The NH Audubon Hoyt Wildlife Sanctuary & Forestry Management

During the late Fall and early Winter of 2009, Audubon spent 4 weeks selectively cutting trees on the property. The Audubon's mission looks towards improving the wildlife habitat of future generations. Due to the dense tree canopy on the property, understory regeneration has been a concern.

The following article explains the logic and reasoning behind the forestry practices taken on the NH Audubon Hoyt Wildlife Sanctuary Property. Written by Phil Brown, NH Audubon Sanctuaries Manager.

Wildlife management and forestry are often synonymous objectives for improving wildlife habitat. Over the past few years, N.H. Audubon has drafted forest management plans as a way to improve habitat on some of its 7,000+ acres of land. These guiding documents not only include extensive forest data, but all the management goals of particular NHA sanctuaries – including preservation of rare species, recreation, and habitat protection. A forest management plan is a prescription for long-term health of the land, a projection of what a place will look like, and how it will function in the future.

Last summer, a forest management plan was completed for the 135-acre Hoyt Wildlife Sanctuary in the towns of Eaton and Madison. NHA staff worked closely with contracting foresters from Meadowsend Timber, of New London, to develop the management guidelines for this heavily-wooded property.

The Hoyt Sanctuary is worth a visit at any time of year, but it’s particularly attractive in summer when warblers sing from towering pines, ‘No Bottom Pond’ is surrounded by mats of thriving bog plants like the carnivorous pitcher plant, and resident loons are raising young in a marshy cove visible from the trail. One might get the impression that this area hadn’t been touched by the hand of humans in 100 years; so why would we consider forestry here?

Improving wildlife habitat is NH Audubon’s primary objective for land management, and it requires looking ahead to future generation of trees. Succession is critical to long-term forest viability, and indicators of its shortfalls are sometimes not evident to the untrained eye. At Hoyt, understory regeneration is suffering due to a dense canopy and a high deer population. Thinning the forest will bring light and new seedlings – a new "age class" – to the forest floor.

Forest management can accelerate natural conditions to accomplish wildlife management goals in a shorter amount of time than through natural processes. Last summer, staff removed, stem by stem, undesirable specimens from the forest understory to "release" mast-producing species like oak and beech that provide a vital food source (nuts) to wildlife, including bear and turkey. Other practices involve girdling live trees to create snags for perches and felling trees to create downed woody material important to a multitude of organisms, both of which are occurring this fall in conjunction with the logging operation.

Woodlands are great for many reasons, but there are limitations when trying to manage forests for biodiversity. Creating forest openings through "patch cuts" (our plan calls for 3-5 acres) regenerates herbaceous plants and shrubs. It creates openings that provide important feeding and breeding areas to birds like ruffed grouse, woodcock, and thrushes, and cover for many types of reptiles and mammals. And the diversity of invertebrates, the food source of many larger animals, is enhanced with every species of plant present.

If you’re still wary of the saw, consider this: the vast majority of the sanctuary’s 135 acres (over 85 acres), including the sensitive lakeshore, will remain part of an "ecological reserve," an area left to the natural processes that won’t be actively managed.

Forestry and subsequent habitat management requires significant funding. For example, maintaining forest openings requires periodic brush-hogging or mowing. Timber sales are a great way to generate funds for management; however, the markets have slowed over the past few years. Thus, the timing of forest management is critical in determining how we can meet our long-term goals. Timing is also critical to the species that depend on the forests, either seasonally or permanently. As always, we strive to protect breeding birds by not disturbing them during the nesting season. A late fall/winter cut takes wildlife into consideration and minimizes erosion impacts.

If you’re interested in learning more about forest management and the Hoyt Wildlife Sanctuary, you might consider registering for a workshop that NH Audubon and Purity Spring Resort are planning in 2010. For more information about NH Audubon, check our website www.nhaudubon.org or call 224-9909.

Additional information on the Hoyt Wildlife Sanctuary