North Fork Mountain and Thorn Creek CFA Action Plan

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

North Fork Mountain and Thorn Creek CFA Action Plan Action Plan for the North Fork Mountain & Thorn Creek Conservation Focus Area West Virginia Division of Natural Resources January 2021 Table of Contents Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction to the State Wildlife Action Plan & Conservation Focus Areas .................................................... 2 Species of Greatest Conservation Need, Habitats and Stresses ................................................................... 2 Conservation Actions .................................................................................................................................... 2 Conservation Focus Areas and Action Plans ................................................................................................. 3 Climate Change and Resilience ..................................................................................................................... 4 Monitoring and Adaptive Management ....................................................................................................... 5 Organization of this Action Plan .................................................................................................................... 6 How to use this plan ..................................................................................................................................... 7 North Fork Mountain and Thorn Creek Conservation Focus Area ................................................................... 8 Overview ....................................................................................................................................................... 8 Habitats ....................................................................................................................................................... 10 Terrestrial Habitats ..................................................................................................................................... 10 Aquatic Habitats .......................................................................................................................................... 12 Species of Greatest Conservation Need ..................................................................................................... 14 Distinctive Stresses...................................................................................................................................... 15 Conservation Actions .................................................................................................................................. 15 Potential Partners ....................................................................................................................................... 15 Protected Lands .......................................................................................................................................... 16 Action Plan for the Conservation Focus Area ................................................................................................. 18 Conservation Goals ..................................................................................................................................... 18 Priority Species ............................................................................................................................................ 18 Forest and Woodland Habitats ................................................................................................................... 22 Priority Species ........................................................................................................................................ 22 Rare Plant Communities.......................................................................................................................... 27 Habitat Stresses and Conservation Actions ............................................................................................ 28 Climate Change and Habitat Resilience .................................................................................................. 29 Implementation Plan ............................................................................................................................... 31 Human Benefits ....................................................................................................................................... 33 Rock Outcrops, Cliffs and Talus, Heath Grass and Shale Barrens ............................................................... 34 Priority Species ........................................................................................................................................ 34 Rare Plant Communities.......................................................................................................................... 34 i Habitat Stresses and Conservation Actions ............................................................................................ 35 Climate Change and Habitat Resilience .................................................................................................. 37 Implementation Plan ............................................................................................................................... 37 Human Benefits ....................................................................................................................................... 38 Aquatic, Floodplain and Riparian Habitats .................................................................................................. 39 Priority Species ........................................................................................................................................ 39 Rare Plant Communities.......................................................................................................................... 40 Habitat Stresses and Conservation Actions ............................................................................................ 44 Climate Change and Habitat Resilience .................................................................................................. 44 Implementation Plan ............................................................................................................................... 46 Human Benefits ....................................................................................................................................... 47 Subterranean Habitats ................................................................................................................................ 48 Karst and Cave Habitats .......................................................................................................................... 48 Priority Species ........................................................................................................................................ 48 Habitat Stresses and Conservation Actions ............................................................................................ 49 Climate Change and Habitat Resilience .................................................................................................. 52 Implementation Plan ............................................................................................................................... 52 Human Benefits ....................................................................................................................................... 54 Agricultural and Developed Habitats .......................................................................................................... 55 Priority Species ........................................................................................................................................ 55 Habitat Stresses and Conservation Actions ............................................................................................ 57 Climate Change and Habitat Resilience .................................................................................................. 57 Implementation Plan ............................................................................................................................... 59 Human Benefits ....................................................................................................................................... 60 Landscape Resilience and Connectivity ...................................................................................................... 61 Climate Stresses and Conservation Actions ............................................................................................ 61 Implementation Plan ............................................................................................................................... 67 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................................... 68 Conservation Priorities ................................................................................................................................ 68 Integration of Conservation Actions ........................................................................................................... 68 Connecting Conservation Actions for Climate Adaption ............................................................................ 69 Next Steps in Implementation ...................................................................................................................
