ROGER LATHAM, Ph.D. 610-565-3405 rel@conti nentalconservation. us

1 August 2020 Nature Council % Kurt Davis, President 1000 Lakeside Drive , MD 21210

To the Lake Roland Nature Council, This letter shall constitute an agreement between Roger Latham and the Lake Roland Nature Council (LRNC) that Roger Latham will provide the services and deliverables listed under Phases 1-4 on the attached budget and scope of work spreadsheet for the Bare Hills Barrens Ecological Restoration and Maintenance Plan ("the plan"). Compensation for remaining work to be done is not to exceed $33,162, as specified on the attached spreadsheet. Payments will be made based on invoices submitted by Roger Latham and will be noted on later versions of the spreadsheet. Completion dates are estimated as follows: Phase 1-30 October 2020 Phase 2-28 February 2021 Phase 3-31 August 2021 Phase4-TBD Phase 4 includes a PowerPoint presentation explaining the BHB Serpentine Restoration Plan to an audience selected by LRNC. When and how to deliver this presentation will be decided in consultation with LRNC, and will be guided by public health considerations.

Signed by ft~¼ Roger Latham

www.continentalconservation.us P.O. Box 57, Rose Valley, PA 19086-0057 RESEARCH and PLANNING for WILDLAND CONSERVATION and ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION

ROGER LATHAM, Ph.D. 610-565-3405 [email protected]

Proposal: Bare Hills Serpentine Barrens Ecological Restoration and Maintenance Plan

Bare Hills likely got its name from the are in scattered patches, the largest not ancient grasslands that early European much more than 1 acre in size, within settlers found covering slopes and summits roughly 80 acres of Virginia pine – eastern of serpentinite outcrops overlooking the red-cedar forest on the west side of Lake valleys of the and its tributaries Roland park (Figure 1). Less than 80 years north and northwest of Mount Washington. ago the largest contiguous area of The oak-dotted grasslands and surrounding serpentine grassland at Bare Hills covered conifer woods are collectively known as perhaps 125 acres, including all of the serpentine barrens—serpentine because present-day area of mostly forested barrens they are associated with soils weathered vegetation (Figure 2). The 97% loss of from serpentinite bedrock, a rare geological grassland area at Bare Hills is more severe formation, and barrens because early than at most other sites. farmers found them to be unsuited to Nearly all of the distinctive species of cultivation. In fact they are anything but serpentine barrens, including those that are barren, harboring exceptional numbers of rare, threatened or endangered, depend on rare, threatened and endangered species grassland habitat. With habitat shrinkage and having national or even global comes population decline and local significance for science and conservation. extirpation. There is typically a time lag Despite their importance serpentine barrens between habitat contraction and species have been losing ground for the past several extirpation, especially of plants. Members of decades, shrinking in area and declining in rare species in a shrinking habitat can be the native species diversity with the waning of “walking dead”—functionally extirpated the disturbance regime that formerly even though a few individuals are still sustained them, in all likelihood for a hanging on. With a habitat-limited timespan of several thousand years. This population’s decline also comes decreased proposal outlines a plan for how the decline genetic variation, which results in lowered of Lake Roland park’s treasured piece of evolutionary potential in the face of new natural (and cultural) heritage can be challenges such as climate change or a newly reversed and key processes restored to arrived disease or competitor. Low genetic insure the long-term sustainability of the variation can also lead to inbreeding ecosystem and its component species. depression. Countering these bleak trends is At least half of the individual serpentine the “rescue effect”—the occasional chance barrens documented historically in the arrival of seeds, pregnant females or other eastern United States have been entirely lost immigrants, which can increase numbers to development or neglect. In nearly all that and genetic variation in a declining remain, the serpentine grassland component population. However, as long as the area of a has been rapidly shrinking. At Bare Hills, specialized habitat is smaller than it used to between 3 and 4 acres of remnant be or is still shrinking, the likelihood of serpentine savanna is all that remains of a continued species loss will be high. Wild once much larger grassland. The remnants populations fluctuate as a matter of course

www.continentalconservation.us P.O. Box 57, Rose Valley, Pa 19086-0057 RESEARCH a n d PLANNING for WILDLAND CONSERVATION a n d ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION

2 with year-to-year differences in weather, accomplish these ends is within the predator abundance, disease outbreaks and framework of adaptive management. other factors. Small, isolated populations are In brief, adaptive management is a especially vulnerable to disaster from causes recursive process of carrying out a set of such as disease, prolonged drought, or a actions, quantitatively monitoring the management error based on inadequate results, reconsidering the methods in light of knowledge. When populations are small, those results, and adjusting the next round their chances of dipping to zero during of implementation accordingly. Specific, ordinary fluctuation greatly increase. measurable objectives—desired At least f vascular plant species of conditions—are developed based on all greatest conservation need in available knowledge about the ecosystem, have long beenive known to live in Bare Hills including comparison with high-quality grasslands: reference sites. Desired conditions are • whorled milkweed, Asclepias verticillata itemized as target ranges of a carefully (G5, S3) selected set of measurable indicators, and • annual fimbry, Fimbristylis annua (G5, S3) then compared with existing conditions to • papillose nutrush, Scleria pauciflora (G5, serve as the basis for strategies to narrow S3) the gap between the two. Trials of promising • serpentine aster, Symphyotrichum alternative methods for achieving objectives depauperatum (G2, S1, state-endangered) are carried out as a part of routine • fameflower, Phemeranthus teretifolius management, but following the principles of (G4, S1, state-threatened) scientific experimental design so valid The high-diversity grasslands are home for inferences can be drawn from the results. many other uncommon plants, including The indicator-monitoring component of lesser snakeroot (Ageratina aromatica), adaptive management is in essence an lyre-leaf rockcress (Arabidopsis lyrata), audit—a systematic, disciplined approach to arrow-feather three-awn (Aristida evaluate and improve the effectiveness of purpurascens), green milkweed (Asclepias management over time. The aim is to make viridiflora), barrens chickweed (Cerastium the rigorous tracking of outcomes efficient velutinum), awned flatsedge (Cyperus enough to be realistically feasible. squarrosus), Maryland tick-trefoil Adaptive management typically also (Desmodium marilandicum), Heller’s brings resource managers, researchers, and witchgrass (Dichanthelium oligosanthes), other stakeholders together and encourages Small’s ragwort (Packera anonyma), long-term collaboration by creating and blackjack oak (Quercus marilandica), and strengthening institutional ties. These ties rose-pink (Sabatia angularis). It is likely that are crucial to sustain the level of support additional plants and animals of immediate needed and to encourage stakeholders to or cautionary conservation concern will be stay involved over the life of an adaptive found with concentrated effort. Insect management project. Adaptive management species have not yet been systematically has become the “industry standard” for surveyed at Bare Hills but “island” managers of wild lands, including the populations of rare specialist-feeding , U.S. Fish and Wildlife herbivorous moths, beetles, and true bugs Service, U.S. Forest Service, The Nature have been found at all of the eastern North Conservancy, and other agencies and American serpentine barrens where surveys organizations involved in ecological have targeted them. restoration and sustained maintenance of If further losses are to be averted, it is forests, grasslands, shrublands, wetlands, urgent that the grassland be expanded to a and all types of wildlife habitat. much larger fraction of its former extent Proposed phasing of tasks involved in (ecological restoration) and effective preparing the proposed plan is given on the substitutes for the historical disturbance next page, together with estimated time and regime and other dynamic ecosystem ancillary costs for each. The project should processes be put in place and sustained take approximately 18 months, but the long-term (ecological maintenance). The duration can be extended in the event that most powerful and effective way to funding is delayed or interrupted. Bare Hills Barrens Ecological Restoration and Maintenance Plan phases, tasks, rough timeline, estimated costs (rev. 2020-07-31)

Roger Latham • www.continentalconservation.us