The facility will include 70 parking spaces for
trucks and trailers and approximately 12

spaces for cars. It will have drinking water and:
toilets and be accessible for all recreational :
users. Site preparation has already started with
construction planned for the summer of 2009.
Completion is anticipated in 2010.

Project Improves Monday Creek
Water Quality

Work on an abandoned mine project called
Valley Junk has made a significant difference
in the water quality for Monday Creek.

Located on 7 acres east of Nelsonville, the
project has stopped approximately 20-million
gallons of surface water from draining into the
underground mine complex and reacting with
coal to create acid mine drainage.

A soldier watches as the equipment operator
inspects his equipment while cleaning up a large
The project closed 9 areas where the mine : illegal dump on the Wayne National Forest.
roof collapsed under the old stream channel, — ‘

redesigned the main channel, and cleared : Military Assists the Wayne

mine waste products from the side drainages. {In 2008, the U.S. Army Reserve 779th

In the last five years, several million dollars : Engineering Company from Parkersburg, WV
have been invested by the U.S. Forest Service, 4 worked with the Forest on two projects that
Ohio Department of Natural Resources : helped soldiers receive real-world equipment
Division of Mineral Resources Management, —:_ operations training. The Wayne saved more
Monday Creek Restoration Project, and other : than $56,000 by working with the Army.
local watershed groups to restore watershed —

health in the area. = The first project was an illegal dump that may
$ have dated back over 60 years and over-

flowed onto private land. The dump was adja-
cent to the North Country National Scenic
Trail, in addition to being an eyesore was a
pathway for water runoff into the Little
Muskingum River. The partnership removed
160 tons of trash and over 400 tires to protect
the watershed.

The second project involved the reconstruc-
tion of a roadbed and two culvert replace-
ments on the access road to Kinderhook horse
trail. The parking area was also improved. The
completion of the two projects led to the sign-
ing of a memorandum of understanding
between the Army Reserve unit and the
Wayne to continue to work on projects in the
future.


A“ = a

NONITEMEN. WAYNE NATIONAL FOREST
The U.S. Department of
agriculture prohibits discrimt- 2008 PAYMENTS TO COUNTIES

nation in all its programs and
activities on the basis of race, In 2008, Ohio counties received $2.31-$5.66/acre (average was $3.53/acre) for NF lands within their
color, national origin, sex, reli- counties. Although national forests do not pay property taxes for land managed by the federal govern-
gion, age, disability, political ment, these are funds paid in lieu of taxes to compensate local governments for the land taken off the
Defi SEXIR OFFENIERMEON Or tax rolls, Counties also benefited from the reauthorization of the Secure Rural Schools and Community

marital or farnlly status, {rot Self-Determination Act as part of Public Law 110-343. In addition, monies were also paid for road proj-

all prohibited bases apply to ; i :
all programs.) Persons with ects, cooperative law enforcement, and volunteer fire department support.
disabilities who require alter- Secure Rural Mineral Total
native means for communica- County NF Acreage PILT Payment Schools Payments Ais ead
tion of program information Payments sianote |
(Braille, large print, audio Athens 18,632 $25,376 $50,100 $7,435 $82,911
tape, etc.) should contact Gallia 17,563 22,694 29,069 6,804 58,567
a eae cornea Hocking 26,002 47,746 56,324 2,897" 106,967
ea fetes and inclech 1,701 3,130 4,315 679 8,124
Tie a complain of decries Lawrence 73,368 132,358 9,568 27,839 169,765
ination write USDA Director, Monroe 24,414 31,614 55,850 9,690 97,154
Office of Civil Rights, Room Morgan 3,328 6,167 11,369 1,328 18,864
326-W, Whitten Building, Noble 694 1,174 2,431 277 3,882
1400 Independence Avenue, Perry 22,270 40,934 60,791 8,840 110,565
Washington, DC 20250-9410 Scioto 11,625 21,366 26,409 4,639 52,414
or call 202/720-5964 (voice Vinton 1,869 2,409 6,567 746 9,722
or TDD). USDA i al Washington 39,511 50,145 65,773 15,706 131,624
oO eee va’ TOTAL 240,977 $385,113 $378,566 $86,880 $850,559

* An overpayment in 2006 resulted in a reduced amount paid to Hocking County.

