INTERIM MANAGEMENT PLAN. Silver Lake Woods

Transcription

1 INTERIM MANAGEMENT PLAN Silver Lake Woods August 6, 2016

2 INTERIM MANAGEMENT PLAN Silver Lake Woods August 6, 2016 Goal of the Management Plan. The Town of Georgia Conservation Commission has prepared this Interim Management Plan for the Moseley property,(silver Lake Woods) which is the subject of a Town purchase for a Town Forest. This plan is intended to inform the management of the property for a year (or so) following the purchase of the property, during which time a more complete and thorough plan can be developed. This plan is also intended to inform partner organizations, including the Vermont Land Trust and the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, who will co hold a conservation easement on the property. This plan will outline the Town s preliminary plans for the property and intentions to address any anticipated management issues. This and subsequent Plans are also intended to provide guidance to contractors and volunteers (if any) who will conduct on the ground management activities within the Town Forest, in accordance with the restrictions in the conservation easement. The final conservation easement will be presented as Appendix to this document at the time of closing. The first Full Management Plan will be adopted as soon as possible, but no later than June 30, 2018, and thereafter replace this document as an overall guide to use and management of the Town Forest. The adopted Full Management Plan will be reviewed, and revised if appropriate, at least once every five years after its initial adoption. Only the Georgia Selectboard ( the Town ) may conduct or authorize management activities or other changes in the Town Forest. The Town will, when appropriate and/or required by the Conservation Easement and Management Plans, consult with the Vermont Land Trust and other Partners. History. The property has been owned for decades by the Moseley family most recently brothers John and Chris Moseley have together owned the property. They have fond childhood memories of time on the property, and have done their best to be careful stewards of the land. Since 2011, the brothers have had conversations with members of the Georgia Conservation Commission (GCC) about the potential of conserving the property, and conserving it permanently as a Town Forest. In early 2016, they signed an agreement with Vermont Land Trust to secure the property, and GCC acquired a $132,500 award from the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board (VHCB). The remainder of the funds for the purchase will be allocated from the Georgia Conservation Reserve Fund (CRF). The Vermont Land Trust (VLT) and VHCB will hold the conservation easement. VLT will be the main contact responsible for easement stewardship in perpetuity. The property is Page 1

3 scheduled to be conserved in calendar year The GCC believes that this property will be a great educational, recreational, and natural resource for the residents of Georgia. The primary objective of the purchase and conservation of this land is to protect the property s natural areas, natural communities, undeveloped character, and scenic open space; and to provide opportunities for low impact, pedestrian public outdoor recreation. Property Description and Landscape Context. The land is comprised of 177 acres of predominantly forested land located in East Georgia at the end of the Class IV section of Silver Lake Rd. The land ranges from level or mildly sloping to quite steep among some small cliffs and ledge outcroppings. The parcel includes several forest types, including a mixed pine hemlock hardwood community, a hemlock forest, a northern hardwood forest, and red pine and Norway spruce plantations. The Town Forest provides a large swath of forested wildlife habitat, including abundant hard and soft mast trees that provide food for wildlife. There are two beaver ponds and wetland complexes on the land, providing outdoor education and wildlife viewing opportunities. The large beaver pond and wetland has an active beaver community and nesting great blue herons and Canada geese. There is also a considerable amount of edge habitat on the property along the powerline right of way and some smaller open areas around the old homestead. The land abuts the remote Silver Lake property, which is owned by the City of St. Albans as a backup water supply. While not part of the parcel, the buffer of the lake makes up the northern property border, and there are views of the lake from the northern portions of the Moseley land. Silver Lake is one of eleven lakes in Vermont given a wilderness designation by the Department of Environmental Conservation, and it ranks in the top four among lakes in that category. The Moseley property helps provide a forested context for this remote lake, contributing significantly to its wilderness character. The GCC had a preliminary conversation with the City of St. Albans to minimize the risks of incompatible uses of the two properties, and the GCC will continue discussions with the City regarding compatible management along the shared boundary. The property has established trails and logging roads that lead through a variety of forest types. In addition to the existing trails and logging roads, there is significant opportunity for addition trail development for hiking, cross country skiing, or other uses. The homestead area has old cellar holes that provide historical and cultural educational opportunities. Access and Parking. The parcel is accessible at the end of the Class IV section of Silver Lake Road, which is roughly 0.2 miles in length. The road currently shares a short stretch with a driveway to a neighboring property to the east, and it is then not maintained and is partially blocked with boulders. The near term plans for parking is on this Class IV road, which is three rods (or approximately 50 Page 2

