblolly pine for cavity trees. In this case, the management techniques used for these stands would be the same as those used for a longleaf pine colony site. 2. Hardwood Management Hardwood stands occupy only seven percent of Okefenokee's forest management areas. Two hardwood types exist — southern scrub oak (SAP type 72} on higher sandy ridges or hammocks and sweetbay-swamp tupelo-redbay (SAF type 104) on the wetter upland sites. Several small southern red maple stands have also been included in SAF type 104. These stands receive very little management except as noted below. a. Southern Scrub Oak These stands occur naturally on the sandy hammocks located throughout the refuge uplands and in other areas where the stands are protected' from fire. These scattered southern scrub oak stands are extremely valuable because they provide mast and represent a habitat type not commonly found throughout the refuge uplands. Parts of several pine stands containing scrub oak in the understory have been converted

42 to southern scrub oak by removing the pine overstory. Hardwood seedlings have been planted in other areas but survival has been very poor due to deer browsing. Once established, these areas receive very little management except for removal of pines to reduce fire hazard. A few pines, especially longleaf pine, are left in these stands to provide- additional mast. If thinning beccmes necessary, firewood or hardwood pulpwood will be harvested during thinning operations. b. Maple Several small maple stands usually associated with SAF type 104 are located on wet upland sites throughout the forest management compartments. These stands are encouraged to expand wherever they exist. Pines are removed from the stands and they are protected from fire. In addition to providing a valuable browse species, the edge between the maples and adjacent pine stands increases habitat diversity. c. Sweetbay-Swamp Tupelo-Redbay These areas located in very wet sites receive very little management. In some cases, they are protected from prescribed fire; in other cases, fire is allowed to run into them to create openings in the understory. During thinning operations, pine is sometimes removed from the edges of these stands to release the hardwoods and to reduce fire hazard. The edge between these stands and the adjacent pine stands provides valuable wildlife habitat. 3. Timber Marking Procedures Timber marking is the means by which individual trees are designated by the forester to be harvested during a ccnmercial operation. All marking will follow sound silvicultural procedures and the guidelines outlined in the preceding subsection. Timber marking will be conducted with the intent of creating the specific conditions described in the prescription for each stand with the end result of achieving habitat management objectives. In most cases, trees to be harvested are marked with one spot of tree marking paint at eye level and one spot at ground level. In some cases where more than half the trees are to be harvested, the trees t^> remain may be marked with flagging or paint. Clear cuts may be marked by painting the cutting boundary.

43 4. Firewood Cutting There is very little public demand for firewood from Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge because of the vast acreages of commercial forestland cut nearby each year. Pine and hardwood firewood is readily available from these areas for the asking.

If requested, a free permit for firewood will be issued to individuals for the permittee's home consumption. Requirements and restrictions are listed in the Conditions Applicable . to Firewood Harvesting Permits, located in Appendix "R". I. Policy and Administration of Sales 1. Timber Sales The habitat treatment to maintain desired wildlife habitat on refuge uplands can be accomplished most effectively and efficiently by means of controlled timber sales. Timber harvesting activities, however, can have either a beneficial or detrimental impact on wildlife populations depending on the type of activity and hew it is administered. All timber sales will be conducted in accordance with the guidelines established in this plan and will be designed to meet refuge wildlife management objectives. Each harvesting permit will contain a list of special conditions the permittee must follow to insure that refuge objectives are met. A copy of the Special Conditions Applicable to Timber Harvesting Permits is located in Appendix "0". Other conditions applicable only to a specific sale are included in the special use permit. Small sales, when estimated receipts will be under S250Q.OO, will generally be negotiated. The refuge forester will make a reasonable effort to obtain at least three bids from potential buyers. These bids will be documented and a permit will be issued to the successful bidder. Larger timber sales (estimated receipts of over $2500.00) will he conducted by a formal bid procedure. At present, invitations to bid are prepared and administered by refuge personnel. For- mal bid invitations will be mailed to all prospective bidders (current list located in Appendix "Q"). The bid invitation will contain the following information:

1. A formal bid information form containing sale information. 2. A bid form which the bidder fills out and returns as his bid. 3. Timber volume information.

44 4. Maps showing location of all sale units. 5. Conditions Applicable to Timber Harvesting. 6. Certificate of Independent Price Determination. 7. Equal Employment Opportunity Clause. A sample bid invitation illustrating each of these items is in Appendix "P". All bids received will be locked in the refuge cashier's safe until the specified opening time. After opening on the specified date and time, the successful bidder will be notified and a special use permit will be issued and properly distributed. The successful bidder will have until ten {10} days after receipt of the special use permit to make any performance guarantee deposits or advance payments specified in the invitation to bid. The performance guarantee deposit will cover any damages caused by the permittee or his producers. The balance of the deposit is refunded to the permittee when the sale is completed. The purpose of an advance payment is to encourage the permittee to begin harvesting operations early during the permit period. The amount of the advance payment is usually a percentage of the estimated sale value and is specified in the invitation to bid. The permittee may or may not have to maintain the amount of the advance payment as the sale progresses, depending upon the terms of the contract. Because the small, independent producer is very vital to habitat management operations on this refuge, performance guarantee deposits and advance deposits will generally be required only on larger sales where a timber dealer is the permittee or where a small producer is backed by a dealer. Many of the small producers operate on a very small margin of profit and are not able co have large sums of money tied up for long periods of time. Most small sales are of a salvage type operation and the permit duration is short so there is less need for performance guarantee deposits and advance payments.

Methods and period of payments will be designated in the Special Use Permit. All payments will be in the form of registered or cashiers checks or money orders, payable to the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. . All payments will be accompanied by mill scale tickets or some other documentation confirming the volume of forest products removed from the refuge. 2. Administration of Harvesting Operations Close inspection of all timber sales is necessary to insure that harvesting operations continuously meet refuge objectives and the conditions of the permit. Timber harvesting operations may be suspended or restricted: Anytime continued operations may cause

45 excessive damage to the forest stands or wildlife habitat; excessive disturbance is occurring to wildlife during breeding, nesting or young rearing season; during periods of high wildfire, insect or disease hazard; when harvesting activities may interfere with essential refuge operations; or when continued harvesting operations present a safety hazard. Regular inspection of harvesting operations will also insure that only designated trees are cut, that payment is made for all harvested trees and that the forest resources being harvested are properly utilized. 3. Administration of Receipts for Sale of Forest Management Products Mill scale tickets, required to be submitted with payment for timber products, will be checked to insure that proper payment is made. Volumes and receipts will be properly recorded in timber receipts and records for various refuge reports. If possible, receipts for forest products along with the proper documentation will be forwarded the same day received to the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Finance Center. Any receipts which for seme reason cannot be processed on the same day received will be stored in the refuge cashier's safe.

46 III. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION, PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS A. Scope of Forest Habitat Management Program Forest habitat management on Okefenokee Refuge goes far beyond commercial forest management. Approximately 88 percent of the refuge is forested and most of the forestland receives some management to accomplish habitat management objectives. Commercial harvest is allowable as a management tool on less than four (4) percent of the refuge land. Therefore/ on Okefenokee Refuge, forest management is a means by which forest habitat management objectives are accomplished, and commercial harvest is only one of several management tools which is used on a very small proportion of the refuge forestland.

Okefenokee Refuge covers 395,515 acres of land, including 15,304 acres of forest management compartments where commercial harvest may be used as a management tool, 16,518 acres of interior islands large enough to be measured, 115,340 acres of swamp forestland and 231,187 acres of swamp brushland. The remaining 48,988 acres are open lakes and marshland. B. Description 1. Physical Features a. Geographic Description Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is located in Ware, Charlton, and Clinch Counties in southeast Georgia and extends slightly into Baker County, Florida. The refuge is located roughly between latitudes 30° 07' and 31° 05' North and longitudes 82° 07' and 82° 3.3' West. Waycross, Georgia is located 12 miles nord. cf the refuge; Folkston is seven miles to the east; St. George is eight miles to the southeast; Fargo is about .five miles from the western boundary; and Hcmerville is about 20 miles to the northwest. Jacksonville, Florida is about 40 miles to the southeast. Geographically, the refuge is located in the Atlantic Coastal Plain.

Most of the 25 by 40-mile Okefenokee Swamp (412,000 acres) is located within the boundaries of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge boundary generally follows the swamp line but lies outside the swamp in several areas to include 15,304 acres of upland and extends inside the swamp in some areas to exclude some large sections of swampland. The National Wildlife Refuge presently includes 395,515 acres of land. In addition to the managed upland areas located around the perimeter of the swamp, the refuge contains 16,518 acres of upland interior islands.

47 b. Climate The Okefenokee Swamp, located in south Georgia between the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, experiences warm, humid summers and short, mild winters. All four seasons are apparent, but spring is usually short and blustery with rather frequent periods of storms of varying intensity. In autumn, long periods of mild, sunny weather are the rule (NOAA, 1978). Average summer temperatures, like most of south Georgia, range between 80 and 82 F during most years. Summer days are warm and humid, with high temperatures exceeding 90 F on most days, usually exceeding 100 F two or three days each summer. The record high temperature, 106 F, occurred in May, 1945 and September, 1946. Nighttime temperatures during the summer range from the high 60's to the low 70's. The flow of moist air frcm the Gulf over the warm land surface results in frequent afternoon thunderstorms which occur throughout the area. Winter temperatures vary greatly from day to day in this region. Recording temperatures extremes in the teens and the seventies within a period of a few days is not uncommon. The average temperature is about 56 F. The record low temperature for this area, 5 F, occurred in January, 1985.

Rainfall varies considerably frcm year to year but averages 52.66 inches annually. In recent times, the maximum annual rainfall of 76.76 inches occurred in 1973 and the minimum rainfall of 26.07 inches occurred in 1954. The annual rainall curve shows the driest month to be October (2.23 inches) and the wettest month to be August (6.42 inches). Table SI on the following page shows the highest and lowest average temperatures for each month during a ten-year period. Notice the large variation occurring between the high and low temperatures during the winter months. Relative humidity averages are fairly high due to the refuge's location between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. Year-round averages at 7:00 AM are about 85%. Mini- mum relative humidity (about 2:30 PM) averages about 52%. Maximum relative humidity reaches 100% every night except during the very driest of seasons.

48 TABLE NO. I

CLIMATOLOGICAL AVERAGES FOR 1973 THROUGH 1982 FOR CAMP CORNELIA Average Monthly Average Monthly Average Rainfall High Temperature Low Temperature Inches

Jan 80.1 20.8 3.80 Feb 81.7 23.5 3.88 Mar 88.7 29.9 4.15 Apr 91.9 39.6 4.46 May 95.7 47.3 4.94 Jun 98.4 58.6 6.05 Jul 99.2 62.1 6.38 Aug 97,6 63.0 6.42 Sep 95.0 57.1 5.57 Oct 88.0 37.9 2.23 Nov 84.8 29.4 2.35 Dec 81.5 23.1. 3.04

During the winter ironths, mid-December through mid-March, most storm development occurs over the Gulf of Mexico and moves northeast across the Okefenokee Swamp area to the Atlantic Ocean. Moisture-laden clouds move northeast along the front as it passes, causing the winter rains and the general weather pattern that makes prescribed burning possible in the winter. As the cold front passes, pushing the storm system into the Atlantic Ocean, the wind shifts from the southwest to the northwest. Weather conditions are then stable for a period, with steady winds, cold temperatures and fairly low relative humidities. Most prescribed burning takes place during this period. Although very little lightning occurs during this period, a secondary fire season exists during the winter months. An abundance of cured understory vegetation, occasional heavy winds, and the presence of great deal of prescribed burning contributes to this wildfire danger. During two periods from mid-March through mid—May and from mid-September through mid-December, weather systems originate in the Great Plains. These frontal systems bring showers and cooler weather as they pass through. Frcm mid-May through mid-September, the storm systems are convective in nature. Warm, moist air masses begin to rise, causing the convective thunderstorms common to this area during the summer. Most of Okefenokee's wildfires occur during this period.

49 e c. Topography The elevation of the swamp line ranges from 125 feet on the northeast and 121 feet on the east to 114 feet above sea level on the west and south sides of the swamp. The outlets of the swamp at the Suwannee River and the St. Mary's River are both about 114 feet above mean sea level. The highest areas of the interior islands are 128 feet above sea level. Upland elevations outside the east side of the swamp rise to 150 feet at the crest of Trail Ridge, then fall rapidly to the St. Mary's (6 feet), Spanish Creek (6-75 feet), and Buffalo Creek (70 feet) valleys. Average upland elevations east of the Trail Ridge (Braganza to St. George) range from 65 feet to 90 feet above sea level. The upland elevation south of the swamp averages 100 feet above sea level, 120 feet west of the swamp and 135 feet above north of the swamp. Generally, topography is flat except 'where creeks and rivers cut their way down toward the bottoms of the major drainages. In these cases, rapid changes in elevations of up to 100 -feet occur. d. Drainage and Water Levels The Okefenokee Swamp is a vast peat bog filling a series of sandy depressions. The dark-stained waters of the swamp are not stagnant but continuously flowing across the swamp to the two outlets, the Suwannee River on the west and the St. Mary's River to the southeast. The northern four-fifths of the swamp drains into the Suwannee River. The St. Mary's River drains only the area east and south of Blackjack Island, south of Mitchell's and Brocmstraw Islands and areas surrounding Soldier Camp Island. Less than half of the water leaving the swamp exits by stream flow, however. The majority of the swamp's water is lost by evapotranspiration (Rykiel, 1977). The water level varies from 117.6 feet in dry years to 123.0 feet in wet years on the east side and from 110.4 feet to 118.6 feet on the west side. Average v/ater level at Camp Cornelia is 121.4 feet and at and Jones Island is 115.2 feet. A five-mile earthen dike and its associated spillways are located at the headquarters of the Suwannee River and maintain normal water levels at this point at 114 feet above sea level. During high water periods, the Suwannee River backs up to and sometimes over the spillway level. This earthen dike (Suwannee River Sill) was constructed in 1962 to provide seme control over water levels in the swamp and to reduce wildfire danger in dry years. The watershed draining into the Okefenokee is very small, consisting of a one-mile strip of upland east and south of

50 the swamp and a 200-square mile area north and west of the swamp. The majority of the swamp's water comes directly from rainfall into the swamp. Soils A detailed soil survey of the Okefenokee area has not been ccmpleted; however, the Soil Conservation Service has suggested several soil series that probaby occur within the refuge area. A map showing approximate locations of these series is in Appendix "M". Illustration I on page 54 shows the typical location of various soil types relative to their position above the surface water table. The illustration also shows vegetative types commonly associated with each soil type. A description of each soil series is described below: Dasher Series - The Dasher Series consists of very poorly drained, moderately rapidly permeable organic soils that formed from hydrophytic plants. These soils are in marshes, swamps and poorly defined drainageways. They are flooded for at least ten months each year. Slopes are less than one percent,

Associated vegetation is pond pine, cypress, water tupelo, swamp tupelo, and sweet bay magnolia trees with a ground cover of saw grass, iris, bull-tongue, arrowhead, greenbrier, ferns and other aquatic plants (SCS, 1977). Most of the deep organic areas of the refuge consists of this series. This organic layer varies frcm 51 inches to 10 or more feet deep. About 40 percent of the Okefenokee Refuge land is the Dasher Series. Pamlico Series - The Pamlico Series consists of very poorly drained soils that formed in decomposed organic material underlain by sandy sediment. The soils are on nearly level flood plains, bays, and depressions of the Coastal Plain. Slopes are less than one percent. Pamlico soils have 16 to 51 inches of organic material over sandy sediments. The reaction ranges frcm extremely acid through very strongly acid. The native vegetation consists of pond pine, tupelo gum, sweetbay, gum trees, cypress, greenbrier, wax myrtle bushes, with undergrowth of gallberry and cut bamboo briers (SCS, 1981). Many of the impenetrable, very densely vegetated areas of the swamp are located within these soil series. About 45 percent of the refuge consists of this series.

51 Rutlege Series - The Rutlege Series consists of deep, level and nearly level, very poorly drained soils. Associated native vegetation includes hardwood forest types, pond pine, slash pine or loblolly pine, Understory species include gallberry, huckleberry, myrtle, greenbriar and various grasses and sedges. This series represents the transition area between the swamp and the upland and represents about four percent of the refuge area (SCS, 1976). Plummer Series - The Plurrmer Series consists of the deep, poorly drained moderately permeable soils that formed in sandy and loamy sediments of marine terraces. These soils are on level or' depressional landscapes and along poorly defined drains of the Coastal Plain. They are saturated in winter, spring, and sometimes into the suimier. Slope is dominantly one percent or less, but ranges up to five percent. Associated vegetation is forest species occurring as mixed stands of slash, loblolly, and longleaf pine with swamp tupelo and bald cypress with an understory of gallberry, wax myrtle, southern bayberry, wiregrass, pitcher plants, and brackern fern (SCS, 1981).

Pelham Series - The Pelham Series consists of deep, poorly drained, moderately permeable soils that formed in uncon- solidated Coastal Plain sediments. These soils are on nearly level broad flats, depressions and drainageways. Slopes range from zero to two percent. Native vegetation is slash, loblolly, and longleaf pine together with sweetgum, blackgum, water oak, and cypress. The understory is gallberry, myrtle, swamp holly, and scattered palmettos, and ground cover is wiregrass and other water-tolerant grasses. The soil is well suited to forestry and most of the .acreage is so used. The Plummer and Pelham Series together make up three percent of the refuge area.

Sapelo Series - The Sapelo Series consists of poorly drained, nearly level soils of the Atlantic coastal flatwoods. Natural vegetation consists of longleaf pine, loblolly pine, pond pine, blackgum, and water oak, Understory plants . are gallberry, saw palmetto and dwarf huckleberry (SCS., 1977). Leon Series - The Leon Series consists of poorly drained, sandy soils that have a weakly cemented Bh horizon with 30 inches of the soil surface. They formed in thick deposits of sandy marine sediments. They are on nearly level to

52 gently sloping landscapes. Slopes range from zero to five percent.

Natural vegetation is longleaf and slash pine, water oak, myrtle and a thick undergrowth of saw palmetto, runner oak and gallberry. Leon and Sapelo soils occupy about the same position with respect to the water table. Differences in soil and water conditions, however, result in some differences in understory vegetation. Leon soils can be identified by the presence of runner oak and Sapelo soils by dwarf huckleberry. The Sapelo and Leon Series make up three percent of the refuge area.

Plustee Series - The Olustee Series consists of poorly drained, moderately permeable soils that formed in thick beds of sandy and loamy marine sediments. Natural vegetation consists of several grasses, gallberry, saw palmetto, slash and longleaf pine. Two percent of the refuge soils are represented by the Olustee Series (SCS, 1977).

Mandarin Series - The Mandarin Series consists of somewhat poorly drained, moderately permeable soils that formed in a thick sandy deposit on marine terraces. These soils are on nearly level landscapes that are slightly higher than the adjacent flatwocds. Slopes are from zero to two percent. Natural vegetation consists of slash and longleaf pine and scrub oak with an understory of gallberry, palmetto, greenbrier, and several grasses. About one percent of the refuge soils are represented by the Mandarin series {SCS, 1977).

Centenary Series - This series consists of deep, moderately rapidly permeable sandy soils that formed in marine sediments. Natural vegetation consists of longleaf pine, blackjack, turkey and post oaks. Most of the higher longleaf sites (those that are not fire dependent) on Okefenokee Refuge are on Centenary soils. This series represents .less than one percent of the refuge area.

Cainhoi Series - The Cainhoi Series consists of deep, somewhat excessively drained, rapidly permeable soils that formed in sandy marine sediments. These soils have slopes ranging frcm zero to ten percent. Native vegetation is longleaf pine, live oak, post oak, white oak, turkey oak and others (SCS, 1977).

This series is found on the highest areas of Trail Ridge and some of the interior islands. These areas usually support oak hammocks and scattered longleaf pine. They represent less than one percent of the refuge area.

53 FIGURE 1

TYL'ICAL SOIL SERIES OH OKKKKMOKKlL KliKlKjli HIT!! ASSlJlM.nTKL) VlitJUTATl Vli TYPKS

LONGLEAF AND SCRUB OAK LOBLOLLY IOAKS Ln PINES -P- PINES PINES 'SCRUB [GALLBERRY, SAW I GREENBRIAR .PALMETTO PINES [SAW MYTLE GALLBERRY | PALMETTO SLASH PINE '(LEON) I PALMETTO, WAX CYPRESS PINES POND PINE. iRUNNER OAK IMYRTLE SWAMP - POND PINE MYRTLE (MANDARIN SWAMP - GALLBERRY GALLBERRY j(SAPELO) ^^ HARDWOODS MYRTLE HARDWOODS j PALMETTO DWARF HUCKLE^ OLUSTEE POND PINE HURRAH BUSH CYPRESS PITCHER- 'BERRY^^^*"^ VERY LITTLE -1GREENBRIAR GREBNBRIAR PLANTj^- UNDERSTORY UGKLEBERRY ', SAPELO (SAND) SWAMP PLANTS MYRTLE 1— -""""""^ PLUMMER or DASHER 1 LEON or The following soil series map was (Organic I PELHAM ! Material) i compiled from SCS descriptions of vegetative types common in the soil series expected to be located in the Okefenokee Swamp and uplands. The Okefenokee Swam]:^Vegetation Map (McCaffrey and Hamilton) was used to aid in locating the probable soil series on this map, A more detailed description of; the soil series is located in Section IIXB.I.e. 2. Detailed Description of Habitat Types Following are detailed descriptions of each major habitat type common to Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. Wetland area descriptions are taken directly from Hamilton, David B., 1982, Plant Succession and the Influence of Disturbance in the Okefenokee Swamp, Georgia, Okefenokee Ecosystem Investigations, Technicial Report #9, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia. Where possible, Society of American Foresters, forest cover types will be referenced for each habitat type described (Eyre, 1980). Appendix "K" contains a more detailed description of Hamilton's wetland vegetative types and the listed SAP types, an acreage summary of vegetative types, and a map showing locations of vegetative types. Appendix "0" contains list of all the plant and wildlife species common to Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and a matrix showing the associations of most of the listed wildlife species with each of the following habitat types. a. Wetland Habitat Types 1. Broad Leaved Swamp Forest - This habitat type may have the same overstory as some of the mixed hardwoods described on the uplands (sweet bay-swamp tupelo-redbay) but is growing in organic soils. The understory is somewhat irore open than on the poorly drained upland. The bay, blackgum, and bay-cypress forest types are also included in this habitat type. The broad-leaved swamp forest habitat type includes SAF types 103 and 104. 2. Cypress Forest - This habitat type is represented fcy the pond cypress forest type, SAF tpe 100. Over 75 percent of the canopy is represented by cypress. The stand may contain a subcanopy of broad leaved evergreen species. The understory may be relatively open or dominated by scrub-shrub species. 3. Pine Swamp Forest - These are stands of scrub slash pine growing in the swamp. Shrub species may be present.

4. Mixed Forested Wetland -This habitat type is a mixture of most the forest species found in the swamp.

5. Scrub-Shrub Swamp - This habitat type includes all of the scrub-shrub wetland vegetative types listed in McCaffrey and Hamilton's Okefenokee Swamp Vegetative Map (Appendix "K").

6. Herbaceous Prairie - This habitat is marshland con- e sisting of grasses and other anergents.

55 7. Aquatic Hacrophyte Prairie - This habitat consists of non-emergent herbaceous species. (See aquatic macrophyte prairie, Hamilton, Appendix "K"). 8. Open Lakes - These are open water areas within the swamp. 9. Open Flowing Water - These are flowing runs within the swamp such as the headwaters of the Suwannee River or the Sill ditch. b. Upland Habitat Types 1. Southern Scrub Oak - Identical to forest type southern scrub oak (SAP type 72) but includes oak species of all ages and sizes. 2. Sandy Scrub Pal; - This is southern scrub oak (SAF type 72} but these stands are located on excessively drained,, infertile sands where the oak species grov; only to shrub height and form a distinct habitat type. 3. Mature or All-Aged Longleaf Pine - This habitat type is mature longleaf pine vegetative type (SAF type 70) or all-aged longleaf pine with a significant proportion of mature pine. The understory will be fairly open or low due to soil conditions or frequency of burning. 4. Mature (80+ years) Mixed Pine - This habitat type includes all pure or mixed pine stands other than pure longleaf or slash pine. Understory v/ill not be as open as pure longleaf habitat type but will be fairly low due to frequent burning, usually including species such as gallberry, palmetto, myrtle, greenbrier and others (see longleaf-slash, slash, loblolly, and pond pine SAF types). 5. Mature (804- years) Slash Pine - This habitat type is identical to the slash pine SAF type 84 but includes only overmature stands over 80 years of age. Most of this pineland has been burned and understory is low."

6. ^PinejL_40^8Q Years - These are mature sawtimber sawtimber sized pine stands. Understories wil be similar to the older stands of the same species as listed in the cor- responding SAF types. These lands are generally burned on a one-to-seven year cycle. 7. Pine, 32-40 Years - This includes all medium aged pine stands. Understories range from open grass in dry longleaf sites to gallberry-palmetto, myrtle and high shrubs found in poorly drained sites. These stands are

56 usually over ten inches in diameter and represent the minimum aged stand red-cockaded woodpeckers use for .foraging.

8. Young Pine, 16-32 Years - This includes all pulpwood pulpwood sized stands. Understories vary depending upon soil conditions and frequency of fire.

9. Pine Saplings', 8-16 years - This includes all pine species. These stands receive their- first prescribed fires during this period. Understories vary depending upon regeneration methods, site preparation methods and number of fires.

10. Regeneration Areas,. 0-8--Years - These areas serve as openings during the beginning of this period and possibly as brushlands during the end of the period. With the exception of longleaf pine regeneration areas, these areas receive no prescribed fire.

11. Pineland-Open or Grassy Understory - Understory is the prime habitat for the wildlife species associated with thit. This type of understory occurs in high, well drained stands or in annually burned stands.

12. Pineland-Low Understory - Understory is the prime habitat for the wildlife species. This understory occurs in wetter stands which are burned on a two-to-four year cycle.

