complete agenda - Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Unit Name: Carl Duval Moore State Forest & Park
Acres: 334.88 Managing Agency: FDACS-DOF
Current Management Plan
Approved:
359
2/25/2010
Narrative:
Carl Duval Moore State Forest & Park (CDMSFP) is comprised of approximately 335 acres of forests
and lakes in Putnam County. The Division of Forestry (DOF) received title to the original 306 acres
of forestland in 1993 and 1994 as a donation, contained in the will of the property’s namesake, Mr.
Carl Duval Moore. As a condition of the deed, the land must be used for the purposes of
production of timber, game management, or school for forestry management methods. In 2010
the Division of Forestry acquired an additional 29 acres from Plum Creek Timber Company through
the Florida Forever – Inholdings and Additions program. The forest is composed of two noncontiguous
tracts (North Tract and the South Tract). CDMSFP contains one notable watercourse,
Alligator Creek, which flows through the South Tract of the forest. Natural communities found on
the forest include sandhill, mesic flatwoods, baygall, and scrubby flatwoods. Imperiled species
documented during an FNAI survey of the forest include gopher tortoise, bald eagle, Florida black
bear and the state-listed plant garberia. Public road access to the North Tract is limited; however
two small parking areas are now open. One of these provides access to a short nature loop trail
that includes a boardwalk and observation platform on the west side of Up-and-Down Lake. The
South Tract however, is landlocked and currently has no legal public access. Hiking and fishing are
the primary recreational activities.
In an effort to standardize the land management planning and reporting methods implemented by
all state land managers, the LMUAC has established eight common management goals and 32
quantitative measures that should be addressed by all management plans, where they apply to the
specific purposes and mission of each management unit. The Division of Forestry’s progress
towards achieving the common goals and applicable core objectives during interim management
prior to approval of the initial management plan, as well as additional State Forest-specific
objectives for the CDMSFP since the February 2010 approval of the management plan, are
described in the narrative below and in quantitative terms on Tables 1- 8. Where applicable,
outstanding accomplishments, deficiencies and corrective actions, and other important or clarifying
information is provided for each of the LMUAC management goals.
The prescribed fire program on CDMSFP will enhance the habitat of native fauna and flora. With the
help of The Nature Conservancy Prescribed Burn Strike Team this past year, the forest staff burned
over 50 acres of sandhill. During the growing season of the previous year, staff also burned a 19acre
stand. Thirty acres of sandhill were mowed to reduce oak competition. Another 22 acres of
sandhill benefited from the removal of a stand of off-site sand pine.
The Division of Forestry manages the forest under the multiple-use concept balancing
environmental, recreational and resource use needs. Staff continues to observe the cross drain
structure associated with Alligator Creek to ensure surface flows aren’t impeded significantly.
Timber management practices on CDMSFP are important in the restoration and maintenance of
forest ecosystems and provide a variety of socioeconomic benefits to Floridians. In addition to
managing a single timber sale removing off-site slash pine and hardwoods in 2009 (with revenue of
just under $3,000), the CDMSFP staff completed over 80 acres of forest inventory cruising.
Efforts continue to monitor and/or treat six known non-native, invasive plants occurring on the
forest. CDMSFP staff has been successful in eradicating air potato, Chinese tallow and camphor.
Three new spots of mimosa were identified this year and will be treated shortly.