Conservation Plan

Landowner X County, Florida

2018 年 4 月 3 日

USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission In Cooperation with: Florida Division of Forestry

1 USDA Service Center Name Address District Conservationist Phone Number EMAIL Address

Florida Fish and Wildlife Name Address Wildlife Biologist Phone Number EMAIL Address

Florida Division of Forestry Name Address X County Forester Phone Number EMAIL Address

Conservation Plan of Operation Landowner name Address

Location: X County, Florida

Conservation Planning

The goal of the Landowner Assistance Program (LAP) is to provide assistance to private landowners with information and planning for wildlife habitat conservation and management. Working with our partners (USFWS, Florida DOF, NRCS, and the Wildlife Legacy Initiative) we provide technical assistance and education, as well as administer cost-share programs. Wildlife species are inseparable from soil, water, and plant resources and are, therefore, integral components of all primary land and water systems. The types and densities of wildlife species in a given area depends primarily on the amount and distribution of food, cover, water and living space. If any one of these elements is missing, inadequate or inaccessible, wildlife will be scarce or will not inhabit the area. This plan attempts to consider all resources (SWAPA – Soil, Water, Air, Plants, Animals) and involve as many resource professionals as possible during the planning process.

2 Introduction

Management Objectives

The X property will be managed under a multiple use concept that will incorporate several management objectives. The primary objective for the property is to improve overall diversity and conservation of wildlife habitat, with an emphasis on migratory, wintering, and resident avian wildlife species. Conservation for soil and water resources, timber health and productivity, aesthetics, and recreational opportunities will also be addressed.

Site Description

Location: lat 0 lon –0 (decimal degrees) or, 0” N, 0” W (degrees, minutes, seconds).

The 222 +/- acre X property is located south X, FL in X County, within Sections X & 32, Township XS, & Range XE. It may be accessed by following X roughly 4 miles south of X, and following a private access dirt road to the west, just north of “X.” The tract lays between X, a distinct wetland ecosystem extending between the X and X rivers (one of the largest areas of privately owned roadless lands remaining in Florida) and X State Forest to the East. This area has been drastically altered over the last century to accommodate extensive silvicultural production, and historically was composed of hydric pine flatwoods, baygalls, bay, and cypress swamps. The X property contains portions of “X Sink” and “X Lake”-areas recognized as important groundwater aquifer recharge areas within the county. The tract consists of mostly heavily cut-over cypress and bay wetlands, pine flatwoods, mixed pine-hardwoods, low uplands, wildlife openings, and a headquarters site on the southernmost boundary. Access roads left behind from the previous landowner’s silvocultural operations provide limited access, and the adjacent properties are mostly privately owned industrial timberlands- still undergoing intensive short term slash pine rotations.

The tract’s wide variety of upland habitat types and integrated wetlands may provide a very important “private lands” conservation component in Southern X County, and be especially valuable for overwintering waterfowl, nesting wading birds, large mammals, and overall wildlife habitat diversity in the area. This tract is surrounded by a matrix of private lands under a variety of more intensive agricultural production of timber and row crops. Agricultural lands are recognized as important habitat areas for conservation, and we recognize that they are most threatened by the possible conversion to more intensive development. X is striving to abate such further conversion, and is essentially trying to provide an “oasis” of potential wildlife conservation area that contributes a local stepping stone between larger conservation lands.

Management objectives & activities on the X property can incorporate NRCS conservation practices that contribute value both locally and regionally when considered in conjunction with the surrounding area’s ecology. Refer to the “X” information sheet provided with the FNAI conservation lands map in the CP folder or online at:

3 http://www.dep.state.fl.us/lands/fl_forever.htm for more information on this and other Florida Forever projects. All management recommendations in this CP will focus on those conservation practices that contribute to abating threats (ex. invasive plants, incompatible fire, etc.) to the associated habitat categories found on the X property that coincide with the landowner’s objectives. These conservation practices may be cross referenced and reviewed with the individual habitats, and their threats online in the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission “Florida’s Wildlife Legacy Initiative” at: http://www.myfwc.com/WILDLIFEHABITATS/Legacy_index.htm#

For the purpose of the NRCS conservation plan (CP), land use categories are condensed into the following field designations based on the Natural Resource Conservation Services’ (NRCS) land use categories used for resource management system planning. These field enumerations will also correspond as much as possible to the formatting guidelines used by the Florida Division of Forestry’s Forest Stewardship Program. X has also co-applied for the FLDOF Forest Stewardship Program, and can become eligible for certification as they complete their conservation practices. Therefore, this conservation plan will be developed in cooperation with the FLDOF county forester as an additional partnership.

Field 1 (Headquarters) consists of 1.2 acres with the office, camp, various outbuildings, and open areas.

Field 2 (Wildlife) is a 123.8 acres of natural & partially disturbed wetlands. This field is mostly open water under normal rainfall conditions, with scattered cypress (Taxodium spp.) as the dominant over story species. Most of the mature cypress trees were harvested by the previous landowner, so the residual trees are mostly concentrated in the wetter areas of the field, where the logging operation probably had limited access during normal water levels. The mid and understory along the swamps edges consists of a variety of mixed hardwoods/shrubs including titi (Cyrilla spp.), waxmyrtle (Myrica cerifera), bay (Persea spp.), willow (Salix spp.), gum (Nyssa spp.) and others. Ground cover around the water’s edge is dominated by maiden cane (Panicum hemitomon), pickerel weed (Pontadaria cordata), and other emergent vegetation.

