Wayne

National Fo rest

2003

THE YEAR

IN REVIEW
From the Forest supervisor

2003 witnessed us celebrating two bicentennialmilestones: Ohio’s statehood and the commemoration

of Lewis and Clark’s Corps

of Discovery. Reflecting on

the changes this land has

witnessed over the past 200

years, I’ve felt encouraged

that we’re moving in the right

direction. I was pleased too

that the Wayne National Forest

was featured in the backdrop

for Ohio’s 200th birthday commemorative postage stamp.

The year began with a

devastating ice storm in the

southern part of the Forest.

From two to five inches of ice

shattered trees under its

weight. Over 100 miles of

trails were blocked with

downed trees, and roads were

closed for weeks. This natural

catastrophe galvanized our

employees and though the

job is far from complete,

we’ve spent much of the year

restoring the area and making

it once again safe for visitors. 

We ended the year on the

Ironton Ranger District with

one of our proudest moments

as we closed the valve at

Vesuvius Lake and saw the lake

began to refill. 

The Forest Service goal of

caring for the land and serving

people was put to a test on

the Wayne this year, and we

once again proved it to be a

value to which the Wayne was

committed. With our many

partners we stretched every

dollar and worked together on

a staggering array of projects. 

I was also humbled by the

outpouring of public interest

and dedication in helping us

develop alternatives to revise

our Forest Plan. Though we are

the Wayne’s caretakers, you

are the owners—and we

continue to look forward to

hearing from you! 

Wayne National Forest

13700 U.S. Highway 33

Nelsonville, OH 45764

740-753-0101

Mary Reddan

Wayne National Forest

Forest Supervisor

ATHENS

CHILLICOTHE

COLUMBUS

LANCASTER

ZANESVILLE

CINCINNATI

CLEVELAND

COLUMBUS

ATHENS MARIETTA

IRONTON

0 10 20 30 40 Miles 5 30 0 30 Miles 15

Wayne National Forest 

Proclamation Boundary

Forest Service Offices 

Wayne 

national forest
3

WE ARE COMMITTED

to protecting the Wayne

National Forest’s 236,000 acres

of public land and its many

unique resources. We protect

resources in a variety of ways,

from reducing fuel buildups

or prosecuting people caught

dumping trash, to building

bat gates to protect

endangered species.

For every project implemented,

several more are in the

planning stage. The Forest is

continually developing new

projects, seeking public

opinion, and developing

partnerships. 

This year saw the Forest move

closer to revising the Land and

Resource Management Plan,

developing alternative ways to

bring the document more in

line with our vision for the

new century. 

Since all forest resources

are not well served by low

intensity management, 2003

saw the harvesting of timber

once again used as a tool on

the Wayne to increase diversity, stimulate regeneration,

and move the area back to a

higher percentage of oak. 

Protecting your resources is

a team effort. Forest visitors

who treat the land with

respect and leave only

footprints help protect our

land. The many partners and

volunteers who assist in

maintaining our trails,

cleaning up our dumps and

restoring our waterways

provide an invaluable service

that enables us to better

protect our natural resources. 

INCREASED PROTECTION FOR T&E SPECIES 

In February 2003, the Forest

Plan was amended to increase

the protection provided to

threatened and endangered

(T&E) species on the Wayne

National Forest. Several

additional actions were

documented to help conserve these

species on national forest system

lands. This amendment will be

incorporated into the

plan revision effort.

the natural resources protect entrusted to us.

IMPLEMENTING THE HEALTHY FOREST

INITIATIVE ON THE WAYNE

The Healthy Forest Restoration Act was signed

in 2003. This legislation was designed primarily

to prevent catastrophic fires. While most

Americans think only of large western fires,

catastrophic wildfires have happened, and can

happen in Ohio. In 2001, wildfire burned 865

acres on the Wayne. In 1952, the worse year on

record, thousands of acres burned. 

On the Wayne National Forest, in the wake of

the devastation of the President’s Day ice storm

in 2003, damage on six counties on the Forest

was epic. Approximately 47,000 acres were

affected. There were places from the air where

the forest resembled a pile of pick-up sticks

with trees broken and piled haphazardly, quickly

curing into fuels and setting the area up for an explosive fire hazard. 

In a two part effort, the Forest worked to reduce the danger of wildfire and restore a healthy

forest. First, 100 acres of downed and broken trees along roadsides were treated. Fuels were

scattered or removed within 200 feet of six public roads to reduce the fire danger. 

Next, 930 acres most heavily impacted will be treated in 2004. The analysis and pre-work was

done in 2003 to prepare for this large-scale fuel treatment effort. These areas were inventoried for any threatened, endangered or sensitive species and mitigation measures are in place. 

