state lands habitat program › ... › documents › 2nd-half-2017.pdfpage 1 of 11 state lands...
TRANSCRIPT
Page 1 of 11
State Lands Habitat Program Highlights From the 2
nd Half of 2017
Jim Oehler
State Lands Habitat Biologist January 16, 2018
Click on the property name to view its profile on Fish & Game’s or DRED’s website including
links to maps. To learn more about how the Department manages its WMAs, click here.
REGION 1 Connecticut Lakes Natural Area (CLNA) Pittsburg
The 9-mile section of East Inlet Road that traverses the Nature Preserve portion of the property
saw major improvements over the summer. This road is the primary artery for both recreational
and management access to the 14,000-acre Nature Preserve. It provides access to East Inlet, a 92-
acre impoundment, and the 20-acre Boundary Pond north of the CLNA. Both are very popular
trout fishing, canoeing and kayaking destinations in the North Country. The road also provides
access for hunters and wildlife watchers. Other than a little grading, this road has not seen
significant maintenance for 20+ years. Jill Kilborn coordinated the resurfacing and grading of this
road, which will help to maintain it in good working condition for many more years. Gravel was
harvested from an onsite pit. Funding for this project has been secured from a Wildlife and Sport
Fish Restoration grant with match provided by management endowments established when the
property was purchased by the state.
Map depicting
location of the Indian
Stream portion and
the Nature Preserve,
where recent projects
are occurring on the
CNLA. Map by Jill
Kilborn.
Nature
Preserve
East Inlet Road
Page 2 of 11
Gravel being mined and processed from a pit on the CLNA near Scott Bog
for use in regraveling East Inlet Road. Picture by Jill Kilborn.
Before (left) and after (right) pictures of East Inlet Road. The condition of the road had been deteriorating for
many years with pot holes, areas of erosion, and boulders or large rocks sticking up making travel difficult.
With new gravel in place, it will make for much better access. Pictures by Jill Kilborn.
In addition to the road work, invasive plant treatments in and around the CLNA are ongoing.
Knotweed populations have been virtually eradicated and are monitored annually for
sprouting. Phragmites populations were treated for the first time this fall and will receive
follow up treatments as needed.
To minimize the spread of invasives onto the CLNA, Jill has been participating in the Upper
Connecticut River Invasive Species Management Area (UC CISMA) collaborative, a group of
natural resource professionals focused on minimizing the spread of invasive plants in the
Page 3 of 11
northern extent of the Connecticut River watershed. The UC CISMA applied for and received
a $20,000.00 grant from the Tillotson Foundation and an $8,000.00 grant from the Davis
Conservation Foundation for invasive treatment, education and outreach. The money will be
used for on-the-ground mechanical and chemical treatment, coordination with communities,
education and outreach with local schools and finally coordination of an invasive plant
symposium to be held in the spring of 2018.
Lastly, wildlife openings on the South Bay Bog Operating Unit were maintained this year
under a contract with the Wildlife Management Institute. A private contractor was used to
mow three wildlife openings and access roads to the openings.
REGION 2
Lower Shaker WMA, Enfield – Denyce Gagne and Brian Lemire coordinated quite a bit of work
on the Lower Shaker WMA this summer and fall. Wood ash was spread on 60 acres of fields to
help sweeten the soils and give grasses a competitive advantage in an attempt to improve
grassland habitat. Invasive exotic plants were also treated on 50 acres of fields and field edges.
Except for these areas, most of the Lower Shaker WMA is relatively free of invasive exotic plants
and we’re going to work to keep it that way. Contractors targeted bush honeysuckle, common
buckthorn, and multiflora rose via a foliar spray application of herbicides using licensed
applicators. Common buckthorn with stem diameters of 2-4” that were too large for a foliar
application were treated via cut stem (cut the small tree and swab the cut stump with herbicide).
Additional control operations are slated for other portions of the WMA next summer. We also
reached out to our neighbors at the Enfield Shaker Museum to see if they would be willing to
control the honeysuckle and rose on their adjoining property to deter reinvasion of the WMA.