Field 3 (Wildlife) is mostly an 86.1 acre pine flatwoods site with a few pockets of interspersed ephemeral areas and low lying uplands. The canopy consists of a mixture of loblolly (Pinus taeda) and longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) co-dominated by a closed canopy of mixed hardwoods that are mostly oaks (Quercus spp.). The mid and understory are both severely encroached throughout by the oaks, and even more so by the titi along the periphery of field 2, where it grades downhill along the transitional areas between the flatwoods and wetlands. Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) has the highest coverage where the titi recedes. Ground cover is restricted by leaf litter, due to the canopy closure, but does include scattered blackberry (Rubus spp.), green briar (Smilax spp.), grape vines (Vitis spp.) and pockets of native grasses and forbes along edges where sunlight is available.

4 Field 4 (Wildlife) is a small 2 acre area undergoing longleaf pine restoration efforts. The southernmost portion of this field has already been planted in 2008, and has a few scattered live oaks within the planted area. The northeast portion of this field has just been cleared, disked, and will be planted in the next dormant season. The understory and groundcover consists of a limited variety of native grasses and forbes due to the recent disturbance.

Field 5 (Wildlife) consists of several scattered wildlife openings totaling 8.7 acres throughout the tract. These areas are maintained to enhance wildlife viewing and hunting opportunities. Most of these areas are currently disked, and will be planted to a variety of native, non-invasive agricultural forages for resident game and avian species as well as migratory and overwintering avian waterfowl.

Summary of Management Recommendations

Timber: The pine flatwoods and cypress swamp covers a good portion of the tract, and the landowner expressed interest in keeping most of remaining uplands in mixed pine and hardwoods. Timber management activities should focus on selectively reducing the number of stems per acre to benefit stand health and vigor. This reduction should include removal of stems evidencing poor form, mechanical damage, or slow growth-leaving the healthiest individuals to grow. Remove any exotic species when detected and other undesirable vegetation (such as excessive hardwood encroachment), implement a prescribed burning program, and create firebreaks to assist with improving overall stand health and productivity. Firebreaks should be established and maintained annually to provide protection from wildfires, access to the stands, and divide the fields into manageable burn units. In the long term, thinnings, prescribed burning, and selected harvesting will be required to provide a diversified age structure of planted pine and hardwoods, and to consecutively maintain a diversity of wildlife habitat on this property.

Multiple thinnings can enhance tree growth, improve forest health and provide an economic return for the landowner; however, it may be challenging to get a qualified logging company to accomplish this on very small acreages, so coordination with other landowners harvesting in the vicinity may make these operations more economically feasible for the logging contractor. The use of alternative harvesting methods such as whole tree chipping may make the operation more attractive to a logger and also have the added benefit of opening the understory by removing some trees that would not be merchantable otherwise. This also helps to reduce the fuel load before returning to a prescribed burn regime. When a stand is being manipulated in order to return it to a more natural condition it is advisable to remove a variety of trees from each age class. Removing only mature overstory trees can have the effect of high grading the stand and lead to a lower quality stand in the future. By removing some mature high quality trees and some younger low quality trees the landowner can open the stand and retain better quality growing stock for the future while still obtained some economic benefit. It is recommended that the landowner engage a competent consulting forester and have all

5 trees to be removed marked individually. This will ensure better control of the harvest and allow the landowner to verify that the logger does not remove trees slated for retention. Contact the FL DOF X County Forester at X for a list of consulting foresters who work in X County.

Lower tree densities may be considered with future planting efforts that would allow pines to grow longer without competition. The landowner may also consider patch clearcuts of 5 to 10 acres in size. These areas can be cut and then handplanted with pine at a low density. The smaller size of these areas will allow the competition to be controlled effectively until the trees are high enough to become dominant. It will also allow for blocks of different age classes of trees around the property that will provide different cover types for wildlife. These small clearcuts can be integrated into a stand wide thinning which will increase the economic return for the landowner while reducing the problems associated with obtaining loggers for a small acreage. A natural resource professional should be consulted before any harvesting operations are conducted.

Firebreak creation and maintenance should be one of the top priorities of the landowner. Firebreaks should be created and maintained around the tract’s perimeter (outside of the wetlands) and around pine and hardwood stands. Roadways also can serve as firebreaks if not allowed to become overgrown. Currently, the Division of Forestry can provide assistance in firebreak creation for a modest fee or provide a list of contractors who provide this service. After the firebreaks are plowed, the landowner should use a disc harrow to smooth the areas for better access lanes and to help facilitate growth of herbaceous vegetation. Any areas that have potential for erosion should be vegetated.

Firebreaks can serve many purposes if properly maintained. They will 1) provide protection from wildfire, 2) provide access to the property from the perimeter, 3) will help control prescribed burnings, and 4) will also provide transitional zones that are very important to wildlife species. The edges of firebreaks can provide excellent nesting and foraging habitat and will also provide travel corridors for wildlife. Firebreaks should be at least 8 feet wide or twice the expected flame length (& wider (30 ft +) if used as wildlife openings), and follow the natural contour of the land to the fullest extent possible.

Maintenance of the lines should consist of annual disking during the winter months for promotion of wildlife-friendly herbaceous vegetation and to maintain access throughout the property. Disking during the winter months, usually November through February, will promote the presence of native weeds and legumes such as partridge pea, beggarweed, and common ragweed-and help provide preferred forages for a variety of songbirds and resident game species, including bobwhite quail.

