1. Proposed Special Conservation Area (SCA) for the Lakewood and Laona Districts of the Nicolet National Forest Jeanette Jaskula, Monica Hauck- Whealton, and Sarah Wielgus

2. What is the importance of a Special Conservation Area? To maintain: - undisturbed water, soil, and air - diverse plant and animal communities - habitat for threatened or endangered species dependent on large, undisturbed areas of land - undisturbed reference landscapes

3. SCA Goals Preserve 10,000 acres within the Lakewood and Laona Districts of the Nicolet National Forest as one patch or multiple patches Include areas that can be converted to roadless areas Include old-growth forest stands and riparian areas

4. Importance of Forest Riparian Buffers Trap sediment and associated nutrients (road construction can be the largest source of sediment in forestry operations) Moderate stream temperatures Provide cover and important organic debris used as food by stream invertebrates Reduce the impacts of downstream flooding by reducing upstream flow

5. Generalized Forest Types Conifers – Pine, Balsam Fir, Hemlock, Cedar, Tamarack Lowland Hardwoods – Ash, Elm, Maple Upland Hardwoods – Birch, Basswood, Beech, Maple Aspen/Birch Nonforested areas – sedge meadows, shrub swamps, bogs, marshes

6. Forest Types in Lakewood SCA Conifer Lowland Hardwoods Upland Hardwoods Aspen/Birch 52% 14% 10% 24%

7. Average Year of Origin of Forest Types in Lakewood SCA Year of Origin Conifers Lowland Hardwoods Upland Hardwoods Aspen/Birch 1932 1964 1924 1963

8. Percent Acreage of Lowland Conifers in Lakewood SCA 19251937 1930 1908 Northern White Cedar Tamarack Mixed Swamp Conifers Cedar, Aspen, Paper Birch

9. Year of Origin of Mixed Swamp Conifers in Lakewood SCA 1880-1900 1901-1920 1921-1940 (81%) (6%) (13%)

10. Acres of Old Growth in Forest Types in Lakewood SCA Total Acres Old Growth ConifersLowland HW Upland HW Aspen/Birch Acres 65% 24% 32% 29%

11. Total Acreage in Lakewood and SCA for Three Timber Types 26% 29% 12% 1.5% 2.3% 0.19% Aspen-Birch Upland Hardwoods Red, Jack Pine Acres LakewoodSCA

12. Tiarella cordifolia – Foamflower Endangered in Wisconsin Needs rich deciduous woods comprised of sugar maple, yellow birch, and basswood WIDNR

13. Botrychium mormo – Goblin fern Endangered in Wisconsin Associated with northern mesic forests, particularly sugar maple. Indicator of nutrient rich sites USF&W

14. Red-Shouldered Hawk Threatened in WI Needs unfragmented, mature floodplain forests along rivers Needs large pines 20-70 ft. tall WIDNR

15. Percent Acreage of Forest Types in Laona SCA Non-forested 7 % Conifer 28 % Lowland HW 8 % Upland HW 23 % Aspen 34 %

16. Average Year of Origin for Each Forest Type in Laona SCA Year of origin Conifer Lowland HW Upland HW Aspen Non-Forested 1922 1930 1938 19761970

17. Percent Acreage of Forest Types in Laona SCA vs. Laona District Percent of Forest Type Upland HW Aspen Red / White Pine District SCA 38.2 % 26.5 % 4 % 1.3 % 2.7 % 2.8 %

18. Total Acreage Comparisons for Timber Species Laona SCA Mixed Hardwoods Sugar Maple Quaking Aspen 26.6% 23% 7% 1.7% 0.1% 0.2%

19. SCA Distribution by Type Non-Forested Aspen-Birch Conifers Upland Hardwoods 12.2% 13.3% 22.6% 51.5%

20. Average Year of Origin by Type Aspen-Birch Non-Forested Conifers Upland Hardwoods 1971 UNK 1935 1923

21. Average Year of Origin by Type ConiferUpland HardwoodAspen-Birch 193519231971

22. Percent of Old-Growth in SCA by Type Conifers Lowland Hardwoods Aspen-Birch Acres 18% 100% 41% Total Acres Old Growth

23. Algae-Like Pondweed (Potamogeton confervoides) Threatened in Wisconsin Grows in shallow water of inland lakes WIDNR

24. Braun’s Holly Fern (Polysticum braunii) Threatened in Wisconsin Grows in Sugar Maple and Basswood areas Needs cool, shaded sites; sensitive to logging activity Found in Lakewood and Laona districts WIDNR

25. Fairy Slipper (Calypso bulbosa) Threatened in Wisconsin Grows in Swamp Conifer and Tamarack areas Prefers sites with old-growth characteristics WIDNR

26. Total Acres for Forest Types in Lakewood and Laona vs. SCA Acres Conifers Low HW Up HW Aspen Non-forested LKWD/LAONA SCA