REVIEW AND APPROVAL S •
CAROLINA SANDHILLS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUG E McBee, South Carolina
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ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT Calendar Year 1997
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Refuge Manager Date Refuge Supervisor Review Date
Regio al Office Approval / Date
• • CAROLINA SANDHILLS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUG E
McBee, South Carolin a
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ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT
Calendar Year 1997
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U . S . Department of the Interio r Fish and Wiidlife Servic e National Wildlife Refuge System • • TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
INTRODUCTION...... i
A. HIGHLIGHTS 1
B . CLIMATIC CONDITIONS 1
C . LAND ACQUISITION 2
1. Fee Title 2 2. Easements 2 3. Other Nothing to Report
D. PLANNIN G
• 1. Master Plan Nothing to Report 2. Management Plan Nothing to Report 3. Public Participation 2 4. Compliance w/Environmental & Cultural Resources Mandates 2 5. Research and Investigations 3 6. Other Nothing to Report
E . ADMINISTRATIO N
1. Personnel 7 2. Youth Programs 1 0 3. Other Manpower Programs Nothing to Report 4. Volunteer Programs 1 0 5. Funding 1 1 6. Safety 1 4 7. Technical Assistance 1 4 8. Other 14 • F . HABITAT MANAGEMEN T
1. General 1 5 2. Wetlands 1 5 3. Forests 1 6 4. Croplands 1 8 5. Grasslands 1 9 6. Other Habitats - Fields Nothing to Report 7. Grazing Nothing to Report 8. Haying Nothing to Report 9. Fire Management 1 9 10. Pest Control 20 11. Water Rights Nothing to Report 12. Wilderness and Special Areas 20 13. WPA Easement Monitoring Nothing to Report
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• TABLE OF CONTENTS - Cont'd Page
G . WILDLIFE
1. Wildlife Diversity 20 2. Endangered and/or Threatened Species 20 3. Waterfowl 22 4. Marsh and Water Birds 22 5. Shorebirds, Gulls, Terns, & Allied Species 23 6. Raptors 23 7. Other Migratory Birds 23 8. Game Mammals 23 9.Marine Mammals Nothing to Report 10. Other Resident Wildlife 23 11 . Fisheries Resources ...... 25 12.Wildlife Propagation and Stocking Nothing to Report • 13.Surplus Animal Disposal Nothing to Report 14.Scientific Collections Nothing to Report 15.Animal Control Nothing to Report 16.Marking and Banding ...... 25 17. Disease Prevention and Control Nothing to Report
H. PUBLIC US E
1.General 26 2. Outdoor Classrooms - Students 26 3. OutdoorClassrooms - Teachers Nothing to Report 4. Interpretive Foot Trails 27 5. Interpretive Tour Routes 28 6. Interpretive Exhibits/Demonstrations 28 7.Other Interpretive Programs 28 8. Hunting 29 9. Fishing Nothing to Report • 10.Trapping 11. Wildlife Observation Nothin9 to Report 12.Other Wildlife Oriented Recreation Nothing to Report 13.Camping Nothing to Report 14.Picnicking Nothing to Report 15.Off-Road Vehicling Nothing to Report 16.Other Non-Wildlife-Oriented Recreation Nothing to Report 17.Law Enforcement 32 18.Cooperating Associations Nothing to Report 19. Concessions Nothing to Report
I . EQUIPMENTAND FACILITIE S
1. New Construction 32 2. Rehabilitation 32 3. Major Maintenance 33 4. Equipment Utilization and Replacement 33 5. Communications Systems Nothing to Report • 6. Computer Systems 34 TABLE OF CONTENTS - Cont'd
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I. EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES
7.Energy Conservation Nothing to Report 8.Other Nothing to Report
J . OTHER ITEMS
1. Cooperative Programs 34 2. Other Economic Uses Nothing to Report 3. Items of Interest 35 4. Credits 37
K. FEEDBACK Nothing to Report
L. INFORMATION PACKET (inside back cover) •
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INTRODUCTIO N
Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge overlies a portion of the Fall Line region of South Carolin a • which forms the transition zone between the Atlantic Coastal Plain and the Piedmont Plateau . I n prehistoric times the coastal plain was covered by an ancient ocean into which rivers from adjacen t mountainous regions drained . Silt and sand deposited along the coastline from these stream s eventually formed into a band of sand dunes which are today known as the Sandhills Region of Nort h and South Carolina.
Human habitation of the Sandhills has probably existed for more than 10,000 years . Before the arriva l of European man, the region was sparsely populated by scattered Indian tribes which came to b e known as the Catawba Nation. Little information is available concerning the early history of Europea n man in this area . Not until the 16th century was the area visited by explorers and for the next 15 0 years, the only people to visit the region on a regular basis were trappers and traders in search of fur s and hides . Europeans did not begin to establish permanent settlements in inland South Carolina unti l the mid-1700's .
Vast longleaf pine forests dominated the landscape of the Sandhills when European man first settle d in this area . These supported major lumber and naval store industries by the late 1800's. However, by the early 1900's these forests had been completely destroyed and farming became th e predominant lifestyle in this region . Poor agricultural practices and deep infertile soils combined t o • spell the doom of this industry . The lands within the Sandhills region were badly eroded an d essentially a biological desert when acquisition for the refuge began in 1934 .
The refuge was established by Executive Order Number 8067 dated March 17, 1939 under authorit y of the 1933 National Industrial Recovery Act and the Emergency Relief Appropriation of 1935 . Th e U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages 45,348 acres as the Carolina Sandhills National Wildlif e Refuge.
Elevations on the refuge range from 250 to 500 feet above mean sea level . The topography i s characterized by gently rolling hills and deep sandy soils with occasional outcroppings of red an d kaolin clays . Uniquely, much of the flora and fauna found on the east side of the refuge i s characteristic of those forms generally associated with the Coastal Plain while those on the west sid e are associated with the Piedmont Plateau . The dominant forest type is longleaf pine with a scattere d understory of turkey oak . Where clay outcroppings occur, longleaf is replaced by loblolly pine an d bluejack oak is the most common understory species .
• The eastern portion of the refuge drains into Black Creek and its tributaries . Water in these streams is clear but stained black due to the presence of organic acids . Flood plain swamps occur alon g some of the larger streams . The western portion of the refuge drains into Lynches River and its tributaries. The tributaries of Lynches River are similar to those of Black Creek except that they are deeper and swifter. The mainstream of Lynches River originates in the Piedmont Plateau in th e vicinity of the refuge . It is characterized by slightly stained and turbid water with predominantly clay banks. Pocosin ecotones, swamp hardwood forests, and dense stands of evergreen shrubs borde r these streams producing some of the best wildlife habitat found on the refuge . Thirty smal l impoundments having dark, clear water have been constructed on these tributaries ; most of these have been stocked with bass and bream . Habitat diversity has been increased by the creation of many small fields scattered throughout the refuge .
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CAROLINA SANDHILLS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUG E
CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA UNITED STATE S UNITED STATE S FISH A14D WILDLIFE SERVIC E DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIO R SO•10' •720 '
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34. 40 '
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34'3 5
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34.30'
SO.20' 8095' COMPILED IN THE DIVISION OF REALTY FRO M SURVET9 NY U .S.D.S MEA N DECLINATION 197 4 0 1520 2640 521 0 13660 21120 /[[T Scal e 1,2 I ATLANTA . GEORGI A JUNE, 1974 4R-SC-275-404 REVISED :12/86
A . HIGHLIGHTS
Refuge staff increases outreach efforts throughout the local community . Over thirty programs wer e • conducted by refuge staff, including participation in the Pee Dee Sportsmans Classic, Palmett o Sportsmans Classic, and the McBee Fall Festival . Special events were also held to celebrate National Wildlife Refuge Week, Earth Day, and International Migratory Bird Day .
Refuge fire and maintenance operations got a boost with the arrival of a new fire transport truck, truc k tractor, dump truck and excavator .
Refuge Manager Ingram was selected for the position of Refuge Program Specialist (Assistan t District Manager for District III refuges) and reported for duty there on July 7 .
Scott Lanier, Deputy Project Leader at Wheeler NWR, was selected to fill the project leader's position , reporting for duty on October 27th .
Refuge Forester Dave Robinson conducted a presentation on "Managing the Longleaf PinerWregras s Ecosystem" on Carolina Sandhills NWR at a seminar sponsored by the S . C. Conservation League , Ducks Unlimited, and the Nature Conservancy at the SeeWee Visitor Center .
A total of 14,835 acres were burned this year, with a record 5,376 acres burned during growin g • season.
U . S. Forest Service researchers expanded their research efforts, conducting eleven different studie s relating to longleaf pine/wiregrass habitats, roller chopping, and fire ecology .
Successful red-cockaded woodpecker nests increased to eighty-six (six percent increase from last year) . Artificial cavities were utilized for twenty nests (a twenty-five percent increase) .
Refuge road rehab efforts, funded by Hurricane Fran monies, continued throughout the year.
Ten juvenile red-cockaded woodpeckers were trapped for relocation to Daniel Boone National Forest . Unfortunately, one bird died on October 7th .
Congressman John M . Spratt and his District Administrator Robert Hopkins were given a two hour tour of the refuge by Office Assistant McCutcheon and Refuge Manager Lanier on December 12th .
• B . CLIMATIC CONDITION S
Overall weather patterns for the year were fairly normal . Temperatures reached 100 degrees an d above during the month of July . Refuge crops produced fair yields along with good mast crops . There was an excellent longleaf pine seed crop this year . Table 1 presents a summary o f temperatures and precipitation for Calendar Year 1997 .
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Table 1 . Average Temperature and Precipitation Levels (CY 1997 )
Temperature • (Degrees Fahrenheit) Month Max Min Mean Inches of Precipitatio n
January 76 14 44 5 .90
February 84 26 48 3 .51 March 86 28 60 2 .29
April 84 31 60 4 .46
May 92 37 68 0.69
June 96 53 75 3.79
July 101 61 78 9.86
August 99 53 77 2.6 1
• September 99 43 70 3.79 October 92 34 62 6.83
November 72 23 49 3.99
December 68 20 43
TOTAL 49.44
C. Land Acquisitio n
2. Easements
This station manages eight FSA (formerly FmHA) conservation easements ranging in size from 2 .7 to 480 acres. There are two additional areas which have been proposed for inclusion in our inventory . • One of the two areas is an 105-acre tract in Marlboro County and the other is an 180-acre tract i n Marion County. The refuge also manages a 210 acre fee title "easement" located in Marlboro County . There were no additions to our inventory in 1997.
