STATE WILDLIFE ACTION PLAN July 31, 2015 GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES WILDLIFE RESOURCES DIVISION Table of Contents Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ iii Executive Summary ........................................................................................................... ix I. Introduction and Purpose ................................................................................................. 1 A Plan to Protect Georgia’s Biological Diversity ....................................................... 1 Essential Elements of a State Wildlife Action Plan .................................................... 2 Species of Greatest Conservation Need ...................................................................... 3 Scales of Biological Diversity .................................................................................... 4 Wildlife Diversity Databases ...................................................................................... 5 II. Approach and Methods .................................................................................................. 7 Organizational Structure ............................................................................................. 7 Public Involvement ..................................................................................................... 9 Coordination with Other Agencies and Organizations ............................................. 10 Coordination with Other Planning Efforts in Georgia .............................................. 13 Identification of Priorities, Problems and Actions .................................................... 14 Review and Revision ................................................................................................ 35 III. State Overview- Ecological Framework .................................................................... 37 Physiography............................................................................................................. 37 Geology ..................................................................................................................... 38 Climate ...................................................................................................................... 41 Ecoregions of the State ............................................................................................. 42 Patterns of Wildlife Diversity ................................................................................... 44 Species of Conservation Concern ............................................................................. 45 Land Use and Human Impacts .................................................................................. 46 IV. Conservation Landscape Assessments and Conservation Strategies.......................... 57 Southwestern Appalachians/Ridge & Valley ............................................................ 57 Blue Ridge Ecoregion ............................................................................................... 78 Piedmont Ecoregion .................................................................................................. 99 Southeastern Plains Ecoregion ................................................................................ 119 i Southern Coastal Plain Ecoregion .......................................................................... 148 V. Statewide Wildlife Conservation Themes and Strategies ......................................... 171 Climate Change ....................................................................................................... 171 Other Emerging Issues ............................................................................................ 182 Regional Conservation Partnerships ....................................................................... 192 Wildlife Conservation on Private Lands ................................................................. 198 Wildlife Conservation on Public Lands .................................................................. 201 Assessments of High Priority Habitats and Species ............................................... 202 Conservation of High Priority Habitats and Species .............................................. 203 Education, Outreach, and Communications ............................................................ 210 Increasing Capacity for Wildlife Conservation ...................................................... 212 Reducing Impacts from Development and Other Activities ................................... 214 Wildlife Laws and Regulations ............................................................................... 215 Monitoring and Adaptive Management .................................................................. 216 Public-Private Partnerships for Land Conservation ................................................ 218 VI. Procedures for SWAP Review and Revision........................................................... 220 Acronyms and Abbreviations Used in This Document .................................................. 221 References ....................................................................................................................... 225 Appendix A. High Priority Species and Habitats Summary Data Appendix B. Birds Technical Team Report Appendix C. Mammals Technical Team Report Appendix D. Reptiles and Amphibians Technical Team Report Appendix E. Fishes and Aquatic Invertebrates Technical Team Report Appendix F. Aquatic Habitat Technical Team Report Appendix G. Terrestrial Invertebrates Technical Team Report Appendix H. Plants Technical Team Report Appendix I. Habitat Restoration Technical Team Report Appendix J. Monitoring Technical Team Report Appendix K. Education Technical Team Report Appendix L. Communications and Outreach Technical Team Report Appendix M. Database Enhancements Technical Team Report Appendix N. Ecosystems/Habitat Mapping Technical Team Report Appendix O. Climate Change Adaptation Technical Team Report Appendix P. Priority Conservation Actions ii Acknowledgements A great many people provided input into the collective knowledge base that served as the foundation of this plan. The Advisory Committee members listed in Section II of this report lent critical support and guidance throughout the planning effort. In addition, we would like to thank the following individuals who served on or provided information to the State Wildlife Action Plan Technical Teams. (* = team leaders) Birds Todd Schneider*, WRD; Tim Keyes*, WRD; Jim Bates, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Rebecca Byrd, Georgia Department of Transportation; Larry Carlile, DOD./Ft. Stewart Military Reservation; Scott Coleman, Little St. Simons Island; Chris Coppola, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Dean Demarest, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Jenifer Hilburn, St. Catherines Island Foundation, Altamaha Riverkeeper; Malcolm Hodges, The Nature Conservancy; Elizabeth Hunter, University of Georgia; Nathan Klaus, WRD; Charlie Muise, Atlanta Audubon Society; Jim Ozier, WRD; Dr. John Parrish, Georgia Southern University; Carrie Straight, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Reggie Thackston, WRD; Dr. Jim Wentworth, USDA Forest Service; Troy Wilson, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Giff Beaton, Independent Ornithologist; Dr. Richard Chandler, University of Georgia; Dr. Bob Cooper, University of Georgia; Bob Sargent, Warner Robins Air Force Base/Georgia Ornithological Society; Terry Johnson, WRD; Jim Cox, Tall Timbers Research Station Mammals Jim Ozier*, WRD; Trina Morris*, WRD; Cecilia Ball, Habitat for Bats; Robert Ball, Habitat for Bats; Dr. Jackie Belwood, Georgia Highlands College; Dr. Michael Bender, Gordon State College; Dr. Brad Bergstrom, Valdosta State University; Bobby Bond, WRD; Chris Brookshire, Golder Associates, Inc.; Dottie Brown, Ecological Solutions, Inc.; Dr. Stephen Burnett, Clayton State University; Jim Candler, Georgia Power Company; Dr. Steven Castleberry, University of Georgia; Nikki Castleberry, University of Georgia; Dr. Mike Chamberlain, University of Georgia; Doug Chamblin, Georgia Department of Transportation; Laci Coleman, Eco-Tech Consultants; Dr. Michael Conner, Joseph W. Jones Ecological Research Center; Dr. Tara Cox, Savannah State University; Brian Davis, Georgia Department of Transportation; Ben Dickerson, Georgia Power Company; Lee Droppelman, Eco-Tech Consultants; Dr. Mark Ford, Virginia Tech; Dr. Greg Hartman, Gordon State College; Dennis Krusac, USDA Forest Service; Dr. Susan Loeb, Clemson University; Alton Owens, Eco-Tech Consultants; Dr. William Paschal, LaGrange College; Pete Pattavina, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Jimmy Rickard, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Kim Romano, Ecological Solutions, Inc.; Carol Ruckdeschel, Cumberland Island Museum; Dr. Jason Scott, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College; Vicky B. Smith, A-Z Animals; Vanessa Terrell, University of Georgia; Dr. Doug Waid (ret), Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College; Greg Waters, WRD; Dr. Jim Wentworth, USDA Forest Service; Dr. Mark Yates, LaGrange College iii Reptiles and Amphibians John Jensen*, WRD; Dr. Kimberly Andrews, Georgia Sea Turtle Center; Dr. Bill Birkhead, Columbus State University; Dr. Carlos Camp, Piedmont College; Larry Carlile, DOD/Ft. Stewart Military Reservation; Nikki Castleberry, University of Georgia Museum of Natural History; Christopher Coppola, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Mark Dodd, WRD; Matt Elliott, WRD;