13. Pineland-High Understory - Understory is the prime habitat for the wildlife species associated with this habitat. This understory occurs in unburned pine stands or areas burned with a five year or greater burning cycle. 14. Hardwoods-Mixed - These hardwood stands occur on lower, less well drained areas than the southern scrub oak type and would be represented by the sweet bay-swamp tupelo- redbay SAF type 104.

15. Pine-Swamp Transition Zone - This habitat type occurs at the swamp line. The pine overstory meets the hardwood overstory at this point. The hardwood overstory will be the same mixed hardwood type found on the wetter upland areas except that more cypress may be found in this area. Understory species include gallberry, myrtle, titi, greenbrier and others. The understory is usually high and dense.

57 16. Openings - Openings may be created for wildlife habitat but may also include such areas as regeneration areas, timber loading areas, or roads. 17. Edge - Areas between openings and forest.

13. Upland Ponds - The open ponds are usually barrow pits or ditches.

3. Timber Type Classification Timber type classifications are mapped only in the forest management compartments. Although classification of the timber types on the interior islands and certain other swamp areas would be useful for habitat and fire management purposes, it has not been completed at this time. Vegetative type maps and habitat type maps have been completed for all areas of the refuge and are located in Appendix "K".

Type classes used in forest management compartments are described in the Compartment Prescriptions, Section (II.D), pages 15 and 16. Classes are used to describe the forest stands in forest management prescriptions and are shown on the forest management compartment condition class maps in Appendix "E". 4. Growth and Maximum Cut

The volumes of forest products harvested in Okefenokee's forest management compartments are based on the nature and amount of treatment necessary to accomplish refuge objectives and not on annual growth figures. Growth and maximum cut figures, however, provide a basis for evaluating Okefenokee's habitat management activities and for comparing this program against other management schemes.

Estimated growth and cut figures are included in tables in Appendix "C". These figures are based, on recent prescription dates and field measurements. In the future, accurate figures will be obtained fron a cooperative research project conducted by Lake City Community College. Continuous Fixed Inventory plots have teen located in most of Okefenokee's forest management compartments. Several years' data is now available frcm some of the compartments. Data is new, being entered into the school's computer system. As soon as this data is processed, growth data will be revised. C. Problems Relating to Past Management Practices Okefenokee Refuge contains two distinctly different classes of vegetation types, forested upland and wetland. The vegetative types presently found on both the upland and the wetland sites have been significantly influenced by natural events, severe forest fires and

58 past land use practices, primarily legging. 1. Wetland Forestlands Okefenokee Swamp is a mosaic of dynamically related vegetation patches which represent different stages of plant succession. The Institute of Ecology, University of Georgia, recently studied these succession patterns and the influence of logging and recurrent fires using field surveys and aerial photography. In the absence of disturbance, succession patterns in the Okefenokee would be fran prairie (open marsh or grass) to cypress swamp to a climax of mixed blackgum or bay swamp {Hamilton, 1982).

a. Effects of Fire in Vfetlands Recurrent fires tend to maintain existing vegetation and generally prevent successional transition to climax species. The degree of successional "setback" is related to the severity of the fire, types and location of vegetative ccmmunities burned and past fire and land use history. Infrequent surface fires may consume or kill shrubs, understory species, and seedlings and saplings of overstory species. The surface fires will generally favor the establishment and maintenance of shade tolerant broad-leaved understory and overstory species capable of resprouting after the fire. More frequent or severe fires which burn away surface layers of peat may permanently kill these shade tolerant, later successional species, helping to maintain an existing successional regime. Very severe fires which burn away deep layers (30 cm or more) of peat may set back succession to earlier levels and may even create lakes or prairies (Hamilton, 1982). b. Effects of Logging in Wetlands

The effects of logging in the. Okefenoke Swamp were to convert mature, cypress stands to the hardwood species {blackgum, broad-leaved evergreens) normally found in the subcanopy of an unlogged cypress swamp. This hardwood conversion results from several processes: Colonization of stumps and drier micros ites by shrubs and some broad-leaved evergreen seedlings; release from overstory competition of those trees remaining after logging operations, and stump sprouting of many of the later successional hardwood species. Most of the logged areas are now dominated by shrubs mixed with sprout-growth blackgum or by shrubs mixed with coppice and seedling growth broad-leaved evergreen {Hamilton, 1982).

59 Although harvested cypress trees do produce healthy, stump sprouts, this was not the case in the Okefenokee Swamp. Sprouting decreases with the age of the cypress trees cut and little sprouting occurs when trees over 200 years old are cut. Most of the cypress cut in Okefenokee were in the 400 to 900 year old range. Also, much of the cypress was girdled prior to cutting, a practice which practically eli- minates sprouting. The few cypress trees left after logging were insufficient to restore the stands by natural seedling. As a result, most legged areas in the Okefenokee Swamp show no signs of returning to their pre-logging species composition. Even where sane cypress reestablishment is occurring, recovery will take hundreds of years due to the limited seed dispersal, low seed viability, high seedling mortality, and slow growth of cypress (Hamilton, 1982).

c. Effects of Sill Construction The low earthen dam (Sill) completed in 1962 and the subsequent rise in water level is probably responsible for sane of the vegetation changes in the swamp. The amount of vegetative changes which can be attributed to the fires, logging, sill construction or a combination of these factors has not yet been determined.

2. Upland Forests The changes which occurred on the uplands of Okefenokee Refuge as a result of past land practices are similar to those that occurred throughout the rest of the coastal southeast. Overall, there has been a conversion of upland areas from longleaf pine to slash pine, and the remnant of longleaf pine is of poor quality. Prior to land settlement, nearly pure longleaf forests occupied an estimated 30 to 60 million acres within its original range. This type may now cover less than 5 million acres (Beyer, 1980; Harris, 1980). Several factors are responsible for this conversion. These same factors have affected most of the upland pine areas on Okefenokee Refuge. a. Exclusion of Fire - Although longleaf traditionally occupied most of the pine sites within its natural range before settlement of the coastal southeast, it is not a climax type, Longleaf pine actually occurs fairly early in the successional stage within most areas and owes its longtime occupancy to periodic surface fires which swept over this area on a one to three year cycle (Wahlenberg, 1946). With the exclusion of fire on low, moist sites, longleaf pine is first replaced by slash pine species and then by various species of hardwoods. On drier sites, exclusion of fire will allow various species of oaks to replace longleaf. Exclusion of fire, followed by disastrous wildfires on Okefenokee, has also caused a reduction of habitat

60 diversity throughout the refuge. This occurs because most of the natural pine age classes have been destroyed. A few stands greater than 50 years of age are found which escaped the 1932 wildfire. Almost all of the remaining stands are bunched into two age classes, 45 to 50 years (regenerated after the 1932 fire) and 25 to 30 years {regenerated after tiie 1954-55 wildfire).

b. Timber Harvesting - Coupled with the exclusion of fire, timber harvesting has accelerated the conversion of longleaf pine stands to slash pine. Some early logging practices stimulated natural opening of stands, promoting the establishment of longleaf seedlings (Boyer, 1980) but clearcutting with the exclusion of fire allows the more aggressive slash pine to invade the area.

During the Suwannee Canal Company and Hebard Cypress Company eras (1890-1920), most of the upland on Okefenokee Refuge including the interior islands was indiscriminately harvested with little regard for regeneration, leaving poorly stocked, high-graded stands in the aftermath. These remnant longleaf stands are very poor quality and are composed of the suppressed trees remaining after clearcutting or are the progeny of these poor grade trees.

c. Tree Planting - As clearcuts have been replanted or as abandoned agricultural lands or cleared sites have been reforested, slash pine has been almost exclusively planted because slash pine seedlings are more easily established and reach a merchantable size more rapidly.

Until recent times on Okefenokee Refuge, most areas in need of regeneration were converted to slash pine. Recent forest management prescription cruises on this refuge show very few longleaf pine stands between 10 and 40 years of age. Most of the young longleaf pine on this refuge have been planted since 1975.

D. Program Effect on Local Economy

Wildlife habitat improvement, endangered species management, wildlife oriented public use and aesthetics are more important to the overall refuge objectives than the revenue generated by the sale of refuge forest products. The forest management program will have a favorable but very small effect on the local economy. Charlton, Ware and Clinch Counties are among the top pulpwood producing counties in the state. Okefenokee's 15,304 acres of forest management land produces a maximum of 2,300 cords of wood worth approximately $85,000 annually. This produces very little impact in a three-county area which has

61 11 million acres of commercial forestland producing almost 70,000 cords of wood per year.

The refuge forest management program does benefit the small, short- wood producer. Most harvesting operations on commercial forestland are clear-cut operations involving large, expensive equipment. The small short-wood producers has to-depend 'on thinning operations generally for small private landowners for their existance. Okefenokee's long rotation with several thinning operations also requires this type of producer to accomplish refuge objectives.

IV. PROGRAM UNITS—HABITAT MANAGEMENT COMPARTMENTS A. General The forest management areas contain 15,304 acres of upland forestland, mostly pine, and are divided into 15 compartments ranging from 150 to 2,500 acres. These compartments are grouped into ten working groups averaging 1,500 acres. This represents an area which can be conveniently cruised and treated according to the prescription in one year. This management system will balance the workload from year to year, concentrate the work area to one group of compartments, limit the area to be inventoried each year and reduce the time between inventory and application of the prescription. Every stand in each compartment will be examined once every ten years and treated if necessary. All data collected and other management records will be recorded by compartments. Appendix "F" contains a table listing the compartment prescription schedule for 1987 through 1996. .

B. Forest Management Compartments Appendices "D" and "E" contain a map showing the location of each forest management compartment and individual compartments maps showing timber type boundaries, roads, firelines, and other special features. The appendix to. this plan also contains stand and volume tables, acreages, and other statistics often needed for management, planning and reporting purposes. See the list of appendices following the table of contents.

62 V. PHYSICAL PLANT AND .EQUIPMENT USE REQUIREMENTS

A. Roads

Approximately 70 miles of primary roads provide access to the 15 forest management compartments for habitat and fire management purposes. Nine miles of road, designed primarily for public use purposes, are hard surfaced. Other short sections of service roads are surfaced with lime rock. The remaining roads are sandy woods roads providing access to all management areas except during extremely wet or dry weather.

During the past few years, several miles of trails and overgrown roads have been upgraded to refuge standards. Also clay has been mixed into the road surface in most of the worst sand beds to reduce the dry weather rutting problems. Several miles of roads in Compartments 7, 9, 10, and 11 still need to be upgraded. Funds required to complete this work are listed in Part VI. The refuge road system within the forest management compartments is shown on the compartments maps in Appendix "E". Other refuge roads, public roads and industrial forest roads used during refuge and fire management activities are shown in Appendix "D". A map clearly showing the road network and the names of the roads needs to be constructed and reproduced in several sizes.

B. Forest Management Equipment Forest management activities requiring special equipment include general survey and inspection, road maintenance, site preparation, and tree planting. Where possible, projects are contracted or accomplished with equipment rental contracts. Sharing of equipment with nearby refuges could provide some of the equipment needed for force account projects. Other equipment must be purchased. A summary of the needed equipment for major forest habitat management projects is on the following page.

C. Engineering Services No engineering services are needed at this time. Future refuge road projects may require engineering services.

63 Existing Need Need Possible Refuge To For Contract Equipment Acquire Area or Share Rental

GENERAL SURVEYS S INSPECTIONS:, Light 4/WD Vehicle X

ROAD -sjFIRELINE K^NTENANCE.:,. D5 .&•-D6 Class Tractors X Fire Plows' / X Road Grader X Frontend Loader/ Blackhoe X X

SITE PREPARATION: D5 S D6 Class Tractors X X Chopper X X X Breaking Harrow X •X

TREE PLANTING: " Small Tractors X X Tree Planters X X

64 VI. FUNDING AND STAFFING REQUIREMENTS

A. Funding Requirements The following table is an estimate of annual funding requirements based on FY 1986 costs and salaries. These estimates will vary due to future cost of living adjustments.

Function Cost Management & Administration ?20,000 Planning 22,900 Data Collection 3,900 Habitat Management*- 24,000 Road & Fireline Maintenance 9,200 Equipment/Vehicle Maintenance 9,400 Habitat Management Supplies 3,000 Fuel 3,000 Telephone 1,000 Power 800 Office Maintenance & Supplies 2,500 $99,700 ^Includes most prescribed burning and reforestation activities. B. Staffing Requirements The following table is an estimate of the refuge staff time required to implement the proposed Forest Habitat Management Plan. Staff Position Staff Days % Staff Days Refuge Manager 39 15% Assistant Manager 42 16% Forester 200 77% Forestry Technician 240 92% Biological Technician (3) 52 7% Clerical Staff (2) 50 10% Maintenance Staff {2} .35 "7% Equipment Operator (2) 40 8%

698

A total of 698 staff days or 2,68 FTE's are used to accomplish activities associated with habitat management.

65 BIBLIOGRAPHY Allen, A.A. Journal, Surveyor. General Department, Georgia Department of Archives and History, 1354.

Boyer, V,7. D. "Longleaf Pine." Forest Cover Types of the United States and Canada. Ed. F. H. Byre. Society of American Foresters, Washington, D.C., (1980), 51-52. Diemer, J.E. and Speake, D. W. "The Distribution of the Eastern Indigo Snake." Journal of Herpetology, V. 17, No. 3 (1983), 256-264. Eyre, F.H., ed. Forest Cover Types of the United States and Canada. Society of American Foresters, Washington, D. C., 1980. Fortson, C. ' W., Jr. "Peat Deposits in Georgia." Georgia Geological Survey Bulletin, 14:1 (1961), 1-21. Grelen. Forest Cover Types of the United States and Canada. Ed. F. H. Eyre. Society of American Foresters, Washington, D. C., 1980.

Halls, L, K. and R. Alcaniz. "Browse Plants Yield Best in Forest Openings.". Journal of Wildlife Management, V. 32, No. 1 (1968), 185-186. Hamilton, D. B. "Plant Succession and the Influence of Disturbance in the Okefenokee Swamp, Georgia." Reproduced as Qkefenokee Ecosystem Investiga- tions. Technical Report No. 9. University of Georgia, 1982.

Harper, Francis. Okefinokee Field Notebooks. 38 books. 1912-1952. Harper, R. H. R. M. Harn>er Collection. Hoole Special Collections Library, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa. Harris, L. D. Forest and Wildlife Dynamics in the Southeast. Proceedings. Forty-Fifth North American wildlife Conference, 1980. Bemperly, Marion R. The Georgia Surveyor. General Department, Atlanta, Georgia, 1982. Hodges* Forest Cover Types of the United States and Canada. Ed. F. H. Eyre. Society of American Foresters, Washington, D. C., 1980. Hopkins, John M. "Forty-five Years With the Okefenokee Swamp." Georgia Society Nat. Bull., 4:69 (1947), 75 pp. Hurst, Robert Latimer. The Magic Wilderness. The Waycross-Ware County Centen- nial Committee, 1974. Johnson, Forest Cover Types of the United States and Canada. Ed. F. H. Eyre. Society of American Foresters, Washington, D. C., 1980.

66 Locke, Brian A.; Conner, Richard N. and Kroll, James C. "Factors Influencing Colony Site Selection by Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers." Proceedings. Red- Cpckgded Woodpecker Symposium TT. State of Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish-Commission, 1983.

McCaffery, K. R.; Ashbrenner, J.E.; and Moulton, J,C. Forest Openinn Const mc- tion and Impacts in Northern Wisconsin. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Technical Bulletin No. 120, 1981. McCollum, J. L. and R. D. Ettman. Georgia's Protected Plants. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources, 1977. Hetzen, Wendell, Personal Communications. 1985.

Meyers, J. M. "Community Structure and Habitat Associations of Breeding Birds in the Okefenokee Swamp." Qkefenokee Ecosystem Investigation. Technical Report Number 11, University ot Georgia, 1982.

Miller, H. A. "Why Wildlife Openings in Forest Habitat." Proceedings. Southeast Association of Game and Fish Commissioners. 19 (1965), 171-173. Needharn, J. G. J. G. Needham Collection. Olin'Library, Cornell University, Ithica, New York. Parrish, F. K. The origin of the Okefenokee Swamp. Bulletin of the Georgia Academy of Science 29:129 (1971).

Ripley, T. H.; Wilhite, L. P.; Downing, R. L.; and R. F. Hawlow. "Game Food Plants in Slash-Longleaf Flatwoods." Proceedings. Southeast Association of Game and Fish Commissioners. 16 (1962) 35-44.

Rykiel. E. J. The Qkefenokee Watershed: water Balance and Nutrient Budgets. Unpublished Ph.D. Dissertation. University of Georgia (1977), 246. 1927. Savanna}") Horning News. Silver, James. Special Report: "Okefenokee Swamp" to Chief, Biological Survey, Washington, D. C., Attn: Mr. Salyer. March 15, 1935. Trowell, C. T. The Suwannee Canal Company in the Qkefenokee Swamp. Occasional paper from South Georgia, No. 5 (1984). Trowell, C. T. Swamp Prehistory. 1984. Trowell, C. T. Map: Logging Railroads in the Okefenokee Swamp (based on maps by J. M. Hopkins, 1924 and 1945, aerial photos, 1937, 1941, 1944, 1952, 1977, and anecdotal information), 1983.

USDA. Forest Service. Bird Habitat Relationships on Southeastern Forest Lands. General Technical Report SE-22, Southeastern Forest Experimental Station, Asheville, North Carolina (Sept. 1982).

67 USDA. Soil Conservation Service. "Centenary Series." USDA. Soil Conservation Service. "Cainhoi Series." Established Series, Rev. GWH-TRG-JCM, 1977. USDA. Soil Conservation Service. ' "Dasher Series." Established Series, Rev. GLB. 1977. USDA. Soil Conservation Service. "Leon Series. USDA. Soil Conservation Service. "Mandarin Series." Established Series, Rev. LTS-JFB. 1977.

USDA. Soil Conservation Service. "Olustee Series." Established1 Series, Rev. JFB. 1977. USDA. Soil Conservation Service. "Pamlico Series." 1981. USDA. Soil Conservation Service. "Pelham Series." USDA. Soil Conservation Service. "Plummer Series." 1981. USDA. Soil Conservation Service. "Rutlege Series." Established Series, Rev. EDM-MFB-JTH. 1976. USDA. Soil Conservation Service. "Sapelo Series." Established Series, Rev. TAK-GLB. 1977. USFWS. Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Recovery Plan. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Atlanta, GA. (1985) OB pp. USFvS. Recovery Plan for the Vtood Stork (Draft). U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Atlanta, GA (1975). Van Lear. Forest Cover Types of the United States and Canada. F. K. Eyre (Ed.). Society of American Foresters, Washington, D. C.iiytfuj. Wadsworth, 3. R-, Jr. Integrated Studies of the Okefenokee Swamp Ecosystem. Proposal Submitted to NSF. Institute of Ecology,UniversityofGeorgia "{Green Version), 1 February 1981, pp. 61-62, 67. (Also reported at oral research reviews, Suwannee Canal Recreation Area, Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, 1982-1983), 1981-1983.

Wahlenburg, W. G. Lonoleaf Pine. Charles Lathrup Park Forestry Foundation, Washington, D. C. (1946).

68 APPENDIX "A"

GLOSSARY AGE CLASS — One of the intervals, commonly 10 years, into which the age range of forest stands is divided for classification or use.

AGE CLASS DISTRIBUTION — The location and/or proportionate representation of different age classes in a forest, ADVANCE REPRODUCTION — Young trees that have become established naturally before regeneration cuttings are begun or a clear cutting is made. ALL-AGED — A forest or stand that contains trees of all or almost all age classes. ALLUVIUM — The sedimentary deposits formed by flowing water (increasingly being restricted to the finer soil fractions, viz. clay and silt}. ASPECT — The direction towards which a slope faces. BACKFIRING {Prescribed Fire Context) — A fire set from a prepared line or natural barrier so that it backs into the wind. BARRIER — Any obstruction, natural or man-made, to the spread of fire; typically an area or strip devoid of flammable fuel. BASAL AREA — Is a measurement of the density of the forest. It is the cross-sectional area of the trees (including bark) measured at breast height. BATTERIES — A layer of peat which has become detached and rises to the surface of a swamp prairie or lake resulting in a floating island. BURNING CYCLE — The planned interval oetween successive prescribed burns. CANOPY — The stratum containing crowns of tallest vegetation (living or dead) usually above 20 feet. CARRYING CAPACITY — Is the maximum number of a particular species that a given ecosystem will support when food and cover and environmental factors are least favorable for the survival of species of species. CLIMAX — The culminating stage in plant succession for a given environment, the vegetation being conceived has having reached a highly stable condition. COMMUNITY — Any assembly of organisms inhabiting a common environment and interacting with one another. CONTROL — That part of an experimental series providing a standard of comparison for determining the effects of the treatment.

A-l CROWN LENGTH RATIO — Of a standing tree, the ratio of (live) crown length to tree height.

CUTTING CYCLE — For a stand, the planned, recurring lapse of time between successive cuttings in it.

DIAMETER BREAST HEIGHT (d.b.h.) — Of a standing tree, the stem diameter measured at a standard height (4.5 feet) from ground level.

DILUVIUM — The coarse deposits from particularly strong water action. ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION — Is the systematic replacement of one community by another until the situation is stabilized. A process of natural aging.

ECOSYSTEM — The interrelated corniunity of plants and animals (biotic community) and the physical, non-living features (climate, soil, alti- tude, etc.) of a given area or habitat.

ECOTONE — The transition zone between two adjoining communities.

EDGE — The more or less well-defined boundary between two or more elements of the environment.

EVEN-AGED STAND — A forest stand in which the ages of all the trees are essentially the same. An even-aged stand usually originates after a natural catastrophe or managed clear-cut, which removes all of the old stand, opening up the understory.

FINAL CUTTING — Removal of the last seed bearers or shelter trees after regeneration is considered to be established under a shelterwood system.

FIREBREAK (Fuel Break) — A natural or constructed barrier used to stop or slow the spread of a fire or to provide a control line from which to work.

FIRELINE — The removal of alteration of fuels from a narrow area of the control line by the use of hand tools, power equipment, or fire retar- dant chemicals to control a fire,

FIRE MANAGEMENT — All activities required for the control or use of fire to meet land management goals and objectives.

FIRE SEASON — The period or periods of the year during which most wildfires are likely to occur. FLOOD PLAIN — A flat area bordering a watercourse, formed by the latter's deposits in times of flood. FORESTRY — The science, the art, and the practice of managing and using for human benefit the natural resources that occur on and in association with forestlands.

A-2 HABITAT — The abode, natural or otherwise, of a plant or animal, considered particularly in relation to all the environmental influences affecting it. HEAD FIRE — A fire burning with the wind. HEAD OF A FIRE — The most rapidly spreading portion of a fire's perimeter, usually to the leeward or up slope. HIGH GRADING — A type of exploitation cutting that removes species above a certain size, of high value, ignoring silvicultural requirements. HOME RANGE — The area a non-migratory animal covers over a year's time seeking food and cover and carrying of life's functions. HOUSE — The final stage of a battery, now supporting mature trees. Locally called "houses" in the Okefenokee Swamp area. HYDRIC — Sites or habitats characterized by' decidedly moist or wet conditions . INTOLERANT TREE SPECIES — Those trees which cannot grow in the shade of other trees. ISOLATION — Absence of crossing among populations because of distance or geographic barriers.

LIGHTWOOD — Coniferous wood having an abnormally high content of resin and therefore easily set alight. LITTER LAYER — Layer of undecayed vegetation (leaves, needles, etc.) accumulated on the forest floor. MAST — Nuts and berries of forest trees which fall to the ground providing food for wildlife. MATURITY — The stage at which a tree has attained full development, particularly height, and is in full seed production. MODIFIED SUPPRESSION ACTION (Wildfire) — Any preplanned, approved variation from normal initial attack or suppression policy standards for economic or cultural reasons.

MOSAIC — An arrangement of plant cornnunities in a mosaic pattern, in con- trast to zonation.

NATIONAL WILDERNESS AREA — An area protected by the National Wilderness Act of 1964. NATURAL FIRE — A fire ignited by natural causes such as lightning, volca- noes, and spontaneous combustion.

NATURAL IGNITION — (See Natural Fire, above).

A-: NATURAL ROTATION — The average age attained by various species in natural forests. Well suited to intolerant species, such as pines, that are found naturally in even-aged stands. NICHE — The physical place an organism occupies in its environment plus the function the organism has in the community.

NONRENEWABLE RESOURCE, — A resource that once used cannot be used again. Examples are fossil fuels and minerals. OVERMATURITY — A stage following maturity of a tree marked by. a decline in vigor, health, and soundness. PREPARATORY CUTTING — Removing trees near the end of a rotation so as to permanently open the canopy and enlarge the crowns of seed bearers, with a view to improving conditions for seed production and natural regeneration, as typically in shelterwood systems. PRESCRIBED BURNING — Controlled application" of fire to wildland fuels in either their natural or modified state, under such conditions of weather, fuel moisture, soil moisture, etc., as allow the fire to be confined to "a predetermined area and at the same time to produce the intensity of heat and rate of spread required to further certain planned objectives of wildlife management, silviculture, fire-hazard reduction, etc. PRIMARY SUCCESSION — The gradual supplanting of one community of plants by another beginning on sites that have not previously borne vegetation. REGENERATION — The renewal of a tree crop, whether by natural or artificial means; reproduction {the young crop itself; reproduction). REHABILITATION — (Post Suppression) Activities taken to restore productive capacity of land damaged by wildfire which include rebuilding of physical facilities such as fences. REMOVAL CUTTING — Removing trees between the seed cutting and the final cutting under a shelterwood system, so as gradually to reduce the shelter and admit more light to aid the regenerated crop and to secure further recruitment. [Note: According to Smith (1962), whose termi- nology was followed in this instance, the final cutting is die last of the removal cuttings.]

RENEWABLE RESOURCES — A resource that may be used and replenished or increased. Examples are wildlife, timber, and soil. ROTATION — The planned number of years between the regeneration of a stand and its final cutting at a specified stage of maturity. SAVANNA — Essentially lowland, (tropical and subtropical) grassland, generally with a scattering of trees and/or shrubs.

A-4 SEED CUTTING — Removing trees in a mature stand so as to effect permanent opening of its canopy (if there was no preparatory cutting to do this) and so provide conditions for securing regeneration from the seed of trees retained for that purpose.