4. Compliance with Environmental and Cultural Resources Mandate s
Corrective actions outlined by the Regional Contaminants Committee after their inspection i n September, 1996 have been completed with the exception of a survey of asbestos hazards and th e finalization of various contingency plans .
Actions taken during 1997 included setting up a contract to collect and remove accumulated used oil , hydraulic fluid, solvents, antifreeze, and oil filters from the station, capping of two abandoned wells , and the construction of a new oil and paint house . Construction on this facility was begun in July, wit h completion originally scheduled for early December . A sixty day extension to the contract wa s granted because of a delay in the delivery of their pre-fab building . The building will be complete d in early February, 1998 .
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D. PLANNING
Research and Investigations
The collaborative research program established in 1995 between the U . S. Forest Service and the Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge continued to grow in 1997 . A total of ten research projects were initiated or completed on the refuge and another will be completed in 1998 from researc h conducted in 1997 . Research results were presented by USFS staff at three scientific meetings and several manuscripts are being prepared for publication . In addition, a number of researchers an d land managers across the southeast visited the refuge in 1997 to observe and discuss researc h results. Support for the research program was increased in the fall by the placement of a U. S. Forest Service Research Technician (Brian van Eerden) at the refuge .
Research projects conducted on the refuge focus on the ecology and management of longlea f pineiwiregrass habitats. Three major research topics are currently being addressed : a) roller- chopping effects - understanding the effects of roller-chopping on ground layer vegetation ; b) fire ecology - characterizing fire behavior and understanding how fire season and intensity influenc e reproductive biology of key species ; and c) native plant restoration - determining which environmenta l factors are most important in the establishment of wiregrass and other native herbaceous species . The end goal of these studies is to provide land managers in the Sandhills region with information t o guide development of ecologically sound and effective management practices . • The following is a summary of research projects conducted or completed by the US Forest Servic e in 1997:
1. Prescribed fire and mechanical treatments to restore presettlement structure in longlea f pine forests: effects on midstory reduction and ground layer restoratio n
This long-term study, which began in 1995, evaluates the effects of burning and roller-chopping o n midstory hardwood reduction for red-cockaded woodpecker habitat improvement and recovery o f native understory species that constitute natural biodiversity and provide fine fuels for continue d prescribed fire. In 1997, sampling of stand data revealed that fire suppression results in increase d turkey oak in xeric sandhills woodlands, and in decreases in cover of the dominant shrub, dwarf huckleberry (Gaylussacia dumosa), and most common plant groups including grasses, composites , and legumes . In contrast, roller chopping was associated only with decreases in oaks and increase s in little bluestem . On a larger scale, chopping results in no apparent species losses .
• A study was initiated in 1997 to experimentally test the effects of fire and chopping treatments o n sandhills vegetation . Three chopping treatments (dormant season, growing season, and n o chopping) were tested in three fire treatments (dormant season, growing season, and no burn) . All treatments were applied in 1997 and a preliminary post-treatment census was conducted in fall 1997 . Results from this census demonstrated that all chopping and burning combinations led to minima l mortality of wiregrass. There was no significant difference in mortality levels among the differen t treatment groups . All chopping treatments were equally effective in reducing hardwood density . There were no significant differences in hardwood resprouting among the different treatment groups . A final census will be conducted in 1998 . Studies which will investigate the effects of roller-choppin g on the distribution of litter and Gaylussacia dumosa mortality and the interactive effects of fire an d chopping on wiregrass establishment will be conducted in 1998 as well .
2. The influence of fire intensity on wiregrass (Aristida stricta) seed productio n
In this set of experiments, a portable burn device was used to study how fire intensity influences see d production of wiregrass, the dominant groundcover species in longleaf pine communities . This plan t
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requires fire disturbance to trigger seed production . Results showed fire intensity had no significan t effect on seed production, in contrast to results from a similar study conducted in 1996 . Significant differences in seed yield between burn dates revealed, however, that the overall effects of fire • intensity can be strongly influenced by the timing of fire treatments . Drought conditions which existe d during part of the experiment were correlated with low seed yield .
3. Burn weather and wiregrass (Aristida stricta) seed yield
This study examined variances in wiregrass seed production in 1997 burn blocks with respect t o maximum ambient air temperature on the day of burning . Results demonstrated that ambient ai r temperature is a good predictor of seed production . Burns conducted on warm (> 65°F) days in February can be as effective for producing wiregrass seed as burns conducted in spring and summer . These results challenge the currently held idea that dormant season burns are not effective for wiregrass seed production . Future studies will assess how hardwood mortality and fuel reductio n varies with respect to ambient air temperature .
4. Effect of season of burn on fruit and seed production of goat's rue (Tephrosia virginiana)
The effects of burn season on fruit and seed production for the legume Tephrosia virginiana, a representative of a dominant plant family on the refuge was studied . Observations indicate that frui t • and seed production are maximized for plants burned during the growing season, seed predation i s highest for plants burned during the dormant season, and plants that remain unburned rarely produc e fruit or seeds. These results suggest that burning, especially during the growing season, is critica l for stimulating reproduction of this legume .
5. The effects of fire and mechanical cutting on goat's rue (Tephrosia virginiana)
A study was initiated to determine how different components of fire (season of fire, clearing of competitors, mechanical damage to plant tissue) affected vegetative growth and flower productio n in goat's rue . The results suggest that the relative roles of different components of fire chang e depending upon the season in which the plant is burned . The results also show that mechanical cutting (mowing) of this species inhibits flowering . This implies that mowing may not be sufficient t o rejuvenate fire-suppressed areas which contain this, or possibly other, legumes .
6. Effects of shading on flower production in goat's rue Tephrosia virginiana)
• This study looked at the role that shading plays in flower production of goat's rue . The results are inconclusive but it appears that shading does not affect flower production in late growing seaso n burned plants . This implies that shading effects of shrubs in fire-suppressed areas do not affec t flower production after burns, although other stages in the reproductive cycle of this legume may b e affected by shading or other competitive effects of these shrubs .
7. Dispersal and disturbance as factors limiting the distribution of rare plant specie s (in collaboration with Richard Primack, Boston University)
A field experiment was completed to evaluate methods for re-introducing selected herbaceou s species into upland sandhills communities . The experiment involved eight species of locally rar e plants and eight forms of site preparation, including various combinations of raking or digging , fertilizing or not fertilizing, with or without cages to exclude potential small mammal seed predators. Species were introduced as seeds or transplanted as seedlings . No expanding populations of any species has been established, but at least one individual of most species became established an d persisted in some treatment or site . The most successful treatment involved simply digging, an d
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removing underground competition at least for a short time . Results confirm other observations tha t establishing a new populations is difficult at best, and re-emphasize that conserving existing • populations is a critical conservation task . Further, low nutrient status and seed predation do not seem to be important factors that limit seedling establishment in upland sandhills.
8. The effect of pine needle litter on growth and survival of wiregrass (Aristida stricta) and other native herbaceous species
Several different pine needle litter treatments were applied to seedlings of wiregrass, sweet goldenro d (Solidago odora), shiny-leaved golden aster (Pityposis aspera var. adenolepis) and sandhil l chaffhead (Carphephorus bellidifolius) in a controlled garden setting . Results demonstrated tha t wiregrass survivorship and growth was greatest in plots with zero litter . Higher mortality and reduce d growth in heavy litter plots suggest opportunities for wiregrass establishment in forested areas might be limited if stand density and thus litter loads are high . These results are consistent with a simila r garden study conducted in 1996 . Mortality and growth results of other species in the study were inconclusive.
9. Herbaceous diversity in natural and managed stands
• A two year study was completed of the fine-scale herbaceous diversity in natural and manage d (plantation) stands . The results indicate that species diversity and herbaceous spatial structure i n plantations was similar to that found in natural stands . These results suggest that the sandhills flor a is resilient to disturbance and that restoration of plantations may only require the reintroduction of rar e and/or shallowly rooted species (like wiregrass) to approach characteristics of herbaceou s communities in natural stands .
10. Wiregrass restoration studie s
The goal of this set of studies is to determine how to establish wiregrass using direct seeding i n degraded areas such as old fields, plantations, roadbanks, and borrow pits . This information will allo w the refuge and other land managers in the sandhills region to establish successful wiregras s restoration programs on their properties. Studies in 1997 demonstrated that timing of seeding is critical to germination success . Seed sown in January and February has a much greater likelihoo d of germinating and establishing seedlings than seed sown in spring and summer months . Seeding trials located in plantation thinning lanes and old field sites revealed that wiregrass could b e established from seed in both sites, but that seedling growth is much greater in old fields where ligh t • is not limiting . If given sufficient light and minimal below-ground competition, wiregrass seedlin g growth can be rapid . In full-sun sites such as abandoned fields, clear-cuts, borrow pits an d roadbanks, mature wiregrass stands can be established in several years . Wiregrass seed wa s collected in fall 1997 to be used for additional studies in 1998 .
11. Rare plant surveys
As time permitted, surveys for rare plants were conducted in high quality upland habitats on th e refuge. Several new locations of rare plants (SC Rare List) were found including populations o f Calamovilfa brevipelis, Dalea pinnata. Orbexilum lupinellum, Phaseolus sinuatus, and Tridens carolinianus. The compilation of a species list for the entire refuge was also begun (currently at 28 0 species).
Several other individuals and organizations besides the U . S. Forest Service conducted research o n the refuge during 1997. Summaries of their research efforts follow :
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Comparison of Reproductive Structures of the Butterfly (Hesperia attalus )
Bob Gardner (University of Maryland) made only one site visit to the refuge during the year . His • research will try to determine if there are any differences in the reproductive structure of the specie s across its range . No findings or results have been reported to date in this, the fourth year of collectin g on the refuge .
