A Plan of Open Space and Conservation for the Town of Woodstock, Connecticut Accepted June 20, 2001 Revision 2, Reprinted with Corrections and Updates December 3, 2003 Prepared by: The Woodstock Conservation Commission Town of Woodstock – A Plan of Open Space and Conservation June 2001, Updated December 3, 2003, Rev. 2 A Plan of Open Space and Conservation for the Town of Woodstock, CT is available for public distribution. • Copies of the Plan can be obtained at the Woodstock Town Hall, 415 Route 169, Woodstock, CT 06281, telephone number (860) 928-6595. • An electronic copy of this Plan can be downloaded from the Town of Woodstock website at <http://www.townofwoodstock.com/> or the Woodstock Conservation Commission website at <http://www.woodstockconservation.org>. REVISION AND AMENDMENT LOG DATE LOCATION IN DOCUMENT CHANGE 10/02 Cover Page and Executive Added the date the plan was approved. (second Summary printing, Table of Contents Added a List of Tables, and updated the Table of light green Contents. cover) Appendix B (Committed Open Updated as of 10/01/01. Space) Appendix F (A Selection of Added new appendix. Important Resource Maps). Other Corrected several formatting inconsistencies and typographical errors. 11/03 General • References to the title of the document (A Plan of (third Open Space and Conservation, not the Open Space printing, and Conservation Plan) corrected throughout. light green • Added reference to Woodstock Conservation cover) Commission website. • Corrected formatting and typographical or grammatical errors. • Updated Table of Contents. Revision Log Added log to track changes made to document. Acknowledgements Reformatted. Preface Added to provide brief context/background information Executive Summary Added reference to open space priorities Introduction No change. Section II (Natural Resources • Footnote added to correctly indicate current location Inventory), Table 1 (Maps in of GIS data. Woodstock Resource Inventory) • Footnote added to identify the date of last parcel map update. • Maps created since first printing added to Table 1. • Indicated new source of archeological features map (Keegan Associates) • Descriptions of new maps added to text that follows table. • Noted that public hearing on GIS maps was held on 3/13/02. • Noted that maps are being generated, revised and updated as necessary. Section III (Plan of • Updated amount and percentage of land in the 490 Conservation) program, and updated statistics on committed open space under Section C (Forest and Wildlife Page i Town of Woodstock – A Plan of Open Space and Conservation June 2001, Updated December 3, 2003, Rev. 2 Resources) and State goal for open space. • Added reference to gateways under Section D (Aesthetic, Historic and Recreational Resources). Section IV (Recommendations) • Added a new category of General Recommendations, with: o New section on Open Space priorities (Amendment 1, enacted 12/23/02). o Site/Subdivision Plan Review for Compatibility with Woodstock’s A Plan of Open Space and Conservation. • Under Forest and Wildlife Resources, added Recommendation #8 on protocol for use of State and Federal Listed Species and Natural Communities Maps for projects involving a land use change. • Under Aesthetic, Historic and Recreational Resources, added: o Woodstock Valley as an area that should be considered for establishment of a local historic district as part of recommendation #2. o Recommendation on protocol for the proper use of the Archeological Sensitivity map. o Recommendation #8 on gateways. • Added Bellantoni, Bird Conservation Newsletter, and DECD references. • Reformatted to be consistent with Franklin Covey Style Guide. Appendix A (Recommendations Added recommendations listed above under Section IV Arranged by Commission) changes. Appendix B (Committed Open • Updated text (table of open space as of 8/23/03, Space) including information about accessibility) and associated map. Added a key for the table. Appendix C (Endangered, • Added notes to indicate the possible existence of Threatened, and Special other species, and to clarify “W” code in table. Concern Wildlife Species) • Corrected misspellings, and incorrect common/scientific names, capitalization. • Added notation for species that are also federally endangered and federally threatened. • Added notation if only certain populations (e.g., nesting) were listed. • Deleted species not on official CT list: Leonard’s Skipper (Hesperia leonardus) and Hervey’s Aster (Aster x herveyi). Appendix F (new) • Inserted the checklist for Site/Subdivision Plan Review for Compatibility Appendix G (A Selection of • Renamed from Appendix F to Appendix G Important Resource Maps) • Updated maps and changed selection. Page ii Town of Woodstock – A Plan of Open Space and Conservation June 2001, Updated December 3, 2003, Rev. 