Focus Areas of Statewide Ecological Significance Bigelow Mountain
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Focus Areas of Statewide Ecological Significance: Bigelow Mountain - Flagstaff Lake - North Branch Dead River Beginning with Focus Areas of Statewide Ecological Significance Habitat Bigelow Mountain- Flagstaff Lake- North Branch Dead River Biophysical Regions • Mahoosuc Rangely Lakes • Connecticut Lakes WHY IS THIS AREA SIGNIFICANT? Rare Animals This focus area is an acclaimed recreational destination that Bald Eagle Creeper encompasses a range of natural features and landscapes of Peregrine Falcon Rock Vole Tomah Mayfly Canada Lynx exceptional ecological value. The Bigelow Range supports a Bicknell’s Thrush variety of rare and sensitive ecosystems and species, along with hiking trails and spectacular views. Flagstaff Lake, Rare Plants the North Branch of the Dead River, and the surrounding Alpine Blueberry wetlands provide boating opportunities, important wildlife Alpine Sweet-grass habitat, and a high quality cold water fishery that supports Appalachian Fir-clubmoss wild brook trout. This area includes significant portions of Bigelow’s Sedge Boreal Bentgrass the Appalachian Trail and the Northern Forest Canoe Trail Dwarf Rattlesnake Root and provides habitat for seven Threatened or Endangered Fragrant Cliff Wood-fern species. Lapland Diapensia Lesser Wintergreen OPPORTUNITIES FOR CONSERVATION Mountain Sandwort Vasey’s Pondweed » Minimize recreational impacts on sensitive alpine areas through careful siting of trails and monitoring for overuse. Rare and Exemplary » Educate hikers on proper trail use to minimize off-trail Natural Communities impacts, especially in alpine areas. Acidic Cliff » Protect sensitive natural features through careful manage- Grassy Shrub Marsh ment planning on state-owned lands. Heath Alpine Ridge Lower-elevation Spruce - Fir Forest » Work with landowners to encourage sustainable forest Montane Spruce - Fir Forest management practices on private lands. Northern Hardwoods Forest » Maintain intact forested buffers along the lake, river, and Red and White Pine Forest wetlands to protect water quality, and provide valuable Spruce - Northern Hardwoods Forest riparian habitat for wildlife. Spruce Rocky Woodland Streamshore Ecosystem For more conservation opportunities, visit the Beginning Subalpine Fir Forest with Habitat Online Toolbox: www.beginningwithhabitat. Tall Sedge Fen Unpatterned Fen Ecosystem org/toolbox/about_toolbox.html. Photo credits, top to bottom: Maine Natural Areas Program Files, Paul Cyr, Significant Wildlife Habitats Maine Natural Areas Program Files (Photos 3-5) Inland Waterfowl and Wading Bird Habitat Deer Wintering Area 1 Focus Areas of Statewide Ecological Significance: Bigelow Mountain - Flagstaff Lake - North Branch Dead River Little Bigelow Mountain, Maine Natural Areas Program FOCUS AREA OVERVIEW This focus area encompasses over 50,000 acres of forest, Bigelow Mountain wetlands, and alpine areas spread across eight townships to Bigelow Mountain is also known as the Bigelow Range be- the north of Carabassett Valley. It includes Bigelow Mountain, cause it has several peaks, the highest of which is West Peak Flagstaff Lake, and adjacent forest and wetland habitat. The (4145 feet). The mountain supports a complex of valuable al- focus area supports fourteen populations of eleven different pine and subalpine habitats clustered in three areas along the rare plants, fifteen rare or exemplary natural communities, and ridge tops and upper slopes (including Cranberry, West, Avery, habitat for four rare animal species. Together with the Mount the Horns, and Little Bigelow peaks). Mapped features include Abraham – Saddleback – Crocker Mountain Focus Area just to large areas of excellent subalpine forest, which is largely the south, this complex represents one of the largest con- undisturbed above 2700’ feet, and an exemplary and old red centrations of high value ecosystems and significant natural spruce stand. Above treeline, the high peaks support alpine features in the state. vegetation shaped by the harsh growing conditions. Among the rare alpine communities is an excellent heath alpine Much of the focus area (about 36,000 acres) is part of the ridge community on West and Avery Peaks that encompasses State-owned Bigelow Preserve, the first park in the U.S. created populations of seven rare plants. The cliffs and exposed by voter referendum. 