Wildlife: To improve overall habitat for wildlife on this tract, the landowner should have a good mixture of hardwoods, pines, and at least 5-10% of their total upland area in permanent openings (i.e., firebreaks, food plots, right-of-ways). By having a diverse mix of vegetation communities in several successional vegetative stages, wildlife habitat is

6 improved. This should increase the value of the land to the landowner, improve wildlife viewing opportunities, and create a more aesthetically pleasing environment. Specific management recommendations for wildlife will include the use of mechanical/chemical control of vegetation, use of prescribed fire (when appropriate), forest thinnings/harvest, creation/maintenance of wildlife openings, plantings of native trees & shrubs, and firebreak creation/maintenance. Long term silvicultural practices that will also improve wildlife habitat include thinning pine and hardwood stands, longer rotations of the pines to focus on growing chip-n-saw and saw timber, and use of mechanical and chemical treatments to reset vegetation in years when prescribed burning is not feasible.

Note: Timber management practices will greatly influence the quality of wildlife habitat available on your property. Wildlife and timber management can co-exist to produce a viable economic return for the landowner, as well as provide wildlife habitat. Preferred tree spacing, in monoculture pine plantations, compatible with both timber and wildlife is 6’ x 12’ spacing. Wider tree spacing allows sunlight to reach the forest floor longer in the rotation. Longer rotations on pine plantations, aimed at producing chip-and-saw and saw timber (i.e., 30 years or greater), allow for multiple thinnings that open the canopy and allow sunlight to reach the ground for herbaceous vegetation growth. Prescribed burning and mechanical or chemical techniques to reset vegetation are other tools that compliment both timber and wildlife and should be conducted in a 2-3 year rotation.

Some species of wildlife that were observed during the site visit or previously noted by the landowners include white-tailed deer, Florida black bear, wild turkey, bobwhite quail, wild hogs, and an wide assortment of wading and song birds. All recommendations within this plan are unlikely to have an adverse impact on threatened and endangered (T&E) species management. The use of prescribed fire in particular will have a beneficial effect on habitat needs of T&E species. Using a Geographic Information System (GIS) based approach, a database query on land use, potential wildlife habitat, potential rare and threatened wildlife species, soils, and nearby conservation areas was created. The X County List for T & E Species, “Environmental Resource Analysis,” FNAI Biodiversity Matrix, and Selected Species Accounts are located in Appendix A.

Recreation and Aesthetics: Recreational opportunities are abundant, and the landowners and their families enjoy numerous outdoor activities within this tract. The control of any exotics species, planting of native, trees/shrubs for wildlife, creation and planting of additional wildlife openings, and prescribed burning, will collectively add habitat diversity to the property to benefit wildlife viewing opportunities and improve overall aesthetics. Aesthetics on the property will be further enhanced through the future thinning of planted pines and mixed hardwoods when appropriate.

Soil and Water Conservation: Soil and water resources are critical components of a healthy forest, and therefore must be considered when developing a management plan. None of the proposed management recommendations will adversely affect these resources.

7 The Division of Forestry’s BMP program provides guidance to protect wetlands and water quality when conducting silvicultural activities in and around wetlands. Filing a notice of intent to implement BMP’s and documenting those activities entitles the landowner to a presumption of compliance with state water quality regulations. The BMP Manual is available at: http://www.fl-dof.com/forest_management/bmp/index.html. A copy of the BMP rule and notice of intent are included in Appendix B.

This property has 7 major soil types (& water). These range from moderately drained soils in the uplands, to very poorly drained, depressional, wetland soils. Further questions about soil and water conservation on this property should be addressed to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in X at X. A soils map for the property can be found in the CP folder. Table 1 contains a list of the tracts’ soil types and associated information.

Table 1. NRCS Soils information for the X Tract, X County, FL Soil Site % Native Vegetation Map Soil Type (from Site Index* Volume (cu ft/ac)** Community # ERA) 2 Albany fine sand, 5.64 Water oak, loblolly pine, Loblolly Pine – 95 Loblolly Pine – 143 poorly drained, 0 slash pine, live oak, Longleaf Pine – 80 Longleaf Pine – 100 to 5 % slopes fetterbush lyonia, Slash Pine – 85 Slash Pine – 157 broomsedge bluestem, & pineland threeawn. 5 Blanton fine 1.28 Slash pine, longleaf pine, Loblolly Pine – 80 Loblolly Pine – 114 sand, moderately live oak, blackberry, Longleaf Pine – 70 Longleaf Pine – 86 well drained, 0 sassafras, winged sumac, Slash Pine – 90 Slash Pine – 157 to 5 % slopes brackenfern, & pineland threeawn. 23 Plummer sand, 7.36 Slash pine, longleaf pine, Loblolly Pine-91 Loblolly Pine – 129 poorly drained, 0 waxmyrtle, inkberry, Longleaf Pine – 70 Longleaf Pine – 86 to 2 % slopes fetterbush, lyonia, Slash Pine – 88 Slash Pine – 157 brackenfern, saw palmetto, & pineland threeawn. 30 Ocilla sand, 0.28 Slash pine, laurel oak, & Loblolly Pine- 85 Loblolly Pine – 114 somewhat poorly water oak. Understory Longleaf Pine – 77 Longleaf Pine – 100 drained, 0 to 5 % includes partridge pea, Slash Pine – 90 Slash Pine – 157 slopes sumac, American beautyberry, waxmyrtle, & wild grape. 34 Sapelo Sand, 19.08 Slash pine. Understory Loblolly Pine- 77 Loblolly Pine- 100 poorly drained, 0 includes saw palmetto, Slash Pine – 77 Slash Pine – 143 to 2 % slope pineland threeawn, & waxmyrtle. 48 Plummer & 8.32 Cypress, balckgum, & Baldcypress- 108 Baldcypress- 100 Surrency, redbay. Understroy Pond pine - 60 Sweetgum- 100 depressional, 0 to includes greenbriar, Sweetgum- 90 1 % slopes waxmrtle, St. Johnswort, &

8 fetterbush lyonia.

