Common use of SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES Clause in Contracts

SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES. During the 2014-2015 reporting period several staffing changes within the groups and regions responsible for land management activities have occurred. Both Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx and Dr. Xxxxxxx Xxxxx accepted new positions within the department and both Heritage Preserve Manager positions were filled. Xxxxx “Trapper” Xxxxxx accepted the Heritage preserve Manager for Xxxxxxx Sand Ridge Heritage Preserve (TSRHP), and Xxxxx Xxxxxx accepted a promotion to Heritage Preserve Manager at Aiken Gopher Tortoise Heritage Preserve (AGTHP). Both have previous longleaf pine habitat management experience and will continue efforts at their respective preserves to maintain and restore gopher tortoise habitat, and to secure the persistence of this species in South Carolina. Land management activities at both Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx Heritage Preserve (TSRHP) and Aiken Gopher Tortoise Heritage Preserve (AGTHP) have continued, and population augmentation and enhancement activities, using waif tortoises have continued at Aiken Gopher Tortoise Heritage Preserve. To date, 238 individual tortoises have been reintroduced to the AGTHP landscape (127 adults, 45 juveniles and 66 hatchlings/yearlings). Nest searches on site, reveled signs of reproduction, and 7 nests were dug resulting in 32 eggs. The 30 hatchlings from this work will be released in spring 2016. SREL staff provided two papers from work conducted at AGTHP titled, 1) Gopher Tortoise Dispersal and Home Range Establishment following Penning: Implications for Translocations and 2) Use of Waifs as a Means to Restore Population Viability of Gopher Tortoises at the AGTHP, South Carolina. Additionally the Memoranda of Understanding with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission was renewed and extended, allowing SCDNR to receive additional waif tortoises for the AGTHP. SCDNR has secured funding to perform Line Transect Distance Sampling (LTDS) at gopher tortoise sites within South Carolina for the first time since the late 1970’s. During the reporting period we have purchased and tested all equipment and performed LTDS at TSRHP. Results from this work will be available in the next annual report as well as a report on the status of other gopher tortoise sites in the state. We have hired a survey crew to perform the studies and will begin in January 2016. SCDNR representative Xxxx Xxxxxxx participated in the annual Gopher Tortoise CCA meeting in Daphne, AL and the annual Gopher Tortoise Council meeting in Xxxxxxxxx, LA.

SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES. During the 20142015-2015 2016 CCA reporting period several staffing changes within the groups and regions responsible period, SCDNR has been at full staff for land management activities have occurredpositions related to gopher tortoise. Both Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx and Dr. Xxxxxxx Xxxxx accepted new positions within the department and both Heritage Preserve Manager positions were filled. Xxxxx “Trapper” Xxxxxx Xxxx Xxxxxxxx accepted the Heritage preserve Manager Preserve Technician position responsible for Xxxxxxx Sand Ridge Heritage Preserve (TSRHP), and Xxxxx Xxxxxx accepted a promotion to Heritage Preserve Manager activities at Aiken Gopher Tortoise Heritage Preserve (AGTHP). Both have previous longleaf pine habitat management experience and will continue efforts at their respective preserves to maintain and restore gopher tortoise habitat, and to secure the persistence of During this species in South Carolina. Land period SCDNR continued management activities at both heritage preserves (Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx Sand Ridge Heritage Preserve (TSRHP) and Aiken Gopher Tortoise Heritage Preserve (AGTHP) have continuedwhere tortoises and habitat are present. Management activities included prescribed fire. SCDNR and Savanah River Ecology Lab (SREL) staff continued efforts to restock the AGTHP utilizing waif tortoises, and population augmentation have released 282 tortoises on the preserve. During the report period 2 pens were deconstructed and enhancement activities, using waif the tortoises have continued at Aiken Gopher Tortoise Heritage Preservewere “released to AGTHP and 2 additional pens were constructed and began receiving tortoises. To date, 238 individual tortoises have been reintroduced to the AGTHP landscape (127 adults, 45 juveniles and 66 hatchlings/yearlings). Nest searches on site, reveled signs of reproduction, and 7 nests were dug resulting in 32 eggs. The 30 hatchlings from this work will be released in spring 2016. SREL staff provided two papers from work conducted at AGTHP titled, 1) Gopher Tortoise Dispersal and Home Range Establishment following Penning: Implications for Translocations and 2) Use of Waifs A third footprint was established as a Means to Restore Population Viability of Gopher Tortoises at the AGTHP, South Carolinafuture pen location. Additionally the Memoranda of Understanding with We received 41 tortoises from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission was renewed