Forest Management Plan for The Town of Stratford’s Roosevelt Forest Prepared for: Prepared by: The Town of Ferrucci & Walicki, LLC Stratford, Connecticut Middlefield, CT Draft Date: May, 2011 Revised to August, 2011 FERRUCCI & WALICKI, LLC 860-349-7007 WWW.FWFORESTERS.COM EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This Management Plan is intended to help guide From a landscape perspective, Roosevelt Forest the management of the Town of Stratford’s is the first upland forest of significant size on Roosevelt Forest for the period of 2011-2020. the western side of the Housatonic River, Through a multiple-use approach, this property moving upstream from Long Island Sound. should be managed to maintain balanced and properly functioning ecosystems, maintain Roosevelt Forest property currently has forest health and habitat conditions for native extraordinarily engrained multiple uses and wildlife, protect threatened and endangered functions - picnicking and other park-like species, protect water quality, and provide activities, passive recreational trails for hiking & recreational and educational opportunities for mountain biking, scout camping, a police firing the general public. range, and both complex wetlands/ watercourses and extensive unmanaged forest As examined for this Management Plan, areas that provide habitat refuges. These uses Roosevelt Forest contains 401 acres in the have developed and learned to coexist over the northern portion of Stratford, Connecticut. This past 70 years and continuation of all activities is the first known comprehensive Management seems possible moving into the future. Plan prepared for the property. Based on field observations, most of the property has not Roosevelt Forest is can be divided into three received any active forest management in the activity areas based on current recreational recent past (40+ years). usage patterns: active areas such as the central pavilion and picnicking portion of the Forest, The property was researched and field- passive areas that include the Forest’s hiking investigated by Ferrucci & Walicki, LLC during and camping components, and no activity areas the late winter and early spring of 2011. The containing a mix of wetlands and isolated results, along with multiple-use management uplands. These existing use areas provide an recommendations for the next ten years, are excellent framework for management. included in this Management Plan. Overall, our investigation revealed that the property The two major concepts proposed for managing contains generally healthy forested ecosystems Roosevelt Forest into the future include (mostly hardwood, with a small amount of developing three somewhat distinct softwoods), and possess varying levels of both management areas based on current usage existing and potential recreational patterns, and emphasizing late-successional opportunities. The property also contains and is structure through most of the Forest’s acreage adjacent to utility corridors that, together with with the goal of emulating structural old growth the properties’ forested portions, provide characteristics. habitat management opportunities. 1 SUMMARY OF MAJOR RECOMMENDATIONS Natural Resources 1. Given the size, location, current conditions, and current multiple uses of Roosevelt Forest, it is an excellent candidate, in part, for management techniques that allow for both timber harvesting and encouragement of late successional (or, “structural old growth”) conditions. 2. Most of Roosevelt Forest’s upland acreage is somewhat homogeneous mature hardwood forest. Special consideration should be give to the Forest’s relatively small white pine and hemlock stands, and to creating more uneven-aged structure. 3. Invasive species should be controlled/removed where possible to encourage native vegetation. 4. The property’s complex wetland systems and vernal pools should be properly protected, along with Eastern box turtle habitat areas (including the property’s maintained utility right-of-way). Recreation 1. All boundaries should be signed and blazed, and signage throughout the forest should be made more consistent. 2. Improved trailheads should be developed at several entrances to the Forest 3. The 1975 trail guide should be updated and expanded. 4. Greater access to trail mapping should be considered - both paper and interactive digital versions. 5. A series of Town-sponsored geocaches and/or letterboxes should be installed throughout the property. 6. A cooperative arrangement with a local mountain biking club should be considered for trail upkeep & maintenance. Other 1. A limited hunting program should be considered for the property. 2. Cooperative arrangements with an environmental organization should be sought for maintenance and operation of Roosevelt Forest’s currently unused nature center building. 3. Efforts should be made to increase overall public awareness of the Town of Stratford’s Roosevelt Forest and the property’s extensive recreational & educational opportunities. 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................... 1 SUMMARY OF MAJOR RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................. 2 Property Description & Regional Context ............................................................ 6 Landcover and Forest Fragmentation Context .................................................... 8 Past Uses and Management .................................................................................. 10 Cultural Features & Resources .............................................................................. 11 Topography ............................................................................................................... 14 Soils ............................................................................................................................. 14 Hydrography ............................................................................................................. 16 Wildlife ....................................................................................................................... 18 General Wildlife Considerations ................................................................................ 18 Coarse Woody Debris & Habitat ................................................................................ 18 Stone Walls & Habitat ............................................................................................... 19 Wetlands & Habitat ................................................................................................... 19 Property-Specific Wildlife Considerations .................................................................. 20 Threatened or Endangered Plants & Animals ............................................................. 20 Forest Interior Birds ................................................................................................... 20 Property Boundaries ............................................................................................... 24 Access ......................................................................................................................... 24 Recommended access improvements ....................................................................... 25 Recreation & Education .......................................................................................... 27 Hiking & Biking .......................................................................................................... 27 Picnicking .................................................................................................................. 29 Camping .................................................................................................................... 29 Education .................................................................................................................. 30 Recommended recreation & education improvements .............................................. 31 Other Uses ................................................................................................................. 32 Police Training ........................................................................................................... 32 Hunting ..................................................................................................................... 32 Recommended other use improvements ................................................................... 32 General Forest Management Recommendations ............................................. 33 Current Use / Activity Zones ...................................................................................... 33 3 Upland Management ................................................................................................ 37 Upland Reserves ........................................................................................................ 37 Forest Health Considerations .................................................................................... 41 Forest Fire Prevention & Control ............................................................................... 41 Forest Stand Descriptions & Prescriptions ......................................................... 42 Forest Inventory ........................................................................................................ 42 Stand 1: Oak Sawtimber - 226 acres ..................................................................... 45 Stand 2: Oak Sawtimber