74 Dorovan & 58.03 Slash pine, cypress, Blackgum- 70 Blackgum- 100 Palmico, very sweetbay, & blackgum. Pond pine- 55 poorly drained, 0 Understory includes white to 1% slopes titi, black titi, & greenbriar. 99 Water n/a n/a n/a n/a *Site Index is the average height of the dominant and co-dominant trees of a selected species at 50 years of age. Site index is a good “tool” to use when considering what species to plant in a particular area. Other factors, however, like value to wildlife, aesthetic quality of trees, and management objectives should be evaluated prior to planting.

**The volume of wood fiber is the yield likely to be produced by the most important tree species in a soil type. This number, expressed as cubic feet per acre per year, indicates the amount of fiber produced in a fully stocked, even-aged, unmanaged stand.

Cultural and Historical Resources: No cultural resources were noted on the Environmental Resource Analysis, during the initial site visit, or by the landowner. However, any soil disturbance may potentially unearth cultural artifacts. The NRCS state cultural resource specialist can be called for assistance or questions if the need arises during management implementation. Contact your local X County NRCS office X for a referral if needed.

Stand Specific Recommendations by NRCS Land Use Designation

Table 2: Stand information for the X Tract, X County, Florida. Size Field Current Land Use Percent (%) of total acreage * (acres)* 1 Headquarters 1.2 <1 2 Wildlife-Wetlands 123.8 56 3 Wildlife-Flatwoods 86.1 39 4 Wildlife-Longleaf pines 2 <1 5 Wildlife-Wildlife openings 8.7 4 Total All 222 +/- 100 +/- *rounded to nearest %

Land Use-Headquarters

Field 1 – Upland wildlife habitat management conservation practices, “Backyard Conservation” and “Firewise” techniques may be utilized around the headquarters to benefit wildlife and incorporate structural safety recommendations during any adjacent prescribed burning operations or possible wildfires. Refer to the “Backyard Conservation” booklet in Appendix C and Florida DOF “Firewise” materials available online at: http://www.fl-dof.com/WILDFIRE/firewise_your_home.html for more information.

9 Additionally, heavy use area protection guidelines, (Appendix D), may be utilized if gravel or other surfacing materials are used (such as cinders, tanbark, bark mulch, cypress mulch, brick chips, shredded rubber and /or sawdust) in this area, and planned with a minimum layer thickness of 2 inches to help prevent erosion within any travel lanes and where it doesn’t conflict with any “Firewise” planning around structures.

Land Use-Wildlife

Field 2- Wetland areas provide valuable wildlife habitat, biological diversity, watershed protection, and high aesthetic values. Management should be passive and protective and include efforts to maintain natural water level fluctuations and mimic natural ecological processes to perpetuate this interesting ecosystem. Recently, the hydro-period has been reduced due to low rainfall and subsequently low ground water levels. Wetlands derive much of their water supply through runoff from surrounding uplands. Swamps generally function as reservoirs that recharge the aquifer when adjacent water tables drop during drought periods. While protection is the most important management recommendation for this stand, the landowner may utilize a variety of Wetland Wildlife Habitat Management techniques (Appendix D) to maintain and encourage more diverse and optimal wildlife habitat. No water control structures exist on this tract, so naturally fluctuating water levels should be considered during all conservation practices.

Practices may include placing additional bat houses or wood duck boxes within and along the edges of this swamp to enhance cavity features in the mid story that may be lacking due to a limited supply of large cavity trees in some areas (ex. patches where cypress was heavily cutover), and to increase wildlife viewing opportunities. Current drought conditions will allow easier access to this area for nest box installation. However, future nest box maintenance may be more challenging when the water levels are normally higher, so be sure to plan their locations accordingly.

Some of the more open areas left behind from the previous logging operations may be managed as wildlife openings and/or food plots. Old logging road edges that will be retained by the landowner for field access may be vegetated with an assortment of wetland plantings and focus on enhancing the production of wetland emergent plants along their perimeters to help provide addition resources for both wintering and resident waterfowl and other wetland dependent wildlife species. A variety of plants should incorporate as much diversity as possible, and species should be selected from the 2009 NRCS Plant List for Conservation Alternatives (Appendix E). Tree/shrub Establishment may also be utilized with species from this list to supplement areas that have been severely cutover (such as cypress) or need additional planting enhancements to further diversify wildlife habitat. Plantings will greatly contribute to the overall aesthetics in disturbed areas of the field, and perennials will be especially helpful with longer term soil stabilization along the steeper logging road edges.

No exotic plants were noted during the site visit however, annual monitoring should be conducted in this field (and all others) throughout the tract for possible invasive exotic

10 species infestations that may occur. Early detection is a key component of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) (Appendix D). Consult with your NRCS district conservationist, DOF county forester, IFAS extension agent, or FFWCC wildlife biologist if assistance in identification or control recommendations. IPM protocols should be used to eliminate or control the spread of weeds, invasive-exotic species, insects and disease to reduce adverse effects on plant growth, crop production, wildlife habitat, and water quality. Select pesticides that are recommended by the Florida Cooperative Extension Service. All herbicides considered for use should be evaluated using the NRCS Windows Pesticide Screening Tool (WIN-PST) to identify environmental risks. Read and follow all label directions, as well as local, state, and federal regulations regarding posting and field re-entry restrictions on treated areas. Pesticide application records should be maintained in accordance with USDA Agricultural Marketing Service’s Pesticide Record Keeping Program for at least five years. Florida law requires certified applicators to keep records on the application of Restricted Use Pesticides (RUP). A Pest management plan can be developed through the X County NRCS District Conservationist for additional information. The 2009 Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council’s (FLEPPC) list is also included in Appendix F and further information on exotic species’ id, biology, and recommended controls may be found online at: http://www.fleppc.org/ and http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/assessment/links.html