and extendedunder the MOA (30 adults, allowing SCDNR to receive additional waif tortoises 11 juveniles) for the release at AGTHP. Additionally, we collected eggs from nests in August 2016 and hatched them at SREL, resulting in approximately 30 hatchlings. We plan to conduct a survivorship and movement study using these 2016 hatchlings and 2015 yearlings (reared at SREL) via radio telemetry and released the initial group of 25 animals (20 yearlings and 5 hatchlings) in early October 2016. SCDNR has secured funding to perform Line Transect Distance Sampling (LTDS) staff conducted LTDS at historic gopher tortoise sites within sites. We attempted to gather all record for South Carolina for the first time since the late 1970’sand conduct sites visits to asses current habitat conditions. During the reporting report period we have purchased conducted 5 pilot surveys and tested all equipment 3 full surveys, and performed LTDS at TSRHPidentified 2 MVPs and one PSP. Results from this work will be available These surveys were conducted on both public and private lands in SC. We plan to continue survey efforts in 2017. One survey site identified and surveyed in 2016 (~450 acres) has been put under perpetual conservation via deed restriction (late 2016) by the next annual report as well as a report on land owner, the status of other first gopher tortoise sites population on private land to be protected in the stateperpetuity. We have hired a survey crew to perform the studies and will begin in January 2016. Xxxx Xxxxxxx, SCDNR representative Xxxx Xxxxxxx representative, participated in the annual Gopher Tortoise CCA meeting in DaphneCocoa Beach, AL and Florida as well as the annual rescheduled Gopher Tortoise Council annual meeting in XxxxxxxxxPalatka, LAFlorida. Georgia Department of Transportation assesses habitat and conducts presence/absence surveys for gopher tortoise within proposed project corridors across the species range in numerous counties.

SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES. During the 20142019-2015 2020 reporting period several staffing changes within the groups SCDNR has continued to actively participate in gopher tortoise conservation and regions responsible for land management activities have occurredmanagement. Both Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx and Dr. Xxxxxxx Xxxxx accepted new positions within the department and both Heritage Preserve Manager positions were filled. Xxxxx “Trapper” Xxxxxx accepted the Heritage preserve Manager for Xxxxxxx Sand Ridge Heritage Preserve (TSRHP), and Xxxxx Xxxxxx accepted a promotion to Heritage Preserve Manager at Aiken Gopher Tortoise Heritage Preserve (AGTHP). Both have previous longleaf pine habitat management experience and will continue efforts at their respective preserves to maintain and restore gopher tortoise habitat, and to secure the persistence of this species in South Carolina. Land management activities at both Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx Heritage Preserve (TSRHP) and Aiken Gopher Tortoise Heritage Preserve have continued management activities for the benefit of the gopher tortoise, including prescribed fire. Additionally, SCDNR and Savannah River Ecology Lab (SREL) continue efforts to establish a MVP at AGTHP, which would be the third in South Carolina. SCDNR and Savanah River Ecology Lab (SREL) staff continue efforts to restock the AGTHP utilizing waif tortoises and have continuedreleased 350 tortoises to the site (~180 adults). SCDNR completed their study to examine survivorship and movements of hatchling, head-started yearling, and population augmentation head-started 2-year-old gopher tortoises at the preserve. From 2016-2020 we examined survivorship and enhancement activities, movements of 71 hatchling and head-started tortoises at AGTHP using waif radio telemetry. We are currently analyzing the data from this project but preliminary results suggest that gopher tortoises have continued at Aiken Gopher Tortoise Heritage Preservehead started for two years had higher annual survival and that lengthy movements had the largest negative impact on survival. To date, 238 individual we have released 186 tortoises have been reintroduced to the AGTHP landscape (127 adults20 hatchlings, 45 juveniles 140 yearlings and 66 hatchlings/yearlings26 two-year olds). Nest searches Continued restoration has occurred on the 180 acres of restored habitat on Xxxxxxx Sand Ridge Heritage Preserve. During the report period, various activities, such as planting of longleaf pine, wiregrass and restoration of other native groundcover has occurred, in addition to herbicide application in restored areas with increased shrubby recruitment. This effort will provide significant additional acreage for tortoises on the preserve and increase the carrying capacity of the site, reveled signs of reproduction, and 7 nests were dug resulting . SCDNR continues to be active in 32 eggsthe gopher tortoise conservation community. The 30 hatchlings from this work will be released in spring 2016. SREL staff provided two papers from work conducted at AGTHP titled, 1) Xxxxxx Xxxxxx serves as the Gopher Tortoise Dispersal Council SC state representative and Home Range Establishment following Penning: Implications for