Route 93 through parts of the Wayne

National Forest Ironton Ranger District in

Lawrence County was closed for over a

week due to trees and debris that had

fallen across the roadway.
4

ENFORCING LAW & PROTECTING THE FOREST

In addition to the scientists and managers on

the Wayne, there are also law enforcement

officers. These men and women work closely

with Ohio Conservation Officers and County

sheriff departments to ensure that laws are

enforced and visitors are safe on the Forest.

In 2003, four major marijuana cultivation

cases were successfully prosecuted with

more pending. 

Methamphetamine labs in the forest are an

ongoing problem with their associated hazards

to unsuspecting visitors and the environment. 

Two timber theft cases were investigated and are

awaiting prosecution by the US Attorney. 

Three convictions were made involving solid waste

dumping as the number of roadside dumps,

especially those involving hazardous waste,

continue to proliferate in the area.

As a result of these cases and the vigilance of our law enforcement officers and partners in

other agencies, the Forest continues to be a place people feel safe bringing their families.

MAINTAINING VIABLE POPULATIONS 

ON THE WAYNE

A viable population is one that has a given number and distribution of reproductive

individuals to ensure its continued existence in the planning area. Viability may be at-risk for

those species whose populations are in decline, or for those that are rare and rely on special

habitat conditions. 

Biologists on the Wayne, with the help of a committee of scientists, identified potentially

at-risk species within the planning area. They grouped these species by habitat needs and

selected focal species from each group. Life history information, population and habitat

trends, occurrences and threats, and conservation approaches were compiled for each of these

species. As the Forest Plan is revised, these conservation approaches will be incorporated as a

way to maintain viable plant and animal populations in the planning area. 

PUBLIC IDEAS HELP MOLD 

PLAN REVISION EFFORTS

This trash dump resulted in

convictions for individuals dumping

construction materials. The sentence

included 60 days jail/suspended plus

one year probation, 40 hours

community service, cost of cleanup, a

$500 fine, and court costs.

Small groups of citizens in Akron, Brookville, and

Athens, Ohio worked intently in small groups to

develop concepts for alternative ways to manage the

Wayne National Forest. Public participants in the

Wayne workshops represented diverse interests and

quickly learned first hand the challenges of melding a

wide variety of viewpoints into a workable

alternative. Each group struggled with conflicting

values and priorities but generally were able to reach

a compromise and most people were pleased with the

effectiveness of the process. 

The “themes” they developed for managing the forest will be used as the forest analyzes

different alternatives to revise the Wayne’s Land and Resource Management Plan. The draft for

the revised Forest Plan is expected to be complete by autumn 2004. 

A workshop participant points

out an area of concern to Forest

Supervisor Mary Reddan.
5

THE WAYNE NATIONAL

Forest exists because of the

need for restoration.

Historically they were “the

lands nobody wanted,” where

erosion and unmanaged use

prompted Ohio’s governor in

1934 to ask the Forest Service

to establish a national forest

in southeastern Ohio. 

Seventy years later we’re still

working toward that goal and

restoring the rich biodiversity

that is southeastern Ohio’s

legacy. The area is rich in

minerals and has been mined

extensively over the years

leaving a legacy of restoration

needs. In 2003 several

abandoned mines and

subsidences were restored

and innovative technology

is being evaluated with

potential to further clean up

acid drainage. 

After three years of work,

Lake Vesuvius is a place

anglers, campers and boaters

can again enjoy. Having

reconstructed the dam to meet

current safety requirements

and given the boat dock and

other areas a facelift, the

Wayne’s most popular

recreation area will be open

for business in the 2004

recreation season.

With the help of partners,

a wetland was restored

benefiting birds and wildlife,

as well as eliminating flooding

problems on a county road. 

Threatened, Endangered and Sensitive

Species: what we did to help 

the land to conserve restore our natural heritage.

FEDERAL SPECIES WAYNE NF ACTIVITIES

INDIANA BAT Survey known Indiana bat hibernaculum and mine openings. 

Construct bat-friendly gates at mine entrances. 

BALD EAGLE Conduct mid-winter surveys annually. 

AMERICAN BURYING BEETLE Completing an environmental analysis for reintroduction. 

RUNNING BUFFALO CLOVER Surveyed over 1,500 acres for plants in 2003 on Ironton district

& SMALL WHORLED POGONIA

REGIONAL FORESTER 

SENSITIVE SPECIES

BLACK BEAR Promote awareness through workshops, 

displays and handouts. 

BOBCAT Conduct scent station surveys. 

CERULEAN WARBLER Conduct territory mapping surveys in the Bluegrass Ridge area and

a breeding bird survey across the Forest.

HENSLOW’S SPARROW Monitor species in reclaimed strip mine areas. 

