Lincoln Conservation Commission
MINUTES
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Lincoln Town Offices
COMMISSIONERS: Peter von Mertens, Joyce Hersh, Ari Kurtz & Sara Lewis
STAFF: Tom Gumbart, Angela Kearney
DISCUSSION ITEMS
Field Report from Anna Wilkins – CPC Summer Invasive Clearing Project
Anna Wilkins presented the Commission with a brief synopsis of the Summer Invasive Clearing Project and the crew’s accomplishments. The CPC invasive species management crew had a successful summer covering about 11 miles of roadside and over 40 different locations on conservation land. This is a huge increase from what is usually achievable with current staffing.
The crew worked towards the goals outlined in the proposal made to the Community Preservation Committee. The following objectives were addressed:
• Treatment and health inventory of the Codman Hemlock Grove
• Concentrated invasive control efforts in the Tanner’s Brook, Mount Misery, and Flint’s Pond conservation areas
• Localized control efforts of specific invasive populations
This work was achieved through the hiring of a seasonal crew. Jane Layton, our Conservation Ranger, took on additional hours as the Crew Leader and supervised the team’s day-to-day activities. Two workers, Jonathan Hodges and Ian MacLellan, were hired for the crew. Anna Wilkins, Land Manager, assisted with project organization and equipment coordination. The treatment of the Codman Hemlock grove was awarded to Bransfield Company, Inc. and was completed in October.
The crew worked hard in all types of weather to achieve the objectives. The task types can be broken down into two categories: project sites and species specific tasks. Project sites speak to the objective of habitat restoration in a designated area. Species specific tasks focused on inhibiting the spread of certain invasive species.
Below is a summary of the projects and tasks completed by the crew this summer.
Codman Hemlock Grove
The Codman Hemlock Grove is a treasured feature of Lincoln conservation land and is afflicted with the hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae), an invasive insect. The inventory of the Codman Hemlock grove’s health took a day to complete and included a GPS acquired perimeter of the grove. Measurements of height, DBH, % defoliation, height to first healthy looking branch, and description of ground cover were taken from a random sampling of the trees that were identified for treatment. A GPS location of the sampled trees was also recorded for future comparison.
Mount Misery
Mount Misery is one of the Town’s most popular conservation areas. Despite its proximity to major roads and frequent recreational users (both known vectors for invasive plant dispersal), Mount Misery has a fairly intact woodland ecosystem. One area where invasive plants threaten this balance is around the parking lot off of Route 117 and around the man-made pond just up the trail from this lot. The crew removed invasive shrubs including glossy buckthorn, winged euonymus, honeysuckles, Japanese barberry, and oriental bittersweet by pulling and cutting plants.
Around the pond’s edge, 800 feet of split rail fence reinforced with green wire fence was installed to protect the now exposed shoreline. In addition, native plants were planted to replace the invasives that were removed.
Flint’s Pond
Flint’s Pond is our public drinking water supply and is a striking feature of the Lincoln landscape. The forest surrounding the pond is one of the first areas protected by the Town for conservation. Therefore this wooded ecosystem remains in excellent health. In order to prevent serious incursions of invasive plants into these woodlands we took preventative measures by removing about two 1-ton dump truck loads of buckthorn, bittersweet, barberry, euonymus, and honeysuckle from around the southwestern corner of the pond and trail that connects Sandy Pond Road to Baker Bridge Road.
Tanner’s Brook
Tanner’s Brook is a hidden jewel in north Lincoln. This area is home to a diverse group of habitat types, meadow, wooded wetland, upland forest, and beaver swamp. It is home to mature yellow birch trees and some of the largest white ash trees in Town. The meadows are home to an amazing diversity of insect life due to a myriad of wildflowers blooming throughout the summer and fall. It is also becoming overrun with invasive plants creeping in from every side. Its fairly recent history of being open and used for agriculture left it prone to an invasion of multiflora rose, honeysuckle, privet, bittersweet, and now garlic mustard and black swallow-wort. We focused on the latter two species since the size and scope of a complete restoration of Tanner’s Brook would be too time consuming and costly. The crew worked on pulling
garlic mustard from the trail off of Sunnyside Lane, along the northern boundary with Minute Man National Historical Park, and around the old agricultural fields. Black swallow-wort was dug up and removed from the fields.
