Athens, Marietta and Ironton, Ohio -- Ohio’s Only National Forest

Wayne National Forest

Year in Review 2005

Cincinnati

Cle vela nd

Columbus

ATHENS

IRONTON

MARIETTA

Columbus Za ne s ville

La nca ste r

Chillicothe

Athe ns

0 10 20 30 40 5

Mile s

30 15 0 30 Mile s

Wa yne National Fore st

P roclamation Bounda ry

Fore st S e rvice Office s

In this Edition:

Wayne N.F. Map Page 1

From the Forest Supervisor Page 2

Forest Plan Released and Wheelin’ Sportsman 

Partnerships reap Success Page 3

 Cadmus Wetland /Wharton Mine Project 

Trails Recover from Floods Page 4

 US Hwy 33 Bypass 

Restoring Natural Resources Page 5 

 Prescribed Burning

 Dragonfl y Inventories & Bat Census

Wildland Fire/Nonnatives Page 6

 Breeding Bird Survey

Aquatic Inventory / Leith Run Page 7

 Mapping Invasives/ A Forest Returns

Community Outreach Page 8
From the Forest Supervisor

This past year was signifi cant for both 

the Forest Service and the Wayne as 

we each marked several milestones. 

As an agency the Forest Service celebrated its Centennial in grand fashion 

with events and ceremonies throughout the year and across the nation. 

The Wayne marked its 70th year in 

2005, having grown from a handful 

of parcels in several purchase units in 

1935 to its present 238,000 acres of 

restoration success. In our efforts to 

continue to build on those successes, 

we completed the revision of the 1988 

Forest Plan this past December. The 

Plan is offi cially called the 2006 Forest Plan because it is being distributed 

early in 2006, but it was completed 

and signed in December 2005.

This 2006 Plan will be the guide by 

which all of our future projects and 

activities are gauged or measured. 

This will make certain that we manage 

the natural resources of the Forest for 

today’s opportunities and demands, 

as well as our future resource needs 

and quality of life concerns. We feel 

strongly that the direction this Plan 

will lead us will satisfy the concerns 

we have heard from the public involvement portions of the Plan revision process and match them with the 

best available science to continue the 

restoration success that is the Wayne 

National Forest.

Our successes in 2005 were Forestwide, and we enjoyed continued progress in many projects with our many 

natural resource partners. Every year 

we continue to make progress in many 

areas, including watershed work, wild2

A portion of the Wayne NF staff in 

front of the Nelsonville offi ce.

2006 Forest Plan Released

The 2006 Forest Plan, which will guide management of the Wayne National 

Forest for the next 10-15 years, and associated Record of Decision and Final 

Environmental Impact Statement were released at the end of January 2006. The 

Plan was developed with extensive public involvement and is the result of several 

public meetings and hundreds of public comments. 

“It was refreshing to fi nd so many people willing to get engaged in the process 

and interested in charting a better path for managing their National Forest,” said 

Bob Gianniny, Forest Planner on the Wayne. The 2006 Forest Plan accomplishes 

several things:

 • Establishes Forest management direction and long-range goals and objectives 

 • Establishes management areas 

 • Specifi es management standards and guidelines (similar to zoning uses and 

restrictions in a city or county plan) 

 • Identifi es lands suitable for various uses, including timber production, and oil 

and gas development 

 • Establishes a monitoring strategy to evaluate how well the Plan works 

There were six goals emphasized in the Forest Plan. These goals are:

 • Improve watershed health 

 • Contribute to the economies of local communities 

 • Provide plant and animal habitat to support 

viability of all native species

 • Provide a variety of recreation opportunities 

matched to the capabilities of the Forest and 

public demand

 • Lease Federally-owned oil and gas resources

 • Continue to consolidate National Forest 

System land through land acquisition

For more information on the Forest Plan, visit 

our website at www.fs.fed.us/r9/wayne.html. 

To recieve a copy, contact the Nelsonville 

offi ce.

public meetings and hundreds of public comments. 

 • Establishes Forest management direction and long-range goals and objectives 

 • Establishes management areas 

 • Specifi es management standards and guidelines (similar to zoning uses and 

 • Identifi es lands suitable for various uses, including timber production, and oil 

 • Establishes a monitoring strategy to evaluate how well the Plan works 

 • Improve watershed health 

 • Contribute to the economies of local communi-

 • Provide plant and animal habitat to support 

 • Provide a variety of recreation opportunities 

public demand

 • Lease Federally-owned oil and gas resources

 • Continue to consolidate National Forest 

ATTENDANCE DOUBLES AT 

SECOND WHEELIN’ SPORTSMAN EVENT!

