The Hinesburg Town Forest Demonstrates Modern, Responsible Forest Management
HINESBURG, Vt. -- Join us from 1:00 – 3:00 pm on Sunday, November 3rd at the end of Economou Road in Huntington for a walk of active forest management at the Hinesburg Town Forest with Chittenden County Forester Ethan Tapper. Attendees should be prepared to spend two hours outdoors and for light walking on uneven terrain, rain or shine. This walk is sponsored by Vermont Woodlands Association, Vermont Coverts, and Woods Wildlife and Warblers.
Forest management on the Hinesburg Town Forest (HTF) will continue this winter. This activity, which began in winter 2018-19, will include the strategic harvesting of trees, designed to increase species and structural diversity in the forest, improve wildlife habitat, capture economic value in mature and declining trees and encourage the growth and development of a healthy forest. This harvest will also seek to improve the resilience of the HTF to climate change, natural disturbances, and the invasion of exotic pests such as the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). The operation will be administered by Chittenden County Forester Ethan Tapper, working in concert with the Hinesburg Town Forest Committee.
A major objective of this work is to demonstrate modern, responsible forest management in an open, transparent and inclusive way, with the goal of improving public understanding of forest management and the quality of management on privately-owned forests. To this end, 8 public educational events highlighting this work have been held over the last year, both before and during the harvesting, attended by over 200 people. This winter will provide numerous additional opportunities for the public to see the work being done at the HTF and to ask questions and learn about it.
In addition to demonstrating responsible forest stewardship, this operation will showcase Vermont’s working landscape and the sustainable production of local, renewable resources. Hinesburg logger Tim Brown will cut the trees marked by Tapper over the next two winters, shipping most of the forest products to local markets. Income generated from the harvest will be used to promote stewardship projects on Hinesburg’s two Town Forests, the HTF and the 301-acre LaPlatte Headwaters Town Forest, including trail maintenance and invasive species control.
The HTF is an 864.5-acre forested parcel owned by the Town of Hinesburg and with trailheads on Economou Road, Hayden Hill Road East and Hayden Hill Road West. Comprised of abandoned and tax-derelict old hill farms aggregated by the Town from the 1920’s-1950’s, the HTF is one of Vermont’s oldest and most storied municipal forests and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The HTF is a multi-use public resource, with a long and rich history of forest management, hunting, and other recreation coexisting on the property.
The 2012 Management Plan for the HTF, with the 2017 Forest Management Plan attached, can be found on the Hinesburg Town Forest Committee’s page of the Town of Hinesburg’s website at http://www.hinesburg.org/townforestcomm.html
For more information on the HTF, the upcoming forest management or upcoming public walks and opportunities, contact Chittenden County Forester Ethan Tapper at [email protected] or (802)-585-9099.
Vermont Woodlands is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation whose mission is to advocate for the management, sustainability, perpetuation, and enjoyment of forests through the practice of excellent forestry that employs highly integrated management practices that protect and enhance both the tangible and intangible values of forests – including clean air and water, forest products, wildlife habitat, biodiversity, recreation, scenic beauty, and other resources – for this and future generations.
We strive to educate, train, and support private forest landowners in sound management practices concerning wildlife, water, wood, and recreation. We do this by managing and enhancing the American Tree Farm System® Program in Vermont. We work with all forestry-related groups to coordinate opportunities for landowners to network, meet natural resource professionals, and learn about management practices and program. VWA sponsors educational programs for teachers and students to produce future stewards of Vermont’s forests. We encourage efforts to promote and retain programs at the state and national levels to support private forestry.
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