Forest Management Plan

Andy Tate of EcoForesters describes a healthy forest as more than just a lot of trees—it is a diverse forest with trees of different ages and sizes, a healthy understory, and a variety of species.

During his recent presentation to the Connestee Falls community, Andy explained that our forests have changed dramatically over the past 100 years. Historic logging, followed by decades of fire suppression, has resulted in forests dominated by middle-aged trees and dense understories. Species such as mountain laurel, rhododendron, red maple and sourwood have become increasingly common, while important fire-adapted species such as oaks, hickories and pitch pine are struggling to regenerate. Oaks are particularly important to the health and diversity of our forests, yet many are struggling to regenerate under the dense, shady conditions found in today's forests. Creating more open conditions can encourage young oaks and other desirable native trees to grow.

EcoForesters’ Forest Management Plan for Connestee Falls includes a 10-year strategy to improve forest health, increase biodiversity, reduce wildfire fuels, and encourage regeneration of target species such as oaks, hickories, and yellow/pitch pines. The work moves through different Management Units rather than treating the entire property at once.

The major focus in Year 1 is the Oakanoah/Taylor Demonstration Unit, a roughly 35-acre tract of relatively accessible, intact forest. Its accessibility and existing trails make this unit particularly well suited for residents to observe and learn about proactive forest management. The plan calls for thinning some of the overly dense understory and smaller, overly abundant trees to reduce wildfire risk, improve wildlife habitat, and give oaks, hickories and pitch pines better conditions for growth. Because prescribed burning is not currently being used at Connestee Falls, EcoForesters has identified several alternatives, including cutting or treating selected vegetation and using machinery where appropriate to reduce dense understory.

The first several years focus on Oakanoah/Taylor, Kelly Mountain and East Fork, followed by work in the Ogana, Amakola, Salola and Dotsi Management Units. EcoForesters envisions an ongoing cycle of selective thinning, understory reduction, invasive-species control and fuel management. The treatments are intended to gradually create forests with greater structural and species diversity, healthier desirable trees, improved wildlife habitat, better oak regeneration and reduced wildfire risk. In short, EcoForesters' vision is to gradually transform selected areas of Connestee Falls from dense, fuel-heavy forests into healthier, more diverse and more resilient forests—and to use the Oakanoah/Taylor Demonstration Forest as a place where residents can see what that transformation looks like.

The goal is not to change Connestee Falls' forests overnight. Forest stewardship is a long-term investment, and the work EcoForesters has outlined is intended to build healthier forests, improve habitat and reduce wildfire risk for generations to come.

Watch the EcoForesters’ Forest Management Plan presentation here: https://www.youtube.com/live/jrSjSEs6yN4

Read the EcoForesters’ Forest Management Plan here: https://www.connesteefallsnrs.com/managing-forest-health-draft