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NEW WEB PAGES:
Energy Conservation, Clean Energy, Trails and Parks, Litter Prevention, Greening Your Business, Lakes in Woodstock, Awards, Birding, Birds of Woodstock (photos), Vernal Pools, Productive Forest Soils in Eastern CT
HELP WANTED
The Conservation Commission has several openings for members, and is also looking for volunteers to help with an update to our open space inventory and to conduct a trails inventory. No training or experience needed - we will provide training. If you are interested, please contact Jean Pillo at greenjeanpillo@charter.net or Bill Loftus at loftuslaw@charter.net.
WILDFLOWER WALKS
June 28 Wildflower Walk at Goodwin Forest Conservation Center Hampton, CT – Observe the beauty of the early summer wildflowers in bloom at the Goodwin Forest Conservation Center with the second in our series of monthly wildflower walks. This program will be Saturday, June 28th at 11:00am and will begin at the Conservation Center. Subsequent walks in the series will be held July 26th, August 30th, and September 27th. Come to any or all or the walks to see how the flowers change as the summer progresses into fall. These programs will guide you in observation and identification of wildflowers in bloom around the Goodwin Forest Conservation Center. You will get to know the flowers and how they are seen in the eyes of humans through some natural history and flower folklore. With this series, the amazing diversity of plants thriving in the Goodwin forest will be introduced as you witness how the composition of plants in flower changes through the season. These programs will be held outdoors and involve some walking. This is a free program series. For more information, please contact Judy Rondeau the Center at 860-455-9534. The Goodwin Conservation Center, located at 23 Potter Road, off Route 6, in Hampton, CT, is a facility of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection.
SUMMER RESEARCH SEMINAR AT YALE MYERS FOREST
As always, 7 pm for Refreshments, 7: 30 for the Talk
Thursday, June 26th
Pattern and process of tree regeneration in Southern New England Forests
Join Dr. Mark Ashton, Yale’s own professor of Silviculture and Forest Ecology, for a talk about the long term monitoring of regeneration survival and growth across the forest landscape. He’ll uncover the effects of past land use, and differences in recruitment in relation to topographic position with implications for sustainable forest management.
Thursday, July 10th
Life on the Edge: Amphibians in roadside wetlands
Steven Brady, a doctoral student working at Yale-Myers Forest will talk about his recent research on the effects of road runoff on the wetland dwelling amphibians and their evolutionary consequences.
Thursday, July 24th
How much water do stream communities need?
Dam construction and the diversion of water for consumptive use have substantially altered the natural flow regime of streams. This is compounded by effects of climate change and its proposed increased irregularity of flow with intermittently wetter and drier years. Dr. Annika Walters will explore these linkages on recent work that she completed for her doctorate at the Yale Myers Forest.
Thursday, August 7th
The summer life of an apprentice forester
Join six masters students (Kris Covey, Caitlin Cusack, John Kaufman, Jacob Munger, Jeffrey Ross, Teresa Sarroca) as they talk about their experience in the summer apprenticeship program in learning the skills, tools and knowledge of managing a forest. Starting with the adventures of road maintenance and boundary marking, they will take you through techniques of inventory design, use of GIS, and the development, marking and writing of silvicultural prescriptions for the forest.
Directions to Yale Myers Camp: From New Haven, take I91N to I84E to Exit 71, left off the ramp and straight through 2 stop signs and 2 blinking stop lights, onto a dirt road and then back to pavement for ~1.75 miles, look for orange gate on left. Locally, head west on Centre Pike from the junction of Rte 171, look for orange gate ~1 mile on right. 150 Centre Pike, Eastford, CT 06242 (203) 927-4195
Vernal Pool Inventory in Woodstock
Woodstock is conducting a vernal pool inventory. For more information, or to report the location of a vernal pool in Woodstock, CT, call 860.928.4948.
Rock Snot - a New Invasive Species threatening CT waterways
See DEP press release in Word or PDF format
MEETING ON KOWAL FARM - PURCHASE OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS 02/28/07
On 02/28/07, at a Special Town Meeting, Woodstock residents voted unanimously to purchase development rights for the Kowal Farm. It will be farmland forever. For more information, see article in Our Better Nature
New Review Requirement for Projects in Public Water Supply Aquifer or Watershed Areas
As of October 2006, all applicants before a CT municipal Zoning Commission, Planning and Zoning Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals or Inland Wetlands Commission for any project located within a public water supply aquifer or watershed area are required by Public Act No. 06-53 of the CT General Statutes to notify their local Water Company and The Commissioner of Public Health of the proposed project by completing steps described here. You will need to go to the Woodstock Town Hall and look at the Public Water Supply Sources map. For more information about the program and requirements, see CT DPH Source Water Protection.
Protecting Villages and Hamlets
The Planning and Zoning Commission is looking at the possible need to enhance neighborhood zoning regulations in neighborhoods considered "historic" (even though they are not formally designated as such). Such neighborhoods in town can be found in East Woodstock, West Woodstock, South Woodstock, North Woodstock, Woodstock Valley, Sprucedale, Elmvale, and Kenyonville.
The goal would be to maintain the character of these areas, while still keeping property owners' economic interests in mind. Woodstocks' A Plan of Open Space and Conservation includes a similar goal to: "Assure the protection of aesthetic, historic and recreational resources so that current residents and future generations may appreciate and experience Woodstock’s rural heritage." Related recommendations are to "protect key scenic resources and roadways by identifying visually sensitive areas and developing land use planning and design guidelines that preserve our rural areas and village centers. Enhance the conservation of our local historic, archaeological and cultural resources by identifying these areas and integrating them into a town-wide cultural resources management plan."