SEED-TREE CUTTING METHOD — Removal in one cut of the mature timber fron an area, save for a small number of seed bearers left singly or in small groups. SELECTION CUTTING — The annual or periodic removal of trees (particularly the mature)f individually or in small groups frcm an uneveji-aged forest to achieve the balance among the diameter classes needed for sustained yield, and in order to realize the yield and establish new crop of irregular constitution. SERAL STAGE — Each stage in the sequence of plant community succession. SERE — The whole seguence of communities that replace one another on a given site. SHELTEKHOOD SYSTEMS — Even-ago silvicultural systems in which, in order to provide a source of seed and/or protection for regeneration, the old crop is removed in two or more successive shelterwood cuttings, the first of which is ordinarily the seed cutting (though it may be preceded by a preparatory cutting) and the last is the final cutting, any inter- vening cuttings being termed removal cuttings. SILVICS — The study of the life history and general characteristics of forest trees and stands, with particular reference to locality factors, as a basis for the practice of silviculture. SILVICULTURE — The theory and practice of controlling the establishment, composition, constitution, and growth of forests. SITE — An area considered in terms of its environment, particularly as this determines the type and quality of the vegetation of the area can carry. SITE CLASS — A measure of the relative productive capacity of a site for the stand under study. SITE INDEX — The average height that the dominant or dominant and codom- inant portion of an even-aged stand will have at a specified age. It is a measure of the environmental factors affecting the growth and survival of the forest.community, SITE PREPARATION — Preparing a site for a new forest stand. Removal of slash and competing understory before regeneration of the stand. Re- generation may be natural or involve planting seedlings or seeding. SLASH — Branches, bark, top, chunks, cull logs, uprooted stumps and broken or uprooted trees left on the ground after loggingr also debris resulting frcm thinning, wind, or fire.

A-5 SNAG — A standing dead tree or part of a dead tree from which at least the leaves and smaller branches have fallen. Often called a stub if less than 20 feet tall. STAND — A contiguous group of trees sufficiently uniform in species composition, arranagement of age classes, and condition to be a honogenous and distinguishable unit. STOCKING — In a forest, a more or less subjective indication of the number of trees as compared to the desirable number for best results. STUMPAGE — The value of timber as it stands uncut. SUBCLIMAX — The serai stage in plant succession irrrnediately preceding the climax.

SUCCESSION — The gradual supplanting of one community of plants by another. SUPPRESSION — All activities beginning with 'the discovery of a wildfire, continuing until it is extinguished. SURFACE FIRE — Fire that burns surface litter, debris, and small vegetation. SWAMP PRAIRIES — Open areas of the swamp which support grasses reeds. Called prairies by early settlers because they resemble the mid-western prairies. Their origin is usually a fire which destroys the woody surface vegetation and the top layers of peat.

TERRITORY — The portion of its homerange a species defends - particularly against members of its own species. TOLERANCE — Refers to the relative capacity of a forest plant to survive and thrive in the understory. TREE SAVANNA — A savanna with shrubs and widely, irregularly scattered trees. UNDERSTORY — The woody layer of hardwoods (or pine) growing underneath the main canopy of a forest stand. UNEVEN-AGED — Of a forest or stand, composed of intermingling trees that differ markedly in age. WILDFIRES (Wildland Fires) — Any fire not prescribed by an authorized plan.

A-6 APPENDIX "B" ACREAGE SUMMARY BY COMPARTMENTS AND CONDITION CLASS

COMPARTMENT TOTAL UPLAND FORESTED NO. ACREAGE P3A P3B P3C P2A P2B P2C PI. HARDWOODS WETLANDS OPEN 1 1,260 11 556 26 131 236 132 86 81 1 _ _ _ _ 2 154 _ _ 16 61 71 6 2a 114 0 59 0 55 0 0 0 • 0 0 0 2b 67 0 •o 0 47 0 0 20 0 0 0 2c 20 0 0 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 "2d 24 0 24 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 "• .2e 2f 3 1,270 - 155 624 4 137 109 116 115 - 10 4 615 9 40 72 204 172 41 21 30 16 10 i 4a 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 . 9 4b 41 0 41 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4c 20 0 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 • 1,456 - - 686 - 107 361 209 1 92 - •6 1,263 195 224 0 121 30 150 156 387 7 895 0 44 271 316 170 11 0 0 65 18 7a 632 0 44 99 90 327 22 0 0 50 0 ^—^—— —^—~—

B-l APPENDIX "B" (continued) ACREAGE SUMMARY BY COMPARTMENTS AND CONDITION CLASS ... , COMPARTMENT TOTAL UPLAND FORESTED NO. ACREAGE P3A P3B P30 P2A P2B P2C PI HARDWOODS WETLANDS OPEN

7b 728 0 399 _L2A_ 189 0 0 n 0 16 0 V 7c 297 0 0 56 167 0 n o 0 2.7 8 1,944 0 91 1,245 0 162 0 2.5L_ 48 177 . 129 9 350 0 40 160 60 70 0 0 0 15 5 10 220 0 50 0 50 55 45 0 0 15 5 11 810 10 150 295 30 40 130 85 0 60 10 . . 12 260 0 165 75 0 0 0 0 0 10 10 13 1,280 0 465 135 125 400 0 0 10 95 50 14 240 0 150 80 0 0 0 0 0 5 5 15 1,334 40 420 145 253 125 200 25 126 0 i

TOTALS 15,304 70 3,108 4,346 1,721 2,183 949 897 315 1,012 703 •

1-2 APPENDIX "C" VOLUME SUMMARY BY COMPARTMENTS AND CONDITION CLASSES

TOTAL P3A "P3B P3C P2A P2B P2C OTHER COMP. CDS MBE CDS MBF CDS MBF CDS MBF CDS MBF CDS MBF CDS MBF CDS MBF

1 4750 4017 15 88 1941 2850 38 991 365 1715 547 88 130 2 1026 508 149 266 100 138 520 . 15 138 79 119 10 3 2086 2792 334 711 624 1828 61 638 168 258 48 171 37 4 1898 544 2 182 326 129 165 1032 31 516 17 37 2 3 5 2703 3406 689 3072 787 36 1109 171 118 126 6 3191 2093 760 663 493 1138 1591 56 127 16 220 221 7 15,525 9925 1045 4359 832 2147 10,020 354 3314 2755 91 87 223 223 8 3,262 7078 168 666 725. 5850 882 103 1487 459 9 1506 945 156 136 496 391 366 9 467 388 21 21 10 853 854 107 447 ' 305 370 . 385 50 21 21 1 11 1937 3532 26 173 322 1342 446 1151 433 223 267 215 -358 342 85 85 12 481 1783 354 1477 113 293 14 14 13 5876 7995 997 4161 204 527 1806 931 2668 2218 201 159 14 450 1662 322 1342 121 312 7 7 15 6549 8333 103 692 900 3759 219 566 3655 1884 834 693 550 526 288 213

TOTALS 52,093 55,467 144 955 7,737 22,505 5,191 17,616 19,189 3,812 14,187 7,660 2,580 1,190 3,065

C-l APPENDIX C

Stand and Stozk Tabtz ACAC. Condition C&MA ?3A 70

Merchantable Volume DM Mo. Trees Cds^ Bd. Ft. Area

h 20 .220

6 17 -765 3-liO 17 1.581 5-95 10 17 612 9-35 12 23 17U8 18.17 Ib 30 3960 32.10 16 25 5325 35-00 18 12 3912 21.2L 20 . 3-ii 7-la 22 .6 -JL5B TOTALS 165-0 27^66" 17, .29? 136.00

This data is based on 1974 field data and is included . . only for reference at this time. When current field . data collected by Lake City Community College is processed • by their computer system, -these tables will be updated.

C-2 -APPENDIX C

P^e^emt Stand and S£odk Tabta Pe/i Ac/ Condition Cicu,A ?3B 1205 AcA&>

Merchantable Volume Wo. of Trees Cds. Bd. Ft. jasal Are'a

h 10 .110 '•-'90 6 8 .360 -' 1.60 8 18 1.67U 6.30 10 21 756 12 30 2208 23-70

25 3300 '26-75 16 8 170li 11.20 18 2. 2 717 3-89 i 26k -i f^t-t -JLS sTlUIT b'7-20

This data is based on 1974 field data and is included only for reference at this time. When current field data collected by Lake City Community College is processed by their computer system, these tables will be updated.

C-3 APPENDIX -C'~

S&tnd and Stozk Tabta Vo.fi CondutLon C&LA-i P3.C £40

Merchantable Volume Basal 'Area DBH Mo. of Trees Cds. Bd. Ft. 1.08 h 12 .132 6 10 2.00 8 10 .980 .,3-50 10 10 1*32 - ,i;?° 12 10 760 ; 7:^0" Ih 10 1320 ,.1°:7.0 ' 16 5 1065 7.00

18 i 326 • 1.77 TOTALS 39-^5

This data is based on 197A field data and is included only for reference at this time. When current field data collected by Lake City Community College is processed "by their computer system, these tables will be updated. '-'-" •*&&*;

C-4 APPENDIX C.

Stand and 3toc.k Tabta Pe/1 Condition Cfru>* ?2A 565

Merchantable Yoliime DEH Ho. of Trees •Cds. Bd. Basal Area

h 75 .825 . "6,75 6 -65 2.925 13-00 8 115' 10.695 10 72 2592 .^•.60 12 32 2U32 -25-28 19 2508 20:33

16 1 213 TOTALS 1C 'IE676I

C~5 APPENDIX C

Stand and Stoo.k Tab£e. PeA. •Condition. C&u* F2B '2715 •**

Merchantable Volume DBH Wo. of Trees Cds. Bd. Ft. Basal Area

U 31 -3U1

6 27 1.215 55 5-115 10 . 50. 1800 2-7-50 12 " 25 1900 llj 10 • • 1320 10.70 16 2 h26

18. 0.3 . 98 TOTALS 212.3 6^71

This data is based on 1974 field.data and is included only' for reference at .this time. Wh&n current field dara collected "by Lake City"..Community College is processed by their computer system, these tables will be updated.

C-6 APPENDIX C

Stand and Tab£e Pe/i itio P2C J620

Merchantable Volume Bd. Ft. DBH No. of Trees 1-35 15 .165 2.UO 12 .5UO 7-70 22 2.0U6 |, 720 i 11.00 10 20 v " '* "*1^ 988 10.27 12 13 752 6.10 Ik 5-7 "• 170 1.12 16 2630 39- 9U TOTALS 2.751

This data is based on 1974 ^ie.ld data and is included only for reference at this., time. When current field data collected by Lake City * Community College is processed, by their computer system, these tables will be updated.

C-7 .ro. ro ro H H ro O Co cr ro O Cb

o ^•\n -ri m ^; O 7X rn rn o o >•

^; O O,O O o va I —0 CO n t -- \i > M i— ca >-* t— CO -n m rri 7J rn -n cr5

p- - -u> . ro I-1 cr ro H ^J UJ o O OM |UJ ro

en O APPENDIX "C" GROWTH TABLES

STAND AVERAGE AVERAGE SITE ACRES PER GROWTH/ACRE TOTAL CONDITION AGE BASAL AREA INDEX CONDITION BD,. FT. ANNUAL GLASS SQ. FT. CLASS (SCRIBNER) • GROWTH BD. FT.

P3A P3B P3C P2A P2B P2C PI BH UH PC

Lake City Community College, as a cooperative research project, is working on this data. This data will be included in the table as soon as it is processed

C-9 OKKFKNUKKK NATIONAL \\ILDLn-i-, iu*,ruv>c. H.MHIll V \M» ChDltCIA APPENDIX D

Forest Management Compartments

F- £ -N 0 xKr £

COMPILED IN THE DIVISION OF REAL FROM SURVEYS BV F.iW.E.. 6.L.O. AND TALLAHASSEE MERIDU1S U.S. ARMY

ATLANTA. 0EORGI*. JUNt. 1O63 APPENDIX E OKEFENOKEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE COMPARTMENT!

SCALE -I in. : !_Q\!lo.

oads trails .''Ire Lines '""imber Type Boundary Swamp ...... • Kne 'iype ...... P Ilardvjood Type ...... *H 1 .inc;-Cypre2s Gvjauip ...... J'CS ...... 1 1 ulpwood Stand ...... 2 ^awtimber Stand,..'- ...... -3 Crown Canopy Dense ,».*-..— A Crown Canopy Semidense. . . .H Crown Canopy Sparse, ....* .C Puture Regeneration Area. , FuLure Vit:W? Support Sl.and. Of en I^nd ...... 0 H o v i 5,, (1 April, I 0 76 Special Use Avoas ...... %3$$3&%!jSjF??^ y

. ., .; '•: . ••i^'APPsMix -E

OKEFENOICEE NATTONAL Will R E F U G E

COMPARTMENT 2

N A

Roads . . . Brails. •-..'.[[ Swamp •-....]' Timber Type Boimdary" '. Pine Type ...... Hardwood Type . Pine-Cypress Swamp' * ! Reproduction- . . Pulpv:ood Stand- . '. Sawtiiaber Stand . . Crown Canopy Dense- ' Crown Canopy Semidense Crown Canopy Sparse-. . Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Colony- or Support Stand

SCALE: 4 ;n : , m[|l 12/76 APPENDIX E

OKEFENOKEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

COMPARTMENT 2 N

£' <^

UMIT

SCALE 1 : 24;000 OKEFENOKEE N A T IO N AL W 1 LD Ll FE REFUGE

COMPARTMENT 2 N 4

UNIT 2 c Kingfisher Landing

UNIT 2 d

SCALE 1 : 24,000 ATPSSDIX E ATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

QMPARTMENT 3 LEGEND:

Primary Roads, Paved * • Secondary Roads, Paved • Graded Roads * Trails • * Walking Trails Fire Lines • Timber Type Boundary • • Swamp - Pine Type » Hardwood Type Precommercial Timber • • Pulpwood Stand Sawtimber Stand • • • * Crown Canopy Dense • • - Crown Canopy Semidense • Crown Canopy Sparse • • Open Land ad , APPENDIX"E

OKEFENOKEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

COMPARTMENT 3

LEGEND: Primary Roads, Paved • Secondary Roads, Paved Graded Roads ..... Trails ...... 0 « Walking Trails • » <> * Fire Lines ..*-.. Timber Type Lines • • Swamp ...... Pine Type... e ... p Hardwood Type. « • • • H Precommercial Timber . 1 Pulpwood Stand .... 2 Seal* i 4 In : 1 mil* Saw-timber Stand • «. • 3 Crown Canopy Dense . . A Crown Canopy Semidense B Crown Canopy Sparse C Open Land ...... 0 OKEFENOK£E NATIONAL WILDLIFE .REFUGE

COMPARTMENT

LEGEND: Primary Roads, Paved - - • Secondary Roads, Paved . *• Graded Roads : Trails r Walking Trails ...... Pire Lines Timber Type Lines ...... Swamp , . ( Pine T}'pe ...... p Hardv/ood Type H Precommercial Timber - - 1 Pulpwood Stand ..... 2 Sawtimber Stand .... 3 Crown Canopy Dense ... A Crown Canopy Semidense . g Crown Canopy Sparse c Open Land 0 Block Numbers ....

SCALE: 4in. = 1 mile APPENDIX E OKEFKNOKEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE COMPARTMENT 4 a, b

1:24,000

SCALE ' AT-FHNDIX E

LEGEHD:

Primary Roads, Paved , Secondary Roads, Paved Graded Roads

walking Trails Tire Lines Timber T3ipa Boundary ....,.--.._ Swamp ...... £~"ui Pine Type P Hardwood Type ...... B Pine-Cypress Swamp . .' . •- . 'PC Precoramercial Timber .... 2 Pulp wood Srand . . . . . - .. - 2 •, Sawziraber Snano .....;., 3. Crowa Canopy Dense A Cro^vn Canop}1 Semidetise ... .^B Crovn Canopy Sparse ..... C QDen Land - 1 0

Scale: 4 in = 1 mile

Lr.-N ATIOKAL WTLDLIFE REFUGE

C i APPENDIX' E j

OKEFENOKEE NATIONAi L WILDLIFE REFUGE

COMPARTMENT 5 LEGEND;

Primary Roads, Paved , . . Secondary Roads, Paved . . Graded Roads Trails Walking Trails Fire Lines Timber Type Boundary . . . Swamp Pine Type Hardwood Type H Pine-Cypress Swamp PC Precommercial Timber .... 1 P u lp wo od S c a nd 2 Sawtimber Stand 3 Grown Canopy Dense ..,-.. A Crown Canopy Semidense . , . B Crown Canopy Sparse ', . . . • C Open Land 0

Scale: 4 in - 1 mile

WARE cp., GA. co., FL'A OKEFEMOKEE MATEONAL V/[LDLtFE REFUGE

COMPARTMENT 5 LAND LOT 260

LEGEND:

Primary Roads.: Paved . Secondary Roads.. Paved Graded Roads Trails Walking Trails .... Fire tines Timber Typs Boundary Swamp ; Pine Type Bardwood Type . . . Pine-Cypress Swamp Precommercial Timber . Pulp wood Stand- . . . . S aw t imb er S t an d . . . Crown Canopy "Dense . . Cr own C an o py S eraid en s e Crown Canopy1 Sparse Open Land

Scale:, -k in = 1 mile OKEFENOKEL^m

0 o COMPARTMENT 6 '" 32

Vl/ •-APPENIM" E - ~

COMPASlMENT

Scale: 4 in = 1 APPENDIX E

COMPARTMENT 7

Scale: 4 in - 1 mile COMPARTMENT 7 O.

WEST BLCGICS

Scale: 4 in = 1 mile COMPARTMENT 7 b

NORTH BLOCKS

Scale: 4 in = I mile COMPARTMENT.. 7 tf

SOUTH BLOCKS

Scale: 4 in = 1 mile APPENDIX E

BAST BLOCKS

bcnje: - in =

N COMPARTMENT / c

WEST

Scale: A ir. = J :rj

N OKEFENOKEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE APPENDIX E COMPARTMENT 8 JONES ISLAND SECTION

C- FOSTER PARK

LEGEND:

Primary Roads, Paved . Secondary Roads, Paved Graded Roads Trails .' -. Walking Trails . . . '. Firelines Timber Type Boundary-. Pine Type P. Hardwood Type H Pine/C3'press/Hardwood Swamp. . . PCH Preconrmercial Timber 1 Pulpwood Stand . . 2 Sawtimber Stand 3 Crown Canopy Dense ...... A Crown Canopy Semidense B Crown Canopy Sparse C Open Land '. 0 Borrow Pit . . _ BP

Scale: A in - 1 mile OKEFENOKEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE COMPARTMENT 8 NORTH POCKET SECTION

LEGEND:

Primary Roads, Paved .... Secondary Roads, Paved. . . . Graded Roads Trails Walking Trails Firelines Timber Type Boundary Pine Type P Hardwood Type H Pine/Cypress/Hardwood Swamp . PCH Precoimnercial Timber 1 Pulpwood Stand 2 Saw timber Stand . .- 3 Crown Canopy Dense A Crown Canopy Semidense. . . . B Crown Canopy Sparse C Open Land 0 Borrow Pit

Scale: 4 in = 1 mile flKEFENOKEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE COMPARTMENT 8 SOUTH POCKET SECTION

LEGEND;

Primary Roads, Paved taa*** Secondary Roads, Paved teem Graded Roads mrr Trails rrr Walking Trails Firelines , Timber Type Boundary '"'"•-. Pine Type " P Hardwood Type H Pine/Cypress/Hardwood Swamp • . PCH Precommercial Timber 1 Pulpwood Stand 2 •Sawtimber Stand ...... 3 Crown Canopy Dense A Crown Canopy Semidense B Crown Canopy Sparse C Open Land 0 Borrow Pit Bp ttJ S3 U H Scale: 4 in = 1 mile X x ?39' b

P3C , O APPENDIX E M^KJ.D t

APPENDIX E

Timber Type Boundary . . I'inn Type ? Hnrdwood Type ...;.. H Fine-Cypress Swamp- • . . PCS lloproduction 1 i'\il pwood Stand 2 Splits mbor Stand 3 •-rown Tanopy Dense A "Iroun f'aiiopy Semider.He • • B i mm; Hai'opy Sparse-. , , . C

OKEFENOKEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE Wilj'J-iD APPENDIX E Roads ..... Trails - - - •• Swamp Timber Type Boundary Pii ne Type • - ' Hardwood Type Pine-Cypress Swamp ..... PCS Reproduction ...... 1 SCALE: 4 in : 1 mil. Pulpwood Stand Saw timber Stand • • • Crown Canopy Dense- • Crown Canopy Semidense Crown Canopy Sparse-.

COMPART^EMIT 12.

OKEFENOKEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE OKEFENOKEE NATURAL WILDLIFE REFUGE % COMPAHTMEUT l'a SCALE*: *" = i MIue

Roads Trails Swamp Timber Type Boundary • • Pine Type ...... P Hardwood Type . I! Pine-Cypress Swamp- • . . PCS Reproduction 1 Pulpwood Stand 2 Saw timber Stand 3 Crown fanopy Dense- • - • A' Crown Canopy Semider.se • B C-rown Canopy Sparse-. • • n APPENDIX E

QKEFENOKEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

COMPARTMENT E4

--;' '*••• .•..-"' -. P/A ; ; \P3l (&~^'f&\:

Roses

Swamp • • • Timber Type Pine Type P Hsrctwood Type .... H Fine-Cypress Swamp- • PCS Reproduction- • • • • Pulpwood Stand.... Sai-rtimber Stand • . . C'rowr. Canopy Dense- - A Crown Canopy Ssmidensi B C -r ovrr, Ca r. opy Spar s e - - C Si APPENDIX r'Fn

FOREST MANAGEMENT COMPARTMENT PRESCRIPTION SCHEDULE

GROUP - FISCAL COMPARTMENTS COMPARTMENT" GROUP NO -YEAR ACRES ACRES

I 1987 8 1944 •", 1944 . II 1988 10 220 11 810 12 260 1290 III 1989 6 1263 9 350 1613 IV 1990 7 • 2552 2552 V 1991 13 1280 14 240 1520

-.VI 1992 15 1334 1334 VII 1993 1 1260 1260 VIII 1994 ? 154 4 686 840 IX 1995 3 1270 1270 X 1996 5 1456 '1456

atofc: -•-•--. ..—sS^.. APP ENDlX~"G~=~'N2>a:u Kpnz OKEFENOKEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

UNITED STATES FI.UK1IM AM) (JEUItClA UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR PISH AND WILDUft StRVICE itVf

Research Natural Areas ' Public Use Natural Areas 1. Chesser Island Bay PUNA 1. Pond Cypress RNA 2. Chesser Island PUNA 2. Sweetbay RNA - Cowhouse isaiand'RNA- 3. Floyds Island RNA 3. Floyds Island PUNA 4. Pine Island RNA 4. Chesser Prairie Rookery PUNA 5. Territory Prairie RNA 5. Chesser Prairie PUNA 6.. Blackjack Island RNA 7. Cowhouse listed'UNA 8. Number One Island RNA

Prairie RNA

Rookery PUNA

Island PUNA I

'Number One Island RNA

R 18 E Kx R 19 E «"» R 20 E COMPILED IN THE DIVISION OF REAT.TY FROM SURVEYS SY P.AV/.S.. Q.1-.O. AND TALLAHASSEE MERIDIAN /,, MEAN U.S. ARMY O BOOO 12OOO 2-tDOO 36OOO dBDOO FEET 'f DECLINATION

ATLANTA. JUNG. 166S 4RGA 2I3405 APPENDIX "H1 w SUMMARY OF RED-GOCKADED WOODPECKER HABITAT ON OKEFENOKEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

Slash/Pond/Loblolly Longleaf Pine Longleaf /Slash Slash Pine Pines Cavity Active* Available Occupied . Old Mature Young Old "Mature Young Old Mature 3 Trees Colonies Habitat Habitat Young Old Mature Young \ 80+ 40-80 <40 80+ 40-80 < 40 80+ 40-80 <40 80+ 40-80 <40 . Yrs Yrs Yrs Yrs Yrs Yrs Yrs Yrs Yrs Yrs Yrs Yrs 1- 0 0 120 0 0 0 42 0 25 250 , 0 60 650 0 10 55 1 1 0 66 0 0 16 7 0 40 105 0 10 105 0 0 90 !4 25 3 676 600 0 200 10 0 350 250 0 75 150 0 51 59 - 15 1 0 ' 201 0 0 10 205 0 75 45 ' 0 100 150 0 25 20 ,6 15 4 472 472 0 63 114 0 295 134 4 110 645 0 0 0 0 -o 375 •0 0 50 75 0 175 50 0 150 176 0 44 0 . 16 15 1 550 200 0 100 0 0 500 350 0 350 792 0 87 150 i 5 1 500 200 0 10 43 10 246 87 20 497 498 10 111 58 2 1 160 160 0 0 0 0 30 0 0 40 0 5 125 0 2 0 50 0 • 0 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 55 0 0 45 > 0 , 0 350 0 0 150 60 0 200 50 0 50 75 0 55 100 14 1 200 200 0 75 0 0 100 0 0 30 0 0 35 0 5 ' 3 1 400 200 0 150 0 0 250 115 0 115 185 0 85 225 ; 0 0 150 0 0 30 0 0 100 0 0 70 0 0 30 0 5 i 20 3 565 565 0 250 0 0 300 50 0 15 378 0 40 150 95 . 16 2470 2470 250 850 0 0 900 0 0 235 0 35 200 618 ! 12 . 3 2060 600 200 860 0 0 800 0 0 200 412 0 100 600 ! 3 1 230 200 25 40 0 10 40 0 0 35 50 0 80 72 5 2 1600 400 50 250 0 41 950 138 0 200 300 0 150 150 8 2 ' 700 400 40 200 0 14 350 50 0 100 150 0' 40 50 3 1 140 140 20 25 0 20 30 0 20 15 20 0 10 28

' 0 0 3840 0 30 100 0 70 1500 570 50 1500 700 50 500 800 229 . 40 15,875 6807 615 3479 556 165 •7256 2244 94 3957 5491 100 1778 3270 ed refuge population is 220 red-cockaded woodpeckers APPENDIX H Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Population Distribution

Refuge Clan Groups::Red Scele: Ont inch: appro.imalely 16.s miles Other Clan Groups: Blue AWl NDIX H NATIONAL WILDLIFE CCKPAJlTMENl'l

