State Lands Habitat Program Highlights From the 1st Half of 2018 Jim Oehler State Lands Habitat Biologist August 2, 2018

Click on the property name to view its profile on Fish & Game’s website including links to maps. To learn more about how the Department manages its WMAs, click here.

REGION 1 Lakes Natural Area (CLNA) Pittsburg The focus during this first half of the year has been on the identification of the next commercial timber sale on the CLNA. Jill Kilborn, with assistance from the NH Division of Forest and Lands and Will Staats, has scouted, presented on, and cruised a portion of the South Bay Bog Operating Unit (OU) that we hope to have harvested during the winter of 2019/2020 (Figure 1). This sale will complement the very first timber sale on the CLNA which took place in 2009. During that sale there was a focus on aspen along the winter road that runs through the OU. That work resulted in some excellent aspen regeneration which will be expanded upon in this next entry. The surrounding hardwood stands will be managed to increase structure in the understory and to promote mast producing trees such as beech and cherry.

First CT Lake

Figure 1. Planned harvest area (outlined in red) to improve wildlife habitat on the South Bay Bog Operating Unit of the CT Lakes Natural Area. Map by Jill Kilborn. South Bay Bog Operating Unit

Lake Francis

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Scarification and planting Since 2016 we have been working on a spruce fir restoration project that was part of the last timber sale in the OU – the far western part of the CLNA. The identified area was harvested over 30 years ago and had little to no regeneration. As part of this work we scarified the soils during the fall of 2016 to provide a good bed for the seed of yellow birch and spruce to fall into and germinate. During the spring of 2017 we also planted >500 red spruce seedlings in scarified and non-scarified areas. This, coupled with an excellent cone crop last fall, will hopefully result in the reforestation of these areas. This spring we returned to the site to perform on-going photo monitoring and will be looking into options for expanding this effort.

Fall 2016 (Before Scarification)

Fall 2016 (After Scarification)

Spring 2017 (Planting Spruce Seedlings)

Spring 2018

Figure 2. Before and after photos of the scarification project on the Indian Stream Operating Unit. Photos by Jill Kilborn.

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CT River Drivers WMA, Colebrook – The Department is working with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to conserve 30 acres along the CT River in Colebrook referred to as the Brunault Tract. Ultimately, it will be fee-owned by the Department. It abuts the 20-acre CT River boat access area to the south (never fully developed but still used for car top access). Along with a few acres of former DNCR land in between (now transferred to NHFG), the property will become the nearly 60-acre CT River Drivers WMA (Figure 3). Rich Cook is taking care of all the real estate transactions for this purchase. Closing will occur sometime this fall.

TNC’s interest in the Brunault Tract is the potential to restore a portion of it to floodplain forest. During the process of fundraising for conserving the property, they also obtained funds from the Mitigation and Enhancement Fund and DES’ Aquatic Resource Mitigation Fund for floodplain forest restoration. TNC has implemented floodplain forest restoration projects throughout the CT River Watershed on both TNC owned properties and partner lands. In NH, they are working on a similar project on the this field season, and previously restored a portion of their Maidstone Bends Preserve in Northumberland.

Floodplain forest restoration on the CT River Drivers WMA will include increasing the width of the buffer between the river and a corn field. The buffer will be disked and allowed to seed in naturally with silver maple from nearby parent trees. The seed will be supplemented with the planting of 4-5 foot tall potted silver maples and dutch elm disease resistant American elms. Restoration will occur on about 13 acres of the property. NHFG will enter into a management agreement with TNC to grant them authority to carry out the restoration plans once we own it. A 15-acre ag field will be retained and put out to bid to local farmers for a grain crop that will also provide a food source for migratory waterfowl. The CT River is a major flyway and stopover area for fall migrants. Additionally, an overburdened culvert will be removed and a new, more appropriate management access will be developed. All of this work will occur over the next 2-3 years.

Upper Ammonoosuc WMA, Stark The Department purchased this 95.5 acre property in 2014. It contains floodplain forest, shrub swales, a five acre field and about 12 acres of upland forest dominated by pine and is a popular local upland gamebird hunting spot, primarily for woodcock. The alder that provides the lion share of the woodcock habitat is getting past its prime for good woodcock cover. Jill Kilborn and Will Staats are working on a plan to regenerate some of the older alder stands. Approximately five acres of alder is slated to be mowed with a brontosaurus mower later this fall or early winter. The following spring the alder will stump sprout and send up new shoots from the roots producing many more stems and producing improved cover not only for woodcock but also yellow warblers and several other songbirds whose rely on similar habitat.

