NATURAL HERITAGE HARM NIES A publication of the Nongame and Natural Heritage ProgramO WINTER 2004 Department of Fish & Wildlife Conserving Vermont’s fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats for the people of Vermont. Agency of Natural Resources

Four Historic Troubling Times for a Few Turtles Species Found Four plant species that have not been observed in Vermont in at least 25 years were found this summer, thanks to keen observation by a few individuals. The pinxter-flower, the blunt mountain-mint, the slender copperleaf, and a dwarf birch are the four historic plant species rediscovered as part of Vermont’s landscape. “Vermont has about 2,000 species of plants, but only about 1,400 of these are native to the state,” said Bob Popp, Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department (VFWD) botanist. “The department’s Nongame & Spiny Softshell Turtle/photo by Lawrence Pyne Natural Heritage Program tracks all the uncommon Turtles are a pretty successful group Howland (retired), Travis Buttle, and and rare native plant species of animals that outlasted the George Scribner, as well as and attempts to rediscover dinosaurs, but the present day world Lieutenants Dane Hathaway and Ken blunt historic species. A presents challenges that threaten their Denton. mountain-mint well being and even their existence. species is considered In Vermont, it is illegal to collect wild Habitat destruction, road mortality, historic if it has not been observed turtles. To acquire a turtle from out egg predation, and collection by here in 25 or more years.” of state, even from a legal source, an people are some of the more obvious importation permit is required. In the Bob Popp discovered one of these threats they face. Vermont is not spring of 2003, game wardens seized historic species, the pinxter-flower, in immune to this and the Vermont Fish 20 turtles and charged the individual an Addison County swamp during a & Wildlife Department did something with possession of turtles under Title softwood swamp inventory. Pinxter- important about it in 2003. flower (Rhododendron periclymenoides) is a 10, Section 4709 of Vermont’s State Allegations surfaced of someone in Statutes. Mark Ferguson, our Continued on page 4 Vermont illegally trading turtles over department zoologist, was there with the Internet. Vermont game wardens the wardens to provide expertise in Inside Highlights gathered evidence on the allegations identifying the turtles. and determined turtles were being Department Update ...... 2 “Native turtle species —snapping, collected, traded, and sold. The Natural Community Mapping painted, musk, map, wood, spotted, investigation lasted several months on State Lands ...... 3 and spiny softshell— are prohibited and involved several wardens, Got Wildlife? ...... 6 including Dan Swainbank, Phil Continued on page 2 Turtles in Trouble DEPARTMENT Continued from page 1 from the legal pet trade in Vermont,” UPDATE explained Ferguson. “Spotted turtles are endangered in Vermont and By Tom Decker, Director of Wildlife softshells are threatened. There is regional conservation concern for This past summer and fall specialists in temporary jobs to wood turtles, and musk and map department staff submitted grant help accomplish the work under turtles are of special concern in proposals that allowed Vermont to both of these grants. This will Vermont.” participate in two large federal allow the department to capitalize Turtles lay few eggs, usually 4 to 20 at funding initiatives. With the first on significant federal funding and a time, although a big snapper could program, State Wildlife Grants move us ahead in wildlife lay more. And, the eggs are very (SWG), the department secured conservation. It is sometimes susceptible to predation. Some approximately $1.2 million in frustrating trying to get enough predators, such as raccoons, are at federal funding for fish and wildlife resources and personnel to tackle high population densities due to their conservation. Under this program, the broad array of conservation tolerance and adaptability to the the federal funds cover 75 percent needs that we face in Vermont. human-dominated landscape. A very of the projects’ costs, while the Securing SWG and LIP funding is a small percentage of eggs result in an department provides 25 percent in step in the right direction. adult turtle. Turtles survive largely matching monies. In March of 1936, the Vermont because adults can live a long time, This grant will fund a broad array Conservation News made its debut. It anywhere from 10 to 50 years. of department work such as was a “little news pamphlet” of the Therefore, if you remove older turtles, inventorying selected natural newly created Department of the population could decline. communities and species, like Conservation and Development. A total of 20 turtles were seized mussels and lake sturgeon, assisting One of the objectives of this during the investigation. The seizure local community planning, publication was to keep the public included wood turtles, spotted and upgrading databases, and helping informed of the activities of Blanding’s turtles, a painted turtle, a fund Vermont’s ongoing bird and “Vermont Fish and Game.” This snapper, a red-eared slider and three butterfly atlases. The department February, the department will begin exotic turtles —Herman’s tortoise, also will support research at the publishing a biannual newsletter Mexican giant musk turtle, and yellow- University of Vermont on that we will use to get information margined box turtle. Blanding’s turtles cormorants and Indiana bats. out to folks regarding new research are found in surrounding states and and management initiatives. We The second program is the Québec, but we have not documented decided to borrow a little from our Landowner Incentive Program a population in Vermont. Sliders are predecessors and entitled this new (LIP). This program is a private found further south in the U.S. publication Fish & Wildlife lands initiative that pays landowners Conservation News. The first edition So, what do you do with 20 turtles to manage their property for highlights the many projects that that are seized as state’s evidence? threatened or endangered species. are funded with the State Wildlife That is where department biologists One very important element of the Grants Program. If you are stepped up. Mark Ferguson took Landowner Incentive Program is interested in receiving a copy of possession of the exotic species and that it allows Fish & Wildlife Conservation News the department’s Nongame & Natural for plant contact Lilla Lumbra at Heritage Program coordinator Steve conservation (802) 241-1454 or email Parren took the rest. programs. [email protected]. These “I have been working with wood and The are challenging times for the spotted turtles for years and created department department and we remain grateful outdoor pens for the turtles at my will be for your interest and support in home,” explained Parren. “Mark set hiring helping us in the conservation of up similar accommodations for the several Vermont’s fish and wildlife turtles at his home. We fed the turtles new staff resources. daily and made sure they had clean Continued on page 5