SCALE 'I in. : 1 m i I u

RED-CQCKADED WOODPECKER HABITAT Pineland Suitable for Colony Sites . . (Pure or mixed stands containing longleaf pine. Pond and loblolly pine stands may also be suitable.) Pineland Suitable for Foraging Sites . (Partially open pine stands greater than 10 incnes BBH.) Young Pineland Potentially Suitable For Colony Sites (Pure or mixed stands of longleaf and other .preferred, pine -.species . ) Young Pineland Potentially Suitable For Foraging Sites. (Other young pine stands.) - APPENDIX H OKEFENOKEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

• COMPARTMENT 2

N A

RED-COGKADED WOODPECKER HABITAT Pineland Suitable for Colony Sites . . (Pure or mixed stands containing longleaf pine. Pond and loblolly pine stands may also be suitable.) Pineland Suitable for Foraging Sites . (Partially open pine stands greater than 10 incnes DBH.) Young Pineland Potentially Suitable For Colony Sites '(Pure or mixed stands of longleaf and prher.preferred, pine .species.) Young Pineland Potentially Suitable For Foraging Sites. (Other young pine stands.) •

Red-Cockaded Woodpecker v. Colony or Sunnort Stand SCALE: 4 in i I rnt 12/76 APPKN1UA n

OKEFENOKEE NATIONAL W.LDL.FE REFUGE

COMPARTMENT 2

uiJrrzb

l/MIT 2

RED^COCKADED WOODPECKER HABITAT Pineland Suitable for Colony Sites . . (Pure or mixed stands containing longleaf pine. Pond and loblolly pine stands may also be suitab'le.) Pineland Suitable for Foraging Sites - (Partially open pine stands greater than 10 incnes DBH.) Young Pineland Potentially Suitable For Colony Sites (Pure or mixed stands of longleaf and • pther .preferred, pine .species.) Young Pineland Potentially Suitable For Foraging Sites. (Other young pine stands.) . SCALE 1 : 24,000 APPENDIX H

OKEFENOKEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

COMPARTMENT 2

N A

UNIT 2 c Kingfisher Landinj

R£D-COCKADED WOODPECKER HABITAT Pineland Suitable for Colony Sites . . (Pure'or mixed stands containing longleaf pine. Pond and loblolly pine stands- may also be suit'ab'le.) Pineland Suitable for Foraging Sites . (Partially open pine stands greater than 10 incnes DBH.) Young Pineland Potentially Suitable For Colony Sites (Pure or mixed stands of longleaf and UNIT 2 d m other .preferred-pine species.) Young Pineland Potentially Suitable For Foraging Sites. (Other young pine stands.) SCALE 1 : 24,000 APPENDIX H

OKEFENOKEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

COMPARTMENT 3

RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER HABITAT Pineland Suitable for Colony Sites . . (Pure or mixed stands containing longleaf pine. Pond and loblolly pine stands may also be suitab'le.) Pineland Suitable for Foraging Sites , (Partially open pine stands greater than 1.0 incn.es DBR.) Young Pineland Potentially Suitable For Colony Sites (Pure or mixed stands of longleaf and pther .prefeinred. pine .species.) Young Pineland Potentially Suitable For Foraging Sites. (Other young pine stands.) iwnmp y»rlm«t»r Rood

Ked Cockaded Woodpecker Cavity Tree

Scale: 1 inch « 1,566 ft. APPENDIX H

OKEFENOKEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

COMPARTMENT 3

RED-COGKADED WOODPECKER HABITAT Pineland Suitable lor Colony Sites . . (Pure or mixed stands containing longleaf pine. Pond and loblolly pine stands may also be suitable.) Pineland Suitable for Foraging Sites . (Pardally open pine stands greater than 10 incnes DBH.) Young Pineland Potentially Suitable For Colony Sites. (Pure or mixed stands of longleaf and pther.prefeTr.red pine .species.) 5cal*i 4 in : I m IU Young Pineland Potentially Suitable For Foraging Sites. Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Cavity -Tree (Other young pine stands.) • APPENDIX H •: OKEFENOKEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

C OMPA RTMEN T 4

RED-COGKADED WOODPECKER HABITAT Pineland Suitable for Colony Sites . . (Pure or mixed stands containing longleaf pine. Pond and loblolly pine stands may also be suitab'le.) Pineland Suitable for Foraging Sites . (Partially open pine stands greater than 10 incnes DBH.) Young Pineland Potentially Suitable For Colony Sites (Pure or mixed stands of longleaf and pther .'preferred, pine .species.) Young Pineland Potentially Suitable For Foraging Sites. (Other young pine stands.) -.

CALr: A in. = 3 mi 1e o;;.:ri;;MKi:i; IJ.M-IOKAI- WILDLIFE COMl'AKTMEN'J * a, b

KED-COCKADED WOODPECKER HABITAT Pineland Suitable for Colony Sites . (Pure or mixed stands containing mature longleaf, pond or loblolly pines.) Pineland Suitable for Foraging Sites . • (Partially open pine stands greater than 10 incnes DBH.) Young Pineland Potentially Suitable for Colony Sites (Pure or mixed stands of longleaf and "orher .preferred pine species.) " Young Pineland Potentially Suitable Scale 1:.24.000 for Foraging Sites. (Other young pine stands.)

e APPENDIX H

COfxIPARTMENT 5

RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER HABITAT Pineland Suitable for Colony Sites . . (Pure or mixed stands containing mature longleaf, pond or loblolly pines.) Pineland Suitable for Foraging Sites . (Partially open pine stands greater than 10 incnes DBH.) Young Pineland Potentially Suitable for Colony Sites (Pure or mixed stands of longleaf and other .preferred pine species.) Young Pineland Potentially Suitable for Foraging Sites. (Other young pj,ne stands.)

Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Cavity Tree APPENDIX H

OKEFEMOKEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE CO/APARTMENT 5 LAND LOT 250

N A

RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER HABITAT Pineland Suitable for Colony Sices . (Pure or mixed stands containing mature longleaf, pond or loblolly pines.) Pineland Suitable for Foraging Sites (Partially open pine stands greater than 10 incnes DBH.) Young Pineland Potentially Suitable for Colony Sites (Pure or mixed stands o'f longleaf and pther .preferred pine species.) Young Pineland Potentially Suitable for Foraging Sites. (Other young pine stands.)

S c c I c : in = 1 irile APPENDIX H

OKEFENOICEE NATIONAi L WILDLIFE REFUGE

. ._.;: COMPARTMENT 5 RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER HABITAT Pineland Suitable for Colony Sices , . (Pure or mixed stands containing mature longleaf, pond or loblolly pines.) Pineland Suitable for Foraging Sites . (Partially open pine stands greater than 10 incnes DBR.) Young Pineland Potentially Suitable for Colony Sites (Pure or mixed stands of longleaf and other preferred pine species.) Young Pineland Potentially Suitable for Foraging Sites. (Other young pine stands.)

Red-Gockaded Woodpecker Cavity Tree

Scale: 4 in = 1 mile RED-COGKADED WOODPECKER H Pineland Suitable for Colony Sites . . (Pure or mixed stands containing COMPARTMENT 6 ' mature longleaf, pond or loblolly pines.) Pineland Suitable for Foraging Sites (Partially open pine stands greater than 10 inches DBH.) Young Pineland Potentially Suitable £ or Colony Sites (Pure or mixed stands of longleaf and •other preferred pin& species.) Young Pineland Potentially Suitable __ for Foraging Sites. r.,'.;< (Other young pine stands.) . '^ COMPARTMENT 7 ...j

RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER HABITAT '

Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Cavity Tree 42

Scale: - N

Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Cavity Tree ®

COMPARTMENT 7

EAST BLOCKS

Scale: 4 in = 1 mile APPENDIX H

RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER HABITAT

Pineland Suitable for Colony Sites . (Pure or mixed stands containing mature longleaf, pond or loblolly pines.) Pineland Suitable for Foraging Sites . (Partially open pine stands greater than 10 inches DBH.) Young Pineland Potentially Suitable for Colony Sites (Pure or mixed stands of longleaf and other preferred pine species.) Young Pineland Potentially Suitable for Foraging Sites. j "j (Otber young pine stands.) . ~

COMPARTMENT 7 O.

WEST BLOCKS

Scale: 4 in = 1 mile RED-COGKADEP WOODPECKER HABITAT Pineland Suitable for Colony Sites . (Pure or mixed stands containing mature longleaf, pond or loblolly pines,) Pineland Suitable for Foraging Sites (Partially open pine stands greater than 10 inches DBH.) Young Pineland Potentially Suitable for Colony Sites (Pure or mixed stands of longleaf and Dther .preferred pine species.) Young Pineland Potentially Suitable p for Foraging Sites. t (Other young pine stands.)

COMPARTMENT 7 b

NORTH BLOCKS

Scale; 4 in = i mile RED-COGKADED WOODPECKER. HABITAT Pineland Suitable for Colony Sites . . I (Pure or mixed stands containing mature longleaf, pond or loblolly pines.) a COMPARTMENT/- 7 b- Pineland Suitable for Foraging Sites . H (Partially open pine stands greater SOUTH BLOCKS th-an 10 inches DBH. )• Young Pineland Potentially Suitable for Colony Sites Scale: 4 in = 1 mi1e (Pure or mixed stands of longleaf and ptaer .prefer.red pine species.) Young Pineland Potentially Suitable n for Foraging Sites. [i (Other young pine stands.) COMPARTMENT 7 c

EAST KUiCKf

Ui N

RED-COGKADED WOODPECKER HABITAT Pineland Suitable for Colony Sites (Pure .or mixed stands containing mature longleaf., pond or loblolly pines.) Pineland Suitable for Foraging Sites .| (Partially open pine stands greater than 10 inches DBH.) Young Pineland Potentially Suitable for Colony Sites (Pure or mixed stands of longleaf and other preferred pine species.) Young Pineland Potentially Suitable for Foraging Sites. W (Other young pine stands.) . &-

CO GA. VJES7 BLOClCf-

n.i

RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER HABITAT Pineland Suitable for Colony Sites . (Pure or mixed stands containing manure longleaf, pond or lob- N lolly .pines.) Pineland Suitable for Foraging Sites (Partially open pine stands greater than 10 inches DBH.)' • Young Pineland Potentially Suitable for Colony, Sites ' (Pure or mixed stands of longleaf and ptlaer .preferred pine species.) Toung Pineland "Potentially Suitable r for Foraging Sites...... I i (Other young pine stands.) RED-GOCKADED WOODPECKER HABITAT Pineland Suitable for Colony Sines . (Pure or mixed stands containing mature longleaf, pond or lob- N lolly pines .) Pineland Suitable for Foraging Sites (Partially open pine stands greater than 10 inches DBH.) Young Pineland Potentially Suitable for Colony Sites (Pure or mixed stands of longleaf and •other preferred pine species.) Young Pineland Potentially Suitable r for Foraging Sites. I . (Other young pine stands.) APPENDIX H

COMPARTMENT 8 W E S

Sites . .|fl£ tain ing ing Sites ds ; greater

Suitable longleaf and cies . ) Suitable APPENDIX H e COMPARTMENT 8

EAST

RtU —l^UVjivti^^^ . Pineland Suitable for Colony Sites . . (Pure or mixed stands containing mature longleaf, pond or loblolly pines,) Pineland Suitable for Foraging Sites (Partially open pine stands greater than 10 inches DBH.) Young Pineland Potentially Suitable for Colony Sites (Pure or mixed stands of longleaf and other .preferred pine species.) Young Pineland Potentially Suitable for Foraging Sites. (Other young pine stands.)

i- : p;- • ''' f7:-L;.! ^. OH*: J

J APPENDIX H

RED-GOCKADED WOODPECKER HABITAT Pineland Suitable for Colony Sices . (Pure or mixed stands containing mature longleaf, pond or loblolly pines.) Pineland Suitable for Foraging Sites (Partially open pine stands greater than 10 inches DBH.)- Young Pineland- Potentially Suitable for Colony Sites (Pure or mixed stands of longleaf and •other-preferred pine species.) Young Pineland Potentially Suitable .for Foraging Sites. (Other young pine stands.)

Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Cavity TreejSjj

N APPENDIX H

RED--COCKADED WOODPECKER HABITAT Pineland Suitable for Colony Sites . (Pure or mixed- stands containing mature longleaf, pond or loblolly pines,) Pineland Suitable for Foraging Sites (Partially open pine stands greater . than 10 inches DBH.) Young Pineland Potentially Suitable for Colony Sites (Pure or mixed stands of long'leaf and' •other preferred pine species.) Young Pineland Potentially Suitable for Foraging Sites. (Other young pine stands.)

Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Cavity

COMPARTMENT [Q RED-COCKADEP WOODPECKER HABITAT APPENDIX H Pineland Suitable for Colony Sices . . (Pure or mixed stands containing mature longleaf,, pond or loblolly pines .)• Pineland Suitable for Foraging Sites . (Partially open pine stands greater than 10 inches DBH.) Young Pineland Potentially Suitable for Colony Sites (Pure or mixed stands of longleaf and other preferred pine species.) Young Pineland Potentially Suitable for Foraging Sites. (Other young pine stands.)

COMPAKYMEWT il

OKEHENOKEE NATIONAL. WILDLIFE R E F U G U ...l&ifliO: RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER HABITAT APPENDIX H Pineland Suitable for Colony Sites . . f (Pure or mixed stands containing mature longleaf, pond or loblolly pines.) I Pineland Suitable for Foraging Sites . I (Partially open pine stands greater than 10 inches DBR.) SCALE; .] ;,, : Voting Pineland Potentially Suitable for Colony Sices (Pure or mixed stands of longleaf and other -preferred pine species.) Young Pineland Potentially Suitable for Foraging Sites. (Onher young pine stands.)

*•' J::,-, :.'iPqM: T _..-.,'-i*.-w*.A*ri .dfl^tfe.r-'-'-','-/-'-*""..'' L -,-'•-" "'- '

\f:fT-'i*V-J *-*.. J I —_'-;* II, :.W^'-^fe^V :--%&^^^:D;-

•^ - Pi"-:):-^r-^v -—•: ^ "f 'fe^-':-^yi'—~ \ -V>:.'", -.. --. 7 '-%"':,**''' ^.* '.-

, C*\_i- f;-i3/^ P1 .i\' -i: ?v 1Y 1 A'\{r [ v \. ;. ?-!j i'|tl f fi 6L- o,

Red-Gockaded Woodpecker Cavity Tree aB

O E F G N O K E t N A T I O N A L WILDLIFE REFUGE OKEFENOKE E NATIONAoTl L WILDLIFE REFUGE APPENDIX H

C OUPAFUM EUT 1*3

\Xs^i":1vio'.^.3iS:^i'JE:J^Jr;.;V-/

RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER HABITAT I Pincland Suitable for Colony Sices . .« (Pure or mixed stands containing mature longleaf, pond or loblolly pines .) |g IE Pineland Suitable for Foraging Sites .Si (Partially open pine stands greater than 10 inches DBH.) Young Pineland Potentially Suitable for Colony Sites (Pure or mixed stands of longleaf and other preferred pine species.) Young Pineland Potentially Suitable jffl for Foraging Sites. ™ vnnnp nlnP s fanHs . "1 APPENDIX H

OKEFENOKEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

COMPARTMENT 14

r -,<„,*•.--'.-,^.-i^f_; ..tifccisw*.; ;_•;. /• "'v-V-''.-; f .-j-~^fO"'i'A5<''•:',:''*'',; !*''-.'- . -1- • / .^...•-H;--).m^..• -•• *.•:• >.. • - /

,.:"'v':' •^-.^'"^•r;/.; "-.'••"^••ii.».:^""- ••• ''"V ~*v^:-i--::.l I £**•*•'< "*'V-'..- 1Jv \D WOODPECKER HABITAT

Pineland Suitable for Colony Sites . (Pure or mixed stands containing mature longleaf, pond or loblolly pines.) Pineland Suitable for Foraging Sites (Partially open pine stands greater than 10 inches DBH.) Young Pineland Potentially Suitable for Colony Sites (Pure or mixed stands of longleaf and nnher .preferred pine species.) "i'oung Pineland Potentially Suitable for Foraging Sites. (Other young pine stands.) RED-CQCKADED WOODPECKER HABITAT Pineland Suitable for Colony Sites . . (Pure or mixed stands containing mature longleaf, pond or loblolly pines.) Pineland Suitable for Foraging Sites . (Partially open pine stands greater tban 10 inches DBH.) Young Pineiand Potentially Suitable for Colony Sites . (Pure or mixed stands of longleaf and other preferred pine species.) Young Pineland Potentially Suitable for Foraging Sites. i. (Other young pine stands.) Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Cavity APPENDIX "J" SWAMP INTERIOR ISLANDS

TOTAL SWAMP RCWP* PRESCRIBED DATE * WILDERNESS PUBLIC ISLAND AREA AREA " - COLONIES EIRE LAST AREA USE (ACRES) (ACRES) MANAGEMENT BURNED

V "Bear Pen 12 0 NO 1955-W YES None

Billy ' s 3,319 230 17 YES 1986 -P YES Walking Trail

Blackjack 3,253 75 3 YES 1984-P YES None

Boatlanding 175 0 __ YES 1955-W PART None

Brooms tr aw' 108 0 NO 1955-W YES None

Buck '18 0 NO 1955-W NO None

Bugaboo 352 0 1 YES 1984-P YES None i Burnt 4 . 0 NO 1955-W YES None

Bush 8 0 NO 1955-W YES None

Camp 56 0 NO 1955-W YES None

Cedar Hamm'ock . 9 0 — NO 1955-W YES Canoe Trail Stop Charles . . - 6 - 0 — NO - 1955-W YES None

Cravens Hammock 53 . 0 — NO 1955-W YES Canoe Trail Stop.

Cravens Island 58 0 — NO 1955-W YES None

J-l 0

APPENDIX "J" SWAMP INTERIOR ISLANDS

TOTAL SWAMP ' RCWP* PRESCRIBED; DATE A WILDERNESS PUBLIC ISLAND AREA. AREA. COLONIES FIRE • LAST AREA USE (ACRES) (ACRES) . MANAGEMENT ' BURNED

YES None Dog. 28 0 — NO 1955-W Ellicotts 147 2 — NO 1955-W YES None

Floyds 628 19 • — YES 1986-W YES Canoe Trail Stop

1955-W YES None Fowls Roost 195 8 — NO 1955-W YES None ^ Grassy 32 0 — NO

Hickory Hammock 71 0 — NO 1955-W YES None

1955-W PART None Hickory Island 110 0 — NO 1955-W YES •' None Hilliard 17 0 — -- NO Hog .... 34 2 — NO 1955-W NO None

loney 2,277- 89 2 YES 1985-86-W YES' - None

Honey Scrub 37 0 — - "NO 19'55-W ; YES N9ne .

Horse * _ 26 ' 0 — NO 1955^-J PART None. None Indian 66 0 — NO ; 1955-W NO

Indian Mound 65 0 — NO 1955-W YES None

J-2 APPENDIX "J" SWAMP INTERIOR ISLANDS

TOTAL SWAMP RCWP* PRESCRIBED DATE * WILDERNESS PUBLIC ISLAND AREA AREA COLONIES EIRE ' LAST " AREA USE .(ACRES) (ACRES) MANAGEMENT " BURNED

Jack 72 0 — NO 1955-W • YES None

Little J^ine 9 0 NO 1955-2 YES ' None — Little (Ridley's) 31 o' YES •1984-P NO . Walking Trail — Little Fidlers 17 0 YES 1974-P NO None. — NO 1955-W • YES None x Lloyd 18 0 —

Macks . .22 0 YES 1974-P NO' / Fishing — NO 19.8 4-P NO • 1 "None Meaj t 18 0 — 1984-P NO Eishing Middle 42 0 — NO 1955-W YES None Minnies 822 7 — YES Mitchell 1,008 14 2 YES 1984-P YES None

1955-W NO Camping Mixons Hammock 52 0 — NO 1955-W YES ' None Moonshine Ridge 90 - 0 — NO

Number .One 201 13 NO 1984-P YES None — Palmetto 28 0 — NO 1955-W NO None !..

J-3 APPENDIX "J" SWAMP INTERIOR ISLANDS

.TOTAL SWAMP RCWP* PRESCRIBED "DATE * WILDERNESS PUBLIC ., ISLAND AREA "• AREA COLONIES • FIRE LAST AREA USE .( ACRES)- (ACRES)' • MANAGEMENT - •' -BURNED

Pine 88 0 - YES 1955-W PART t None

Pope 20 1 NO 1955-W YES None — Roasting Ear 144 2- NO 1955-W YES "None — Rowells 763 22 YES 1955-W YES None —

Strange 1,850 127 YES 198 1-P YES None s — Unnamed (West of Sill) •31 0 NO 1955-W YF.S Nnrt<=> Unnamed (East of Cravens Ham.) 28 0 NO 1955-W YttS "Kfnno

•

• • H - - •* .

TOTALS 16,518 ' 611 26 I — — — —

J-4 APPENDIX "K"

DESCRIPTION OF VEGETATIVE TYPES on OKEFENOKEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

Following are detailed descriptions of each major vegetative type found on Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. Wetland area descriptions are taken directly from Hamilton, David B,, 1982. Plant Succession and Influence of Disturbance in the Okefenokee Swamp, Georgia,.Qkefenokee Ecosystem Investi- gations , Technical Report #9, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia. Where possible, Society of American Foresters, forest cover types will be refer- ences for each cover type described. Upland descriptions were taken from Eyre, F. H. (Ed.) 1980, Forest Cover Types of the United States and Canada, Society of American Foresters, Washington, D,C.

A. Southern Scrub Oak - (SAP type 72) This forest cover type consists of a mixture of scrub oaks that may include several of the following species: turkey oak, bluejack oak, live oak and myrtle oak. The type is common throughout the southeastern Coastal Plain especially in the sand hills, or dry, sandy ridges {Van Lear, 1980). On Okefenokee Refuge, this type is found on dry, infertile, excessively drained soils on almost imper- ceptable rises known locally as oak hammocks'(hummocks). Some of these stands were longleaf pine stands with scrub oak in the understory. In other cases, the dry, infertile soils would not support enough longleaf pine to provide fine fuel to allow fires to pass through the area. With this natural exclusion of fire, the stand passed through the successional stage to scrub oak. These species have adapted to droughty conditions, are shade tolerant, and once established are self perpetuating if fire is excluded. Generally, there is not enough fine fuel to carry fire through these areas. Ground vegetation is sparse with patches of bare ground often exposed. Understory species include persimmon, sumac, gopher apple, blueberry, an occasional saw palmetto and wire grasses (Van Lear, 1980). B. Longleaf Pine (SAF type 70) Longleaf pine is pure or comprises a majority of the trees in the overstory. In the Okefenokee Refuge area, slash pine is often associated. Principal hardwoods associated include several scrub oak species, black gum, persimmon and sweetgum. Ground cover species commonly found in this area are wiregrass, gallberry, saw . palmetto, myrtle, yaupon, shining sumac, blueberries, huckleberries and gopher apple. Ground cover density and species vary considerably depending upon soil conditions (Boyer, 1980). While distribution of longleaf pine within the refuge area has .decreased in the past, it has

K-l now stabilized and in some cases is increasing. Because of its importance in the management of the endangered redcockaded woodpecker, longleaf is being favored during thinning operations and is being planted in regeneration areas wherever site conditions are favorable. Periodic prescribed burning is holding back the gradual conversion to slash pine or scrub oak. C. Long leaf-Slash Pine (SAF type 83) This type occurs on a variety of sites since the range of both species is from dry sandy ridges to poorly drained flatwoods. It occurs most often, however, where fire is excluded from longleaf pine stands where a slash pine seed source is present. With or without fire, this type is temporary. Burning destroys slash regeneration and exclusion of fire will allow hardwoods to dominate the understory and eventually the overstory. Common associates are various oak species, persimmon, red maple, sweetgum and blackgum. Woody ground cover species are gallberry, saw palmetto, sweetbay, blackgum, swamp cyrilla, greenbriars, lyonias, blueberries, and blackberries. Herbaceous ground cover species include wiregrass, bluestem grasses, panecums, deer-tongue and others (Grelen, 1080).

D* Slash Pine (SAF type 84) Because of its susceptibility to fire, slash pine was formerly confined to bay swamps, boggy flatwoods, and coastal slash pine flatwoods where fire is not normally expected except during times of drought. Fire suppression along with the removal of longleaf pine has allowed this species to invade vast areas originally covered by longleaf pine {Hodges, 1980). It has also been planted exten- sively in many areas because of its rapid growth. Slash pine was planted in several former longleaf pine stands on Okefenokee Refuge after the 1954-55 wildfire. Associated species are sweetbay, swamp tupelo, pond cypress, pond pine, loblolly bay, live oak, red maple, water oak and laural oak. On better drained sites, it is associated with loblolly pine, longleaf pine and several oaks. Ground cover on very wet sites may be limited to sphagnum moss. On moist to wet sites, undergrowth includes wax-myrtle, gallberry, dahoon, yaupon and pitcher plants. On better drained soils, gallberry, saw palmetto, dwarf huckleberry, blueberry and several grasses are present {Hodges, 1980). This type includes the pine wetland areas described by Hamilton, 1982. E. Pond Pine {SAF type 98) Pond pine on Okefenokee Refuge occurs primarily on wet sites that have a history of severe burns which have eliminated slash pines and hardwoods. Pond pine is a fire type having serotinous cones which open and release seed after fire. The species possess the ability to reform a crown by sprouting following wildfires. It is associated with slash pine, loblolly pine, pond cypress, swamp tupelo, red maple, sweetbay, loblolly bay and red bay. Common components of its very dense understory are gallberry, greenbriar, swamp cyrilla, wax myrtle.and.others (Johnson,1980). F. Loblolly Pine {SAF .type 81) Very few pure loblolly pine stands are present on Okefenokee Refuge. Scattered loblolly pines are found in moderately wet sites in association with slash pine and slash-longleaf pine stands. The individual trees are important because they often

K-2 extend the range of a red-cockaded woodpecker colony beyond the borders of a longleaf pine stand. Sane pure stands are present, however, in abandoned clearings or settlements such as occurred on Billy's Island or other islands. These pure loblolly stands are also useful in red- cockaded woodpecker management. G. Sweetbay-Swamp Tupelo-Redbay (SAP type 104) - A great many species which grow on moist to wet sites are associated with this hardwood type. These include red maple, black tupelo, loblolly bay, sweetgum, water oak, laurel oak, yellow poplar American holly, southern magnolia, pond cypress and several pine species (Larsen, 1980). On Okefenokee Refuge, these are climax stands that succeed slash pine growing on wetter sites. Many understory species may be associated with this type.