The crowd size doubled from the previous year at the “Wheelin’ Sportsmen 

Fishing day” on April 8, 2005 at Lake 

Vesuvius. The National Wild Turkey 

Federation (NWTF) partners with the 

Wayne National Forest to host a fi shing 

event designed for physically challenged 

individuals. 

The county commissioners proclaimed 

this to be the “Wheelin’ Sportsmen 

Fishing Day” in Lawrence County, OH. 

In their proclamation they point out that 

there are more than 5,300 physically 

challenged persons residing in Ohio who 

would like to participate in the outdoor 

activities of hunting and fi shing. 

According to Buddy Fry, president of the 

Ohio State Chapter of the NWTF, “the fi rst 

Wheelin’ Sportsmen event was such a huge 

success that Ohio DNR Division of Wildlife agreed to provide 1,000 rainbow trout 

again in 2005.” Originally planned as a one 

time event, the Wheelin’ Sportsman Day has had its second annual success as 

many local people, unable to fi sh for many years because of disabilities, came 

out and took advantage of a great fi shing day. 

The one-third mile long boardwalk suspended over the water between the 

boat dock and the dam offers an excellent location for the event. Ironton 

District Ranger Gloria Chrismer said, “The boardwalk was built with a gentle 

grade, has safety railings and benches for resting. The boardwalk makes it 

possible for persons young and old and of every ability to fi sh at Lake Vesuvius or just get out and enjoy the lake.” Chrismer also added, “This partnership is evidence of what folks working together for a common cause can 

accomplish. None of us alone could have produced an event of such quality. 

But together we have successfully served and will be able to continue to serve 

a large group of folks with special abilities.” 

Ed McFann helps a participant at 

the 2nd annual Wheelin’ Sportsman 

Day at Lake Vesuvius, while others 

prepare to fi sh.

life and recreation. We made great 

strides in many conservation projects 

and partnerships in 2005 as well, and 

I take pride in distributing this 2005 

Annual Report of our management 

partnerships and successes.

Please feel free to direct any questions 

you may have about the Wayne to my 

attention. We look forward to another 

prosperous and progressive year in 

caring for the land and serving people!

Wayne National Forest

13700 U.S. Highway 33

Nelsonville, OH 45764

740-753-0101
3

Cadmus Wetland Provides 

Valuable Wildlife Habitat

The Cadmus Wetlands were completed in 

2003, a year before fl oods damaged the levees and spillways. Yet even when damaged, 

the wetland continued to absorb fl oodwaters 

and attract wildlife. 

The wetland was repaired a year later with 

the help of the Ohio Department of Natural 

Resources Division of Wildlife, who helped 

with funding. A new spillway was added and 

two others were lined with riprap to better 

protect them and allow water to regulate during 

fl ooding without damaging the levees. 

Two other small vernal wetlands, one-quarter acre each, were also added in the same vicinity for additional capacity and wildlife habitat.

Although drained and farmed for the last century, the area was historically in wetlands as evidenced by soils and remnant plant communities. 

The 30+ acre Cadmus Wetland complex near the community of Cadmus was a cooperative effort by the Wayne National Forest, Ohio Division of Wildlife, 

and Trustees of Walnut Township in Gallia County. The complex includes a main pool with several islands and six adjacent ephemeral wetlands. These smaller 

wetlands, or sedge meadows, are designed to hold water seasonally benefi ting amphibians, wood cocks, and insect eating birds. 

Wharton Mine Project - Treating Acid Mine Drainage 

Past mining activities left miles of streams polluted by acid mine drainage and nearly devoid 

of aquatic life. The headwaters of the Monday Creek Watershed is one of the most impacted 

areas. These waters recorded a pH of 2.9 (7.0 is considered neutral). Treating the acidic source 

of pollution allows for many miles of benefi ts downstream. 

In the Wharton Mine Project, completed in 2005, we reconstructed a channel to divert acid 

mine water away from private land. The new channel was lined with limestone to reduce the 

acidity. In critical sections, a rubber liner was also used to prevent it from being diverted into 

groundwater. 