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Brunault Tract

Former DNCR Land

Welcome Center North of Colebrook

NHFG CT River Boat Access

Figure 3. The three parcels that will soon comprise the CT River Drivers WMA in Colebrook, NH.

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REGION 2

Lower Shaker WMA, Enfield – Denyce Gagne will be working with contractors as they return later this summer to control invasive exotic plants on 36 acres in fields and along field edges. This is in addition to the 50 acres treated last year. Except for these areas, most of the Lower Shaker WMA is relatively free of invasive exotic plants and we’re going to work to keep it that way. Contractors will be targeting bush honeysuckle, common buckthorn, and multiflora rose via a foliar spray application of herbicides using licensed applicators. Denyce will also be working with the Enfield Shaker Museum to control the honeysuckle and rose on their adjoining property to deter reinvasion of the WMA. The museum property is the only other place we know these species to occur in the local landscape. Control on the museum property will include targeted herbicide applications and hand or mechanical pulling within a wellhead protection zone.

Knight Meadow Marsh WMA, Webster – A contract is slated to be approved by Governor and Council in the very near future that will allow the construction of a bridge over Knight Meadow Brook to improve management and public access to Knight Meadow Marsh WMA and Leonard WMA. The crossing gets consistently flooded out because the four side-by-side culverts that comprise the crossing are not large enough to accommodate water during high flows. The culverts also prohibit passage by fish and other aquatic organisms. Brian Lemire has been coordinating this project with help from Denyce and John Magee. The bridge and streambank restoration design was completed under separate contract and the wetlands permit is in place. With the construction contract nearly in place, bridge construction will start later this summer. The goal is to have this project completed before the start of the waterfowl season and the planned timber sale on the abutting Leonard WMA which would use the same access (see below).

Leonard WMA, Webster – Planning and project layout are complete and a logging contractor in place for a harvest slated to occur this winter that will be overseen by Tom Natale, a forester with the NH Division of Forests and Lands. The harvest will include a shelterwood to help regenerate oak and pine, crop tree release to enhance acorn production of retained oaks, and a couple of clearcuts to create young forest in the southern half of the property. It will also include some patch cuts to regenerate aspen in the northern section of the property where a small field complex is located.

In keeping with the long standing objective initially established in the early 1980s, this northern section will be managed as a grouse and woodcock habitat demonstration area. The existing field will be expanded to create an approximately 5-acre field, free of overhead cover, and suitable for use as an evening roost field for woodcock. The field will also provide suitable woodcock singing grounds and be used as a foraging area for deer, turkey, and a variety of songbirds. Crab apples or other soft mast producing trees/shrubs may be planted to provide an additional wildlife food source. Surrounding the field will be 8 cutting blocks, 2 of which will be cut every 15 years, establishing a 60 year rotation. Blocks were laid out to get each as close to 5 acres as possible, which is the minimum recommended size for woodcock management.

In addition to improving habitat, this project will bring in over $97,000 of revenue to the Department. You can read more about this project in this Taking Action for Wildlife article.

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Cascade Marsh WMA, Sutton - Cascade Marsh is home to an old stone pit that was commonly used for dumping and target shooting. This activity was curtailed with the installation of a gate and parking area closer to Baker Rd in 2015. Now, Brian and Denyce will be working to clean up the trash and debris that remains from those activities. Vegetation will be mowed with a brontosaurus mower, steep slopes will be reshaped, trash and hazardous materials will be removed and disposed of, and the area will be reseeded with warm season grasses to reduce the attraction of illegal target shooting while adding another habitat feature to the property. This project should be completed by the fall.

Blue Job State Forest, Farmington – Following the work of a brontosaurus mower last August, which finished knocking back the trees in a 13-acre portion of the large blueberry barren atop Blue Job Mountain, 15 trained members of the NH Prescribed Fire Council implemented a prescribed fire in that same area on May 10. Jim Oehler put together the burn plan with assistance from Zack Boyajian from the NH Army-Guard, and coordinated clearing of firelines, assemblage of crew, and public notices. Captain Bryan Nowell from the NH Forest Protection Bureau led the crew during execution of the burn. Crew included staff from NH Fish and Game, NH Division of Forests and Lands, White Mountain National Forest, the NH Army-Guard, and The Forest Society.

