A collaborative habitat restoration project: Restoring Pine-Oak Forests in the Cumberland Plateau is underway in East Tennessee. Tennessee Wildlife Federation in partnership with the Forest Stewards Guild, Sewanee: The University of the South, and Berea College is restoring pine-oak forest habitats on the Cumberland Plateau.
Tennessee Wildlife Federation is one of the largest and oldest nonprofits dedicated to conserving the state’s wildlife and natural resources.
Pine-oak forests on the Plateau are dominated by a mixture of shortleaf pine and oaks. Both Tennessee and Kentucky have experienced a 50 percent reduction in shortleaf pine since 1980. Causes of the decline include absence of fire on the landscape, not replanting shortleaf pine after management activities, conversion to non-native forest types, and disease.
The project will restore native pine-oak forest habitats on the Plateau by engaging landowners and connecting them with forest management professionals to develop forest management plans. Restoration activities to enhance wildlife habitat will include timber management, prescribed burns, and planting shortleaf pine.
The Federation’s director of conservation Chris Roberts is guiding conservation best practices and acting as a conduit to Tennessee landowners interested in the project.
“It’s exciting to see landowners interested in restoring forest habitats on the Plateau—to return to its natural state and better support wildlife,” said Roberts. “As part of my habitat conservation work with the Federation, I’m encountering more and more landowners interested in taking a more long-term approach to managing their land.”
Sewanee will host a full-day workshop on Saturday, April 14, 2018 at the Domain Forest at Sewanee, Tenn., from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., for resource professionals and private landowners to share lessons in stewarding the shortleaf pine woodland and enhancing wildlife habitat. Interested individuals may visit foreststewardsguild.org for more details.
“We are looking forward to getting more shortleaf restoration accomplished on our property, and with the help of the Tennessee Wildlife Federation and Forest Stewards Guild, we hope that we can be a model for best practices in the region,” said Dr. Ken Smith, Sewanee professor of forestry and assistant dean of environment.
Site identification and selection are currently underway. To date, sites in Grundy, Van Buren, Franklin, Fentress, and Marion counties have been identified for restoration of more than 20,000 acres of land.
Landowners interested in exploring restoration opportunities are still being sought.
“The Forest Stewards Guild is thrilled to be part of this much needed project,” added Nick Biemiller, southeast regional coordinator for The Forest Stewards Guild. “Providing expertise and landowner assistance with management plan development, outreach, and coordinating restoration activities is a welcome opportunity for us to mobilize resources we have in the region to make a difference in these habitats.”
The project is funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Cumberland Plateau Stewardship Fund and the Lyndhurst Foundation in Chattanooga. Additional funds have been contributed by the Friends of South Cumberland State Park.
About Tennessee Wildlife Federation
Tennessee Wildlife Federation leads the conservation, sound management and wise use of Tennessee’s great outdoors. Since 1946, the Federation has led the development of the state’s wildlife policy, advanced landmark legislation on air and water quality and other conservation initiatives, helped restore numerous species, and introduced thousands of kids to the great outdoors. To learn more, visit tnwf.org.
