CAROLINA SANDHILLS NATIONAL WILDLi .JL REFUGE McBee, South Carolina ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT Calendar Year 1986 U . S . Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM 0 REVIEW AND APPROVALS CAROLINA SANDHILLS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE McBee, South Carolina ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT Calendar Year 1986 " o'- g"~' '3-Q- 0-FI 'DAA.., k, A1~ 'W" e V? -.0 jDate- Refuge Manager Date Refuge Supervisor Review Regional office Approval Date TABLE OF CON' Pa e INTRODUCTION i A. HIGHLIG1iTS l B . C'I',TMl'\'J'TC (I)NDITTONS I C . LAND ACQUISITION . 1 . Fee Title 2 2 . Easements Nothing to Report 3 . Other Nothing to Report D . PLANNING 1 . Master Plan Nothing to Report 2 . Management Plan 3 3 . Public Participation Nothing to Report 4 . Compliance with Environmental and Cultural Resource Mandates NTR 5 . Research and Investigations 3 6. Other Nothing to Report E . ADMINISTRATION 1 . Personnel 4 2 . Youth Programs 5 3 . Other Manpower Programs Nothing to Report 4. Volunter Program Nothing to Report 5 . Funding 6 6 . Safety 7 7 . Technical Assistance 7 8 . Other Nothing to Report F . HABITAT MANAGEMENT 1 . General 7 2 . Wetlands , 7 3 . Forests 8 4 . Croplands . .10 5 . Grasslands Nothing to Report 6 . Other Habitats • . .Nothing to Report 7 . Grazing Nothing to Report 8 . Haying Nothing to Report 9 . Fire Management . .12 14 10 . Pest Control : 11 . Water Rights Nothing to Report 12 . Wilderness and Special Areas o Z4 Nothing to Report 13 . WPA Easement Monitoring Page G . WILDLIFE 1 . Wildlife Diversity 1.5 2 . Endangered and/or Threatened Species 16 3 . Waterfowl 17 4 . Marsh and Water Birds , 19 5. Shorebirds, Gulls, Terns, and Allied Species o 19 6 . Raptors 19 7 . Other Migratory Birds 19 8 . Game Mammals 19 9 . Marine Mammals Nothing to Report 10 . Other Resident Wildlife 22 11 . Fisheries Resources 22 12 . Wildlife Propagation and Stocking Nothing to Report 13 . Surplus Animal Disposal Nothing to Report 14 . Scientific Collections- • .23 • 15 . Animal Control 23 16 . Marking and Banding 24 17 . Disease Prevention and Control 24 H, PUBLIC USE 1 . General 24 2 . Outdoor Classroom - Students . .26 3 . Outdoor Classrooms - Teachers 27 4 . Interpretive Foot Trails Nothing to Report 5 . Interpretive Tour Routes Nothing to Report 6 . Interpretive Exhibits/Demonstrations 27 7 . Other Interpretive P .rogram 28 8 . Hunting 28 9 . Fishing Nothing to Report 10 . Trapping Nothing to Report 11 . Wildlife Observation Nothing to Report 12 . Other Wildlife Oriented Recreation 29 13 . Camping Nothing to Report 14 . Picnicking 29 .Report 15. Off Road Vehicling : • • • • • . .Nothing t~o 16 . r Non-Wildlife Oriented Recreation Nothing to Report 17 .- Law Enforcement 29 Nothing to Report 18 . Cooperating Associations • . Nothing to Report 1 9 . Concessions I . EIQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES New Construction • . • • . .Nothing to Report Rehabilitation 31 34 Major Maintenance Equipment Utilization and Replacement 34 Communications Systems • . .Nothing to Report Computer Systems Nothing to Report Energy Conservation . .36 Nothing to Report Other J . OTHER ITEMS 1 . Cooperative Programs 36 2 . Other Economic Uses Nothing to Report 3 . Items of Interest 37 4 . Credits 39 K . DID{P BAcK Nothing to Report L . INFORMATIONPACKET - - - (inside back cover) INTRODUCTION In prehistoric times an ocean covered what- .i.:; now known as the Coastal . Plain of South Carolina . h.ivc'i'.; I.ic ncl I rcin Lho nearby notmLain ., and deposited silt along the coastline . Gradually a broad band of sand dunes developed into what we now know as the Sandhills region . Humans probably have lived in the Sandhills for over 1.0,000 years . Prior to • arrival of Europeans, the area was populated by scattered tribes of Indians, including the Wateree, Santee, Cheraw, Congaree, Waxhaw, and Pee Dee . later these people joined together to form the Catawba Nation . There is little information available concerning early European activity in the Sandhills . During the sixteenth century a number of explorers passed through the area . During the next 150 years traders and trappers made trips to the area for deer hides and furs on a regular basis . It was not until the mid-1700's that Europeans began to establish permanent residences in inland South Carolina . During the late 1800's the vast longleaf pine forests supported a naval stores industry: In addition to the lumber industry, turpentine was made from the pine sap extracted from the old "fat lighter pines" . The last of the virgin pine forest was removed in the early 1900's . After the timber was removed • land was sold for farms . Deep, infertile, sandy soils and poor farming practices caused most agricultural attempts to fail . When the Federal government purchased the land it was badly eroded and almost no wildlife were present . Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge was established by Executive Order Number 8067 dated March 17, 1939 during the Resettlement Administration under authority of the 1933 National Industrial Recovery Act and the Emergency Relief Appropriation of 1935 . The entire area acquired contains approximately 92,000 acres ; of that 45,601 .9 acres are administered as Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge . The remaining acreage is titled Carolina Sandhills Wildlife Management Area and is leased to the State of South Carolina . Through a lease and cooperative agreement • South Carolina Commission of Forestry manages the Wildlife Management Area primarily for timber and wood products as well as public recreation such as hunting . Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge is part of the Sandhilis region in South Carolina that is the transition zone between the Coastal Plain and Piedmont Plateau . Uniquely, much of the flora and fauna found on the east side of the refuge is similar to those species found in the Coastal Plain, and much of the flora and fauna on the west side of the refuge is similar to those species found in the Piedmont Plateau . The refuge is characterized by gently rolling hills with elevations ranging from 200 to 500 feet above sea level . Deep, sandy soils predominate with scattered outcroppings of clay. Woodlands cover approximately 92 percent of the refuge . The major forest type is longleaf pine with a scattered understory of turkey oak . Where clay outcropping occurs, longleaf may be replaced by loblolly pine, and blackjack oak may be more common in the understory . There are numerous small creeks • tributaries that transect the refuge . Narrow bands of hardwood stands • pocosin ecotone$ border the streams and produce sane of the best wildlife -i- habitat found on the refuge . There are thirty man-made ponds on the refuge, created by placing dams along the streams . Api.)roximately 1,100 acres of open fields scattered throughout the refuge add edge and diversity . 0 A. HIGHLIGHTS Nineteen hundred eighty-six was the driest year which this region of the southeast has experienced since records have been kept . (Sec . B) . The land exchange with the S . C . Wildlife and Marine Resources Department was finally approved in 1986 . (Sec . C .1) . With the expiration of the timber management moratorium, timber harvesting operations are preparing to get underway again . (Sec . F .3) . The Service expressed concern over inadequate wildfire detection by the State during the "non-fire" season . (sec . J .1.) . B . CLIMATIC CONDITIONS The refuge experienced near normal temperatures throughout most of the year . While there were periods when the temperature deviated from normal these swings were not dramatic nor were they long lasting . Table 1 shows the average monthly high and low temperatures for the year as recorded by the Sand Hills State Forest . Also shown are the maximum and min- imum temperatures recorded by month . It is not known how far these figures deviate from normal since normals for this area are not known . We do know that a frost did occur in April and, according to one local peach farmer, this was the latest recorded frost ever to have occurred in this area . Table 1 . 1986 Temperature Data By Month Average High Low Maximum Minimum January* 57 34 68 15 February 63 42 76 21 March 69 43 86 25 April 80 51 92 34 May 88 62 94 42 June 94 69 100 60 July 98 73 106 62 August 88 69 97 58 September 83 66 96 56 October 77 56 84 38 November 67 51 82 25 December 57 37 76 22 Average - 88 38 *Data for month of January incomplete . This region of the country underwent its worst drought since the turn of the century (when record keeping began) in 1986 . Only 10 .59 inches or rain fell during. the first seven months of the year ; normal for this period is 27 .88 inches . In fact, the only bright spot for the entire year was the month of Page 2 August when we received 12 .26 inches (+6 .91. inches) . Total accumulated rain- fall for the year was a scant 36 .21 inches which is 10 .22 inches below normal . Needless to say all agricultural pursuits in this region (including those of the refuge) suffered because of this shortia .H . Table 2 . Monthly Distribution of Precipitation In Inches (1986) Month 1986 Normal Deviation January 1 .24 3 .36 2 .12 February 1 .42 3 .47 2 .05 March 2 .47 4 .1.4 1 .67 April 1 .06 3 .84 2 .78 May 1 .84 3 .36 1 .52 June 1 .09 4 .09 3 .00 July 1 .47 5 .62 4 .15 August 12 .26 5 .35 + 6 .91 September 1 .59 4 .26 2 .67 October 5 .94 2 .68 + 3 .26 November 3 .56 2 .80 + .76 December 2 .27 3 .46 1 .19 Totals 36 .21 46 .43 - 10 .22 Table 3 . Five Year Distribution Of Rainfall In Inches (1982-1986) Year Recorded. Deviation 1982 46 .70 + 0 .27 1983 58 .40 + 11 .97 1984 48 .32 + 1 .89 1985 51 .18 + 4 .75 1986 36 .21 - 10 .22 Five Year Average - 48 .16 Inches Five Year Average Deviation - + 1 .73 Inches C .