H* BaV (Gordonia lasianthus, Persea palustris, Magnolia virginiana). Bay forests form fairly uniform stands with over 80% cover of broad-leaved evergreen trees. Dominant species include Gordonia lasianthus, Persea palustrisf Magnolia virginiana, Ilex coriacea, and I. cassine. Small patches of shrub are corrmonly mixed with the bay. Scattered cypress and pine may compose less than 20% of the canopy. Sphagnum spp. is ccmnon as ground cover {Hamilton, 1982). Although this type would be included in SAF type 104, these types and all of the following vegetation types are located within the swamp while the preceding types are generally found on the upland and are separated for management purposes. *- Cypress - (SAF type 100). Pond cypress (Taxodium ascendens) occurs in the swamp as scattered individuals, small patches interspersed with other vegetation, and as large stands. This mapping unit distinguishes large stands in which cypress comprises over 75% of the canopy. The subcanopy is often dominated by broad-leaved evergreen species and the understory by scrub/shrub species. Sphagnum spp. comtonly occurs in this habitat (Hamilton, 1982). J. Blackgum - (aAF type 103), Blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica var. biflora) forests with scattered cypress are found primarily in the western portion of Okefenokee Swamp. Blackgum is found as sprout growth in areas where logging removed both cypress and blackgum, and as mature blackgum forests where only cypress was logged. The subcanopy, where it occurs, contains broad-leaved evergreen and some broad-leaved deciduous trees (primarily Nyssa sylvatica var. biflora and Acer rubrum) and shrubs. The understory is relatively open, commonly with Sphagnum spp. as a ground cover (Hamilton, 1982). K. Bay Cypress - (SAF type 104). Forests dominated by bays, but having over 25% scattered cypress canopy, are distinguished from either bay or cypress dominated stands (Hamilton, 1982). L. Mixed Cypress - (SAF type 100). Forests with a cypress dominated canopy (over 50%),~~ but with at least two other dominants are mapped as a complex. The cypress may be mixed with blackgum, bay, pine, or shrub. Small open prairie patches covering less than 10% of the mapping unit are sometimes visible. This mapping unit intergrades with three other types and 'is separated f ran them as f ollows: 1) the shruh^cypress type has greater than 50% shrub; 2) the shrub-prairie type has greater than 10% prairie and less than 50% cypress; and 3} the cypress/shrub/prairie complex has less than 50% cypress and less than 50% shrub (Hamilton, 1982), M. Cypress/Shrub/Prairie - (The overstory component of this stand is SAF type 100). A complex of small contiguous cypress, shrub, and prairie patches. The amount of any one component is variable, but prairies cover at lest 10% of the area. The abundance of cypress, as scattered individuals or small stands, separates this unit from the shrut^prairie type (Hamilton, 1982).

N. Mixed Wetland Pine - (SAF type 104). The mixed wetland pine complex contains a canopy of at least 30% pine mixed with two or more other vegetation types. Cypress, bay, scrub, shrub, and prairie may be present in various proportions {Hamilton, 1982).

0. Evergreen or Deciduous, Broad-Leaved Shrubs - (Scrub-Shrub Wetland). Lyonia lucida, Cyrilla racemiflora, Itea virginica, Ilex spp., Clethra alnifolia. Shrub dominated communities (over 75% area coverage) are found throughout the swamp. Shrub communities may be dominated by broad- leaved evergreen or broad—leaved deciduous species. No attempt was made to separate evergreen dominated from deciduous dominated communities. Evergreen shrubs include: Lyonia lucida, Ilex cassine, I_. coriacea, and I_. glabra. Deciduous shrubs include: Cyrilla racemiflora, Cephalanthus occidentalis, Clethra alnifolia, Itea virginica, Leucothoe racemosa, and Vaccinium spp. In addition to these shrubs, evergreen vines such as Smilax laurifolia may cover shrubby areas masking-their true deciduous nature. Small bay trees are indistinguishable from evergreen shrubs in aerial photographs and are included in this category (Hamilton, 1982).

P. Needle-Leaved or Broad-Leaved, Deciduous _Shru_b - (Scrub-Shrub Wetland). Taxedium ascendens or Nyssa sylvtica var. biflora. Young cypress and young blackgum are indistinguishable in the aerial photography and both species are common throughout the swamp. Young trees (scrub) in this vegetation type are dense, even-aged, and relatively low (less than 6 rn. tall). Shrub composes at least 75% of the mapping unit (Hamilton, 1982).

Q. Scrub/Shrub - (Mixed Scrub-Shrub Wetland). In many locations small patches of scrub and shrub occur together in a complex. Either type may be dominant and less than 25% of the area contains other mapping units (Hamilton, 1982).

R. Shrub-Pine - (Mixed Scrub-Shrub Wetland). Shrubs comprise at least 50% of the shrub-pine category, forming a continuous understory beneath frequently scattered pines. Small bay trees are included as shrubs when they occur. Scattered cypress and small patches of prairie may occur. This mapping unit is distinguished from shrut^bay by the abundance-'of pine and from the mixed pine mapping by the co-dominance of shrubs {Hamilton, 1982).

K-4 S. Shrub-Cypress - (Mixed Scrub-Shrub Wetland) - Shrubs comprise over 50% of the shrub-cypress complex. Cypress occurs as scattered individuals or as small patches. Bay, pine, and prairie may also be present (Hamilton, 1982),

T> Shrub-Bay - (Mixed Scrub-Shrub Wetland). Shrubs are dominant in this mapping unit (at least 50%) with bays exhibiting about 25% cover. Other vegetation types may be present. This complex is used when shrubs are obvious and dominant under an open bay canopy (Hamilton, 19,82). U. Shrub/Prairie - (Mixed Scrub-Shrub Wetland). Large patches of shrub and prairie form a complex in which either shrub or prairie may comprise 25 to 50% of the area. Less than 25% of the area includes other vegetation types. Although some individual shrub and prairie patches may be large enough to map separately, the regularity of mottling in air photos suggests that they are better described as part of a complex (Hamilton, 1982). v- Scrub-Pine - (Mixed Scrub-Shrub Wetland). Young trees are the most characteristic component of this complex (50 to 80% cover). Scattered pine are frequent and shrubs may compose up to 25% of this mapping unit (Hamilton, 1982). W. Scrub-Prairie - (Mixed Scrub-Shrub Wetland). Areas of young deciduous trees which are frequently interrupted by patches of prairie {either type), or in which prairie is obvious beneath the canopy, are included in this mapping unit. Either prairie type may be dominant. Shrubs and scattered mature cypress may also occur (Hamilton, 1982). X. Herbaceous Prairie (Carex spp., Panicum spp., Andropogon virginicus, Woodwardla' virginica) - Shallow marshes of the Okefenokee are locally called "prairies." Although the term is incorrect in a phytogeographical sense, this long-standing term is found in earlier literature on the swamp (Wright and Wright, 1932; Hopkins, 1947; Cypert, 1961) and is used on U. S. Geological Survey topographical maps. On the .present vegetation map, two types of prairie are recognized: the persistent herbaceous prairie and the aquatic macrophyte prairie (described under mixed aquatic bad below) (Hamilton, 1982). The herbaceous prairie is Geminated by emergent such as Carex spp. and maidencane (Panicum spp.). In some regions, brocmsedge (Andropogon virginicus) is locally dominant. Other taxa often found in herbaceous prairies include:' Chain fern (Wcoowardia virginica), pitcher plants Sarracenis spp.), swamp loosestrife (Decadon verticillatus), paint root (Lacnanthes tinctoria), wampee (Peltandria virginica), golden club (Orontium aquaticum), water lily (Nymphaea odorata), pipewort (Eriocaulon compressum) , and yellow-eyed grass (Xyris smalliana). Less than 10% of the area in open water. As much as 25% of the area may include other vegetation types (Hamilton, 1982),

K-5 Y. Aquatic Macrophyte Prairie (Nyinphaea odorata, Spatterdock (Nuphar luteum) , Orontium aquaticum, Bladderwort (Utrlcularia spp.) - This prairie type is vegetated primarily by Nymphaea odorata C on the eastern side of the swamp), Nuphar luteum (on the western side), and floating heart (Nymphoides aquaticum). Orontium aquaticum, pickerel weed (Pontedaria cordata), Peltandra virginica, Ericaulon cctnpressum, and Xyris smalliana, though herbaceous emergents, are also common. Masses of Utricularia spp. and green algae are abundant sutzrergents. Sphagnum spp. occurs in shallow areas. Many of these prairies contain small is lands of trees, shrubs, or herbaceous vegetation, commonly referred to as "tree houses" or "batteries." These islands cover less1than 50% of this mapping unit.

X-6 APPENDIX K

VEGETATIVE TYPES

ACREAGE SUMMARY WETLANDS

Habitat Type Appendix "K." SAF Vegetative Type Map Description Acres % Swamp Area Text Pgs. 55-58 Reference Type

1. Broad Leaved Broad Leaved" Evergreen h 103, 15,824. 4.3% Swamp Forest Bay 104

Broad Leaved Deciduous J 103, Blackgum 104

2. Cypress Needle Leaved Deciduous i 100 11,911. 3.3% Forest Cypress ( > 75% cypress)

3 . Pine Swamp Needle Leaved Evergreen n 728. 0.2% Forest Slash Pine

4. Mixed Forested Mixed Fores ted"Wetland; Wetland Bay/Cypress (bay dominant) k 104 55,659. 15 . 3% Mixed Cypress (cypress dominant) 1 100 Cypress /Shrub /Prairie m Mixed Pine (Pine dominant) n

. •

K-7 APPENDIX K

VEGETATIVE TYPES

ACREAGE SUMMARY WETLANDS

Habitat Type Appendix "K" SAP Vegetative Type Map Description Acres % Swamp Area Text Pgs. 55-58 Ref erence Type

5. Scrub-Shrub Scrub-Shrub Wetland: 231,187. 63.5% Swamp Evergreen or deciduous broad leaved shrubs ; - Shrub o Needle-leaved or broad leaved deciduous scrub: - Scrub P

Mixed Scrub-Shrub Wetland: Scrub/Shrub - q Shrub-pine (Shrub dominant) r Shrub-cypress (Shrub dominant) s Shrub-bay (Shrub .dominant) t Shrub/Prairie u Scrub -Pine (Scrub dominant) V Scrub-Prairie (Scrub dominant) w

6, Herbaceous Emergent- Wetland : 10,914. 3.9% Prairie (Grasses Persistent Herbaceous Prairie X & Sedges)

7. Aquatic Macrophyte Aquatic bed: Prairie (Mixed Mixed aquatic bed y 36,742. 10.1% Aquatics) Aquatic Macrophyte Prairie

3. Open Flowing Water Lakes 728. 0.2% Lakes 363.693. APPENDIX K

VEGETATIVE TYPES

ACREAGE SUMMARY UPLAND HABITAT TYPES

.Acres Acres * Habitat Type . . Descriptive Information, Appendix "K" SAP 'Forest Upland Percent Text Pgs. 55-58 Map Designations, etc. Reference Type Management Wilderness Upland Compartments Islands Area l.U Southern Scrub Upland Hardwoods (UH) a 72 277 180 1.4% XOak *«? 2 .- Sandy Scrub Upland Hardwoods (UH) a 72 - 38 '0.1% 'Oak

3. Mature, All P3C b 70 550 2400 9.3% Aged Longleaf Pine

4 . Mature Mixed P3B, P3C ' ' c 83 922 2900 12.0%' Pine (over 80 years)

5. Mature Slash P3B, P3C ' d 84 446 1700 6.8% Pine (over 80 years)

6. Mixed Pine P3B, P3C b,c,d 70,83, 3472 4200 24.5% (40-80 years) sometimes 84,98,

7. Pine (32-40 P3A, P3B b,e,d 70,83, 2085 3400 17.3% years) sometimes 84,98, e,f 81

K-9 o APPENDIX K

VEGETATIVE TYPES

ACREAGE SUMMARY UPLAND HABITAT TYPES

Acres Acres * Habitat Type Descriptive Information, Appendix "K" SAF Forest Upland Percent Text Pgs. 55-58 Map Designations, etc. Reference Type Management Wilderness Upland Compartments Islands Area 8. Young Pine P2A, P2B, P2C b,c,d, 70,83, 4999 650 17.8% (16-32 years) sometimes 84,81, e,f 98

9. Pine Saplings PI b,c,d, 70,83, 680 150 2.6% sometimes 84,81, e,f 98 - 10 , Regeneration PI b,c,d, 70,83, Areas sometimes 84,81, 98 207 ~ 0.7% -' ; e,f 11. Pineland Under- Located in longleaf P3C b, (1472) - - story (Grass) stands; short burning sometimes N/A cycle •• • .-, c

12. Pineland Under- Mature forestland burned c,d,e story (Low on a 4-year or shorter or N/A (8572) - - brush) burning cycle f

13. Pineland Under- Pine forestland burned on c,d,e story (High a 5-year or greater or N/A (5166) - - brush) buirning cycle f

14. Hardwoods HB g 104 1055 900 6.2% (Lowland) Mixed

K-10 ft APPENDIX K

VEGETATIVE TYPES

ACREAGE SUMMARY UPLAND HABITAT TYPES

..*: ''Acres 'Acres* Habitat Type Descriptive .Information, Appendix "K" SAF-S Forest Upland Percent Text Pgs. 87-89 Map Designations, etc. Reference Type Management Wilderness Upland Compartments Islands Area

15. Pine-Swamp Upland Pine-swamp Transition Interface - - - - - Zone

16. Openings Section Section II.?. 3 - - 600 - 1.9%

17. Edge Interface between--" ,- Openings and all - - - -'- ' other habitats

18. Uplands (Borrow ditches, pits, Ponds etc.) - - 4 - 0.1%

TOTALS 15,304 16,518

K-ll APPENDI:.MPX K VEGETATIVE TYPES

K-0. APPENDIX "L"

PI-ANN ISO BURNING CYCLES FOR VOREST MANAGEMENT COMPARTMENTS AND WILDERNESS ISLANDS

V 2 3 4 5 6 7 BKS ACRES 11 KS ACRES BKS ACR.ES BKS ACRES BKS ACRES BKS CYCLES BKS CYCLES

Compartment 1 - - - - 1-12 660 13-25 600 - - -

Compartment 2 - - 1-3 .154 - - - - 2a,2b 181 2c,2d 44 ' - - i Compartment 3 Plots 27 44-48 200. 1-16 500. 17-28 200 - . - - - - i Ridleys Compartment 4 Is;, 25 112 - - - - 1-24 416 71 - - 27 20 26 , p,bt£ c 257?B~ _ 29, ^Q1 fPW Compartment 5 - - - - - 1-24 725 185 32' ' 215 26 28

_ _ (8) Compartment: 6 - - - - 23-33 '430 1-18 550 - - 99 20

_ 19, Compartment 7 1-17, - - - n- 700 - - 20-55 1,250 56-63 270 - - * CLinipiirtiment 8 ' - - . - p-16, 350 1240 S?SP 60 — — " E8-31, 1.7-2? — 34,37 .12,33 35,36 38

-Stephen C. Foster State Park APPENDIX "L"

PLANNED BURNING CYCLES FOR FOREST.MANAGEMENT COMPARTMENTS AND WILDERNESS ISLANDS

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ' -BKS ACRES BKS ACRES 'BKS ACRES 'BKS ACRES BKS ACRES BKS CYCLES BKS CYCLES

Compartment 9 ------1-3 335 ------

Compartment 10 ------1-2 205 ------.

_?% ; Compartment 11 ------1-11 360 12-15 225 - - - •

Compartment 12 '- - - - 1-11 250 - - - - • - - - '

Compartment 13 ------2-20 980 - - 1 200 -

-fe '-' Compartment 14 ~ - - - . - - - """_ 1-4 230 - - - i1

Compartment 15 ~ - - - 1-18 950 - - 19-22 200 - - -

TOTALS - FOREST MANAGEMENT - - - - „ - - COMPARTMENTS 139 704' ' 2400 6801 „ 2J572 459 68 _ M/E/YEAR - 139 - '352 ' 800 1700 - 514 - 53 - 10

L-2 APPENDIX "L"

PLANNED HURNING CYCLES FOR "FOREST MANAGEMENT COMPARTMENTS AHD WILDERNESS ISLANDS

_ . 2 3 I 5 6 7 BKS ACRES ' BKS ACRES UKS ACR.ES BKS ACRES 13KS ACRES 1MCS CYCLES BKS CYCLES

Billy's Island - - - 3319 ------

Honey Island , - - - 2277 „ ------,/s Boatlanding _ - - - - ~ Island 175 - - - . - - - - ^T1 _ ;'! - - _ _ Pine Island - 88 - „ - - ~ - - i JRowells Island - - 763 ------, - . i

_ _ 'Strange Island - - 1850 ------• -

_ - Bugaboo Island - 352 - r ------i .'• Number One Island - - 201 - - ~ - - - - - ,,_ -

L-3 APPENDIX "L"

PUNNED BURNING CYCLES .FOR FOREST MANAGEMENT COMPARTMENTS AMI) WILDERNESS ISLANDS

1 2 a i 5 6 7 !iKS ACRES BKS ACRES BKS ACRES BKS ACHES 15 KS " ACRES BKS CYCLES 1JKS CYCLES '_ | Blackjack Island - - - 3253 ------

Mitchell Island - - - 1008 _ ------

Experimental _ _ - - - - - . -' - - Swamp Burns X X - t';.

• r~& '* :' **-. ^ '•V ': ". ( - ''" '

'" ' ' . '-

>. . - s - ,*. 1 'a'i j APPENDIX "L"

FOREST MANAGEMENT COMPARTMENT PRESCRIBED 'BURNING DATA

. PLANNED COMPARTMENT BLOCKS ACRES BURNING CYCLE' LAST YEAR BURNED

1 1-12 660 4 1983

1 13-25 600 5 1985

• 2 1-3 154 2 1984

2 2a, 2b 181 5 1975

2 2c, 2d 44 6 1954

3 Plots 27 1 198.6

3 44-48 200 2 1986"

3 1-16 .500 • 3- . 1985 • ' j .

3 '' 17-28 "200 • 4 1985,

Ridley's Isl. , 4 Elks. 25,26, 112 1 1985 Plots

L-5 APPENDIX "L"

FOREST MANAGEMENT COMPARTMENT1 PRESCRIBED BURNING DATA

. — • • — ~ PLANNED COMPARTMENT BLOCKS ACRES 11URNTNG CYCLE LAST YEAR BURNED

4 1-24 416 4 1984

4 4a, 4b, 4c 71 5 1985

4 27 20 7 1984

5 1-24 725 4 1982

25, 28, 27, 30, 5 31, 33, 34, 35, 185 5 1984 36

5 27, 32, L.L.260 215 6 1979

5 26 28 7 1954

6 23-33 430 4 1984

6 1-18 550 5 1984

6 22 20 7 1979 1

L-6 APPENDIX "L"

FOREST MANAGEMENT COMPARTMENT PRESCRIBED BURNING DATA

PLANNED COMPARTMENT BLOCKS ACRES BURNING CYCLE LAST YEAR BURNED

7 1-17, 21 700 3 1984

"Plantatior s 7 19, 20-55 1250 5 Never Burr ed

7 56-63 270 6 1978

6, 13-16, 28-31, 350 2 1985 8 34, 37

1-5, 7-12, 17-27, 8 32,33,35,36,38 1240 4 1985

State Park 60 8 Area 5 1984

L954, 1982 9 1-3 335 4 1985

10 1-2 205 4 1986

11 1-11 ' 360 4 1986 f

11 12-15 225 5 1977

L-7 APPENDIX "L"

FOREST MANAGEMENT COKPARTMENT PRESCRIBED BURNING DATA

PLANNED COMPARTMENT BLOCKS ACRES BURNING CYCLE LAST' YEAR BURNED

12 1-11 250 3 1983

13 2-20 980 4 1981

13 1 "200 6 1986-W

14 1-4 230 5 1986

. 15 1-18 950 3 1984,1986

15 19-22 200 5 1984

.,_-..

L-l APPENDIX L Distribution of Prescribed Fire Areas For Various Burning Cycles

One Year Burning Cycle .... Two Year Burning Cycle .... ' Three Year Burning Cycle ... . Four Year Burning Cycle ....< Five Year Burning Cycle .... Six Year Burning • Cycle ..... Seven Year Burning Cycle ... .

t OKKKKNOKKE NATIONAL WILDLIFE KEFUCE

UNITED STATES PRESCRIBED BURNING CYCLES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE

See Appendix L9 for color key to various burning cycles

t T .11 jm » ^.^ • o I/M^sr V-^V ...- _ 7

£ F- £ -N

TEN

R 18 E "M RI9E • •«•*>' R20E COMPILED IN THE DIVISION OF REAI.TV FROM SURVEYS BY F.4W.S., O.L.O. AND TALLAHASSEE MERIDIAN ? DECLINATION U.S. ARMY p BOOO 12DOO 2aooo gapoq JBOOO peET £ 1902

ATLANTA. OEORGIA JUNE 1B63 4RGA ZI3 405 ""

EPICAL SOIL SERIES OH OKIil'EHOKIilS RIU-UGE WLT11 ASSOCIATED VEGETATIVE TOES

LON CLEAT? AND SCRUB OAK LOBLOLLY 'OAKS PINES .PINES TINES ' SCRUB IGREENBRIAR JGALLBERRY, SAW lAKSl .PALMETTO PINES [SAW GALLBERRY PALMETTO, MYTLE 'PALMETTO, WAX j SLASH PINE .PINES '(LEON) CYPRESS ,POND PINE. ' IRUNNER OAK I MYRTLE SWAMP - POND PINE MYRTLE GALLBERRY GALLBERRY ((SAPELO) HARDWOODS SWAMP - MYRTLE PALMETTO pWARF tTUCK POND PINE HARDWOODS HURRAH BUSH PITCHER- BERR VERY LITTLE CYPRESS GREENBRIAR 'GREENBRIAR UNDERSTORY WcKLEBERRY (SAND) SWAMP PLANTS i MYRTLE Y •*•*'•• •-- --•- '->^^ The following soil series map was vMat'eriaT)'--* \v compiled from SCS descriptions of vegetative types common in the soil I^1 series expected to be located in the Okefenokee Swamp and uplands. The Okefenokee_Swamp Vegetation Map (McCaffrey and Hamilton) was used to aid in locating the probable soil series on this map. A more detailed description of the soil series is located in Section III B. I.e.

M-l SOIL SERIES MAP OKEFENOKEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

UNITED STATES FLORIDA AM) CKObtCIA UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR FISH AND WILDLIPS SERVICE * JO'

Soil Series Key 011 page M-l.

">M R 20 E COMPILED IN THE DIVISION OP REALTY FROM SURVEYS BY F.iW.S.. G.L.O. AND TALLAHASSEE MERIDIAN fa MEAN ly DECLINATION U.S. ARMY O 6OOO 12QOO 24OOO 36OOO dSOOQ FEET £ 1962 O 1 2 ATLANTA. GEORGIA JUNE. 1963 4RGA2I3405 KNOKKfc NATIONAL \V1

UNITCD STATES PRESCRIBED BURNING CYCLES ND WILDLIFE SEFlVICE

See Appendix L9 for color key to various burning cycles

O Kx £ F- E -N •'© K' E £ »'ic'

»5-Tvcy! H -T^iSffi>^^ sr^M^H-^r^H^

R IS E »J'M R 19 L «"*' R 20 E COMPILED IN THE DIVISION Of REALTY FROM SURVEYS BY F.&W.S . Q.L.O AND TALLAHASSEE MKRlDlAiS f* DECLINATION U.S ARMY o eooo -isooo aapoo sepoo -tegpo FEET

ATLANTA.. QEORQ1B JUNE -"Ott 4RG/i H13405 Al'l'KUUIX "M"

'YLM.CAL SOU. SERIES ON OKKKKHOKKK KKl'llLiK WITH ASSlHlLATKU V!£UliTATl Vli TYPES

LONGLEA.1? AND SCRUB OAK LOBLOLLY 'OAKS PINES .ONGLEAF PINE PINES PINES GREENBRIAR SCRUB JGALLBERRY, SAW DAKi .PALMETTO PINES ISAW MYTLE GALLBERRY (PALMETTO SLASH PINE ' (LEON) I PALMETTO, CYPRESS PINES POND PINE. IRUNHER OAK IMYRTLE SWAMP - POND PINE MYRTLE GALLBERRY GALLBERRY |(SAPELO) HARDWOODS SWAMP - HARDWOODS MYRTLE PALMETTO WARF HUCKI.E^ POND.PINE HURRAH BUSH VERY LITTLE CYPRESS PITCHER- GREENBRIAR ^GREENBRIAR UNDERSTORY HUCKLEBERRY (SAND) SWAMP PLANTS MYRTLE I The following soil series map was iCOc.gan-i;c-.:-. compiled from SCS descriptions of : Material) vegetative types common in the soil series expected to be located in the Okefenokee Swamp and uplands. The .Okefenokee Swamp Vegetation Map (McCaffrey and Hamilton) was used to aid in locating the probable soil series on this map. A more detailed description of the soil series is located in Section IIXB.I.e. SOIL SERIES MAF OKEFENOKEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

UNITED STATES Kl.OHIDA AM) CKOKCIA UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE

REFUGE BOUNDARY Soil Series Key on page M-l.

