BALTIMORE DISTRICT

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Natural Resource Management

Raystown Lake's unique diversity of natural resources and those affected by the Project's existence are managed through good stewardship and sound land management techniques. The objective is to maintain and enhance the quality of these existing resources through an active management program designed to optimize the natural resource potential. The needs and desires of the project visitor will be considered in the stewardship of the Project's natural resources.

The Natural Resource Management Program is divided into three main programs: Wildlife Management, Forest & Habitat Management, and Fisheries Management which are outlined below.

Wildlife Management

The primary objectives for wildlife management are to maintain or enhance habitat components such as conifer cover, grassland habitat, riparian buffers and early successional forest that have been declining since the project was developed while providing large blocks of quality contiguous diverse forest for a variety of wildlife across the landscape. Staff member actively provide management solutions for invasive species, nuisance wildlife, deer management, and threatened and endangered species.

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Deer Management Program

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Raystown Lake will NOT be enrolled in DMAP for the 2013-2014 hunting season. NO DMAP coupons for Area 89 will be available.

Observations show that the Corps has reached their objectives of establishing adequate regeneration throughout Raystown’s forests therefore DMAP is not needed for the 2013-14 hunting season. However, deer populations are constantly changing so the Corps will continue to closely manage Raystown’s deer herd using thermal infrared surveys and vegetation surveys to determine DMAP applicability for future seasons.

This decision is also in response to the PA Game Commission’s Executive Order in response to confirmed cases of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) found in Blair and Bedford’s Counties. CWD Disease Mgmt Areas #2 (DMA 2) includes all Corps owned property on the western side of Raystown Lake. Hunters should become familiar with the Executive Order’s restrictions for Disease Management Areas (DMA) such as prohibitions on feeding and rehabilitation of deer, the use of urine-based lures, and transportation of specific cervid carcass parts out of the DMA. The potential for a decrease in deer populations from CWD exists so the Corps sees no need to further decrease the deer populations at Raystown until further results are found over the 2013-2014 hunting season.

All authorized hunting locations at Raystown Lake will continue to be open to normal hunting activities and hunters may continue to harvest does using a 4A tag and bucks using their antlered tag.

For more information on CWD, the Executive Order and DMAs visit, http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=1253813&mode=2.

FLIR Deer Survey and Forest Regeneration Results Summary

The Raystown Lake deer population may be one of the most studied in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. For the past ten years, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Raystown Lake has completed ten thermal infrared deer surveys at Raystown Lake and surveyed well over 1,000 vegetation sample plots to evaluate deer impact. The deer numbers prior to 2000 were well over 50 deer per square mile and forest conditions were severely degraded with browse lines throughout the project. With the use of funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Raystown was able to cap the deer study program with a series of deer infrared surveys and vegetation sampling that continued to show the improvements of keeping deer in balance with their habitat.

Results from fall infrared surveys in 2009 indicate that prior to hunting season; the deer population density was approximately 26 deer per square mile. The post hunting season deer density in January of 2010 was approximately 17 deer per square mile which is up from 12 deer per square mile in January of 2009. All project areas have shown increases in winter deer densities from the previous year. The western side of the lake continues to hold more deer even though the hunting pressure is greater. The amount of food and cover is adequate to support more deer and also results in a good return of fawns and also provides better protection for fawns. The eastern portion of the project known as Terrace Mountain continues to hold less deer due to poor habitat conditions.

Another important result found in the deer surveys was the movement of deer during the rifle deer season. Although the densities across the entire project remained the same, deer completely left some areas where hunting pressure was high and moved to areas where hunting pressure was less. This may sound like common sense, but also explains why hunters may indicate they see no deer during hunting seasons; however, they cause damage to vegetation the rest of the year.

Forest Regeneration surveys between 2004 and 2007 indicated a significant improvement in total seedlings per acre with goals being met on the western side of the lake but continued damage on the eastern side of the lake. This was a direct result of reducing deer numbers. Three additional vegetation surveys were completed in 2009 and 2010 using American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding. In total, over 400 vegetation plots were measured during this recent study. One of the studies compared vegetation inside and outside of deer fences. This is completed by comparing growth inside and outside of deer fence exclosures to determine the amount of seedlings and browse consumed by deer. Forty-eight plots were examined across four deer fence sites that represent both sides of the lake and different types of timber management. On average, 186 lbs of additional browse is removed from each acre on non-fenced sites compared to fenced sites. This translates into thousands of seedlings eaten and removed on every acre across the project. Again, samples revealed the west side of the lake was not browsed as hard as the eastern Terrace Mountain.