Recommended publications
  • Natural Heritage Program List of Rare Plant Species of North Carolina 2016
    Natural Heritage Program List of Rare Plant Species of North Carolina 2016 Revised February 24, 2017 Compiled by Laura Gadd Robinson, Botanist John T. Finnegan, Information Systems Manager North Carolina Natural Heritage Program N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Raleigh, NC 27699-1651 www.ncnhp.org C ur Alleghany rit Ashe Northampton Gates C uc Surry am k Stokes P d Rockingham Caswell Person Vance Warren a e P s n Hertford e qu Chowan r Granville q ot ui a Mountains Watauga Halifax m nk an Wilkes Yadkin s Mitchell Avery Forsyth Orange Guilford Franklin Bertie Alamance Durham Nash Yancey Alexander Madison Caldwell Davie Edgecombe Washington Tyrrell Iredell Martin Dare Burke Davidson Wake McDowell Randolph Chatham Wilson Buncombe Catawba Rowan Beaufort Haywood Pitt Swain Hyde Lee Lincoln Greene Rutherford Johnston Graham Henderson Jackson Cabarrus Montgomery Harnett Cleveland Wayne Polk Gaston Stanly Cherokee Macon Transylvania Lenoir Mecklenburg Moore Clay Pamlico Hoke Union d Cumberland Jones Anson on Sampson hm Duplin ic Craven Piedmont R nd tla Onslow Carteret co S Robeson Bladen Pender Sandhills Columbus New Hanover Tidewater Coastal Plain Brunswick THE COUNTIES AND PHYSIOGRAPHIC PROVINCES OF NORTH CAROLINA Natural Heritage Program List of Rare Plant Species of North Carolina 2016 Compiled by Laura Gadd Robinson, Botanist John T. Finnegan, Information Systems Manager North Carolina Natural Heritage Program N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Raleigh, NC 27699-1651 www.ncnhp.org This list is dynamic and is revised frequently as new data become available. New species are added to the list, and others are dropped from the list as appropriate.
    [Show full text]
  • Papilio Glaucus, P. Marcellus, P. Philenor, Pieris Rapae, Colias Philo Dice, Antho­ Caris Genutia, Anaea Andria, Euptychia Gemma
    102 REMINGTON: 1952 Central Season Vol.7, nos.3·4 Papilio glaucus, P. marcellus, P. philenor, Pieris rapae, Colias philo dice, Antho­ caris genutia, Anaea andria, Euptychia gemma. One exception to the general scarcity was the large number of Erynnis brizo and E. juvenalis which were seen clustered around damp spots in a dry branch on April 9. MERRITT counted 67 Erynnis and 2 Papilio glaucus around one such spOt and 45 Erynnis around another. Only one specimen of Incisalia henrici was seen this spring. MERRITT was pleased to find Incisalia niphon still present in a small tract of pine although the area was swept by a ground fire in 1951. Vanessa cardui appeared sparingly from June 12 on, the first since 1947. In the late summer the season appeared normal. Eurema lisa, Nathalis iole, Lycaena thoe, and Hylephila phyleus were common. Junonia coenia was more abundant around Louisville than he has ever seen it. A rarity taken in Louisville this fall was Atlides halesus, the first seen since 1948. The latest seasonal record made by Merritt was a specimen of Colias eury­ theme flying south very fast on December 7. EDWARD WELLING sent a record of finding Lagoa crispata on June 27 at Covington. Contributors: F. R. ARNHOLD; E. G. BAILEY; RALPH BEEBE; S. M. COX; H. V. DALY; 1. W . GRIEWISCH; J. B. HAYES; R. W. HODGES; VONTA P. HYNES; R. LEUSCHNER; J. R. MERRITT; J. H. NEWMAN; M. C. NIEL­ SEN; 1. S. PHILLIPS; P. S. REMINGTON; WM. SIEKER; EDWARD VOSS; W. H . WAGNER, JR.; E. C.
