The Stone Lot: Group Selection and Patch Cut

by Rob Terry, Executive Director and Tim Duclos, Conservation Manager

Overview:

In the Winter of 2020, Merck Forest & Farmland staff conducted a Group Selection/Patch Cut in accordance with National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) standards of Early Successional Habitat Development-Management.

The primary objectives for this work were ecological, including:

• Creating next generation young forest in close proximity to an 8-year-old forest patch (6.6 acre, cut in 2011) to the west, thus producing a gradient of young forest of varying ages. The patch cut to the west currently holds grey catbird, chestnut sided warbler, eastern towhee, ruffed grouse, indigo bunting, Nashville warbler, and woodcock. Occupancy of these species generally declines after 8 years. Thus, this cut would produce suitable habitat for these species (and other early successional specialists) to disperse into as the cut to the north ages.

• Increasing the presence of red spruce, a sub-dominant forest species in the landscape. Promoting this species would increase forest/ habitat diversity.

Additional objectives included saw timber harvest to off-set the cost of the work and fuel wood harvest to meet on-property needs.

By the Numbers:

• Location: N43.275098, W-73.159365

• Size: 2.2 acres

• Start Date: 1-2-2020

• Finish Date: 3-1-2020

• Labor Hours: 250

• Harvest:

• 125 Board Feet (BF) Hard Maple

• 5275 BF Red Oak

• 185 BF Soft Maple

• 70 cords of log-length firewood

• Estimated Cost to Complete: $5,000

• Estimated Harvest Value: $8,000

• Cost-share from NRCS: $1,200

An Educational Project:

As an educational non-profit, MFFC seeks to imbed learning opportunities into our operations at every possible step along the way. In the Stone Lot log job, this occurred in a number of ways, with groups working in the stand starting last fall:

• Volunteer groups of local high school students from Burr & Burton Academy joined us to learn about the project and remove invasive honeysuckle to help ensure that, once the cutting was complete, favored native plants would not be outcompeted by invasives.

• A resource management intern from Salem High School learned about and supported operations along each step of the process. His work included making brush piles that will make suitable habitat for small mammals and upland birds.

• Participants in MFFC’s twice-annual “Game of Logging” chainsaw safety course, learned and worked in the stand during their training.

• Women Owning Woodlots, Northeast Woodland Training and Merck Forest worked collaboratively to offer a “Womens Only” Game of Logging course in the Stone Lot area last fall. Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund provided media coverage.

• MFFC staff will host workshops for regional landowners to learn about bird friendly forest management.

• Once the site stabilizes, MFFC staff will be develop a birding trail that will travel through the cut so that visitors can learn about young forest habitat and the bird species that it supports.