Several projects in the headwaters of Monday Creek are in their early phases. In 2005, sites in 

Monkey Hollow and Pine Run had preliminary assessments and site investigations completed. Other 

sites in Upper Pine Creek, New Straitsville North, Carbon Hill, and East Branch were mapped or various phases of work completed in 2005. 

In 2005, the Army Corps of Engineers completed a feasibility study for Monday Creek which will also 

facilitate more projects in the future. 

Partnerships reap success in Southeastern Ohio

Cleaning up the Landscape 

Ideally the Wayne National Forest landscape would be natural-appearing and litter-free. “Unfortunately 

roadside litter and rural dumpsites continue to be a problem on the Forest - in some areas it is much worse 

than others,” says Marsha Wikle from the Wayne. “We do what we can to help local governments who have 

crews available and can clean up dumps and both the State of Ohio and the US Forest Service make additional funding available.” 

“Perry County has always been very aggressive about going after this money to clean up rural dumps,” said 

Wikle. Each year 5-10 dump sites in southern Perry County get cleaned up as well as roadside litter picked up.

Wikle said Dover Township in Athens County has also made good use of the available money by cleaning 

up several dump sites in the Chauncey area, including an abandoned road where approximately 900 tires had 

been dumped. The Forest was able to contribute $2,300 to Dover Township to assist with this cleanup effort. 

“This year the Buckeye Trail route coordinator on the Forest initiated a clean-up with trail and Monday Creek 

Restoration Project volunteers who cleaned up a section of a county road crossed by the Buckeye Trail,” said 

Wikle.

Working together to clean up the landscape benefi ts our quality of life and makes visits to the Wayne more 

pleasant.

Volunteers 

and Forest 

employees 

clean up a 

dump on 

the Forest 

with Dover 

Township’s 

help.

Work on the 

Wharton acid 

mine drainage 

project counter 

clockwise from 

beginning to 

completion. 
4

WAYNE N.F. TRAILS RECOVER FROM FLOOD DAMAGE

Damage caused by fl oods in January 2005 forced the Wayne to delay opening the 182 miles of motorized and non-motorized trails 

on the Athens Ranger District. Most of the trails, which normally open by April 15, were opened to the public by July 1, but only 

after a concerted effort by many partners, volunteers, and committed Forest staff. 

Twenty-four trail bridges required moderate to heavy repair work to their support structures. In many cases the supports were 

totally eroded out and suspended in the air with the creekbed deeply channeled out below (see photos to right). Four road and trail 

slips and fi ve culverts were also identifi ed for repair. A slip on the Kinderhook Horse Trail was so signifi cant that a section had to 

be permanently closed. The Kinderhook Trail was the only trail not to reopen in 2005, but Wayne personnel hope to have the trail 

open for the 2006 trail season.

All-terrain vehicle (ATV) and off-highway motorcycle riding are especially popular on the Wayne with more than 20,000 riders 

from 31 different states riding Forest trails in 2004. The Wayne’s staff knew that with so many riders affected by the closure 

and with the trail season opening date of April 15 rapidly approaching, there was no time to lose. 

The Forest developed a comprehensive communication campaign to 

quickly inform the public of the trail opening delay. In addition to 

mailings, press releases, signage, and phone calls, the Ohio Department of Transportation graciously provided two electronic highway bulletin boards stationed along U.S. Highway 33 informing 

visitors of the trail closures. 

Four volunteer workdays were held. Projects included constructing fences to block illegal trails, constructing a new ATV loading ramp, 

culvert cleaning, and garbage pick up. On the Marietta Unit, sixteen mountain bikers and 

horsemen contributed over 730 man-hours to maintain more than 100 miles of hiking/biking and horse 

trails to return the trails to operating condition.

Due to the amount and diffi culty of the reconstruction work on the trails and bridges, most of the work 

was done by contractors. More than 1 million dollars of Forest Service and Federal Highway Administration money was spent 

in clean-up and restoration of the Forest’s recreation sites and trails. 

The closing of these trails and their subsequent impact on the local economy was a revelation to many of the people in the 

community and the Forest Service. 