The museum property is the only other place we know these species to occur in the local
landscape. The museum board voted to approve an expenditure to do just that. That work will
also occur next summer.
Kearsarge WMA, Andover – A brontosaurus mower was back at work on the Kearsarge WMA
just a few weeks ago. Denyce and Brian coordinated the work in a woodcock habitat project area
originally initiated in the late 1990s. At that time, a brontosaurus mower set back succession in a
6-acre abandoned pasture that reverted to red maple and alder. The trees resprouted nicely
creating the dense stem densities required for good woodcock cover. Approximately half of the
project area was mowed again in November 2010 to set back succession once again. The
remaining half was done this fall. A rotational mowing pattern such as this provides a diversity of
size and age classes of vegetation that will help meet the feeding, brooding rearing, and cover
requirements of woodcock.
Blue Job State Forest, Farmington – In early August, Denyce and Brian coordinated the return
of a brontosaurus mower to finish preparing a 13-acre prescribed burn unit atop Blue Job
Mountain. Blue Job hosts a 50-acre blueberry barren. Such habitats require periodic maintenance
to keep them open and the blueberry bushes producing. Every few years, a portion of the barrens
will be mowed with a brontosaurus mower to knock back the young trees that are invading the
area. This will be followed up with a prescribed burn that will prune old unproductive stems and
promote new growth and better berry production. This work will maintain important young forest
and barrens habitat that will benefit a variety of wildlife including ruffed grouse, black bear,
eastern towhee, song sparrow, and prairie warbler. It will also help maintain views of the
surrounding landscape and blueberry picking opportunities so enjoyed by visitors to the mountain.
Page 4 of 11
Originally, the prescribed burn was slated to occur last spring, but prolonged rains rendered the
access road to the barrens unpassable. We tried again this fall, but the required weather
conditions never came to pass. We’ll try again this spring. The access road, previously
unpassable in the spring, was upgraded by an abutter, likely making a spring burn possible.
Ellis Hatch WMA, New Durham and Middleton; Leonard WMA, Webster; Owl Brook
WMA, Holderness – Tom Natale, a forester with the NH Division of Forests and Lands, who
administers timber harvests on WMAs in the central part of the state, is back from a prolonged
illness. Welcome back Tom! With his return, work will commence on completing harvests at
these properties that are in varying stages of planning and implementation. For more on these
projects, read previous editions of this report.
Prescott State Forest, Laconia – The Department assisted the NH Division of Forests and Lands
with some invasive exotic plant control on this 116-acre property. Much of the property contains
fields, old fields, and an old apple orchard some of which are being taken over by invasive exotic
plants. Bittersweet, in particular, is choking out many of the apple trees. Licensed applicators
targeted those invasives during control operations in late July.
REGION 3
Northwood Meadows State Park, Northwood – Sam Taylor, a forester with the NH Division of
Forests and Lands, recently completed a harvest on 81 acres of this 666-acre state park. Very
similar to Conner Farm WMA, the harvest at Northwood Meadows included 18.5 acres of groups one-fourth to two acres in size, which were established in areas with poor quality trees, areas of
mature timber, or areas that will maximize wildlife habitats such as adjacency to food sources or
complimentary habitats. Regenerating hardwood seedlings will result in woody browse,
benefiting wildlife species such as white-tailed deer. Other mammals such as bobcat and reptiles
such as northern black racer may also use the area for food and cover. Once young mixed
hardwood and softwood growth is established, the enhanced understory cover may create foraging
and nesting opportunities for several wildlife species, including Canada warbler, wild turkey, and
veery.
A skidder taking a hitch of trees to the log landing for processing (left).
Trees being processed for transport to markets (right). Photos by Jim Oehler.
Corey WMA, Deerfield – Visitors finally have suitable access to this 150-acre property. Brian
and Denyce worked with contractors to install a parking area, gate, and signage to facilitate public
access off of Mount Delight Rd. This WMA has not had legal access since it was donated to the
Page 5 of 11
Department in the late 1980s. This was recently rectified by the acquisition of a ROW and rights
to install and maintain a parking area on abutting land in a recently abandoned gravel pit. With the
access issues addressed, the property will be added to our online WMA guide in the near future.
