complete agenda - Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Unit Name: Ralph E. Simmons Memorial State Forest
Acres: 3,638.0 Managing Agency: FDACS-DOF
Current Management Plan
Approved:
381
8/8/2001
Narrative:
Ralph E. Simmons Memorial State Forest (RESMSF) is currently comprised of 3,638 acres located in
northwestern Nassau County. RESMSF (previously known as St. Mary's State Forest) was renamed
in 1996 as a memorial to a former St. Johns River Water Management District Governing Board
Member who was instrumental in the purchase of the forest. The St. Johns River Water
Management District purchased the parcel with funds from the Preservation 2000 and the Save Our
Rivers Programs. The Florida Division of Forestry currently manages the property through a
management agreement established in 1992 with the St. Johns River Water Management District.
Major natural communities include ravine bottomland forest, mesic flatwoods, sand hills, and
upland hardwoods. The forest has 6.7 miles of river frontage on the St. Mary’s River. RESMSF
offers visitors the scenic beauty of the St. Mary's River which also provides the northern boundary
of the forest and serves as the primary water source. The river and two oxbow lakes along with
numerous cypress stands, ponds and swamps provide an abundance of fish as well as a water
source for the many types of wildlife that live on the forest. Many species of wildlife are found
residing on the forest. Wildlife that is frequently seen include: white-tailed deer, fox, wild turkey,
bobcat, gopher tortoise and otter. Timber management practices on RESMSF are important to the
restoration and maintenance of forest ecosystems and provide a variety of socioeconomic benefits
to Floridians. Longleaf pine is being reintroduced in an effort to restore the forest for the enjoyment
of future generations. An aggressive prescribed burning program is in place to assure that
maximum benefits are attained in timber production on the forest.
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, as well as additional State
Forest-specific objectives for the RSSF, is described in quantitative terms on Tables 1- 8. The
management plan for RSSF was approved prior to July 2008, and does not contain specific
measures and timeframes for the goals, objectives and recommended actions. In the narrative
below, the last two years of applicable outstanding accomplishments, deficiencies and corrective
actions, and other important or clarifying information is provided for each of the LMUAC
management goals.
Accomplishments for the past two years include the prescribed burning of 2,502 acres of state
forest with the majority of the burns during the growing season, the rebuilding of two miles of the
Loop Road that increased seasonal public access, approximately 33 acres of longleaf pine was
planted on previously disturbed sand hill natural community thereby improving productivity and
enhancing the ecologic function of the natural community, approximately 279 acres of the forest
were inventoried, one timber Sales, approximately 78 acres of timber was harvested
(approximately 3,016 tons) with a value of $44,000, and approximately 1,783 acres of forest were
inventoried.