Please follow along as a group I founded gains traction in efforts to protect our public land hunting heritage and success. Through uniting the voice of the hunters we are pushing for our state and federal agencies to move back towards productive and traditional game species management.
You can find our group on facebook here, also attached is an example of an recent update.
Please feel free to join our group and add your voice in supporting our mission.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/150085468852259/**UPDATE**
Many of our members may not remember the days of past when the Wild Turkey was virtually extinct or that the Turkeys of the Francis Marion National Forest along with some from West Virginia are the solel remaining pure genetic species of the Eastern Wild Turkey. It was these very special birds that were captured and used to re stock virtually all of the South East and thus they very much deserve recognition and, of course, the very best management techniques available for their species.
Over the past 8 years National Forests and especially Southern National Forests have seem to have forgotten these facts as they have aggressively burned huge tracts of land exceeding 1000 acres with high intensity growing season fire. Also at times they have created large super burn compartments totaling over 8000 acres of continuously burnt land. Obvioulsy this burn practice has negatively affected the the Eastern Wild Turkey, the Bobwhite Quail and also the fawning season of the Whitetail deer.
Over the past year CWS has had many meetings with both the USFS and SCNDR, which are both responsible for managing these species, in efforts to re emphasize positive and productive game management practices as to these key species.
Recently, CWS gained what we deem a great win for both the Eastern Wild Turkey and Bobwhite Quail concerning burn regimes on our National Forests.
This past year 2017 the FMNF alone saw @ 27,000 acres burned in large adjacent tracts during the growing season which for the USFS is April 1st to October 1st and coincides with the nesting season. Several nests were actually found burned in 2017 totaling four nests with approximately 30 plus eggs.
CWS was able to wade through the National Environmental Policy Act ( Nepa) and determined that the USFS Fire Environmental Assessment ( EA) had been surpassed as it only allows for an average of 12k to 16k acres to be burned during the growing season on a five year average.
Upon this recent meeting CWS truly gained a great win for the Wild Turkey as the USFS announced and gave CWS their word that they will only be burning 9,800 acres during the growing season in 2018 as compared to the 27,000 acres during the 2017 season!! Huge win for the Turkeys! Moving forward the USFS will place much more attention on their growing season averages which is simply put fantastic news!
Fire return intervals were also noted as being to close together as the Land Management Plan should only allow for a 2 year return interval for compartments set to be timbered ( site prep) or if there are Endangered Species noted in that compartment and as noted by US Fish and Wildlife need a close interval. So moving forward we should see more 3 year return intervals on areas which don't fall into these two arenas.
Burn Management Plans will now also be more inclusive and detailed as in the past they were very generalized with only Fuel Reduction, RCW habitat and Long Leaf Restoration mentioned. We hope to see them include protection of mast bearing trees and also game species positive management included in these plans moving forward!
Also noted was the re emphasis of Food Plotting by both the USFS and SCDNR.. We should see more positive plotting and wildlife opening maintenance and planting which will certainly help in years that have mast failures.
In short the meeting leads us to believe that the USFS is paying attention to our growing numbers, our concerns and that you the members are being heard!
Update to follow on SCDNR meetings as to the restoration and repair of Cat 1s WMA Waterfowl areas to include Samworth, Santee Delta and the Broad River flap gates which should be received any day. CWS is also looking forward to receiving the CAT 1 Management Plans from SCDNR showing goals and objectives moving forward.
As always it is your voice that gives us the strength and support to keep pushing for positive productive game species management to be re emphasized on our public lands.
You are all greatly appreciated !!! Lets keep growing as we approach our one year anniversary on April 6 of 2018. We are moving towards the 5,000 member mark in less than a year, that clearly says that we the hunter are uniting!!!
Keep up the great work out there with your observations and lets keep growing! Please share our group with a friend by simply typing there name in the add members column found on the top right of our page.
Every voice truly does count!!