    [Show full text]
  • BSBI SCOTTISH KEWSIETTER Lumber 2 Summer 1980
    B.S.B. I. SCOTTISH NEWSLETTER BSBI SCOTTISH KEWSIETTER lumber 2 Summer 1980 COOTEOTS Editorial 2 Woodsia ilvensis in the Itoffat area 2 Ulex gallii in the far north of Scotland - E.R.Bullard 5 Cirsium wankelii in Argyll, v.c.98 - A.G*Kenneth 6 Discovery of Schoenus ferrugineous as a native British plant - R.A.H. Smith 7 Rosa arvensis in Scotland - O.M. Stewart 7 The year of the Dandelion - G.H. Ballantyne 8 •The Flora of Kintyre1. Review - P. Macpherson 9 Liaison between the BSBI and Nature Conservancy Council 10 HCC Assistant Regional Officers 10 Calamagrostis - 0«M. Stewart 13 Spiraea salicifolia group - A.J, Silverside 13 % Chairman's Letter 14 Flora of Uig (Lewis) 15 Cover Illustration - Woodsia ilvensis by Olga M. Stewart 1 EDITORIAL staff, who is the author of a recent report on the subjecto * We hope that this, the second number of the newsletter, meets with the approval of our readers, but its success The report is divided into four parts - Geographical can only be judged by our receiving your comments and distribution? Ecological aspects? Past and Present Status constructive criticism, so please let us know what you in the Moffat Hills? and Conservation in Britain. The think of our efforts® world, European and British distribution is discussed in Our cover illustration, for which we are once again general terms, with appropriate maps. These show W. indebted to Mrs Olga Stewart, has been chosen as an ilvensis to be a fern of the i'orth Temperate zone, con­ fined to the Arctic and mountainous regions, extending as accompaniment to the item on Woodsia ilvensis.
    [Show full text]
  • Alternatives Considered
    Forest-wide NNIS Management Project Chapter 2 – Alternatives Considered Chapter 2 – Alternatives Considered This chapter: Describes the alternatives that were considered to address issues and concerns; Identifies the design features and mitigation measures that would be implemented to reduce the chance of adverse resource effects; and Summarizes the activities and effects of the alternatives in comparative form to clearly display the differences between each alternative and to provide a clear basis for choice among options by the decision maker and the public. 2.1 - Alternatives Considered but Eliminated from Detailed Study During initial planning and scoping, several potential alternatives to the proposed action were suggested. The following is a summary of the alternatives that contributed to the overall range of alternatives considered, but, for the reasons noted here, were eliminated from detailed study. 2.1.1 - Control NNIS on Private Land Not Adjacent to National Forest Land Several people expressed interest in collaborating with the Forest to control NNIS on private property that is not adjacent to National Forest land. While such collaboration may be desirable for reducing local NNIS populations, the proper vehicle for such collaboration is a Cooperative Weed Management Area (CWMA) involving landowners, the Forest Service, and other state, federal, and local agencies. The purpose and need focuses on authorizing treatment of infestations; collaborating to achieve control on a broader scale can be pursued independent of this project as staff and funding allow. Elimination of this concept as an alternative does not preclude the Forest from collaborating with the owners of land that is adjacent to treatment sites on National Forest land.
    [Show full text]
  • Eastern Persius Duskywing Erynnis Persius Persius
    COSEWIC Assessment and Status Report on the Eastern Persius Duskywing Erynnis persius persius in Canada ENDANGERED 2006 COSEWIC COSEPAC COMMITTEE ON THE STATUS OF COMITÉ SUR LA SITUATION ENDANGERED WILDLIFE DES ESPÈCES EN PÉRIL IN CANADA AU CANADA COSEWIC status reports are working documents used in assigning the status of wildlife species suspected of being at risk. This report may be cited as follows: COSEWIC 2006. COSEWIC assessment and status report on the Eastern Persius Duskywing Erynnis persius persius in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. vi + 41 pp. (www.sararegistry.gc.ca/status/status_e.cfm). Production note: COSEWIC would like to acknowledge M.L. Holder for writing the status report on the Eastern Persius Duskywing Erynnis persius persius in Canada. COSEWIC also gratefully acknowledges the financial support of Environment Canada. The COSEWIC report review was overseen and edited by Theresa B. Fowler, Co-chair, COSEWIC Arthropods Species Specialist Subcommittee. For additional copies contact: COSEWIC Secretariat c/o Canadian Wildlife Service Environment Canada Ottawa, ON K1A 0H3 Tel.: (819) 997-4991 / (819) 953-3215 Fax: (819) 994-3684 E-mail: COSEWIC/[email protected] http://www.cosewic.gc.ca Également disponible en français sous le titre Évaluation et Rapport de situation du COSEPAC sur l’Hespérie Persius de l’Est (Erynnis persius persius) au Canada. Cover illustration: Eastern Persius Duskywing — Original drawing by Andrea Kingsley ©Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada 2006 Catalogue No. CW69-14/475-2006E-PDF ISBN 0-662-43258-4 Recycled paper COSEWIC Assessment Summary Assessment Summary – April 2006 Common name Eastern Persius Duskywing Scientific name Erynnis persius persius Status Endangered Reason for designation This lupine-feeding butterfly has been confirmed from only two sites in Canada.