New signs and parking area at Corey WMA in Deerfield. Pictures by Jim Oehler.
Piscassic WMA, Newfields & Exeter – Fifty acres of white pine thinning that was to occur last
winter was delayed due to poor ground conditions. The harvest is expected to be finished this
winter. This is the second phase of a harvest that started during the winter of 2015/16.
Conner Farm WMA, Exeter – Sam Taylor will be administering a timber harvest scheduled for
this winter on this 224- acre property. Approximately 20 acres of groups one-fourth to two acres
in size will be harvested, increasing the amount of sunlight hitting the forest floor and thereby
sparking the growth of the next generation of forest. The increased food and cover that will result
will benefit wild turkey, deer and a variety of songbirds, such as veery. Some patches will be
deliberately placed adjacent to fields, which will help to feather field edges and enhance habitat
for American woodcock and perhaps other types of songbirds that rely on shrubland and young
forest habitat, such as chestnut-sided warbler.
Invasive exotic plant control occurred in July and August in preparation for the harvest. There are
a number of invasive exotic plants on the property that can negatively impact habitat, including
glossy buckthorn, bush honeysuckle, and Asiatic bittersweet, among others. Glossy buckthorn, in
particular, is an aggressive competitor along field edges and woodland openings that inhibits
native trees like pine and oak. To deter further invasion of the property, scattered seedlings within
the patches were hand-pulled with help provided by Ibis Wildlife Consulting, volunteers, and staff
including Rich Cook, Denyce Gagne, and myself. Plants along field edges and up to 100 feet into
the woods were treated by licensed pesticide applicators. Only the invasive exotic plants were
targeted during this treatment.
REGION 4
Souhegan River WMA, Greenville – A harvest is underway at Souhegan River WMA.
Coordinated by Sam Taylor, the harvest will include 15 acres of young forest and 29 acres of
shelterwood. About 25% of the trees will be harvested in the shelterwood areas to open up the
forest floor to sunlight, which will encourage a new generation of trees to start growing. This
harvest will result in an abundance of woody browse, benefiting wildlife species such as white-
tailed deer, moose, and others. Additionally, the dense young growth will create food, cover, and
Page 6 of 11
breeding opportunities for a number of bird species, including American woodcock, ruffed
grouse, eastern wild turkey, whip-or-will, and eastern towhee.
A feller buncher getting ready to cut a tree at Souhegan River WMA (left), while
NH Division of Forests and Lands foresters, Sam Taylor and Bryan Comeau,
walk the project site to ensure everything is going as planned (right).
We also partnered with Eversource to get the invasive exotic plants treated within and directly
adjacent to one of their powerline ROWs that traverse the WMA in close proximity to harvest
areas. This was a preventative action to try to keep invasives from colonizing those areas.
Eva’s Marsh WMA, Hancock – A harvested is scheduled to start in mid-late January at Eva’s
Marsh WMA. Sam will be administering this sale on 61 of this 98 acre property with a focus on
enhancing deer wintering habitat. Modified single tree selection will be used to create small gaps
in the forest canopy to encourage eastern hemlock regeneration while a few small groups will be
created adjacent to Eva’s Marsh to improve nesting and foraging habitat for waterfowl and
songbirds.
Barden WMA, Richmond – A harvest at the 120-acre
Barden WMA was completed in November. It
included a partial overstory removal to transition a
pine-oak-maple stand to a hemlock-red oak type to
improve the future potential of the area for deer
wintering habitat while maintaining a consistent source
of hard mast for wildlife. A 14-acre clearcut was also
created to provide woody browse near the wintering
area and important young forest habitat that several
species of wildlife will benefit from.
The harvest at Barden WMA included a clearcut to create
young forest habitat (right). Photo by Jim Oehler.
Page 7 of 11
LAND CONSERVATION NEWS
Land Acquisition Projects
Three new properties have been added to our system of Wildlife Management Areas and easement
lands due to the good work of Rich Cook and several partners.