4 feet in width. Parking will be located just north of the shared section of Class IV road and neighboring driveway. Current Physical Improvements to the Property. There are only minor physical improvements to the property, including logging roads and old cellar holes. There are no other existing physical improvements to the property. Proposed Physical Improvements to the Property. The only anticipated physical improvements to the property at this time are improvements for parking on the Class IV section of Silver Lake Road and trail development. Management of the Property. The future Town Forest possesses a diversity of managed and natural communities and species and potential for recreational and educational activities. A summary of anticipated recreational and educational use of the Town Forest are presented in this Interim Management Plan, with the knowledge that citizen participation will involve people in management issues and help to develop a Full Management Plan after the purchase of the property. Activities the GCC anticipates and would be allowed on the property include: Educational outings by GCC, GEMS, Boy and Girl Scouts, 4 H, and other adult and youth groups. Use by the general public for low impact non motorized activities such as hiking, running, snowshoeing and X C skiing. Erecting appropriate signage. Boundary marking Maintaining pre existing trails. Hunting with specific guidelines set forth by GCC and the Select Board. Woodland management as dictated in the forest plan, to include discussion of distribution of firewood to needy Georgia residents. Conducting various inventories. Birding and Wildlife observation Adult education in Forestry and Upland Water Quality Improvement in conjunction with VT ANR, Vermont Coverts, and other similar groups. Class 4 Road improvement to allow roadside parking for a half dozen vehicles. Activities that are not allowed during the interim period include: Camping Fires Page 3

5 Horse back riding Recreational use of motorized vehicles including all terrain vehicles and snow machines Mountain Bikes, until a full discussion and guidelines can be set forth by GCC and the Select Board Unleashed dogs Uses will be subject to the following legal restrictions and constraints: Conservation Easement held by VLT and VHCB GMP Right of Way The City of St. Albans does NOT have a Right of Way to Silver Lake through this property through the Georgia side Forest management: The GCC does not currently have any plans to conduct logging operations on the property. There is currently a Forest Management Plan completed for the property. The plan was prepared for the Moseley family by Charlie Hancock of North Woods Forestry (attached as Exhibit ). The County Forester, Nancy Patch, can provide assistance to Towns in the management of their Town Forests in Franklin County. The GCC will connect with Nancy Patch during the first year of ownership to discuss any plans for future forest management and stewardship. Areas of Special Management Focus during the Interim Period: The Georgia Conservation Commission discussed the management of the new Town Forest with the public on several occasions, including a Conservation Commission meeting, a Selectboard meeting, and a special meeting focused solely on the future management of this parcel. Over the course of these meetings, a few topics consistently arose from community members present. Parking: Residents who live near the property expressed concerns about parking, and specifically about issues that could arise if a parking lot were out of sight, which could lead to undesirable activities. The GCC will focus the efforts for parking along the section of the Class IV road with most visibility, just beyond the area of overlap between the Class IV road and a private driveway. Hunting: Some community members expressed concern about whether the level of hunting on the property would get out of control on the new Town Forest property. This topic was raised several times and deserves special consideration. The GCC is interested in providing a safe and enjoyable experience to Georgia residents on all its public lands, while not unduly or unnecessarily limiting any specific user group. With the help of Vermont Land Trust, we conducted some anecdotal research into communities with similar property, concerns, or efforts for examples of how hunting is managed. Individuals knowledgeable or involved with the management of several Town Forests reported the following: Page 4

6 - The Moretown Town Forest adjoins the elementary school. In the Management Plan, they designate several large No Hunting Safety Zones. No issues were known regarding hunting. - The management committee for the Mobbs Farm town owned park in Jericho have allowed hunting based on the feeling that the property is a facility for all citizens. Some of the adjacent landowners hunt on the property. The committee was not aware of any problems regarding hunting. - Hunting is allowed in the Hinesburg Town Forest. Motivations of this decision were to maintain this historical use and to manage a healthy level of the deer herd for the health of the Town Forest and nearby private forestland. The Town Forest has safety zones within 500 feet of parking areas and occupied residences. The Town Forest is closed to mountain biking during hunting season. The GCC will continue to work with the SB to determine the appropriate management of hunting to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for the broadest possible spectrum of users on the Town Forest property. Beaver Pond. Participants in the public conversations about the Town Forest said that the large beaver pond on the property has grown over time, and there was concern expressed of damage that could result downstream if there were a breach in the dam. Attached to this interim plan as Exhibit is the Best Management Practices for Resolving Human Beaver Conflicts in Vermont, Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, August 2002, Revised 2004, These Best Management Practices for dams that are older than two years old call for contacting the Department of Fish and Wildlife. The GCC will contact the Department to get assistance in determining the level of concern and will seek any corresponding suggestions for management. Partners and Contact Information Nancy Patch, Franklin/Grand Isle County Forester, Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation, 278 South Main Street, Suite 2, St Albans, VT 05478, Work Phone: x441,nancy.patch@vermont.gov Cara Montgomery, Regional Stewardship Manager, Champlain Valley Office, Vermont Land Trust, PO Box 850, Richmond, VT 05477; , cara@vlt.org Kris Hammer, Conservation Stewardship Coordinator, Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, 58 East State Street, Montpelier, VT 05602, , khammer@vhcb.org, City of St. Albans Page 5

7 Signed: Town of Georgia By: Its Duly Authorized Agent Date Appendices and References: Appendix : Property Map Appendix : VLT and VHCB conservation easement (to be completed). Appendix : Summary of forest provided in 2015 by Nancy Patch, Franklin County Forester. Appendix : Best Management Practices for Resolving Human Beaver Conflicts in Vermont, Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, August 2002, Revised 2004, 2014 Page 6