TIMBER RATTLESNAKE Complete annual surveys in suitable habitats. 

OHIO LAMPREY Preparing a conservation assessment. 

GRIZZLED SKIPPER Monitor quality of its habitat annually.

BLUE SCORPIONWEED Complete annual monitoring of populations.

BUTTERNUT Discovered and mapped several populations.

JUNIPER SEDGE Surveyed new population in May 2002.

YELLOW GENTIAN Protect existing population on the Athens Unit.

* Many of these activities could not occur without the help of partnerships or volunteers

New Technology on the Wayne

A legacy of past mining in southeast

Ohio left hundreds of seeps and

subsidences draining acid water into

our watersheds. Current technology is

limited and expensive, however a new

system, currently being tested on the

Wayne offers great promise at less

than 25 percent of the cost. 

The system is called pyrolucite bioremediation technology, and works by

running acidic runoff through a lined

tank with baffles filled with

limestone. The limestone is populated

with microbes which colonize

limestone and metabolize the iron and

manganese in the runoff. A granular ferric-oxide remains

that can be flushed from the system and sold commercially. 

Kimble Mine had the highest levels of iron on the Forest. The Wayne put in a small pyrolucite

system at this mine in 2003 to evaluate its success. Low costs and excellent results from the

project have resulted in plans to install a full-size system at Kimble Mine in 2004. 

Pyrolucite system removes iron

from acidic mine drainage.
6

THE FOREST THROUGH LEWIS’S EYES

Two hundred years ago Meriwether Lewis and his men launched the Corps of Discovery to

explore and document America’s resources. In 2003, as reenactors came through and

commemorative events were held along the Ohio River, the Wayne was there. If not with

educational programming, it was there as a backdrop, with forested landscape restored to

the way it may have looked in 1803.

As people came to celebrate this historic event we encouraged

them to rediscover the wonders the Wayne has to offer. The rebirth

of our eastern National Forests ranks as one of the most remarkable

conservation achievements of the century. The forests of the

Wayne may today be a place Lewis and his men would have felt

at home in. 

LAKE VESUVIUS—NEW AND

IMPROVED AND FILLED WITH WATER

The valve for Lake Vesuvius was closed on December 15, 2003 and the lake

began to fill. As of January 28, 2004, the lake had totally refilled and water

was coming over the spillway! 

The closing of the valve after the lake had been drained for three years was

the culmination of an extensive effort to rehabilitate the aging dam at Lake

Vesuvius. National dam safety standards were tightened in the 1980’s and

Lake Vesuvius was no longer in compliance in its ability to retain flood

waters. The $4.1 million dam and spillway renovation project reconstructed

the dam to meet the new standards. 

While the dam was being renovated, the boat ramp, parking area, and boathouse were also

expanded and reconstructed, and the lakebed was mapped. In preparation for the State

stocking bluegill, bass, catfish and crappie in spring 2004, volunteers constructed fish

habitat structures in the dry lakebed. These structures will provide cover and nesting for

fish. As the fish grow, Lake Vesuvius should again provide a world-class fishing experience

for anglers in southeast Ohio.

Wayne employee, Teena Ligman, teaching school

groups at a Bicentennial event in Marietta, Ohio.

A beautiful new boardwalk

around Lake Vesuvius was

completed in 2003 to top off

the Lake Vesuvius Dam

Reconstruction Project.

PARTNERS SAVE BIG BAILEY WETLAND

Big Bailey Wetland has been a landmark in

Athens County for 70 years, ever since the

mines abandoned a railroad bed that dammed

up a four-acre pool. The area soon became a

haven for wildlife, including kingfisher,

beaver, and wood duck, and featuring a Great

Blue Heron rookery at one end. 

Over time beaver activity backed up water,

threatening the county road. Working together

the Wayne and the Athens County Engineers

constructed a rock spillway and a water

control structure. Athens County provided heavy

equipment and operators for the project. The water

control structure allows biologists to control the water

depth and provide a more stable environment for plant

and animal communities.

A member of the Athens

County Engineers mans a

backhoe as Wayne National

Forest Employees Bob Kerber

(left) and Dan Anerino assist

at the Big Bailey wetland. 
7

NATIONAL FORESTS ARE

in the business of making

memories. We work hard to

provide a safe place for people

to come and spend their

leisure time. Several sites on

the Wayne provide premier

recreational experiences.

Here, people can enjoy a

tranquil day hiking, join a

wildflower hike, fish in a

secluded lake or bring their

children to a fishing derby.

Here, people can connect with

friends and appreciate

America’s great outdoors.

Our challenge is to balance

impacts of recreation and

needs of our neighbors with

the capacity of the land. Trail

maintenance and construction

are on-going. Natural processes and events, such as the

ice storm require projects to

mitigate a problem while

minimizing environmental

impacts and keeping people

safe while visiting the Forest.