2 Natural Community Mapping on State Lands

When you think of the Vermont Fish parcel of state land, a detailed How are these & Wildlife Department’s Nongame ecological assessment is conducted. A inventories done? and Natural Heritage Program, you key part of this assessment is the First, we assemble all probably think of our work with rare, natural community map, which is used the existing information threatened and endangered species, by foresters, biologists and planners about the parcel’s topography, such as turtles, falcons, loons, mussels, to establish land use practices for the bedrock and soils, wildlife and plants. In addition to parcel. For instance, when we find habitats, rare or endangered documenting and conserving rare community types during an species, forestry values, and individual rare species, we also collect inventory, the area around them may recreational development. a lot of information on species receive special protection in the new These information sources aid assemblages, or communities. These management plan. us in interpreting natural natural communities—interacting communities from black and white assemblages of plants, animals and “To date, we have created and color infrared aerial other organisms, and their physical photographs. The resulting environments—are important natural community maps for preliminary map is like a forestry stand components of Vermont’s biological 21 state lands parcels, a total map, as it relies heavily on the heritage. And, they are valuable of 138,000 acres ... This is characteristics of the canopy tree conservation tools. While we can’t more than a third of all the species visible in the photographs. manage for the sustainability of all of state lands acreage.” We then identify areas of the parcel our native species on an individual most in need of site visits to confirm basis, we can be relatively sure community types, and we hit the field! Vermont’s biological diversity is “To date, we have created natural During field visits to sites, numerous maintained if we protect enough community maps for 21 state lands field notes, photographs, plant examples of each of the types of parcels, a total of 138,000 acres,” specimens, and global positioning natural communities native to the explained Leif Richardson, Vermont system (GPS) data are collected. state. Fish & Wildlife Department state These are later analyzed and used to Significant examples of natural lands ecologist. “This is more than a fine-tune the initial map. The final communities on state lands have been third of all the state lands acreage.” product is a geographic information identified since the inception of the Examples of lands that now have system (GIS) map showing natural Natural Heritage Program in the maps include State communities for the entire parcel, plus 1980’s. These include rare community Forest, , plenty of ecological and spatial types, such as fens and alpine Camel’s Hump State Park, Green information about each community. meadows, as well as high quality River Reservoir State Park, Niquette Not surprisingly, we have made a examples of common types, such as Bay State Park, West Mountain number of noteworthy ecological northern hardwood forests. With the Wildlife Management Area, Maquam finds on state lands! Many examples hiring of a state lands ecologist in Bay Wildlife Management Area, and of rare community types have been 2001, and the use of computerized Roaring Brook Wildlife Management identified, including a red cedar mapping techniques, we have Area. We will soon complete work on woodland at , undertaken a systematic mapping ecological assessments for C.C. a black spruce swamp at Green River effort for all state lands. Each time , Groton State Reservoir State Park and several new Agency of Natural Resources staff Forest, and Tinmouth Channel crafts a new management plan for a Wildlife Management Area. Continued on page 4