Stonehouse Forest, Barrington (1,500 acres) - We received a $1,000,000 grant from the
USFWS Coastal Wetland Conservation Grant Program to assist the Southeast Land trust
of NH in acquiring the property. Wildlife Restoration Program funds also contributed
significantly to the purchase of a conservation easement that will be held by the
Department. Read more about this project here.
Pearly Lake WMA – 676 acres in Rindge with over 300 feet of frontage on Pearly Lake
and extensive areas of open field and diverse wetlands. Read more about this project here.
Manchester Airport Mitigation Parcel – The Department has been working with
Manchester Airport for a couple of years to get a 56+ acre parcel located in Londonderry
and Manchester transferred to the Department. The property is a potential New England
Cottontail site.
Rich and Betsey are working on several other projects including:
Kimball Hill Forest – We are working with The Nature Conservancy to conserve 2,700
acres sandwiched between Province Road State Forest in Dorchester and Cardigan State
Park in Orange, which would be added to our system of WMAs. Read more about this
project here.
Brunault, Colebrook – We are also working with The Nature Conservancy to conserve 31
acres on the Connecticut River adjacent to existing NHFG property. This project will
conserve ag lands and floodplain forest, which will be further expanded upon through
restoration efforts of TNC;
Butternut Pond, Enfield – 218 acres abutting Laramie WMA. The property currently has
an easement held by NHFG. We are pursuing purchasing the remaining fee so the
Department will own it outright.
Real Estate Advisors Land Donation – 15.56 acres of land including land on both sides of
the Piscassic River will be added to the Piscassic WMA in Newfields. The donation is a
condition of the subdivision of the property which will create three new house lots along
Route 87.
Childs Conservation Easement, Salisbury – The Department is partnering with the Forest
Society to protect 572 acres on the west side of Mount Kearsarge not far from the
Kearsarge Wildlife Management Area and adjacent to an extensive area of protected
lands.
The new 676-acre Pearly Lake WMA in Rindge was purchased using USFWS Wildlife Restoration funds. The
purchase of hunting equipment supports such efforts. Photos by Jim Oehler.
Page 8 of 11
Looking toward the rest of 2018 we are looking at several potential acquisitions including
property in Brookfield to add onto the Ellis Hatch Jr. WMA, nearly 1,400 acres in Gilsum plus a
few others. New WMAs and easement lands are purchased with Wildlife Restoration Program
funds in combination with various grants and donations obtained by the Department or through
our conservation partners.
OTHER NEWS Siting Trails for People and Wildlife
Katie Callahan, Rachel Stevens, and Jim Oehler have been working on a tool to help resource
planners site recreational trails for both people and wildlife. Hiking, mountain biking,
horseback riding, snowmobiling, etc. may seem like innocuous activities but can have impacts
on wildlife including reduced abundance, reproduction, and survival, and trail building and
maintenance is one of the, if not the, most popular management activity on both public and
private lands.
The tool can be used to assess existing trails and site new trails in a way that minimizes
impacts to wildlife but still provide plenty of opportunity to get outside. The tool highlights
areas particularly important for wildlife and areas that would be more suitable for trail
development, while accompanying documents will explain how to use the tool, and provide
some examples of how conservation organizations have applied it in their trail planning
efforts.
This project was done in consultation with members of the Great Bay Resource Protection
Partnership, Audubon Society of NH, The Nature Conservancy, Natural Resource
Conservation Service, the Society for Protection of NH Forests, the NH Trails Bureau, the
Upper Valley Trails Alliance, UNH Cooperative Extension, several local land trusts, and
others.
We’ve already presented it at the NH Association of Conservation Commissions with very
positive feedback, and are scheduled for Saving Special Places, a UNH Cooperative
Extension staff meeting, and the New England society of American Foresters annual
conference. We will publish updates on this webpage about the tool as they become available.
