Nantahala Pisgah Restoration Collaborative Project planning on the Grandfather Ranger District National Forests in North Carolina Project Planning & Integration August 2011

A comprehensive approach for pro-actively implementing integrated restoration on focus watersheds on National Forests and Grasslands Provides the Forest Service with an outcome-based performance measure for documenting improvement to watershed condition at Forest, Regional, and National scales National Forests in North Carolina Project Planning & Integration August 2011 Watershed Condition Framework

Objectives Establish a systematic process for determining Watershed Condition Class Improve Forest Service reporting and tracking of watershed condition Strengthen the effectiveness of Forest Service watersheds restoration National Forests in North Carolina Project Planning & Integration August 2011 Watershed Condition Framework

Objectives (con’t) Enable a priority-based approach for the allocation of resources for restoration Enhance coordination with external agencies and partners National Forests in North Carolina Project Planning & Integration August 2011 Watershed Condition Framework

National Forests in North Carolina Project Planning & Integration August 2011 Watershed Condition Framework USDA will use the restoration of watershed and forest health as a core management objective of the National Forests and Grasslands. USDA Strategic Plan for FY 2010 – 2015

National Forests in North Carolina August 2011 STEP 1 Classify Watershed Condition STEP 2 Prioritize Watersheds for Restoration STEP 3 Develop Watershed Action Plans STEP 4 Implement Integrated Projects STEP 5 Track Restoration Accomplishme nts STEP 6 Monitor and Verification

National Forests in North Carolina Project Planning & Integration August 2011 Watershed Condition Framework Watershed Condition Class Class 1 = Functioning Properly Class 2 = Functioning at Risk Class 3 = Impaired Function

National Forests in North Carolina Project Planning & Integration August 2011 Watershed Condition Framework 1. Water Quality 2. Water Quantity 3. Aquatic Habitat 4. Aquatic Biota 5. Riparian/Wetland Vegetation 6. Roads and Trails 7. Soils 8. Fire Regime or Wildfire 9. Forest Cover 10. Rangeland Vegetation 11. Terrestrial Invasive Species 12. Forest Health

WCC scores tracked to one decimal point 3 Watershed Condition Classes Class 1 = scores of 1.0 to 1.66 Class 2 = scores >1.66 and <2.33 Class 3 = scores from 2.33 to 3.0 National Forests in North Carolina Project Planning & Integration August 2011 Watershed Condition Framework GreenYellowRed

 There are 17 watersheds on the GRD  Scores range from 1.7 to 2.0  We focused the low scores to move watersheds from yellow to green rather than lowering a score and maintaining yellow National Forests in North Carolina Project Planning & Integration August 2011 Watershed Condition Framework

 We also focused on areas that we had some level of the NEPA process started.  We are currently scoping 2 important burns that are in the Curtis Creek and Mackey Creek Watershed.  Curtis Creek has a score of 1.9 but is an adjacent watershed. National Forests in North Carolina Project Planning & Integration August 2011 Watershed Condition Framework

National Forests in North Carolina Project Planning & Integration August 2011 Watershed Condition Framework National Forests in NC – WCC 2011 Ratings Map

National Forests in North Carolina Project Planning & Integration August 2011 Watershed Condition Framework Grandfather Ranger District WCC 2011 Ratings Map

National Forests in North Carolina Project Planning & Integration August 2011 Watershed Condition Framework Grandfather Ranger District PRIORITY WATERSHEDS WCF-STEP PRIORITY WATERSHEDS

National Forests in North Carolina Project Planning & Integration August 2011 Watershed Condition Framework Next Steps for Completing WCF Complete Step 3 Develop Watershed Action Plans for Priority Watersheds by September 2011 STEP 1 Classify Watershed Condition STEP 2 Prioritize Watersheds for Restoration STEP 3 Develop Watershed Action Plans STEP 4 Implement Integrated Projects STEP 5 Track Restoration Accomplishments STEP 6 Monitor and Verification Begin Implementation of Step 4 - Action Plan in 2012.