The Wayne National Forest

also contributes to the economy of the area. The forest

consistently leads the region

in the number of special uses

granted to private individuals

or companies. Oil and gas

wells, road and utility access

rights-of-way, grazing permits,

and even timber sales are a

dynamic component of the

Forest benefiting many people.

New visitor maps, annual

reports, and a dynamic website

have provided updated

information and opportunities

to people in 2003.

LAND ACQUISITION

The Wayne grew by one percent in 2003,

adding 2,537 acres to the National Forest. An

additional 80 acres of mineral rights were also

added. The largest tract was a 1,475-acre parcel

acquired in Hocking County. This acquisition

was welcomed by all-terrain vehicle riders since

it allowed the Forest to connect two main trail

corridors in the Monday Creek ORV Area. 

Another banner achievement in 2003 was a land exchange involving the Wayne National

Forest, The Nature Conservancy, the Village of New Straitsville and a private land owner. The

exchange allows the Perry County village, tucked in against National Forest land on all sides,

to grow while protecting wetland and forest in the Wayne National Forest. 

The Forest Service transferred 105 acres of land within the Village of New Straitsville to a

local builder in exchange for three parcels of land totaling 95.56 acres—including a 14-acre

wetland. Preparations are underway to subdivide the land and prepare the site for

constructing some 70 homes. 

INTERPRETING

THE AREA’S AFRICANAMERICAN HISTORY

A grant with the Historic Black Colleges and Universities

Program allowed the Wayne to launch an extensive

research project on the area’s African American heritage. Two known sites on the Forest, Payne’s Crossing

and Pokepatch, were once inhabited primarily by

African American families. Both communities have

essentially disappeared leaving only cemeteries behind.

However, at one time both were thriving communities

active with the Underground Railroad. 

The information Wayne researchers uncovered about

these historic communities is of interest to so many

people that a website was designed for those who

have family ties to Payne’s Crossing. The website

(www.fs.fed.us/r9/wayne/heritage) includes census data; land record data, birth, death, and

marriage records for the Payne’s Crossing area for the years 1820–1870. 

for people, now provide and into the future.

Gravestone in Payne Cemetery of a

man who served with the US Colored

Troops during the Civil War.

The Wayne acquired Tansky Wetland

as part of a land exchange.
NONDISCRIMINATION STATEMENT

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin,

sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.)

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should

contact USDA’s TARGET Center at 202/720-2600 (voice and TDD). 

To file a complaint of discrimination write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue,

SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call 202/720-5964 (voice or TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. 

PARTNERS SHARE

STEWARDSHIP

Behind every accomplishment on the

Wayne are partners and volunteers who

contribute advice, time, labor, or

money toward the ultimate success of

each venture. In reflecting on each

of these proud moments, we are

reminded of the many people and

agencies who stand with us and

continue to provide stewardship of

the Wayne National Forest.

TRAILS Never has the Forest seen such an all-out effort to

maintain trails as what followed the ice storm last winter. The

area was closed to visitors for a time while the Forest scrambled

to reduce the hazard. Maintenance crews were brought in to

clear some trails, contracts let to clear others, and amazingly by

April 15th when the trail season opened, the trails were

relatively safe. 

A series of wet years and increasing use had compounded

problems on many trails requiring heavy maintenance to bring

the trails back to standard. A record 77.5 miles of motorized

trails were reconstructed, with another 158 miles of trail

receiving hand maintenance. As a result the trails on the Forest

were in significantly better condition at the end of 2003, than

they were in 2002. 

BOARDWALK Lake Vesuvius’s new boardwalk is one of the

most important visitor initiatives begun in recent years. In the

past people bank fishing or walking from the dam along the

east side of the lake, had to walk in the road. The narrow road

with blind curves

was never intended

for pedestrian

traffic, so while the

lake was drained for

work on the dam,

the Forest seized an

opportunity. 

A boardwalk was

constructed from

the dam to the boat

ramp area, safely

providing a place for

people to walk, fish, and

enjoy the lake without interfering with traffic. The boardwalk

is an amazing feature, with benches, sheltered kiosks, and

fishing piers. It was constructed out of a Brazilian wood called

ipe, known for its strength and durability. This investment will

provide enjoyment for visitors for many years to come. 

ATV rider on a reconstructed trail

in the Wayne National Forest.

Volunteer members of the

Miami Valley Outdoor

Club provide trail

maintenance assistance

to the Forest.

Credits: Bobcat photo on page 3 and Black bear photo on p. 5, US Fish & Wildlife Service. Big Bailey

Wetland photo on p.6, FS Photo by Lynda Andrews.

PROVIDING FOR FUN SAFELY