Species Specific Spots
Black swallow-wort was controlled (dug up and removed):
- on Baker Bridge Road along the Food Project’s field edges, and across from 14 Baker Bridge Road
- Harrington trail entrance off of Route 117
- Sandy Pond Road along the Water Department’s driveway
- The woods west of the Muster Field
- adjacent to and in the landfill field
- at the corner of Baker Farm Road and Route 126
- near the corner of Route 126 and Route 117
- along the railroad tracks at Blue Heron Organic Farm off of Route 117
Garlic Mustard was controlled (pulled and removed or repeatedly mowed) along roadsides in general in order to prevent further spread. Specifically along:
- Bedford Road (Route 2 south to the 5-way)
- the access road to the Bedford Road reservoir
- Lincoln Road (5-way to Route 117)
- Baker Bridge Road
- Route 126 (Route 2 to Route 117)
- Sandy Pond Road (neighborhood volunteers helped as well)
- Weston Road along Browning Field
- Tower Road (partially)
- Canaan Drive
- Codman Road (Lincoln Road to Route 126)
- Harrington trail entrance off of Route 117
- Mackintosh Lane
- Battle Road Farm
- Route 117 from Route 126 to Mount Misery
- Old Concord Road/Lindentree Farm
- Mount Misery parking lot
Japanese Knotweed was cut and removed repeatedly or dug up and removed throughout the summer at:
- Bedford Road culvert
- Flint’s Pond pipeline trail
- Sandy Pond Road (near the Water Department)
- Codman Road (across from the Codman House driveway)
- Route 126
- Food Project by compost pile
Giant Reed- This was the first year we decided to treat Phragmites australis or giant reed. Three locations were identified as important for treatment. They were all surveyed in May for size and condition. Due to time constraints, only one location off of Baker Bridge Road was treated with Rodeo®. One half of this ½ acre reed patch was treated using a stem cut and pour method in order to spare the dogwood, arrowwood, and jewelweed, and other native plants being overtaken by phragmites in the periphery of the infestation. This technique is very labor and time intensive, though there is little to no collateral damage to surrounding native vegetation from unintended chemical contact. The core of the infestation had almost no other plants in the understory therefore it was a better candidate for a foliar spray treatment. The
crew was critical in assisting with the successful application of the cut stem treatment. Now this patch can be controlled with small follow-up applications.
In addition to these projects and tasks, the crew completed a variety of other jobs that deserve to be mentioned here.
The crew pulled and chipped glossy buckthorn, Norway maples, multiflora rose, and honeysuckle along Route 126 and The Food Project’s field edge, opening up a view from the road into the fields. They participated in the harvesting of the invasive water chestnut on the Sudbury River and Beaver Pond. They worked alongside MMNHP employees for a day to control bittersweet along a shared boundary between the Park and the Town. They selectively cut flowering purple loosestrife out of the Muster Field, helped the Department of Public Works clear invasives from the stonewall along the cemetery expansion area, and pulled glossy buckthorn from the new trail connecting Adams Woods to Pleasant Meadow.
Now the Codman Hemlock Grove will be able to regain strength and begin to recover from its infestation so it may impress generations to come. We estimate that for each black swallow-wort plant we prevented from going to seed we kept 300 seeds from dispersing; for each garlic mustard plant 2000-5000 seeds were prevented. The crew removed countless numbers of these and other plants from our town and conservation lands. We are grateful to the Community Preservation Committee for its consideration of this project and its forethought.
Gutierrez – 16 Old Sudbury Road
Tom Gumbart and Angela Kearney conducted a site visit with Dave Burke to discuss invasive plant removal and selective application of herbicide to cut stumps. Tom Gumbart stressed the importance of getting this work done before winter sets in. However, the Commission will still need to review a consolidated management plan and allow for continued non-native, invasive species management in the spring. During the site visit, conservation staff also reviewed options for restoration and cart path reinforcement. The applicants are currently preparing a full restoration for review during the winter and installation in the spring of 2009.
Atkins – 5 Sandy Pond Rd
Jamie Atkins is currently before the Historic District Commission with proposed changes to the new house. She plans to come before the Conservation Commission should the changes be approved. She will also come before the Commission with a detailed landscape master plan and fence details when ready.
Konstandakis update
The Konstandakis’ are currently before the Zoning Board of Appeals with a plan for a proposed pool house near the rear of the property. The proposed work is located outside the 100-foot Buffer Zone Resource Area, but if approved, the applicant will need to discuss installation details and site protection measures with the Commission.
Vegetation Clearing at Twin Pond
Ari Kurtz noticed vegetation clearing work taking place without a permit between the trail from Twin Pond Road and Twin Pond. Conservation staff looked at the clearing activity and Peter von Mertens volunteered to speak with the homeowner about the activity.
Grindlay Update
The wetlands delineation is completed and survey work is in progress. The Commission would like to send a letter to the homeowner requesting that the Notice of Intent and restoration plan be submitted by December 4th for the December 17th public hearing.
Agricultural Commission
Ari Kurtz attended a Selectmen’s meeting to discuss the next steps for appointing members to the Agricultural Commission. Ari Kurtz volunteered to be the Conservation Commission’s representative to the Ag. Commission.
Harrington ADA Trail Construction
Work is happening to improve the trail from Route 117 into the Harrington Conservation Land.
Morningside Lane Update
Conservation Commissioners, Staff and neighbors conducted a site visit to look at a beaver dam in the Tanner’s Brook Wetland system off of Morningside Lane on Wednesday, November 12th. It was clear that beavers are active in the area, but there was no clear determination of the details pertaining to the activity. It did not appear that water was flooding onto anyone’s private property nor causing detrimental damage to public or private property. The Commission agreed to hire Mike Callahan from Beaver Solutions to assess the site and make a recommendation for actions if necessary. The Commission also asked the neighbors to install stakes along the current high water mark in order to be able to assess fluctuations and change in water levels over time. Ari Kurtz volunteered to prepare a draft document outlining criteria by which the
Commission might take action against beaver activity on Lincoln’s conservation land.
ACTION ITEMS
Certificate of Compliance Issued to Mass. Audubon Drumlin Farm.
Bills Paid & Payroll Signed
Respectfully Submitted,
Angela Kearney
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