Thank you and 2019 Priorities
Happy New Year, everyone, and thank you so much for continuing to submit observations to our bioblitz of WNF's Athens Unit! It has been amazing to see images of our biodiversity and the data has generated so many more questions about the diversity of organisms in this landscape.
In 2019, I am very much looking forward to your photos and learning so much from you all! We are also developing some priorities for the year that will be helpful for the WNF's Forest Revision process. There are a few areas that, if you have the chance, it would be helpful to make observations. The first is the Big Bailey area--the Forest Service and partners are fundraising to build an 88-mile bike path through this area and it would be helpful to come the land for sensitive, threatened, and endangered species. I like to park at Big Bailey wetland off Carr Bailey Rd and wander along the creek or up the hillside. Driving up Utah Ridge Rd is also a great access point to some relatively remote forest.
The WNF is also gathering info for potential Wilderness designation of a couple of areas. Email me at joe@ruralaction.org to learn more about this, but one of the areas is the WNF land east of Wildcat Hollow Backpacking Trailhead. Finding endangered species in the area would help make a case for Wilderness designation.
Lastly, if you find American Ginseng, Goldenseal (aka Yellow Root), or Wild Ramps, please upload these photos but choose the "obscured" geo-privacy option, which will help prevent potential poaching of these valuable plants. Rural Action's Sustainable Forestry program monitors populations of these plants and could find more data about their locations useful.
Thanks to all of you, and especially to Brett Smith for being the architect behind this bioblitz. Don't hesitate to share the project with friends--we can use all of the data we can get!
Joe Brehm
