July meeting of the Bankhead Liaison Panel

[Uncle Wayne]

As promised here's the date and agenda of the next meeting the Forest Service will have with the general public.

When: Thursday July 23, 2009 at 6 p.m.

Where: At the USDA Service Center across from the Stockyard and next door to the Lawrence County Exchange on Highway 157.
Address: 13075 Hwy. 157, Moulton, AL. 35650

Who: Anyone may attend.

Program Agenda:
1. A briefing on proposed Mechanical Fuel Reduction activities in Bankhead.
2. A discussion on quality deer management in the Black Warrior Wildlife Management Area.
3. An update on Non-Native Invasive Species Inventory in the Sipsey Wilderness.
4. An update on Alabama A&M research in the Bankhead.
5. Rock Creek Watershed planning

And usually any other item that may be introduced from the floor.

[Nalgene Ninja]

Is this discussion:
3. An update on Non-Native Invasive Species Inventory in the Sipsey Wilderness.

limited to only plants?

[Uncle Wayne]

Is this discussion:
3. An update on Non-Native Invasive Species Inventory in the Sipsey Wilderness.

limited to only plants?

Yes. WildSouth is doing the survey.  Started late May or early June.

[Joshua Szulecki]

Kills me that I'm going to have to miss it, as I'll be in Baltimore for a required agency training program. I have to leave for Baltimore during the first decent weekend all summer, too.

Well, at least I'll be bringing back most of my gear, so maybe the next decent weekend. 

[Uncle Wayne]

I don't know if any of you were able to attend (there were several new faces I didn't recognize) but we had, imo, a good although not thorough discussion of these topics. Here are some of the high points:

1. A briefing on proposed Mechanical Fuel Reduction activities in Bankhead.  A total of 1204 acres in the Inman, Grindstone, and Mill Creek watersheds plus Corinth,  funded by money the BNF received through the OBama stimulus package, will be included in the burn and fuel reduction program of the FS.  These areas will be included starting this winter.  Long range goal is to reestablish long leaf and short leaf pines populations native to the area.  Dogwoods and hardwoods in the midstory of 4 inches and larger will be retained and all others removed. The plan includes mulching some of the dead trees in the areas where pine beetles infestations occurred.  Sounded like a good plan overall.  Some opposition to the burning program was voiced mainly concerned with the loss of salamanders, turtles, snakes and wildlife as a result of the fires.

2. An update on Alabama A&M research in the Bankhead.  Alabama A&M and Tuskegee will now split money that awbarn had been hogging for use in various research projects in the BNF.  Most of the research going on now deals with water quality of the streams / creeks in the BNF and how it affects insects, bats and wildlife populations both in and out of the water.  Sounded like a good program to me.  One of the speakers said Hubbard Creek had something they hadn't found in the other streams in the forest but I couldn't understand what she said and she left early so I couldn't ask her afterward.  I'm going to follow up on that to find out what she said.

3. A discussion on quality deer management in the Black Warrior Wildlife Management Area. A little known fact I didn't know about the BNF was shared with us the introduction of this topic.  In 1925 the first effort to restore whitetail deer to the BNF was by bringing 105 deer from somewhere in Michigan and releasing them in the BNF.  This topic dealt mostly with justifying anterless deer harvesting.  He pointed out that the deer they meant to harvest were the older does.  They are identified by a long nose.  The deer management program started in 2006 / 2007 hunting season has resulted in less  buck deer ages 1.5 years and younger being harvested.  They are hoping to build up the quality of the deer population by having more mature bucks available during the November rut.  The discussion of the nutrition available in the BNF led to a discussion, albeit very short because of time restraints,  of the damage hogs were doing to the deer population by decreasing the natural food supply.

4. An update on Non-Native Invasive Species Inventory in the Sipsey Wilderness.  Brother Mark Kolinski gave a very interesting talk on the NNIS inventory WildSouth is conducting.  This survey is to include all 62 miles of established trails and 125 miles of streams inside the Wilderness.  They need volunteers to help in this survey.  Most of the infestation occur along the old roads that are now trails and along the creek banks.  The least infestations are found in the Hemlock groves.  They are 33 species of plants included but they are finding 6 dominating this survey. I didn't get the names of all of them but they include: Japanese Honeysuckle, Chinese Privet, Browntop, Mimosa, some kind of rose and one more that I don't remember.  A very worthwhile project.

5. Rock Creek Watershed planning.  A group called the Winston County Smith Lake Advocacy group are seeking a grant to protect the Rock Creek watershed and down the road all the watershed that feed Smith Lake. They have teamed with the Alabama Water Watch group and with help from an awbarn graduate student to get this going.  Maybe they can be successful with this project.

The surprise announcement was Glen Gaines, BNF ranger extraordinaire, has been offered a position with a FS dept. overseeing the reestablishment of Long Leaf pines in the NF and on private land.  He'll be at the District Office thru August I think. Imo, he was the best forest ranger the BNF has had since Uncle Jack McDowell, the first forest ranger of the BNF.

[JustADude]

Good report. Thanks!

[jaybird]

money that awbarn had been hogging

Very classy of you...

Thanks for the update, though.

[Uncle Wayne]

Very classy of you...

Thanks for the update, though.

That's what the professor from A&M said.  I used his exact words.  No offense intended. "They", whoever that is down on the plains, had been getting funds for 5 or 6 years to do research in the BNF and never got around to doing it. 

[weathermansam]

More pines?  Seriously, the reason I go to Sipsey and parts of Cheaha is to get away from pine stands. 

[Pathfinder]

Does anybody know when and where the next meeting will be?

[Uncle Wayne]

Does anybody know when and where the next meeting will be?

Late October, in Double Springs.  I'll get the info later next month and post it ASAP in case someone else wants to attend.