Translocations attended the 2020 virtual annual meeting with the Assistant Chief of Wildlife, Xxxx Xxxxxxx and 2) Use of Waifs as a Means regional Heritage Preserve Biologists Xxxxx Xxxxxx and Xxxxxx Xxxxx. In October new regulations were passed that added substantial protections to Restore Population Viability of Gopher Tortoises at the AGTHP, all native reptiles and amphibians in South Carolina. Additionally Specifically, no native reptile or amphibian, including parts, products, eggs, and derivatives may be sold, purchased, traded, exchanged, bartered, exported or shipped, transferred and/or re-homed unless permitted by regulation. Possession limits were established for all native turtles by species and in aggregate. While these new regulations don’t impact gopher tortoises directly, it will protect many commensals living in the Memoranda long leaf pine ecosystem. Additionally, release or escape of Understanding with Florida Fish non-native reptiles and Wildlife Conservation Commission was renewed amphibians is prohibited and extended, allowing SCDNR to receive additional waif tortoises for the AGTHP. SCDNR has secured funding the authority to perform Line Transect Distance Sampling (LTDS) prohibit the import of nonnative species that may become established and/or negatively impact our native wildlife, agriculture, or human health and safety. More information can be found at gopher tortoise sites within our website. In August, South Carolina for received its first confirmed sighting of an Argentine black and white tegu in Lexington county. Reports from the first time since the late 1970’s. During the reporting period we have purchased and tested all equipment and performed LTDS at TSRHP. Results from this work will be available in public over the next annual report as well as a report on the status of other gopher tortoise sites in three months confirmed 11 sightings throughout the state. We There is concern for our gopher tortoise populations since they are known egg predators and have hired been documented eating gopher tortoise eggs/hatchlings in other states. 70% of tegus found in SC have been removed from the wild at this point. GADOT continues to survey suitable habitat in order to minimize the effects of roadway projects on the Gopher Tortoise. Of the 46 total gopher tortoise xxxxxxx previously found immediately north of Exit 2 on I-75, GADOT identified 26 xxxxxxx that would be directly impacted by a survey crew planned interchange improvement project. In May 2020, those 26 xxxxxxx were excavated and 8 tortoises (5 adults, 3 juveniles) were relocated to perform a neighboring safety zone just outside of the studies project area. Relocations were completed without injury and exclusionary fencing installed prior to the start of relocations will begin stay in January 2016place until construction is complete. SCDNR representative Xxxx Xxxxxxx participated Other management activities on GADOT owned properties were performed by GADNR and are included in the annual Gopher Tortoise CCA meeting in Daphne, AL and the annual Gopher Tortoise Council meeting in Xxxxxxxxx, LAtheir reporting.

SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES. During the 20142021-2015 2022 reporting period several staffing changes within the groups SCDNR has continued to actively participate in gopher tortoise conservation and regions responsible for land management activities have occurredmanagement. Both Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx and Dr. Xxxxxxx Xxxxx accepted new positions within the department and both Heritage Preserve Manager positions were filled. Xxxxx “Trapper” Xxxxxx accepted the Heritage preserve Manager for Xxxxxxx Sand Ridge Heritage Preserve and Aiken Gopher Tortoise Heritage Preserve have continued management activities for the benefit of the gopher tortoise, including prescribed fire. Additionally, SCDNR and Savannah River Ecology Lab (TSRHPSREL) continue efforts to establish an MVP at AGTHP, which would be the third in South Carolina. SCDNR and Savanah River Ecology Lab (SREL) staff continue efforts to restock the AGTHP utilizing waif tortoises. This year we have released 45 waifs from South Carolina, Florida, Massachusetts, Wisconsin and Kansas from outside of the state. Additionally, we have released 32 headstarted gopher tortoises to the property. Continued restoration has occurred on the 180 acres of restored habitat on Xxxxxxx Sand Ridge Heritage Preserve. During the report period, the majority of the suitable upland gopher tortoise habitat was scheduled for hand clearing and herbicide of recruiting hardwoods and loblolly pine trees. This overall restoration effort will provide significant additional acreage for tortoises on the preserve and increase the carrying capacity of the site. This year the Open Space Institute and The Nature Conservancy purchased ~7200 acres of property in Jasper and Hampton counties which included the largest known gopher tortoise population and 1 of 2 MVPs in South Carolina. These properties are adjacent to the ~4000 acres purchased by the Open Space Institute and Xxxxxxxx Foundation last year and together, preserve ~12000 acres of habitat, which includes the largest and 3rd largest gopher tortoise populations in SC. SCDNR continues to be