Determining the Effects of Turkey Oak and Pine Needle Exudates on the Germination o f Aristida tuberculosa and Aristida stricta
Steve Franks (University of Georgia) collected turkey oak leaves and longleaf pine needles from th e refuge for research looking at the effects of these two trees on the germination of two species o f Aristida. This was the first year of the study .
Herp/Amphibian Survey
Jeff Camper (Professor, Francis Marion University) continued his herplamphibian study on the refug e using drift fences and other capture techniques to establish a list of herps and amphibians presen t on the refuge. Mr. Camper furnished the refuge a summary of his study in May, 1997 . In this summary, he listed all amphibian and reptile species documented during his two years of study here . • This list includes twenty-nine snake species, eight lizards, seventeen frogs and toads, nin e salamanders and seven turtles .
Photosynthetic Responses of Pitcher Plants
Jennifer Robertson (Appalachian State University) continued to conduct field work on the refuge a s part of her Masters Thesis . Several site visits were made during the year .
Effects of Growing Season Prescribed Burns on Bachman's Sparro w
Dave Krementz (NBS) in Athens, GA is conducting this research . Bachman's sparrow is a specie s of special concern that has experienced gradual population declines over much of its previous range . This study seeks to determine any direct effects of growing season prescribed burning beyon d creating and maintaining suitable habitat for these birds . Little is known about the effects o f prescribed burning on the survival, reproduction, and movements of individuals birds . Graduat e Student Brad Seaman set up study sites on the refuge and at the Savannah River Site during th e spring and summer where sparrows were captured and equipped with radio telemetry devices . Their • movements were monitored daily both before and after prescribed burns . We expect to receive a copy of Dave's final report early in 1998 .
Value of a Nest Box Program for Hole Nesting Neotropical Migrants Utilizing Areas Managed for RCW's
Don White (NBS) in Athens, GA is the lead investigator for this three-year study . Thirty nest boxe s were placed randomly in each of four habitat types : 1) no burn areas; 2) one year rough ; 3) two-year rough; and 4) three-year rough . Nineteen pairs of great crested flycatchers used boxes this year with 61% fledging success . The 1997 growing season burn site was preferred for nesting . This stud y has been funded for FY 1998 .
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E. ADMINISTRATIO N
1 . Personne l • The staffing pattern and incumbents occupying these positions for Carolina Sandhills Refuge is a s depicted in the following chart:
Staff - Carolina Sandhills Refuge
NAME POSITION TITLE/GRADE EOD POSITIO N TYPE
Scott Lanier Refuge Manager, GS-12 10127/97 PFT
John S . Hoffmann Asst. Refuge Manager, GS-9 6/10196 PFT
David H . Robinson Forester, GS-11 211/74 PFT
R. Gregory Askins Forestry Technician, GS-7 10/19/92 PFT
Kay W. McCutcheon Office Assistant, GS-7 3/20/72 PFT • T. Jack Oliver Engineering Equip . Oper., WG-11 1110/77 PFT
Randall W . McLain Engineering Equip . Oper., WG-8 12/26/93 PFT
James McClelland Engineering Equip . Oper., WG-8 9/17/95 PFT
Peter G . Range Range Technician, GS-7 10/2/94 PFT
S. Douglas Mason Forestry Technician, GS-5 11/12/95 PFT
Michael Housh Forestry Tech/FCO, GS-8 11/12/96 PFT
Patricia McCoy Office Automation Clerk, GS-4 3/31/97 TI
Boyd Blihovde Student Trainee Wildlife), GS-4 1/19/97 PFT
Mark Ploski Biological Technician, GS-5 4/16/97 TFT
• Patricia McCoy was hired as temporary Office Automation Clerk, GS-4 to assist with administrativ e procedures (especially during the prescribed burning season) . She began work in late March and worked through early August on a 1040 hour appointment . She was brought back in October to fil l in during our hunting season while Office Assistant McCutcheon was attending two weeks o f computer training .
Mark Ploski began work on April 28 as a temporary biological technician, GS-5 to complete survey work to determine impacts of RCW cavity trees lost due to Hurricane Fran damages . Mark also used his experience as an equipment operator to assist the maintenance staff with road repairs also funde d with Hurricane Fran monies. His tenure here ended in December after his selection for a caree r seasonal forestry technician at Mississippi Sandhill Crane.
Cooperative education student Boyd Blihovde began his work assignment as a Student Traine e (Wildlife) on January 19th . Boyd worked through mid-May and returned to the University of Centra l
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Florida to finish coursework for his degree . He graduated in August and returned for a 3-112 mont h tour of duty in September. Boyd was a huge asset to the refuge during his tenure here . He was very • energetic, hardworking, and used his vast knowledge of herps to help Office Assistant McCutcheo n with several very successful outreach efforts. He returned to graduate school at UCF in December ; we wish him well and hope that he shows up again in the sandhills .
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Cooperative Student Boyd Blihovde presented several interpretive programs during his two tour s of duty at Carolina Sandhills Refuge . (NR-97-1, McCutcheon).
Equipment operators McClelland and McLain were both promoted to WG-8 levels on May 25th . • Refuge Manager Ricky Ingram was selected for the Refuge Program Specialist (Assistant Distric t Manager for District Ill Refuges) position in the regional office and transferred effective July 7th . After Ingram's transfer, it was decided that the Refuge Operations Specialist position that was bein g advertised would be withdrawn and recruitment would begin immediately for a project leader . Scott Lanier, Deputy Project Leader at Wheeler Refuge was selected as the new project leader for this station and reported for duty on October 27th.
Scott also served a 30 day detail here (July) as acting project leader as did Pee Dee NWR Assistan t Manager David Viker (August) . Savannah Coastal Refuges Deputy Project Leader Mark Musau s spent 1-112 days here in September to review operations.
The Refuge Operations Specialist position was re-advertised in October with Rolf Olsen o f Chassahowitzka NWR being selected to fill the vacancy . His reporting date will be in March, 1998 .
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Refuge Staff - Left to right - Housh, McClelland, Menard, Askins, McCoy, McLain, Bush, Oliver , Hoffmann, Lanier, Mason, McCutcheon, Range, and Robinson (NR-97-2, L . Askins).
Table 2 (below) depicts staffing patterns at Carolina Sandhills Refuge for the past several years .
Table 2 . Number of Employees
FY FULL TIME PART TIME TEMPORARY TOTAL FTE' S
97 10.0 0.00 2.1 12 . 1
96 10.0 0.00 1 .1 11 .1
• 95 9.0 0.00 1 .1 10.1
94 8 .0 0.00 1 .2 9 .2
93 7.0 0.00 1 .2 8 .2
92 8.0 0.00 1 .2 9 .2
91 7.0 0 .00 1 .2 8 .2
90 10 0 1 .8 11 .8
The staffing levels have finally reached and even surpassed the same level as 1990 . The additio n of the 1040 hour office automation clerk was long overdue . All increases in the last four years hav e been fire FTE's . No increases have been received in 1261 FTE's since 1990, only cuts .
• 9 2. Youth Program s
Two YCC enrollees, April Gore and Craig Dawson, were selected for this year's eight week program . •
Major projects accomplished by these enrollees included the following :
Assisted with re-roofing three equipment storage sheds and the carpentry shop .
Cleared, marked and posted boundaries on two conservation easements and fifteen mile s of boundary on the refuge .
Cleared understory vegetation from around RCW cavity trees in four compartments of the refuge and painted and tagged these cavity trees .
Cleared and maintained the one mile long foot trail at Pool A .
-- Maintained shop and office grounds .
Enrollees were provided environmental education while performing their daily activities by their • supervisors. Topics discussed included forest and wildlife resource management, endangered species management, and the role each plays in longleaf pine ecosystem management .
4. Volunteer Program s
The refuge continues to get a lot of quality work from our volunteer program. Over thirty peopl e donated a total of 2,440 hours this year ; up from 1600 hours in 1996.
Deb Barshafsky and Susan Wood from Augusta, Georgia checked and maintained 45 refuge bluebird boxes.
Volunteers Brian Van Eerden and Randy Mejeur were a tremendous help to the refuge by assisting the staff in drafting grant proposals, completing vegetation analysis and plant identification for specia l areas and helping conduct environmental education programs .
Student interns Shannon Fulmer and Rob Kilkenny provided assistance on several managemen t • activities during May, June and July . Their help during red-cockaded woodpecker nest monitorin g and banding was especially crucial .
Prisoners and guards from Lee County Correctional Institute donated more than 500 hours raking an d hand clearing hardwood midstory around RCW trees prior to burning . They also planted 6,00 0 sawtooth oaks in March. This group was very enthusiastic and hard working. The refuge provide d lunch for the inmates and guards and all seemed to enjoy their time outdoors .
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Prison volunteers from Lee County Correctional Institute raking around RCW cavity trees i n preparation for prescribed burning . (NR-97-3, Range) .
Refuge volunteers also assisted with the MAPS bird banding station and RCW nest checks, banding , and fledge checks.
5. Fundin q
Monies allocated for FY 1997 included several special projects in addition to our normal 126 1 operations and 6860 expenses for sales categories . Special monies were received for contaminan t • cleanup ($5,000), neotropical bird surveys ($1,000), replacing the oil and paint house ($50,000), Lak e Bee dam repairs ($586,000), and Hurricane Fran repairs ($594,000) . It sounds wonderful to have these extra monies available to complete planned activities ; it ain't as wonderful as it sounds . The statement was made in our CY 1996 narrative that our small staff would be sorely challenged to pla n and carry out the dam repair work at Lake Bee in addition to our normal operations and that FY 9 7 looked to be an event filled year for us . This was definitely an understatement . Nevertheless, w e made every effort to complete all projects planned and make efficient use of all monies allocated . Several much needed purchases were made with Lake Bee and Fran monies including a new dum p truck and excavator that have been put to good use on both projects .
Table 3 provides a summary of funding received during FY 1997 and Table 4 (on the following page ) gives details of our FY 1998 allocation picture .
