Land and Resource Management Plan United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Chattahoochee-Oconee Southern Region National Forests Management Bulletin R8-MB 113 A January 2004 The revision of the Land and Resource Management Plan for the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests is presented in the following set of USDA Forest Service Management Bulletins for Region 8: Record of Decision for the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Revision of the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests Land and Resource Management Plan. 2004. R8-MB 113C. Atlanta, GA. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Region. Summary of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Revision of the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests Land and Resource Management Plan. 2004. R8-MB 113D. Atlanta, GA. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Region. Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Revision of the Chattahoochee- Oconee National Forests Land and Resource Management Plan. 2004. R8-MB 113B. Atlanta, GA. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Region. Appendices to the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Revision of the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests Land and Resource Management Plan. 2004. R8-MB 113F. Atlanta, GA. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Region. Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests Land and Resource Management Plan. 2004. R8-MB 113A. Atlanta, GA. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Region. Appendices to the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests Land and Resource Management Plan. 2004. R8-MB 113E. Atlanta, GA. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Region. The original distribution of these documents included, at a minimum, a printed copy of the Record of Decision and the Summary, as well as a CD containing all of the documents in their entirety and allocation maps. For further information, refer to the Chattahoochee- Oconee National Forests website: www.fs.fed.us/conf. The cover - The cover graphic shows National Forest (dark gray) in the context of states, interstate corridors, and surrounding metropolitan statistical areas (medium gray) from Census Bureau year 2000 data. The encircling border of international symbols typifies some of the mounting use pressures affecting the Chattahoochee-Oconee NF. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs 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. Land and Resource Management Plan Revision for the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests Chattahoochee National Forest – Banks, Catoosa, Chattooga, Dawson, Fannin, Floyd, Gilmer, Gordon, Habersham, Lumpkin, Murray, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union, Walker, White, and Whitfield Counties Oconee National Forest – Greene, Jasper, Jones, Monroe, Morgan, Oconee, Oglethorpe, and Putnam Counties State of Georgia, USA Responsible Agency: USDA - Forest Service Responsible Official: Robert Jacobs, Regional Forester USDA - Forest Service, Southern Region 1720 Peachtree Road NW Atlanta GA 30309-9102 For Information Contact: Kathleen Atkinson, Forest Supervisor Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests 1755 Cleveland Highway Gainesville, GA 30501 Telephone: (770) 297-3000 January 2004 THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY BLANK. CHATTAHOOCHEE-OCONEE NATIONAL FORESTS LAND AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER - 1 INTRODUCTION General 1 Description of the Planning Area 1 Adaptive Management Approach 1 Purpose of the Forest Plan 2 Relationship of the Forest Plan to Other Documents 2 Plan Structure 3 Plan Response to the Issues 4 Summary of The Issues For Forest Plan Revision 4 Decisions Made in Forest Plans 6 Relationship of the Plan to Projects 7 CHAPTER 2 - FORESTWIDE DIRECTION Introduction 1 General Forestwide Direction 3 Terrestrial Plants and Animals and Their Associated Habitats 4 T & E and Sensitive/Locally Rare Species 12 Old Growth 16 Watershed Management (Water Quality, Aquatic Habitats, and Soils) 19 Wood Products 25 Aesthetics/Scenery Management 28 Recreation Opportunities/Experiences 31 Wilderness Management/Roadless Areas 36 Forest Health 38 Special Areas and Rare Communities 41 Wild And Scenic Rivers 43 Access/Road Management 44 Red-cockaded Woodpecker 46 Minerals 47 Special Uses 49 Fire Management 52 Public Affairs, Interpretative Services, and Conservation Education 56 Ecosystem