69th SWCS International Annual Conference July 27-30, 2014 Lombard, IL

1. An Adaptive Teaching, Management, and
Outreach Program for Protecting an Urban
Forest Watershed
Andy Scott, Southern Research Station, USFS
Daryl Lawson, Kenneth Ward, Wubishet Tadesse,
Kozma Naka, and William E. Stone, Alabama
A&M University

2. AAMU, Forest Service, BWWB
Forestry, Ecology and Wildlife Program
Environmental, Soil and Water Sciences Program
US EPA “Center of Excellence in Watershed Management”
First HBCU to achieve COE, 2009
US Forest Service “Center of Excellence in Forestry”
1993‐Present
SAF Accreditation in 2002
Birmingham Water Works and Sewage Board
Independent board, created 1951
Manage 13000 acres (5000 ha) of Lake Purdy/Cahaba River Watershed
Began active watershed management 2007 (none since 1989)
Active outreach effort to youth (Young Water Ambassadors)

3. AAMU‐FS‐BWWB Capacity Building Program
•Field lab experience
•New research in pine & soils
•Outreach to top minority youth
•Solidifies partnership with BWWB
•Mountain longleaf and
shortleaf restoration research
•Fire & fuels research
•Soil conservation
•“All‐Lands Approach”
•State‐of‐the art GIS database
•Best management demo areas
•Social/Rec information
•YWA support

4. Lake Purdy/Cahaba River Watershed

5. Watershed characteristics
Longest river solely in Alabama
1,870 sq. mi. watershed
200 sq. mi. water source for the
BWWB system
TNC “hotspot of aquatic
biodiversity”
64 TES
More fish species than any
other river it's size in North
America.

6. Lake Purdy/Cahaba River Watershed
 Valley & Ridge Province
 Mountain longleaf, shortleaf
and loblolly pines in uplands
Mixed upland hardwood species line
ravines and the river's edge
Completely surrounded by WUI

7. Forested Watershed‐Management Issues
• Little management pre 2007
• SPB outbreaks
• Mature timber, high fuel loads
• WUI issues
• Legacy road system
• Feral hog damage
• 2007 AAMU Partnership

8. Work Objectives
1. Integrate Forestry Core Courses with GIS Spatial Field Exercises
2. Provide quality field work experiences for AAMU Forestry and
Environmental Science majors
3. Provide usable digital data to the BWWB regarding the Lake Purdy/Cahaba
River Watershed condition and future management to increase their ability
to make good watershed management decisions
4. Increase the number, type, and scope of field opportunities for the Young
Water Ambassadors as an outreach and recruitment tool
5. Increase opportunities for outreach to nearby urban, suburban, and rural
landowners on forest watershed management by developing demonstration
areas with the data collected.

9. Integrate Forestry Core Courses
Forestry courses
• Forestry/Wildlife Relationships
• Forest Pest Management
• Forest Operation Systems & Mgmt.
• Silviculture
• Forest Fire Ecology & Mgmt.
School year
2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014
StudentsAttending
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Interactions of forest management
• Fuel reduction
• Silviculture
• Red-Cockaded Woodpecker habitat
• Southern pine beetle
• Erosion control on harvest roads

10. Provide quality field work experiences
Primary fieldwork
• Locate landlines
• Flag harvest boundaries
• Cruise timber and mark for harvest
• Harvest inspections (early, mid, late)
Primary office work
• Analyze data for timber sales
• Write prospectus for timber sales
• Incorporate all GPS data into
comprehensive GIS database
Student Workers
• Field crews during winter breaks (10‐20)
• Work‐study during semester (2‐3)
• Field and office during summer (6)

11. Work outputs
Feature Type
Boundaries Roads Hdwd Pine-Hdwd Pine
Linearfeatures
0
20
40
60
80
100
Forestedstands
(acres)
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500

12. Property boundaries

13. Real‐life timber sale experience
Stand Size (Acres)
10 20 30 40 70 80
Timberbids($)
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
60000
70000
Student estimate
Accepted bid

14. Logging inspections: improved watershed conservation

15. Outreach & recruitment
Young Water Ambassadors

16. Outreach & recruitment

17. Outreach & recruitment

18. Leveraged opportunities for landscape conservation

19. Leveraged opportunities for landscape conservation

20. Leveraged opportunities for outreach and recruitment
Apprenticeship Program

21. Leveraged opportunities for outreach and recruitment
Southern Region 1890 Summer Fire Academy

22. Student testimonials
• I have been employed and involved with the BWWB project
since I entered AAMU as a freshman. I would not have been
able to fund my schooling or to learn from the outdoor
classroom exercises and assignments without this
partnership. Backing up our academic coursework with real
life practical application has allowed me to do better in my
classes, since I am a hands on learner. Cory Tucker, Senior
• The two most important learning outcomes have been the
ability to work with my classmates … and more confidence
with public speaking” Micheal Cooper, Senior
• The project gives us the opportunity to work together and
become very close much like a family. Mato Harlan, Freshman

23. Student Success Stories

24. Thanks!