Spring 2010 • VOL 4 • NO 4 NEW LAND AND BETTER TRAILS Metro Parks is thrilled to announce a new addition We kicked-off this project on June 6, 2009, in to Jefferson Memorial Forest. Metro Parks has honor of National Trails Day. Since then we have purchased a 27-acre property behind the existing designated the second Saturday of each month as Welcome Center. This property, known as the the volunteer trail crew project day to build this Lamont Tract, will connect the Paul Yost Recreation new trail. We invite you to consider joining our trail Area, the Horine Reservation and the Tom Wallace crew to help us complete the project in time for a Recreation Area via a new hiking trail that begins ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate this year’s at the Welcome Center. This strategic development National Trails Day, on Saturday, June 5, 2010. allows the Welcome Center to become the true This project is one of the many exciting trail starting point for exploration in the Forest. This new developments in store for the Forest and other trail also supports future improvements as called for Metro Parks natural areas. It is our goal that our in our Master Plan. hiking, equestrian, and mountain bike trail systems The Forest would like to thank Kentucky Trail will become the finest and best-maintained trails Association members, Consuming Louisville in the region. With your help, we can achieve this readers, and all the others who took the time to vote goal. If you want to be a part of our volunteer trail in last year’s Save the Trails contest, sponsored team, please check our website for information on nationally by the American Hiking Society and how you can contribute, or call Sherry Wright, our Nature Valley Granola Bars. As a result of your volunteer coordinator, at 380-1753. efforts, the Forest’s trail project was selected and Bennett Knox, Parks Administrator received $5,000 to purchase supplies for trail construction, and support trail-related volunteer activities in the Forest. Mary Lou Northern, Mayor Jerry Abramson’s senior advisor for parks, cultural affairs and faith initiatives, helps Forest volunteers and staff kick-off construction of the Forest’s new hiking trail. Left: Map showing the proposed location of the new hiking trail. impenetrable, cover shades out native mammals, particularly deer mice, devour LAND species and inhibits forest regeneration. the fruits and disperse the seed over a Fortunately, the seeds have low embryo wide area. Humans too are responsible for MANAGEMENT viability and last as little as two years its spread at the forest as there have been in the seed bank. There has been some brush piles left along forest roads. Our NOTES evidence of alleopathy which curbs seed efforts to remove it are being focused on germination and seedling growth to some the area near the Welcome Center, Tom BUSH HONEYSUCKLE species. In addition, the extensive shallow Wallace Park and the Horine Conference Probably the most researched and studied root system out-competes native flora for Center. of all the exotic invasive plants are the nutrients and soil moisture. The best control procedure is the cut honeysuckles of the genus Lonicera. Not only does honeysuckle reduce forest stump method, by cutting the stems close Bush Honeysuckle is no doubt one of the diversity, but the native plant community to the ground and painting the stump most troublesome. Honeysuckles belong has been diminished, causing loss of with an approved herbicide. Removing to the family Caprifoliacea. There are native habitat and food sources for the bush honeysuckle from your property four species of the shrub form and one forest creatures. The early leaf out and and encouraging others to do likewise vine type that are of most concern in late leaf drop extend the photosynthetic will certainly lessen the impact on the Kentucky. The most common of the bush period, contributing to its own growth and environment. honeysuckles in this area is the Amur decreasing available light to the native Carl Suk, Land Manager Honeysuckle, Lonicera maackii. plant community. Studies have shown Preferring full sun, they tend to favor that this extended foliage time has birds forest edges, disturbed areas, old nesting earlier and staying later. Birds also Fruiting branch of agricultural fields, abandoned railroad tend to nest lower in the arching branches, Amur Honeysuckle right of ways and roadside edges. which leaves them vulnerable to forest Honeysuckles are extremely adaptable predators. to many different climates and soils, Google “bush honeysuckle” and one will especially calcareous soils. Their vigorous find more information than one needs to growth can in part be attributed to the know. lack of natural biological controls such At the forest, Bush Honeysuckle can as herbivores, insects and diseases. be found nearly everywhere. While Eventually they will spread throughout the heaviest concentrations are at the