An abundance of feral hogs have been noted in this area, and may be heavily attracted to any new plantings or food plots, therefore, active control measures should be taken to eliminate this exotic species whenever possible. The landowner may also need to incorporate special protective measures for newly established plantings. This non-native species was introduced to Florida with the arrival of the Spanish explorers and causes substantial damage to native ecosystems, and are often found utilizing the edges of wetlands between upland habitats, often traveling great distances every day.

Due to the shorter hydroperiods in recent years caused by drought and long absence of fire, this area has undergone a successional change to a thicker, shrubbier, hardwood species composition around the cypress swamp edges. Historically, some amounts of more grassy, open wetland edges would have occurred based on the occurrence and distribution of occasional fires that would have naturally fingered down into portions of the wetlands (depending on fluctuating water levels) from the adjacent flatwoods. Forest Stand Improvement, Brush, and Pest Management guidelines may be followed (Appendix D) to selectively manipulate some timber and brush in this field where warranted. This may include manipulation of species composition, stand structure, and supplemental stocking, or by cutting or killing selected trees and understory vegetation to improve wildlife habitat, aesthetics, recreation, and reduce wildfire hazards. Prescribed fire (Appendix D) in adjacent fields may be allowed to run into the edges of this stand to help reduce overgrown understory and manage these transitional zones, however, any newly established plantings (such as cypress) should be protected. Reducing some of the over shading may also encourage additional natural regeneration from the remaining over story cypress trees and cut stumps in these areas. This practice will benefit a variety of wetland wildlife species by helping improve and maintain more diverse vegetation in these areas. Special precautions and timing should be utilized during any prescribed

11 burning to ensure that water levels are adequate to prevent “muck or peat” fires from developing in the depressional soils.

Follow the FL DOF Best Management Practice (BMP) guidelines during all silvicultural activities in this and any adjacent upland fields to help protect and conserve water, soil, and aesthetic qualities in this stand. Use ONLY aquatic approved herbicides (as the label directs) in and around this area for any chemical treatments if needed. Special consideration for usage of this wetland by a variety of potential avian species such as wading birds, waterfowl, or other water birds should include monitoring field for any feeding, roosting, foraging, and nesting activities. If any species are noted, any disturbances (recreational or management) within or directly adjacent to this area should be avoided or halted accordingly. Timing of these activities should be addressed for future management and access to this area for any prescribed burning, tree/shrub, nest box, and annual food plot installations or maintenance. (ex- time work outside of nesting seasons, buffer nesting sites accordingly based on species noted, etc.) Contact your local FFWCC wildlife biologist for specific species recommendations when encountered.

A small area of this field along the north end was renovated by the previous landowner, perhaps to increase year round water retention and recreational access in the wetland for fishing. If the current landowners have any desire or need to perform additional renovations, these activities may require multiple permits (see online sites for contact info in permitting) and should be reviewed prior to any work. Any efforts at maintaining or supplementing this portion of the existing wetlands with fish stocking, or other routine maintenance or renovations, should also take into consideration the likelihood of these areas to dry out and/or flood periodically, and the acquisition of any necessary permits- which are the sole responsibility of the landowner.

Recommendations for pond stocking NATIVE fish species, suppliers, and pond maintenance are available online at the Florida Wildlife Commission’s website at: http://www.myfwc.com/CONSERVATION/ConservationYou_Daily_Living_Pond_Man agement.htm# The University of Florida’s School of Forest Resources and Conservation- Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences extension website at: http://fishweb.ifas.ufl.edu/Extension/Extenspubs.htm & at the online USDA-NRCS Ponds- Planning, Design, Construction guide at: http://www.in.nrcs.usda.gov/pdf%20files/PONDS.PDF

Many of our natural wetlands temporarily dry up periodically and therefore are called “ephemeral” wetlands. They are valuable habitat for a variety of amphibians and reptiles because the seasonal water level, which often completely dries up in some years prevents the establishment of predatory fish from inhabiting them. Many animals utilize the wetlands for only a short period of time during the year, and spend the majority of the rest of the time in the adjacent uplands. These wetlands provide a huge ecological benefit, are very productive sites, and high species diversity is found in even the smallest of wetlands. Therefore, this natural process of fluctuating water levels should preclude any decisions that the landowner may have about fish stocking.

12 Finally, safety considerations for use of this wetland for recreation should include installation of signage and safety/rescue equipment in close proximity to any access points, and maintaining existing fence lines, gates, and signage on site to prohibit unauthorized access. Aesthetic enhancements may include installation and maintaining of desirable native vegetation, designated access points, wildlife nesting structures and cover, and other recreational facilities such as picnic tables, gazebos, or designated access points.

