Truslow Resource Consulting LLC
 

Yes, it's pretty white around here now, but we are busy preparing for spring field season.  We hope you will find the spotlight on arsenic in private water supplies in New Hampshire and some project updates helpful and interesting.    

 

We look forward to working with you in the coming year.    

 

  

Sincerely,

  

Danna Truslow, Samantha Wright and Anna Boudreau

 
Forestry Activities on Conservation Land?

 

 

Many of us feel relief upon hearing that a special property in town has been conserved, only to see a logging crew out there a year or two later harvesting timber off the land. "What is going on here? Certainly this isn't allowed," you might ask. You are not alone as there is a common misconception that forestry or agricultural activities are not allowed on "conservation lands" when in fact, the opposite is true if certain parameters are met. 

A conservation easement is "a voluntary legal agreement between a landowner and a conservation organization (the easement holder) that permanently limits certain uses of land, such as development or mining, in order to protect the conservation values of the property in perpetuity." The landowner who grants those rights to a qualified easement retains all the other rights and responsibilities of property ownership, which would include the right to carry our forestry related activities under an approved Forest Management Plan (FMP) if permitted in the easement.

 

 

Whether or not a parcel is conserved via conservation easement, woodlot owners benefit greatly from a FMP. According to Wendy Scribner, Carroll County Forester with UNH Cooperative Extension, "working with a certified licensed forester to identify the landowners goals and objectives for their property, a forest management plan will describe the resources present and their condition, and identify activities for the next ten years that will help the landowner meet his objectives implementing the best management practices available."

 
Development of a FMP on land conserved with an easement allows an opportunity to discuss and review landowner's goals for the property and to ensure that the natural resource features of the parcel are not adversely affected by the planned activities. In some older conservation easements, which may prohibit any type of forestry activities, it remains difficult to manage the woodlot effectively and maintain forest health, particularly in cases of wind or ice damage, flooding or other natural disasters. Leaving the forest "natural" in these situations may increase contamination of nearby water resources and limits the diversity of the forest which benefits wildlife and makes for a more healthy forest.
To Cut or Not to Cut?
Wetland Buffers and No-cut Restrictions

 

Wetland and stream buffer requirements are an important tool in land planning and habitat/resource protection. Vegetated wetland shoreland buffers have been developed and promoted to help 

maintain or clean up water quality of runoff and groundwater and 

can assure safe passage or nesting sites for certain animal species. But do they belong in all conservation easements and will no-cut buffers restrict effective land management? This a question that was raised at the Saving Special Places conference this year in a workshop facilitated by Phil Auger of Southeast Land Trust and Rick Van de Poll of Ecosystem Management Consultants. 
evaluating and resolving land & water resource issues
454 Court Street,  Suite 304, Portsmouth, NH 03801  

p 603.766.6670   c 603.498.2916

[email protected] ?

 www.truslowRC.com

Spring 2015

 

PREPA Municipal Grants: Application Deadline SOON

 

 

As many of you already know, Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership (PREP) recently completed a review of municipal ordinances and natural resource protection measures in the 52 communities of the Piscataqua Region (which includes the Great Bay and Hampton-Seabrook estuary watersheds). The assessment findings were broken down into four major categories: 
  • Freshwater Wetlands
  • Shoreland Protection
  • Stormwater Management
  • Climate Change

and each municipality was given an individualized report card assessing progress made in each of those categories. Ultimately, the progress made by each municipality was summarized in prioritized town-by-town action plans.

 

PREP is NOW offering grant money up to $10,000 to help towns adopt PREPA actions, but the deadline is JUNE 5th. A 50% match is required, a portion of which must be a cash match. Eligible projects must result in achievement of significant progress towards implementing one or more of the proposed actions for their community outlined in the recently released PREPA report or an action related to climate vulnerability, adaptation, and/or preparedness.

 

Truslow Resource Consulting can offer assistance in writing a successful grant proposal and in completing the proposed work once the project has been funded. Please contact us ASAP if interested.

 

To Cut or Not to Cut... continued

Of course the answer is - it depends. What is the purpose of the conservation easement (CE) - water supply protection, erosion control, water quality protection, specific habitat management needs? If YES then perhaps no buffers are are appropriate. However, in terms of overall habitat restoration and forest management a no-cut buffer can limit the ability to provide diverse aquatic and ecotone areas and the ability to promote growth of certain vegetation. Several compelling examples of effective forestry and habitat restoration at pond and wetland edges were presented to illustrate some examples.

A take-home message?
There are plenty of cases where no-cut makes sense, but consider the long term use and management of a site before limiting your options in a conservation easement or land management plan.