    [Show full text]
  • Area Information
    AREA INFORMATION The area is known as the Potomac Highlands. The Allegheny Mountains run right through the region which is the highest watershed for the Potomac River, the largest river feeding into the Chesapeake Bay. The region is renowned for amazing views, high elevation blueberry and spruce stands, dense rhododendron thickets, hundreds of Brook Trout streams, and miles of backcountry trails. Much of the Potomac Highlands is within the one million acre Monongahela National Forest which features National Wilderness areas like Otter Creek, Dolly Sods, Cranberry Glades, Roaring Plains West, and Laurel Fork North. The region is ideal for hiking, rock climbing, skiing, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, and hunting which are all popular activities in the area. The Shavers Fork is a stocked trout stream and maintained by WV Division of Natural Resources, as are many other rivers in the area. Wonderful skiing can be experienced at Timberline, Canaan Valley, Whitegrass Nordic Center Ski areas and Snowshoe Mountain Resort, which are all less than 40 miles from our door. State Parks and forests in the area include Blackwater Falls, Canaan Valley, Audra, Kumbrabow, Seneca, and Cathedral. Federal Recreation areas include Spruce Knob & Seneca Rocks management area, Smoke Hole Canyon, Stuarts Recreation Area, Gaudineer Knob, and Spruce Knob Lake. The region is within 5 hours of half of the nation’s population yet offers a mountain playground second to none. Elkins deserves its high ranking in America's Best Small Art Towns. Elkins is home to Davis and Elkins College and the Augusta Heritage Arts Center, The Mountain State Forest Festival and our thriving Randolph County Community Arts Center (www.randolpharts.org).
    [Show full text]
  • September 18,2008 This Letter Is to Give You Arguments As to Why I Am
    September 18,2008 This letter is to give you arguments as to why I am opposed to PATH, the 1% c9 line proposal to go through the North Fork Valley in West Virginia. -vz~a 2- 0 ac?) I was born and raised in Virginia. In 1990 my husband and I found a beautiR1 pie% op property in Grant Co. West Virginia, only two and a half hours &om om home in Manassas, Va. The land was pasture land with no water or electricity. We built a humble cabin to live in when we visited our land, usually on weekends. We found our visits were steadily increasing and in 2001 we had a 3 bedroom house built. In 2005, tired of the traffic and the rat race of Northern Virginia, on a leap of faith we retired from good paying government jobs and moved to our WV home. We wanted to share the beauty of this land which led us to our decision to add on and Breakfast. In January of 2006 we opened Breath o In our guestbook are many happy notes from people who have stayed at our Bed and Breakfast and who have hked the nearby North Mountain.. “. .. we enjoyed everythlng... touring Smoke Hole Canyon, hiking Seneca Rocks and Dolly Sods, and “duckying” on the Potomac.. ” Ths family of four also had hked North Fork Mountain which challenged us along with our grandchildren on the same hike this past July. These notes include people from Norway, Great Britain, Australia, and one from France who wrote in her best English, “This beautiful landscape you have chance to live here.