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Table 3 . Funding Allocation - FY 1997
Description/ Subactivity 1230 1261 1971 1262 2850 2952 6860 9251 9252 Tota l • Initial Allocation 385000 35000 420000
Neotropicals 1000 1000
Daniel Boone N F Agreements 3178 317 8
Ecosystem Ad d (LL Restoration) 19100 1910 0
Take-bac k balance WAG - 18200 - 1820 0
Wildlife Drive Guide 6000 6000
Co-op Student 7900 7900
Contaminan t Cleanup 5000 5000
Volunteers 200 200
• YCC Enrollees 3270 3270
Road Repair s Hurricane Fran 594000 594000
Fire-Staffing & Admin . Costs 112900 112900
Fire-Helicopter Contract 71100 7110 0
Fire-equipmen t maintenance/NUS 13000 13000
Fire-variou s add ons 40000 4000 0
Fire-ping pon g machine/supplies 12100 12100
Replace oil/pain t • house (MMS) 50000 50000 Lake Bee da m repairs 586000 586000
TOTALS 1000 405000 3178 53270 586000 594000 35000 165900 83200 1926548
1 2 •
Table 4 . Funding Allocation - FY 1998 • Description/ Subactivity 1230 1261 1971 1262 2850 2952 6860 9251 9263 Total
Initial Allocation 411200 35000 446200 Neotropicals 1000 1000 Daniel Boone NF Agreements 8100 8100 Ecosystem Add (LL Restoration) 19100 19100 RCW Biological Expertise 30000 30000 Challenge Grant 2000 2000 (Tates Trail)
• YCC Enrollees 3270 3270 Carryover- Storm Damage 128500 128500 Carryover-Lak e Bee dam 413500 413500 Add/Remodel Office Space 140000 140000 Fire-Staffing & Admin . Costs 74200 34000 108200 Fire-Helicopter Contract 22800 22800 Fire-equipment maintnce/NUS 13000 13000 • Fire-seasona l fire staff 28200 28200
TOTALS 1000 462300 8100 143270 413500 128500 35000 110000 62200 1363870
The refuge staff is very excited about receiving funding for an additional 1,300 sq . ft. of office space . We currently have four offices and two closet sized spaces housing eight staff members .
Work will continue in FY 98 on both the road repairs (carryover of $128,500) and the Lake Bee da m repairs (carryover of $413,500) .
Changes in funding of prescribed burning activities changed drastically with FY 98 allocations . Costs will be more closely tracked by prescribed fire incidence under the new tracking system . It will be interesting to see how the funding approach works out.
• 1 3 6. Safety
The refuge holds regular staff and safety meetings at which a variety of safety concerns relating to hom e • and work-place safety are discussed . Safety films and video tapes are frequently shown .
Engineers and geologists from GEI Consultants, Inc., a geoetechnical and environmental engineerin g firm, inspected several of our dams during the report period . Several minor problems were found bu t nothing of a serious nature .
Contract bridge inspectors visited the refuge in April to look at our two hazardous bridges . They reported little had changed with these structures since they had been last inspected .
Askins, Mason, Housh, Lanier, McClelland, McLain, and Oliver traveled to Savannah, GA to attend Basic Aviation Safety Training in July . Housh, Lanier, and Robinson also attended Supervisory Aviation Safety training .
7. Technical Assistanc e
Sand Hills State Forest - The refuge and the State Forest continued to share equipment and expertis e on a variety of projects. • Savannah NWR- Manager trainee Boyd Blihovde spent a one week detail assisting with the installatio n of water control structures at Harris Neck Refuge . Three Savannah Refuge employees assisted ou r maintenance staff in replacing a water control structure and culvert at Martins Lake .
Okefenokee NWR - Equipment Operator Tony Gooch used their Go-Track, "Godzilla" to clear fire break s through pocosin habitat on the refuge.
Pee Dee NWR - McLain roller chopped an old abandoned field which had been allowed to grow up i n pine and hardwood saplings . Mason and Ploski spent several days assisting with installation of wate r control structures and other earth moving activities . Askins and Ploski spent a total of 12 days markin g trees for a timber sale . Members of the refuge fire team assisted with prescribed burning activities .
McKinney Lake NFH - The refuge staff removed a tree which had fallen onto one of the residences at the hatchery . The tree was blown over by Hurricane Fran .
Other • Blihovde captured and inspected over 200 frogs for a deformity study conducted by the Nationa l Biological Survey. Only four showed minor evidence of deformities . Findings were reported to Joh n Allran at Patuxent Wildlife Research Center as requested .
8. Other
Refuge Manager Lanier, Forester Robinson, and Range Technician Peter Range attended the annua l meeting between the Service and the S . C. Forestry Commission in November . RCW Recovery Coordinator Ralph Costa and ES Biologist Lori Duncan also attended along with representatives of th e S. C. Forestry Commission and S . C. Department of Natural Resources . RCW management efforts an d issues were discussed along with other coordination topics.
Refuge Manager Ingram and Forester Robinson met with Chesterfield County Councilman Calder an d two other county representatives regarding county road repairs and refuge logging operations.
14
F. HABITAT MANAGEMEN T
1. General
• The refuge is characterized primarily by a pine forest community which includes a combination of longlea f pine and turkey oak. Longleaf pine is replaced by loblolly pine on the more fertile sites where cla y outcroppings occur. Pine pocosins are found in association with wet areas ; pond pine, gallberry, titi, and sweetbay predominate in these pocosins . Numerous branch heads and tributaries drain into either Blac k Creek on the east side of the refuge or Lynches River on the west side . Hardwood and associated species found along Black Creek are typical of those species found in the Coastal Plain region . Lynches River hardwood species and their associates typify those species found in the Piedmont bottomlan d region.
Table 5 presents a summary of the habitat types found within the 45,348 acres of Carolina Sandhill s Refuge. More than 90 percent (94 .6%) of the refuge is forested .
Table 5. Summary of Habitat Types - Carolina Sandhills Refug e
Habitat Type Acreag e
Non-Forested Areas • Fields 1,265
Openings 18 2
Roads 673
Pools and Lakes 277
Pipeline (Gas) 44
Railroad Right of Way
Sub-total 2.44 7
Total Forested Areas 42,90 1
Total All Habitats 45,348
2. Wetlands
• The refuge contains 30 man made lakes and ponds which have been created over the years by dammin g natural drains . In addition to precipitation run off, most of the streams are spring-fed and have a n abundant supply of water during periods of drought . The primary objectives for managing our wate r impoundments are to enhance waterfowl populations and provide opportunities for recreational fishing . In order to meet management objectives of each area, some impoundments are managed primarily fo r waterfowl while others are managed for fisheries .
After several delays, the water control structure for Martins Lake finally arrived and was installed in lat e spring. Pee Dee Manager Mike lelmini and Savannah's Gene Strickland provided invaluable expertis e to our staff on this project.
Lake Bee remained drained for another year due to the hazardous dam situation . Much time wa s expended in late summer and fall planning for and ordering materials and supplies for this project . Some preliminary work has been done to tear out and stockpile the existing rip-rap, along with minor sit e preparation . We spent most of the year awaiting delivery of the excavator and dump truck jointly funde d
• 1 5
by this project and the Hurricane Fran road repair funds . Both items had been delivered by lat e November and will be put to good use in CY 1998 . • 3. Forests
Timber management activities on Carolina Sandhills NWR during 1997 were accomplished in accordanc e with approved compartment habitat management prescriptions . Management activities for 1997 were conducted in Compartments 1, 4, 8, 9, 13, 14, 16, and 17 . Timber sales conducted during the yea r included four pine pulpwood sales (thinning), one slash pine harvest sale, two pin e salvage/miscellaneous sales and a tornado salvage sale . Three of the pine pulpwood sales were conducted in longleaf pine plantations thinned by operator select . This system of thinning has agai n proven to be an excellent method for first thinnings in pine plantations . Four additional operator selec t sales were sold during 1997, but the harvest and payment on these sales will not occur until 1998 .
Slash pine harvest sales were conducted in stagnated slash pine plantations . After the slash pine i s harvested, the sites are planted to native longleaf pine . Under the terms of a Memorandum o f Understanding, the S . C. Forestry Commission planted longleaf pines (using containerized seedlings ) on 327 acres in Compartments 1, 2, 7, 10, 11 and 20.
• This year six of our sale contracts required a specified amount of clay and gravel to be delivered an d tailgate spread on timber access roads within the sale areas . The clay was provided by the refuge from clay pits near the sale areas .
•
The successful bidder on one of our timber sales provided clay and gravel delivered and tailgat e spread on this timber access road as part of his sales contract . (NR-97-4, Robinson) . • 16 •
•
Timber access road after claying and graveling . (NR-97-5, Robinson) .
Two pine salvage/miscellaneous sales were conducted on the refuge this year. The salvage wa s conducted as a result of bark beetle infestation (Ips and black turpentine beetles) . This infestation wa s the result of numerous lightning strikes throughout the year and hot spots in areas prescribe burned . The miscellaneous areas were road rights-of-way cut to facilitate road repairs and improvements .
• A tornado salvage sale was necessitated by damage from a tornado and high winds that occurred o n July 23 in Compartment 20 which caused excessive damage along State Highway 151 . The right-of-wa y along Highway 151 in this area was also cleared in preparation for the widening of this road to four lanes .
Table 6 on the following page provides a summary of timber sale activity during calendar year 1997 .
17 Table 6 . Timber Sale Activity - 1997
COMP # # # # B D SUP # SALE # ACRES CORDS FEET REVENUE TREATMENT • REFUG E 78974 WIDE SALVAGE 24 144 - $1725 SALVAG E
78978 8 8-1-96 60 481' - $ 4360 THINNIN G
78734 17 17-1-96 80 621 2 - $ 6693 THINNIN G
78737 4 & 8 4,8-1-97 27 95 - $ 1330 THINNIN G
42520- REFUG E SALVAGE ! 97-1 WIDE SALVAGE 46 234 - $2803 MIS C
342 83302 42520- TORNAD O 46 684 97-2 20 SALVAGE 82 (HWD) (HWD) $35256 SALVAG E
REFUG E SALVAGE / 78740 WIDE SALVAGE 68 - 103213 $9599 MIS C
42520- SLAS H 97-3 12,14,16 12,14, 16-97 135 14953 - $42832 CONVERSIO N
• 42520- 97-4 1 1-1-97 44 331 - $1,478 THINNIN G
374 3 18651 5 (Pine ) (Pine ) 46 684 TOTAL 566 (HWD) (HWD) $106076
'Plus hauling and spreading 1 .248 yards of clay and 1,278 tons of gravel . 2PIus hauling and spreading 1,050 yards of clay and 325 tons of gravel . 3 PIus hauling and spreading 1,568 yards of clay and 2,079 tons of gravel .