3 Mapping Continued from page 3 learn more about Vermont’s natural communities, pick up a copy of red maple-black gum swamps at Wetland, Woodland, Wildland: A Guide to Roaring Brook Wildlife Management the Natural Communities of Vermont, by Area. Excellent examples of some of Elizabeth Thompson and Eric Vermont’s most common upland Vermont Fish & Wildlife Sorenson Wildlife Division communities—red oak-northern Nongame and Natural Heritage hardwood forest, northern hardwood Program Department Contributors forest, montane spruce-fir forest, and Historic Plants Tom Decker Division Director others—have been identified at Continued from page 1 Steve Parren NNHP Coordinator Bob Popp NNHP Botanist and Coolidge State Forest, Camel’s Hump small colonial shrub related to azaleas Inventory Coordinator State Park and Willoughby State and laurels that grows mainly in Mark Ferguson NNHP Zoologist Everett Marshall NNHP Database Biologist Forest. And, natural community swamps and bogs. Vermont is at the Eric Sorenson NNHP Natural Community inventories have turned up many new extreme northern limit of its range. Ecologist (joint position with The Nature Conservancy) populations of rare plant and animal Two collections exist from Vermont, Jodi Shippee NNHP Database Assistant species around the state. For example, one from 1981 and the other from Leif Richardson NNHP Lands Ecologist Lilla Stutz-Lumbra Outreach Coordinator while inventorying the acidic outcrop 1965. It has not been seen since then Lucy Herring Office Support communities of Townshend State until it was located this past summer. John Austin Wildlife Biologist Forest, we located a new population John Buck Wildlife Biologist Blunt mountain-mint (Pycnanthemum Tim Appleton Fish & Wildlife of Greene’s rush (Juncus greenei), one muticum) was reported to the Technician of only seven known in the state. Bill Crenshaw Wildlife Biologist department’s Nongame & Natural John Gobeille Wildlife Biologist And auricled twayblade (Listera Heritage Program by a consultant in Scott Darling Wildlife Biologist Doug Blodgett Wildlife Biologist auriculata), a globally uncommon and conjunction with a power line state-endangered orchid previously Cedric Alexander Wildlife Biologist upgrade. This small rhizomatous mint Paul Hamelin Fish & Wildlife known from only one site in Vermont, occurs in meadows and other open Technician was found at two additional sites Kimberly Royar Wildlife Biologist areas, and like the pinxter-flower, is Forrest Hammond Wildlife Biologist during the inventory of West more common to our south. This Chris Bernier Fish & Wildlife Mountain Wildlife Management Area. Technician species was last observed in the state David Sausville Waterfowl Area “Inventorying natural communities at in 1922. This summer, however, two Specialist Ken Cox Fisheries Biologist State Forests, State Parks and Wildlife new populations of this rare plant Chet MacKenzie Fisheries Biologist Management Areas has greatly were discovered. Natural Heritage Harmonies is a free, semi-annual increased our understanding of the A member of the Scientific Advisory publication of the Vermont Fish & Wildlife ecology of these public lands,” said Department’s Nongame and Natural Heritage Program. Group on Flora rediscovered slender Please acknowledge the Vermont Department of Fish Richardson. “And, it has improved copperleaf (Acalypha gracilens) in the & Wildlife in any reprints. our ability to responsibly manage Burlington area. This small annual Vermont Agency of Natural Resources them.” herb of the spurge family was last Fish & Wildlife Department 103 South Main Street, 10 South If you would like to know more about observed in Vermont in 1931. It Waterbury, VT 05671-0501 natural community mapping on state prefers open, sandy soils, and is (802) 241-3700 lands, please contact Leif Richardson, distinctive in having separate male and www.vtfishandwildlife.com state lands ecologist, by email: female flowers. Although not [email protected] or call common in Vermont, it becomes The former was last observed in 1914 (802) 476-0128. If you would like to more abundant to our south and west. whereas the latter is reported from A dwarf birch from an alpine Vermont, but no specimen has ever area in Vermont has tentatively been located. Depending on final been identified as either Betula determination of species, this may pumila or B. minor. Discovered even represent a new species in our by Everett Marshall, VFWD flora. biologist and data manager “There are currently a whopping 75 while hiking with his kids. historic plant species in Vermont,” Either of these species would explained Popp. “Since Vermont has be a great find. Both species been fairly well inventoried over the are small shrubs, rather than years, it is pretty exciting news when trees, that occur in more four historic species are found in a Camel’s Hump / photo by Eric Sorenson northern and boreal habitats. single year!”