    [Show full text]
  • Westvirginia 03-1
    Representative Carol Miller 117th United States Congress West Virginia's 3RD Congressional District NUMBER OF DELIVERY SITES IN 159 CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT (main organization in bold) BLUESTONE HEALTH ASSOCIATION, INC. Bluestone Family Practice - 3016 E Cumberland Rd Bluefield, WV 24701-4858 Bluestone Medical Center - 324 Oakvale Rd Ste 12 Princeton, WV 24740-3829 Bluestone Primary Care - 106 Thorn St Princeton, WV 24740-3560 Prudich Medical Center - Simmons River Rd Rock, WV 24747 Southern Bluestone Health Center - 200 12th Street Ext Princeton, WV 24740-2329 CAMDEN-ON-GAULEY MEDICAL CENTER, INC. Camden Family Health - 100 School St Craigsville, WV 26205-8572 Camden Family Health - 16414 Webster Rd Craigsville, WV 26205-8512 Camden Family Health - 415 Main St Summersville, WV 26651-1343 Camden Family Health - 71 Avenue A Richwood, WV 26261-1204 Camden Family Health - Ansted - 101 Florence St Ansted, WV 25812 Camden Family Health - Cherry River - 190 Riverside Dr Rm 2109 Richwood, WV 26261-1251 Camden Family Health - Cowen Office - 56 Park St Cowen, WV 26206-3302 Camden Family Health - Panther Creek - 110 Panther Creek Elementary Rd Nettie, WV 26681-1200 Camden Family Health - Red Oak Drive - 46 Red Oak Dr Craigsville, WV 26205-3102 Camden Family Health - Summersville Elementary School - 70 Grade School Ln Summersville, WV 26651-1897 Webster County School Based Community Health Center - 1 Highlander Dr Upperglade, WV 26266-9400 COMMUNITY CARE OF WEST VIRGINIA, INC. Community Care of Green Bank - 4498 Potomac Highlands Trl Green Bank, WV
    [Show full text]
  • Natural Heritage Program List of Rare Plant Species of North Carolina 2012
    Natural Heritage Program List of Rare Plant Species of North Carolina 2012 Edited by Laura E. Gadd, Botanist John T. Finnegan, Information Systems Manager North Carolina Natural Heritage Program Office of Conservation, Planning, and Community Affairs N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources 1601 MSC, Raleigh, NC 27699-1601 Natural Heritage Program List of Rare Plant Species of North Carolina 2012 Edited by Laura E. Gadd, Botanist John T. Finnegan, Information Systems Manager North Carolina Natural Heritage Program Office of Conservation, Planning, and Community Affairs N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources 1601 MSC, Raleigh, NC 27699-1601 www.ncnhp.org NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM LIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA 2012 Edition Edited by Laura E. Gadd, Botanist and John Finnegan, Information Systems Manager North Carolina Natural Heritage Program, Office of Conservation, Planning, and Community Affairs Department of Environment and Natural Resources, 1601 MSC, Raleigh, NC 27699-1601 www.ncnhp.org Table of Contents LIST FORMAT ......................................................................................................................................................................... 3 NORTH CAROLINA RARE PLANT LIST ......................................................................................................................... 10 NORTH CAROLINA PLANT WATCH LIST ..................................................................................................................... 71 Watch Category
    [Show full text]
  • Ferns of the National Forests in Alaska
    Ferns of the National Forests in Alaska United States Forest Service R10-RG-182 Department of Alaska Region June 2010 Agriculture Ferns abound in Alaska’s two national forests, the Chugach and the Tongass, which are situated on the southcentral and southeastern coast respectively. These forests contain myriad habitats where ferns thrive. Most showy are the ferns occupying the forest floor of temperate rainforest habitats. However, ferns grow in nearly all non-forested habitats such as beach meadows, wet meadows, alpine meadows, high alpine, and talus slopes. The cool, wet climate highly influenced by the Pacific Ocean creates ideal growing conditions for ferns. In the past, ferns had been loosely grouped with other spore-bearing vascular plants, often called “fern allies.” Recent genetic studies reveal surprises about the relationships among ferns and fern allies. First, ferns appear to be closely related to horsetails; in fact these plants are now grouped as ferns. Second, plants commonly called fern allies (club-mosses, spike-mosses and quillworts) are not at all related to the ferns. General relationships among members of the plant kingdom are shown in the diagram below. Ferns & Horsetails Flowering Plants Conifers Club-mosses, Spike-mosses & Quillworts Mosses & Liverworts Thirty of the fifty-four ferns and horsetails known to grow in Alaska’s national forests are described and pictured in this brochure. They are arranged in the same order as listed in the fern checklist presented on pages 26 and 27. 2 Midrib Blade Pinnule(s) Frond (leaf) Pinna Petiole (leaf stalk) Parts of a fern frond, northern wood fern (p.