Planning & Zoning intends to start with the work done by the Historic Properties Commission, identify the villages/hamlets/neighborhoods to focus on, conduct walks/visits to become familiar with them, and involve residents in discussions. The subcommittee meetings are usually held before regularly scheduled Planning & Zoning meetings (Note: the subcommittee meeting will not be held in February 2007).
Greenways Designation: Little River and Natchaug River System
Both the Little River and the Natchaug River System were designated as a State Greenways in June 2006. The goal of these greenways is to conserve natural resources, in particular by protecting water quality, providing for wildlife habitat, and in some areas offering passive recreational opportunities such as walking or birding. On June 2, 2006, DEP Commissioner Gina McCarthy presented a Municipal Achievement Award to the towns of Woodstock and Putnam for their joint support and willingness to conserve the natural resources of the Little River. For more information, see Woodstock Greenways.
CT Trees and Forest Corn Maze
For a truly fun and educational experience this fall, Steve Broderick of UCONN recommends checking out Chris Kueffner?s Connecticut Trees and Forests corn maze on Merrow Road in Mansfield (http://merrowmaze.com/). Folks of all ages will learn and enjoy.
 Farmers, agricultural associations, and agri-business showcased the many aspects of agriculture in this region. The day included exhibits, demonstrations, music, a farm tour, animals, a parade and family fun designed to improve understanding of residents and visitors, of the presence and importance of agriculture in the Quinebaug Shetucket Heritage Corridor. The Conservation Commission's display focused on Greenways, Bluebirds and Invasive Plants. For more info, see the Celebrating Agriculture website.
INVASIVE PLANT GUIDE AVALABLE
The U.S. Forest Service State & Private Forestry Division has just published a new, weather-resistant, color illustrated, pocket-sized ?Invasive Plants Field and Reference Guide: an ecological perspective of plant invaders of forests and woodlands.? To quote the introduction, ?the purpose of this particular field guide is to give a scientific synthesis of what is known about the behavior of such species in managed, disturbed, and pristine forested systems, in addition to key information for accurate identification.? The guide includes an extensive list of citations of peer-reviewed research on each species for those who wish to learn more. The pages are bound in a steel-ring loose leaf format, and the Forest Service anticipates printing additional sheets that can be added to the guide.Single copies can be obtained by contacting Tom Rawinski at the U.S. Forest Service Durham New Hampshire office: (603)868-7642 or trawinski@fs.fed.us.
The General Assembly has adopted the Recommended Conservation and Development Policies Plan for Connecticut 2004 - 2009. The Conservation and Development Policies Plan for Connecticut 2004 - 2009 ("Recommended" is now dropped from the title) is now in effect and replaces the 1998 - 2003 Plan. Specific project reviews will now be based on the 2004 - 2009 Plan. In compliance with Governor Rowland's Executive Order #30, hardcopies of the 2004 - 2009 Plan of C&D will not be distributed by the State. Those wishing to may download a copy of the Plan from the Office of Policy and Management website at www.opm.state.ct.us (from the main page click on Reports/Publications and then scroll down to the Conservation and Development Policies Plan for Connecticut 2004 - 2009). They expect to have the Locational Guide Map available on the OPM website in both PDF and digital format by 07/15/05.
Researchers and foresters are concerned that Sudden Oak Death has the potential to have a catastrophic impact similar to that of Dutch Elm Disease or Chestnut Blight. Sudden Oak Death has never been found in the wild in the eastern United States. To date, it has been found only on nursery stock in nurseries. For more information see a DEP Forestry advisory at http://ecfla.org/sod.htm.
The American Farmland Trust has set up a new and improved Farmland Information Center (FIC) Web site at www.farmlandinfo.org. It includes statistics, laws, literature and technical resources related to farm and ranch land protection and stewardship.
Agriculture is a significant part of Connecticut's heritage and economy, yet the state loses over 8,000 acres of land in farms every year. To help curb this loss of land, American Farmland Trust has developed a new tool that will help landowners, land trusts and communities identify options available to help protect and conserve farmland. The guide, Conservation Options for Connecticut Farmland, is available free of charge on AFT's Web site at www.farmland.org or you can download it here: Conservation Options for CT Farmland (PDF file - requires free Adobe Acrobat Reader to download)
"Many landowners, land trusts and town officials are not aware of state and federal programs available to help them conserve farmland and improve its environmental stewardship," said AFT New England Policy Director Cris Coffin. "American Farmland Trust's new guide identifies these programs and helps landowners understand the process of donating or selling their development rights." Conservation Options for Connecticut Farmland describes farmland protection tools and programs available in Connecticut and answers some frequently asked questions about agricultural conservation easements, which are deed restrictions that protect land from development. The guide also identifies state and federal incentive-based programs for conserving wetlands, wildlife habitat, soil and water and other natural resources on farmland. "The guide is a helpful tool for communities looking for ways to sustain agriculture, rural heritage and their quality of life," Coffin said. "Increasingly, communities are recognizing the value of state and federal conservation programs that keep farmland in production and help keep farmers in business." According to Coffin, farmland offers many important environmental benefits, from wildlife habitat and flood control to recreational opportunities and access to fresh, locally grown foods. "Farmland also generates a key source of tax revenue for communities-revenue that often subsidizes the cost of residential development," she said.
To obtain a free copy of the guide, visit AFT's Connecticut page or contact Cris Coffin at 413.586.9330 ext. 29.
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