active in the gopher tortoise conservation community. Xxxxxx Xxxxxx serves as the Gopher Tortoise Council SC state representative and attended the 2021 virtual annual meeting with the Assistant Chief of Wildlife, Xxxx Xxxxxxx and regional Heritage Preserve Biologist Xxxxxx Xxxxx. Management activities on GADOT owned properties were performed by XXXXX and are included in their reporting. No report submitted. The American Forest Foundation (AFF) empowers family forest owners to make a meaningful conservation impact. This is accomplished through regional partnerships with local, state, and federal entities and through various programs including the American Tree Farm System (ATFS), a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) partnership, a cooperative agreement with the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and Xxxxx contribution agreements with Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). A major focal species of these various AFF projects across the southeast is the gopher tortoise. Across the gopher tortoise range, AFF sponsors six (6) ATFS programs at the state level. In addition to providing landowner outreach and education, the state programs ensure that the private forests enrolled in ATFS are certified to the AFF Standards of Sustainability, which verifies that threatened and endangered species are protected. As of September 30, 2022, there are 7,628 certified Tree Farms representing 4,617,653 acres of forests in the counties identified within the range of the gopher tortoise. During this reporting period, AFF continued the support of five (5) fully equipped prescribed burn trailers to be housed by Resource Conservation & Development Councils across the coastal plain of Georgia. These trailers are being made available to landowners for use in prescribed burning. Through the reporting period, the trailers have been utilized by Georgia landowners to prescribe burn 3,002 acres within the gopher tortoise range. The American Forest Foundation’s cooperative agreement with the USFWS Partners for Fish & Wildlife Program provides cost share for habitat improvement activities on private property to enhance the habitat for federally threatened and at-risk species. The gopher tortoise is a primary focal species of our partnerships in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina. Landowners must have gopher tortoise present or adjacent to their property and agree to a ten-year management commitment to participate in the initiative. During this reporting period, 6,343 acres of gopher tortoise habitat were enrolled for habitat improvements such as establishment of longleaf pine, native groundcover establishment, and prescribed burning. With funding provided by the NRCS, AFF contracted gopher tortoise surveys on eight (8) private land properties encompassing 7,455 acres. Two (2) of these properties were surveyed using line distance transect surveys (LTDS) while the remaining six (6) properties were 100% surveyed. Through this effort, two (2) additional Primary Support and six (6) Support populations were added to the private lands survey data for Alabama as kept by Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The Longleaf Alliance (TLA) continues work with dozens of partners across the historic range of gopher tortoises to restore and maintain gopher tortoise habitat. We consider the gopher tortoise an essential wZpart of longleaf ecosystem restoration. TLA staff provide technical expertise, physical assistance, and financial assistance primarily through cost-share funding programs to assist in various restoration efforts. TLA staff provide hundreds of technical assists to landowners with additional specific management assistance in all the states of the gopher tortoise range that leads to applied habitat improvement and raised awareness and appreciation. TLA staff incorporate gopher tortoise conservation messaging in our Longleaf Academy course offerings and in many other outreach events like field days, workshops, and festivals. Events have included the Southeastern Wildlife Expo, Coastal Wildscapes Symposium, Wayne County Georgia Wildlife Expo, Georgia Conservancy Field Day for Landowners, Savannah River Fire Festival, and Coastal Georgia Conservation Camp (Boy Scouts of America). On social media, gopher tortoise-focused posts have reached over 50,000 people. The Longleaf Alliance’s on-the-ground management staff, including both the Ecosystem Support Team (EST) and the Wetland Ecosystem Support Team (WEST), assist partners with management in Northwest Florida and South Alabama. In FY22, the Teams supported prescribed fire and treated cogongrass in gopher tortoise habitat. The Ft. Xxxxxxx Altamaha Partnership is working in a 5-million acre landscape focal area in southeastern Georgia for the conservation of the longleaf pine ecosystem with the gopher tortoise as a keystone species. With Ft. Xxxxxxx as the anchor point for this effort, additional public and private lands are being protected and restored. Land activities have occurred on state-owned and managed wildlife management areas, state parks, Nature Conservancy-owned and managed lands, and private property including The Orianne Society Preserve and private non-industrial lands. Supported by The