Guide to Forest Management for Birds in West Virginia

In partnership with West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, AMJV has released Guide to Forest Management for Birds in West Virginia as a resource for foresters, land managers, and other conservation professionals. The guide offers practical management strategies to enhance habitat for birds while improving forest health and resilience.

Learn how to plan and implement forest management to address major factors impacting forests in West Virginia, including:

• Forest fragmentation
• Invasive species
• Overbrowsing by deer
• Unsustainable timber harvesting

Through case studies, detailed recommendations, and resources, this guide provides actionable insights for balancing wildlife conservation, forest health, and economic goals on public and private lands.

Guide to Forest Management for Birds in West Virginia

Additional Resources

(Note: URLs change frequently; if link is broken use a browser search to find the site.)

1. Sources of Landscape Information Available Digitally

• • US Geological Survey: National Land Cover Database https://www.usgs.gov/centers/eros/science/annual-national-land-cover-database
  • US Geological Survey: Earth Explorer
    https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/
  • US Department of Agriculture/Natural Resources Conservation Service soil survey geographic database
    https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/resources/data-and-reports/gridded-national-soil-survey-geographic-database-gnatsgo
  • Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics Consortium
    https://www.mrlc.gov/
  • ArcGIS Pro
    https://www.esri.com/en-us/arcgis/products/arcgis-pro/overview
  • Dynamic World
    https://dynamicworld.app/
  • Google Earth
    https://earth.google.com/web/

2. US Department of Agriculture/Natural Resources Conservation Service

• • About Forest Management Plans
    https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2022-10/Forest%20Management%20Plans.pdf
  • Joint Forest Management Template
    https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2022-10/Forest%20Management%20Plans.pdf
  • Forest Management Plan Template
    https://efotg.sc.egov.usda.gov/references/Public/LA/ForestMgtPlantemplate_(003).pdf
  • West Virginia Plant Establishment Guide https://efotg.sc.egov.usda.gov/#/state/WV/documents/section=1&folder=65589

3. Sources for Oak Restoration

• • White Oak Initiative Landowners for Oaks Series https://www.whiteoakinitiative.org/landowners-for-oaks-series

Includes:

• • • Challenges of Upland Oak Regeneration
    • Sustainable Oak Management Practices
    • Species-specific guides (White Oak, Black Oak, Northern Red Oak, Southern Red Oak, Chinkapin Oak, Chestnut Oak, Scarlet Oak, Post Oak
    • Understanding the Importance of White Oak
  • SILVAH 7: A computer tool for making silvicultural decisions in hardwood stands of the mid-Atlantic and upper Appalachian region.

https://research.fs.usda.gov/nrs/products/dataandtools/silvah-7

4. West Virginia Division of Forestry

• • Best Practices Manual for Controlling Soil Erosion and Sedimentation from Logging Operations
    https://wvforestry.com/pdf/DOFBMPManual.pdf

5. Best Management Practices for Specific Bird Species

• • Cerulean Warbler
    https://amjv.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/cerulean_guide_1-pg_layout.pdf
  • Golden-winged Warbler

https://gwwa.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/GWWA_Habitat-Inserts_Appalachians_190711.pdf
https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/GWWA-APPLRegionalGuide_130808_lo-res.pdf

• • Wood Thrush and Scarlet Tanager
    https://highbranchconservation.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Guidelines-for-Managing-Wood-Thrush-and-Scarlet-Tanager-Habitat-in-the-Northeast-and-Mid-Atlantic-Regions-2017.pdf