Purpose
To explain forest management strategies for the Clemson Experimental Forest. The Forest Management Plan aligns with the Clemson Forest Strategic Plan and is accompanied by a Recreation Management Plan. The Forest Management Plan gives rise to an annual Harvest Plan, subject to changing market and environmental conditions.
Authors:
Wayne Phillips, Forest Manager, RF
Dr. Donald Hagan, Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation
Travis Schmitt, Assistant Forest Manager, RF
Trevor Stamey, RF
Dr. Rob Baldwin, Executive Director, Lloyd Chair of Conservation Ecology
The Clemson Experimental Forest (Forest) is a complex landscape of forests, fields, developed farms, riparian and other habitats totaling 19,200 acres adjacent to campus, with an additional large parcel near Route 11. The Forest is accessible to students, faculty, and the public for research, teaching, and recreation. It is owned by Clemson University, subject to agreements with State and Federal agencies, with a mandate to protect and promote it in perpetuity as an educational, environmental, scientific and social asset.
The Forest is divided into four zones – with emphases on conservation/restoration (Zone 1), recreation (Zone 2), sustainable timber production (Zone 3), and long-term campus planning (Zone 4). Zones contain multiple stand types, with considerable variability in species composition, site characteristics, and management history. While management priorities vary by zone and stand type, all zones are to be managed within an adaptive framework that prioritizes diversity and resilience, incorporating monitoring and the best available science.
In zones 1-3, appropriate ecological classification systems – based on soil types, landform characteristics and indicator species – will inform silvicultural activities and management outcomes at the stand-level. Experimental management actions, appropriately replicated and tightly integrated with active research, are encouraged in these zones. Standard forestry best management practices (BMPs) will be followed in all four zones, with additional considerations for harvest adjacency and the protection of sensitive species and habitats, as appropriate.
Descriptions of zone management strategies below: