Sandplains a Land Trust Celebrates 50 Years • Bear Problems
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CONNECTICUT Woodlands CFPA’S CONSERVATION for INSIDE AGENDA 2016 THE DISAPPEARED SANDPLAINS A LAND TRUST CELEBRATES 50 YEARS • BEAR PROBLEMS The Magazine of the Connecticut Forest & Park Association SPRING 2016 Volume 81 No. 1 The ConnectiCuT ForesT & Park assoCiaTion, inC. OFFICERS PRESIDENT, ERIC LUKINGBEAL, Granby VICE-PRESIDENT, WILLIAM D. BRECK, Killingworth VICE-PRESIDENT, DAVID G. LAURETTI, Bloomfield VICE-PRESIDENT, STARR SAYRES, East Haddam TREASURER, JAMES W. DOMBRAUSKAS, New Hartford SECRETARY, ERIC HAMMERLING, West Hartford FORESTER, THOMAS J. DEGNAN, East Haddam DIRECTORS BRETT BOSKIEWICZ, Simsbury STARLING W. CHILDS, Norfolk JESSI CHRISTIANSEN, Killingworth R. RICHARD CROCE, Killingworth RUTH CUTLER, Ashford CAROLINE DRISCOLL, New London PETER KNIGHT, Bloomfield MICHAEL LECOURS, Farmington SCOTT LIVINGSTON, Bolton JEFF LOUREIRO, Canton COURTESY OF THE WHITEHOUSE FAMILY ANTONIO MAZZARA, Stamford Richard Whitehouse, former Connecticut Forest & Park Association president and trail manager ERIN McGRATH, Wesleyan University (shown here on a trip to the Grand Canyon), died in December. See page 24. LAUREN L. McGREGOR, ESQ., Hamden JEFFREY O’DONNELL, Bristol DAVID PLATT, Chester Annual Membership RAYMOND RADIKAS, Glastonbury ALEX J. SIEBERT, Wesleyan University Connecting People to the Land Individual $ 35 RICHARD WHITEHOUSE, Glastonbury Our mission: The Connecticut Forest & Park Family $ 50 HONORARY DIRECTORS Association protects forests, parks, walking Supporting $ 100 GORDON L. ANDERSON, St. Johns, FL trails and open spaces for future generations by HARROL W. BAKER, JR., Bolton connecting people to the land. CFPA directly Benefactor $ 250 RICHARD A. BAUERFELD, Redding involves individuals and families, educators, RUSSELL BRENNEMAN, Westport community leaders and volunteers to enhance GEORGE M. CAMP, Middletown Life Membership $ 2500 ANN CUDDY, Ashland, OR and defend Connecticut’s rich natural heritage. SAMUEL G. DODD, North Andover, MA CFPA is a private, non-profit organization that ASTRID T. HANZALEK, Suffield relies on members and supporters to carry out JOHN HIBBARD, Hebron its mission. Corporate Membership JOSEPH HICKEY, Wethersfield JEAN CRUM JONES, Shelton Our vision: We envision Connecticut as a Club / Non-profit $ 75 EDWARD A. RICHARDSON, Glastonbury place of scenic beauty whose cities, suburbs, Sustaining $ 100 L.P. SPERRY, JR., Middlebury and villages are linked by a network of parks, SALLY L. TAYLOR, Mystic Landmark $ 250 SIDNEY VAN ZANDT, Noank forests, and trails easily accessible for all people to challenge the body and refresh the spirit. We Stewardship $ 500 STAFF picture a state where clean water, timber, farm Leadership $ 1000 TRAIL STEWARDSHIP DIRECTOR, CLARE CAIN, Old Lyme fresh foods, and other products of the land make FIELD COORDINATOR,TRAILS PROGRAM, a significant contribution to our economic and COLIN CARROLL, Hamden EVENTS AND VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR, cultural well-being. ELIZABETH FOSSETT, Meriden MEMBERSHIP & MARKETING DIRECTOR, MARTY GOSSELIN, Durham Connecticut Woodlands EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ERIC HAMMERLING, West Hartford Published quarterly by the DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, JAMES W. LITTLE, Hebron ADVANCEMENT ASSISTANT, KARA MURPHY, Guilford Connecticut Forest & Park Association, LAND CONSERVATION DIRECTOR, 16 Meriden Road, LINDSAY SUHR, North Haven Rockfall, CT 06481-2961 FOREST & PROGRAM DIRECTOR, GOODWIN FOREST CENTER, BETH RHINES, Woodstock Indexed in the Connecticut Periodical Index, Printed on 60% Recycled, OFFICE MANAGER, TERESA PETERS, Durham ISSN 00106257 FSC and Green-e Certified Paper EDITOR, CHRISTINE WOODSIDE Telephone: 860-346-TREE COPYEDITOR, ROBIN GOLD Fax: 860-347-7463. GRAPHIC DESIGNER, KAREN WARD E-mail address: [email protected] Web site: ctwoodlands.org 2 | CONNECTICUT WOODLANDS | SPRING 2016 CONNECTICUT Woodlands The Magazine of the Connecticut Forest & Park Association SPRING 2016 Volume 81 No. 1 CONTENTS FEATURES DEPARTMENTS 6 THE DISAPPEARED SANDPLAINS: 4 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE. 95 percent of them are gone. The silver tsunami: Older owners of Second in a series on imperiled forested tracts consider selling. ecosystems. By Eric Lukingbeal. By Christine Woodside. 5 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE. 10 JOSHUA’S TRUST: We hold these truths to be Northeastern Connecticut’s self-evident. steward of 4,500 acres prepares By Eric Hammerling. for the next 50 years. By Terese Karmel. 13 CFPA IN THE COMMUNITY. P Conservation Agenda. 17 THE FOREST ECONOMY IN CONNECTICUT: 20 FROM THE LAND. A new report lists statistics that Lilac dreams: Their presence in should not surprise us. Connecticut tells the story of By James W. Little. early farmers. By Jean Crum Jones. 18 BEAR NECESSITIES: 22 TRY THIS HIKE. People–bear encounters increase; Over two summits and lots of rocks wildlife officials take action. on the Rugged Housatonic Nicholas Shigo Range Trail. By Diane Friend Edwards. 