United States Department of Agriculture Biennial Monitoring Evaluation Report for the Years 2016 and 2017 Sumter National Forest Andrew Pickens Ranger District Enoree Ranger District Long Cane Ranger District Forest Service Sumter National Forest September 2018 For More Information Contact: Forest Planner, Mary Morrison Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests 4931 Broad River Road Columbia, SC [email protected] 803-561-4000 In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). 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Sumter Biennial Monitoring Evaluation Report Contents Forest Supervisor’s Certification ................................................................................................ x Executive Summary ................................................................................................................... xi Key Findings ............................................................................................................................. xi Ecosystem Condition, Health and Sustainability .................................................................. xi Non-Native Invasive Plant and Animal (NNIS) Treatments ................................................ xii Aquatic .............................................................................................................................. xii Feral Hog Control ............................................................................................................. xii Terrestrial Plants (NNIP) .................................................................................................. xiii Timber Harvest, Forest Health and Restoration .................................................................. xiii Prescribed Fire and Wildland Fire ....................................................................................... xiii Air Quality ........................................................................................................................... xiv Game Species and Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) ................................................... xv Bobwhite Quail ................................................................................................................. xv White-tailed Deer .............................................................................................................. xv Wild Turkey ...................................................................................................................... xvi Black Bear ........................................................................................................................ xvi Fisheries and Lake Management ........................................................................................ xvii Federally Listed and Sensitive Plants and Animals ............................................................ xvii Cultural Resources ............................................................................................................. xviii Recreation, Wilderness and Wild & Scenic Rivers ........................................................... xviii Roads and Engineering ........................................................................................................ xix Miscellaneous ...................................................................................................................... xix Best Management Practices (BMPs) Monitoring and Evaluation ........................................ xx Soil Quality, Wetland Restoration, Aquatic Habitats and Riparian Corridors ...................... xx Management Indicator Species/ Focal Species .................................................................... xx Monitoring Evaluation Recommendations ............................................................................. xxii Where Changes May be Warranted in the 2004 Sumter Forest Plan ................................. xxii Where Changes May be Warranted in the Sumter Monitoring Program............................ xxii Where Changes May be Warranted in the Sumter Management Actions ......................... xxiii Not evaluated in this monitoring report ............................................................................. xxiv More Time/Data are needed to understand status or progress of the plan component .. xxiv Interval of data collection is beyond this reporting cycle .............................................. xxiv Methods or Results are inadequate to answer monitoring question ............................... xxiv Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 1 Purpose ................................................................................................................................... 1 Objectives ............................................................................................................................... 1 How to Use this Report .......................................................................................................... 2 The Importance of Public Participation .................................................................................. 2 About Our Forest Plan Monitoring Program .......................................................................... 2 Roles and Responsibilities .................................................................................................. 2 How Our Plan Monitoring Program Works ........................................................................ 2 Monitoring Evaluation ................................................................................................................ 4 MQ 1: Are rare ecological communities being protected, maintained, and restored? ........... 5 Information .......................................................................................................................... 5 i Sumter Biennial Monitoring Evaluation Report Do monitoring results demonstrate intended progress toward Plan targets? ...................... 5 Based on monitoring results are changes needed to forest plan direction, management activities, or the monitoring program: ................................................................................. 5 Year Updated Previously: .................................................................................................... 5 New Science or other information ...................................................................................... 5 Results ................................................................................................................................. 5 Monitoring Discussion and Findings .................................................................................. 6 Adaptive Management Considerations ............................................................................... 7 MQ 2: Are landscape-level and stand-level composition and structure of major forest communities within desirable ranges of variability? .............................................................. 7 Information .......................................................................................................................... 7 Do monitoring results demonstrate intended progress toward Plan targets? ...................... 8 Based on monitoring results are changes needed to forest plan direction, management activities, or the monitoring program: ................................................................................. 8 Year Updated Previously: .................................................................................................... 8 New Science or other information .....................................................................................