Blueberry barrens require periodic maintenance to keep them open and the blueberry bushes producing. Every few years, a portion of the barrens will be mowed with a brontosaurus mower to knock back the young trees that are invading the area. This will be followed up with a prescribed burn that will prune old unproductive stems and promote new growth and better berry production. This work will maintain important young forest and barrens habitat that will benefit a variety of wildlife including ruffed grouse, black bear, eastern towhee, song sparrow, and prairie warbler. It will also help maintain views of the surrounding landscape and blueberry picking opportunities so enjoyed by visitors to the mountain.

Figure 4. A lot of dead branches on blueberry bushes no longer produce fruit (left). Prescribed burns consume above ground stems and promotes lush new growth that will be better producers in the future (right). Photos by Jim Oehler

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Figure 5. Carpets of new young blueberry growth sprouting up in early July. Blueberries aren’t producing flowers or berries at this point, but should have very good production next year. Photo by Jim Oehler.

Owl Brook WMA, Holderness - A timber harvest is slated to occur this winter on 103 acres of the 275-acre western parcel of the Owl Brook WMA. One-quarter to two acre groups will be cut resulting in 26 acres of mixed hardwood and softwood regeneration. This new young growth will provide woody browse for moose and deer, enhance understory cover for several species of songbirds, and enhance mast production. Tom Natale, a forester with the NH Division of Forests and Lands will be overseeing this project. A showing to logging contractors is scheduled for late August.

Ellis Hatch Jr., WMA, New Durham - A timber harvest is also slated to occur this winter on 180 acres of the Ellis Hatch WMA. The harvest will include generation of young forest habitat via clearcuts, thinning in hemlock stands to enhance deer wintering habitat, and groups to regenerate oak and improve mast production. The Department will receive over $35,000 in revenue from this harvest. Tom will be overseeing this project as well.

Prescott State Forest, Laconia – Last year, the Department assisted the NH Division of Forests and Lands with some invasive exotic plant control on this 116-acre property. Much of the property contains fields, old fields, and an old apple orchard some of which are being taken over by invasive exotic plants. Bittersweet, in particular, was choking out many of the apple trees. Control efforts were pretty successful, but some invasives still remain but will be difficult to reach given the density of the vegetation. As such, Denyce will be working the NHDFL staff to bring a brontosaurus in this fall to knock back the vegetation before herbicide contractors return to target resprouting invasives that remain next year. The old apple orchard will then be maintained via periodic mowing.

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Farrar Marsh WMA, Hillsborough – A bridge across Sand Brook provides the only access to the southern third of this 620-acre property. The bridge has deteriorated to the extent that it can no longer support the weight of heavy equipment. It’s also too low to the ground such that it impedes water flow during heavy rain events. Brian Lemire will be working with contractors to design and construct a bridge that will be high enough off the ground to allow free flow of the stream, even during the most severe rain events, while still providing good management access for periodic brontosaurus work on a 5-acre old field and timber harvests to improve wildlife habitat.

REGION 3

Woodman and Doles Marsh WMA and Woodman State Forest – Sam Taylor, a forester with the NH Division of Forests and Lands, is nearly done planning and laying out a harvest on these three adjoining properties. Totaling more than 200 acres, about half that acreage will be worked to establish well-spaced patches of 2-5 acres in size. The last timber sale on these properties occurred in 2003-2004. The partial cutting and smaller patches that comprised most of that sale are regenerating mostly to gray birch and beech rather than the oak and pine that is more desired. Whereas, the one or two larger patches cut at that time are coming back to a more desirable mix. The larger patches have the added benefit of providing good woody browse and young forest habitat that will benefit a variety of wildlife. In another section of the project area, where beech is large and disease free, trees around the best crop trees will be removed to provide more growing space which will also result in more beech nut production. This project is slated to commence this winter.

Bellamy WMA, Dover – With the help of 114 volunteers lined up by our friends at Nature Groupie, we planted 9,500 shrub seedlings in just two days! This is part of a larger effort to establish 200 acres of shrubland and young forest habitat on this property to benefit state- endangered New England cottontails, woodcock, blue-winged warblers, turkeys and a myriad of other shrubland and young forest wildlife.

Figure 6. Among the 114 volunteers who helped plant shrubs at the Bellamy WMA were 40 Lindt Chocolate employees who helped out for an entire day.

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Piscassic WMA, Newfields & Exeter – After a few years of being delayed because of poor winter operating conditions, ~40 acres of white pine was thinned. The remaining pine will have more room to grow in preparation for another harvest in 15-20 years’ time. This was the last phase of a harvest that started in the winter of 2014/15 and included a 25-acre clearcut to regenerate aspen, which provides excellent habitat for grouse, woodcock, hare, and several songbirds whose populations have been declining for several decades.