    [Show full text]
  • West Virginia Trail Inventory
    West Virginia Trail Inventory Trail report summarized by county, prepared by the West Virginia GIS Technical Center updated 9/24/2014 County Name Trail Name Management Area Managing Organization Length Source (mi.) Date Barbour American Discovery American Discovery Trail 33.7 2009 Trail Society Barbour Brickhouse Nobusiness Hill Little Moe's Trolls 0.55 2013 Barbour Brickhouse Spur Nobusiness Hill Little Moe's Trolls 0.03 2013 Barbour Conflicted Desire Nobusiness Hill Little Moe's Trolls 2.73 2013 Barbour Conflicted Desire Nobusiness Hill Little Moe's Trolls 0.03 2013 Shortcut Barbour Double Bypass Nobusiness Hill Little Moe's Trolls 1.46 2013 Barbour Double Bypass Nobusiness Hill Little Moe's Trolls 0.02 2013 Connector Barbour Double Dip Trail Nobusiness Hill Little Moe's Trolls 0.2 2013 Barbour Hospital Loop Nobusiness Hill Little Moe's Trolls 0.29 2013 Barbour Indian Burial Ground Nobusiness Hill Little Moe's Trolls 0.72 2013 Barbour Kid's Trail Nobusiness Hill Little Moe's Trolls 0.72 2013 Barbour Lower Alum Cave Trail Audra State Park WV Division of Natural 0.4 2011 Resources Barbour Lower Alum Cave Trail Audra State Park WV Division of Natural 0.07 2011 Access Resources Barbour Prologue Nobusiness Hill Little Moe's Trolls 0.63 2013 Barbour River Trail Nobusiness Hill Little Moe's Trolls 1.26 2013 Barbour Rock Cliff Trail Audra State Park WV Division of Natural 0.21 2011 Resources Barbour Rock Pinch Trail Nobusiness Hill Little Moe's Trolls 1.51 2013 Barbour Short course Bypass Nobusiness Hill Little Moe's Trolls 0.1 2013 Barbour
    [Show full text]
  • Monongahela National Forest
    Monongahela National Forest United States Department of Final Agriculture Environmental Impact Statement Forest Service September for 2006 Forest Plan Revision The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its program and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202)720- 2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (202)720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal Opportunity provider and employer. Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Monongahela National Forest Forest Plan Revision September, 2006 Barbour, Grant, Greebrier, Nicholas, Pendleton, Pocahontas, Preston, Randolph, Tucker, and Webster Counties in West Virginia Lead Agency: USDA Forest Service Monongahela National Forest 200 Sycamore Street Elkins, WV 26241 (304) 636-1800 Responsible Official: Randy Moore, Regional Forester Eastern Region USDA Forest Service 626 East Wisconsin Avenue Milwaukee, WI 53203 (414) 297-3600 For Further Information, Contact: Clyde Thompson, Forest Supervisor Monongahela National Forest 200 Sycamore Street Elkins, WV 26241 (304) 636-1800 i Abstract In July 2005, the Forest Service released for public review and comment a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) that described four alternatives for managing the Monongahela National Forest. Alternative 2 was the Preferred Alternative in the DEIS and was the foundation for the Proposed Revised Forest Plan.
    [Show full text]