the forest, completely dominating the most active areas of the forest, one can lower canopy. One study indicated that sporadically find individual plants in even the rate of spread can be as much as the most remote areas. Birds and small a half-mile per year. The thick, often NATURAL AREAS NEWS touches on the first section of new trail Welcome Center. behind the Welcome Center which will National Trails Day is sponsored and eventually connect three major sections of promoted by the American Hiking Society, the Forest – Tom Wallace Recreation Area, and each year thousands of volunteers Paul Yost Recreation Area, and the Horine take part in hundreds of trail projects Reservation. throughout the United States. We have We are anticipating being at a significant dedicated the second Saturday of each stage of the trail project on June 5, month throughout 2010 as a volunteer trail connecting the Tom Wallace Recreation day to work specifically on this project, so Area at the Welcome Center to the Horine you can also join us on those days. Typical Reservation via the Mitchell Hill Lake volunteer activities on the trail including Trail! Local dignitaries will be present clearing vegetation from the trail corridor, for the grand opening celebration. The and finish work on the tread, back-slope On June 5, Jefferson Memorial Forest will final stage of this project, estimated to be and out-slope. host a National Trails Day Celebration complete in the later part of 2010, will Please call 380-1753 if you are interested to open and dedicate the first stage of connect this trail to the Paul Yost section in participating on any work day. Work what has become known as the “Nature and will result in all 35-plus miles of days for this project start at 9 a.m. at the Valley Project.” We broke ground on this hiking trail being accessible from the Welcome Center on the second Saturday project during National Trails Day 2009. Welcome Center. The National Trails of each month. Hope you can join us! This year, we will be putting the finishing Day Celebration begins at 9 a.m. at the 2 NATURAL AREAS NEWS points to the need for a detailed inventory HISTORIC of the flora and fauna of Jefferson “GULLY OF THE DRUMS” SITE Memorial Forest so that we can determine if important populations of this and other TO BE CLEANED UP rare or uncommon species exist within the The Kentucky Division of Waste Forest. Management is in the process of initiating removal of a small historic dump site SETTLEMENT ACHIEVED located near the far eastern corner of IN ILLEGAL LOGGING CASE the Forest, on land incorporated into the AFFECTING THE FOREST park via a donation in 1988. The site, just within the Forest’s boundary, is near Metro Government recently settled a the infamous A.L. Taylor site (a.k.a. the lawsuit with a resident along Sawmill NEW LOGO FOR “Valley of the Drums”). This site was Road, who trespassed onto Jefferson located on private property and used as METRO PARKS NATURAL Memorial Forest property and illegally a refuse dump, drum recycling center, AREAS DIVISION removed a significant amount of timber. and chemical dump site from 1967 to In order to improve Metro Parks’ ability As part of the settlement, Metro Louisville 1977. The A.L. Taylor site, for those to deal with pressing land management acquired title to a 22-acre forested track who may not be aware, was one of the issues such as invasive plants, erosion owned by the individual and adjacent to main sites (along with others such as related to improper trail design; promotion the area in question, as well as $5,000 to Love Canal) that ultimately resulted in of the many outdoor recreational offset Metro Government’s payments to the EPA’s Superfund Program. Because opportunities around our community’s a consulting forester necessary to settle of the pollution caused on these sites, natural spaces and connecting children the case. This incident highlights the the government strengthened regulations and the community to nature, Metro Parks need to have the boundary of the Forest regarding the disposal of hazardous waste. created the Natural Areas Division in surveyed and marked to deter future In 1988, following extensive remediation, 2004. With this issue, we introduce the encroachment. This also allows Metro the EPA removed the A.L. Taylor site from new logo for the Natural Areas Division Parks to determine the existence of the Superfund list. which identifies those properties managed other possible encroachments along the by Jefferson Memorial Forest staff. Forest’s extensive boundary and to take The smaller “Gulley of the Drums” The new logo will allow those seeking appropriate action. Landowners adjacent site located on Forest property was outdoor recreational and educational to the Forest are encouraged to familiarize characterized some years ago by the EPA opportunities within this system of themselves with Kentucky laws regarding as one not requiring further remediation.