4 Turtles Continued from page 2 and Blanding’s turtles were nursed “The law enforcement action is still water sources and hiding shelters. I back to health and now live at the pending,” stated Lt. Colonel Bob also provided nesting substrate for the Ecomuseum in Montréal,” stated Rooks, the department’s chief warden. adult turtles, and three wood Parren. “These turtles could not be “We hope we will get a conviction and turtles laid eggs.” released because we did set a clear conservation example in not know their origin our state. We’d also like to recover In September and we didn’t want to our expenditures, which were permission was risk infecting wild considerable when you include the granted to populations with many hours devoted to this case.” release the disease.” wood turtles. If you want to learn more about the The adult wood wood turtle The turtles in Mark’s care will also risks to Vermont’s native turtles be turtles were considered remain in captivity. End of story, sure to check out Vermont Public healthy enough to release in what we right? Wrong. Remember those three Television’s Outdoor Journal series, believe was their native stream. All nests in Steve’s backyard? Steve is which will be airing a story about the had gained weight. One large male, now the proud parent of 19 wood turtles on February 17th and 22nd. nicknamed Gonzo by Steve’s kids, was turtle hatchlings. He will keep them Turtle populations will have a better fitted with a radio tag and we will active and feeding through the winter chance of surviving if more people continue to follow his movements and release them in the spring. know of the risks turtles face, less turtles are collected and critical habitat into 2004. According to Parren, “These turtles is protected. So help us spread the will have a better chance of survival The spotted and Blanding’s turtles word. showed signs of a respiratory than many hatchlings. Their survival problem, which is all too common is still very iffy, but some may survive with the stress experienced by traded to adulthood. It is one of the few turtles. Several turtles were injected benefits in this whole story for the with antibiotics, a procedure not turtles.” relished by the turtles or Steve Parren, Another benefit is the awareness and then moved indoors. raised thanks to the actions of our “I’m happy to report all the spotted game wardens. Blanding’s turtle

Our Partners in 2003 The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department’s Nongame and Natural Heritage Program works cooperatively with many individuals, groups, companies, organizations, and agencies. Agencies: Contractors and Volunteers: Green Mountain National Forest Dorothy Allard Jared Nunery Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge Jim Andrews Christine O’Brien Northeast Endangered Species and Wildlife Diversity Technical Committee Dick Bayer Ryan Ochs Silvio O. Conte National Fish & Wildlife Refuge Brett Engstrom Kristian Omland Société de la faune et des parcs du Québec Steve Faccio Rick Paradis U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Doug Facey Judy Peterson U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service ( Office and N.H. Endangered Species Office) Margaret Fowle Jenny Ramstetter U.S.D.A. Wildlife Services Patrick Galois Reenie Rice U.S.D.A. Natural Resource Conservation Service Eric Hanson Chris Rimmer U.S.G.S. Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit Mark LaBarr Chris Sanders Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation Marc Lapin Nat Shambaugh Vermont Department of Forests, Parks & Recreation Martin Léveillé Elizabeth Thompson Vermont League of Cities and Towns Michael Lew-Smith Andrew Webb Vermont Military Department Kent MacFarland Diane Wells Vermont Regional Planning Commissions Ted Murin Merri Zetterstrom Ethan Nedeau Organizations: Audubon Vermont The Nature Conservancy – Vermont Field Office Vermont Endangered Species Committee (ESC) Central Vermont Public Service University of Vermont Vermont Entomological Society Green Mountain Power Vermont Agency of Transportation Vermont ESC Scientific Advisory Groups Lake Champlain Land Trust Vermont Butterfly Survey Steering Committee Vermont Family Forest National Wildlife Federation Vermont Caver’s Association Vermont Institute of Natural Science NatureServe Vermont Chapters of the Ruffed Grouse Society Vermont Land Trust New England Wildflower Society Vermont Electric Power Company New England Plant Conservation Program Volunteers

5 Nongame and Natural Heritage Program Department of Fish & Wildlife Vermont Agency of Natural Resources 103 South Main Street, 10 South Waterbury, VT 05671-0501

Your Support Makes a Difference! Please donate to the Nongame Wildlife Fund on your Vermont income tax form. Look for the loon icon.

Got Wildlife? Many plants are important food sources for wildlife. Here are just a few native food plants and some of the common backyard birds and mammals that enjoy them. Dogwood: Bluebird, Cardinal, Catbird, Purple Finch, Evening Grosbeak, Pine Grosbeak, Robin, YOUR DEADLINE Cedar Waxwing, Chipmunk, Grey Squirrel, Rabbit IS OUR LIFELINE Blackberry: Cardinal, Catbird, Pine Grosbeak, Robin, Cedar LEASE DONATE TO THE ONGAME ILDLIFE UND P N W F . Waxwing, Chipmunk, Rabbit, Forty-two animal species in Vermont are at risk. You can help by Raccoon supporting the Nongame Wildlife Fund. Just look for the loon on Cherry: Catbird, Purple Finch, line 29A of your Vermont income tax form. Evening Grosbeak, Robin, Cedar The fund sponsors projects such as loon nesting sites, spiny softshell Waxwing, Chipmunk, turtle recovery, peregrine falcon restoration, and a wide range of Rabbit, Red Squirrel educational and habitat restoration programs. Sumac: Bluebird, Remember, your support helps us do the work today so our wildlife Cardinal, Catbird, will be here tomorrow. Robin, Rabbit

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