10,561 acres of the Bigelow Preserve, ledges on the southwest side of Little Bigelow Peak support a including all of the alpine habitat, have been designated as an distinctive acidic cliff natural community, with populations of Ecological Reserve. Bigelow is the second largest in Maine’s the rare fragrant cliff wood-fern. The high summits of Bigelow system of Ecological Reserves, state-owned lands set aside Mountain provide exceptional recreational opportunities for from active management in order to protect and monitor the hikers, including those traveling the Appalachian Trail, which state’s natural ecosystems. Other state-owned lands within traverses the mountain. the focus area include the Flagstaff Lake, Flagstaff Island, and Spring Lake Units, managed by the Bureau of Public Lands Lakes, ponds, and wetlands (BPL) along with Bigelow Preserve. Flagstaff Lake is a large impoundment created in 1949 for hydroelectric power generation. It provides recreational fish- 2 Focus Areas of Statewide Ecological Significance: Bigelow Mountain - Flagstaff Lake - North Branch Dead River ing and boating opportunities and forms part of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, a 740-mile water trail through New York, Vermont, Quebec, New Hampshire, and Maine. The shores of Flagstaff Lake support four active bald eagle nest sites. Many of the open wetlands around the lake have been designated as Significant Wildlife Habitat for waterfowl and wading birds, part of the over 5000 acres of Significant Wildlife Habitat in- cluded in this focus area. The focus area includes several other wetlands and water bod- ies of note, including high elevation ponds, or tarns, and an excellent quality tall sedge fen at Jones Pond (south of Bigelow Mountain). The exemplary unpatterned fen ecosystem around Black Brook Pond in Pierce Pond Township is one of only two unpatterned fens in the Western Mountains region of Maine. Flagstaff Lake, Andy Cutko Large forest blocks This focus area is notable for its large areas of unfragmented what stunted trees, dominated by balsam fir and heart-leaved forest, which provide habitat for a suite of specialized wildlife birch. Where wind, fire, or landslides have created openings, species. Though most of the low and moderate elevation the canopy may be dominated by heart-leaved birch and forest (up to about 3400’) has been harvested, in some cases mountain ash, with a dense shrub layer of mountain ash, hob- heavily, in the past, the focus area does include nine areas blebush, and regenerating fir. Common herbs include wood mapped as exemplary forest communities. As forests in this ferns, bluebead lily, northern wood-sorrel, and big-leaved region and throughout the state continue to undergo frag- aster. Disturbances, including landslides, can be important mentation, this focus area is likely to become even more im- in shaping this community. Fir waves, an unusual landscape portant as habitat for species that require large forest blocks. pattern of linear bands of fir dieback and regeneration, are a variant of this community. RARE AND EXEMPLARY NATURAL COMMUNITIES The heath alpine ridge is a varied community of dwarf ev- Subalpine fir forest provides nesting habitat for high eleva- ergreen shrubs and herbs found at high elevation in Maine’s tion and coniferous forest specialist birds, such as the spruce central and western mountains. Though this is a frequent grouse, dark-eyed junco, bay-breasted warbler, blackbacked community type above treeline, it is ranked as a very rare com- woodpecker, white-throated sparrow, and blackpoll warbler. munity in Maine because of its restricted habitat. The commu- Other high elevation wildlife species that have been found in nity occurs on exposed, windswept ridges. Like other alpine this focus area include the uncommon Bicknell’s thrush and community types, the heath alpine ridge can be sparsely the rock vole. This community is considered rare in Maine vegetated, with up to 65% bare ground. Shrubs often found in because it is limited to higher elevation mountains. this community include alpine bilberry, diapensia, and moun- tain cranberry. Typical herbs include the rare Bigelow’s sedge The red and white pine forest is a coniferous forest domi- and highland rush. An excellent example of this community is nated by red pine. White pine, red spruce, and northern white found on West Peak and Avery Peak above 3700’. cedar may also occur as important canopy tree species. The understory is typically sparse, with scattered heath shrubs, Subalpine fir forest occurs below treeline and generally bracken fern, and wintergreen. This community frequently above 2700 feet. This community is a patchy mixture of some- occurs on sites with a history of fire. A 700 acre example of this community found on Flagstaff Peninsula is dominated by red pine, with scattered red spruce and quaking aspen. Most of this forest has been harvested within the last decade and is Public Access Opportunities regenerating, but some areas of mature trees remain. Black Brook Flowage Wildlife Management » Natural forests dominated by red pine are rare in Maine, occur- Area, MDIFW ring primarily on well-drained outwash soils or dry ridgetops. » Bigelow Preserve,