Sally Dunker, Director of the Athens County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (CVB), as well as other community leaders mentioned the fact that they saw a noticeable reduction in the amount of traffi c through the town of Nelsonville, Ohio, 

which is located adjacent to an ATV trail system during the time the trails were closed. Dunker notes this translates into a 

signifi cant loss in revenue to the local economy. For the two and a half months that the trails remained closed, the Athens CVB estimated 

revenue loss to be approximately one million dollars.

Thanks to cooperation by the public in respecting the closure, volunteer assistance, supplemental funding, and good weather, the Forest was able to reopen most 

of the trails on July 1, and all but one trail was opened by August 1. Local businesses and Visitor’s Bureaus were relieved when the trails reopened and business as 

usual resumed around the trail systems but with a new twist; a new appreciation for the amount of traffi c the trails brought to the communities. 

Photos here 

show contractors repairing 

bridge supports and trail 

treads and an 

ATV bridge refurbished after 

the fl oods. 

US Highway 33 Bypass to have many Improvements for People and Environment 

The Wayne has worked closely with Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) on minimizing and mitigating impacts due to the proposed Nelsonville bypass, a four-lane controlled access highway between Haydenville and New Floodwood. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Forest Service 

have executed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to transfer national forest system lands for construction of the bypass. The Wayne’s, Terry Kreinhop, 

P.E. shown below, has coordinated the project for the Forest.

Kreinhop said the project design is almost complete and has been a win-win for everyone concerned. Coordination between agencies has resulted in minimizing the impacts of construction and has included four wildlife crossings and provisions to preclude invasive species and revegetate with native species. He 

also noted funding has been set aside for new all-terrain vehicle trails and a large culvert to reconnect impacted trails. Kreinhop said his role was to ensure 

standards required by the Forest were implementable, understandable, and enforceable. He said his job has been challenging and rewarding and notes, 

“FHWA and ODOT are trying to be good environmental stewards and are willing to do the extra to help us protect our resources.”

When the project was re-initiated in 2004 it was a Presidential Priority Project and the #1 non Interstate Priority Project in Ohio. It includes 8.5 miles of four 

lane highway. About sixty percent of the acreage is across the Wayne National Forest. The impact is on some 260 acres of land, with approximately 320 

acres within the easement area. Due to the design minimization much of the area inside the easement area is being left forested, which is unusual and a bonus 

for wildlife. The use of higher than usual fencing in areas of the project will help channel wildlife for safety purposes. 

Four wildlife crossings have been designed into the project. A 140’ wide wildlife crossing will be a real boon for a 

local population of grizzled skippers, a Regional Foresters’ Sensitive Species, which migrates along that area. Two 

pipe culverts will serve small animals and amphibians. A large box culvert will provide for large mammals and habitat connectivity. 

A box culvert 10’ high and 12’ wide has been provided for an ATV trail crossing to pass under the highway. In consideration of the 2.5 miles of ATV trail that will need to be temporarily closed for up to 3 years during the highway 

construction, ODOT is providing $100,000 in funds to construct a new trail the Wayne has wanted to build in the 

Camp Ohio area. 

Although the Wayne will be giving up about 260 acres of land to the highway construction, ODOT may be donating 

several parcels of land back to the Forest in the future. Portions of the orphaned highway easement as well as other 

areas in excess of the easement acreage may eventually be under national forest management. “In the short-term, 

we’ll see some disruption of some lands we’ve traditionally managed,” admits Kreinhop, “but long-term, we’ll see 

real benefi ts from the partnership we’ve developed with FHWA and ODOT.”
RESTORING Natural Resources 

in Southeastern Ohio

DRAGONFLIES ABOUND ON THE WAYNE

Dragonfl ies and damselfl ies are two of the most visible indicators of wetland 

diversity and health. Their population change allows monitoring of environmental 

change.

Until recently little information was available on these insects or their distribution 

on the Forest. The Wayne changed that with a survey of Forest ponds and wetlands 

in 2005.

The Forest, working with a Hocking College Fish 

Management student, wanted to determine what 

species were on the Forest to know how projects 

might affect them.

The survey found each pond or wetland on 

the Forest had 5-8 species. Frogwood Pond 

near Nelsonville had the greatest diversity 

of species with 12 dragonfl y and 6 damselfl y 

species surveyed. 

THE WAYNE COMPLETES COMPLEX PRESCRIBED BURN

In May, the Wayne completed a complex 688-acre prescribed burn along West Bailey 

Road, north of State Route 33. The successful burn reduced fuel loads and increased 

wildlife habitat in the area.

