S01 Attachment 1 - Site Condition Report.pdf

Natural Resources Conservation Service 359 East Park Drive, Suite 2

Harrisburg, PA 17111

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HFRP Easement This is an Indiana Bat HFRP easement totaling 819.2 acres upslope of the Fawnskin Branch of the Juniata River in Blair County, PA. The purpose of the site visit was to evaluate the conditions of areas where treatments have occurred and to evaluate the ecological need for future treatments that would maintain the intended function of the easement.

Site conditions:

This HFRP easement has received past maintenance treatments totaling approximately 156.1 acres between 2015 and 2018 of invasive plant species treatments and 209 acres of Indiana Bat roost tree release cuts between 2015 and 2017. The roost tree release cuts were conducted to remove overtopping or competing trees to allow for provide more growing space and nutrients to tree species preferred by Indiana Bats for roosting. The primary species that were released were shagbark hickory, white oak, and northern red oak. The invasive species treatments coincided in the with roost tree release on 156.1 acres where maintenance activities took place that included herbicide spot treatments of herbaceous and woody invasive and undesirable vegetation. Herbicide treatments primarily targeted Japanese barberry but also included privet, multiflora rose, tree of heaven, striped maple, hay-scented fern, and Japanese stiltgrass. 209 acres within HFRP Units 1, 2, and 3 where past roost tree release treatments have occurred are now showing evidence of invasive species recolonization primarily by Japanese stiltgrass and Japanese barberry and currently accounts for approximately 25% to 50% of the forest understory. Within past treatment areas scattered occurrences of privet and multiflora rose were also observed. The presence of these invasive species in the 2015 -2017 treatment areas is limiting the successful establishment of desirable tree species.

There is significantly more invasive species pressure outside of areas that received previous roost tree release and invasive herbicide treatments from 2015 to 2017. Japanese barberry and Japanese stilt grass account for approximately 75% of the forest understory in these areas throughout the easement.

Other invasive and undesirable species are also found in the forest understory which include multiflora rose, privet, tree of heaven, and striped maple.

Past treatments have been completed according to the 2012 Forest Stewardship Plan for the property.

HFRP management Units are identified on page 12 of the Forest Stewardship Plan below:

Harrisburg, PA 17111

Photos:

Dense pockets of Japanese barberry and Japanese stiltgrass, as shown above, are found throughout the HRFP easement particularly in areas not previously treated. These two photos are within HFRP Unit 1 where previous roost tree release and invasive species treatments have not yet been conducted.

Harrisburg, PA 17111

Prior Treated Roost Tree release areas in Units 1, 3, and 4 are getting reestablished with invasive species. Note that all green vegetation in the forest understory in the above pictures Japanese Barberry with scattered multiflora rose. All light brown understory vegetation in the picture on the right is Japanese stiltgrass.

Harrisburg, PA 17111

Areas on HFRP Unit 1 without previous treatment or roost tree release cuts have thick areas of Japanese barberry that is limiting the natural regeneration of desirable tree species. Note that in the picture on the right the foreground is outside of the easement and the red arrow is pointing to the easement boundary sign behind which is thick barberry within the easement.

Harrisburg, PA 17111

Management Recommendations:

The easement should be treated for invasive/undesirable species control, particularly for the high-density areas of Japanese Barberry and Japanese stiltgrass. These treatment recommendations are aligned with the recommendations from the 2012 Forest Stewardship Plan. Because of the large size of the easement it is necessary to prioritize treatment areas to where treatments will have the most impact by building off of previously treated areas and are realistically achievable in the next year. The recommended treatments below are listed in priority order for consideration based on funding availability.

Priority 1: (HFRP Unit 1)

35.1 acres of Brush Management (314), Chemical - Ground Applied as an herbicide foliar sprayer to control Japanese Barberry, multiflora rose, and privet.

35.1 acres of Herbaceous Weed Treatment (315), Forest Herbaceous Chemical Ground to control

Priority 2: (HFRP Unit 2)

25.2 acres of Brush Management (314), Chemical - Ground Applied as an herbicide foliar sprayer to control Japanese Barberry, multiflora rose, and privet.

25.2 acres of Herbaceous Weed Treatment (315), Forest Herbaceous Chemical Ground to control

Priority 3 (HFRP Unit 3):

4.88 acres of Brush Management (314), Chemical - Ground Applied as an herbicide foliar sprayer to control Japanese Barberry, multiflora rose, and privet.

4.88 acres of Herbaceous Weed Treatment (315), Forest Herbaceous Chemical Ground to control