4. Croplands
• The refuge cooperatively farms 257 acres . Because most of the soils associated with the refuge are of poor quality, many area farmers will not consider farming on the refuge . The refuge share of crops ar e exchanged for in-kind services .
Bobby McLeod of Arrowhead Farms is authorized to row crop eight fields comprising 151 acres of whic h ten percent of the crop produced is due the refuge . In actuality, he only farms 138 acres and seve n fields. Bobby alternates his crops from year to year, i .e., he plants corn one year which is followed b y soybeans the following year . He had been scheduled to plant soybeans in 1997 but opted to leave hi s fields fallow. He gave as his reason problems he has been experiencing with depredation of his bean s by deer.
Bobby harvested 4,800 lbs of bicolor lespedeza seed from six fields comprising 38.7 acres. The refuge share of this crop (25%), amounted to 1,200 lbs which sold for $1 .501Ib, or $1,800. When added to th e value of his 1996 crop (which did not sell until 1997), Bobby owed the refuge $2,955 . This wa s expended, in part, by having the farmer haul and spread lime on 122 acres (valued at $854) and to plow , plant, and fertilize twenty acres of winter wheat ($883 .40 value)
• 1 8 The remaining cooperative farmer, A . C . McLeod, Jr. (Kemp), manages a sixty-seven acre bicolo r lespedeza field from which the refuge receives 25% of the seed harvested . The yield for 1997 wa s • 11,700 lbs from which the refuge received 2,975 lbs . This sold for $1 .50/lb for a total value of $4,462.50 . McLeod also harvested 3,100 lbs of sericea lespedeza seed from the "bombing range", which sold fo r $.55/lb ($426.25) . These funds were partially expended for the purchase of lime ($2,510), for bus h hogging and disking ($1,754), for planting of sunflower seed ($630) and to rent a tractor and cultivator from the cooperator ($354) .
5. Grassland s
Native warm season grasses planted last year continue to do well . Although no additional fields were planted this year, several fields currently planted in croplands or lying fallow will be planted in war m season grasses in 1998 .
9. Fire Managemen t
Prescribed burning is a very important habitat management tool utilized on Carolina Sandhills Refug e to accomplish management objectives which include reducing wildfire hazards through fuel reduction , maintaining habitat diversity in fire maintained ecosystems, maintaining and restoring habitat for • endangered and threatened species of plants and animals, such as the red-cockcaded woodpecker , assisting in the restoration of the longleaf pine/wiregrass community, and hardwood control in uplan d pine stands .
During the 1997 burning season approximately 14,807 acres of woodlands and fields were prescrib e burned on the refuge. Table 9 summarizes prescribed burning efforts during 1997 . As noted in thi s table, ninety-six percent of the total acreage was accomplished using aerial ignition . Custom Air Brewton of Brewton, Alabama was contracted to aerial burn at a cost of $3 .95 per acre . All areas were burned in accordance with an approved prescribed burning plan.
Table 7 . Summary of Prescribed Burning - CY 199 7
Acres Burned Acres Burned Total Season Hand Ignition Aerial Ignition Acres Burned
Dormant 334 9,355 9,689 • Growing 135 4,983 5,11 8
Totals 469 14,338 14,807
Under the terms of the memorandum of agreement with the S . C . Forestry Commission, the Commissio n is responsible for the detection and suppression of wildfires on the refuge . During the year two wildfire s occurred on the refuge. The first fire was caused by a lightning strike and burned less than an acre alon g State Highway 145 before being suppressed by the refuge staff. The second wildfire occurred in a prescribed burn area in Compartment 11 . The fire escaped control lines during a dry period in May an d burned approximately 25 acres before being suppressed by refuge staff .
•
1 9 Carolina Sandhills Refuge hosted three interagency fire training sessions during the year . These • sessions included S-130 and S-190 (Feb '97 and Sept '97) and S-290 (Nov '97) . Several refuge staff participated in these sessions . FCO Housh served as lead instructor for all three courses .
10 . Pest Control
As in past years, the refuge participated in the annual U . S. Forest Service gypsy moth trapping program . Gypsy moth traps were placed in two different locations on the refuge to detect the presence of gypsy moths. No moths were found in either trap.
12 Wilderness and Special Areas
A Research Natural Area made up of 554 acres of longleaf pine-scrub oak habitat (S .A.F. # 71) wa s established on the refuge in 1970 . This area is heavily covered with turkey oak, with lesser amounts o f blackjack and bluejack oak interspersed . Scattered throughout the area are a few small longleaf pines .
Climax vegetation for S .A.F. # 71 is longleaf pine. Therefore, management practices are limited to thos e which encourage development of this species .
• Many other areas which are unique to the refuge have been plotted on compartment maps and were afforded special management consideration and protection during the year.
G. WILDLIFE
1. Wildlife Diversity
Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge lies within that physiographic region of North and Sout h Carolina known as the "Sandhills ." Extending from North Carolina to Georgia, this area is comprised o f a ridge of rolling sandhills located along the fall line, lying between the Atlantic Coastal Plain and th e Piedmont Plateau. Because of its location on this fall line, the refuge has a variety of plants, animals, and habitat types characteristic of both regions .
One hundred ninety species of birds, 42 species of reptiles and 25 species of amphibians are known t o be present on the refuge . Although mammals are numerous, there has never been a survey to documen t the number of species occurring here . • The presence of representatives of both Piedmont and Coastal Plain species on the refuge provides a n abundance and diversity of plant life found in few other areas of the state .
Numerous plants found on the refuge are listed on state and/or federal endangered species lists (i .e. , sundews, pitcher plants, Well's pixie moss, and white wicky) .
As in previous years, most management activities were designed to meet the requirements of a broa d spectrum of plants and animals .
2. Endangered Species a. Red-cockaded Woodpecke r
The refuge supports a population of approximately 100 nesting clusters of red-cockaded woodpecker s (RCW), making it the largest population within the refuge system, and combined with 40+ clusters on th e adjacent Sandhills State Forest, the sixth largest population in existence.
•
20
The refuge located eighty-six nests this year (a 6 .2 percent increase) . This was the second year wit h a documented increase in nesting success . In 1996, eighty-one nests were located ; seventy-six nests had been located in each of the previous three years . Nests in artificial cavities increased to twenty-three (65% increase) this year. • Nests were monitored and all nestlings were banded with USFWS aluminum bands and a uniqu e combination of color bands . A total of 178 juvenile RCWs were banded this year .
One of the most important functions of color banding is that it allows us to locate birds of a known ag e and sex in the future so that they may be used to augment single bird clusters .
Six male and three female juvenile RCW's were taken from the refuge and relocated to Daniel Boon e National Forest in Kentucky to be used in augmenting their four remaining birds . As of December, thre e of the nine birds are roosting in known areas and their movements are being monitored .
The refuge continued to install artificial RCW cavities this year using cavity inserts . Inserts are used more often because they require substantially less time and effort to install than do drilled cavities . The refuge installed forty-seven inserts in 1997 . Inserts were installed to enhance clusters with few or dilapidated cavities or for establishment of recruitment sites .
RCW habitat management practices are designed to promote open stands of longleaf pine with little o r • no midstory . To create and maintain this habitat type, the refuge uses forest thinnings, prescribe d burning, roller chopping and hand clearing of hardwood understory . This year, 211 acres were thinned , 14,807 acres were prescribe burned, 30 acres were roller chopped, and all cavity trees in Compartment s 1, 4, 13, and 16 were cleared around by hand, painted with a white band, and tagged with meta l numbered tags. The refuge borrowed a skidder from the S . C . Forestry Commission to pull a dru m chopper. The rubber tired skidder was much faster than our bulldozer and did less damage to the soi l and understory vegetation.
b. Eagles
Refuge impoundments are too small to regularly attract eagles, but occasional sightings are made . One bald eagle was observed this year on the North end of the refuge.
c. Pine Barrens Treefro q
The pine barrens treefrog is currently listed as a state threatened species and is a candidate for federa l • status. The refuge supports numerous colonies of this species and is the second largest concentratio n of these frogs in the state . Prescribed fire is used on all known frog bogs to control plant succession, th e greatest threat to the treefrog's existence .
e. Plants
Although no federally listed plant species are known to occur on the refuge, there are several which ar e candidates for listing :
white wicky (Kalmia cuneata) Well's pixie-moss (Pyxidanthera barouiata var . orevifoiia) sweet pitcher plant (Sarracenia rubra ) Michaaux's milkvetch (Astragalus michauxi!)
• 2 1 Most of these species are on the state's list of threatened and endangered species . Researchers foun d a population of Orbexilum lupinellum on the refuge, which is the first record of this plant in the state . • 3. Waterfow l
From the mid 1970's through the 1996-97 migratory season, the waterfowl population overwintering o n this refuge had been on a steady decline . However, as Table 10 reflects, this situation reversed itsel f in 1997-98.
Table 8 . Peak Populations - Common Wintering Waterfowl
SPECIES 92-93 93-94 94-95 95-96 96-97 97-9 8
Canada Goose 58 103 70 75 35 12 0
Mallard 15 75 75 35 202 11 7
Black Duck 2 9 12 2 0 0
American Widgeon 40 10 20 6 0 67
Wood Duck 600 600 600 600 600' 600 ' • Green winged Teal 3 10 6 6 0 36
Hooded Merganser 7 13 9 6 3 4
Ringnecks 71 32 32 8 0 100
'Estimated number for wood ducks due to the difficulty in surveying this species .
This increase elevated the overall wintering waterfowl population to above one thousand birds (1,044 ) for the first time in five seasons . While this reversal was not dramatic, it was a step in the right direction and was in keeping with the fall flight forecast . There were no neck collared Canada geese observe d this season .