“There were heavy fuel loads in the area,” said Kevan Moore, Fire Management Offi cer 

for the Wayne, “and we wanted to reduce the hazard from these fuels.” The area had a large amount of adjacent private 

land and numerous oil wells, both of which add complexity to the burn.

Moore and his fi re management team carefully planned the burn and location of fi re lines to ensure safety, fi re behavior, 

and private property. Due to the complexity of the prescribed burn several multi-agency crews and resources were asked 

to assist.

Moore explained when there was a break in the weather allowing for a safe burn, they quickly assembled the team. The 

burn took place over fi ve days in April 2005. 

“The burn was a complete success,” says Moore. “We sustained no injuries and the volume of available burnable fuels 

was reduced by approximately 40 percent.”

An additional 74 acre prescribed burn was completed at Handley Branch on the Ironton District.

The 

photographs above (top 

left to bottom right) show the fi re safety brief before the 

start of a burn, a test fi re to determine burning conditions, lighting a 

fi re line, and a fully involved understory burn. The photo in the upper 

right shows a person checking a burned area.

The dense clusters of hibernating bats 

such as the group shown above may 

number 400 or more individuals.

Since the early 1990’s nine bat-friendly 

gates have been installed in partnership 

with the Ohio Division of Wildlife, the 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Ohio 

Division of Mineral Resources Management, and bat expert Roy Powers.

BAT CENSUS SOARS WITH MANAGEMENT IMPROVEMENTS

The mine gate below was installed in 2001 to protect an endangered Indiana bat hibernation site. Over the past four years, bat 

population numbers have skyrocketed. 

At the site counts have risen from 150 of the endangered Indiana bats in 1999, to 333 in 2005. 

In addition to the Indiana bats the abandoned limestone mine is used by hibernating brown bats, eastern 

pipistrelles, big brown bats, and northern bats.

The bat gates protect the hibernating bats from disturbance but do 

not inhibit bats entering the mines or caves.

Bat boxes have also been constructed and installed under bridges 

in the Monday Creek Off-Road Vehicle Area. 

Bat boxes placed under bridges help replace trees lost during 

bridge construction and provide ideal bat roosts close to streams. 

Mist net surveys shown in the photo below, are also conducted to 

determine what areas bats use and what species are present.

5
6

WILDLAND FIRE PROVIDES CLOSE CALL 

In mid April, the Wayne experienced one of its most intense wildfi res in 

recent years. 

The Binion Fire, near Binion Hollow off Highway 93, burned 303 acres on 

the Ironton District. 

The fi re quickly spread through storm damaged trees, burning 194 acres 

of National Forest System land and 109 acres of private land. It took six 

days to contain the fi re at a cost of $100,000.

Though the Forest had worked hard since the 2003 ice storms to reduce fuels 

along roads and trails, the area was still a tinderbox. 

Wayne National Forest fi refi ghters responded quickly to get the fi re under control. “We were lucky,” said 

David Bostic, Fire Specialist on the Ironton District, “to have extremely capable people who busted a gut to get the fi re 

under control.” 

Bostic echoed the sentiments of everyone on the Wayne when he noted, “We knew the potential was there for this fi re 

to get people killed or badly hurt so we were committed to getting it controlled quickly.” 

In November four other wild fi res, one totalling almost 100 acres were brought under control in the same area. 

The background photo shows an aerial view of the ash-covered Binion fi re area. The inset photo is of a fi refi ghter with 

a driptorch backfi ring along a control line.

Threat from Invasives Increased

Due to the heavy fuel loads the Ironton fi res burned with abnormally high fi re intensity, resulting in exposed soil and increased light levels to the forest fl oor. 

These post-fi re conditions are ideal for the establishment and spread of non-native 

invasive plant species such as garlic mustard shown in the photo to the right.

To ensure these aggressive invasive species don’t displace native species as the 

burned areas recover, the Wayne is working to monitor and control invasive populations in the area. 

CONTROLLING NONNATIVES 

Game on. The Wayne is serious about the fi ght against nonnative invasive plants. To control these threats to our native 

species, we’ve enlisted the help of the community.

Student volunteers from Hocking College and Rural Action 

(shown in photo to left and right) have helped pull garlic 

mustard in the Paynes Crossing Special Area.

