DCR D IVISION OF W ATER S UPPLY P ROTECTION C OMPREHENSIVE L AND M - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

DCR – D IVISION OF W ATER S UPPLY P ROTECTION C OMPREHENSIVE L AND M ANAGEMENT P LAN 2017 Jonathan Yeo, Dan Clark, Brian Keevan, & Joel Zimmerman MA Department of Conservation and Recreation Division of Water Supply Protection

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS • DCR: Ste ve Ande rso n (re tire d), Gre g Buzze ll, Pe te r Churc h, He rm E c k, Cra ig F itzg e ra ld, Phil L a mo the , T ho m Sno wma n (re tire d) • MWRA: Da ve Co ppe s, Jo hn Gre g o ire , Ste ve E ste s- Sma rg ia sssi • DE P: K im L o ng ridg e , K a thy Ro me ro • Wa te r Supply Citize ns Adviso ry Co mmitte e (WSCAC) • Ma ssWildlife : Chris Bue lo w, T im Simmo ns

M ISSION • ...c o nstruc t, ma inta in a nd o pe ra te a syste m o f wa te rshe ds, re se rvo irs, wa te r rig hts a nd rig hts in so urc e s o f wa te r supply [to ] supply the re b y a suffic ie nt supply o f pure wa te r to the Ma ssa c huse tts Wa te r Re so urc e s Autho rity, a nd [to ] utilize a nd c o nse rve sa id wa te r a nd o the r na tura l re so urc e s to pro te c t, pre se rve a nd e nha nc e the e nviro nme nt o f the Co mmo nwe a lth a nd to a ssure the a va ila b ility o f pure wa te r fo r future g e ne ra tio ns.

WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PLANNING Watershed Protection Plans: 5 years [ Next revision: 2018] Access Plans: 5-10 years [ Next revision: Quabbin – in process ] Land Management Plans: 10 years [ Next revision: Comprehensive - in process] Other Reports/Studies: Water Quality (annual); Gulls; Invasives

L AND M ANAGEMENT A PPROACH • I ndividua l wa te rshe d pla ns – e ve ry 10 ye a rs • No w c o mb ine d into o ne c o mpre he nsive L MP • Guiding do c ume nt fo r a va rie ty o f a c tivitie s

DCR-MWRA W ATER S UPPLY W ATERSHEDS

LAND MANAGEMENT PLAN SECTIONS • Ag e nc y o rg a niza tio n • De sc riptio n o f Wa te rshe ds • L a nd use • So il • Hydro lo g y • F o re st a nd wildlife c o nditio ns • Ma na g e me nt g o a ls, o b je c tive s, me tho ds • L a nd a c q uisitio n • Ha za rdo us tre e s • Ro a ds • F o re ste d a re a s • No n-fo re ste d a re a s • Wildlife • Cultura l Re so urc e s • Re se a rc h, inve nto ry, mo nito ring

W ATERSHED C HARACTERISTICS S UDBURY W AT D E RSHE 16,300 Ac re s o f L a nd 1,400 Ac re Re se rvo ir 41% F o re ste d 14.6% DWSP Pro te c te d 10.5% Othe r Pro te c te d

W ATERSHED C HARACTERISTICS W ACHUSE W AT D T T E RSHE 70,600 Ac re s o f L a nd 4,100 Ac re Re se rvo ir 70% F o re ste d 27.9% DWSP Pro te c te d 17.6% Othe r Pro te c te d

W ATERSHED C HARACTERISTICS W ARE R IVE R W AT D E RSHE 61,700 Ac re s o f L a nd 76% F o re ste d 39.8% DWSP Pro te c te d 12.0% Othe r Pro te c te d

W ATERSHED C HARACTERISTICS Q UABBI N W AT D E RSHE 95,500 Ac re s o f L a nd 24,500 Ac re Re se rvo ir 88% F o re ste d 60.3% DWSP Pro te c te d 16.1% Othe r Pro te c te d

C URRENT F OREST C ONDITIONS 100% Re d Ma ple 90% 80% Wo o de d We tla nd 70% c e ntage Oa k 60% Oa k/ Ha rdwo o d 50% Pe r 40% White Pine / Ha rdwo o d 30% White Pine 20% 10% 0%

