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SHORT REPORT on MINK BROOK COMMUNITY FOREST Hanover, NH

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SHORT REPORT on MINK BROOK COMMUNITY FOREST Hanover, NH SHORT REPORT On MINK BROOK COMMUNITY FOREST Hanover, NH Open Field along Greensboro Road Compiled by: Dr. Rick Van de Poll Ecosystem Management Consultants 30 N. Sandwich Rd. Center Sandwich, NH 03227 603‐284‐6851 [email protected] Submitted to: Trust For Public Lands February 27, 2020 Short Report on Mink Brook Community Forest, Hanover, NH Van de Poll / EMC Page 2 February 2020 Short Report on Mink Brook Community Forest, Hanover, NH SHORT REPORT ON MINK BROOK COMMUNITY FOREST At the end of 2019, The Trust for Public Land (TPL) contacted Ecosystem Management Consultants (EMC) to request a rapid ecological assessment (REA) of the Mink Brook Community Forest (MBCF) in Hanover, New Hampshire. The purpose of the REA was to derive field‐based information on this +/‐ 260‐acre property for the purpose of its acquisition through various grants. The town of Hanover had been working with TPL to secure the funds to protect this highly developable property as a community forest. The grant that initiated the timing of this first site visit was the Upper Connecticut River Mitigation and Enhancement Fund (MEF). This fund prioritizes riverine, shoreland, and wetland protection and enhancement as a part of the settlement agreement for the licensure of three hydroelectric dams on the Connecticut River in 1997. The field‐based survey was to assist in the characterization of the attributes of the MBCF in order to be more competitive during the grant application process. Methods Prior to the field site visit, remote GIS data on the parcels were uploaded onto an ArcGIS Pro 2.3 and ArcGIS 10.x platform. This allowed for a careful review of the USGS topographic data, the 2010 color infrared aerial orthophotograph data, and the 2018 LiDAR data. The latter was particularly helpful in discerning wetlands, shorelands, and unique geological features. A second remote source of data that was extremely helpful was the short reports and field data previously generated by EMC during the 2008‐2009 field assessment of the ‘Mink Brook Highlands Area,’ so called, that lies immediately to the south, east, and west of the MBCF parcel south of Greensboro Road. This report data included notes on rare plants, wildlife, and natural communities that occurred adjacent to the MBCF property, some of which were assignable to the property itself. As depicted on the map above, the field effort entailed a general circumnavigation of the two parcels, first to the north, and then to the south of Greensboro Road. The track followed the edges of and the centerlines of all apparent wetland areas as well as visible cliffs, steep slopes, boulder fields, and deep coniferous forests of the property. Gaia GPS was used as the handheld GPS application, which was transformed from kml files into shapefiles and geodatabase files using Arc software. A Canon SX60 Powershot camera was used to record digital images of salient features on the ground. Findings 1) Mink Brook A total of 3550 feet of the thread of third order Mink Brook was observed running east to west across the southern lot of the property. This brook was observed to be partly frozen, but otherwise clear‐running throughout its length. The numerous bends, point bars, levees, and riffle runs indicated a lower perennial stream system that in 2011, was recorded during an electro‐ fishing effort by NH Fish & Game to contain native eastern brook trout (EBT). Although no EBT was observed during February 2020 field day, they were previously observed above and below the property in Mink Brook in 2008‐2009. Also visible at that time was blacknose dace, longnose dace, fallfish, and slimy sculpin. Each of these stream fish species indicated high water quality conditions at the time. Van de Poll / EMC Page 3 February 2020 Short Report on Mink Brook Community Forest, Hanover, NH The shoreland of Mink Brook includes roughly two miles of meandering banks, hairpin turns, and overbank flood flows. Erosion was regularly seen along many of the higher velocity stream edges. The regular shift in stream channel location was not only visible on the LiDAR imagery, it was also directly comparable to previous wetland mapping that included the thread of the stream in 2008‐2009. Of the 11,270 feet of shoreline, roughly 820 feet lies along an existing field without any shrub or woodland buffer. An additional 200 feet of shoreline has less than 50 feet of woodland buffer. These areas are suitable for riparian buffer plantings that would aid in the desynchronization of overbank flood flows. Mink Bk – typical view Roughly 48 acres of 100‐year floodplain exists north of Mink Brook on the property and roughly 42 acres of 100‐year floodplain lies south of Mink Brook on the property. Of this 90‐acre total, roughly two‐thirds fall within the active, 25‐year floodplain. Based Mink Brook