Forest Interior Songbirds and Climate Change on Private Land

Importance vs. Threat (Current HF) at 10 km2 scale

FIVE PRIORITY CONNECTIONS

Northern Green Mountains Linkage Area

All Community Values Outreach & Education – Community Values mapping

Number of Community Values

Overlap of Community Values & Wildlife habitat

Strategic Vision Core Forest Habitat Blocks Connecting Lands Conserved lands

Goal: To permanently protect 40% of the identified un-fragmented habitat blocks in our region by 2030

Vision document and letter Mailed to landowners with 200 acres or more or who have connecting landscapes

Approximately 20,000 acres are already conserved, our goal is to double that number.

Cold Hollow Woodlots: Cross Boundary Management

Climate Change Assessment

USFS Pilot: Climate Change Adaptation Strategies and Approaches (www.forestadaptation.org/node/360).

Landscape level Climate Change assessment of 12 ownerships in the

Cold Hollow Woodlot Cross Boundary project. Part of USFS Pilot Project

3.3―Alter forest structure to reduce severity or extent of wind and ice damage Crop tree release or other pre-commercial work recommended. The

CTR will allow the best trees to expand crowns for a healthier more resistant tree: 11 of 12 plans

Improvement cut reducing the poor quality overstory and releasing advance regeneration. More vigorous trees and advance regeneration can withstand wind and replace disturbance: 11 of 12 plans

Patch or gap cuts allow for natural regeneration: 10 of 12 plans Regeneration is diverse and abundant throughout the property

providing resiliency to severe weather: 8 of 12 plans

Strategy 3: Protect forests from severe fire and wind disturbance

USFS Pilot: Climate Change Adaptation Strategies and Approaches (www.forestadaptation.org/node/360).

Climate Threatened

Black-throated Blue Warbler

“The handsome, maple-loving Black-throated Blue Warbler nests in the moist hardwood forests of northeastern North America. Audubon’s climate model projects a 100% shift in stable summer range (by 2080).”

50 Vermont bird species are projected to have at least 25% of their summer range lost due to climate change

Increase in non-native invasive plants = decrease in abundant insect food resources

Expansion of non-native insect pests = decrease in tree species diversity

Increased intensity and frequency of extreme weather = increase in young forest habitat

Plan for Early-Successional Habitat

• 2-5 acre patch sizes • 3-5% of landscape • Structural retention

Maintain and Promote Native Tree Species Diversity

• Sugarbushes • Provides for a greater diversity

of bird species • Bird/Tree species relationships • Promote red oak through

appropriate silviculture and planting

Promote Structural Enhancement

• Pre-commercial work • Crop Tree Release with Canopy

Gap Formation • Vigorous and structurally-

enhanced young forests

“We are very pleased to be part of the sub group ‘ Cold Hollow Woodlots’,… (to explore)opportunities to co-ordinate our forestry management practices considering the coming affects of climate change for the benefit of bird and wildlife habitat over a much larger area than just our individual properties.” – Cold Hollow Woodlot Landowner

“Hope” is the thing with feathers – Emily Dickinson

“Every Morning I wake torn between the desire to save the world and an inclination to savor it. This makes it hard to plan the day.” - E.B. White