Hunting Area Maps...
Fort Stewart Upland Hardwood Management Program
Fort Stewarts’ Hardwood Management Program is a cooperative effort between the Fish and Wildlife Branch and the Forestry Branch. The installation's Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan mandates that approximately 10% of the upland acres in a training area be managed for mast producing hardwoods. The plan recognizes the intensity and frequency of the growing season prescribed burns are eliminating hardwoods in the uplands, and without protection, this valuable resource will soon be lost.
Training Area Integrated Management Prescription (IMP) Process
Training area prescriptions are a joint effort between all Branches under the Environmental Natural Resources Division and the Directorate of Training (military). The objective of an IMP is to identify all land altering actions (timber thinnings, clearcuts, hardwood management areas, training facilities, etc.) that are planned for each training area. Once all actions are agreed upon, a future conditions map for each area is completed showing what the training area will look like in the future. The entire process is in year 2 of a 5-year schedule, with a goal of completing 2 training areas a month (52 IMP’s are complete).
Hardwood Management Areas (HMA’s)
Hardwood management areas – an upland forested area in which the desired future dominant forest type (80% or greater of the stand basal area/acre) is comprised of hardwood tree species, particularly hard-mast producing species such as oaks (Quercus spp.) and hickories (Carya spp.).
The key words for the areas that have gone through the prescription process are DESIRED FUTURE CONDITION. Currently, many HMA's are far from having 80% of the trees in hardwood; most have more pine than hardwood. In training areas that have very little upland hardwood the acreage will be made up in training areas with a higher hardwood component. With management, and over time, the end result should be a quality hardwood stand.
Bottomland Hardwoods
Bottomland hardwoods are also delineated in the prescription process. While roughly a third of the installation (90,000 acres) is wetland, oaks are surprisingly underrepresented in the bottomlands in many training areas. On the map legends (discussed below) for each training area, you will see Type A, B, or C for all bottomland hardwood surveys that have been completed to date. The definitions are as follows:
Type A: These areas are a mixture of oak species (water and laurel oak), gum, and cypress.
Type B: These areas are a mixture of high quality oak species such as white oak, swamp chestnut oak, etc.
Type C: These areas are a mixture of oak species and pine located along the transition zone (ecotone) between the upland and bottomland.
Training Area Maps
There are 6 links to each major training area block (Alpha – Foxtrots) that will take you to a page with links to all individual training areas within that block. If a training area is not blue (indicating a link) than no information is available at this time. A training areas status in the IMP process will dictate how much information is available . Generally, you will find 1 of 3 maps:
1). A map showing the roads and foodplot locations in the training area.
2). A map showing the roads, foodplots, and existing upland hardwood locations as well as any quality bottomland hardwoods (fieldwork has been completed for the IMP’s).
3). A map showing the roads, a desired future conditions map (has gone through the prescription process) broken down into 4 habitat types, the locations of the quality bottomland hardwoods, all hardwood management areas, and any foodplots or mast orchards.
Good luck and Happy Hunting!
The Game Management Staff
Training Area Blocks