(A | Seat? BESS PS EB

WAYNE
Nakional Forest

USDA Forest Service * Wayne National Forest
13700 US Highway 33, Nelsonville, OH 45764



ATHENS RANGER DISTRICT
& MARIETTA UNIT

“We had a great: Partners in Action

year. 2009 prom- ; In July 2008, the Wayne began a new partner-
ises fo be busy : ship with the Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS) to

= remove autumn olive, an invasive plant, from

with some = grass and shrubland ecosystems on the Athens
exciting projects.” :

-Devela Clark,
District Ranger

The Return of the American
Burying Beetle

After 20 years of being listed as a federal :
endangered species, the American burying bee-
tle (ABB) returned to the Forest when 288 pairs
of the beetle were released June 25, 2008.

Male and female beetles | Ranger District. Several species including
were placed in excavated 3 grouse, bobwhite, turkey and the Henslow‘s
holes with a quail carcass. : sparrow, a declining species and a Regional
Twelve days later biolo- 3 Forester Sensitive Species, will benefit from
gists returned and found : this activity.

that reproduction had :
taken place and larvae
were thriving on several
quail carcasses. Biologists
will continue to monitor
the insects.

= The RGS had the ideal equipment for the proj-
; ect, a Cat 297C skid steer with a mulcher. This
; machine is capable of removing autumn olive
= shrubs in seconds. The win-win situation ben-
: efits the Wayne by mechanically reducing

= fuels, restoring early successional habitat,

; removing non-native invasives, and restoring

: wildlife habitat. RGS benefits by promoting

: conditions suitable for ruffed grouse,

: American woodcock and related wildlife to

$ sustain our sport hunting tradition and outdoor
; heritage.

U. S. Forest Service per-
sonnel and partners from
the Ohio State University
U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Ohio Dept of
Natural Resources -
Division of Wildlife, The =
Wilds, and the St.Louis | Frontier Boat Launch

Zoo were responsible for = Design Phase Completed
the placement of the beetles:

onto the Forest.

; In 2008, the Forest started the design phase of
} the new 2.2 million dollar boat launching

: facility on the Ohio River. Funded by a grant

: from the Ohio Department of Natural

= Resources, the new facility will be located

: between Grandview and New Matamoras on «
i State Route 7. f

age |

The Forest is now planning
to release even more
American burying beetles in
2009.



“I've had a

working with

we serve.”

-Tim Slone,
District Ranger

American Chestnuts

Planted on the Wayne

In a partnership with the Wayne, the American
Chestnut Foundation, Ohio University;

and researchers from the U.S. Forest Service
Research Lab in Delaware, Ohio, several hun-
dred disease-resistant American chestnut
seedlings were planted on reclaimed strip mine
sites on the Forest last spring.

Both the Athens and Ironton
Districts planted some of the

inmates from the Federal
Corrections Institute of Ashland,
KY assisted in planting the trees.
Boy Scout Troop #38 from

a hand as well.

wiped out by blight in the early
20th century, and the surviving
trees remain vulnerable to the

cross breeding with the Chinese chestnut,
researchers have developed a blight-resistant
hybrid that is 15/16" American chestnut. The
Wayne hopes perhaps later this century the
American chestnut will once again be common
on our landscape.

Jat TM

S. Forest

The Forest will plant even more American chest-
nut trees in 2009.

IRONTON RANGER DISTRICT

: Archery Trail Opens

warm welcome :
dea rea and i The Wayne, in partnership with the National Wild

look forward to :

: Chapter, developed a new half-mile archery trail
E with 18 field target sites. The “Longbow Trail” is
the community :
$ Recreation Area. The trail provides unique oppor-
H tunities for archers to test their skills in a forested
5 setting.

; The trail was financed with a NWTF Wheelin’

i Sportsman grant of almost $35,000, with an addi-

} tional contribution of $65,000 from the Forest,

: which helped pur-

Department of Environmental and Plant Biology, ; chase ang ee

$ two prefabricated

: trail bridges, trail

5 signs, and fund

: trail maintenance.

Many local organ-

H izations and indi-

} viduals also

; donated hundreds

seedlings. On the Ironton District, :
: with the project.

: The Wayne and

} NWTF plan to

H have the trail extended in 2009 to provide addi-

} tional parking and 8 fully accessible shooting tar-

Proctorville, OH came out to lend :
: gets.

The American chestnut was nearly :
: of Cambria Tract

} With help from The Nature Conservancy, the

H Wayne celebrated the successful completion of a
fungus. However, through years of
: land to the Wayne National Forest in southeastern
H Ohio in October 2008.

H In 2008, the Conservancy transferred 1,665 acres
} in Lawrence County and 514 acres in Gallia

4 County to the U.S. Forest Service, completing a

} land protection project that began in 2004, when
: the Conservancy began buying the land from

: Mead-Westvaco Corp.

TY \\\) AN EERE

Turkey Federation's (NWTF) South Hills Longbeard

located across from the boat dock in the Vesuvius

of hours assisting
Keith Brammer from Chesapeake,

Ohio takes aim at a target on the
new “Longbow Trail.”

Wayne Completes Purchase

partnership that added more than 4,100 acres of


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The entire tract was purchased by the U.S. Forest
Service in four acquisitions over three years.

Prescribed Burn
Successful

Locally known
as the Cambria
tract, the prop-
erty has his-
toric value. The
Underground
Railroad was

i Firefighters from the Wayne were
: pleased with the 2008 400-acre
; Young's Branch prescribed burn.
= The bum area is located in
: Decatur Township in Lawrence
County and Vernon and Bloom
H townships in Scioto County.
active inthis =
wen'and the i The Wayne uses prescribed burn-
= ing to manage habitat for wildlife
= by maintaining forest health and
: promoting the growth of benefi-
= cial plant species. It also reduced
: hazardous fuels (fallen trees) that
= were left behind from the historic
3 2003 ice storm, returning vital

District Ranger Tim Slone, Acting historic Pioneer

Forest Supervisor Jerri Marrand ron Furnace
Josh Knights, Executive Director stack is located
of the Conservancy in Ohio.

on the proper-
ty. Numerous beaver ponds and picturesque

sandstone rock outcroppings are scattered about
the property.

Wayne NF firefighter Derrick

nutrients to the soil. This burn also ]/]].TM.// 7 i. irae
helps re-establish oak and hickory [Rage eeeel eit ene
trees, supporting wildlife habitat in ERGIaeey

the area. burn,

Since 1989, The Nature Conservancy, a private
conservation organization, has worked with the
Wayne National Forest to protect several tracts.

County Roads Benefit From Forest Highway Improvements
Forest highways provide access to the Wayne National Forest. The Forest Highway Program for
Ohio is administered and funded through the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Projects are
cooperatively selected and managed by Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), FHWA and
the Wayne National Forest. These funds may be used for the planning, design and construction of
highways, roads, parkways, and transit facilities that provide access to or within National Forest
System lands.

Ohio typically receives approximately $200,000 annually in forest highway funds, which require a
20 percent local match. The following chart shows the amount of federal highway dollars (total for
2006-2009 of $1.8 million) that have been or will be used for forest highways in Gallia, Monroe,
Lawrence, and Washington counties.

FOREST HIGHWAY MONEY
FOR COUNTY PROJECTS

2006-2009
Project Total Dollars
Bridge Replacement,Fish Passage, State Hwy 26 $580, 000
Paddle Creek Bridge Replacement $50,000
Bridge Replacement, Old Camp Road 88 $88,280
Bridge Redecking, Ring Mill/Benton Twp 575 $30,000
Bridge Replacement, Rinard Mills Rd 138 $383, 000
(3) Fish Passage Culverts, Peniel Road 68 $100, 000
Bridge Replacement, Stonehouse $350, 000 Rinard Mill Bridge was one of the projects

Road Reconstruction, County Road 9 $215, 000 funded with federal highway funds.


