Unicoi Mountains Conservation Area Unicoi Mountains Unicoi Mountains Snowbird Creek Joyce Kilmer -Slickrock Extensions Proposed Midsize Protection Areas: Deaden Tree Gap Lower Snowbird Creek Santeetlah Bluffs Yellow Creek Mountains Download this Map Unicoi Mountains Conservation Area 2.7 mb pdf file Deaden Tree Gap Approximate Size: 3,922 acres This area does not contain a USFS Large Old Growth Patch, but has two candidate old growth sites and 325 acres of old growth. Wet rock outcrops associated with a prominent rock wall in the upper Dockery Creek area may have uncommon or rare herb species. The forest communities for this area are: Acidic Cove, Submesic Oak, Dry Oak, and Submesic Maple-Poplar (the latter is an anomalous type due to insect damage, American chestnut blight, and a possible circum-neutral substrate). Note: The elm spanworm has caused extensive damage to foliage in the many forest communities in the Deaden Tree Gap area. to Top of Page >> Lower Snowbird Creek Approximate Size: 2,710 acres Lower Snowbird Creek does not contain a USFS Large Old Growth Patch and did not make the listing for the Inventoried Roadless Areas. Early logging operations may have missed some steep upland slopes southeast of the Wilson Cabin area which could contain candidate old growth sites. to Top of Page >> Santeetlah Bluffs Approximate Size: 2,533 acres Santeetlah Bluffs contains 756 acres of verified old growth. Its communities are: Rich Cove, Acidic Cove, Hemlock-Mixed Mesophytic, Hemlock Forest, and High Elevation Northern Red Oak. In Upper Wright Creek area of Santeetlah Bluffs the forest communities are: Hemlock-Northern Hardwood. It boasts some very large trees. At Indian Creek a tulip poplar was found with a dbh of 67 inches, an eastern hemlock of 61.8 inches, a White Ash of 48.4 inches, and an American Sycamore was found with a dbh of 46.6 inches. Pockets of rich herb diversity were found in Rich Cove and Hemlock-Mixed Mesophytic forests in the Indian Creek watershed. Other communities in this area had low herb diversity due to rhododendron thickets. There may be a 200 acre special interest area in the Indian Creek watershed. Indiana bats were found on the old roadbed in upper Santeetlah Creek (southwest of this delineated area) upstream of where FS 81-C crosses Santeetlah Creek. Indian Creek is recognized as a high quality trout fishing area. to Top of Page >> Yellow Creek Mountains Approximate Size: 4,469 acres Though it does not contain a USFS Large Old Growth Patch, the area does have 75 acres of old growth and one candidate old growth site. Forest communities include: Mesic Oak, High Elevation Northern Red Oak, and Dry Oak. Shagbark hickory is present in High Elevation Northern Red Oak forest on High Top. to Top of Page >>

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