Management 58 State And Private Forestry 60 Heritage Resources 62 Range (Oconee Only) 65 Infrastructure 67 Lands 68 Air Quality Management 71 LAND AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN I CONTENTS CHATTAHOOCHEE-OCONEE NATIONAL FORESTS CHAPTER 3 - MANAGEMENT PRESCRIPTIONS Introduction 1 0.B Custodial Management - Small, Isolated Land Areas 5 1.A Designated Wilderness Areas 8 1.B Recommended Wilderness Study Areas 14 2.A Chattooga Wild And Scenic River Corridor 19 2.A.1 Chattooga River - Designated Wild River Segments 26 2.A.2 Chattooga River - Designated Scenic River Segments 28 2.A.3 Chattooga River – Designated Recreational River Segments 30 2.B Recommended Wild, Scenic, and Recreational Rivers 32 2.B.1 Recommended Wild River Segments 34 2.B.2 Recommended Scenic River Segments 37 2.B.3 Recommended Recreational River Segments 41 3. Other Congressionally-Designated Or Recommended Areas 44 3.A Coosa Bald National Scenic Area 44 3.B Experimental Forests 48 3.C Ed Jenkins National Recreation Area 53 3.D Proposed National Recreation Area (Ed Jenkins Addition) 58 4.A Appalachian National Scenic Trail Corridor 62 4.B.1 Murder Creek Research Natural Area 67 4.D Botanical - Zoological Areas 71 4.E.1 Cultural/Heritage Areas 75 4.F Scenic Areas 79 4.F.1 Scenic And Wildlife Management Areas 83 4.F.2 Regional Forester Designated Scenic Areas (Pre-1985) 87 4.H Forest-Designated Outstandingly Remarkable Streams 91 4.I Natural Areas - Few Open Roads 95 5.A Administrative Sites 99 5.B Communication Sites 102 5.D Military-Use Areas (Camp Merrill) 104 6.B Areas Managed To Restore/Maintain Old-Growth Characteristics 105 6.D Core Areas Of Old-Growth Surrounded By Areas With Extended Forest Rotations 109 7.A Scenic Byway Corridor 114 7.B Scenic Corridors And Sensitive Viewsheds 119 7.E.1 Dispersed Recreation Areas 123 7.E.2 Dispersed Recreation Areas With Vegetation Management 126 8.A.1 Mix of Successional Forest Habitats 130 8.A.2 Forest Interior, Mid- to Late-Successional Forest Habitats 134 8.D / 8.D.1 Red-cockaded Woodpecker Habitat Management Areas 138 8.E.3 High-Elevation Early-Successional Habitat 145 9.A.1 Source Water Protection Watersheds 149 9.A.3 Watershed Restoration Areas 153 9.F Rare Communities 157 9.H Management, Maintenance, And Restoration Of Plant Associations To Their Ecological Potential 167 11. Riparian Corridors 171 12.A Remote Backcountry Recreation - Few Open Roads 183 Management Prescription Maps 187 II LAND AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN CHATTAHOOCHEE-OCONEE NATIONAL FORESTS CONTENTS CHAPTER 4 - WATERSHED MANAGEMENT AREAS Use of Watershed Management Areas and Hydrologic Units 1 Desired Conditions for Water Quality and Soil Productivity 2 Chattahoochee National Forest Watershed Management Areas 3 Oconee National Forest Watershed Management Areas 33 CHAPTER 5 - MONITORING AND EVALUATION Monitoring Questions 2 Research Needs 8 TABLE OF TABLES CHAPTER 2 - FORESTWIDE DIRECTION Table 2- 1. Management Indicator Species 5 Table 2- 2. Weather Restrictions for Herbicide Application 9 Table 2- 3. Objectives for Threatened, Endangered, and Candidate Plants on the Chattahoochee-Oconee NF Over the Life of the Forest Plan. 12 Table 2- 4. Old Growth Community Types 16 Table 2- 5. Reforestation Stocking Standards 26 Table 2- 6. Rare Communities Identified for the Chattahoochee-Oconee NF 41 CHAPTER 3 - MANAGEMENT PRESCRIPTIONS Table 3- 1. Management Prescription Acreage 3 Table 3- 2. Acres in Chattooga Wild and Scenic River Corridor by Forest by Classification 19 Table 3- 3. Chattooga River Guided Rafting Allocations - Section III 22 Table 3- 4. Chattooga River Guided Rafting Allocations - Section IV 23 Table 3- 5. Chattooga River Guided Hardboat Allocations 23 Table 3- 6. Chattooga River Self-Guided Boating Use Allocations - Section III 25 Table 3- 7. Chattooga River Self-Guided Boating Use Allocations - Section IV 25 Table 3- 8. Chattooga River Corridor– Wild River Segments 26 Table 3- 9. Chattooga River Corridor – Scenic River Segments 28 Table 3- 10. Chattooga River Corridor – Recreational River Segments 30 Table 3- 11. Riparian Corridor Widths for Perennial Streams, Lakes, Ponds, or Wetlands 175 Table 3- 12. Riparian Corridor Widths For Intermittent Streams 175 Table 3- 13. Riparian Corridor Widths for Perennial Streams, Lakes, Ponds, or Wetlands 175 Table 3- 14. Riparian Corridor Widths For Intermittent Streams 176 CHAPTER 4 - WATERSHED MANAGEMENT AREAS Table 4- 1. Summary of Chattahoochee-Oconee NF Watershed Management Areas (Georgia Acreage and Percentages Only) 4 Table 4- 2.