Two tundra swans were observed on Martins Lake on November 3rd and stayed in the area throug h early December. There have been no records of sustained use by this species for the past twenty-fiv e years .
e • The status of the resident wood duck population on the refuge is uncertain because only a percentag of the nest boxes were checked at the beginning of the breeding season . Normally all boxes are checked three times during the breeding season . The check that was completed indicated no rea l change from previous use .
4. Marsh and Water Bird s
Limited habitat for marsh and water bird species is found on the refuge . The best habitat for these bird s is created during the drawdown of our lakes and ponds when bottoms are exposed . Even these area s fail to attract significant numbers.
Great blue herons feed in most impounded areas and nest on a few ponds, notably Pool K . Green herons are found on almost all impoundments and nest throughout the refuge . Summer vagrants includ e great egrets and the occasional little blue heron . Pied-billed grebes may be found almost year-round .
Anhingas and double-crested cormorants are frequently found feeding in some of our deepe r impoundments, though not in large numbers .
22 5. Shorebirds. Gulls. Terns and Allied Specie s • In most years very little suitable habitat for these species can be found on the refuge . Only when a n impoundment is drawn down in summer does habitat exist for these species outside of the killdeer whic h use our farm fields . This year, with Martins Lake being drawn down, more shorebirds were observed including a short-billed dowitcher and a stilt sandpiper.
6. Raptors
The following species are known to nest on the refuge : red-tailed hawks, red-shouldered hawks , American kestrels, turkey vultures, barn owls, screech owls, great horned owls, and barred owls . We also suspect that sharp-shinned and Cooper's hawks nest on the refuge although no nests have been confirmed .
The osprey is an occasional refuge visitor . Random sightings of ospreys at various impoundment s occurred during the year . Two bald and two golden eagles were also sighted on the refuge in 1997 .
7. Other Migratory Birds • The neotropical bird survey the refuge started in 1993 was modified last year so that it would qualify a s a Breeding Bird Survey . This year's survey was conducted on June 12 by Refuge Technician Rang e with volunteer Bill Alexander recording data . A total of 61 species were recorded, with pine warblers , great-crested flycatchers, and summer tanagers being the most abundant species respectively .
A Christmas bird count was conducted on January 4 with only four people participating . A total of sixty- three species were observed .
The mourning dove call-count survey was conducted by Hoffmann this year . Both the Marlboro an d Chesterfield County routes went smoothly .
For the fourth year in a row, the refuge had two designated fields open to dove hunting . Hunts were held on Thursday afternoons of each week of the first state season . Several hunters took advantage of the opportunity, and numerous favorable comments were received .
8. Game Mammals • The state of South Carolina classifies the following species as game mammals : white-tailed deer, blac k bear, bobcat, red and gray fox, mink, muskrat, opossum, otter, rabbit, raccoon, skunk, and gray and fo x squirrel. All are believed to be present on the refuge . However,. bears are extremely infrequent visitors . Only deer, opossum, rabbit, and raccoon are hunted .
Refuge staff participated in a year long fox squirrel sighting survey sponsored by the state . All fox squirrel sightings were recorded and submitted quarterly to the state coordinator.
10. Other Resident Wildlife
Forestry Technician Askins conducted one 2-mile furbearer survey on the refuge for the S . C . Department of Natural Resources . The survey indicates no statistically significant changes in scen t station visitation for any species between 1996 and 1997 . However, coyote visitations on the refug e were up.
• 23 Askins also conducted the annual turkey gobbling survey on March 18th and 24th . An average of 3.5 birds were heard each morning . The number of birds heard was down from previous years, however , • the number seen along the route has greatly increased . This would indicate that the turkey populatio n is growing and expanding into new areas. A summary of survey results since 1991 is included in Tabl e 9 below .
Table 9 . Summary of Turkey Gobbling Surveys Year Average # Birds Heard Average # Birds Seen
1991 5 0
1992 5 2
1993 6 1
1994 8.5 1 1
1995 6.5 3
1996 Survey not run Survey not ru n
1997 3.5 26 • Refuge Manager Trainee spent many hours collecting and cataloging the numerous species o f reptiles and amphibians found on the refuge . He drafted the refuge's first "Reptile and Amphibians " list and the refuge ordered 1,000 copies of this brochure .
•
A familiar springtime sight in refuge ponds - "Wall to Wall" turtles (NR-97-6, Refuge staff) .
• 24 The bluebird nest box program was carried out this year by volunteers Debra Barshafsky and Susan Wood. They made the two hundred mile round trip from Augusta, GA once to check our forty-fiv e bluebird boxes. Results of the survey showed that the population is stable . No young birds were bande d this year.
11 . Fisheries Resource s
The following lakes were stocked with largemouth bass in May : Pools A, B, J, and K, Oxpen Lake, Martins Lake, and Lakes 12, 16 and 17 . These lakes were initially also scheduled for stocking wit h bluegill in the Fall . This stocking was canceled by Lanier to allow time for him to re-assess the refuge' s restocking program . All fish were provided by Cheraw State Fish Hatchery .
16. Marking and Bandin g
Banding quotas this year were for 125 wood ducks . Last year funnel-type traps were used at two site s (Lower Triple and Pool D) with minimal success . Beavers were a constant problem as they dug hole s under the traps to get the corn . This year, thirty-eight wood ducks were banded .
The refuge began color banding red-cockaded woodpeckers (RCW) in 1993 . In 1997, a total of 178 RCW nestlings were banded .
This was the third year of operation for the MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship ) banding station on the refuge . Ten twelve-meter mist nets at fixed locations are run once every ten day s from May - August . The same procedure is repeated each year to give good trend data on local nestin g birds. A total of 130 birds of twenty-nine different species were banded .
Prothonotary warbler captured and banded at Carolina Sandhills MAPS station (NR-97- 7, Marshall).
25
H . Public Use
1. General • More than 67,000 visitors utilized the refuge during 1997 . Most visits were non-consumptive uses . Wildlife observation and related activities are the most popular non-consumptive activities .
The most intense consumptive use occurs during the modern gun deer season . Fishing of refuge lake s and ponds continues to be very popular.
The refuge's general brochure was completely revised by McCutcheon in the new, full color bookle t format. Our brochure was one of the first four from refuges to be available for downloading via links to the FWS internet home page . We expect printing to be completed in early 1998 .
2. Outdoor Classrooms - Students
The refuge staff continued efforts to maximize environmental education programs within manpowe r constraints this year . Talks or programs were given to the groups listed in Table 10 during the year :
Table 10 . Programs Presented in 199 7 • OFF-SITE # Of Participants Grade Level
Hartsville Garden Club 20 --
Hartsville Presbyterian Kindergarten 30 Kindergarten
Ecology Club - Wadesboro 20 High Schoo l
McBee Elementary School 60 Six
Migratory Bird Day @ Pee Dee NWR 80 –
McBee Brownie Troop 15 1st-3rd
Hartsville Library 300 Kindergarten-4th
Darlington Library 150 Kindergarten-4t h
Chesterfield Library 150 Kindergarten-4t h
McBee Elementary Career Day 125 1st-2nd • Hartsville Junior High 200 8t h
TOTAL 1,150
# Of ON-SITE Participants Grade Level
McBee Boy and Girl Scouts 25 1st-4t h
Hartsville Girl Scouts 25 3rd-6t h
McBee Elementary 50 6t h
Petersburg Elementary School 100 1s t
Faith Christian Academy 4t h
TOTAL 235
• 26 In addition to the on-site programs listed above, many local colleges and other groups visit the refug e several times each year for self guided tours . Dr. Bill Alexander of the S . C. Governor's School fo r • Science and Mathematics brings his science and photography classes to the refuge on a regular basis . A Botany professor from UNCC (University of North Carolina at Charlotte) makes at least one visit t o the refuge each quarter with his classes as does Biology professor, Dr . Julia Krebs of Francis Mario n University in Florence .
4. Interpretive Foot Trail s
In November, McBee Boy Scout Troop 606, with assistance from Refuge Manager Trainee Boy d Blihovde, completed substantial rehab work on one section of the 3-112 mile long Tate's Trail . The scouts cleared encroaching vegetation, remarked several areas of the trail, and constructed a primitive bridge across a steep ditch where the trail crosses Highway 145 at Lake Bee . After a hard mornings work, th e work crew was treated to soup and sandwiches while Blihovde and Office Assistant McCutcheon provided an overview of the wildlife refuge system and discussed resource conservation career option s with the group . We expect this to be the first of many work days on the refuge for this group .
•
•
Boy Scout Troop 606 assisting with hiking trail maintenance (NR-97-8, McCutcheon) .
Refuge volunteers Brian and Mary Katherine van Eerden, along with Blihovde and McCutcheon spen t a weekend clearing vegetation and general clean-up on another section of Tate's Trail .
Blihovde submitted a proposal for funding under the Watchable Wildlife program to perform majo r rehabilitation work on both the one mile Woodland Pond Trail and the 3- 1/2 mile long Tate's Trail . This proposal was selected for funding ($2,000) and the project will commence in CY 1998 .
• 27 5. Interpretive Tour Routes
• The Sandhills Wildlife Drive (eight miles - paved) continues to receive a lot of use from visitors drivin g the Wildlife Drive to look for deer, turkey, and other animals . We have begun to see an increase in th e use of the wildlife drive (and other areas) by outdoor recreationists such as bike riders with a few group s taking advantage of the challenging "rolling hills" two to three times each week .
6. Interpretive Exhibits/Demonstration s
Calendar Year 1997 was a banner year for the refuge's outreach efforts . Office Assistant McCutcheon serves as the station's outreach coordinator and also is a member of the Savannah-Santee-Pee De e Ecosystem Outreach Committee. Several new outreach initiatives were added this year including staffin g a Fish and Wildlife Service exhibit at both the Pee Dee Sportsmans Classic in late January and th e Palmetto Sportsmans Classic in March, along with the presentation of over 30 interpretive program s during the year. Refuge staff (McCutcheon and Housh) also assisted with exhibits at the Southeaster n Wildlife Exposition hosted by the SEWEE Center and the Charleston FWE Office in February .