Page 9 of 11
The NorthWoods of Northwood
Private landowners in Northwood, NH are coming together to collaborate on a study of their
6,500-acre neighborhood around Jenness Pond. They want to learn more about the natural,
historical, and social resources of their neighborhood so they and others will develop a better
understanding and appreciation of what they have in their own backyard, and hopefully work
to conserve those resources. This effort is an offshoot of a similar one in the southern part of
town, referred to as the Northwood Area Land Management Collaborative or NALMC that
includes lands surrounding Forest Peters WMA. NALMC was founded in part by Jim Oehler
as a means of working towards landscape scale habitat and wildlife conservation in that area.
It’s good to see this model being used in other areas.
Landowners of the Big NorthWoods gather in Northwood to kick off an ecological, historical, and social study
of the x-acre neighborhood around Jenness Pond, in which they live. Photo by Jim Oehler.
WMA Boundaries – Brian Lemire will be putting out a request
for bids to blaze, paint, and sign boundaries on several WMAs in
the near future (Table 2). Slated to be out for bid already, the
RFP has been delayed due to new contracting requirements for
such activities. Boundary maintenance is needed to ensure our
habitat projects stay within our property bounds, so that visitors to
WMAs understand the extent of our ownerships, and to deter
encroachments onto state lands from abutting landowners.
Page 10 of 11
Table 2. Properties to be included in upcoming RFP for boundary maintenance.
Property Town Feet Miles
Cemetery Hill WMA Sunapee 13,244.00 2.51
Farrar WMA Hillsborough 43,213 8.18
Kona WMA Moultonboro 23,732 4.49
Kearsarge WMA Andover/Wilmot 37,024 7.01
Marks WMA New Durham 18,463 3.50
Piscataquog WMA Lyndeborough 10,654 2.02
Sargent Lots 1, 2, and 4 Newton 31,980 6.06
Bellamy WMA Dover 39,338 7.45
Hoit Rd Marsh Concord 23,218 4.40
TOTALS 45.62
Field Mowing
Denyce spends considerable time each summer and fall maintaining fields and wildlife openings
on WMAs and some state forests via mowing. These habitats provide important food and cover
for a variety of wildlife. Brian assists, at times, with transporting the mower, dealing with other
access issues, and doing a little mowing himself. Together, they maintained nearly 100 acres of
fields (Table 3).
Table 3. Properties mowed this past summer/fall.
PROPERTY NAME ACRES
Adams Point WMA 5.50
Ahern State Park 4.01
Beane Tract 3.78
Bellamy River WMA 25.66
Campton WMA 4.14
Cascade Marsh WMA 1.43 Deer Hill WMA (brush back roads) 8.36
Enfield WMA 1.52
Foster & Coburn SF 6.19
Great Bog WMA 7.61
Heath Pond Bog 2.80
Karner Blue Field 10.00
Kearsarge SF 1.71
Leonard WMA 3.36
Lower Shaker WMA 1.97
Piscassic WMA 5.12
Powder Mill Pond WMA 0.86
Rollins Tracts 2.71
State Game Farm - Brentwood 2.84
Total Acres Mowed 2017 99.58
Page 11 of 11
Property Stewardship
Dealing with encroachments from abutters, picking up dump sites on our properties, and other
such activities is a growing component of WMA management. Among the several stewardship
issues that staff have been working on include the following:
Kona WMA – the local snowmobile club desires to relocate a section of trail on the
WMA.
Laramie WMA – the Upper Valley Land Trust, an abutter to the WMA, desires to relocate
and officially adopt a trail to Half Mile Pond.
Pearly Lake WMA – a maple syrup producer desires to maintain his tap lines on this new
WMA.
HL Webster WMA – an abutter desires to cut down two hazard trees on the boundary of
the WMA. While on a site visit to evaluate the condition of the trees, staff found
encroachments onto the WMA by the same abutters.
Gates were reset at Greenough Ponds WMA and Laramie WMA.
A kiosk was moved to an improved location at Deer Hill WMA.
Beaver flooding on Leadmine Rd at Kearsarge WMA was addressed.
Downed trees were cleared along the access road at Coldrain Pond.
More information on these and other such issues can be found in the Lands Team meeting notes
that are sent out periodically by Betsey McNaughten.
Habitat Program staff also assist other Wildlife Division projects by helping to stock pheasant and
staffing deer check stations in the fall.