R IB E lrt0' R 20 E COMPILED IN THE DIVISION OF REALTY FROM SURVEYS BY F.ftW.S.. G.L.O. AND TALLAHASSEE MERIDIAN /u MEAN '= DECLINATION U.S. ARMY O flOOO 12OOO 2JOOO 36OOO dSOOO FEET £ 19B2 012 8 MILES ATLANTA. QEOR6IA JUNE. 1963 4RGA2I3 405 APPENDIX "N1

INVENTORY OF OPENINGS IN FOREST MANAGEMENT COMPARTMENTS

ACRES OF OPENINGS

Open Relect* Roads Adminis tra tive Managed Compartment: Regeneration Forest and Firelines Areas- Helispots Permanent TOTAL Areas Openings Shoulders Openigs

1 26 22 9 1 0 0 . 58 2 20 •4 2 7 0 0 33 3 18 40 12 10 0 5 85 4 21 14 9 3 0 10 57 5 209 28 10 0 2 1 250 6 537 • 25 4 0 0 0 566 7 65 15 4 0 0 0 84 8 ' ' 92 37 9 7 3 22 170 9 0 5 2 0 0 0 7 10 0 4 3 0 0 0 7 11 85 23 3 0 0 0 111 12 0 4 2 0 0 0 6 13 50 13 9 0 1 0 73 14 0 6 2 0 0 0 8 ' 15 0 26 8 0 ' 0 0 34 TOTALS- 1123 266 88 28 6 38 1549 Every compartment has numerous natural or relict openings; however, no estimate of their area or distribution has been made. Future prescription inventories will include an estimate of relect openings. This inventory will be updated as prescriptions are completed. APPENDIX 0

Plant List

CONSPICUOUS PLANTS OF OKEFEWOKEE WATIOWAI WUPLIFE REFUGE

Open Prairies and Water Courses ir^ Forest

White waterlily - Kymphaea oj_ora_ta. Spatterdock - Nuphar ad vena Neverwet ~ C)rpntium aquaticum Pipewort - Eriocauljm compressum Floating heart - Nymphoides aquaticum Beakrush - Rhynchospora jjiundata Wampee - P_eltandra. glauca Water plaintain - Sag itt aria grajniriea^ Yellow-eyed grass - Xyr_ls smal liana Bladderwort - Utricularxa purpurea Spikerush - Eleo char is elongj/tj-

P^rajlr ie Edge

Herbaceous Plants

Sphagnum - Sphagnum spp. * Chain fern - Woodwardia virginica Gerardia - Agalinas f as cicuÎjj.ta Club moss - Lycopodium car ol in i anum Maidencane - Panicum hemitômum Broomsedge bluestem - Andropogôn glomera.tus Pickerelweed - Pontederia cordata^ Paintroot - Laj2hnanthus ^tinctoria Swamp iris - Iri_s_ câr ol in i ana Grass pink - Calopogon pulchellus Pitcherplant - ârracenia^ minor Golden trumpet - Sarracenia jlava Sundew - Pro sera intermedia Aquatic spikerush - Eleocharis baldwinii Marsh St. Johnswort - Hy peri cum yirginiciga Water pennywort - Hydrocotyle umbellata Marsh marigold - Bid ens cojronata* Rose Pogonia - Fogonia op h i o g 1 o sô id es

Woody

Buttonrush - Cephalanthus Occident alis Swamp loosestrife - D ecojlon y^er 't±c ilia ta Virginia sweetspire - I tea yjUrglnica* Red chokeberry - Pyrus jir b u t i f _ol i a Hurrah bush - Lyonia lucid a* Titi - Cyril la ra cemi f 1 or a*

0-1 Woody Plants (Continued)

St. Johnswort - Hyper i cum fas ci culatum (only where sand is near the surface) Poor-man's soap - Clethra alnifolia* Swamp fetterbush - Leucothoe racemosa* Black bamboo vine - Smilax Red bamboo vine - Smilax walteri* Bullace - Vitis_ munsoiana*

Swamp Forest

Understory plants same as those marked with an -asterisk (*) above.

Trees

Pond cypress - Taxodium dis^ti^chum nutans^ Swamp blackgum - Nyssa syl vatic bi flora Red maple - Acer rub rum White bay - Pjsrsea virginiana Red bay - Per sea borbonia Loblolly bay - Gordoni a las i an thus Titi - Cyril la rac emi flora Cassena -

Swamp

All the swamp forest and prairie edge species listed above plus

Ogeche lime - .Nyssa ogeche Pinckneya - Pinckneya pubens Wax myrtle - Nyrica cerifera Red chokeberry - Pyrus arbuti £oj.ia Sandweed. - Hypericum fasciculatum APPENDIX 0

of the

National Wildlife Refuge

The following list includes 49 species tnac now live or HOARY BAT (Lasiurus cinereuscinereus). This yellowish- have recently lived in, or in the immediate vicinity of, brown bat flies high in the air late at night and will hang Okefenokee Swamp. The list of mammals includes in trees when resting. museum records from Cornell University, Florida State Museum, Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, NORTHERN YELLOW BAT (Lasiurus intermedium flori- United States National Museum and University of danus). Apparently a rare species in the area. Two speci- Georgia Museum of Natural History. mens were collected at King's Canal.

Mammals to look for in or near Okefenokee are: RAFINESQUE'SBlG-EAREDBATfP/ecofusrafmcsqmU A rather uncommon species in the area. VIRGINIA OPOSSUM (Diddphis oirginiana pigra). Common on the swamp edge and on the islands within FREE-TAILED BAT (Tadarida brasiliensis cynocephala). the swarnp. A night prowler, "Pogo" is often seen by An uncommon species in this area although it has been campers at Stephen C. Foster State Park. collected at Camp Cornelia.

STAR-NOSED MOLE (Condylura cristala). Apparently BLACK BEAR (Ursus americanus floridianus). Bean rare. Has been collected in the swamp near Mixon's range throughout the refuge. While they are rarely seen, Ferry and on Chesser Island. their signs are found in all habitats.

EASTERN MOLE (Scalopus aquaticus australis). Gen- RACCOON (Procyon lotor c/ucusj. The most abundant erally distributed on the upland adjacent to the swamp large mammal on the refuge. It is found in all habitats and has been found on some of the islands within the but is most numerous on the swamp edge. They are com- swamp. monly seen at the Stephen C. Foster State Park camping area and occasionally along boat trails. LEAST SHREW (Cwptotusparuaparua). Rarely seen but probably fairly common. Specimens have been collected LONG-TAILED WEASEL (Mustela frcnata oliuacea). on several of the islands, on the swamp edge, and in the This species is probably more common than the few ob- pine woods around the swamp. servations would indicate. Specimens have been collected on Billy's Island and on Chesser Island. SOUTHERN SHORT-TAILED SHREW (Blarina carolin- crisis). A specimen was coDected on Floyd's Island June FLORIDA RIVER OTTER (Lontra canadensis uaga). Oc- 12,1921. casionally observed along the water courses, especially during the winter. EVENING BAT(Nycticeiushumeralis). One of the most common bats of the Okefenokee. This and other bats are FLORIDA STRIPED SKUNK (Mephitis mephitis elon- seen at dusk on warm nights in search of flying insects. gata). This species is generally distributed on the upland EASTERN PIPISTRELLE (Pipistrellus subflavus sub- surrounding the swamp and is found occasionally on the flavits). A fairly common species in the area, islands.

MINK (Mustela uison mink). Very rarely seen m the BIG BROWN BAT (Epieslcus fuscus fuscus). An uncom- Okefenokee, this chiefly nocturnal animal is an ex- mon species in the area, cellent swimmer. RED BAT (Lasiurus borealis borealis). An uncommon species in the area. RED FOX (Vulpes fulva fuloa). This species is rare but occurs occasionally on the upland in the vicinity of the SEMINOLE RED BAT (Lasiurus semmolus). A commun swamp. bat of the Okefenokee.

0-2 MAMMAL LIST CONTINUED

FLORIDA GRAY FOyifUrocyoncinereoargenleus flori- EASTERN WOOD RAT (Neotoma floridana floridano). danus). Fairly common on the upland around the swamp. Fairly common throughout the swamp and in the ham- e mocks on the upland. RKD WOLF (Canis niger niger). Formerly this was the species of wolf native to this area. It is believed not to be WOODLAND VOLE (Microtus pinctorum paruulus). present here now. Tunnels through leaf mold and loose soil near the surface of the upland areas and eats bulbs, tubers and seeds. FLORIDA BOBCAT (.Lynx rufus floridanur.). Common throughout the swamp and on the surrounding upland. ROUND-TAILED M\}SKRAT(NeofiberaIleniexoristus). Occasionally seen along the nature drive. Common in the prairies.

FLORIDA PUMA (Felis concolor coryi). Apparently HOUSE MOUSE (Mus musculus musculusj. Formerly this species was never more than of rare occurence in the common around habitations but now that few people live vicinity of the swamp. within the swamp, it has probably disappeared from Che area. Very likely it is still common around human habita- SOUTHERN GRAY SQUIRREL (Sciurus caroliriensis tions in the vicinity of the swamp. carolinensis). Abundant in the blackgum-bay forests in the swamp and in the oak woodlands on the upland. NORWAY RAT (Ratios noruegicus). Like the above species, this mammal has probably disappeared from the SOUTHERN FOX SQUIRREL (Sciurus niger niger). Un- area with the cessation of human habitation. common in the pine forests surrounding the swamp.

SOUTHERN FLYING SQUIRREL (Glaucomys volans BLACK RAT (Rattus rattus rattus). This and the follow- querceti). This species is rarely seen but is probably fairly ing subspecies were the common barn rats when fanning common. It has been collected on Floyd's and Billy's was practiced on some of the islands within the swamp. Islands and Chesser Island. It probably occurs now on farmsteads in the vicinity of the swamp but not on the refuge. GEORGIA POCKET GOPHER (Geomys pinetis pinetis). Uncommon on dry, sandy sites on the east side of the ROOF RAT (Rattus rattus alexandrinus). See above. swamp. SOUTHEASTERN POCKET GOPHER (Geomys pinetis flon'dianus). An uncommon species of this area. EASTERN COTTONTAIL (Sylvilagus floridanus mal- lurus). Common around clearings and in the more sparse BE AVKR (Castor canadensis carolinensis). Thefirstrecord pinewoods on the uplands surrounding the swamp and on some of the islands. of beavers actually in the swamp was in 1969. Apparently they have disappeared since then, probably because of alligators. MARSH, RABBIT .(Sylvilagus palustris palustris). Fairly common on the swamp edge. COTTON MOUSE (Peromyscits gossypinus gossypinus/. Common throughout the area. WILD PIG (Sus scrofa). These feral pigs were introduced GOLDEN MOUSE (Ochrotomys nutlalli aureolis). This by the early settlers of the swamp. species is probably rare. It'has been found in hammocks on the islands. WHITE-TAILED DEER (Odocoileus virgim'anus). These MARSH RICE RAT (Oryzomys palusiris palustris). A deer are to be found on the upland entirely around the fairly common mammal throughout the swamp. swamp and on the islands within the swamp. Occasionally they may be seen from the deer stand observation plat- EASTERN HARVEST MOUSE (Reithrodoniomyshumi- form, and in the time of low water they may be seen in lus hnmilus). Found in the prairies and in old fields near the prairies. the swamp's edge.

HISPID COTTON RAT (Sigmodon hispidus hispidus), ARMADILLO (Dasypus nouemcinctus mexicanus). This A common mammal in the pine woods and old fields on unusual "armored" mammal was first seen on the refuge the upland around the swamp. in 1963. Since then it has become more numerous and is commonly seen along roadways and trails. OLDFIELDMOUSEfPeromyscuspo/fonotospotfonofas,). Feeds on seeds and berries.

0-3 APPENDIX 0

S s F w -Common Loon c c c c Turkey* r r r r Pi*d-billod Grebe Sondhi II Cron«" c c c c _Doub!«-cr«it*d Cormorant Kino Roil' r r r • f _Anhingo*

_Gr»ol Blu» H«ron* Soro r r .Green-Backed Heron" PurpU Gollmul*" u u u u .LittU Blm H«ron* u u u u .Catll. Egr«i' . American Coot c e c _Greal Egr»t* KlUdeer c c c .Snowy Egret* American Woodcock u r u u .Tfi-Colored Heron" c c c .Block-crowned Nighl Hsron Spoiled SandplDet u u .Y»Ilow-cjown»d Night Horon SoUtary Sondoiper o o .L»o»t Bitt»rn* Willet I r .American Bittern Greater Yellowleas u u JYood Stork* Lesser Ye|low|eas u u _GIoi »y I\>'l i Whit. Ibii* Dunlin r r Dowiicher (ipecies?) o o o Canodo Gooi» Semipolmoted Sondoiper o o o Mal!ard Weitft/n Sandpiper r r r American Black Duck Sender lino o o o

^Northern Piniail Hcrrina Gull r , r _Gr»«n-wingod T«ol Black Tern r r r _Blu»-wing«d T*ol Moucnina Dove* c c c c ,Am«rican Wigean Common Ground Dove" c c c c ^Northern Shovelor c c .Wood Duck* Yellow-billed Cuckoo* c _R»dh«ad Block-billed Cuckoo r r _Ring-n«ck«d Dock u u u u _Canvosback u u u u _Greal«r Scoup Barred Owl* c c C c _L»i ler Scaup Chuck-Wi M'j-widow* c c q ^Common Goldenoye Whip-poor-will o O t .Bu/f/eheod t~omrnon Nlqhthnwk* c c c _Ruddy Duck Chimney Swift c c c .Hooded Merganser" Ruby-lhron led Humminabird* u u u _Rod-oreai lud Merganser Belted Kinafiiher" c u c c _Turkey Vohure* c c c c _Black Vullur.' .American Swallow-Tailed Kite Red-bellied Woodpecker* c c c c _Shorp-ihinned Howk Red-headed Wood Decker* c u c u _Cooper'i Hawk Yellow-bellied ScDiucker c c c _R.d-lciled Howk* Hairy Woodpecker" o a o o _R«d-ihouldsred Hawk* Downy Woodpecker* c c c c _Brood-winged Hawk Red-cocknded Woodpecker" u u u u _Bold Eagle Eastern Kingbird* c c c .Northern Harrier .Uiprey' Great Crested Flycatcher* c c c _Por«grine Folcon Eastern Phoebe c c c _M«r1in Acadian FlyCalcher" u u u Americon Keilrel" Eastern Wood Pewee" c c c

0-4 APPENDIX 0

BIRD LIST

S S F w S S F vf

c a c Connecticut Worbler o D

c c c Common Yellowthroat" c u C c PurpU Unrtin' r u c - o r r Blue Jav' c c c c Hooded Warbler' u u u o o o o r I _. American Redsiori Filh Crn w' c c c c c ( c Carolina Chickadee'' u u u u House Sparrow* o o o o Tufted Titmouse' c c c c Bobol ink r r

White-bieoiled Nulhalch f • r r r r c c c c Red-bit-oi led Nuihntch ' r r c c c c Brown-Headed NutKotch* c c e c u u u r r r o o c u u u House Wren u u u o o o Winter Wren u u u r r r r r r c c c c c Carolina Wr«n" c c c Brown-heoded Cowbird D o a o o o o Marsh Wren r r u u u Summer Tanaaer" u u u c c c c c c c c Grav Catbird c c c c r r Brown Thraihoi* c c c c r r r r c a a u o u

Wood Thruih* u u u D Hormit Thruih u u u Purple Finch u u u Swainjon'iThruih r r r r r Oray-chetktd Tliruih r r c c c y — 'f u u c c c c Foslern Bluebird" c c c c u u u Bluo-oray Gnalcatchor" u u u o o o D u u o ! f r Ruby-crowned Kinol»t c c c O o o u u u Waler Pipit o o a c c c c Cedar Woxwino c u c r r Loqqerheod Shrike* c c c c u u u European Starlino D o a o u u u c While-eyed Vireo" C c c o c c u Ye llow-lhroolad Vireo" r r r u u c Solitory Viroo o o o c c c c c Red-eyed Viroo" u u u Block-and-while Worbler u o u o c c c Swainion'i Warbler" ! r r Worm-eatintj Worbler U u r These additional 25 species are of very rare or O o Golden-winaed Warblef accidental occurence: Bluc-wjnqed Worbler a u u u Oianae-crowned Warbler American While Pelican Arctic Tern Northern Pnrula Warbler" c c c o Roseate Spoonbill Common Barn Owl Yellow Warbler u u Whistlino Swan Ivorv-Billed Woodpecker Moanolio Warbler r u Snow Goose {formerly) Cone May Warbler u u Vermilion Flycatcher Gray Kingbird Black-throated Blue Worbler u u Eurasian Wigeon Western Kincblrd 0 a Golden Eaale Bachman's Warbler .. .. Block-throoled Green Warbler r i Limpkin Lark Sparrow Ceruleon'Warbler r r Semipalmaied Plover American Tree Sparrow Whimbrel Blockbuinion Worbler u u Connecticut Warbler Yellow-throaled Worbler" c c c o Lauofilno Gull Clapper Rail Forster's Tern Chestnut-sided Worbler r Rough-leaded Hawk Common Merganser Yellow Rail Blockpoll Worbler u u Pine Warbler- c c Prairie Warbler u u o Palm Warbler c c S-Maich-May a-abundant Ovenbird u u S-June-August c-co mm or. Northern Waterthrush r r F-September-November u-uncommon Louijiano Woterlhrush o r D V,'-December-February o-occasional Kentucky Warbler o O r-rare

0-5 APPENDIX 0

REPTILES, AMPHIBIANS, AND FISHES OF OKEFENOKEE

REPTILES Turtles Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina serpentina! Crocodilians Alligator Snapping Turtle (Mscroclemys temmincki) American Alligator (Alligatormississipplensis! Florida Red-bellied Turtle {Cfirysemys nelson!} Eastern Chicken Turtle (Deirochelys rericulana reticufaria} Lizards Florida Cooter (Pseudemys floridana floridana} Eastern Slender Glass Lizard (OphrsaLTUsattenuanislongicaudus) Red-Eared Pond Slider (Pseudemys scripia etegans) Island Glass Lizard (Opnisaurus compressus) Yellow-bellied Pond Slider (Pseudemys scripta scripta) Eastern Glass Lizard (Ophisaurus ventralis) Florida Box Turtle (Terrapene Carolina baurij Green Anole (Anolh carolinensis! Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene Carolina Carolina} Southern Fence Lizard IScttloporus undulstus undulatus) Striped Mud Turtle (K/nosternon bauripalmaruml Broad-headed Skirik (Eumeces laiiceps) Eastern Mud Turtle (Kinosiernon subrubrum subrubrum) Northern MoleSkink {Eumeces tit/rcgius simtlis) Loggerhead Musk Turtle (Sternotherus minor minor) Five-lined Skink (Eumeces fasciatus) Stinkpot (Sternotnerfs odorarus) Southern Five-lined Skink (Eumeces innxpectatus) Gopher Tortols (Gophsrus polyphernus) Ground Skink (Scincella laterals} Florida Softshell (Trionyz ferox! Six-lined Race Runner (Cnemidopfiorus sexlineatus sexlineatus}

Snakes Northern Scarlet Snake (Cwnophora coccinea copet) Southern Black Racer (Coluberconstrictorpriapus! Southern Ring-necked Snake (Diadophi-j punciatus punctaws) Indigo Snake (Drytnarchon corah coupsri) Corn Snake (Elaplia yutfalu yuitatz) Yellow Rat Snake (Elupfic obsolete quadrivittata) Gray Rat Snake (Elaptiu obsoluta spiloides) Eastern Mud Snake (F.irancia abacura abacura) Rainbow Snake (Paranoia vrytroyratnma) Eastern Hognose Snake (Heierodon plaiyrhinos) AMPHIBIANS Souihem Hognose Snake (Heterodun siinus) Toads and Frogs Mnle Snake (Lumpropeliis cslligastcr rhornbomaculaia) Eastem Kingsnake (Lampropeltisgutu/us yoiulus) Oak Toad (Bufo quorcicus) Scarlet Kingsr.ake (Lmnpropeltis trhngulum I'lnpsoides} Southern Toad {Btjfo terrestris) Eastern Coachwhip {Mast'icophis flsguUum flagcllum) Florida Cricket Frog (Acris yryllus dorsalls) Floiida Green Water Snake (Ncrodia cycloplon flondana) Gray Treefrog (Hyla chrysosccHs] Yellow-bellied WaterSnake {NcrucfiatirYthrogastercrythrogasTer} Green Treefrog {Hyla cincrea dnerea) Bander Water Snake (Nurodia lasciuta fasciata) Southen Spring Peeper (Hyla crueller bartramiana} Florida Water Snake (Niirodia fasctara pictiventris} Pine Woods Treefrog (Hyla femoralis) Brown Water Snake (Nciodia taxispilota) Barking Treefrog (Hyla grailosal Rough Green Snake {Opfwodrysocstivus) Squirrel Treefrog {Hyla squirslla) Florida Pine Snake (Pituopfijs mclanoleucus rnugttus} Little Grass Frog (Limnsoedus ocularis} Striped Swamp Snake ffieglna alien!) Southern Chorus Frog (Pseudacris nigrita nigrha) Eastern Glossy Water Snake (Reg'ina rigtda rigida) Ornate Chorus Frog (Pseudacris ornata) Pine Woods Snake (Rhadinsea ffovilata) Eastern Narrow-mouthed Toad (Gsstrophryne carolinensis) North Florida Black Swamp Snake {Seminatrix pygaea pygaca) E_astern Spadefoot Toad (Scaphiopus holbrooki holbrooki) Florida Gopher_Frog (Ftana areoluta aesopus) Florida Brown Snake {Sloreria dekayt vlcia) Florida Red-bellied Snake (Stoieria occiphomaculata obscura) Bullfrog (Rana catesbetana) Bronze Frog (Rana clamitans clamitans) Eastern Ribbon Snake IThamnophis sauritus sackent) Pig Frog (Ranagrytlo) Eastern Garter Snake IThamnophis sirtalis sirralis) Rough Earth Snake (Virginia striatula} River Frog (Rana heckscheri) Southern Leopard Frog (Rana utricuiaria) Eastern Smooth Earth Snake {Virginia Valerias valeriae) Carpenter Frog (Rana v'lrgattpes) Eastern Coral Snake (Micrurus fulvius fulvius) Florida Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon p/sc/vorus conanij) Eastern Diamondbsck Rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus) Salamanders Canebrake Rattlesnake (Crotalus horrfdus atrtcaudatus) Flatwoods Salamander (Ambystoma dngulatum} Dusky Pigmy Rattlesnake (Sistrurus mHiarlus barbouri) Marbled Salamander (Ambystoma opacum)

0-6 APPENDIX 0

REPTILES, AMPHIBIANS, AND FISHERS (CONTINUED)

Mole Salamander (Ambystoma tatpoideum} Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum) Two-toed Amphiuma (Amphiurr.a means} Souihern Dusky Salamander (Desmognatfius fuscus auriculatus} Southern Two-lined Salamander (Eurycea bislineatat cirriger} Dwarf Salamander (Eurycea quadridlgitaws) Slimy Salamander (Pleihodon glutinosus gtutinosus) Gulf Coast Mud Salamander (Pseudolriton montanus floridanus) Many-lined Salamander {SiereochHus marginatus} Striped Newt (Nowphtnatamus perstnatus) Central Newt (Notophthalamus virfdescensjouisianensis) Dwarf Siren SPseudobranchus striatus sppl Eastern Lesser Siren (Siren intermedia intermedia) Greater Siren (Siren lacertinaj

FISHES

Florida Gar (Leplsostcus plaryrhincus) Bowftn (Amis calva) Eastern Mudminnow (Umbra pygmaeal Redfin Pickerel (Esox americanus atnericanus} Chain Pickerel {Esox ntger) Lake Chubsucker (Erimyzon sucena) Spotted Sucker (Minytrcma metanops} Yellow Bullhead (Ictalurus natalis} Brown Bullhead (Icialurus nebutosus! Channel Catfish (tctalurtis punctaws) Tadpole Madtom (Noturus gyrinus) Speckled Madtom (Noturus leptacanthus) American Eel (Artguilla rostrata) Golden Topminnow (Fundulus chrysotus) Banded Topminnow (Fundulus cingulaws) Lined Topminnow {Fundulus lineoisws} Stathead Topminnow {Fundulus notti) Mosquhofish [Gambusia affinisl Pygmy Killifish (Lepiolucania ommaia} Least Killifish (Hcterandria formosa] Pirate Perch (Aphredoderus saysnus) Mud Sunfish (Acantharchus pomotis) Flier (Cenrrsrchus macropterus! Warmouth (Lepomis gulosus) Everglades Pygmy Sunfish (Elassoma everglade!} Okefcnokee Pygmy Sunfish (Elassoma okefcnckee) Blackbanded Sunfish (Enncacaninus chaeiodon) Bluesponed Sunfish (Enneacanthusgloriosusl Banded Sunfish (Ennoacamhus obesus) Redbreast Sunfisli (Lepomis auritus) Bluegitl {Lepomis mscrochirus) Dollar Sunfish (Lepomis margtnatus! Spotted Sunfish (Lepomispunaaws) Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides) Black Creppie (Pomoxjs nlgromaculaws) Scalyhead Darter (Etheostoma barrani) Swamp Darter (Etheostoma fusiforme} Blackbanded Darter (Percina nigrofasciata) Brook Silverside (Labidestfies sicculus)

0-7 APPENDIX p SAMPLE INVITATION TO BID

OKEFENOKEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE ROUTE 2,' BOX 338 FOLKSTON, GEORGIA 31537

INVITATION TO BID ON TIMBER

Formal sealed. .bids will be received in the office of the Refuge >5anager, Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Route 2, Box 338, Folkston, Georgia 31537, until November 12, 1986 at 2:30 P.M. for the sale of approximately 3,000 cords of pine sawtimber, poles and pulpwcod contained in trees designated for cutting on Compartment 5 of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Lots 204 and 231, 1st District'of'Charlton County, Georgia, and Lots 2, 3, 4, 22, 23, 24 and 25, llth District of Ware County, Georgia, located on Soldier Camp Island and Moonshine Ridge. All bids must be securely sealed in a suitable envelope and plainly marked "Timber Bid" and with the date and time of opening. Bids will be opened at the time indicated above.

The Government accepts no responsibility for the maintenance of, or the repair of damages to roads and bridges utilized by the permittee to transport timber products from the refuge. The bidder will submit with his bid a statement that Continental Forest Investments, Inc.,* representatives have been contacted and that satisfactory arrangements have been made for the maintenance and repairs of any damages caused by timber removal operations to ccrrtpany-owned roads and bridges. Each bidder will submit with his bid a statement demonstrating his financial ability and the ownership or control of necessary equipment to carry out the operations on the basis herein specified, and the number of employees he proposes to use in the operation.