24 IN MEMORIAM. Richard Whitehouse. 26 ON THE TRAILS. On the Cover: Talking with 825-milers: “Does it get better than this?” A small sandplain in central Connecticut. The whiter section at 27 LETTER TO THE EDITOR. the top is where an all-terrain P Thanks for Jean Jones. vehicle did circles. P CFPA’s Trails Program welcomes field coordinator. PHOTO BY CHRISTINE WOODSIDE SPRING 2016 | CONNECTICUT WOODLANDS | 3 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE The silver tsunami: Older owners of forested tracts consider selling BY ERIC LUKINGBEAL VERY FEW LOOK AT THEIR WOODLANDS AS AN INVESTMENT DURING THEIR OWNERSHIP here’s no short- age of threats to OF THE LAND. THEIR CONSERVATION ETHIC IS STRONG: 80 PERCENT WANT TO KEEP THEIR Connecticut’s for- T ests. Just thinking FORESTS AS FORESTS. DESPITE THIS, THEY MOSTLY DO NOT MANAGE THEIR FORESTS IN AN about them reminds me of the Everly ACTIVE WAY, NOR DO THEY PARTICIPATE IN WORKSHOPS OR SEEK PROFESSIONAL ADVICE. Brothers song: “Prob- lems, problems, prob- lems all day long.” The list is a long one, are still growing. Connecticut State Forester strong: 80 percent want to keep their for- starting with insect invaders such as the Chris Martin says volume has doubled in the ests as forests. Despite this, they mostly do emerald ash borer, Asian longhorned bee- past 20 years. That’s all wonderful. not manage their forests in an active way, tle (though not found in Connecticut—yet), But there is another threat to think about. nor do they participate in workshops or seek Southern pine beetle, and hemlock woolly State forestry officials call it the silver tsu- professional advice. They rarely choose legal adelgid. Fragmentation goes on even as nami, evoking the moniker for the coun- vehicles for preservation such as conservation development pressures have lessened some- try’s aging workforce. In this context, the easements, although they are aware of them what since the 2008 recession. silver tsunami is a phenomenon of peo- to a much greater extent than are owners in Our state’s fiscal condition is shaky. Ben ple older than age 50 selling forestland for other states. About a third say they would Barnes, the head of the Connecticut Office development. sell their land if offered a reasonable price, of Policy and Management, says we are in At least 73 percent of Connecticut’s for- and 17 percent say they are likely to either a state of “permanent fiscal crisis.” Gen- ests are in private hands, and those hands are sell or give their land away in the next five eral Electric has left for Boston. There is old and getting older. We know a good bit years. Aging is the biggest reason why they no longer any argument that the goal of 21 about what these owners think about their percent open space by the mid-2020s will would consider selling. woodlands, which is the term they use most not be met. There’s just not enough bond Reaching these aging landowners will be often. This is because Mary Tyrrell, a profes- money to buy land. Our lead environmen- critical if we are going to avoid further frag- sor at Yale’s School of Forestry and Environ- tal agency is poorly funded, and has been mentation of our forests. It will be especially mental Studies, published a study in 2015 for many years. The forestry division in par- critical if we are going to stem the loss of called “Understanding Connecticut Wood- ticular has been hard hit, with most retirees core forest blocks (defined as more than 300 land Owners.” It makes fascinating but trou- not being replaced. The state’s forests ought feet on all sides from the edge of a non-for- bling reading. (Editor’s note: We printed an to be better managed, but the few foresters ested area). The silver tsunami effect is now excerpt of Dr. Tyrrell’s report in Connecticut we have scramble to cover their giant ter- upon us, as the first of the Baby Boomer gen- Woodlands, Summer 2015, Vol. 80 No. 2.) ritories. The income from logging opera- eration turns 70 in 2016. The solution will Dr. Tyrrell bases her work on six statewide tions on state lands more than pays for the require investment of both public and pri- focus groups and the Connecticut respon- foresters’ salaries and benefits, so it seems vate resources. dents to the National Woodland Owners the state could afford to hire some more of As a start, the legislature ought to consider Survey, which has been done occasionally them. The level of investment in our for- lowering—to 10 acres—the 25-acre thresh- since the 1980s. The survey had a 53-per- ests is nowhere near where it should be. The old for land eligible to be taxed as open space cent response rate, which is very high for sur- foresters of the Department of Energy and under Public Act 490. The long-term bene- veys of this type. Seventeen thousand fam- Environmental Protection are doing the best fits to the public would be real and substan- they can. They should not have to work in ilies and individuals own 34 percent of our tial. The law should encourage them to keep triage mode, spending most of their time on forests in parcels 10 acres or larger.