Great Bog WMA, Greenland and Brentwood Game Farm, Brentwood – Monarch butterflies are being assessed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service to determine if they should be federally listed. Considerable effort is being made by various conservation agencies and organizations to improve habitat for monarchs. Monarchs require milkweed to lay their eggs on and for the larvae to feed on and grow into adults, but little is known about how to enhance milkweed populations. Our partners at NH NRCS and the Xerces Society reached out to us to see if we’d be willing to include fields on some of our WMAs in an experiment to determine what type of management helps to enhance the number and extent of milkweed. Based on Denyce’s knowledge of our fields, a field at the Great Bog WMA and a field at the Brentwood Game Farm were selected to be included in the study. Heidi Holman will be taking the lead on coordinating the work on these WMAs that will include a small plot that will be mowed around June 1, another that will be disked around the same time, and a control that won’t be treated at all. On some other conserved lands in NH, managers will also be trying a late season mow and a late season disk. Each year for a few years, these plots will be monitored to track trends in milkweed numbers. This information will be pooled with data from other participating properties on public and private lands in NH and other states to determine which treatment is most effective.

REGION 4

Eva’s Marsh WMA, Hancock – A harvest was completed last February at Eva’s Marsh WMA. Sam Taylor administered the sale on 61 of this 98 acre property with a focus on enhancing deer wintering habitat. Modified single tree selection was used to create small gaps in the forest canopy to encourage eastern hemlock regeneration while a few small groups will be created adjacent to Eva’s Marsh to improve nesting and foraging habitat for waterfowl and songbirds. This sale brought in a little over $23,000 in revenue to the Department.

Pearly Lake WMA, Rindge – Sam is planning a harvest on the newly acquired Pearly Lake WMA in Rindge. The harvest will include three, 10 acre clearcuts to create valuable young forest habitat and feathering the edges of existing fields on the property. If all goes well, the harvest is slated to occur this winter. Figure 7. Small gaps in the canopy will open up the forest floor to just a little more sunlight helping the next generation of hemlock to get started. Photo by Jim Oehler.

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LAND CONSERVATION NEWS

Land Acquisition Projects Rich and Betsey continue working on several land conservation projects. Projects take a long time to complete as there are several steps associated with each one including recon and assessment to determine if we want to pursue purchase, internal approvals for moving ahead, appraisals, negotiating with landowner, accumulating funding (usually from a variety of sources), deed negotiations (if a conservation easement is involved), environmental hazards assessment, survey, fed aid grant submittal, Governor and Council approval, and closing, among others. Here are the projects that we’re working on currently.

. Kimball Hill Forest – We are continuing to work with The Nature Conservancy to conserve 2,700 acres sandwiched between Province Road State Forest in Dorchester and Cardigan State Park in Orange, which would be added to our system of WMAs. Read more about this project here.

. Ruger Lands - We are working with the Conservation Fund to conserve 3,181 acres in two separate parcels in the towns of Newport, Croydon and Grantham. These properties abut Corbin Park and along with other surrounding lands comprise a nearly 49,000-acre unfragmented block of habitat, the largest such block south of the White Mountains.

. Butternut Pond, Enfield – 218 acres abutting Laramie WMA. The property currently has an easement held by NHFG. We are pursuing purchasing the remaining fee so the Department will own it outright.

. Childs Conservation Easement, Salisbury – The Department is partnering with the Forest Society to protect 572 acres on the west side of Mount Kearsarge not far from the Kearsarge Wildlife Management Area and adjacent to an extensive area of protected lands.

One land conservation project was completed:

. Real Estate Advisors Land Donation – 15.56 acres of land including land on both sides of the Piscassic River will be added to the Piscassic WMA in Newfields. The donation is a condition of the subdivision of the property which will create three new house lots along Route 87.

Adding in the 676-acre Pearly Lake WMA in Rindge and the 150-acre Musquash Swamp WMA in Londonderry, the Department will have added over 6,000 acres of wildlife habitat to our system of Wildlife Management Areas over the last few years bringing our total acreage to a little over 60,000, plus over 2,000 acres added to our easement lands. Rich Cook was instrumental in the vast majority of these transactions and his work ethic, amiable personality, and thoughtful input on land acquisitions and stewardship will be missed as we say goodbye to him in late August as he retires from the Department. Thankfully, we’ll be able to keep him on a couple of days a week for some months to help complete some of these important and valuable projects.