 To compile the best available GIS datasets appropriate for identifying benefits or threats to wildlife and wildlife habitat, and generate an easy to interpret compilation of these datasets. National Forests in North Carolina Project Planning & Integration August 2011 USFWS Strategic Plan

National Forests in North Carolina Strategic Plan Data Layers August 2011 USFWS Strategic Plan Benefit Layers Significant Natural Heritage Areas Wetlands (Nat’l Wetlands Inventory) Natural Lands Density Audubon Important Bird Areas Ranked Aquatic Subbasins (DWQ) Land Connectivity (Wildlands Charette) USFWS Critical Habitat USFWS Habitat priorities Managed Lands Indian Lands Threat Layers Impervious Surface Dam Density by Subbasin Discharge Density by Subbasin Mining Density by Subbasin Road Density USFS Insect and Disease Risk Wind Power Potential

Low Priority High Priority

Maxent Aquatics Modelling Predictive habitat maps created for 146 different aquatic species using GIS and maximum entropy modelling (Maxent) Predicts appropriateness of stream segment as potential habitat for aquatic species Provide a coarse-scale look at the potential stream suitability of aquatic species in Western North Carolina

Prioritization Based on Species Global Ranks Dan River Cane, N Toe, S Toe Rivers Pigeon River Tuckasegee & Oconaluftee Rivers Cheoah River Little Tennessee River French Broad & Mills Rivers

 The Grandfather RD in collaboration with the Fire Learning Network, TNC, NC WRC, and Wildlaw has developed an ecological model that prioritizes our burns on the district. National Forests in North Carolina Project Planning & Integration August 2011 Burn Prioritization

Distribution on Landscape Current Condition (Good, Fair, Poor) Burn History Return Interval Presence of fire adapted rare species Presence of fire sensitive species Invasive species threats Percentage of site that is fire prone Acreage of Fire Adapted Vegetation Number of Wildlife Openings Presence of Fire Adapted SNHAs National Forests in North Carolina Project Planning & Integration August 2011 Burn Prioritization Ecological Criteria Considered

Pine acres (acres x 3/100) Oak acres (acres/100) Hudsonia Montana (50 if it is present) Globally Rare Fire Dependent Species (x10 for each species) State Rare Fire Dependent Species (x5 for each species) State Natural Heritage Areas with fire dependent elements (15 for National, 10 for State and 5 for Regional significance) Acres of Wildlife Openings 3PA/100 + OA/ HM + 10GR + 5 SR + SNHA + WO = Ecological Score National Forests in North Carolina Project Planning & Integration August 2011 Burn Prioritization Criteria Used to Develop Ecological Score

National Forests in North Carolina Project Planning & Integration August 2011 Burn Prioritization

National Forests in North Carolina Project Planning & Integration August 2011 Burn Prioritization Site NameShortoffAdjusted Score Total Acres5092 Pine Acres Oak Acres Hudsonia montana150 # of Globally Rare Fire Dependent Species110 # of State Rare Fire Dependent Species525 # Nationally Significant SNHA115 # State Significant SNHA00 # Regionally Significant SNHA00 Acres of Wildlife Openings00 Total Score=174.79

SiteAcresScore Shortoff Chimneys Linville West Singecat Ridge97477 Woods Mountain Big Lost Bear Old Way Ridge Rose Mt Boone Fork Steels Creek Mackey Mountain Lost Cove Sitting Bear North Harper Sugar Knob Lower Wilson Ridge Yancey Ridge Chestnut Mountain Globe Mountain South Middle Linville Mtn Lake James Mill Creek Bark Camp Ridge North Buck Lower Linville Mtn Iron Mountain Blackfork High Knob Woodruff Ridge Yellow Buck Sams Ridge Youngs Ridge Wilson Ridge Woods Mt Rough Ridge Gingercake Hughes Ridge Dobson Knob East95712 Headquarters Mountain96812 Stack Rock Iron Mountain South Breakneck10309 Globe Mountain North6109 Tough Hill7057 Total95133 Ecological Score

National Forests in North Carolina Project Planning & Integration August 2011 Burn Prioritization Grandfather RD Potential Burn Units With Ecological Score

National Forests in North Carolina Project Planning & Integration August 2011 Burn Prioritization 42 potential burn units totaling 95,133 acres Ecological Scores from 7 to 175 Our model is strongly acreage driven Linville Gorge Wilderness has the top three scoring sites

Comparison of NFsNC Districts by % Fire Adapted Acreage DistrictPine AcOak AcPocosin AcTotal AcresDistrict Fire Adapted Uwharrie % Croatan % Grandfather % Cheoah % Tusquitee % Appalachian % Nantahala % Pisgah %

National Forests in North Carolina Project Planning & Integration August 2011 Minimum Roads Analysis Assess the need for roads on the forest – where to close roads, put roads ‘in storage’ Budget driven process to analyze what is the minimum road system we can manage with the projected budget Additional filters to be used once project area is identified

National Forests in North Carolina Project Planning & Integration August 2011 Trails Assessment In the fall of 2010 the forest began a process to review and evaluate trail-condition data with the objective to prioritize future trail-system adjustments or additions and provide a safe trail system that offers experiences for a variety of users with minimal impacts to natural resources. Additional filters to be used once project area is identified