Longleaf Alliance’s administered grants, during the reporting period, the following metrics were accomplished: 4,340.50 acres (prescribed fire-private), 7,708 acres (prescribed fire-public), 5 acres (wiregrass planting (private), 5 acres wiregrass planting (public), 102 acres of midstory hardwood control (private), and 3,878 acres of midstory hardwood control (public). Also, within the broader Georgia Sentinel Landcape, TLA provided cost-share funding for 3,425 acres of highly or moderately suitable GT soils according to the NRCS Web Soil Survey. Since 2017, LLA has been partnering with Drs. Xxxx Xxxxxxx and Xxxxxx accepted a promotion Xxxxxxxxxx at the UGA Savannah River Ecology Lab, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, and the USFWS to Heritage Preserve Manager support gopher tortoise head-starting for release onto habitat approved by SCDNR. Thirty-three tortoises were released at Aiken Gopher Tortoise Heritage Preserve (AGTHP). Both have previous longleaf pine habitat management experience and will continue efforts at their respective preserves to maintain and restore gopher tortoise habitat, and to secure the persistence of this species in South Carolina. Land management activities at both Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx Heritage Preserve (TSRHP) and Aiken Gopher Tortoise Heritage Preserve (AGTHP) have continued, and population augmentation and enhancement activities, using waif tortoises have continued at Aiken Gopher Tortoise Heritage Preserve. To date, 238 individual tortoises another forty-two eggs have been reintroduced to the AGTHP landscape (127 adults, 45 juveniles and 66 hatchlings/yearlings). Nest searches on site, reveled signs of reproduction, and 7 nests were dug resulting in 32 eggs. The 30 hatchlings from this work will be collected for released in spring 2023. In total since 2016, 300 juveniles have been released. SREL staff Funding for this project is provided two papers from work conducted at AGTHP titled, 1) Gopher Tortoise Dispersal and Home Range Establishment following Penning: Implications for Translocations and 2) Use of Waifs as a Means to Restore Population Viability of Gopher Tortoises at by the AGTHP, South Carolina. Additionally the Memoranda of Understanding with Florida National Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission was renewed and extended, allowing SCDNR Foundation. TLA also continues to receive additional waif tortoises for work with private landowners within the AGTHP. SCDNR has secured funding to perform Line Transect Distance Sampling (LTDS) at gopher tortoise range in SC to provide both technical and financial assistance. We managed 11,284.2 ac of upland habitat with prescribed fire. We continued long term research on the effects of mesopredators on tortoise populations and collaborated with researchers from Virginia Tech and the University of Georgia on tortoise nesting and xxxxxx site selection to inform habitat management and restoration. The Alabama Forestry Commission (AFC) manages eight state forests within the gopher tortoise’s (GTs) range. Geneva State Forest (GSF) and Little River State Forest (LRSF) are the largest two and provide permanent protection for GTs. These two state forests now total 11,536 acres, GSF is 7,200 acres and LRSF is 4,336 acres. Alabama’s Forever Wild Program also purchased 712 acres directly adjacent to the AFC purchase for Little River State Forest. GSF has AFC personnel permanently stationed there, while LRSF utilizes surrounding county personnel to conduct operations. It is one of AFC’s objectives to continue improving GT habitat on GSF and LRSF lands through prescribed burning, timely timber stand thinning and removal of hardwood mid-story where applicable, creating and maintaining useful forest openings, planting longleaf pine on applicable sites within South Carolina and conducting final harvests as needed. Geneva State Forest is managed for the first time since the late 1970’snatural regeneration of longleaf pine by using shelterwood harvest. During the reporting period we have purchased and tested all equipment and performed LTDS at TSRHPThe forest is managed on a 72-year rotation. Results from this work will be available Additional information is listed in the next annual following sections. The majority of work AFC personnel conduct is for private landowners. There are 9,021,520 acres of timberland within the GT’s native range in Alabama. Of these timberland acres 96.5%, or 8,711,638 acres, are privately owned. AFC has foresters and rangers available to assist landowners in all 27 counties within the GT candidate range. AFC provides GT habitat management recommendations to landowners during site visits, stand management recommendations, and in Stewardship Forest Management Plans. Other forms of landowner assistance provided that benefit GTs include invasive species control recommendations and prescribed burning. No report as well as a report on the status of other gopher tortoise sites in the state. We have hired a survey crew to perform the studies and will begin in January 2016. SCDNR representative Xxxx Xxxxxxx participated in the annual Gopher Tortoise CCA meeting in Daphne, AL and the annual Gopher Tortoise Council meeting in Xxxxxxxxx, LAsubmitted.