FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN for the Tobey Hill Town forest. Weare, New Hampshire Mapped Acres: 53.5 One of the many stone walls found on the Tobey Hill Forest. Prepared for: Prepared by: The town of The Ecosystem Management Company Meadowsend Timberlands, Ltd. Weare, NH PO Box 966 New London, NH 03357 (603) 526-8686 May, 2016 mtlforests.com Management Plan prepared by The Ecosystem Management Co., New London, NH 6/20/2016 PLAN INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE ..................................................................................................................6 PROPERTY LOCATION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION ..............................................................................................7 GREATER LANDSCAPE PERSPECTIVE .................................................................................................................7 LANDOWNER OBJECTIVES .....................................................................................................................................8 WOODLOT HISTORY ................................................................................................................................................9 FOREST INVENTORY PROCEDURES .....................................................................................................................9 GEOLOGICAL ATTRIBUTES .................................................................................................................................. 12 Physiographic Regions .................................................................................................................................... 12 Topography and Aspect ................................................................................................................................... 12 Soils .................................................................................................................................................................... 13 Wetland and Water Resource .......................................................................................................................... 14 NATURAL PROCESSES ........................................................................................................................................ 16 Succession ........................................................................................................................................................ 16 Water & Nutrient Cycling .................................................................................................................................. 17 Adaptation .......................................................................................................................................................... 17 Disturbance ........................................................................................................................................................ 17 NATURAL COMMUNITIES ..................................................................................................................................... 19 Rare Species and Unique Natural Communities ............................................................................................ 20 INVASIVE EXOTIC SHRUBS .................................................................................................................................. 21 WILDLIFE ECOLOGY ............................................................................................................................................. 22 Habitats .............................................................................................................................................................. 22 Habitat Types ..................................................................................................................................................... 22 Habitat Management Approach ....................................................................................................................... 24 FOREST STRUCTURE and MANAGEMENT APPROACH.................................................................................... 27 Structure and Age Class Distribution ............................................................................................................. 27 Stocking, Timber Quality, and Volumes ......................................................................................................... 27 Forest Health ..................................................................................................................................................... 28 Growth Rates and Allowable Cut ..................................................................................................................... 29 Harvest History .................................................................................................................................................. 29 Forest Management Approach ........................................................................................................................ 30 Applied Silviculture ........................................................................................................................................... 31 Red Oak Silviculture ............................................................................................................................................ 31 White Pine Silviculture ......................................................................................................................................... 32 Hemlock-Hardwood Silviculture .......................................................................................................................... 32 Definitions of Silvicultural Treatments ........................................................................................................... 33 Sustainability ..................................................................................................................................................... 34 Forest Economics ............................................................................................................................................. 35 OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS ...................................................................................................................... 36 Boundaries and Property Survey .................................................................................................................... 36 Access, Operability, and Water Quality Protection ....................................................................................... 36 Local Markets and Logging Capacity .............................................................................................................. 37 Accomplishing Treatments .............................................................................................................................. 40 COMPLEMENTARY MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................. 40 Forest Reserve Area ......................................................................................................................................... 40 Recreation, Education and Aesthetics ............................................................................................................ 41 Archaeological Attributes................................................................................................................................. 42 OTHER CONSIDERATIONS ................................................................................................................................... 43 Conservation Easement ..................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Social Climate .................................................................................................................................................... 43 Cost Share Programs .......................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Tree Farm ........................................................................................................................................................... 43 Town of Weare New Hampshire- Tobey Hill Forest Management Plan 2016 Page 2 of 80 Management Plan prepared by The Ecosystem Management Co., New London, NH 6/20/2016 Taxes, Laws and Required Permits ................................................................................................................. 44 TRACT LEVEL DATA .............................................................................................................................................. 46 TOTAL FOREST STOCKING .................................................................................................................................. 48 TREATMENT SCHEDULE ...................................................................................................................................... 49 RECOMMENDED COST SHARE PRACTICE SCHEDULE ..................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. FOREST STAND DATA .......................................................................................................................................... 52 Stand 1 Hemlock-White Pine-Hardwood 3/4A 71.4 acres ................................................................................. 52 Stand 2 White Pine-Hardwood-Hemlock 3/4A 33.3 acres..............................................................................