8/04/11 Public Review Final Introduction Hardwood Hills Subsection Forest Resource Management Plan (HH SFRMP) Preliminary Assessment – Final 8/4/11 Hardwood Hills SFRMP Assessment i 8/04/11 Public Review Final Introduction Table of Contents List of Tables, Figures, Charts, and Maps .................................................................................... iii Brief Description of the Planning Area ........................................................................................ vi Subsection Forest Resource Management Planning (SFRMP) Introduction ......................................................................................................................... viii Goals for the Planning Effort .............................................................................................. viii Process .................................................................................................................................. ix Relationship of SFRMP to Other DNR Planning Efforts ...................................................... x Application of Statewide Guidelines .................................................................................. xiv Grouping of DNR Direction Documents by 3-Level Hierarchy ....................................... xviii Public Involvement .............................................................................................................. xx SFRMP Process Table ........................................................................................................ xxi Issue Identification ............................................................................................................. xxii Public Review .................................................................................................................... xxii Preliminary Issues ...................................................................................................................... xxiii Assessment Chapters 1. Land Use and Cover ..................................................................................................... 1.1 2. Land Ownership and Administration ........................................................................... 2.1 3. Forest Composition and Structure ................................................................................ 3.1 4. Timber Harvest............................................................................................................. 4.1 5. Ecological Information................................................................................................. 5.1 6. Stand Damage and Mortality ....................................................................................... 6.1 7. Wildlife Species Status and Trends.............................................................................. 7.1 Appendices A. Background on DNR Forest Inventory and Data Currency ......................................... A.3 B. Ecological Classification System ................................................................................ A.5 C. Glossary ....................................................................................................................... A.9 D. Acronyms ................................................................................................................... A.31 Lists of Tables, Figures, Charts, and Maps Tables Table i: Public Involvement and Process Timelines ........................................................................ xxi Table 1.1: Minnesota GAP Land Cover Classification System ...................................................... 1.4 Table 2.1: Hardwood Hills Subsection…Land Ownership by Subsections .................................... 2.2 Table 3.1: Cover Type Acres by Age-Class .................................................................................... 3.3 Table 3.2: State Timberland Cover Type Acres and Percentages .................................................. 3.4 Table 3.3: Designated Old-Growth Acres in the Hardwood Hills Subsection ............................. 3.16 Table 3.4: Historical Forest Composition Comparison .............................................................. 3.17 Table 4.1: Hardwood Hills Subsection- Acres of Timber Sold FY 2000-2009 ............................... 4.2 Table 5.1: Wooded Native Plant Community Systems, Classes, Types and Subtypes documented in Hardwood Hills SFRMP Assessment ii 8/04/11 Public Review Final Introduction The Hardwood Hills Subsection with their associated Rarity Rank ............................................... 5.8 Table 5.2: Minnesota Listed Species – Animals ............................................................................. 5.8 Table 5.3: Minnesota Listed Species – Plants ................................................................................ 5.9 Table 5.4: Minnesota Listed Species –“NONs” Animals ............................................................. 5.11 Table 5.5: Minnesota Listed Species –“NONs” Plants ................................................................ 5.11 Table 5.6: Hardwood Hills Subsection: Species in Greatest Conservation Need ....................... 5.12 Table 5.7: Hardwood Hills Subsection: MCBS Status ................................................................. 5.15 Table 6.1: Acres Affected and Acres of Mortality by Species ......................................................... 6.4 Table 6.2: Native and Exotic Insects and Disease in the Hardwood Hills Subsection ................... 6.5 Table 6.3: Acres of Aspen Damage by Symptom, causal agents unknown. ................................. 6.7 Table 7.1: Terrestrial, Vertebrate Species List ............................................................................... 7.3 Table 7.2: Mammal Habitat Relationships by Minnesota Gap Analysis Project land cover type 7.13 Table 7.3: Bird Habitat Relationships by Minnesota Gap Analysis Project land cover type ....... 7.15 Table 7.4: Amphibian and Reptile Habitat Relationships by Minnesota Gap Analysis Project land cover type ...................................................................................................................................... 7.23 Figures Figure i: Grouping of DNR Direction documents by 3-Level Hierarchy ..................................... xviii Figure ii: Public Involvement Opportunities .................................................................................... xx Charts Chart i: Hardwood Hills Subsection Land Ownership ................................................................... vii Chart 1.1: Hardwood Hills Subsection GAP Cover Type Percentages ......................................... 1.4 Chart 2.1: Hardwood Hills Subsection Land Administration ......................................................... 2.2 Chart 3.2.1: Age-Class Distribution for all Timberland Cover Types ........................................... 3.6 Chart 3.2.2: Ash/Lowland Hardwoods Age-Class Distribution ..................................................... 3.7 Chart 3.2.3: Aspen/balm of Gilead Age-Class Distribution .......................................................... 3.8 Chart 3.2.4: Northern Hardwoods Age-Class Distribution .......................................................... 3.12 Chart 3.2.5: Oak Age-Class Distribution- .................................................................................... 3.13 Chart 3.2.6: Tamarack Age-Class Distribution ............................................................................ 3.14 Chart 4.1: Acres of Timber Sold FY 2000-2009 ............................................................................. 4.2 Chart 4.2: Timber Volume by FY 2000-2009 ................................................................................. 4.3 Chart 4.3: Value of Timber by FY 2000-2009 ................................................................................ 4.4 Chart 4.4: Average Price of Timber by FY 1997-2006 ................................................................... 4.5 Chart 4.5: Average Volume Sold by Species 2000-2009 ................................................................ 4.6 Maps Map i: Generalized Forest Cover Types ............................................................................................. v Map 1.1: GAP Land Cover Types ................................................................................................... 1.5 Map 2.1: Land Ownership .............................................................................................................. 2.3 Map 2.2: Management Units........................................................................................................... 2.4 Map 3.1: Generalized Cover Types on Lands Administered by DNR ........................................... 3.2 Map 5.1: Hardwood Hills Subsection ............................................................................................. 5.2 Map 6.1: Forest Tent Caterpillar Defoliation-2002 & 2003 .......................................................... 6.8 Map 6.2: Mortality Risk Assessment for Gypsy Moths: Preferred Species Analysis. 2003 ......... 6.11 Map 6.3: Oak Mortality Caused by Oak Wilt in Hardwood Hills. 2006 to 2010 ........................ 6.12 Map.6.4: Ash Decline and Mortality in Hardwood Hills. 2003 to 2010 ...................................... 6.16 Map 6.5: Larch Beetle Mortality in Hardwood Hills. 2003 to 2010 ........................................... 6.18 Map 6.6: White Pine Blister