7. Other Interpretive Program s
Refuge staff led Night Prowl tours for Migratory Bird Day and National Wildlife Refuge Week . Othe r • activities held to celebrate National Wildlife Refuge Week included a Wildflower Walk and hosting a refuge exhibit for the McBee Fall Festival with two refuge units also entered in the Fall Festival Parade . In addition, Blihovde and McCutcheon presented interpretive programs to approximately 600 student s during National Wildlife Refuge Week . Several outreach events were hosted and/or programs presente d in celebration of other special events (International Migratory Bird Day, Earth Day, etc .) .
•
Participants of wildflower walk held during National Wildlife Refuge Week (NR-97-9 , Blihovde). •
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Manager Trainee Blihovde exhibited a strong propensity for making presentations to groups of all ages and interests and the refuge took full advantage of his vast knowledge and appreciation of reptiles an d • amphibians to present several very well received programs .
Forester David Robinson made a presentation on "Managing the Longleaf Pineregrass Ecosyste m on Carolina Sandhills Refuge" at a seminar on May 16 . The event was held at the SEWEE Center wit h sponsorship by the S . C. Conservation League, Duck Unlimited, and the Nature Conservancy .
Several career day functions were staffed by refuge personnel during the year . Again this year, Rang e assisted Pee Dee NWR staff with several interpretive programs as did McCutcheon . Numerous tour s of the refuge were also given to foresters, biologists, fire specialists, and reporters from other refuges , Department of Defense facilities, U . S. Forest Service, State agencies, and private concerns.
One special tour of interest occurred on December 8, 1997 . Congressman John M . Spratt (representin g the 5th district of South Carolina) and his District Administrator Robert Hopkins were given a two hou r tour of the refuge by Lanier and McCutcheon . This was Congressman Spratt's first visit to the refuge an d he seemed to be very knowledgeable and interested in refuge activities . Hopefully, this was the first of many one-on-one contacts with Mr . Spratt, who is the ranking minority House member on the Budge t Committee . Lanier and McCutcheon also attended a dedication ceremony for Alligator Rural Wate r • Company in McBee where they met informally with Governor David Beasley and State Representativ e Mike Baxley.
8. Huntin q
Approximately 44,000 of the total 45,348 acres within the refuge were open for some type of huntin g during 1997. Public hunting for white-tailed deer, hog, turkey, quail, woodcock, mourning dove, raccoon , opossum, and rabbit was permitted . Except for the turkey hunt, quotas were not established for th e taking of these species . Open seasons were as follows:
White-tailed deer (Archery) October 6-10; (Primitive Weapons) October 13-17 ; (Modern Gun) October 31-November 1 and November 12-14 .
Bobwhite Quail November 27-March 1 • (Wednesdays & Fridays only). Woodcock and Rabbit (Incidental - when the state seasons for these species coincided with the refug e quail season).
Mourning Dove September 4, 11, 18, 25, and October 2 ; and when the state season coincide d with the refuge quail season .
Raccoon and Opossum February 10-19; night hunting .
Fogy (Incidental - during deer hunting season) .
The bag limit for deer remained unchanged, i .e., the same as the State regulations: unlimited numbe r of bucks plus two antlerless deer . For the second consecutive year, hunters were permitted to take a n unlimited number of hogs as an incidental species (none were taken) . All deer and hogs had to be checked at a check station prior to being removed from the refuge ; all antlerless deer had to be tagged . Only those deer taken during the first gun hunt were aged ; this was considered to be a large enough •
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sample to be representative of the age structure of our population . Tables 11-13 depict the year's deer harvest results . •
Table 11 . Summary of 1997 Deer Harvest Result s
Harvest
Hunt Type Hunt Days Bucks Does Tota l
Archery 5 0 1 1
Primitive Weapons 5 23 23 56
Modern Gun 5 129 97 226
Totals 15 152 121 273
Table 12. Weights and Ages of Harvested Deer by Sex (1997) *
# Does Avg. % Does! # Bucks Avg . % Bucks / Avg. Weight Age Class Pts" • Age Taken Weight Age Class Taken Y: 13 42 72 5 52 28 0
1-1/2 17 75 28 44 98 72 3
2-1/2 16 84 48 17 120 51 6
3-1/2 7 87 50 7 140 50 8
4-1/2+ 2 90 82 138 18 9
Totals 62 95
`Data collected from first modern weapons hunt only . **Two bucks (an 8 pt and a 2 pt .) were checked which were not aged or weighed .
Table 13 . Summary : Comparison of Deer Harvest Results on Refuge Hunt s • 1990-1997
Harvest
Year # Hunt Days Bucks Does Tota l
1990 14 75 75 15 0
1991 14 123 94 21 7
1992 14 122 133 255
1993 14 130 100 230
1994 15 201 160 36 1
1995 14 162 145 309
1996 15 230 146 37 6
1997 15 152 121 273
•
30 Table 13 shows a comparison of total deer harvested on the refuge from 1990 - 1997 . As can be • seen the 1997 harvest was down 103 deer from that recorded for 1996 and was the lowest harves t since 1993 when 230 animals were taken . The reason for this decline is not clear but it did appea r that participation was also low . However, in spite of the low harvest, several very large racks an d heavy deer were taken . Except for the bucks in the 3-1/2 and 4-1/2+ age groups (Table 12 ) average weight by age class remained similar to previous years . Average weights for those tw o age groups were lower than in previous years . Since all deer taken appeared to be healthy, w e are not sure what, if anything, this weight reduction implies .
Ticks were collected from deer checked during the modern weapons hunt by a bacteriologist fro m the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) . These wer e checked for the presence of spirochete which causes Lyme's disease .
•
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S . C. DHEC bacteriologist collecting ticks during modern gun hunt (NR-97-10 , Hoffmann )
The refuge hosted its fourth annual spring gobbler hunt on April 7-11 . This was a quota hunt with 12 5 permits issued by lottery. Hunting was permitted from sunrise until 1 :00 p.m . and a two-gobbler limit pe r hunter was imposed . Six birds were taken having an average weight of 16 .4 pounds and an averag e beard length of 7 .6 inches.
Dove hunting was permitted on two designated dove fields on Thursday afternoons from September 4 through October 2 . These hunts were popular with many hunters obtaining their twelve bird limit with littl e difficulty, especially on the first hunt .
O 31 Quail hunting was allowed on Wednesdays and Fridays from November 27 through the end of the year . Participation was steady but did not appear to be as good as in prior years . While the quail population appeared to be large and increasing in size, the reported harvest by hunters contacted was low . Th e reduced harvest was attributed to the wet weather this part of the county experienced during the latte r part of the year.
The raccoon and opossum hunt was held on February 10-19. Only moderate turnout and success were reported.
9. Fishing
Fishing continues to be one of the refuge's primary recreational pursuits . In support of this activity th e Cheraw State Fish Hatchery has stocked several of our ponds with largemouth bass and bluegill bream. Good catches of both were often reported in the spring .
17. Law Enforcemen t
The major portion of our law enforcement effort was centered around two events - hunting (fall an d winter) and pine straw theft (spring and summer) . The long deer season (September - January) o n adjoining private land requires constant patrols . Dog trespass seems to be an everyday occurrence during the hunting season . The popularity of longleaf pine straw for landscaping continues to caus e • problems.
Refuge law enforcement efforts during 1997 were conducted by the refuge manager, Range Technicia n Peter Range, and Engineering Equipment Operator James McClelland. McClelland successfull y completed his basic law enforcement training in March, 1997 . Pee Dee NWR manager Mike lelmin i provided law enforcement assistance during special hunting seasons.
Five violation notices and one warning letter were written by refuge officers this year . Two citations were written for hunting in a closed area during turkey season . Two cases for weapons violations and one fo r driving without a license were made during the modern gun hunts for deer.
I. EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES
1. New Constructio n
Construction on the new oil and paint storage building began in July . This project was scheduled fo r completion in early December, but an extension was granted through early February, 1998 due to rai n • delays and a delay in delivery of the building .
2. Rehabilitatio n
A new tin roof was installed on three storage sheds within the shop complex by the refuge staff in June .
McBee Vinyl Siding Company was awarded a contract to replace the existing siding on Quarters One wit h vinyl siding . The work was completed in October at a cost of $8,200 .
The John Deere 450G crawler tractor received new, wider tracks in August ($2,700) to ensure saf e operations during the Lake Bee dam repair project.
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ABC Fence Company utilized the existing chain link fence around the shop buildings along with new • materials to enclose other outbuildings and facilities (the new above ground storage tanks, fire cache, an d heavy equipment pole shed) . This work was begun in October and completed in early December .
3. Major Maintenance
The boardwalk and water control structure at Martins Lake was replaced with assistance from Savanna h and Pee Dee NWR's .
The refuge received special funding of $594,000 to repair Hurricane Fran damages . This funding was use d for four different projects. A description of each project along with a status report for each follows .
Project Description Status Gravel purchased ($363,00 contract) for delivery over 14 month period . Approx . 5 miles have bee n completed ; work continues as weather condition s Repair/rehab 20 miles of washed-out roads, ditches permit. Gravel is scheduled for delivery throug h • and culverts October, 1998 . Survey work on cavity tree status done in Spring , 1997. Artificial cavity installations as needed are Conduct survey of red-cockaded woodpecker cavit y continuing . Survey to continue in 1998 nesting seaso n trees to determine damage and rehab needs . to help determine long term effects . Perform aerial photography of refuge to locate wind - Aerial photographs have been received and are being thrown trees and assess damages . used to assess damages . Repair refuge facilities, particularly replacement o f roofs on picnic shelters, restrooms, equipment sheds , Roofs have been replaced on all damaged facilities . etc. Other minor repairs are continuing .
4. Equipment Utilization and Replacemen t
A new Ford truck tractor (fire transport) was received on January 7th and was delivered to Euporia, MS fo r • installation of the rollback bed . A second Ford truck tractor was received on January 29th to replace our 1979 Ford truck tractor . The old vehicle was transferred to ACE Basin to meet a critica l equipment need for that station .
New equipment purchased to facilitate the Lake Bee dam repair work included a 6 x 4 Ford dump truck wit h a 15 ft. dump bed and a Caterpillar 325L hydraulic excavator . A 50 ton, 3 axle lowboy trailer with detachable gooseneck was also ordered through GSA's CATHY program to help complete this project . It is scheduled for delivery in early 1998.
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Caterpillar excavator purchased jointly with Hurricane Fran and Lake Bee dam repair projec t monies (NR-97-11, Robinson) .
