Toms Neck Preserve Edgartown, MA Chappaquiddick Island L A N D R D A BA Y N E K N I C V O M S M ' I A S H S T I O R A N M * * E S 8 6 T . 1 9 Management Plan November 12, 2015 Approved by the Edgartown Town Advisory Board () Approved by the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank Commission () Approved by the Secretary of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs () Julie Russell – Ecologist Matthew Dix – Property Foreman Maureen Hill – Administrative Assistant Kelsey Flowers and Matthew Miners – Ecology Interns Executive Summary Toms Neck Preserve is 31 acres of what was once a contiguous 200-acre farm from the early eighteenth century to the late 20th century, located in the eastern portion of Chappaquiddick Island off Dike Road. The land was farmed for nearly two centuries, give or take a few decades in the later years during World War II. The preserve is named for the neck of land upon which it sits. The name Toms Neck dates as far back as 1722 when the name first appears in a deed recorded at the Dukes County registry of deeds between the sachem, Jacob Seiknout and an Indian man, Joel Joell. The name likely preceeded the time of deed recording and might be a reference to Tom pais Toxad (also known as Tompais Toxad or Tompaitoxady) or his son Thomas Toxad (also known as Thomas Tuxett), both Indians of the eastern side of Chappaquiddick. The preserve includes a ridge of mixed-deciduous woodland interspersed with patches of pitch pine; swales of dense shrub swamp thickets and mesic woodlands; grasslands transitioning into successional old field woodland; and a salt marsh on the edge of a large, shallow, brackish pond called Pease Pond or Patience Pond. Vegetation and wildlife inventories on the preserve revealed seven commonwealth-listed wildlife species: imperial moth (Eacles imperialis), unexpected cycnia (Cycnia inopinatus), spartina borer (Spartiniphaga inops), coastal heathland cutworm (Abagrotis nefascia), water-willow stem borer (Papaipema sulphurata), dune noctuid moth (Sympistris riparia) and common tern (Sterna hirundo); plus one commonwealth-listed plant species, bushy rockrose (Crocanthemum dumosum). This management plan proposes to create approximately 1.2 miles of new trails including 1136 feet of permanent boardwalk and 260 feet of temporary boardwalk; restore approximately 5 acres of old successional field-woodland to grassland and manage the grassland habitats for rare sandplain species through annual mowing and possibly other management tools; maintain limited views of the salt marsh and Cape Poge Pond from the trail network and sweeping views of the salt marsh, Pease Pond and Cape Poge Pond from the overlook on the east side of the preserve; remove and control invasive species; and connect the trail system to other conservation areas. All planning goals, objectives and strategies are outlined in detail in the final section of this management plan. To be implemented, this plan must be presented at a public hearing and approved by the land bank’s Edgartown town advisory board, the Martha’s Vineyard land bank commission and the secretary of the Massachusetts executive office of energy and environmental affairs (EOEEA). A notice of intent and Massachusetts endangered species act (MESA) review has been filed with the Edgartown conservation commission and Massachusetts natural heritage and endangered species program (MA- NHESP) for activity proposed in estimated and priority habitat for rare species and activities proposed in and around wetland resource areas. Both the NOI and MESA filings were approved in November of 2014. About the authors Julie Russell is the primary author and has been the land bank ecologist since August 1999. She is certified as a Wildlife Biologist by the Wildlife Society and holds a Master of Science in zoology from the Cooperative Wildlife Research Lab at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, and a Bachelor of Science in wildlife biology from the School of Natural Resources at the University of Vermont. Property Foreman Matthew Dix has worked on land bank properties since 1990. He attended the School of Natural Resources at the University of Vermont and has extensive knowledge of the region’s agriculture, natural history and local geography. Maureen McManus-Hill has been the administrative assistant since July of 2006; she has a Bachelor of Arts in economics from Lafayette College. Kelsey Flowers was an ecology intern for the 2014 summer field season and graduated from Hiram College in 2014 with a degree in biology and environmental studies; Matthew Miners was an ecology intern for the 2015 summer field season and is a student at SUNY Cobleskill studying for a bachelor’s degree in wildlife management. Aquinnah Headlands Preserve, Aquinnah, MA North Head Site Management Map TOMS NECK PRESERVE MANAGEMENT PLAN Table of Contents I. Natural Resource Inventory ........................................................................................................ 3 A. Physical Characteristics ......................................................................................................... 3 1. Locus ................................................................................................................................... 3 2. Survey Maps, Deeds and Preliminary Management Plan Goals ........................................ 3 3. Geology and Soils ............................................................................................................... 3 4. Topography ......................................................................................................................... 3 5. Hydrology ............................................................................................................................. 4 6. Ecological Processes .......................................................................................................... 4 B. Biological Characteristics ....................................................................................................... 7 1. Vegetation ........................................................................................................................... 7 2. Wildlife Habitat .................................................................................................................... 7 C. Cultural Characteristics ........................................................................................................ 10 1. Land History ...................................................................................................................... 10 2. Planning Concerns ............................................................................................................ 22 3. Abutters ............................................................................................................................. 23 4. Existing Use and Infrastructure ......................................................................................... 23 II. Inventory Analysis ..................................................................................................................... 23 A. Constraints & Issues ............................................................................................................ 23 1. Ecological Context ............................................................................................................. 23 2. Natural and Cultural Resource Concerns ......................................................................... 23 3. Sociological Context .......................................................................................................... 25 4. Neighborhood Concerns ................................................................................................... 25 B. Addressing Problems and Opportunities ............................................................................. 26 1. Land Bank Mandate .......................................................................................................... 26 2. Goals at Purchase ............................................................................................................. 26 3. Opportunities ..................................................................................................................... 26 4. Universal Access (UA) ...................................................................................................... 27 III. Land Management Planning .................................................................................................... 27 A. Nature Conservation ............................................................................................................ 28 B. Recreation and Aesthetics ................................................................................................... 30 C. Natural Products .................................................................................................................. 33 E. Land Administration ............................................................................................................. 34 IV. Literature Cited ........................................................................................................................ 36 Appendix A. Property Maps .......................................................................................................... 39 Appendix B. Surveys, Deeds and Preliminary Management Plan Goals ..................................... 43 Appendix C. Soils Maps and Descriptions ...................................................................................