floodwater loop on the size of the watershed (8,659 acres), as well as the average slope of the watershed (13.3%), the active floodplain is engaged following a 4‐inch, 24‐hour storm event > 90% of the time.1 At present, there are no structures within the active floodplain. In terms of wildlife habitat, Mink Brook acts as an effective wildlife corridor up and downstream, as evidenced by the number of mammal species observed to be moving along the brook. Otter, mink, beaver, deer, coyote, fox, fisher, and raccoon were all observed moving in and beside the brook by virtue of their snow tracks. Although no bear were observed to be active at this time of year, they were previously recorded as moving along the brook as well. The best upland/wetland corridor for wildlife was observed at the bend in Greensboro Road, where the steep boulder slope provided a near contiguous forest cover across Greensboro Road into the Mink Brook riparian corridor. Fisher, deer, and coyote tracks were recorded in this area. Based on the land conservation patterns in the greater Greensboro Road area, this may be one of the best locales for wildlife movement from the highlands of Hanover down along Mink Brook to the Connecticut River. Otter tracks on Mink Bk 1 Data calculations derived from https://streamstats.usgs.gov/ss/. This flood area roughly conforms with the FEMA zone AE according to https://msc.fema.gov/. Van de Poll / EMC Page 4 February 2020 Short Report on Mink Brook Community Forest, Hanover, NH 2) Wetlands A total of 83 different wetland cover class units was observed and mapped on the 260‐acre property. Three‐quarters of the 45 total acres of wetlands occurred on the south lot in and near Mink Brook. These riparian wetlands included forested basin swamps, rich forested seepage swamps, intermittent streams, floodplain forests, scrub‐shrub margins, and open graminoid marshes. Some beaver activity was observed along Mink brook, which has had its own effects on the wetland types present. Wetland functions were observed to be mostly intact, with wildlife habitat, groundwater recharge, flood storage, and sediment trapping noted as the most important functions being served. Additional contributions to wetland function included shoreline stabilization, nutrient transformation, and wetland‐based recreation. A marked trail system was observed in the southeastern part of the floodplain wetland, and a regularly used trail along the town sewer line was observed along the northern edge of the Mink Brook wetland complex. Above: 4.5-acre fen-marsh in NE corner of MBCF North of Greensboro Road there were fewer wetlands, yet many of them were notable for their functional attributes. The 4.5‐acre fen‐marsh complex in the northeastern corner of the property appeared quite pristine, and contained evidence of active wildlife usage, especially among predatory mammals and birds. The fen portion contained a wide diversity of plant remnants, suggesting that rare plants are likely present. This watershed divide marsh was also significant for its intact woodland buffers, all of which were mature and unlogged. Farther uphill to the west, a ridgeline vernal pool was recorded at roughly 18 x 32 m in size. Although currently inactive, the basin configuration and vegetation present suggested that this pool will be filled with wood frog and spotted salamander in the spring. In the southwest part of the northern lot was another marsh system that appeared fairly intact and had excellent wildlife habitat. It arose from a small stream system that originated to the northeast near the above‐ described fen‐marsh, and descended in a southwesterly direction towards Mink Brook. The only compromising feature of this wetland was the presence of Phragmites, an invasive plant that is fortunately not that common in the region. Open wetland in southwest part of northern lot Most of this plant was actually noted to be off of the property. Van de Poll / EMC Page 5 February 2020 Short Report on Mink Brook Community Forest, Hanover, NH 3) Rare and Exemplary Natural Communities A total of 10 Significant Ecological Areas (SEAs) were identified for the property. Some of these, such as the fen‐ marsh and Mink Brook wetland floodplain complex, have been noted above. Others, however, are deserving of mention since they exist as potential contributions to the “High” value goal of protecting such communities according to the grant application guidelines. The first SEA that was noted was the Birch‐Mountain Maple‐Talus Woodland natural community on the east side of the main hill north of Greensboro Road. In spite of this hill harboring an old water tank nearby, bobcat have made good use of this talus community and likely use it for denning. Whereas bobcats are not rare in the state, suitably intact denning sites, particularly those that have late successional to old growth forests within them, provide a unique habitat for their reproductive Above: Talus woodland with porc- success.
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