Since 1998, inmate crews from the Federal Correctional Institute in Ashland, Kentucky have pulled garlic mustard every 

spring. 

The Miami Valley Hiking Club installed boot brush stations 

(shown at right) to control the spread of seeds along the Wildcat Hollow Hiking Trail.

Goats are contracted to 

eat kudzu in areas where 

this invasive vine threatens native ecosystems. 

Autumn olive is ripped up 

by the roots to eradicate 

this invasive and prolifi c 

tree species.

Breeding Bird Survey 

Successfully Completed!

Three committed volunteers observed almost 4,800 birds of 103 

species during the Wayne’s breeding bird survey in the Spring of 

2005.

Dale Dalrymple and Brian Barchus 

worked 23 survey routes across the 

Wayne which crossed a variety of 

habitats including wetlands, grasslands, and forest.

Meanwhile Charlie Patterson took 

the survey information and entered 

it into a computerized data model 

for use by Forest biologists. 

The survey is conducted each spring 

to increase the Forest’s knowledge 

of bird population trends.

The three men responsible for the 

breeding bird survey are shown 

below.

Fighting Wild Fire is a Joint Endeavor!

In 2005 the Wayne had a total of 72 wildfi res on the Forest that burned 801 

acres of land. 

These fi res were successfully brought under control by the joint efforts of 

the Wayne National Forest, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, 

National Park Service, and local Volunteer Fire Departments.

“Because of our scattered land ownership and the amount of fuel we have 

from recent storms, these partnerships and the quick response of the local 

volunteer fi re departments prevented several times this number of acres 

going up in smoke,” refl ects Kevan Moore, Fire Management Offi cer on 

the Wayne National Forest. 
7

Leith Run Also Damaged by Flooding

Two rounds of fl ooding, one in September 2004 and another in January 2005, took their toll on the Leith Run 

Campground near Marietta, Ohio. The campground, on the banks of the Ohio River, delayed opening for 

approximately 8 weeks while the Community Action Program of Washington and Morgan Counties and the 

Forest Service cleaned up the mud and damage from the fl oodwaters. 

Twelve to 18 inches of mud deposited throughout the campgound had to be cleaned up and new wiring and 

plumbing installed before the campground could be opened. 

Once opened for business on July 1 the site stayed mostly booked the rest of the season according to Jennie 

Freidhof, Assistant District Ranger.

The National Forest Foundation (NF) awarded 

Dr. Robert Culp and Dr. Gary Belcher of Ohio 

University Southern (OUS) $4,000 to map 

invasive plant species in the Lake Vesuvius 

Recreation Area. The University matched this 

contribution with $4,000 for the project. With 

this money OUS hired two local interns. The 

interns will use Global Positioning Systems 

(GPS) to map invasive plant species, organize 

and lead volunteer workdays to remove invasives, and give talks on invasive plants. 

Kirschbaum, Ironton District Botanist, hopes 

this is only the beginning of a partnership that 

will combat invasive species on a larger scale 

than just the Wayne National Forest. 

Kirschbaum has big plans. “I’d like to set up a 

Weed Management Area with private and public landowners to monitor and control invasive 

species in Scioto, Lawrence, Gallia, and Jackson Counties,” he said. He hopes to expand 

the partnership to other universities, organizations, local and state government and local 

business groups. Kirschbaum notes that the 

Wayne can only treat approximately 160 acres 

Leith Run shelter 

house inundated 

with mud after 

the January 

fl ood.

Interns from OUS inventorying populations 

of stiltgrass, one of the Wayne’s worst forest 

invaders because it is shade tolerant and readily spreads.

MAPPING INVASIVE SPECIES

per year which doesn’t begin to address the problem. 

“In order to really impact the spread of invasives, we 

need to form partnerships to fi ght them on a landscape 

scale. Invasive species don’t recognize political boundaries and controlling them only on the Wayne National 

Forest isn’t good enough,” Kirschbaum explained. 

Aquatic Inventory of Symmes and Pine 

Creeks Completed

A two-year cooperative fi sh and mussel inventory of 

Symmes and Pine Creek, both on the Ironton Ranger 

District, wrapped up in September. The study was done 

in partnership with Otterbein College in Westerville, just 

outside Columbus, Ohio. 