6. Computer Systems
Computer purchases during 1997 included two HP 870CSE deskjet printers, a Gateway 2000 lapto p computer for the Fire Control Officer and a Gateway E-3000 desktop computer to upgrade the Office Assistant's computer . Four Dell 486's were picked up from the regional budget and finance office and tw o 486's which have been upgraded to Pentium processors were picked up from Jackson, MS ecologica l services field office.
• McCutcheon attended the two week "Computer Support for Field Stations" at the National Conservatio n Training Center in October . She came away from the course convinced that peer-to-peer networking of ou r computer systems was the most efficient way to manage this station's computer operations ; hopefully thi s networking can take place in the near future .
J. OTHER ITEMS
1 . Cooperative Programs
As in past years, the S . C. Commission of Forestry provided wildfire protection during the first period o f operation. They responded to one wildfire during the year . Commission personnel also plante d containerized longleaf seedlings on 327acres in slash pine conversion areas . Both activities were provision s of the Memorandum Agreement between the S. C. Commission of Forestry and the U . S. Fish and Wildlife Service enacted in 1991 with the transfer of fee title lands to the Commission .
• 34 3. Items of Interest
Lori Duncan of the Charleston ES office and Allison Sill, a student intern from Wofford College visited o n January 15 and 16 to view prescribed burning operations and RCW management activities .
Carolina Sandhills Refuge hosted a S-1301S-190 fire training course on February 17-21, with Housh servin g as primary instructor.
Three individuals from the N . C. Department of Parks and Recreation visited in April to look at roller choppe d areas. They were provided a tour of the refuge by Robinson and U . S. Forest Service researchers Joa n Walker and Brian vanEerden .
Contract bridge inspectors looked at the two hazardous bridges on Wire Road on April 11 .
Asheville ES office outreach specialist Hilary Vinson assisted with RCW nest checks and MAPS statio n operations May 12-14 .
A news segment airing on WBTW, Channel 13 (Florence, SC) on May 13th featured an interview wit h Refuge Manager Ingram and highlighted the refuge's RCW management program and public use opportunities. • Ruth Slette and Marsha Stokes of the regional Contracting and General Services office conducted bot h acquisition and property management reviews on June 2nd .
Lanier and McCutcheon met with Jeannie Ruddick of Carolina Power and Light Company in July to discuss proposed challenge grant funding of a wildlife drive guide .
Lanier, Range and Robinson along with Lori Duncan of the Charleston ES office and RCW Recover y Coordinator Ralph Costa represented the Service at the annual meeting with the S . C. Forestry Commission . Discussions with Commission personnel and S . C . Department of Natural Resource s centered around RCW management efforts and issues and other coordination topics .
FCO Housh served as lead instructor for S-290 fire training hosted by Carolina Sandhills Refuge o n November 17-21 .
Range spent a day demonstrating RCW artificial cavity installation and providing guidance on nest checks , • flying squirrel removal, etc . to Felicia Sanders, a graduate student working with Ralph Costa .
Training and/or travel completed by refuge staff members during the year is listed below and on th e following pages:
Askins Forestry herbicide demonstration and tour, Raeford, NC (April ) GPS training, University of Georgia (July 21-22 ) Basic Aviation Safety, Savannah, GA (July 10 ) Premo K (ping pong ball operations), Merritt Island NWR (November ) RCW foraging analysis workshop, Aberdeen, NC (Feb. 18-19)
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Blihovde S-130/S-190 & Standards for Survival, McBee, SC (Feb . 17-21 ) S-290, McBee, SC (Nov. 17-21 ) SSPD Ecosystem Meeting, Santee NWR (Dec . 10-11 ) •
Housh S . C. Prescribed Fire Manager training/certification, Columbia, SC (Jan . 11 ) Prescribed Burning Planning & Implementation, MS Sandhill Crane NWR (Jan 24-28 ) Forestry herbicide demonstration and tour, Raeford, NC (April ) Integrating NEPA into FWS Activities, NCTC, Shepherdstown, WV (June 3-6 ) FWS National GIS Workshop, NCTC, Shepherdstown, WV (June 10-12 ) GPS training, University of Georgia (July 21-22 ) OAS Super Session, Orlando, FL (Oct. 27-31 ) Premo K (ping pong ball operations), Merritt Island NWR (November ) Helicopter contract management coordination meeting, Alligator River NWR (Dec . 17)
Ingram Team Effectiveness Training (SSPD), Myrtle Beach, SC (Jan 21-23 & 28-30) Law Enforcement Refresher, Quincy, FL (March 10-14 ) • SSPD Ecosystem Meeting, Cape Romain NWR (May 14 )
Lanier Basic and Supervisory Aviation Safety, Savannah, GA (July 10) S-290, McBee, SC (Nov. 11-17) SSPD Ecosystem Team Meeting, Santee NWR (Dec . 10-11 )
Mason Basic Aviation, Savannah, GA (July 10 ) S-260 and S-270, Tallahassee, FL (Oct . 20-24) Premo K (ping pong ball operations), Merritt Island NWR (November)
• McClelland Basic Law Enforcement, Glynco, GA (Jan . 6 - March 28 ) S-211 & S-212, Ft . Payne, AL (April 7-11 ) Refuge Office Basic training (ROBS), Glynco, GA (Aug . 10-22) S-290, McBee, SC (Nov . 11-17)
McCoy Administrative Workshop, Atlanta, GA (August 10-15 )
36 •
McCutcheon Southern Area Dispatchers Workshop, Charleston, SC (Jan 20-24 ) • SSPD Ecosystem Outreach Committee, SEWEE Center (January 29 ) S-130, S-190 & Standards for Survival, McBee, SC (Feb . 17-21 ) Working with Nature workshop, Hobcaw Barony, Georgetown, SC (May 8-9 ) Project Learning Tree workshop, SEWEE Center (July 16 ) Administrative Workshop, Atlanta, GA (August 10-15 ) SSPD Ecosystem Outreach Committee, Savannah, GA (August 22 ) Basic/Advanced Computer Support for Field Stations, NCTC, Shepherdstown, WV (Oct . 27-Nov. 8)
McLain Basic Aviation Safety, Savannah, GA (July 10 ) Helicopter Manager's Workshop, McClenny, FL (Nov . 2-7)
Range Law Enforcement Refresher, Glynco, GA (March 10-14 ) SSPD Migratory Bird Committee, Savannah NWR (May 9 ) • Robinson Forestry herbicide demonstration and tour, Raeford, NC (April) Basic & Supervisory Aviation Safety, Savannah, GA (July 10 ) RCW foraging analysis workshop, Aberdeen, NC (Feb . 18-19) Herbicides in Forestry, University of Georgia (Nov. 4-5) Helicopter contract management coordination meeting, Alligator River NWR (Dec . 17)
4 . Credits
The various sections of this narrative were written and/or compiled by those persons listed below :
Mike Housh - Sections B ; F.9 and F.1 0
David Robinson - Section F. 3 • Kay McCutcheon - Sections D.4 ; E.1, 4-5; H . 1-7 and 11-16; I. 1-4 & 1 .6 ; and J .1 & 3
Peter Range - Sections G .2, 4-8, and 1 6
Greg Askins - Sections G .3 and 1 0
John Hoffmann - Sections C.2; E .6 & 7 ; F.4 ; and H.8 and 9
Scott Lanier - Sections A ; E.2; F.1, 2, 5 & 12; G.1 & G .11 ; and Section K
Office Assistant McCutcheon was responsible for typing, final scrutiny, and assembly of this report .
37 •
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Carolina The Carolina Sandhills Nationa l Sandh ills Wildlife Refuge is one of over National Wildlife 500 wildlife refuges . The Refuge primary objective of a nationa l Carolina Sandhill wildlife refuge is to provid e s Chesterfield County, S.C. habitat for the conservation o f all species of wildlife. Spor t National Wildlife Refuge fishing on refuges is permitted at a level compatible with the Fishing Regulations environment. Fishing not onl y provides wholesom e 198-99 opportunities, but also permits the use of a valuable renewabl e resource .
Sport fishing on Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge is permitted o n approximately :310 acres of water designated on the map i n this brochure. Fishing shall be i n accordance with all applicabl e State regulations and subject t o the following special conditions :
Open Season Year-round at lynches River, Black Creek, Pools A, C, D, J , and L March 1 through September :30 . All other lakes and pools show n on the reverse map, unless designated by signs as bein g closed .
Refuge Hours Visitors are permitted on th e refuge from one-half hour before sunrise until one-half hour afte r sunset .
Species, Limits and Equipmen t Same as State regulations wit h the following exceptions :
Boat ramps are provided a t Martins Lake, Pool D, Pool L , and Mays Lake . All other lake s are open to boats, but boat s must be hand loaded and unloaded .
Boat trailers or vehicles are not allowed to back into the wate r except at a concrete boat ramp.
Boats should not be skidded u p and down dams or on wate r control structures.
Only electric motors are allowed. Gas motors are not allowed. Boats with permanently f N D mounted gas motors are allowe d as long as the propeller is locke d Open fishing area unless posted as dosed to fishin g out of the water. F Iosed fishing area Bank fishing is allowed on al l open lakes . Fish baskets, nets . s set hooks, trotlines, an d Keluge headquarter howiishing are prohibited . U Refuge txmndary No special refuge permit i s - Paved road s required. _ = 'npaved road s Fisherman must keep awa y (e Walk-in lake from wood duck and goose nests and not disturb or harm other Bridges ss uh sear-round nshing BFAVF R wildlife . Swimming and wadin g l'ON D are prohibited . No weapons are allowed on the refuge . .IAKF' II, % Vehicle s Pt )t l G SlAt ' s // IIK E Use only roads and trails that are designated as being ope n for public travel . Maximu m ~%% Ptxrt~ speed is 25 mph unles s otherwise posted .
Park vehicles off roads, dam s and trails so that they don't impede traffic or cause a safety hazard .
This is your refuge. Please kee p it clean . Report violations.
The provisions of this special regulation supplement the general regulations which govern fishing on wildlife refuge areas and which are se t forth in Title 50, ('ode o f Federal Regulations, Part :3:3 .