Workshop at Duke Farms, February 20, 2013 Heather Gracie, SAF, CF - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Jun 20, 2023 161 likes •298 views

Workshop at Duke Farms, February 20, 2013 Heather Gracie, SAF, CF Gracie & Harrigan Consulting Foresters, Inc. www.gracieharrigan.com Who are we? Established in the late 1970s, the firm works with over 825 woodland properties

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Workshop at Duke Farms, February 20, 2013 Heather Gracie, SAF, CF Gracie & Harrigan Consulting Foresters, Inc. www.gracieharrigan.com

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Who are we?

 Established in the late 1970’s, the firm works with over 825

woodland properties throughout central and northern New Jersey by providing for:

 Development of Forest Management Plans and Forest

Stewardship Plans for private, non-profit, municipal, and State-owned lands

 Forest Inventory and health assessment  Forest Stand Improvement (including non-native invasive

plant control)

 Forest Restoration (including non-native invasive plant

control, and tree planting)

 Wildlife/Riparian Habitat Protection and Restoration  Timber Management

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Quality field data and analysis leads to…

Predicting gypsy moth damage during the winter of 2007.

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…meaningful projects with positive results!

Client property Camp No-Be-Bo-Sco: 71 ½ acres exotic invasive plant control 5 acres forest stand improvement to improve forest regeneration 1 ¾ acres forest restoration (including deer exclusion fencing and tree planting) All funded through grant money in 2012.

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Forest Restoration vs. The Invasive Plant Nightmare

 Looking back over the last 20-30 years… Inventory

Assessments/Baseline Inventory

 Non-Native, Invasive Plants:  The old guard: Japanese barberry, multiflora rose, Oriental

wineberry, garlic mustard. Many introduced as landscape and wildlife plants – most are deer-proof.

 The new guard: Japanese angelica tree, linden viburnum,

Siebold’s viburnum, Oriental photinia, common buckthorn, and glossy buckthorn

 Japanese stiltgrass – what do you do with it?  Deer impact, Herd Reduction and Management

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Lesser celandine vs. Virginia bluebells along the North Branch

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200+ future linden viburnums prevented

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Taking Back the Forest:

 A giant step backward and (many) small steps forward: Non-

native invasive control and restoration projects

 Site assessment: Plant species present & plant density  Common options for control: Mowing, Plant removal (including

roots), Herbicides, Prescribed burning, or a combination thereof

 The medium: Soil type, wetness, and productivity & Light

conditions/canopy closure

 Deer pressure (Quality Deer Management 1:1 Buck-Doe ratio)  Identifying Suitable Plants: Native trees and shrubs, proper

selection and availability

 Habitat restoration: Species diversity, age classes, forest structure  Protection: Fencing, Deer management, Regular monitoring and

maintenance

 Initial cost and maintenance costs

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Mechanized treatment

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Selective herbicide treatment

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Lotsa volunteers

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Moving Ahead: Here Today-Gone Tomorrow?

 Collaborative efforts: Neighborhood approach – working

with the landowner(s), stakeholders

 Educational outreach: Workshops, Raritan Headwaters

Assn., NJ Audubon, NJ Invasive Strike Team, etc.

 Incentives: NJ Forest Stewardship Act, USDA NRCS cost-

share, other grants, sweat-equity/cross-training (calories/hour), tax savings

 Volunteers: Youth groups, BSA/Girl Scouts, school groups,

corporate, “friends” groups, NJ Invasive Strike Team interns

 Demonstration areas  Monitoring and maintenance: success and failures  Keeping riparian systems functioning ecologically for

people and wildlife!!!

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