Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge U.S

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Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Nulhegan Basin Division 5396 Route 105 Brunswick, VT 05905 Silvio O. Conte 802/962 5240 802/962 5006 Fax www.fws.gov/r5soc National Silvio O. Conte NFWR Administrative Office Fish and Wildlife 103 E. Plumtree Road Sunderland, MA 01375 Refuge Federal Relay Service for the deaf and hard-of-hearing 1 800/877 8339 Nulhegan Basin U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 1 800/344 WILD Division http://www.fws.gov

July 2011

Moose pair in winter ©Roger Irwin The Nulhegan Basin - Sculpted by Nature, Worked by Human Hands

A Unique Landscape Conserved for Wildlife, Habitat, and People

Lewis Pond Road ©Paul Erickson Silvio O. Conte - What is your lifelong dream? For the a Champion of late congressman Silvio O. Conte, it Natural Resources was to see to the preservation and restoration of New England’s longest river- the Connecticut River. To honor their colleague, Congress passed the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge Act (Act) (P.L. 102-212) This blue goose, in 1991. The Act authorized the U.S. designed by J.N.

“Ding” Darling, has Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) to i k s become the symbol of establish a national fish and wildlife t a v the National Wildlife refuge to protect the diversity and o G Refuge System. d

abundance of native species within the i v Connecticut River watershed. a D © The Nulhegan The Nulhegan (pronounced Black-backed woodpecker Basin- A Special Nul-HEE-gan) Basin in Focus Area northeastern Vermont (a Native When Champion International American term referencing log or Corporation announced that it would deadfall traps used to capture small sell 132,000 acres of land in northern game) was identified as a high Vermont, including the Nulhegan priority special focus area within the Basin, the Service was very watershed when the Silvio O. Conte interested in protecting it under the National Fish and Wildlife Refuge Act. The Nulhegan Basin Division was first established. The basin was (division) was established in 1999 determined to possess high when the 26,000 acre area was biological value, because of the purchased. The Vermont Agency of presence of rare species, wetlands, Natural Resources purchased 22,000 and contiguous migratory bird acres adjacent to the division to form habitat. the West Mountain Wildlife Management Area, and Plum Creek Timber Company purchased the remaining 84,000 acres that surrounds the federal and state properties. The combination of ownerships will provide long-term conservation of important wildlife habitat as well as preservation of traditional uses of the land.

Basin History The basin was formed when a pool of magma solidified just below the earth’s surface more than 300 million years ago and slowly eroded away to S create a crater-like “basin” roughly W F

S 10 miles in diameter surrounded by U /

e hills. What was once bubbling with t n i

o hot magma is now one of the coldest P a lowland areas in the Northeast. L

m Annual snowfall averages 100 inches o T and typically there are about 100 Nulhegan River frost-free days each year. warbler, blackpoll warbler, Canada warbler, boreal chickadee, and many other migratory songbirds can be seen and heard in the division’s y

t forests. American woodcock, ruffed e i c grouse, waterfowl, and various birds o © S

B l of prey also can be commonly r a y c i a r

n observed. A variety of mammals such o t P s i

f as moose, black bear, white-tailed e H i

f f T deer, snowshoe hare, red squirrel, e V r

© beaver, fisher, bobcat, and coyote are Log Drive on the Connecticut River Williamson’s year round residents. emerald Temperatures range from the low In addition to being named 90’s (F) in the late summer months Vermont’s largest Important Bird to almost -40 degrees (F) in the dead Area, having some of the largest of winter. statewide populations of moose and black bear, and providing critical In the heart of what is known as the habitat for the state endangered Northeast Kingdom, the basin has spruce grouse, the division also been the home to hardworking provides important shelter for people for centuries. Logging, wintering deer. The largest deer sawmill operation, home-based wintering area (or deer yard) in the trades, hunting, trapping, state of Vermont occurs on the railroading, crop farming, raising division. dairy herds, extracting granite, and tapping sugar maple trees have all Habitat Located just a few miles south of the been a way of life here. Several Canadian border, the Nulhegan privately owned hunting camps, Basin’s vegetation contains elements some that have existed in the same of the boreal forest that occurs farther family for generations, are still to the north. The basin is present on the division. predominately a forested habitat interspersed with streams and various r e f f i e f P

Managing for n a y Wildlife, Habitat r B and People © Red eft Wildlife The area is well known for being a remote and rugged landscape with n o

an abundance of boreal bird species, s k c i

mammals, reptiles, amphibians and r E

rare plants. The black-backed l u a

woodpecker, black-and-white P warbler, black-throated blue and © green warblers, blackburnian Tamarac needles in fall Legend Refuge Boundary Private/State

Owned O v e d r a Headquarters/ lo o o R Visitor Contact k d R n o o Station ad P is Overlook ew L Quebec Entrance T B im r C oo a Lewis k rr R o Parking o ll Pond ad NH Trail

1 VT Accessible

L e T w in i River s S h P a o c n k d R Paved Road R o P o a o a d d w e ad r Gravel Road o li R n t e s e N

e l

E F C o a u n r a M l d R a il o o e a d R ) R d 5 o a Henshaw 0 a o 1 d R ( te. To R m a D t u n a e Silvio O. Conte P S to n National Fish and e

