complete agenda - Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Unit Name: Withlacoochee State Forest
Acres: 159,562.19 Managing Agency: FDACS-DOF
390
Current Management Plan
Approved:
4/18/2003
Narrative:
The Withlacoochee State Forest (WSF), currently the third largest State Forest, extends across five
counties - Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Pasco and Sumter. WSF was acquired by the federal
government from private landowners in the 1930s, and was managed by the U.S. Forest Service
until the property was transferred to the Florida Board of Forestry in 1958. The State of Florida
received title to WSF (113,172 acres) in February 1983. WSF has acquired new lands through the
Environmentally Endangered Lands program, CARL, P2000 in-holdings and additions, and Save
Our River. Prior to purchase by the federal government, the property was utilized for farming,
cattle grazing, logging, phosphate, limerock mining, and hunting. While under federal ownership,
the land was primarily managed for forestry purposes. Since Division of Forestry took over
management in the mid-1950s, uses have consisted mainly of timber, recreation, and wildlife
management.
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 WSF, is described in quantitative terms on Tables 1- 8. The
management plan for WSF 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.
The WSF accomplished 40,821 acres of prescribed burning during fiscal year 2009/2010. Since
2008, 51,986 acres of forest inventory completed. A tract wide timber sale was also completed
using a pre-commercial thinning cut to enhance stands, generated revenue ($227,500) and provide
a better stand for prescribed fire. WSF completely eliminated and removed from the treatment
cycle 52 acres of cogongrass, 105 other cogongrass points, as well as one Chinese tallow spot, the
first invasive exotic infestations to be completely eliminated from WSF. The Withlacoochee River,
Little Withlacoochee River and Jumper Creek, all Outstanding Florida Waters, flow through portions
of the property. Three hydrologic mitigation projects are in various phases of completion on WSF,
with an additional possible project for the new Progress Energy Nuclear Plant in Levy County.
A gopher mitigation area has been designated to potentially receive gopher tortoises for mitigation
from Department of Transportation projects within the area. A new pair of scrub jays appeared in
the Citrus Tract, increasing the number of occupied territories to two. The Citrus Tract remains a
donor population for red-cockaded woodpeckers. WSF has committed to provide 6 pairs of birds to
the J. W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area to build the population there.
Recreational opportunities available on WSF include hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, canoeing,
fishing, hunting, as well as primitive and group camping. Croom Motorcycle Area provides 2,600acres
of off-road facilities for motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). In the past two years, a
marked trail system has been established at the Croom Motorcycle Area (CMA), and Kids day at
CMA has resulted in increased attendance and sponsor donations. A training area has been
established at the CMA so kids under 16 can be trained in riding safety.