Over 150 different sample sites along these creeks 

were sampled during the past two years by students and 

faculty from Otterbein’s Department of Earth and Life 

Sciences.

Despite concerns of contamination by acid mine drainage, a byproduct of past coal mining which is lethal for 

aquatic life, the two creeks inventoried were generally 

healthy. 

Aquatic inventory data collected through this partnership 

project demonstrated both creeks are impacted only to a 

small degree by acid mine drainage, and most importantly harbor populations of rare 

fi sh and mussels.

“We had a number of fi rsts for these two watersheds,” reported Dr. Hoggarth, from 

Otterbein College. “In the mussel department we located three rare mussels, never 

before catalogued, from these creeks. The black sandshell and threehorn wartyback are 

endangered in Ohio, and the salamander mussel is on the Regional Forester sensitive 

species list.”

The Otterbein crew also captured eastern sand darters – another Regional Forester 

sensitive species. The sand darter is a small fi sh that buries itself in sand and darts out 

after tiny insects. It is very intolerant of siltation of stream bottoms. The Otterbein crew 

found sand darters in historically populated sections of Symmes Creek, and for the fi rst 

time ever in Pine Creek.

Though the fi eld work is complete, the biologists are now processing and mapping fi sh 

and mussel information gathered over the past two years. 

This information will be shared with biologists from the Ohio EPA who will use the 

fi sh sampling results to determine the health of the two streams and their tributaries. 

The Forest Service will also monitor the sites and note changes to the aquatic community and to watershed health over time as various forest management projects are 

implemented. 

Student volunteers and Forest 

employees search through a 

net to identify and count fi sh.

“A FOREST RETURNS” DOCUMENTARY 

The history of the reforestation of the Wayne and southeastern Ohio 

is dramatically refl ected in a documentary fi lm, “A Forest Returns,” 

produced by a local videographer. 

Jean Andrews, an Ohio University Masters program student, completed the work as part of her master’s degree thesis, but always had 

an eye toward something more. Her efforts have since been recognized with Best Film awards from several regional and national fi lm 

festivals, from West Virginia to North Carolina and Montana, to name 

a few.

The fi lm is an oral history as told by local historian, artisan and retired 

journalist and editor Ora Anderson. 

Anderson, now 94, worked with the fi rst 

two Forest Service agents from Jackson, 

Ohio in 1935 to make the fi rst land purchases that have grown into the Wayne 

National Forest. His recounting of the 

socio-economic condition and heritage 

of the area is beautifully refl ected in 

the historic photos, maps and graphics 

that Andrews was able to fi nd in Wayne 

archives and from other sources.

The DVD is available for purchase at 

numerous regional vendors, including 

the Wayne National Forest.

Fortunately, organizations like NFF and the Fish 

and Wildlife Foundation offer grants that provide 

funding for programs that build local coalitions. 

Kirschbaum hopes to further exploit these opportunities.

The Vesuvius mapping project is a partnership between the Wayne, OUS, the Shawnee Nature Club; 

the West Virginia Native Plant Society, Tri-State 

Chapter; and the Ohio Invasives Council. 

Invasive species are a major threat to the health and 

productivity of our nation’s forests. The 5,775 acre 

Lake Vesuvius Recreation Area hosts a myriad of 

invasive species including mutlifl ora rose, autumn 

olive, honeysuckle, English ivy, garlic mustard, and 

princess tree. 
8

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities 

on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and 

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 fi le a complaint of discrimination write: USDA, Director, Offi ce of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten 

Building, 14th and Independence Ave, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice or 

TDD). USDA Forest Service is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Community Outreach

bringing people together 

on the Wayne 

FREEDOM SONGS AND STORIES OF 

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD

Songs of freedom resounded from Lake Vesuvius last 

summer when the Wayne and Ohio University Southern (OUS) Nature Center sponsored a variety of free 

musical events for campers and local residents.

The partnership between the Wayne National Forest 

and the Nature Center has opened the door for a wide 

range of educational and entertaining activities at the 

Lake Vesuvius Recreation Area. 

One of the most memorable was a play written by Lawrence County Historical 

Museum volunteer Virginia Bryant and performed by local amateur historian 

and singer Susan Taylor (shown above). 