A LETTER FROM THE SUPERVISOR

As you read about some of our: Restoration of ecosystems and watersheds -
highlights this past year, hope: for example, continuing and expanding the
you feel as proud as | am of the H watershed restoration work on abandoned
work that was accomplished by mine lands, and sustaining an active effort to

the Wayne's full-time and season- : T@store the oak ecosystem.

al employees. Many thanks to : Recreation - the promotion of safe and legal
Jerri Marr for coming over from H off highway vehicle use, updating our recre-
the Monongahela National Forest : ation facilities, and interpreting the rich history

to work as the acting Forest + and ecology of southeastern Ohio.

Supervisor for half of the year, | Community - we will continue to work with
since Mary Reddan retired in = partners and other agencies to be involved in
the spring. 5 natural resource, economic and environmental

} sustainability efforts locally and statewide.

When | arrived here in August
2008 as the new Forest Supervisor, | learned right H | look forward to learning more about the
away southeastern Ohio and the Wayne National : Wayne and its niche in the National Forest sys-
Forest are unique places to live and work. As we } tem, as well as in the Appalachian region.

go forward into 2009, | see three primary priori- Pap)

ties to help the Wayne National Forest implement ; Jo Kee _
the strong, ecologically based Forest Plan; 5 Jo Reyer

} Forest Supervisor

WAYNE
Notional Forest

‘~~ Wayne National Forest

Proctamation Bound: .
act) Front cover image of the Monday Creek Trail System near Buchtel, Ohio

\ '\ @ Forest Service Offices contributed by Neil Osborne, Photographer/Student of Ohio University,
\ Athens, Ohio



FOREST HEADQUARTERS

Nelsonville, Ohio

Snake Ridge Lookout Tower
Gets a New Home

In 2008, the Snake
Ridge Lookout was
relocated and
reconstructed adja-
cent to the Wayne
National Forest
Headquarters
Office. This tower
once stood along
S.R. 278 southwest
of Nelsonville. It
was originally built
by the Civilian
Conservation Corps
in 1939.

The tower was dis-
mantled in the
1970s and donated
to Hocking College
where the top 50
feet was used for
firefighting exercise
drills. When the new Headquarters was built,
the Forest asked to use the tower as an inter-
pretive facility. The College was no longer
using the tower, so it was returned and the

Snake Ridge Lookout
Tower today at the
Nelsonville
Headquarters.

lower portion was re-fabricated to restore its
100-foot height.

On top of the tower is a remote camera that
shows an aerial view in the headquarter’s
lobby.

Increased Revenue for
Recreation Improvements
Early figures show approximately 16,000 trail
permits were sold in 2008, yielding about
$380,000 in revenue for the Forest. Despite a
24 percent drop (21,000 permits sold in 2007)
in trail permit sales, the Forest collected an
additional $120,000 from the previous year.
This was a direct result of the recreation fee
increase approved in 2008. Prior to this
abo. Omer ara Sat

action, the Forest
had not raised its
fees in 10 years.

During the scoping
process, the Forest
asked the public as
to what level of fee
increase they
would like to see.
The majority of the
public agreed to a noteable increase, as long as
additional services and amenties were provided.

At least 80 percent of the revenue will be used to
operate and maintain existing campgrounds, pic-
nic areas, and trails. These funds will also be
used to help finance new recreation projects
such as construction of trails, bathroom facilities,
parking areas, and bulletin boards. Construction
projects planned for 2009-2010 include a new
30-mile ATV trail connector with parking areas
and restroom facilities on the Ironton Ranger
District. On the Athens Ranger District, five addi-
tional miles will be added to the Monday Creek
ATV Trail system near Camp Ohio.

Wayne Completes Phase II

of Solar Panel Project

Additional solar capacity has been added to the
Headquarters building and in October, 2008
the office showcased its
new solar power system as
part of the Annual Ohio
Solar Tour. The Forest com-
pleted the installation of 30
additional solar panels, for
a total of 50, on the roof,
The panels offset energy
costs, reduce the environ-
mental footprint of the
headquarters building, and
provide educational oppor-
tunities to the public about
renewable energy.