F OREST M ANAGEMENT • Go a l: • Ma inta in the pro duc tio n o f hig h q ua lity wa te r b y ma ximizing o ur wa te rshe d fo re sts’ re sista nc e a nd re silie nc y in the fa c e o f a c ute (e .g . he a vy wind e ve nts) a nd c hro nic (e .g . inse c ts, b ro wsing ) disturb a nc e s. • De sire d F o re st Cha ra c te ristic s: • De lib e ra te ly pa tte rne d in a mo sa ic o f va rio usly a g e d pa tc he s • Dive rse in na tive tre e spe c ie s, fa vo ring lo ng -live d spe c ie s we ll- suite d to the ir g ro wing site s • Ac c umula ting b io ma ss a nd a ssimila ting nutrie nts • Ca pa b le o f a ra pid re c o ve ry fo llo wing disturb a nc e • Our g o a ls a nd a ppro a c he s ve ry simila r to DCR Bure a u o f F o re stry

F ORESTRY AND C LIMATE C HANGE • Pre dic te d E ffe c ts o f Clima te Cha ng e : • No rthe a st U.S. like ly mo re stro ng ly impa c te d • Ave ra g e pre c ipita tio n inc re a se s • Wa rme r, we tte r winte rs a nd drie r summe rs • L o ng e r g ro wing se a so n • E xtre me e ve nts mo re fre q ue nt • Pra c tic e s to he lp pre pa re : • Ma na g e to dive rsify a g e struc ture a nd spe c ie s c o mpo sitio n • E xpe c t shifts in na tive spe c ie s ra ng e s; pro mo te tra nsitio ns (? ) • Co ntro l he rb ivo re s a nd inva sive pla nts • I mpro ve c ulve rts a nd o the r infra struc ture • Co nse rve mo re la nd to pro vide c o nne c tivity a nd re fug ia

L AND A CQUISITION • Pro g ra m sta rte d in 1985 • L a nd purc ha se d in fe e a nd thro ug h Wa te rshe d Pre se rva tio n Re stric tio ns (WPR) • E ffo rt fo c use d o n Qua b b in a nd Wa c huse tt wa te rshe ds • $135 millio n do lla rs spe nt (funde d b y MWRA) • $113 millio n @ Wa c huse tt, $13 millio n @ Wa re Rive r, $9 millio n @ Qua b b in • F ro m 1985-Ja nua ry 2015, pe rc e nt o f Wa c huse tt unde r Divisio n c o ntro l we nt fro m 7.9% to 28.4%

L AND A CQUISITION

F OREST M ANAGEMENT : STAC R EVIEW • Be g a n April 2010; re po rt c o mple te d F e b rua ry 2013 • Re c o mme nda tio ns: • De ve lo p sho rt b rie fing do c ume nts e xpla ining DWSP fo re st ma na g e me nt • Co ntinue to b uy a nd pro te c t wa te rshe d la nds a t Wa c huse tt • Re sume a c tive fo re st ma na g e me nt using irre g ula r g ro up she lte rwo o d (1/ 4-2 a c re o pe ning s), with a da pta tio ns • I mpro ve BMP a nd re g e ne ra tio n mo nito ring a nd re po rting e ffo rts • Mo nito r wa te r q ua lity e ffe c ts o f a c tive fo re st ma na g e me nt

F OREST M ANAGEMENT : STAC I MPLEMENTATION • DWSP re le a se d F d in Aug ust 2013 r o m He r e F o r war • I mpro ve d pub lic a c c e ss to ha rve sting info rma tio n thro ug h inte rne t po sting s, pub lic me e ting s, a nd sig na g e • I mpro ve me nts in inte rna l re vie w pro c e ss • Cha ng e s to o pe ning s a nd ma rking spe c ific a tio ns • I rre g ula rly sha pe d a nd size d, with se pa ra tio n • Gre e n-tre e re te ntio n within mo st o pe ning s >1/ 2 a c re • Pro mo tio n o f la te -se ra l sta g e fo re st c ha ra c te ristic s thro ug h thinning pra c tic e s • BMP mo nito ring • Re g e ne ra tio n mo nito ring a nd pho to do c ume nta tio n • Sho rt-te rm wa te r q ua lity mo nito ring a t stre a m c ro ssing s • L o ng -te rm wa te r q ua lity studie s unde r wa y