In summary, it is important to note that the amount of deer or deer density in an area does not determine the amount of deer impact. High deer numbers may be supported in good habitat without any impact and less than five deer per square mile may be devastating to habitat in poor condition. The Corps will continue to monitor progress of the program and be proactive in making adjustments.

Vegetation Improvements

The western side of the lake, where habitat has began to recover has shown increases in deer numbers from the previous winter and increases of about 800 seedlings per acre from 6,000 to 6,800. The eastern Terrace Mountain habitat has shown an increase of approximately 1,000 seedlings per acre from 700 to 1700. The 8,000 acres of Terrace Mountain remains well below the desired vegetation levels. Overall seedling numbers on plots increased 17 percent across the project. This number indicates approximately 12 million more seedlings, greater than one foot as compared to 2003. Oak seedlings increased 51 percent across the project for an increase of approximately 4 million additional oak seedlings greater than 12 inches. Competitive oaks increased in presence from 24 percent of plots in 2003 as compared to 42 percent in 2007.

On the western side of the lake where deer numbers have stabilized and regeneration has improved, the Corps has removed the DMAP program for the past few seasons. However, the Corps has continued the DMAP program on eastern side, Terrace Mtn. For the 2013-2014 hunting season there will be NO DMAP areas. All Corps owned authorized hunters property will continue to be open to normal hunting activities and hunters may continue to harvest does using a 4A tag and bucks using their antlered tag.

Forest and Habitat Management

In terms of forest and habitat management, the objectives are focused on the diversification within the major vegetation types to include different age classes of forest such as a higher diversity of forest composition and providing a diversity of field types to include herbaceous openings, cropland and more quality grasslands. Overall, the Raystown Project was divided into 18 management compartments. These compartments are approximately 800-1,400 acres in size and are defined by land use and defined boundaries such as roadways, right-of-ways and waterways. The defined management compartments allow the development of management recommendations which consider local conditions, but meet the overall objectives of the landscape goals.

Using 2012 as an example, all forest management annual work plan goals were achieved. Five different timber sale contracts were completed in FY 12. These contracts resulted in the commercial forest management of 192 acres. Of the total 192 acres harvested; 23 acres were stage one of a shelterwood harvest, 54 acres were clearcut and 115 acres were thinned. In terms of volume, 216,902 board feet of sawtimber and 4,959 tons of pulpwood was harvested on timber sales that were completed during FY 12. Revenues for timber sales completed in 2012 totaled $61,050.

In terms of habitat management, natural resource staff members manage about 200 acres in food plots, herbaceous openings, warm season grasses and quality cool season grasses and forbs. Additional areas are planted in crab apples, fruit orchards and other winter food sources to promote quality shrub communities. Edges are enhanced through edge cutting and hedgerows are created and enhanced with plant species that provide food and cover throughout all field management.

Fisheries Management

The 8,300-acre conservation pool is the largest lake contained wholly within the state of Pennsylvania. Raystown Lake is a highland reservoir that enjoys a two‑story fishery providing both cold-water and warm-water game species. Overall, the lake is oligotrophic in nature, with the embayments and shallower areas being more eutrophic than the rest of the lake.

The objective of the fisheries management program continues to be the establishment of an integrated fisheries management plan that includes fish structure placement, fish stocking, and fisheries population research.

Of particular emphasis is shoreline erosion. Both vegetative management practices and mechanical practices are employed to minimize erosion. These practices may include the use of gabions and rip rap, live stakes, live fascines, or branch packings and are to reduce soil run-off, preserve the maximum water storage capacity of the lake for flood control, maintain water quality, preserve and enhance the lake's fishery, and enhance the recreational opportunities through good water quality.

Caption

Logging operations as part of the forest management program

Other Resources

Partners

To accomplish mission objectives in the Natural Resource Management Program, multiple key partnerships at both the National and local level have been established. They include non-profit groups, local interest, other agencies and the public to assist the Raystown Lake staff in the development and management of the natural resource program.