The program was produced in partnership with the OUS Nature Center and 

docents of the Lawrence County Historical Museum and began with a dialogue 

of members of an ironmaster’s family who were instrumental in establishing 

and supporting the Underground Railroad in Lawrence County during the Civil 

War. It was done in period costume by Kay Rader and her granddaughter. The 

program continued as Susan Taylor told the story of freedom from a slave’s 

perspective. 

Spiritual songs of freedom enhanced by Susan’s deeply resonant voice echoed 

throughout the valley and deeply touched all who listened. 

Artifact Identification Day on the Wayne

To commemorate Ohio Archaeology Month, the Wayne hosted an “Artifact 

Identifi cation Day” on October 29, 2005. 

The Forest co-sponsored the event with Hocking College and Ohio University’s 

Department of Anthropology. Archaeologists Ann Cramer (Wayne NF), Joe 

Wakeman (Hocking College), and Dr. Elliot Abrams (OU) identifi ed a variety of 

items brought in by more than 25 people in the Athens area. 

Interesting items included a mastodon tooth and a beautifully-made quartzite birdstone (dating to the Hopewell period), arrowheads, prehistoric pottery 

sherds, axes, a nutting stone, fl int drills, 

and some interesting fossils. 

The event was such 

a success that the 

group decided to 

hold it annually and 

expand it to include 

geologists and paleontologists. 

A variety of artifacts and fossils were 

brought in including those shown 

above: mastodon teeth, axes, arrowheads, nutting stones, and a birdstone 

(shown to left).

Heather Stachler (left) and Ann 

Cramer (center) discuss the exhibit 

Forest Participates in 

Underground Railroad Exhibit

For most of 2005, an extraordinary 

exhibit entitled, “Freedom Seekers: 

Ohio and the Underground Railroad” 

appeared at the Bob Evans Farms 

Homestead Museum in Rio Grande, Ohio. The exhibit was a collaboration 

between the Wayne National Forest, Bob Evans Farms, the Friends of Freedom Society, and The Underground Railroad Museum. 

Heather Stachler, Public Affairs Assistant, designed the canvas exhibit panels 

and Ann Cramer, Forest Archaeologist, helped gather information for the 

content and photo credits. The text for the panels was written by the Friends 

of Freedom society and artifacts supplementing the exhibit were provided by 

the Underground Railroad Museum. 

The exhibit tells the compelling story of the African American struggle 

from the oppression of slavery to the quest for freedom on the Underground 

Railroad. The Forest has been studying the Underground Railroad for more 

than 10 years and the exhibit was a great chance to develop new partnerships 

and continue this research. Designed as a learning tool, the exhibit has been 

included in the curriculum of local schools, spawned new ideas for other 

projects, and fostered further partnerships. 

Centennial Highlights - The Forest Service 

celebrated the successes and failures of the last 100 years 

during 2005. To mark the occasion locally the Forest 

produced several thousand wooden dollars which were 

distributed at events during 2005. The wooden dollar 

was chosen over a wooden nickel because the dollar represents 100 cents, symbolic of the 100 year celebration.

County NF acreage Title III 

payment

PILT 

payment

Total 

Payment 

Athens 18,632 11,887 17,653 29,540

Gallia 17,049 11,137 15,904 27,041

Hocking 25,999 3,723 34,189 37,912

Jackson 1,701 244 2,229 2,473

Lawrence 69,762 9,991 91,417 101,408

Monroe 24,413 16,384 20,481 36,865

Morgan 3,328 477 4,350 4,827

Noble 694 214 809 1,023

Perry 22,233 3,184 29,060 32,244

Scioto 11,626 1,665 15,300 16,965

Vinton 1,869 268 2,447 2,715

Washington 39,513 28,485 34,770 63,255

TOTAL 236,819 $87,659 $268,609 $356,268

2005 Payments to Counties

In 2005, Ohio counties received from $1.45-$1.60/acre for NF lands within their 

counties. Of that, $0.95 - 1.31/acre was paid as Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) 

money. In addition to the monies shown here counties received payments for 

mineral revenues (approximately 15 cents/acre), road projects, cooperative law 

enforcement, and volunteer fi re department support.

The laws governing how part of these payments were made changed in 2001. 

Under the new laws counties could determine different strategies for receiving 

money. All Ohio counties did not make the same choice. Counties received different amounts of PILT dollars based on the amount of revenue sharing dollars 

they received under the Title I, II, and III Payments.