Support 12 Mile Strip project on Pisgah Game Land in Haywood County

CRC

Old Mossy Horns
12 Mile Project

Supported by NCWRC, US Forest Service but generally opposed by environmental groups

This project will benefit endangered species but also hunted species such as white-tailed deer, ruffed grouse and elk.

COMMENTS MUST BE RECEIVED BY AUGUST 23RD.

Located on the Appalachian Ranger District, Pisgah National Forest, in Haywood County

The Twelve Mile Project will help maintain a healthy and diverse forest that supports wildlife, provides a sustainable output of timber, improves water quality and aquatic habitat, and improves access to the forest.

Why do we need to do this?
We approached this project collaboratively, inviting other federal and state agencies, local industries, environmental and conservation organizations, and interested individuals to engage in the early stages of planning and throughout the development of the proposed actions. Together we identified many things that needed to change on this landscape in order to meet our mission of sustaining the health, diversity, and productivity of the forest to meet the needs of current and future generations.

  • We need young forest to provide habitat for a diversity of wildlife species including elk and golden-winged warbler.
  • We need to maintain optimum growth and a mix of tree species in stands that are currently overstocked and structurally simple.
  • We need to ensure there is small patch old growth dispersed across the forest.
  • We need wildlife openings which are important feeding areas for a variety of wildlife that depend upon nutritious grasses and forbs.
  • We need more shortleaf pine and other yellow pine that has declined due to past beetle epidemics and lack of wildfire.
  • We need to replace white pine that was planted decades ago with species that are more appropriate for the ecological zone.
  • We need more oaks which requires increasing the amount of sunlight reaching the forest floor.
  • We need to move the condition class within some ecological zones towards the natural range of variation for a variety of ages and structures such as young and old growth and open and closed canopy.
  • We need to protect water quality and restore aquatic organism passage at road crossings.
  • We need to restore streams that have been disturbed by past human activity.
  • We need to create a safe and efficient road system to provide and improve forest access.
 
Last edited:

CRC

Old Mossy Horns
As hunters, trappers and wildlife watchers this is a major (as major as you can get in today's climate for change on the Pisgah and Nantahala NFs) net positive habitat project that all hunters across the state should comment in support of.

Especially if you ever think of hunting an NC elk on public land.

There are also a few old growth bigtoothed aspen in the area and opening the forest up could allow these trees to seed and reproduce. Grouse love aspens up north.
 
Last edited:

CRC

Old Mossy Horns

HARMON DEN - The elk's ears must have been burning. Since they were being openly talked about mere feet away while munching their breakfast.

A group of men and women in important-looking uniforms stood beneath the dense canopy of Pisgah National Forest near the Pigeon River Gorge, discussing how cutting down trees and setting prescribed fires would open up better foraging habitat for Western North Carolina's growing elk herd.

When mid-sentence, two cow elk sauntered nearby, stopped for a distant peek through the trees at the humans, then disappeared deep into the forest.
 

CRC

Old Mossy Horns
Comments must be received by August 23rd so a final bump for those wishing to comment
 

CRC

Old Mossy Horns
So the decision recently approved by the district ranger, if finalized and not objected to, would:

1,683 acres of commercial timber harvest
649 acres of stand improvement
1,180 acres of prescribed burns
136 acres of wildlife field/food plot creation and expansion
1,570 acres of old growth designation
498 acres of woodland creation
.66 miles of stream restoration
14 stream crossing improvements
Changes to the transportation system on the area
 
Top