Study Title:
Fiber Fiber Fiber Timber Harvest - Victory Basin WMA / Victory State Forest

Case Study Type: Forest type, Forest health, Management type
Management Subcategory: forest adaptation, carbon, sawlog production, wildlife habitat
Site Photo:
https://www.uvm.edu/nesl/system/files/webform/new_case_study/48/Fiber_woods.JPG

Image caption: Fiber Fiber Fiber Timber Harvest
Lay Summary:
Final entry of extended irregular shelterwood. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------- Site Location -------------------------------------------------------

Location:
Victory, Vermont

Location Description:
Victory Basin, WMA / Victory State Forest

Latitude:
44.53643

Longitude:
-71.78210

Directions:
Site access via River Rd. and Lee's Hill Rd. 

Accessibility:
Access by foot via Lee's Hill Rd. Access road is gated. Treatment unit is approximately 1.5 miles at termination of Lee's Hill Rd.

Landowner Name:
State Of Vermont

Landowner phone:
+1 802-917-4116

Landowner email: paul.szwedo@vermont.gov
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------- Stand Information ---------------------------------------------------

Stand Area with Units:
5 stands, total treatment area 225 acres

Cover Type:
Northern Hardwoods

Natural Community Classification:
Northern Hardwood Forest

Plant Community/Habitat Class Growth Stage:
Early successional to mid successional with overstory reserves

Soils:
Sunapee-Moosilauke Complex 0-8% slopes, very stony (NPSL), Monadnock-Sunapee-Colonel Complex 8-15% slopes, very stony (NPSL), Monadnock-Sunapee complex 15-35% slopes (NPSL)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------- Pre-treatment Conditions --------------------------------------------

Site Index with Units:
60

Start date: Mon, 12/02/2019 - 00:00
End date: Fri, 09/30/2022 - 00:00
Stand History:
Stand origin > 300 years.  No evidence of past agricultural use.  The stands were historically managed for timber products. Previous ownerships included Victory Lumber Company, Weyerhauser, and Diamond International. Recent shelterwood treatments included a preparatory cut in 1990 and an establishment cut in 2008. 

Pre-Treatment Species Composition:
The pre-treatment species composition in descending order by volume: red maple (Acer rubrum), yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis), sugar maple (Acer saccharum), American beech (Fagus grandifolia).  Low volumes of balsam fir (Abies balsamea), red spruce (Pices rubens), and black cherry (Prunus serotina) were also present.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------- Silviculture Prescription -------------------------------------------

Case Overview:
Treatment was a third and final entry of an extended irregular shelterwood with reserves.

Silviculture Objectives:
This entry will mark the third and final entry in a 3-stage irregular shelterwood regeneration treatment.  The treatment objective for this entry is an overstory removal with reserves to release established yellow birch and sugar maple advance regeneration as well as to enhance and diversify wildlife habitat within the harvest unit.  Operations may be conducted during winter on frozen ground or summer on bare ground, and in a timely manner, with special consideration to limit residual stand damage to advance regeneration.  Previously established patches on the southeast and northwest boundaries of the harvest unit will not be included in the harvest area, and natural successional patterns will continue.  In areas where undesirable, poorly formed, and/or poor vigor stems are present, stems will be targeted for removal regardless of merchantability standards to increase growing space for acceptable growing stock and create openings for new regeneration establishment (when operationally feasible).   

Landowner Objectives:
Young forest habitat with overstory reserve trees. Increased tree species diversity. Improved forest health (through removals of unacceptable growing stock). 

Silviculture Prescription:
Trees marked with blue paint will be designated for harvest.  Sawtimber will be marked with a slash on at least 2 sides above breast height and below stump height.  Pulp will be marked with a dot on at least 2 sides above breast height and below stump height.   In areas where advance regeneration is established approximately 5-10 ft2 BA/acre of retention will be designated as permanent biological legacy at the discretion of the forester in-charge.  In areas where advance regeneration is not established retention levels will be determined on-the-ground by the forester in-charge.  

Retention trees will be selected using the following criteria: wildlife trees that have nest cavities or some other wildlife use, large cull trees, particularly those that are hollow, rare species within the stand, and/or superior trees that have unusually high growth rates or good form will be reserved to improve genetic quality in the stand.  In some cases, merchantable stems in the lower diameter classes displaying superior form or vigor may be selected for retention as well.  These stems should be thought of as growing stock that will become a component of the future stand.  

