Resource Management
Resource Management
The National Forests in Alabama include approximately 668,000 acres of National Forest System land in the Southern Appalachian Mountains, Cumberland Plateau, Piedmont and Coastal Plain areas of the state. There are four National Forests, divided into six ranger districts. Learn more about the National Forests in Alabama by clicking here
Forest Management: Plans and Projects
The Forest Plan provides a framework for management for the National Forests in Alabama. Individual projects are proposed to meet the goals and objectives outlined in the Forest Plan. Project decisions are posted by ranger districts for viewing or downloading. Questions about projects should be directed to the contact listed within the project documents.
The National Forests in Alabama has four forests with six ranger districts.
To view documents for Bankhead National Forest, use the following link:
To view documents for Conecuh National Forest, use the following link:
To view documents for Talladega National Forest, use one of the following links:
To view documents for Tuskegee National Forest, use the following link:
Visit the national web site for additional information at www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth.
Forest Management: Bats
White-nose syndrome is causing a steep decline in bat populations and the Forest Service recognizes the role it plays in providing high-quality habitat to support remaining populations. Bats, for example, consume insects that destroy crops and harvestable timber, and they pollinate plants and crops. It is believed that more than 5.7 million bats have died because of white-nose syndrome, a disease that affects hibernating bats and is caused by a fungus. The Forest Service is committed to collaborating with partners to enhance bat conservation. Bats can travel hundreds of miles; the conservation of bats, therefore, requires us to share stewardship of the lands on which they depend. There are national and international efforts underway to support bat conservation, including reducing the impact of white-nose syndrome. Bat conservation efforts include federal agencies, states and tribes, as well as academic and citizen science. Bats need healthy, diverse natural areas to thrive; this aligns with the Forest Service’s ethos of conservation and the interdependence of all life. Our role as land managers of the National Forest System means we are uniquely situated to be part of the solution. Bats inhabiting high-quality summer, spring emergence and fall swarming habitat are likely to enter and exit winter hibernation in good health, improving their ability to survive exposure to white-nose syndrome. The Forest Service is taking proactive steps for bats and forested lands; this includes creating a more diverse, healthier forest to support strengthening bat health before wintertime.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How does forest management affect bats?
A: While many bat species hibernate in caves and mines during the winter, come summertime, they can travel hundreds of miles to roost and raise their young in trees and, occasionally, in buildings and other structures. At night, they forage for insects under tree canopies, in meadows, along “edge” habitats (where forests and open areas come together), and over open water (such as streams and ponds).
How we manage forests, therefore, directly influences the health of bats. A more open forest allows sunlight to filter through to the ground, giving life to wildflowers, grasses and shrubs. Bees, butterflies and other pollinators feast on these flowers. Bats forage in these open places.
By making our forests sunnier, we can support a diversity of life. We use a variety of tools to manage the forest, including:
- Using prescribed fire to encourage the growth of wildflowers, grasses and shrubs (by keeping woody brush from taking over).
- Using forest management practices to create more open forests, such as selectively removing or harvesting trees.
- Removing non-native, invasive plants fosters the growth of native plants. (That’s because invasive plants typically are transplants from distant places. Once free from the natural checks and balances in their native habitats, they can spread out of control. They hoard light, water and nutrients, and they can alter entire ecosystems by changing soil chemistry.)
- Protecting large trees near streams provides shelter for bats.
- Leaving large, standing, dead trees, often called snags, to provide shelter and food for bats.
Q: What is white-nose syndrome?
A: White-nose syndrome is a disease that affects hibernating bats and is caused by a fungus. Sometimes the fungus looks like a white fuzz on bats’ faces, which is how the disease got its name. The fungus grows in cold, dark and damp places. It attacks the bare skin of bats while they’re hibernating in a relatively inactive state. As it grows, the fungus causes changes in bats that make them become active more than usual and burn up fat they need to survive the winter. Bats with white-nose syndrome may do strange things like fly outside in the daytime in the winter. It is believed that more than 5.7 million bats have died because of the disease so far. To date, no effective treatments for the disease have been discovered.
Q: Where did white-nose syndrome come from?
A: White-nose syndrome was first detected in New York in 2006 and has quickly spread throughout the eastern United States and Canada. It is believed that the disease was inadvertently introduced from Europe.
Q: What is the Four Bats Conservation Collaborative?
A: The Four Bats Conservation Collaborative is a cooperative partnership established between the Forest Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Together, we have been working toward shared goals of bat conservation under the Endangered Species Act. We seek to manage the habitats in and around the surviving populations of the Indiana, northern long-eared, tricolored and little brown bats on 25 million acres of National Forest System lands in the eastern United States to aid species recovery through a proactive bat conservation strategy. The collaborative spans the Forest Service’s Eastern and Southern regions.
Timber and Special Forest Product Sales
Forest management continues to play an important role in the overall health of our national forest. Sound timber management practices help establish and maintain healthy and productive forests and ecosystems that are more resistant to insect attacks, diseases, ravages of fire and climatological events.
Timber Sales
Currently Advertised | Remarks |
---|---|
Kiosk IRTC |
Shoal Creek Ranger District |
Mudcat West Timber Sale |
Oakmulgee Ranger District |
Horseblock Salvage DxP IRTC |
Shoal Creek Ranger District |
Skyway Salvage DxP IRTC |
Shoal Creek Ranger District |
Alerts & Warnings
- Oakmulgee Ranger District-South Sandy Shooting Range Closure
- Tuskegee NF- Closure of FSR 908
- Tuskegee National Forest Road and Trail Closures
- Kentuck Trail Closure
- Talladega NF – Shoal Creek District - Closure of FSR 548
- Tuskegee NF-Change in walk-in services offered (Sale or issuance of passes/maps)
- PUBLIC NOTICE REGARDING ATVs
- Rules for Forest Visitors
- Law Enforcement Prohibited Acts