Feral Swine Hunt on Black Warrior Wildlife Management Area Begins September 2

Hunting season is right around the corner! There is a feral swine hunt on the Black Warrior Wildlife Management Area scheduled for September 2 - 14 this year. For this feral swine hunt a state hunting license and a Black Warrior WMA Map Permit are required. The Map Permit (map and regulations, 2 pages) can be printed by visiting www.outdooralabama.com. For this special feral swine season, the firearms and archery equipment are as specified for the WMA Stalk Gun Deer Hunts. Hunter orange requirements apply. Dogs are not allowed. The hunt is during daylight hours only. The feral swine hunt is open on Zone A and Zone B of the Black Warrior Wildlife Management Area.

Bankhead Liaison Panel Meeting Scheduled for August 29

A public meeting of the Bankhead Liasion Panel will be held Thursday, August 29, 2013. The meeting begins at 6:00 PM and will be held at the First National Bank in Double Springs. The public is encouraged to attend this public meeting to learn more about the management of and issues affecting your National Forest. Agenda items for Thursday night's meeting include At Risk Rare Species Conservation, the Greater Collier Watershed Forest Health & Restoration Project including shortleaf pine woodland restoration, Horse trail maintenance project updates, and local Fall Landowner Worshop Series information. For additional information about the meeting or the Bankhead Laision Panel, please call the Bankhead District office at (205) 489 - 5111.

Invasive Plant Control Workshop in Haleyville

A printable copy of the flyer is available here.

Planting Wildlife Food Plots Workshop

Spenser Bradley, NW Ala. Regional Extension Agent,
on role of food plots in wildlife management.

Wildlife food plots was the focus of a workshop held recently in Double Springs at the Emergency Operations Center.  24 people attended the program, which was certified for PLM points and CFE points for foresters.  The Winston County Natural Resources Council, the Winston County Commission, and a number of other cooperating agencies helped sponsor this program.

Andy Baril, Central Ala. Regional Extension Agent,
gives examples of food plot species.

Matt Brock, Wildlife Biologist on the Black Warrior
WMA, explains role of food plots on WMA.

Ernie Stephens, Conservation Enforcement Officer, explains changes to hunting laws.

Stephens gives examples of legal and illegal feeding stations under the new law.

Herbicide Workshop at Moreland Community Center

Eugene Brooks, Forest Silviculturist, NFs in Alabama

The Herbicide workshop was held on August 10, at the Moreland Community Center.  The workshop also included a herbicide demonstration site visit in the Collier watershed.  The WCNRC helped sponsor this workshop.

Eugene Brooks, Forest Silviculturist, NFs in Alabama

Dr. Andy Ezell, Professor of Forestry, Miss. State Univ.

Mark Hainds, Longleaf Alliance

August Council Meeting Minutes

The Winston County Natural Resources Council met on August 15, 2013, at 9:00 a.m. at the U. S. Forest Service Office in Double Springs.  Present were John Creed, Jeremy McDonald, Mike Henshaw, and Allison Cochran.

Several members were attending the Soil and Water Conservation Districts Regional Meeting in Hamilton.

Johnna Franks, Treasurer, text messaged that the balance in the treasury was $13,769.54.

• John Creed gave an update on Al Tucker, retired U. S. Forest Service employee, who has been undergoing treatment for a serious condition.  John said that Al's treatments have been successful and he's improving.
• Rock Creek Watershed Management Meeting will be held on August 15, at 6 p.m., in Addison, at the Traders and Farmers Bank.
• Report on Planting Wildlife Food Plots Program
• Invasive Plant Control Program will be held from 9 a.m to noon on September 4, at Rocky Ravine Park in Haleyville.
• Recreational Fish Pond Management Program will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, September 18, at Jeanie Lake in Double Springs.
• Management of Feral Swine in Winston County workshop will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, October 3, at the Double Springs Municipal Building.
• A Pasture Walk and Rotational Grazing Demonstration will be on Saturday, September 21, from 9 a.m. to noon at Lake Country Farm in Arley.
• Allison reported on the Herbicide Workshop that was held at the Moreland Community Center recently.  The program featured several experts on herbicides and their environmental effects.  A field tour to a herbicide demonstration area in the Collier watershed was part of the tour.
• Next Liaison meeting will be held at 6 p.m., on August 29, in Double Springs at the Traders and Farmers Bank.  This meeting will feature a presentation by Shannon Holdbrooks, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, about "at risk" species.
• I gave a presentation to an inservice training for various agencies about the Winston County Natural Resources Council.  Several other counties are attempting to form natural resources councils.
• Discussion of the Alabama Natural Resources Council's mission statement, and possible WCNRC mission statement.
• PLM's and CFE's for council meetings
• Winston County TREASURE Forest Association status
• Allison reported on a pollinator workshop that she attended in Cullman that was sponsored by the Xerces Society and NRCS.
• Ernie Stephens, Conservation Enforcement Officer, will be speaking at a Hunters Seminar being sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Winston County.  The program and BBQ meal is $10 per person and will be held on Saturday, August 24, at the Winston County High School Cafeteria at 6 p.m. Tickets are available Traders and Farmers Bank in Haleyville and Double Springs, and the First National Bank in Double Springs.

Mike Henshaw, Secretary
WCNRC

Rare plant known from Bankhead National Forest proposed for federal listing

The US Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed endangered species act protection (federal listing) and critical habitat designation for three plants in the Southeastern United States.  One of those plants, the fleshy-fruit gladecress is known from the Bankhead National Forest in Lawerence County, Alabama.  Learn more about the efforts and how to comment at the link below.

http://www.forestryed.com/ftp/USFWS2ListPlants2USE.pdf

The US Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and a host of partners have been working to conserve and improve habitat for the fleshy-fruit gladecress on Bankhead for many years.

August Meeting of the WCNRC

The August meeting of the Winston County Natural Resources Council will be held at 9:00 a.m., on Thursday, August 15, at the U. S. Forest Service Office in Double Springs. 

Pasture Walk Planned for Arley

For printable flyer, click here.

Web Soil Survey available for Winston County

This image is a screen shot of a session of Web Soil Survey available online from the Natural Resources Conservation Service.  I found it takes a little time to learn the interface, but I was able to get soils information for a site near Arley.  It also printed out a useful map once I had selected the area of interest.  It seemed to work much better in Microsoft Internet Explorer than with another browser, but that might just be my computer.  I'm adding a link to Web Soil Survey to the blog's link section.