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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-06-14 Town Forest Committee Minutes F Town of Reading 3 Meeting Minutes - lJIaINCORtT :A.A 4( Board - Committee - Commission - Council: C(i29 MA'1 18 AH 9: 13 <✓ Town Forest Committee Date: 2018-06-14 Time: 7 PM Building: Reading Town Hall Location: Berger Room Address: 16 Lowell Street Purpose: Town Forest Management Session: Attendees: Members - Present: Rick Wetzler, Dan Ford, Tom Gardiner, Bill Sullivan Members - Not Present: Nancy Docktor, Mike Bourque, Kurt Habel and Farrukh Najmi Others Present: Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Bill Sullivan Topics of Discussion: 1. The draft forest management plan prepared by certified forester Phil Benjamin dated 6/14/2018 (attached) was discussed with Mr. Benjamin by phone. The plan recommends a thinning operation in Stands 30, 38, 45 and 46 as shown in the attached map. Selectively removing approximately 20% to as much as 25% of the trees in the pilot area would allow sunlight to reach the understory which will stimulate growth of saplings in place of the old unhealthy pines in the limited pilot area. 2. Harvesting methods were discussed. Some are mechanized while some harvesting is done on a smaller scale. 3. The committee discussed the need to be aware of protected species and avoiding wetland impacts. Charles Tirone the Town's conservation administrator will be invited to attend a future site walk. 4. It is unknown if the funds that could be generated by the tree harvesting will offset the cost of the work. It may be necessary to seek additional funding from the Town to conduct the thinning operation. 5. Next steps include reviewing the pilot plan with the Barry Berman, Board of Selectman liason with the TFC. 6. The Trail's Committee has proposed new trail colors. The TFC voted in favor of the proposed blazing plan. 7. The committee needs to review the dog waste document prepared by Nancy Docktor. B. The next meeting was scheduled for July 17, 2018 at 7:00 pm. Page 1 1 Benjamin Forestry Services, Inc. C 1, 151 Depot Street, South Easton, Massachusetts 02375 Certified T Fal r.. Tel. (506)238-0422•Pbenjaminbfslt4comcast.ne[ MA Licensed Forester#15 June 14,2018 William Sullivan Reading Town Forest Committee Town of Reading 16 Lowell Street Reading,MA 01867 Dear Bill, On May 15,Tom Farrell and I took a long hike around the Reading Town Forest in anticipation of our meeting with you and the rest of Reading Town Forest Committee to discuss the next steps associated with a potential forest improvement cutting on the Reading Town Forest. Unfortunately, approaching storms were lively enough to force a cancellation of the committee meeting,but not before we were able to quickly review the situation with you. My letter to the Reading Town Forest Committee dated February 7,2018 is very thorough in describing the many factors that have to be considered when planning for a potential harvest. It maybe helpful to refer back to that letter as you read this one. Based on our review on May 15,we believe there are several stands that could serve as very effective pilot projects,based both on need of the stands themselves as well as operator access. Beginning Fust with the access issue,it became readily apparent that the access road that passes northeasterly through the composting area and then eventually swings north to cross the causeway, identified as Stand 62 on the Forest Stand Map, Block 1,provides the most straightforward access for a logger and through a slightly less travelled portion of the Town Forest. Depending on the potential operator's equipir 1, it might even be possible to process the harvested trees and load them onto trucks in the easternmost portion of the composting area,if approved by the DPW,I assume,rather than creating a landing area in the woods themselves. The stands that Tom and I believe could serve as an exceptional and very effective demonstration site include all or portions of Stands 30,38,45,and 46,totaling approximately 5 to 5.5 acres. I have roughly identified the stands and the general area on the attached Forest Stand Map from the plan we prepared in 20110. This represents a smaller demonstration area than proposed in the February 7 letter, but 1 believe the volume that could be generated through the marking will be just enough to interest a potential operator. Stands 30,38,and 45 are predominantly planted red pine poles and sawlogs with the red pines in varying stages of decline and mortality. The understories in these three stands have varying densities of developing white pine and mixed hardwood saplings and small poles that desperately need to be thinned and released in order to continue their impressive development. Otherwise,they will begin to suffer even more from wet heavy snow loads and strong winds that left so much damage and destruction this past winter. Stand 46 is a mature white pine stand with an impressive component of young developing white pine saplings. This stand can easily support a light individual and small group selection harvest to improve the growing conditions ofthe remaining trees while greatly enhancing the ability of the young white pines to continue to flourish with the added sunlight. Foreat Management Planning•Timber Stand Improvement•Timber and Fuelwood Sales•Chrbbnas Tree Management Re mstdxn•Stewardship Planning•Aesthetic Development-Nbodland Appraiseis When selecting trees for removal in the white pine stand, Stand 46,we would aim to mark approximately 20 to as much as 25%of the trees. The actual selections will depend primarily on the understory composition,the current conditions of the trees in the canopy,cone crop,and operability. The goal will be to create openings in the canopy to add sunlight to the forest floor,which will facilitate the continued growth and development of any existing white pine saplings in the understory as well as the establishment of brand new seedlings. The trees in the canopy that remain will also greatly benefit from the reduced competition. The marking in the red pine stands will be more aggressive,probably closer to 50%of the larger red pines. We would prefer to remove as many of the red pines as possible knowing that they all will succumb at some point. However,knowing how sensitive this concept will be to the residents and visitors to the property,leaving some of the red pines will be a good compromise. In any case,we would try and favor as much of the thriving understory as possible. Although Stand 29,the large white pine stand with the fire ring area is absolutely ready for the type of management attention described above,Tom and I understandjust how special that location is in the Town Forest. Our hope would be that once folks experienced a forest improvement cutting and observed the response of the forest to the cutting over a few years'time,a comfort level might be reached where portions of the larger white pine stand could be considered for this type of improvement work.The same can said of the other stands on the Town Forest that are described in the February 7 letter. Due to the relatively modest scope of the proposed pilot project,I would try and identify a logger who works in a conventional fashion,hand-felling the marked trees with a chain saw,limbing and cutting them to a length that then can dragged with a rubber-tired skidder to a landing where the logs will then be cut to length and loaded on trucks. At this point in time,I cannot guarantee I can identify and then interest a logger that fits that bill. It should be noted that I will be working soon with a logger whose operation is much more mechanized. Although the trees are harvested and moved in their entirety to a landing where they are then processed,the quality of his work has drawn fairly constant raves as I learn more about his operation. I look forward to seeing firsthand how he works. A mechanized operation might workjust fine for the pilot project. 1 will know much better later this summer. If you and the committee have any questions or would like to discuss this further,please do not hesitate to contact me. If there are questions that could be answered at tonight's meeting,let me know and i can plan to be near my telephone this evening. Thank you again for your continued interest and support for this important work. I look forward to hearing from you. Yours truly, Y Philip B.Benjamin Certified Forester 2 Block 1 Forest Stand Map Reading Town Forest Reading, Massachusetts Owner: Town of Reading 16 Lowell Street Reading, MA 01867 N 1 Scale 1":660' Oi t 1 j l= p� Legend — - Forest Stand Boundary Access Road Excluded Portion f Z �• �� � i I ''t i fA p 1. r ® �.,,/-.,_�� © @'e i,lv.t;�..✓ Reduced assessors'maps Ql © � Q' Reading. ©J C/ See Page 2 for the complete listing 10 1 l Prepared By Philip B. Benjamin, CF Benjamin Forestry Services, Inc. So. Easton, Massachusetts 02376 Mav 12, 2010 Page sT of rc