F OREST M ANAGEMENT : O UR T YPICAL A PPROACH • Ac tive ly ma na g e ~75% o f a ll fo re ste d a c re s • Re g e ne ra te ~1% o f ma na g e d fo re st a nnua lly • F o r Qua b b in, Wa c huse tt, a nd Sudb ury: • 90% o f re g e ne ra te d a c re a g e c re a te d thro ug h a ra ng e o f o pe ning size s, a ve ra g ing a b o ut 1 a c re • F o r Wa re Rive r • 60 % o f re g e ne ra te d a c re a g e c re a te d thro ug h a ra ng e o f o pe ning size s, a ve ra g ing a b o ut 1 a c re • I nte rme dia te ha rve sts (thinning s) • Va ria b le , b a se d o n sta nd c o nditio ns

V ISUALIZING THE T YPICAL A PPROACH 0.5 Ac re Ope ning ; ha rve ste d in 1996

V ISUALIZING THE T YPICAL A PPROACH Sa me o pe ning in 2001; 5 ye a rs la te r

V ISUALIZING THE T YPICAL A PPROACH Sa me o pe ning in 2008; 11 ye a rs la te r

S ILVICULTURAL C ONSIDERATIONS • Co nside r a e sthe tic s whe n ma king o pe ning s • Gre e n-tre e re te ntio n in o pe ning s • Mo st o pe ning s > ½ a c re will re ta in a t le a st 5-10 sq ua re fe e t pe r a c re in b a sa l a re a o f live tre e s • Re ta ine d tre e s dispe rse d sing ly o r in sma ll g ro ups • De sira b le a dva nc e re g e ne ra tio n pro te c te d a s muc h a s po ssib le • Co a rse wo o dy de b ris sta nda rds fo r wildlife ha b ita t • Sub -wa te rshe d rule • No mo re tha n 25% o f the to ta l sto c king o n DWSP fo re sts c a n b e c ut in a ny sub -wa te rshe d in a 10-ye a r pe rio d • Go a l is to pre ve nt c ha ng e s to wa te r yie ld/ q ua lity • Ca rb o n Sto ra g e • Ca lc ula ting fo re st’ s c o ntrib utio n to c a rb o n se q ue stra tio n

S ILVICULTURAL C ONSIDERATIONS WHILE EACH OF THE OPENING CONFIGURATIONS BELOW HAS REGENERATED WELL, THE ONES ON THE RIGHT ARE SHAPED TO THE LANDSCAPE, IRREGULAR, AND MORE VISUALLY ACCEPTABLE. GEOMETRIC PATCH IRREGULAR CUTS OPENINGS

S ILVICULTURAL C ONSIDERATIONS Small openings (<0.5 ac) with NO retention Larger openings with dispersed retention Larger openings with aggregated retention

F ORESTRY R EVIEW AND O VERSIGHT • I nte rna l Re vie w pro c e ss • Na tura l Re so urc e s, NHE SP, E nviro nme nta l Qua lity, Arc he o lo g ic a l Re so urc e s, a nd Re g io na l Dire c to r a ppro va l • Pub lic pre se nta tio n a nd c o mme nt pe rio d • Ha rve sting pe rmit • Wa te r q ua lity pro te c tio ns, inc luding spill re spo nse me a sure s • BMP imple me nta tio n me e ts o r e xc e e ds re g ula tio ns • Bridg e a ll flo wing stre a ms • No ha rve sting in we tla nds • E xpa nde d va ria b le width filte r strips • All ve rna l po o ls tre a te d a s if ‘ c e rtifie d’ • Se rvic e F o re stry re vie w a nd a ppro va l • I mple me nta tio n o f BMP Mo nito ring Pro to c o l in 2016