■96- 



17. Preservation status 

 Category - 6 - 100% 



18. Regulatory protections in force: See 404(b) of the Clean Water 

 Act. 



19. Attitude of owner or custodian toward preservation: Unknown 



20. Threats 



a. Category 4 *SF 



b. Description of threat: N/A 



21. Management and preservation recommendation. 



This section of swamp forest, particularly that south of US 64, has 

 limited access because canals act as barriers and the few gates 

 into the area remain locked. This limited access should be maintained. 

 Logging must be prevented. No further mangement is needed to 

 maintain this area as a wildlife sanctuary. 



22. Rating: (County perspective): 



1) high priority 



2) X medium priority 



3) low priority 



State Natural Heritage rating: local significance. 



23. Prose statement of site significance 



This area is not considered significant for any aspects of its 

 natural vegetation. We saw no particularly exemplary stands of 

 swamp forest and in fact much of the area appears to have been cut 

 within the past 20-30 years. The area does, however, serve as an 

 excellent wildlife sanctuary. By having locked gates which are 

 undoubtedly intended to restrict deer hunting, the GMS timber 

 Company has created a refuge for all of the wildlife. No other 

 portion of the county has this type of restrictec access. This 

 wildlife sanctuary does have black bear and would be suitable 

 habitat for other animals such as beaver, otter, and alligator. 

 The area is also strategically located. If it were destroyed 

 through timbering or other land use it would bisect the swamp 

 forest corridor along the Alligator River and also cut swamp forest 

 access to the western part of the county. 



24. Natural Characteristics Summary 



A. Vegetation-Biotic Community Summary 



Community type: Nyssa sylvatica-Pinus taeda 



Community cover type: Nyssa sylvatica-Pinus taeda 



General habitat feature: Swamp forest ' " '. ■ • 



Average tree height: 55 feet 



Estimated age of canopy trees: 20-80 years depending on 



location 