Le D w a i m s P R Wildlife Refuge o o n a d d R o a Nulhegan Basin d

B la c Division k B r a n c h

a d 105 Nu lhe gan Ri N ver

012340.5 Miles 1:70,000 types of wetlands such as peatlands, Visitor Is adding a Canada warbler to your bogs, beaver-influenced wetlands, and Opportunities birding life-list something you’ve only forested wetlands. dreamed about or is photographing a spruce grouse your idea of fun? Does H

o Northern hardwood forest, dominated that perfect vacation include the l l y

by sugar and red maple, beech, and chance to see a moose or to hunt a G a b yellow and paper birch, cloak the snowshoe hare? Whether it’s o r © i

a mountains of the basin rim and the observing or photographing wildlife R u o l t larger hills of the basin interior. Oaks, g that makes your heart skip a beat, / U e r S

commonly found in forests throughout I planning that ideal hunting or fishing F r w W the United States, are notably absent trip, or hiking off the road for a i S in the northern forest. The basin n backwoods experience, the division Pitcher plant bottom is dominated by spruce-fir Snowshoe hare has something for everyone. forest. Red and black spruce and balsam fir are the principal trees in Environmental Organizations and schools are these forests. Tamarack, northern Education & welcome to the division as an outdoor white cedar, black ash, and speckled Interpretation classroom for a variety of activities alder also occur commonly in the from birding trips to snowshoe treks basin, but are restricted to the for winter track identification to wetland areas. geology discussions. Interpretive exhibits are located at the Many rare plants, orchids, and other headquarters/visitor contact station. wildflowers occur in the division Research and group events are including the sundew, pink, white, and evaluated on a case by case basis and yellow lady slippers (or moccasin may require a Special Use Permit. flower), Canada lily, purple fringed Please contact the division orchid, cotton grass, rhodora, pitcher headquarters for more information plant, trout lily, and many, many more. when planning such activities.

People With little intrusion by human development, the division offers some of the best opportunities for wildlife- dependent recreation in northern Vermont. An extensive road system gives visitors the ability to access and experience the rugged and remote S

quality of the division. W F S U / r e v a e W

h t i e K Environmental Education Hunting and The division is part of a premier S Fishing region of the state for both hunting W F

S and fishing. Game species that can be U /

r hunted include white-tailed deer, e v

a ruffed grouse, snowshoe hare, moose, e W black bear, and woodcock. Lewis Pond h t i

e and the North and Black branches of K the Nulhegan River offer great Snowshoeing times are early morning and evening. Some of the best opportunities for observing and photographing moose occur just west of the division headquarters building along Route 105. Division The Basin and Lewis Pond Overlooks Destinations provide panoramic vistas of the Nulhegan Basin and the surrounding landscape. The Lewis Pond Overlook has a small, fully accessible parking area and short trail leading to an observation area. The Basin Overlook ©

P is accessible from the visitor contact a u l

station parking lot. E r i c k s o n Lewis Pond

opportunities for trout fishing. Trapping is allowed by Special Use Permit from division headquarters. For more information or to request a

copy of the current division K a t

regulations for hunting and fishing, h y

please contact the division F o u

headquarters prior to your visit r n i e r / U

Photography Abundant public access gives visitors S F and Wildlife the opportunity to photograph and W Observation observe wildlife, plants, and scenic S vistas in a variety of settings during Visitor Contact Station any season. Best wildlife viewing Mollie Beattie Bog, recognized as a state significant site, is among the most significant black spruce woodland bogs in Vermont. The self- guided, newly renovated, 200-foot, fully accessible boardwalk and trail includes signs illustrating bog formation, the interesting rare plants that inhabit the black spruce bog area, and the legacy of the late Mollie Beattie. The 76-acre bog, donated to the Service by Champion International, was named after the ©

R first female director of the Service, a o g

e former resident of Vermont. Visitors r

r to the interpretive site are requested w i n to remain on the boardwalk to avoid Bobcat disturbance to the sensitive wetland habitat. In addition, located behind the visitor contact station is the Nulhegan River Trail, worked on by members of the Northwoods Stewardship Center’s Back Country Trail Crew and the Nulhegan Basin’s U.S. Youth Conservation Corps (YCC). This trail is a short interpretive walk that offers visitors a chance to experience the uniqueness of the basin without driving into the division if you are short on time.

division year-round, however; the l y B

G r type of access (i.e., foot, automobile, y a a b n snowmobile) permitted varies o

r P i a f e seasonally. Road conditions can u i l f t f / e sometimes change rapidly, either from U r S

seasonal weather transitions, or F W

flooding. Please be alert at all times S for road hazards while traveling on Snowmobilers at kiosk the division. Nearly 40 miles of gravel roads are open to driving or hiking in Silver-bordered the summer and fall months. Hiking safety precautions. Brochures and fritillary can also be done along unmarked maps are also available at these wooded pathways and stream courses. locations. Please contact division In the winter, access is by headquarters for any additional snowmobile, cross country skis, or information. snowshoes. The snowmobile trail system located on the division is Volunteers The “Friends of the Nulhegan” is an managed by the Vermont Association advocacy group that was created to of Snow Travelers according to state support the division. For more wide and division specific regulations. information about the Friends of the Nulhegan, and how to become a The division is closed to all vehicular member, visit them on the web at access during “mud” season which is www.friendsofthenulhegan.com or the time period immediately after contact the division headquarters to snowmobile season has ended. During join our volunteer team. this time the division is still accessible by foot. Please call 877/811 5222 for Come Visit! The division headquarters and visitor more information on current road contact station is located on Vermont conditions within the division and Route 105 approximately 10 miles surrounding areas. east of Island Pond, Vermont and six miles west of Bloomfield, Vermont. An informational kiosk is located at The division is accessible via Henshaw each entrance to the division. Road off of Rt 105 (just outside of Island Pond), or Stone Dam Road Seasonal information may be posted 1 at the kiosks to alert visitors to good (1 ⁄2 miles east of the visitor contact wildlife viewing opportunities, to station) also off of Rt 105. Please current logging operations and contact us at 802/962 5240 prior to logging truck traffic, or to current your visit for more information.