Young Forest Initiative Introduce myself Background image shows a clearcut at Partridge Run WMA in Region 4. Annual Update Meeting of the NYS Association of Environmental Management Councils and NYS Association of Conservation Commissions Katherine A. Yard, Wildlife Biologist I NYSDEC Habitat Conservation Unit Albany, New York, June 8th 2015 Photo: Karl Parker

Young Forest Initiative Goals Overarching Goal: Wildlife Habitat To create and manage habitat on Wildlife Management Areas so that about 10% of the forested acreage can be classified as young forest, to benefit both at- risk and game species. Photo: Jim Petreszyn Introduce the YFI. Mention that Goal was developed by BOW leaders/DMT in collaboration with young forest stakeholders and key conservation partners (Audubon NY, National Wild Turkey Federation, Ruffed Grouse Society, Quality Deer Management Association, Wildlife Management Institute, and USFWS). The 10% goal in part comes from a young forest bird study (Detmers 2003) that determined the optimal landscape to meet needs of a majority of species included: 75% mature forest + 10-15% pole stage + 5-10% “young forest”

Young Forest Initiative Goals Photo: Matt Walter Photo: Mike Schivone Recreation: Encourage use, understanding, and appreciation of YF habitat and wildlife resources on state-owned lands. Access: Complementary to concurrent DFWMR Access and Acquisition Initiatives. www.essexonlakechamplain.com

Young Forest Initiative Goals Communication & Outreach: Raise awareness. Demonstration areas. Partnerships: Build and enhance relationships with conservation partners and among DEC Divisions. Example of informative sign at Rattlesnake Hill WMA clearcut. Development of Communication Plan to define the purpose, message, and audience…want to reach out to multiple different interest groups, including local governments and landowners who will be seeing clearcuts, as well as groups that may be concerned about clearcutting (Sierra Club etc). Need to explain that this is to create a diversity of habitats to support a diversity of wildlife. Objective is to want folks to ask for more of this. Web-based materials will be developed: new YF webpage on DEC’s website, The Young Forest Initiative, Access, and Acquisition are complementary programs. Access might take the form of log landings turned into new parking areas for example. Parking areas will include pro-active educational material about young forest, young forest wildlife, and methods of creating the YF habitat.

Young Forest, Defined Young forests: Are transitional, disturbance-dependent habitats. Result from natural or man-made disturbance (e.g., regeneration cut). Have an open or very sparse tree canopy. Have a dense understory where tree seedlings, saplings, woody vines, shrubs, and herbaceous vegetation grow together. Are typically 0-10 years old.

Historically… Photo: K. Yard Photo: www.nps.gov Photo: followgreenliving.com Photo: SC Forestry Commission Historically, YF was created by periodic natural disturbances such as: wildfire, wind events, flooding, ice scouring, beaver engineering, insect outbreaks, etc. Human-caused methods included logging and farmland abandonment.

Current Forest Land Cover Decades of suppressing these natural processes/disturbances has resulted in a largely forested landscape. Less timber harvest/logging and natural succession of abandoned farmland also were contributing factors. The total amount of forest land cover from the 2001, 2006, and 2011 USGS National Land Cover Datasets is ~ 17 million acres or ~56% of NY State. This includes three forest types (deciduous, evergreen, mixed) but excludes forested wetlands. NYSDEC Division of Lands and Forests estimates 63% forest cover in NY State.

Wildlife that Need Young Forest New England cottontail Golden-winged warbler American woodcock Shrubland birds: yellow-breasted chat brown thrasher prairie warbler Eastern towhee indigo bunting, etc. Ruffed grouse Wild turkey Snowshoe (varying) hare White-tailed deer Smooth green snake And many more… This is by no means a comprehensive list. There are many more spp that rely on YF and this is just a select few. Mention importance of YF even for forest interior species (e.g., songbirds rely on it for certain aspects of breeding season, esp for foraging in the post-breeding season. I will be working with the BOW teams to identify a list of all potential NY spp that need YF, from which we will probably select primary and secondary target species that will benefit the most from any habitat management. Photo: USFWS Photo: Audubon.org Photo: Tim Lenz Photo: wildphotography.com Photo: herpnet.net

Different YF/ESH species will use YF/ESH habitat at different seral stages. E.g., prairie warblers have very narrow habitat requirements and need very young shrubland habitat ~3-6 years since clearcut, after which habitat will become unsuitable (depending of course on site conditions). Other species, like AMWO require the full range of age classes, courtship and roosting areas 0-5 years, feeding areas ~3-15 years, and nesting areas 15-25 years. *Image: WMI “Under Cover: Wildlife of Shrublands and Young Forest” (Oliver & Larson 1996; Thompson et al 1996; DeGraaf & Yamasaki 2003).