Field 3- Enhancement for both wildlife and timber in this area should focus on Forest Stand Improvement, Brush, and Pest Management, and Prescribed Burning activities (Appendix D) that help facilitate restoring the natural flatwoods ecosystem for wildlife and timber. Focus first on a few selected areas with heavy mid and understory hardwood (mostly oaks and titi) and saw palmetto encroachment, especially around selected mature longleaf pines and the edges of existing wildlife openings. This will help release selected residual stems, open the forest floor up for sunlight and groundcover response, allow further natural regeneration of pines, and reduce hazardous fuel loads prior to any future prescribed burning activities. Selectively reduce the number of stems per acre (both pines & hardwoods with poor form, mechanical damage, or slow growth) to leave the more healthy and vigorous individuals to grow. Reduce the vegetative competition around any selected “leave” trees that are retained for pine tree regeneration, preferred mast producers (such as dogwoods, persimmons), and retain or create abundant cavity and/or snag trees for wildlife throughout this area at a minimum of 4 per acre. If the landowner wishes to promote more pine growth in this stand, areas around selected longleaf pines should follow forestation techniques for natural seeding and/or under planting as directed by “The Longleaf Alliance” for mixed pine-hardwood forests and stands with no recent fire history at: http://www.longleafalliance.org/restoration.html Retain stumpage where it does not impede fire lines or create safety hazards to provide additional “refugia” for a variety of wildlife species, including the federally listed Eastern Indigo Snake.

Prescribed burning may be utilized after the initial brush reductions to further enhance portions of this field and the transitional areas between this field and the adjacent wetlands and wildlife openings by “feathering” the burns down into those fields when feasible. The timing and success of the initial prescribed burning may also be heavily dependent upon the development of any fine fuels (mostly needle fall & grasses) that may or may not develop in response to brush management activities. Historically, North Florida flatwoods had fire return intervals averaging 3-7 years. Creating a mosaic of burned and unburned patches, breaking the area into small burn units, and then varying the season and year when the units are burned will further diversify the available habitat for more species. After an initial “fuel reduction” burn, utilize prescribed burning in selected burn units on a 2-3 year rotation, and alternate with brush management techniques in years when prescribed burning is not feasible. Any existing roads that traverse the field would also be logical burn unit delineators. Do not be concerned if there are pockets within a “burn unit” that do not burn; the conditions during the prescribed burn have inadvertently created a mosaic burn within the unit, and these

13 thicker, more mature patches will help benefit species such as the Florida black bear, that require more mature saw palmetto stands for heavier mast production, and increased vegetative cover for both travel and den preferences.

Prescribed fires may be generally classified by the season of year when they are set. A dormant season burn refers to fires set when plants are not actively taking in nutrients for growth, generally during late October – early March. The opposite is referred to as a growing season fire, which is set when vegetation is actively growing, generally during late March – early October. Growing season burns provide multiple benefits to native vegetation, in particular native bunchgrasses such as wiregrass (that will contribute to fine fuel loads), which produces a higher proportion of viable seed when burned during May – June than during other months. A fire set during this period will also stimulate production of other grasses and herbaceous vegetation, increase the protein and palatability of grasses, and reduce mid-story shrubs and vines that compete with herbaceous ground cover and young longleaf pine for sunlight and soil nutrients. Despite these benefits though, there are additional risks associated when burning during higher air temperatures, and desirable species may be unintentionally killed. Therefore, specific objectives must be outlined and the burn planned accordingly to determine the season during which to burn. To increase plant diversity across the tract, a combination of both growing and dormant season burns should be the long term objective for this area.

Install firebreaks at least 8 feet wide, or twice the expected flame length, around areas delineated for prescribed burning. Annually maintain them utilizing winter disking. Additional firebreaks may be installed to break field into smaller “burn units,” and/or widen them as additional wildlife openings. Firebreaks can provide an excellent area for supplemental plantings if their width is approximately 30 feet or greater to provide full sunlight for vegetation growth. Wider firebreaks act as transition zones where two or more habitats converge, in which the vegetative cover is a mix of the adjacent habitats. It is essentially a “separate” habitat type between two of more distinct habitats. It is recommended that transition zones be maintained every 2-3 years by mowing, chopping, or disking. Minimize potential for soil erosion by following the contours of the land as much as possible, and avoiding any areas with excessive slopes during installation and maintenance. Reduce high fuel loads (hardwood encroachment and any climbing plant materials) and any exotic species detected in this stand as needed to reduce any hazardous and/or ladder fuels prior to initiating any prescribe burning operations. Smoke sensitive areas include State Road 53 along the Eastern property boundary and I-10 @ 4 miles to the North. It is strongly recommended that a comprehensive burn plan complete with smoke management screening be completed by a state certified burner prior to applying any fire. Contact the X County forester at X for assisting with burn unit evaluations, firebreak or other prescribed burning activities, and to obtain a burn authorization from the Division of Forestry. Be sure to retain any and all burn authorization records on file, as these should also be submitted along with any receipts for cost share programs the landowner may participate in.

14 We recommend that under this agreement that a certified FL prescribed burner write all burn prescriptions and conduct all burns to reduce liability concerns for the landowner.

Installation of any additional wildlife openings in this field may coincide with the planned mechanical and/or prescribed burning operations to maximize the cost effectiveness and logistics of any equipment moving and labor. Planting supplemental native food crops for wildlife is an option, however, a habitat management scheme that provides natural food, cover and water for wildlife (in essence, provides a healthy ecosystem) does not usually need to be supplemented unless you are interested in congregating wildlife for viewing and/or hunting. The following guidelines should be followed when establishing permanent opening/food plots for wildlife:

 To minimize over-browsing, plot size should be a minimum of one acre.  A soils test should always be conducted before planting to determine the appropriate fertilizer and liming rates. This is a “garden” for wildlife. Plant it just like you would your own garden for best germination and production. Soil testing information may be found in Appendix E.  Shape can vary, but linear openings are more visually appealing and will attract more use (30’ x 1452’ = ~ 1 acre).  Plot location will vary; however, it is recommended that openings be several hundred yards away from the property boundary, adjacent to good escape cover, and about a 1/4 mile apart for distributing hunting opportunities and pressure. Old logging decks and natural open areas within the stand would be an optimum location.  Firebreaks could provide an excellent area for supplemental plantings, if full sunlight is available to encourage vegetation growth (~ 6 hours). One side of a woods road (or firebreak) can be widened (to ~ 30'), with part of it planted in food crops or left in native vegetation to concentrate wildlife for hunting and viewing.  Mortality areas in the pines can be used as permanent openings. The landowner should mow these areas to knock back the woody vegetation, increase visibility and increase herbaceous vegetation growth. If possible, the landowner should connect these areas to existing openings (such as firebreaks or roads) to increase the size.  Recommended plantings for a variety of wildlife species are presented in Appendix E that will be helpful in determining what type of supplemental plantings are needed in your area.

Field 4- The southern portion of this field has been partially replanted with long leaf pines in 2008 following the removal of high density slash pine plantation and selected hardwoods. The landowner retained several mature live oaks in this area for aesthetics, and the residual oak canopy will need to be further reduced in order for the majority of these seedlings to receive adequate sunlight and grow out of the “grass stage.” Long leaf pine seedlings should be planted well outside (at least 10 ft) of any existing tree canopy drip lines, firebreaks, designated wildlife openings, or fence lines. Groundcover response will need to be evaluated to see if any supplemental groundcover plantings or post planting treatments to reduce competition to the young pines are needed during the next

15 growing season. The northern portion of this field is currently disked and will be planted to low density long leaf pines during the dormant season. There is little or no canopy in this area, and tree/shrub establishment should follow recommendations for long leaf pine planting as directed in the Appendix D and by “The Longleaf Alliance” at: http://www.longleafalliance.org/restoration.html

When adequate fine fuels are available and the young trees have reached a safe height, a prescribed fire regime may be utilized in this field to improve overall wildlife habitat and timber productivity, and be coordinated with future prescribed burning efforts in the adjacent fields. Installation and annual maintenance of firebreaks in this field should be a priority.

Field 5- Enhancement for wildlife in this area should focus on both wetland and upland wildlife habitat management techniques to expand and improve existing wildlife openings and food plots as discussed for fields 2 & 3 and in the appendices. Supplemental feeding is a management tool that the landowners have utilized to concentrate wildlife viewing opportunities for both hunting and wildlife viewing opportunities near these areas as well. Using a game feeder or feeding station offers the advantage of consistently surveying wild game on the tract, but there are several disadvantages to consider. A scheduled feeding regime tends to concentrate both game and predator species alike; this sets the stage for disease transmission among individuals and may increase predation rates to upland game birds. In addition, these stations tend to attract nuisance wildlife, such as feral hogs & sometimes bears, which tend to damage personal property and the surrounding vegetation and may deter the target species. An alternative to a feeding station delivery of feed is to broadcast feed along established trails or roads, advantages are as follows:

 Reduces tendency for animals to congregate in a particular area at a specific time.  Feed is distributed across entire tract, requiring less travel by target species.  Wildlife species are more inclined to traverse across entire property rather than to a specific locale.

With any type of feed delivery system there are several points to consider. Buy feed from a reputable agriculture feed dealer; aflatoxin, a pathogenic fungus, may be more prevalent on inferior feed products. Supplemental feeding is best when applied year round, but generally is most needed during times of nutritional stress, i.e. when natural forages become limited during winter and early spring, and at the onset of the upland game bird nesting season. Frequency of feeding should be dynamic and determined based on the amount of feed remaining from the previous application. Recommended feed for white-tailed deer includes moisture resistant chow, corn, and soybeans. Protein is usually the limiting nutrient in North Central Florida, and soybeans may provide this during the critical developmental stages of juvenile growth, lactation in females, and during antler development in males. Be aware that many landowners report that the deer take a while to adjust to a change or different feeding supplement such as soybeans from corn. Quality deer chow is usually more costly to buy and may have a shorter shelf life or more stringent storage recommendations. Be sure to buy all feed products from a

16 reputable feed dealer who has properly transported and stored all feed to help prevent contamination of your products.

See Appendix G for more information on collecting deer herd health and managing private lands for deer, and visit the FWC online white-tailed deer management program website at: http://myfwc.com/recreation/Deer_index.htm

A final consideration on game feeders on the X tract includes bear management. Game feeders installed in bear country should be mounted high above ground and suspended outward from their mount far enough to prevent damage from hungry and curious bears. Bears soon acclimate to artificial food sources, and landowners should be aware of the dangers of increased human/bear interactions that may occur where artificial feeding occurs. More information on living with Florida’s black bears can be reviewed at: http://myfwc.com/CONSERVATION/ConservationYou_Living_w_Wildlife_bears.htm

LAP & Conservation Options

Several Landowner Assistance Programs (LAPs) are available to provide both technical and financial assistance to Florida’s private landowners interested in improving habitat on their properties. A guide list of current LAPs may be found in Appendix H.

Many landowners realize the strong ecological or agricultural value of their land and wish to legally protect it from being converted or zoned for other purposes. Many options are available for private landowners facing these decisions, and the UF/IFAS document “Conservation Options for Private Landowners in Florida, CIR 1441” has been included in Appendix I to provide the principal land conservation options available to landowners and some contact information for organizations in Florida that partner with these efforts.

Table 3. Schedule of Operations for the X property, X County, Florida

17 NRCS Total Date Field Practice Month-Year Treatment (units) Completed code(s)

18 Apply for FLDOF Forest Stewardship 2010 ALL n/a n/a Management Plan & ASAP FFWCC Landowner Assistance Program Any food Soil Testing & plots & 644 application of any tree/shrub n/a ASAP & 645 needed soil planting amendments areas Schedule courtesy BMP audit with FL All n/a n/a ASAP DOF & file NOI- if not already done ASAP/prior to 51,400 All 394 any prescribed Install firebreaks linear ft burning 2 123.8 Wetland wildlife habitat management (see text & 644 2010 facilitating practices- table 4)

($MBHI) (14 acres) ($ annual plots*) Upland wildlife 1.2, 86.1, habitat management 1,3,4 & 5 645 2, & 8.7 Variable/annually (see text & acres facilitating practices- table 4) 2011

winter or prior to 51,400 All 394 any prescribed Refresh firebreaks linear ft burning

Heavy Use Area 1 561 1.2 ac 12-2011 Protection (If needed) 2 123.8 Wetland wildlife habitat management (see text & 644 2011 facilitating practices- table 4)

($MBHI) (14 acres) ($ annual plots*) Upland wildlife 1,3,4 & 5 1.2, 86.1, habitat management 2, & 8.7 Variable/annually (see text & acres facilitating practices- 645 table 4))

($MBHI) (22 acres) 2011 ($ brush management*)

19 2012 Winter or prior to 51,400 All 394 any prescribed Refresh firebreaks linear ft burning Wetland wildlife 2 123.8 habitat management (see text & facilitating practices- table 4) 644 2012

($MBHI) (14 acres) ($ annual plots*)

($MBHI) (5 acres) ($ wetland plantings*) Upland wildlife Fields 1,3,4 645 1.2, 86.1, Variable/annually habitat management & 5 2, & 8.7 (see text & acres facilitating practices- table 4)

($MBHI) 595 (22 acres) 2012 ($ Pest management*) 2013 Winter or prior to 51,400 All 394 any prescribed Refresh firebreaks linear ft burning 2 123.8 Wetland wildlife habitat management (see text & 644 2013 facilitating practices- table 4)

($MBHI) (14 acres) ($ annual plots*) Upland wildlife Fields 1,3,4 645 1.2, 86.1, Variable/annually habitat management & 5 2, & 8.7 (see text& facilitating acres practices-table 4))

($ Pest ($MBHI) 595 (22 acres) 2013 management*)

2014 Winter or prior to 51,400 All 394 any prescribed Refresh firebreaks linear ft burning 2 644 123.8 2010 Wetland wildlife habitat management (see text & facilitating practices- table 4)

20 ($MBHI) (14 acres) ($ annual plots*) Upland wildlife Fields 1,3,4 645 1.2, 86.1, Variable/annually habitat management & 5 2, & 8.7 (see text & acres facilitating practices-

table 4) ($MBHI) 595 (22 acres) 2014 ($ Pest management*) 2015 Winter or prior to 51,400 All 394 any prescribed Refresh firebreaks linear ft burning Wetland wildlife 2 123.8 habitat management (see text & facilitating practices- 644 2010 table 4)

($ annual plots-O & ($MBHI) (14 acres) M**) Upland wildlife 1.2, 86.1, habitat management Fields 1,3,4 645 2, & 8.7 Variable/annually (see text & & 5 acres facilitating practices- table 4) Submit FSP revision ALL n/a ALL 2015 application to FL DOF every 5th year Contact your NRCS District Conservationist and/or FFWCC Wildlife Biologist to certify conservation practices as they are completed, & for re-imbursement for any cost share assistance programs. Items in the schedule that are cost shared (at the time this timeline was written) have a “$” and program designation (ex. MBHI= Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative) beside them in the fields column. *(conservation practice may also extend into adjacent fields) **Operation & maintenance

Table 4. Management Unit (RMS*) Summary Conservation Practices (Code) Field(s) Land Use Essential Facilitating

Headquarters Heavy Use Area Protection 1 n/a (561)

21 Forest Stand Improvement (666) Firebreak (394) Wetland Wildlife Habitat Prescribed Burning (338) 2 Wildlife Management (644) Brush Management (314) Pest Management (595) Tree/shrub Establishment (612) Forest Stand Improvement (666) Firebreak (394) Upland Wildlife Habitat Prescribed Burning (338) 3, 4, & 5 Wildlife Management (645) Brush Management (314) Pest Management (595) Tree/shrub Establishment (612) *RMS=Resource Management System, as defined by the Natural Resource Conservation Service-a resource management system is a combination of conservation practices and resource management, for the treatment of all identified resource concerns for soil, water, air, plants, and animals, that meets or exceeds the quality criteria in the NRCS Field office technical guide (FOTG) for resource sustainability available online at: http://efotg.sc.egov.usda.gov//efotg_locator.aspx

Appendices

APPENDIX A: T & E Species of X County, FL Environmental Resource Analysis FNAI Biodiversity Matrix Selected FNAI Species Information Sheets

22 APPENDIX B: BMP Rule and Notice of Intent

APPENDIX C: NRCS Backyard Conservation

APPENDIX D: NRCS Conservation Practice Standards, Technical Guides, and Job Sheets

APPENDIX E: Soil Testing, Wildlife Food Plot Recommendations, NRCS 2009 Plant List for Conservation Alternatives, & Cypress Tree Info

APPENDIX F: Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council 2009 List of Invasive Species

APPENDIX G: Deer Herd Health and Managing Private Lands for Deer

APPENDIX H: Landowner Assistance Programs

APPENDIX I: Conservation Options for Private Landowners

23 EBF WSS Soils Map 2010.pdf

24 25