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Figure 8. The Ruger properties include extensive wetland systems, some field habitat, and considerable forest that will provide excellent opportunities for enhancing habitat. Photos by Jim Oehler.

OTHER NEWS

WMA Boundaries – A contract is in place to blaze, paint, and sign boundaries on several WMAs (Table 1). The work will be completed by June 3 of next year and will cost nearly $53,000. Boundary maintenance is needed to ensure our habitat projects stay within our property bounds, so that visitors to WMAs understand the extent of our ownerships, and to deter encroachments onto state lands from abutting landowners.

Table 1. Properties whose boundaries will be blazed, painted, and signed in current contract.

Property Town Feet Miles Farrar WMA Hillsborough 43,213 8.18 Kona WMA Moultonboro 23,732 4.49 Kearsarge WMA Andover/Wilmot 37,024 7.01 Marks WMA New Durham 18,463 3.50 Sargent Lots 1, 2, and 4 Newton 31,980 6.06 TOTALS 29.24

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Field Mowing Denyce spends considerable time each summer and fall maintaining fields and wildlife openings on WMAs and some state forests via mowing. These habitats provide important food and cover for a variety of wildlife. Brian assists, at times, with transporting the mower, dealing with other access issues, and doing a little mowing himself. Together, they’ll aim to maintain 125 acres of fields (Table 2).

Table 2. Properties to be mowed this summer/fall.

PROPERTY NAME ACRES Adams Point WMA 5.50 Beane Tract 3.78 Bellamy River WMA 37.57 Campton WMA 4.28 Foster & Coburn SF 6.85 Great Bog WMA 5.50 HL Webster WMA 0.90 LaMontagne WMA 1.66 Laramie WMA 1.52 Lower Shaker WMA 39.93 Mascoma WMA 6.98 Piscassic WMA 5.85 Rollins Tracts 2.71 Woodman Marsh WMA 2.61 Total Acres Mowed 2017 99.58

Property Stewardship Dealing with encroachments from abutters, picking up dump sites on our properties, and other such activities is a growing component of WMA management. Among the several stewardship issues that staff have been working on include the following:

 Bellamy WMA – An abutter claims to own a large portion of Old Garrison Road and a 25 foot wide swath along the north side of the road historically considered part of the WMA. We have contracted with a survey company to perform the necessary record research and field work to determine the true ownership of the property in question.

 Ellis Hatch WMA – The owners of a very small property surrounded by the WMA may have built portions of outbuildings on the WMA. A survey contract is in place to determine if this is the case.

 Church Hill WMA – NHDOT originally acquired this property in the 1980s as part of I-93 expansion. The property was transferred to NHFG thereafter. The property did not come with a survey and so NHFG never really knew the true extent of this ownership. Surveys for adjoining private properties were also incomplete. As such there were several unanswered questions about who owned what and if there were buildings on state land. It took considerable work for the contracted surveyor to figure it all out. Once the survey was complete we found the Department actually owned more than originally thought, but Page 12 of 13

indeed a portion of a house was on Department land. Rich has worked with several abutters to execute boundary line adjustments to be recorded in the Registry of Deeds. He’s also worked with the AG’s office and others to sell the 2.23–acre portion where the house was built, at fair market value based on an appraisal paid for by the homeowner. The WMA will now have its boundaries blazed and painted. These property issues have been longstanding ones. It’s nice to finally get these issues adequately addressed on this property.

 Eversource Access Agreement – Eversource is working to establish official legal access to all of their powerline rights-of-way across the state through both public and private lands. The Department has seven WMAs with Eversource powerlines going through them and suitable access roads that go to those lines. The Department is working with Eversource and the AG to enter into a renewable 10 year license agreement to allow Eversource to use those roads to access their lines for maintenance.

 Love Conservation Easement – We worked with the owner of this easement property to help her better understand the extent of her ownership so that her pedestrian trails and other management activities would stay within her bounds rather than spilling over onto adjoining easement and WMA properties where they weren’t desired.

 Winecellar Conservation Easement – The Department is working with the Attorney General’s office to try to settle a long dispute with the landowners of this easement property regarding the status of their management plan.

 Hirst WMA, Boscawen – Brian coordinated the removal of a hazard tree that was threatening a nearby house.

More information on these and other such issues can be found in the Lands Team meeting notes that are sent out periodically by Betsey McNaughten.

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