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Land and Resource Management Plan National Forests in Mississippi Forest Supervisor’s Office – Jackson, Mississippi Bienville National Forest – Forest, Mississippi Delta National Forest – Rolling Fork, Mississippi De Soto National Forest: Chickasawhay Ranger District – Laurel, Mississippi De Soto Ranger District - Wiggins, Mississippi Holly Springs National Forest – Oxford, Mississippi (Includes the Yalobusha Unit) Homochitto National Forest – Meadville, Mississippi Tombigbee National Forest – Ackerman, Mississippi (Includes the Ackerman and Trace Units) Responsible Official: Elizabeth Agpaoa, Regional Forester Southern Region Atlanta, GA For Information Contact: Margrett L. Boley, Forest Supervisor National Forests in Mississippi 200 South Lamar St., Suite 500-N Jackson, MS 39201 Telephone: (601) 965-1600 Contents Chapter 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Overview of the National Forests in Mississippi ................................................................... 1 1.2 Consistency of Projects with the Forest Plan ........................................................................ 5 Chapter 2. Vision ............................................................................................................................. 7 2.1 Desired Condition Overview ................................................................................................. 7 2.2 Forestwide Desired Conditions ............................................................................................. 8 2.3 Ecosystem Diversity .............................................................................................................. 9 2.4 Species Diversity ................................................................................................................. 28 2.5 Healthy Watersheds ............................................................................................................. 31 2.6 Healthy Forests .................................................................................................................... 33 2.7 Infrastructure ....................................................................................................................... 36 2.8 Recreation, Cultural Resources, and Forest Setting ............................................................ 39 2.9 Minerals Management ......................................................................................................... 42 2.10 Economic Benefits ............................................................................................................. 42 Chapter 3. Strategy......................................................................................................................... 43 3.1 Objectives and Management Approaches ........................................................................... 43 3.2 Ecosystem Diversity ............................................................................................................ 44 3.3 Species Diversity ................................................................................................................. 58 3.4 Healthy Watersheds ............................................................................................................. 66 3.5 Healthy Forests .................................................................................................................... 69 3.7 Infrastructure ....................................................................................................................... 74 3.8 Recreation, Cultural Resources, and Forest Setting ............................................................ 76 3.9 Minerals Management ......................................................................................................... 79 3.10 Economic Benefits ............................................................................................................. 81 Chapter 4. Design Criteria ............................................................................................................. 83 4.1 Overview of Design Criteria ................................................................................................ 83 4.2 Standards and Guidelines .................................................................................................... 83 4.3 Management Area Prescriptions .......................................................................................... 98 4.4 Suitability of Uses ............................................................................................................. 110 Chapter 5. Monitoring and Evaluation ......................................................................................... 115 5.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 115 5.2 Implementation .................................................................................................................. 115 5.3 Monitoring and Evaluation ................................................................................................ 115 5.4 Research Needs.................................................................................................................. 124 Glossary of Commonly Used Terms ............................................................................................ 127 Commonly Used Acronyms ......................................................................................................... 141 References .................................................................................................................................... 142 Appendix A. Summary of Analysis of the Management Situation .............................................. 143 Appendix B. Timber Analysis ..................................................................................................... 145 Appendix C. Possible Actions and Vegetation Management Priorities by Administrative Unit; and Silvicultural Systems and Cultural Practices by Ecosystem or Forest Cover type ....................................................................................................................... 159 Appendix D. Old Growth Management Strategy ......................................................................... 179 Appendix E. Climate Change Strategies ...................................................................................... 187 Appendix F. Administrative Unit Maps ....................................................................................... 191 Appendix G. Biological Opinion – Incidental Take Statement ................................................... 197 National Forests in Mississippi Land and Resource Management Plan i Contents Tables Table 1. Distribution of ecological systems on the National Forests in Mississippi ..................... 11 Table 2. Desired percent of ecological systems by unit on the National Forests in Mississippi ........................................................................................................................ 12 Table 3. Federally endangered or threatened species that occur in the National Forests in Mississippi ........................................................................................................................ 29 Table 4. Threatened and endangered species, associated ecological systems, and objectives .......................................................................................................................... 60 Table 5. Dusky gopher frog-prescribed burn matrix ...................................................................... 63 Table 6. Scenic integrity objectives by management area ............................................................. 78 Table 7. Stocking levels for reforestation and stand improvement treatments .............................. 88 Table 8. Unfavorable wind conditions for applications ................................................................. 95 Table 9. Approximate land allocations for the ecosystem-based management areas .................... 99 Table 10. Suitability of areas for various uses on the National Forests in Mississippi ................ 111 Table 11. National Forests in Mississippi timber suitability totals .............................................. 112 Table 12. Evaluation and monitoring questions and performance measures that address desired conditions and objectives of the forest plan ......................................................