Golden-winged warbler Young forest wildlife species are declining. GWWA Breeding Bird Atlas trend: -53% (1980s to 2000s) Photo: USFWS

Approach Document current conditions: Identify WMAs suitable for YFI Existing YF acreage Forest inventory Identify WMAs suitable for YFI Strategic Plan Habitat Management Plans Implement forest management Evaluate success of treatments Photo: Gordon Ellmers We have a definite NEED and OPPORTUNITY to create high quality habitat for young forest-dependent wildlife on our WMAs

Current Habitat on WMAs Habitat types on WMAs are from the Land Management and habitat Conservation Team’s Annual Work Plan (2014-2015 data), which includes an inventory of habitat types. Inventories are constantly being updated and refined. All upland habitat = 159,223 acres. Shrubland/early successional habitat = 13,058 acres. Forest habitat = 128,679 acres.

Desired Habitat on WMAs Goal: 10% of forested habitat is young forest. Habitat types on WMAs are from the Land Management and habitat Conservation Team’s Annual Work Plan (2014-2015 data), which includes an inventory of habitat types. Inventories are constantly being updated and refined. All upland habitat = 159,223 acres. Shrubland/early successional habitat = 13,058 acres. Forest habitat = 128,679 acres.

Sample Habitat Management Plan Map: Mike Callan Partridge Run WMA in Region 4 Albany County. An example of a WMA map showing forest stands. White polygons have not had recent cuts, green shows stands where thinning was conducted, and red shows stands where clearcuts were conducted. Over the next year or so, each WMA will have a young forest plan including a similar map, which identifies forest stands where habitat management for young forests will be implemented.

Types of Regeneration Cuts Seed Tree So, how will we meet the 10% goal? There are several silvicultural techniques for regeneration cuts that result in young forest habitat. SEED TREE, SHELTERWOOD and CLEARCUT. (as well as SALVAGE) DLF definitions: Regeneration Cut(ting) – In even-aged silvicultural systems, any removal of trees intended to assist regeneration already present or to make regeneration possible (ex. clearcut, seed tree, shelterwood, and overstory removal). (Helms, 1998). Clearcut - A regeneration or harvest method that removes essentially all trees in a stand – note depending on management objectives, a clearcut may or may not have reserve trees left to attain goals other than regeneration. (Helms, 1998). Early Successional Forest Habitat - Very young forest characterized by a dense growth of shrubs and saplings. Seed Tree Method (an even-aged silvicultural regeneration method) – The cutting of all trees except for a small number of widely dispersed trees retained for seed production and to produce a new age class in fully exposed microenvironment – note seed trees are usually removed after regeneration is established. Shelterwood Method (an even-aged silvicultural regeneration method) – The cutting of most trees, leaving those needed to produce sufficient shade to produce a new age class in a moderated microenvironment – note the sequence of treatments can include three types of cuttings: (a) an optional preparatory cut to enhance conditions for seed production, (b) an establishment cut to prepare the seed bed and to create a new age class, and (c) a removal cut to release established regeneration from competition with the overwood; cutting may be done uniformly throughout the stand (uniform shelterwood), in groups or patches (group shelterwood), or in strips (strip shelterwood); in a strip shelterwood, regeneration cuttings may progress against the prevailing wind. Shelterwood Clearcut Images from Silviculture and Applied Forest Ecology Dept. at Steven F. Austin State University

Regeneration Example What it looks like on the ground. Photos: John O’Connor What it looks like on the ground. A type of specialized forestry machinery, a Feller Buncher rapidly cuts and gathers trees at a clearcut at Lake Alice WMA in February 2009 in Region 5. Clearcuts were for grouse and woodcock habitat improvement. 10 year cutting rotation, initiated in 1975 with SUNY ESF.

Regeneration Example After one growing season After three growing seasons Photos: John O’Connor Lake Alice WMA clearcuts after 1 and 3 growing seasons (in November 2011).

Progress To Date Collaborate with DFWMR, DLF, and conservation partners Draft Grant Amendment Draft Strategic Plan Hiring underway for 18 new YFI staff Draft Habitat Management Plan Template

Next Steps Communications Plan Monitoring Plan Write WMA Habitat Management Plans Outreach Implementation

Questions? New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Photo © Larry Federman New York State Department of Environmental Conservation 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-4754 P: (518) 402-8902 | katherine.yard@dec.ny.gov