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Woodstock Conservation Commission 2001 Members Paul Wilbur, Chairperson Jean Pillo, Vice Chairperson Anne Campbell, Secretary Steve Fitzroy Reva Seybolt John Schneider Leslie Sweetnam Ed Vonderheide Former members who also contributed John Chambers Dave Kelly Doug Tracy Temple Volkrot The Woodstock Conservation Commission would like to thank the following organizations and individuals who assisted in the process of assembling A Plan of Open Space and Conservation: • C. James Gibbons, Extension Land Use Educator; Stephen Broderick, Sr. Extension Educator/Forester; Karen Godin, Corridor/Extension Land Use and Community Design Educator, UCONN Cooperative Extension System; John Filchek, Executive Director, Northeast Connecticut Council of Governments; Charles Lee, CT DEP Lakes Management Program; Robert Hust, Sr. Environmental Analyst, CT DEP Bureau of Water Management; Laurie Gianotti, NEMO Project, CT Program Coordinator, William Trainer, Director, Putnam Water Pollution Control Authority; Elizabeth Rogers, Project Coordinator and Javier Cruz, Resource Conservationist, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Judy Preston, Director of Science and Education, The Nature Conservancy, Connecticut Chapter; who all provided critical guidance during the process of information gathering and review of the Plan. • All organizers and participants of the Woodstock Study Circles Project. • Associate Professor Daniel Civco, UCONN College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, for sponsorship, technical advice and oversight for the internship undertaken by Michael Altshul. • Michael Altshul, student intern from the UCONN College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, whose project on viewshed analysis helped define the areas with greatest aesthetic potential. • The Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor, Northeast Council of Governments, and NEMO (Non-point Education for Municipal Officials) for training and education programs provided to many Commission members during preparation of this plan. • The Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor for awarding the Partnership Program 2000 Grant to the Woodstock Conservation Commission for a public outreach initiative on the Plan. • Members of other Town of Woodstock Authorities, Boards, and Commissions who reviewed the original draft and provided comments, and the Mapping Subcommittee who began the process of the Natural Resource Inventory. • The Town of Woodstock Historical Society, Woodstock Historic District Commission, and the Woodstock Historic Properties Commission for their review of historic properties in Woodstock. • The Brooklyn Conservation Commission whose 1993 Plan of Open Space and Conservation served as a model for this Plan. Page iii Town of Woodstock – A Plan of Open Space and Conservation June 2001, Updated December 3, 2003, Rev. 2 PREFACE The Town of Woodstock is located in Windham County, in the northeastern corner of Connecticut. Woodstock consists of the villages of East, West, North, and South Woodstock; Woodstock Hill; and Woodstock Valley. Bordering towns (clockwise, starting to the north) are Southbridge and Dudley, Massachusetts; and Thompson, Putnam, Pomfret, Eastford, Union, Connecticut. Some relevant facts about Woodstock include the following: • Woodstock is the second largest town in Connecticut, after New Milford. It is two to three times as large (area wise) as most Connecticut towns. The total area of Woodstock is 61.8 square miles, or 39,550 acres. • Year 2001 Population: 7,332; compared to 6,008 in 1990. This equates to 22% growth in 11 years. The average increase for the nine northeastern states from 1990-2000 was 5.5%. The population per square mile in Woodstock is 121, compared to the Connecticut average of 682. (Department of Economic and Community Development 2002) • Woodstock is part of the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley Natural Heritage Corridor. This area is referred to as “The Last Green Valley" in the Boston -Washington corridor. • In 1686, Woodstock was 95% forested. By 1886, it was about 30% forested and 70% farmland. By 1986, about 65% of the town was woodlands again. (Chaffee 1986) • Agriculture remains a viable industry. Woodstock has somewhere between 39 and 46 active farms. This includes 14 operating dairy farms (down from 16 two years ago)--more than any other town in Connecticut. • Forest-based industries include tree farms, sawmills, and maple sugaring. There are three private forested campgrounds, and large forested parcels within the State of Connecticut Nipmuck Forest and Yale Forest. • One industrial site in Woodstock is on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency National Priority (Superfund)