There is a large vernal pool on the south-eastern boundary of the stand. A 100’ buffer will be flagged horizontally and inland from the pool edge with orange flagging.  No timber harvesting shall be permitted within this zone.  In addition, a secondary buffer of 550’ will be designated to maintain habitat quality of the riparian management zone.  Within this buffer, timber harvesting will be limited to retain 60% canopy cover either clumped or dispersed at the discretion of the forester in-charge.  


Regeneration Method:
irregular shelterwood

Factors Influencing Prescription Choice:
- forest health
- climate change
- wildlife habitat
- carbon
- landscape context

Climate Adaptation Considerations:
Timber harvest operations were applied within the "Climate Change Response Framework". See below.
1 – Sustain fundamental ecological functions: Previously established haul roads and skid trails were utilized.  Slashed tops and brush were dispersed throughout the harvest area to enhance nutrient cycling and soil protection (1.1).  Landings and roads shall be closed out in accordance with all “AMPs For Managing Water Quality on Logging Jobs in Vermont” (1.2).  A large vernal pool was identified during the ecological review process.  A 100’ buffer was flagged horizontally and inland from the pool edge with orange flagging.  No timber harvesting was permitted within this zone.  In addition, a secondary buffer of 550’ was designated to maintain habitat quality of the riparian management zone.  Within this buffer, timber harvesting was limited to retain 60% canopy cover (1.3).

Strategy 2 – Reduce the impact of biological stressors: All logging equipment was washed and inspected by the Forester-in-Charge.  Road gravel was sourced from a pit on state land and was inspected for presence of invasive plant species (2.2).
Strategy 3 – Reduce the risk and long-term impacts of severe disturbance:  Retention of stems in all size classes was applied across the treatment area (3.1)
Strategy 4 – Maintain or Create Refugia: A 100’ no cut buffer was applied to a 0.12 acre S3 vernal pool and shall remain in perpetuity (4.1).
 Strategy 5 – Maintain and enhance structural diversity: Trees of all sizes were retained as “growing stock” or “overwood” (5.1).   Large biological legacy trees were retained and designated as permanent retention. Permanent retention trees were marked with an “L” in orange paint on all sides (5.3).  
Strategy 6 – Increase ecosystem redundancy across the landscape: A large treatment area was identified over multiple stands with the intention of releasing and regenerating large populations of red maple (Acer rubrum) and yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis) (6.1).
Strategy 7 – Promote landscape connectivity: Victory Basin WMA is part of the larger Victory Management Unit.  
Strategy 8 – Maintain and enhance genetic diversity: Retention trees were selected using the following criteria: wildlife trees that have nest cavities or some other wildlife use, large cull trees, particularly those that are hollow, rare species within the stand, and/or superior trees that have unusually high growth rates or good form will be reserved to improve genetic quality in the stand (8.2).  
Strategy 9 – Facilitate community adjustments through species transitions: Red maple (Acer rubrum) and yellow birch (Betula Alleghaniensis) were favored for regeneration and retention (9.1, 9.4, 9.6 ).  
Strategy 10 – Realign ecosystems after disturbance: In areas with deficient regeneration, summer and fall harvesting was encouraged to scarify and increase chances of success for natural regeneration (10.2).


Equipment used:
Whole-tree harvest system. Feller Buncher, Grapple Skidder, Loader-Slasher, Chipper.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------- Post-treatment ------------------------------------------------------

Post-Treatment Assessment Expected:
yes

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------- Miscellaneous -------------------------------------------------------

Additional Considerations/Key Details:
- riparian areas/BMPs
- road construction/maintenance

Data Available?:
yes

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------- Statistics ----------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------- Contact Information -------------------------------------------------

Primary Contact:
Paul Szwedo

Contact Title:
State Lands Forester

Contact Organization:
Vermont Department of Forest, Parks, And Recreation - Division of Forests

Contact Email: paul.szwedo@vermont.gov
Contact Phone: +1 802-917-4116
Contact Address:
Vermont
United States

Biography:
Paul earned a Masters Degree in Forestry from the University of Maine, Orono, where his research focused on "Forest Sampling, Prescription, and Harvest Operations of Expanding Gap Silvicultural Systems in Central Maine".  Paul has special interests in silviculture and forest biometrics.  Prior to his work with the state, Paul worked as a Graduate Research Assistant and a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of Maine Orono, and as a forester at the USFS Penobscot Experimental Forest.  

Contact Photo:
https://www.uvm.edu/nesl/system/files/webform/new_case_study/48/Bio_pic.jpg

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------- Supplementary Content -----------------------------------------------