UPLAND FOREST: Proposed Actions

Actions (Objective 1)

Identify large blocks of upland forest for conservation action.
Background and Progress: Large blocks of upland forest are becoming increasingly uncommon within the planning unit as urbanization continues to penetrate the landscape. Many of the more extensive tracts now exist on government-owned lands. Remaining significant tracts need to be identified for conservation planning. Efforts have been initiated in both Maryland and New Jersey to identify blocks of forest considered to be of significance to breeding birds. No such efforts have been initiated in Virginia or Delaware.

Reduce rate of hardwood conversion.
Background and Progress: Over the past 2 decades, large tracts of mixed upland forest have been converted to pine plantations for the production of wood products. Early in this period, forest conversion was primarily restricted to the outer Coastal Plain in areas with natural pine-dominated forests. Hardwood-dominated forests near the fall line are of particular conservation significance to a diverse breeding- bird community. In more recent years, many tracts of hardwood-dominated forest have been converted to pine plantations. This has been the case on both private and government land. It is important that managers of government-owned land begin to consider the habitat value of hardwood-dominated forest. No targeted educational programs have been initiated.