An inspection tour of the sale area will be conducted on October 27, October 30 and November 6, 1986. Arrangements for inspection must be made by contacting Refuge Forester Ron Phernetton, Route 2, Box 338, Folkston, Georgia 315,37 or telephone 912-496-7366 (Folkston). Volumes given constitute our best estimates but are not guaranteed; therefore, it .is advisable for the bidder or representative to cruise the area in question. Operations must be completed within a period of eighteen (18) months after submission of the permit-agreement to the permittee. Tree length skidding may be permitted by the Refuge Manager only in those areas where it can be accomplished without damage to remaining trees. Wo tree length skidding will be permitted in plantation areas (see Map).

^Contact John Combs Phone: 904-755-0801

P-l SAMPLE INVITATION TO BID

All provisions of the enclosed "Certificate of Independent Price Determination" and "Equal Employment Opportunity Clause" apply to this sale. ' All provisions of the enclosed "Conditions Applicable to Timber Harvesting Permits" apply.

DESCRIPTION OF SALE; Formal bids are requested on the assumption that there is an estimated 3,000 cords of pine forest products All trees to'be cut are marked with paint, one spot head high and .One spot on the stump at ground level. The sales area consists of approximately 900 acres. Diameters were- measured to the nearest two-inch diameter class and pulpwcod volume was determined by using the Basal Area Volume Factor Method. Sale Area. No. of Acres Color Paint Estimated Volume of Cords

Compt. 5 900 Blue & ' 3,000 cords Yellow

The stumpage offered on this invitation will be sold on the basis of the ' price per cord, based on consumer tally. The successful bidder will be required, within ten (10) days after receipt of the special use permit and before carrnencing any timber removal operations, to submit a performance guarantee deposit of $200.00 and an advanced payment of 10% of the estimated value of the sale.

Sale tickets shall be submitted to the refuge forester on a bi-weekly basis.

SEE ATTACHMENTS

P-2 SAMPLE INVITATION TO BID

FORMAL BID The permit-agreement will be prepared and submitted to the successful bidder for his acceptance and signature. The $200.00 performance guarantee shall be retained by the Government to cover any damage or claims the Government may have against the permittee in connection with his operation and under the terms and conditions of the permit-agreement. The balance, if any, will be returned to the permittee at the completion of the operation. All payments must be made in the form of a bank draft or certified check payable to the U. S, Fish and Wildlife Service.

A sample copy of the permit- agreement is available in the refuge office and may be examined before submission of the bid.

Only one bid 'per cord will be accepted from each prospective bidder to cover the combined value of all products offered in this sale.

The right to 'reject any and all bids is reserved by the Government.

The following is my bid for the marked timber products in Compartment 5. *Pine pulpwcod, sawtimbar and poles - 3,000 cords

Bid per Cord $_ at _ Ibs. per cord.

If I am adjudged the successful bidder, I agree to accept the proffered permit- agreement and will submit this required performance guarantee and- the 10% advance deposit within ten (10) days of receipt of the special use permit.

I plan to start timber removal operations on or about _ (date).

Name of Bidder

Signed by:

Date:

Address of Bidder

I have contact Continental Forest Investments, Inc., and arranged for maintenance and repair of roads and bridges I intend to use to remove timber products from Soldier Camp Island.

*These volumes are not .guaranteed and bidders are urged to make their cwn estimations.

P-3 OKKKKNOKKK NATIONAL \VILDL1KK HKKl CK UIJP11 I f.l All . APPENDIX P SAMPLE INVITATION TO BID

SSSL Ha.-j^^T^nTM^rP^N^W r4-J^i^:v:i4W^M

r :VTTT3uU%

'•

i-*XX;1^- ' .^^"^ri^^ .'. ter^ r 4^\'-\ - - . .*u/W<—^.;A -T- . ^f"j-

__- U ^r7TP«ni-C

R 18 E 12X R 19 E """' R 20 E COMPILED IN THE DIVISION Qt REALTY

FROW SURVEVS BV F.iWS fi L.O AND TALLAHASSEE MEK1U1AN BOOO FEET 'f DECLINATION US ARMV O 6OOQ 1SQOO SJODO 36ooo be=M3Cm^^«= o i s ^MILES ATLANTA GEDf SIA JUNL 1B63 4R GA £13 405 SAMPLE INVITATION TO BID

; u . •_ 7.C'£C £-. ;'Cvai .raas

VI a 3 1: in £ "rails .

"T>— UOUT1G 5.3TV

?-j].TVC'Cc Sisnc . . - f s " i. r . b =.r S t an c . .

Crc-"u~ Canopy SpErss Goer. I.ETIC ....

^^§ ^I^SSl^ •ife^ ^rl$^- ' ....,,

,,; ^F^--.'':21

\ :*

rv M / . - O i A 10 .

Sale Area .";"•• v.;\y.'

OKIrElvOKE = K AT ION! A L \ViLDLIF5 u = F U G i

CD ,'v.PAr, T/V. HK:T 5 AJrnM."iL'iA ^ SAMPLE INVITATION TO BID

LU o D u. UJ

LJU U-

Z O o u

UJ CD LLJ r-J \^ CO O z UJ U- UJ •w pu =:

* • LJ sn 2) CJ ui CJ u QJ CJ ^^ ni W . —. 1 ' B •j] •^ -a s b! , - E- kJ aj 01 •J) < — ; . O - t/i -^1 en en *" 03 o l~5 ™ „ >, X X O . w •H U en ra i-s -a c 5J J^ ~-j - U 01 ^ _ CD 'CJ en" O* a" O* o CD ij "O =-! aJ >, CJ U t± £H H n a a tr1* o J sn c r^. =- o U O -a -o •> O •> •H r; 1) o iH -H 1 ^> 5 •> -H ^; aj I't •y -5 CJ U r* jj —1 o •a I-1 n 0 0 S ^3 -n '-i '—j LJ LJ CJ CJ l-j n iH -i 3 Sj in o O U o" "-0 M O =-, !3 f=- =-, in PJ ^ C-

P-G SAMPLE INVITATION TO BID LEGEND:

Primary Roads, Paved . . . Secondary Roads, Paved . . 'Graded Roads Trails Walking Trails . Fire Lines . . Timber Type Boundary . . - Swamp ...... Pine Type - • Hardwood Type . v . . - . Pine-Cypress Swamp'1 .... , Precoiranercial Timber . . . : Pulpwood Stand Saw-timber Stand Crown Canopy Dense .... ' Crown Canopy Semidense - . Crown Canopy Sparse . . - . Open Land . . ..' - 0

Scale: 4 in. = 1 mile

Wooapecker Colony Area Activity Between "March

OKEFENOKEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

COMPARTMENT 5 OKEFENOKEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

COMPARTMENT 5 UiCKilU:

Primary Roods, Paved . . . . • • Red Coclcaded Woodpecker Colony Area Secondary Roads, Paved . . . tut-^ No Harvesting Activity Between March .iL - -v-. Graded Roads ...... : and July 3 1. Trails • .=•—:: Walking Trails Fire Lines Timber Type Boundary ...... ••-,. .. Swamp Pine 'Type Hardwood Type II P.fne-Cypress Swamp PC Precommerclal Timber .... 1 Pu.Ipwood Stand 2 Sawtimber Stand 3 Crown Canopy Dense A Crown Canopy Seuiidense . , , H Crown Canopy Sparse .... C Open Land 0

Scale; 4 in = J mile

x-S/i— 7- I J\ic SAMPLE INVITATION TO BID LEGELfD:

Primary Roads, Paved . ondary Roads, Paved Graded Roads Trails ...... Walking Trails .... ITire Lines ...... Timber Type Boundary . Swamp ...... • Pine Type ...... P Hardwood Type ..-,..... E Pine-Cypress Swamp ..... PC Pre commercial Timber .... 1 Pulpwood Stand ...... 2 S a wt imb er S t and ...... 3 Crown Canopy Dense ..... A Crown Canopy Semidense . . . Crown Canopy Sparse .... C Op en Land . . ' ...... 0

Scale: 4 in = 1 mile

OKErENOKEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

COMPARTMENT 5 United Suites Department of the Interior HSH ANH Wl.LULIFh ShKVlCL OKEFENOKEE NATIONAL V7ILDLIFE REFUGE ROUTE 2, BOX 338 FOLKSTOK, GEORGIA 31537

CONDITIONS APPLICABLE TO TIMBER HARVESTING PERMITS ''

1. All refuge wildlife is protected. No type of wildlife will be harmed or harassed The possession or use of firearms or other weapons on the refuge is prohibited.

2. Disturbing an}' 'Indian mound or picking up or removing any Indian arrowheads or artifacts from the mounds or from the surface of the ground is a violation of the Archeological Resources Protection Act.

3. Ko plant or 'animal species of any kind will be collected without a permit.

A. Red_^Cgck^d^_d_Woogpeck^r_ _ Areas - Ko harvesting, loading, or .hauling will he permitted in red-cockaded woodpecker colon}' areas (shown in red on the attached map) during the months of April through July.

5. All logging will be within the boundaries specified (see attached map) and coordinated with the refuge staff. Only marked or designated trees shall be cut, Care shall be e:-:ercised to protect all other trees and vegetation from damage. Additional trees marked for road or loading site will be paid for at bid price. "Unmarked trees which are cut or injured through carelessness shall be paid for at double the stumpage price hid in the contract.

Trees shall be cut so as to leave a stump not more than 12 inches high for sawtimber and 6 inches high for pulpwood . Ground level paint spot must be visible after tree has been cut. All merchantable marked trees are to be cut. Cut trees and tops shall not be left hanging, or supported by any other living or dead tree. Tops will be pulled away from standing timber and lopped.

The Government accepts no responsibility for the maintenance and repair of roads and bridges used for the removal of materials, logs, etc., from the refuge over privately owned lands before gaining access to the public roads.

All tops and portions of trees marked for sale and left in the woods upon completion of operations in each logging unit and/or entire sale, will .revert to the U.S. Government.

All roads, ditches and fire lanes will be kept free of tops, limbs, etc., resulting from harvesting of timber by the permittee. The permittee and his employees will do all in their power to prevent and suppress forest fires; shall pay the United States Government for an}* unnecessary damage -resulting, from the operations herein permitted; and shall repair all damage to roads, trails, ditches, habitat, and fire lanes, resulting from operations conducted hereunder. Repairs and cleanup work will be accomplished to the satisfaction of the Refuge Manager,

APPENDIX P SAMPLE INVITATION TO BID •

P-/0 SAMPLE INVITATION TO BID

'c. !lo loading docks arc; ptnr.itLed within 100 feet of public roads or within pine regeneration plantation areas.

9. The Refuge Manager may ban tree length skidding where excessive damage may result.

10. Littering in any manner on a refuge is a violation of the Federal Regulation Code. The entire work area shall be kept free of all forms of litter at all times.

11. Tops and logging debris shall be kept pulled back or lopped within 100 feet of public roads.

12. The hauling route across refuge lands will be designated by the refuge officer-in- chargs.. Speed liir,its as designated by the officer-in-charge will be strictly adhered- to'. '

13. The Kefuge Manager shall have authority to temporarily close down all or any part of .the operation during a period of'high fire -danger, incleaent weather,for safety reasons, ox any other reason deemed necessary. Additional time, equal to the closing period, wall be granted to the permittee.

14. If requested, satisfactory scale tickets for timber products shall be submitted by the permittee to the refuge off icer-in-charge.

15. L.ach bidder will sur-ndt with his bid, or have on file in H Fish and "Wildlife Service Office, a current statement demonstrating his financial ability and the ownership or control of necessary equipment to carry out the operation on ths basis herein specified; also, tha location of his plant, if any. and th= number of employees he proposes to use in the operation. APPENDIX P SAMPLE INVITATION TO BID U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife

CERTIFICATE OF INDEPENDENT PRICE DETERMINATION (101-U5-1^926 Fed. Prop. Mgt. Reg..)

(a) By submission of this bid or proposal, each bidder or offeror certifies, and in the case of a joint bid or proposal each party thereto certifies as to its own organization, that in connection with this sale:

(1) The prices in this bid or proposal have been arrived at independently, without consultation, communication., or agreement, for the purpose of restricting competition, as to any matter relating to such prices, with any other bidder or offeror or with any competitor;

(2) Unless otherwise required by law, the prices which have been quoted in this bid or .proposal have not been knowingly disclosed by the bidder or offeror and will not knowingly be disclosed by the bidder or offeror prior to opening, in the case of a bid, or prior to award, in the case of a proposal, directly or indirectly to any other bidder or offeror or to any competitor; and

(3) No attempt has been made or will be made by the bidder or offeror to induce any other person or firm to submit or not to submit a bid or proposal for the purpose of restricting competition.

(b) Each person signing this bid or proposal certifies that:

(1) He is the person in the bidder's or offerer's organisation responsible within that organisation for the decision as to the prices being bid or offered herein and that he "has not participated, and will not participate, in any action contrary to (a) (l) through (a) (3), above; or

(2) (i) He is not the person in the bidder's or offerer's organisation responsible within that organisation for the decision as to the prices being bid or offered herein but that he has been authorised in writing to act as agent for the persons responsible for such decision in certifying that such persons have not participated, and will .not participate, in any action contrary to (a) (l) through (a) (3)j abovej and as their agent does hereby so certify: and

(ii) He has not participated, and will not-participate, in any action contrary to (a) (l) through (a) (3)., above.

(c) This certification is not applicable to a foreign bidder or offeror submitting a bid or proposal for a contract which requires performance or delivery outside the United States, its possessions, and Puerto Rico.

(d) A bid or proposal will not be considered for award where (a) (l), (a.) (3)j or (b), above, has been deleted or modified. Where (a) (2), above, has been deleted or modified, the bid or proposal will not be considered for award unless the bidder or offeror furnishes with the bid or proposal a signed statement which sets -forth in detail the circumstance of the disclosure and the head of the agency, • or his designee, determines that such disclosure was not made for the purpose of restricting conpetition.

P-/2 APPENDIX P U.S. DEPARTMENT OP THE INTERIOR SAMPLE INVITATION TO BID Fish and Wildlife Service Bureau of Spon Fisheries and Wildlife

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY CLAUSE

(Executive Order No. 11246, as amended October 13, 1967)

Equal Employment Opportunity. During the performance of 5. The conrractor will furnish all information and reports this contract, the contractor agrees as follows: required by Executive Order No. 11246, ss amended, and by the rules, regulations, and orders of. the Secretary-of Labor, or 1. The contractor will not discriminate against an)- employee pursuant thereto, and will permit access to his books, records, or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, and accounts by the contracting agency and the Secretan of sex or national origin. The contractor will take affirmative Labor for purposes of investigationto ascertain compliance with action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that em- such rules, regulations, and orders. ployees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, color, religion, sex or national origin. Such action shall 6. In the event of the contractor's noncompliance with the include, but not be limited to. the following; employment, Equal Employment Opportunity Clause of this contract or with upgrading, demotion or transfer; recruitment or recruitment any of the s-aid rules, regulations, or orders, this contract may advertising; layoff or termination; rates of pay or other forms be cancelled, terminated, or suspended in whole or in part and of compensation; and selection for training, including appren- the contractor may be declared ineligible for further Govern- ticeship. The contractor agrees to post in conspicuous places, ment contracts in accordance with procedures authorized in available to employees and applicants for employment, notices Executive Order No. 11246, as amended, and such other sanc- to be provided by the contracting officer setting forth the pro- tions may be imposed and remedies invoked as provided in the visions of this Equal Employment Opportunity Clause. said Executive Order or by role, regulation, or order of the Secretary of Labor, or as otherwise provided by law. 2. The contractor will, in all solicitations or advertisements for employees placed by or on behalf of the contractor, state 7. The contractor will include the provisions of paragraphs (1) that all qualified applicants will receive consideration for em- through (7) in every subcontract or purchase order unless ex- ployment without regard to race, color, religion, sex or national empted by rules, regulations, or orders of the Secretary of origin. Labor issued pursuant to Section 204 of Executive Order No. 11246. as amended, so that such provisions will be binding 3. The contractor will send to each labor union or representa- upon each subcontractor or vendor. The contractor will take tive of workers with which he has a collective bargaining agree- such action with respect to any subcontract or purchase order ment or other contract or understanding, a notice, to be pro- as the contracting agency- may direct as a means of enforcing vided by the agency contracting officer, advising the laborunion such provisions,, including the sanctions for noncompliancc; or workers' representative of the contractor's commitments Provided,. however, that in the event the contractor becomes under Section 202, of Executive Order No. 11246, as amended, involved in, or is threatened with, litigation with a subcontrac- and shall post copies of the notice in conspicuous places avail- tor or vendor as a result of such direction by the contracting able to employees and applicants for employment. agency, the contractor may request the United States to enter into such litigation to protect the interests of the United States. 4. The contractor will comply with all provisions of Executive Order No. 11246, as amended, and the rules, regulations, and relevant orders of the Secretary of Labor.

Form 3-176 eRevised April 1969)

P-13 APPENDIX Q LIST OF PROSPECTIVE BIDDERS

Albritton Pulpwood Co. The Langdale Company Gowen Timber Co., Inc. Route 6, Box 108 P. O.Box 1088 108 S. Okefenokee Drive Waycross, GA 31501 Valdosta, GA 31601 Folkston, GA 31537

ITT Rayonier, Inc. Nassau Timber Company Brunswick Pulp & Land Co. P. 0. Box 393 / P. 0. Box 607 P. 0. Box 860 Waycross3 GA 31501 Callahan, FL 32011 Brunswick, GA 31521 ATTN: Raymond Johnson

Gilman Paper Company Varn Timber Company Container Corporation of Route 15 P. 0. Box 128 America Maxville,- FL 32265 Hoboken, GA 31542 North 8th Street Fernandina Beach, FL 32034

Container Corporation of Brunswick Pulp & Land Co Hudson Pulp & Paper Co. America P. 0. Box 1905 960 Alamo Drive P. 0. Box 1884 Waycross, GA 31502 Lake City, FL 32055 Waycross, GA' 31501

Jickley Forest Products Folkston Post Company Mr. Gary Gowen 0. Box 376 406 Bowery Lane Route 2, Box 480 Waycross, GA 31501 Folkston, GA 31537 Folkston, GA 31537

Wayne Forest Enterprises South Georgia Timber Co Mr. L. C. Shave P. 0. Box 775 P. 0. Box 146 P. 0. Box 131 Jesup, GA 31545 . Folkston, GA 31537 MacClenny, FL 32063

Mr. Bob Phillips Mr. Haul Ferre Callahan Timber Co., Inc. Route 2, Box 205 P. 0. Box 87 Georgia Pacific Folkston, GA 31537 Callahan, FL 32011 Route 2, Box 21-A Nahunta, GA 31553

Union Camp Corporation P. 0. Box 410 Waycross, GA 31501 of I7.I.A n. United Slates Department of the Interior FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE OKEFENOKEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE ROUTE 2, BOX 338 FOLKSTOH, GEORGIA 31537

CONDITIONS APPLICABLE TO TIMBER HARVESTING PERI-UTS

1. All refuge wildlife is protected. Ho type of wildlife will be harmed or harassed. The possession or use of firearms or other weapons on the refuge is prohibited.

2. Disturbing any'Indian mound or picking up or removing any Indian arrowheads or artifacts from the mounds or from the surface of the ground is a violation of the Archeological Resources Protection Act.

3. No plant or'animal species of any kind will be collected without a permit.

4. Red-Cjjckaded .jJo_QJpgcke_r__Colony Areas - No harvesting, loading, or hauling will be permitted in red-cockaded woodpecker colony areas (shown in red on the attached map) during the months of April through July.

5. All logging will be within the boundaries specified (see attached map) and coordinated with the refuge staff. Only marked or designated trees shall be cut. Care shall be exercised to protect all other trees and vegetation from damage. Additional trees marked for road or loading site will be paid for at bid price* Unmarked trees which are cut or injured through carelessness shall be paid for at double the stumpage price bid in the contract.

^, Trees shall be cut so as to leave a stump not more than 12 inches high for sawtimber and 6 inches high for pulpwood. Ground level paint spot must be visible after tree has been cut. All merchantable marked trees are to be cut. Cut trees and tops shall not be left hanging- or supported by any other living or dead tree. Tops will be pulled away from standing timber and lopped.

The Government accepts no responsibility for the maintenance and repair of roads and bridges used for the removal of materials, logs, etc., from the refuge ox'er privately ouTied lands before gaining access to the public roads.

All tops and portions of trees marked for sale and left in the woods upon completion of operations in each logging unit and/or entire sale, will revert to the U.S. Government.

All roads, ditches and fire lanes will be kept free of'tops, limbs, etc., resulting from harvesting of timber by the permittee. The permittee and his employees will do all in their power to prevent and suppress forest fires; shall pay the United States Government for any unnecessary damage resulting, from the operations herein permitted; and shall repair all damage to roads, trails, ditches, habitat, and fire lanes, resulting from operations conducted hereunder. Repairs and cleanup work will be accomplished to the satisfaction of the Refuge Manager.

R-i 8. No loading docks are permitted within 100 feet of public roads or within pine regeneration plantation areas.

9. The Refuge Manager may ban tree length skidding where excessive damage may result.

10. Littering in any manner on a refuge is a violation of the Federal Regulation Code. The entire work area shall be kept free of all forms of litter at all times.

11. Tops and logging debris shall be kept pulled back or lopped within 100 feet of public roads'.

12. The hauling route across refuge lands will be designated by the refuge officer-in- charge.. Speed limits as designated by the officer-in-charge will be strictly adhered to.. .

13. The Refuge Manager shall have authority to temporarily close down all or any part of the operation during a period of high fire -danger, inclement weather,for safety reasons, or any other reason deemed necessary. Additional time, equal to the closing period, will be granted to the permittee.

14. If requested, satisfactory scale tickets for timber products shall be submitted by the permittee to the refuge officer-in-charge.

15. Each bidder will submit with his. bid, or have on file in a Fish and Wildlife Service Office, a current statement demonstrating^his financial ability and the ownership or control of necessar}1 equipment to carry out the operation on the basis herein specified; also, the location of his plant, if any, and the number of employees he proposes to use in the operation.

R-2 APPENDIX S United States Department of the Interior FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE OKEFENOKEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE ROUTE 2, BOX 338 FOLKSTON, GEORGIA 31537

CONDITIONS APPLICABLE TO FIREWOOD HARVESTING PERMITS

1. Anyone cutting firewood on Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge must have in his/her possession a permit signed by the Refuge Manager or his representative. Cutting and loading must be accomplished on the days designated on the permit and between 7:00 AM and 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday. Permittee must inform refuge personnel before entering the designated area to cut firewood. Permit must be picked up before 3:30 PM.-

2. Only trees marked for cutting in area described in the permit will be cut.

3. Firewood is to be for permittee's home consumption only and is not to be sold.

4. Each permittee will be limited to J:wg^ pickup loads of firewood per year. Any part of a load will be counted as a load.

5. Access to cutting area and loading area will be designated by the Refuge Manager or Refuge Forester.

6. Trees shall be cut so as to leave a stump not more than 4 inches high.. Tree trunks and limbs over 1% inches in diameter must be utilized. All roads, ditches and firelanes will be kept free of tops, limbs and debris. Any necessary repairs or cleanup work will be accomplished to the satisfaction of the Refuge Manager.

7. Littering in any manner on a refuge is a violation of the Code of Federal Regulations. The entire work area shall be kept free of all forms of litter at all times.

8. Disturbing any Indian mound or picking up or removing any Indian arrowheads or artifacts from the mounds or from the surface of the ground is a violation of the Archeological Resources Protection Act.

9. The Government will not be liable for any injuries sustained while cutting. v .APEENDjX- T,U. •• • '

aiypicai'-'comp^rt'inerit Prescription --•"-- ' -''-^-.X -'-- -"'' ..-*' %-S>«^

POREST MANAGEMENT PRESCRIPTION

FOR

OKEFENOKEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

FY 1987

COMPARTMENT 8

Submitted by:

Refuge Manager Date

Reviewed by:

Date

Approved by:'

Date

T-l APPENDIX T

Typical Compartment Prescription

FOREST MANAGEMENT PRESCRIPTION Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge FY 1987 Compartment 8

I. General Description

Compartment 8 is a peninsula {The Pocket) and a small adjoining island (Jones Island), jutting into the v/estern side of the Okefenokee Swarnp. The forest management compartment is bounded almost entirely by the Okefenokee Swamp. A small section of the wesbern compartment boundary follows the Suwannee River Sill, the Suwannee River and then follows the refuge boundary along private lands. A small area of land between blocks 3 and 11 is in Government ownership but is not part of this forest management compartment because the previous landowner, Container Corporation of America, retained perpetual timber management rights for all the uplands in the tract. The compartment also includes Stephen C, Foster State Park on Jones Island. This area is unmanaged from the forestry aspect but contains several hardwood stands and openings which increase habitat diversity in the compartment. The 1,944 acre compartment is located in Charlton and Ware Counties, Georgia. Topographically, the swamp-upland boundary follows the 115 foot contour line along the northern and western edge of the Pocket and Jones Island. The swampline is somewhat higher, 118 feet to 120 feet along the eastern and southern edge of the compartment. Below the Sill, pineland extends down to about 113 feet above mean sea level. The sand ridge which forms the Pocket reaches 120 feet along most of its length and reaches 122 feet at its highest point. II. Management History The entire compartment lies within the tract purchased frcm the Hebard Cypress Company in 1936. The original stands, predominately longleaf pine, which covered the area were harvested between 1924 and 1925 leaving only a few trees, mostly slash pine, scattered along the swamp edge. The area was burned annually to stimulate grass production for cattle grazing. Continuous grazing and annual burning prevented the reGstablishment of forest stands until the U.S. Government took control of the land in 1936. After this time, the s,lash pine trees along the swamp edge gradually seeded in the area. Scattered longleaf, loblolly and pond pine trees were also present in some areas. Recent timber removal records show: 942 cords of pulpwcod removed in 1963 and 1964 to clear areas of poorly stocked stands for replanting; 1,732 cords of pulpwcod removed during a 1965 prescribed thinning; and

T-2 APPENDIX T

Typical Compartment Prescription

1,750 cords of pulpwood and 62,613 fence posts harvested between 1975 and 1985 as a result of several construction salvage sales, salvage operations after the 1979 and 1985 Pocket Fires and a slash pine plantation thinning project. Several facilities have impacted forest habitat in Compartment 8. The refuge boathouse site and Stephen C. Foster State Park occupy slightly over' half of Jones Island. The Suwannee River Sill completed around 1960 -flooded the northern and western edge of the compartment to the 115 foot contour line. The Suwannee River Sill Recreation Area parking lot occupies several acres of land on the western end of the Pocket. In addition, between 1980 and 1985, two residences and a fire cache and storage building were constructed near the Suvannee River Sill Recrea- tion Area. Several openings and hardwood plots were established throughout the compartment to improve wildlife habitat diversity. A 16-acre slash pine plantation destroyed by the 1979 Pocket Fire was replaced by a 4.5 acre managed wildlife opening and a mixed hardwood stand (Richard Bolt Memo- rial Plot). Other openings have been established as a result of clearing for borrow pits and facility construction sites. Several new openings proposed are described in Recommended Management Actions section of this plan. Longleaf, slash and pond pine are being planted on several areas, totaling 85 acres, which were destroyed in the 1985 Pocket Fire. ill. Fire Management Because of the open condition of the Pocket area, the 1932 fire had very little impact. Very few trees per acre were present and the ground cover consisted primarily of broomstraw. The fire and grazing protection afforded by the Government after 1936 allowed the establishment of slash pine throughout the compartment. By 1954, the majority of the forest consisted of 15 to 20 year old pulpwood size stands.

