NORTHBOROUGH – The Northborough Conservation Commission is moving forward with a forest management plan for the Mount Pisgah and Edmund Hill conservation areas.
A forestry management plan inventories the natural resources on the land and outlines the objectives for that land, including a schedule of activities to meet those goals, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The commission voted back on Jan. 10 to apply for two state programs that may ultimately fund the plan and an assessment of bird habitats.
“I think it’s a great idea,” said commission member Dan Clark.
Forestry plan follows tree-cutting vote
The idea of a forestry plan came up after the commission agreed in December to remove hazardous trees from part of the Edmund Hill conservation area.
Former Northborough Conservation Agent Mia McDonald reached out to foresters following that initial discussion to gather cost estimates for such a management plan.
She learned that there is a state Forest Stewardship Program through the Department of Conservation and Recreation which would cover the cost of a new plan. If the town uses a forester that the state works with, the state would pay that forester directly.
“There’s no site work here,” McDonald said. “It’s almost like a consulting plan. We would just pick a forester and apply for the program.”
Public opposition halted previous plan’s implementation
McDonald said the town had undertaken a forest management plan for Mount Pisgah in the 1990s. That plan recommended tree cutting and signage that would have managed habitats and the forest’s evolution over decades.
Public opposition prevented implementation of that plan, though, according to McDonald.
“It sounded like they were going to throw themselves in front of the equipment,” McDonald said. “So, it stopped.”
Town also eyeing bird habitat assessment
The town is also applying for funding through the state’s Bird Habitat Assessment Program.
That program partners with MassAudubon and evaluates existing and potential habitats for groups of birds, according to DCR’s website.
“It seems like a no brainer,” Conservation Commission Chair Greg Young said of the two programs.
Commission discusses goals
The commission expressed interest on Jan. 10 in having further discussions about its goals for both the Mt. Pisgah and Edmunds Hill conservation areas.
Clark said one of those goals could involve enhancing certain types of wildlife habitats.
McDonald suggested that the commission should seek feedback from the abutters to help inform the development of future goals.
Goals would be part of the new forest management plan and may include feedback from the forester on the goals.
McDonald said that the commission could meet with the forester, once that individual is selected, to discuss goals.
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