The first refuge prescribed burn in Compartment 8 was accomplished in January of 1954. This 892-acre burn removed enough fuel to allow the 1954 wildfire to pass through the following spring with very little damage to the young stands. A tragic wildfire which took the life of Richard Bolt in 1979- destroyed one of the 1965 plantations (16 acres) and caused a great deal of mortality in 50 acres of adjoining stands. A second Pocket fire in June, 1985 destroyed 82 acres of forestland, mostly 1965 plantations. Since 1954, prescribed burning has been carried out on a three or four year cycle. The northern and western blocks of the compartment were last burned in January, 1985 and the southern and eastern blocks were burned as part of the 1985 Pocket fire suppression action. The north and west blocks are presently burned on a four-year cycle and the south and

1-3 APPENDIX T

Typical Compartment Prescription

east blocks on a two-year cycle. A between-cycle burn is being recommended for the north, and west blocks before timber marking and harvesting operations bagin. IV. Endangered Species Management Because Compartment 8 has had no colonies in the past, management for the red-cockaded woodpecker has not been a major consideration. Several woodpeckers are now attempting to colonize the Pocket area. One attempt occurred several years ago in block 39 but failed when a windstorm broke the tree off at the hole level. Three new colony starts were observed during this prescription cruise in blocks 16, 41 and 42. Two birds were also observed in block 41. More colonization attempts are expected as the' available habitat on nearby Billy's Island becomes more saturated. The Pocket area presently provides marginal woodpecker habitat because of its young age and high density. The proposed heavy thinning, favoring ' the very scattered longlef pine, will provide 1,250 acres of red- cockaded woodpecker habitat within a few years which v/ill be capable of supporting four or five red-cockaded woodpecker colonies. If managed in accordance with the Habitat Management Plan for Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, the compartment will eventually be capable of supporting an additional two colonies. See Maps IV.A, IV.B, and IV.C for location of suitable and potential colony and foraging habitat for the red-cockaded woodpecker.

V. Description of Existing Habitat Types This forest management prescription, accompanying maps and tables were compiledfrominformation" gathered during a 2% prescription cruise completed in July, 1986. In addition to species, age and volume data, understory species composition was recorded, primarily to document understory changes resulting from various management activities. This data is shown on the understory species Maps No. III.A, III.B, and III.C. The following groups of understory species were observed in Compartment 8 during the prescription cruise: Palmetto: Primary species is palmetto, generally located on higher pine lands. Gallberry is the most common associated species, followed by wax myrtle, huckleberry, blueberry, various grasses and ground oaks. Gallberry: Generally located on slightly lower sites than predominantly palmetto areas. Other species found are palmetto, wax myrtle, grass, poison ivy, grapes, hurrah bush, and others. Grass (Disturbed Areas): This grass type includes both annual and perennial grasses which occur in old fields, pine plantations and other areas where the soil has been worked. Blackberry, poison ivy, grapes and wax myrtle are commonly found in these areas. Grass (Wooded Areas).- This perennial grass type occurs in areas which receive less sunlight and is often associated with periodic

T-4 - APPENDIX T

Typical Compartment Prescription

fires. Wiregrass associated with ground oaks is an example on higher ground. Other wetland perennial grasses and associated wetland plants and shrubs are found on lower areas.

Huckleberry-Blueberry: These are upland areas which contain dwarf huckleberry and blueberry. Frequent fires encourage this type. Ground oaks, gallberry and palmetto are also present. Wetland Shrubs: These understory areas contain shrubs such as hurrah bush, greenbriar, myrtle, titi, high blueberries, and others. They are generally located in transition zones between upland and swampland. These areas burn very hot during winter and summer.

Wetland Plants: Very poorly drained areas containing ferns, St. Johnswort and others.

Sphagnum Moss: Some slash and pond pine stands have only sphagnum moss in the understory. These areas hold fire during wet periods but burn readily when dry.

Bare Ground or Litter: Disturbed sites, periodically flooded sites or sites where the overstory is too dense to permit growth of any understory. Pine stands occupy 82% of the area in Compartment 8. The remaining area e is composed of small stands of hardwoods, mixed pine, cypress and hardwood swamplands, openings and administrative areas. Although longleaf pine stands once occupied much of the area, slash pine now occupies the vast majority of the area (64%) with an occasional longleaf pine scattered throughout the higher elevations and a few pond and loblolly pine located near the swarnpline. Approximately 23% of the area has enough longleaf pine (10% or more) to be classed as slash/long leaf pine. Mixed slash/pond/loblolly pine stands are located on 32% of the area. Pure longleaf stands occupy less than 1% of the upland pine forest. With the exception of the 1965 plantation and the burned over areas currently being rehabilitated, most of the pine stands are between 40 and 50 years of sge, dating back to the acquisition of the area from the Hebard Cypress Company. A few old trees, left by the Twin Tree Logging Company are scattered throughout the stands. The young stands are growing rapidly. The 1965 prescription showed volumes of 1,953,000 board feet and 9,000 cords of pine timber. In addition to the volumes cut since 1965, volumes are now 3,497,000 board feet and 5,906 cords. Some of the stands are now quite dense, up to 160 square feet per acre basal area and will have to be thinned to maintain this vigorous growth and improve the value to wildlife. The Forest Stand Condition class maps, stand descriptions, and volume tables contain symbols used to identify the various forest types and conditions. These symbols are as follows:

T-5 APPENDIX T

Typical Compartment Prescription

SPECIES SIZE CROW DENSITY P - Pine 1. Less than 4 in DBH A. - Dense H - Hardwood 2. 4.1 to 9,0 in DBH B. - Semi-Dense C - Cypress 3. Over 9.1 in DBH C. - Sparse Example: P3A = Pine, greather than 9.1 inch DBH with a sparse crown canopy.

Maps No. I .A, I.B, and I.C show the present distribution of the various condition classes. These classes are summarized in Section VII.

VI. Refuge Management Objectives vs. Habitat Deficiencies Habitat management objectives for Okefenokee Refuge are to provide optimum habitat diversity to benefit a wide variety of native wildlife species with special emphasis on threatened and endangered species. Considering the saturated red-cockaded woodpecker habitat on Billy's Island and the recent attempts to establish colonies in the Pocket, habitat management emphasis will shift on older stands from habitat diversity toward providing open park like stands for the endangered woodpecker. The most important habitat deficiencies to be corrected by this and following prescriptions are: 1. Lack of Forest Stand Diversity: Except for the 85 acres of slesh pine planted in 1965, almost all of the forest stands in Compartment 8 are in a single 40 to 50 year age class and represent a single species,

2. Lack of Understory Diversity: Although varied burning conditions have developed some understory diversity in the south and eastern blocks, the other half of the compartment is dominated almost entirely by gallberry. 3. Lack of Open Space.- Habitat diversity would be increased if the compartment contained more openings. 4. Marginal Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Habitat: Although the compartment could support vigorous stands of longleaf pine, past management practices have almost eliminated longleaf frcm the area. Red-cockaded woodpeckers are trying to establish start holes in slash nine. Only about 342 acres of the existing pine stands are in the open condition preferred by the woodpeckers. The remaining stands are far too dense for colonies or foraging sites. VII. Recommended Management Actions When the last prescription was completed in 1965, refuge management

T-6 Typical Compartment Prescription

objectives were to manage on a sustained yield basis and to maximize habitat diversity for native wildlife species. Since 1965, with the discovery of red-cockaded woodpeckers on Billy's Island and recent attempts to establish colonies in the Pocket, proposed management activities will shift in the direction of providing habitat for this endangered species. Proposed stand densities are lower than they were in 1965, rotations will be much longer, thinning activities will favor longleaf pine, and longleaf pine will be restored on its original territory when areas are regenerated. The following management activities are proposed for each of the existing condition classes or individual forest stands. Maps No. II.A, II.B, _ and II.C show stand condition classes after the proposed treatment . P3A - 517 acres, 27%; after treatment: 0 acres, 0% These stands will be heavily thinned'to the P3C condition leaving the largest, most vigorous trees, Longleaf pine will be favored where it exists. Where suitable cavity trees do not exist, these stands will be maintained in an open condition suitable for woodpecker foraging sites. These are vigorous stands and by the next prescription cycle the stand should have grown into the semi-dense, P3B condition.

P3B - 499 acres, 26%; after treatment: 91 acres, 5% These predominantly slash pine stands are similar to the P3A stands except that they are not as heavily stocked. The area will receive a light thinning, reducing stand density to the P3C condition. The vigorous stands will return to the P3B condition by the next cutting cycle. One of the woodpecker start hole sites is located in an opening within a small P3B stand. P3C - 352 acres, 18%; after treatment: 1,245 acres, 64% Two of the red-cockaded woodpecker start hole areas are in the existing P3C types. The only pure longleaf pine stand in the compartment is also located in this type in block 3. These stands v/ill receive a very light thinning to even out spacing and remove midstory trees. These stands also contain most of the pre-1936 aged trees. Most of the P3C stands are less vigorous than the existing P3A and P3B stands and will remain in the P3C class throughout the rest of the rotation. Two 20-acre stands--located in blocks 13 and 33 will be regenerated. Both sites are excellent longleaf sites and will be converted back to longleaf. The block 18 site contains a few scattered longleaf pine which v/ill be left. These remaining longleafs may provide early cavity sites and should still be alive when the new stands approach useful age.

T-7 AJ'FENDIX T

Typical Compartment Prescription

P2A - 20 acres, 1%; after treatment: 0 acres, 0% These small stands are parts of the 1965 slash pine plantations which escaped a series of fence post thinnings. • They will be thinned back to a semi-dense P2B condition. P2B - 122 acres, 6%; after treatment: 162 acres, 8% .•Other than two small pulpwood sized stands near the swampline, 'these stands are all slash pine plantations planted in 1965. They will receive a light thinning, reducing basal area to just above 40 square feet. The rapidly growing stand should grow into the upper end of the P2B or enter the P3A class by the next prescription cycle in 1996. By this time, the stand will be large enough to be useful as red-cockaded woodpecker foraging sites. P2C - 20 acres, 1%; after treatment:.0 acres, 0% These stands are part of the 1965 plantations which were thinned more heavily or were damaged by one of several wildfires. They will receive no thinning and probably will join the semi-dense P23 class by the end of this prescription cycle. P/C/H - 177 acres, 9%; after treatment: 177 acres, 9% These are mixed stands of pine, pond cypress, and hardwoods growing in shallow depressions scattered throughout the compartment. Other than the removal of a few pines from the edges of these stands, they will receive no management. In some stands, the understory is extremely dense and in other the overstory is very dense and the understory is quite open. These "ponds" are well distributed throughout the compartment and are valuable because they will help to maintain wildlife habitat diversity as the density of the adjacent mature sawtimber stands is reduced to a more uniform, open situation. UH - 48 acres, 2%; after treatment: 48 acres, 2% These areas include: a 14-acre upland hardwood stand is located within the state park area; a small hardwood stand in block 38 on the north end of the Pocket; and a 10-acre hardwood plantation at the Richard Bolt Memorial Site. Nothing is proposed for the natural sites. A few hardwoods will be added from time to time to the Bolt Memorial Site. Any natural hardwood- sites- discovered during management activities will be protected.

Pl_ - 60 acres, 4%; after treatment 92 acres, 6% The 82-acre 1986 Pocket fire salvage area is being rehabilitated in accordance with the plan submitted after the fire. During February, 1986, longleaf, slash and pond pine seed were distributed over prepared seedbeds on 56 acres of the burned over area. Slash

T-i Typical Compartment Prescription

pine seedlings were planted on six acres. Due to a very dry spring, an acceptable stand was not established in the seedbed area. Bare root longleaf and slash pine seedlings will oe planted in these areas this coming winter. Permanent openings for a total of nine acres will be maintained in these burned over areas. Longleaf pine seedlings will be planted in two 20-acre regeneration areas in blocks 11 and 21. Openings - 19 acres, 1%; after treatment: 25 acres, 2% The following list shows present and proposed permanent openings in Compartment 8: Headquarters Plot 1.0 acres Maintained Memorial Plot Opening 4,5 acres Maintained Block 47 Opening 1.5 acres Natural Radio Tower Opening 3.0 acres Maintained Block 48 Opening 1.0 acres Maintained Block 47 Opening 4.5 acres Maintained Block 32 Opening 4.5 acres Under construction Block 23 Opening 3.0 acres Under construction Block 33 Opening 2.0 acres Proposed

TOTAL 25.0 acres

In addition to the 25 acres of maintained openings, road shoulders provide an additional 32 acres and the Sill an additional five acres within the compartment. The six regeneration areas will provide 92 acres of temporary openings. The maintenance of the mature stands in an open, park-like condition for the red-cockaded woodpecker will also provide many open areas within stands which will be utilized by some wildlife species. The remaining 104 acres (7%) are road right-of-ways, parking lots, building sites,, etc.

Proposed habitat management activities vail correct habitat deficiencies by: 1. Increasing stand diversity by adding a third age class of 92 acres to the existing 40-50 year age classes, and by restoring longleaf pine on about 85 acres of its former territory. 2. Increasing understory diversity by continuing prescribed burns on two different burning cycles. 3. Increasing open space available to wildlife by constructing new minimum maintenance open areas, utilizing regeneration areas as temporary openings and by opening up mature stands to create numerous forest openings.

T-9 APPENDIX T

Typical Compartment Prescription

4. Improving red-cockaded woodpecker habitat by reducing stand density on several hundred acres of mature pine, favoring longleaf pine over other species during selective thinning, planting longleaf pine on suitable regeneration areas, and by conducting prescribed burns to maintain an open understory. In addition to correcting habitat deficiencies, the proposed habitat management activities will improve the appearence of the six-mile drive into Stephen C. Foster State Park and increase the opportunity to view and enjoy wildlife.

No new roads or firelines are necessary to carry out the prescribed activities. One out-of-sequence prescribed burn will be necessary on the north and west sides of the compartment to facilitate marking and timber removal activities. The prescribed activities will yield approximately 1,700 MBF of sawtimber and 3,800 cords of pulpwood with a total value of approximately $140,000.00. If staffing and funding are available, marking will be completed in FY 1987 and the surplus forest products will be marketed in one or more sales in FY 1987 and 1988. See Maps No. V.A, V.B, and V.C for proposed locations of regeneration and thinning areas.

Staffing and funding requirements needed to carry out the prescribed management activities are as follows:

STAFF STAFF DAYS COST

Timber Marking 70 $ 7,300 Sales Administration 15 1,600 Sales Inspection 30 3,200 Site Preparation 21 2,200 Regeneration 10 1,000 Construction of Openings 4 400 Prescribed Burn 32 1,300

TOTAL 162 $17,000

FUNDING. COST

Equipment Maintenance $ 1,000 Vehicle Maintenance 1,000 Fuel 600 Tree Marking Materials 1,400

TOTAL $ 4,000

T-10- APPENDIX T

Typical Compartment Prescription

VIII. Contract Supervision The only contracts to be awarded during this cutting cycle as a result of this prescription will be timber harvesting permits. • A list of conditions will be part of each harvesting permit. These conditions"and the other provisions of the permit will insure that the objectives of this prescription and the Habitat Management Plan'are met. Harvesting operations will be inspected weekly, or more frequently if necessary, to insure/ that all the provisions of the timber harvesting permit are adhered to.

IX. Tables and Maps Table I - Forest Type and Age Class Distribution Table II - Cut/Leave Schedule Map I - Existing Forest Condition Classes A. South Pocket Section B. North Pocket Section C. Jones Island Section Map II - Proposed Forest Condition Classes A. South Pocket Section B. North Pocket Section C. Jones Island Section Map III - Understory Species A- South Pocket Section B. North Pocket Section C. Jones Island Section

Map IV - Forest Species Distribution A. South -Pocket Section B. North Pocket Section C. Jones Island Section

Map V - Regeneration and Thinning Areas A. South Pocket Section B. North Pocket Section C. Jones Island Section

T-H APPENDIX f

Typical Compartment Prescription

TABLE I

FOREST TYPE, SPECIES, AND AGE CLASS DISTRIBUTION

FY 1987

COMPARTMENT 8

Composition by Types

Pine Forest 1,498 acres 77% Pine/Cypress/Hardwood Ponds 177 acres 9% Upland Hardwoods . 48 acres 2% Regeneration Areas (Temporary Openings) 92 acres 5%

TOTAL FOREST AREA 1 ,815 .acres 93%

Permanent Openings 25 acres 1% Other (Road ROW, Building Sites, Parking Lots, etc. 104 acres 6%

TOTAL COMPAR3MENT AREA 1,944 acres 100%

SPECIES ARD AG5 CLASS DISTRIBUTION ON1 UPLAND PINE FOREST

Young Longleaf (0-20 years) 43 acres** 3% Young Slash/Longleaf* (0-20 years) 0 acres 0% Young Slash Pine (0-20 years) 34 acres 2% Slash/Pond/Loblollyjf (0-20 years) 0 acres 0% Middle-Aged Longleaf (21-40 year) 0 acres 0% Miadle-Aged Slash/Longleaf* (21-40 years) 87 acres 6% Middle-Aged Slash (21-40 years) 464 acres 29% Middle-Aged Slash/Pond/Loblolly? (21-40 years) 58 acres 4% Mature Longleaf (41-80 years) 10 acres <1% Mature Slash/Longleaf* (41-80 years) 246 acres 15% Mature Slash (41-30 years) 497 acres 31% Mature Slash/Pond/Loblolly* (41-80 years) 111 acres 7% Old Longleaf (81+ years) 0 acres 0% Old Slash/Longleaf*- (31+ years) 10 acres ' <1% Old Slash (81+ years) 20 acres 1% Old Slash/Pond/Loblolly£ (81+ years) 10 acres <1%

irrrnr TTPrann PTMF FORR^T 1,590 acres

** Proposed plan will remove 36 acres fra*n middle-aged and mature slash pine and add it to young longleaf.

10% or more loblollyand pond pine.

10% or more longleaf pine.

T-12 ' TABLE II

CUT-LEAVE SCHEDULE, COMPARTMENT - FY 1987 TABLE FOR PINE

LEAVE CUT .^

Forest Saw timber Pulpwood Saw timber Pulpwood Condition Acres Per Acre Total Per Acre Total Per Acre Total Per Acre Total Class (Bd.Ft.) MBF (Cords) (.Cords) (Bd.Ft,) .MBF (Cords) (Cords)

P3B 91 7,320 666.2 1.85 168 407 37.1 1.18 107 P3C 1,245 4,698 5,849.6 0.58 725 1,234 1,536.8 2,31 2,881 P2B 162 632 102.5 5.44 882 120 19.5 4.73 767 PI 92 - 0.0 - 0 1,203 110,7 0.86 79

-4 P/C/H 177 882 156.2 1.41 249 "98 17.4. 0.27 48 48 39 - 0 0.0 - 0 im 1.9 - TOTALS 1,815 ' 6,776.4 - 2,024 - '1,721.5 - 3,882-

TABLE FOR HARDWOOD & CYPRESS

LEAVE CUT-

Forest Sawtimber Pulpwood S aw timber Pulpwood Condition Acres Per Acre Total Per Acre Total Per Acre Total Per Acre Total Class (Bd.Ft.) MBF ' (Cords) ' (Cords) (Bd. Ft..) . MBF (Cords) (Cords) P3B 91 •107 9.8 1.23 112 - 0 - 0 P3C 1,245 27 34.0 .24 302 -• 0 - • o ' P2B • 162 22 3.6 .17 27 - • 0 0 PI 92 . - 0,0 0 0 - ' 0 - 0 P/C/H 177 1,296 229.4 3.55. 628 - 0 - 0 UH 48 • . 491 23.6 3.52 169 - 0 - 0 TOTALS 1,815 . _ 300.4 - 1,238 - 0 - 0 APPENDIX T

TYPICAL COMPARTMENT PRESCRIPTION

List of Maps Included in a Typical Compartment Prescription •

MAP I Existing Torest Condition Classes •

Shows forest stand size, and density as they exist before prescribed • treatment. Includes 'all physical features of compartment.

Map II Proposed Forest Condition' Classes

Shows size and density types after prescribed treatment. Includes- all physical features of compartment. . -

Map III Understory Species

Color coded map showing major understory species existing in the compartment. Includes all physical features of compartment.

Map "IV Forest Species Distribution

Color coded map showing .distribution of various pine and hardwood species present after proposed treatment. Shows areas suitable and potentially suitable for red-cockaded woodpecker habitat. Shows red-cockaded woodpecker cavity tree locations. Includes all physical features of compartment.

Map V Regeneration and Thinning Areas

Shows proposed regeneration areas and selective thinning areas. Includes all physical features of compartment. APPENDIX "U"

DESCRIPTION-ENDANGERED PLANTS

Name: Hartwrightia (Hartwrightia floridana) Status: Threatened Range: Central Florida to Southeast Georgia Plant Type: Perennial Herb • . Description: Hartwrightia floridana is slender plant up to 1.5 m. tall. The basal leaves are elliptic, up to 15 cm, long, and are attached by long slender petioles; the stem leaves are alternately arranged, lance-shaped, and much reduced. The numerous flower heads are produced on a much-branched, flat- topped inflorescence that is covered with minute club-shaped scales. These flower heads are comprised of disk flowers that are white to lavender, and 3 to 3.5 imt. long. The fruit is an achene. Flowering period: Summer-Fall; fruiting period: Fall. Habitat: Found in swamps, marshes, and wet grasslands. Name: Hooded Pitcher-Plant (Sarracenia minor) . " • Status: Threatened Range: Central Florida, into Georgia, north to North Carolina Plant Type: Perennial Herb Description: The hooded pitcher-plant is from 15 to 60 cm. tall. The hollow leaves are green at the base, red above with conspicuous white spots on the backside, 15 to 60 cm. tall, 1 to 4 cm. across at the orifice, and have hoods that are bent downward over the orifice. The single flowers are borne on long stalks that equal or exceed the leaves. The 5 yellow petals are ovate, 2,5 to 4 cm. long; the 5 sepals are also yellow and are 1.5 to 3.5 cm. long. The style-disk is 2 to 3 cm. in diameter. The fruit is a capsule, 7 to 15 nm. in diameter. Flowering period: March - May; fruiting period: June-July. Habitat: Found in acid soils of open bogs, savannas, and low areas..in pine flatwoods. Name: Parrot Pitcher-Plant f Sarracenia psittacina) Status: Threatened Range: Northeast Florida, south Georgia, west to Louisiana '•' - Plant Type: Perennial Herb Description: This plant is one of the smaller members of this genus, and. is often overlooked. The hollow leaves are 9 to 28 cm. long, green at the base, red-veined towards the top, prominently winged in the upper half, and are arranged in a basal rosette that reclines on the ground. The single flowers appear with the leaves, and are borne on long stalks that rise well-above the leaves. The 5 petals are maroon, and 2 to 4.5 cm. long; the 5 maroon sepals are 1.5 to 2,5 cm. long. the style disk is 1.8 to 2.6 cm. in diameter. The fruit is a capsule about 1 cm. in diameter. Flowering period: March - May; fruiting period: June - July. Habitat: Found in acid soils of open bogs, savannas, and low areas in pine flatwoods.

U-l Name: Pond-Bush and Pond Spice Litsea aestivalis Status: Threatened Range: Coastal Plain of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina arid South Carolina Plant Type: Deciduous Shrub . Description: Pond Spice has zigzag branches and is up to 3 m. tall. The leaves are alternately arranged on the stem, rather thin, elliptic, and up to 3 cm. long and 1 cm. wide. Male and female -flowers are produced on different plants (dioecious) and appear on the leaves. These flowers are borne terminally or at the nodes of the last year's leaves, in tight umbellate clusters. The 6 flower parts are yellow, smooth, and 2 to 3 nm. ..long. The fruit is a red drupe, 4 to 6 nra. in diameter. Flowering period: March - April; fruiting period: May - June. Habitat: Found on margins of swamps, limesink ponds, . and in low wet woodlands. Name: Fly-catchers, Golden Trumpet, and Trumpet Leave Sarracensis: flava Status: Threatened Range: Coastal Plain of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia Plant Type: Perennial Herb ' • Description: This is one of the largest members of this genus, growing up to 95 cm. tall. The hollow trumpet-shaped leaves are greenish yellow, 25 to 35 cm. tall, 15 cm. across at the orifice, and have suberect hoods with a purple spot at the base. The single flowers appears before the leaves, and are borne on long stalks (scapes). The 5 petals are bright yellow, ovate, 58.5 cm. long, and guickly deciduous. The 5 sepals are green, 2.53 cm. long and are persistent through the growing season. Another distinctive characteristic of the flower is the style disk, which is 37 cm. in diameter. Ihe*fruit is a capsule, 10 to 25 irm. in diameter. Flowering period: March - April; fruiting period: May - June. Habitat: Found in acid soils of open bogs, savannas, and low areas in pine flatwoods.

U-2