This spring, NorthWoods Stewardship Center has paired up with a number of conservation groups in ongoing efforts to restore forested shorelines along the region’s lakes and streams. Restoration of these forested riparian buffer areas is one of the most cost effective ways to improve water quality by intercepting nutrients, sediments, and other pollutants carried in runoff before they reach the water, thereby avoiding the costly environmental problems seen in Lake Champlain in Vermont. These buffer strips also enhance wildlife habitat values – for fish, birds, and a diversity of other species.
Buffers are created by identifying partnering landowners, acquiring planting funds, and then early spring plantings of a combination of bareroot trees and shrubs, potted trees and shrubs, live willow stakes (which are hammered into soft shorelines), and willow fascines (bundles of dormant willow stems that are buried horizontally and later sprout). Native tree and shrub species are used for these plantings to avoid the potential problems caused by introduction of exotic species.
In May, 2015, NorthWoods staff has planted over 4,400 trees, shrubs, and willow stakes, and an additional 700 feet of willow fascines along the Black River, Barton River, Clyde River, Connecticut River, Wells River, Waits River, Seymour Lake, and several unnamed streams. Project partners have included the VT Department of Fish and Wildlife, The Nature Conservancy, the Connecticut River Watershed Council, Beck Pond LLC, the Essex County Natural Resources Conservation District, the Town of Piermont, NH, and 11 private landowners. The work was paid for through funding from multiple sources; a VT DEC Ecosystem Restoration Grant, the Canaday Family Charitable Trust, Keurig Green Mountain, the Plum Creek Foundation, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (Wetland Restoration Program), and the Upper Connecticut River Mitigation and Enhancement Fund.
FSI Director Jayson Benoit stands with landowner Stan Chop near some newly planted white cedar.
Planting sites were prioritized and selected based on past stream and lake surveys conducted by the NorthWoods and its project partners, as well as through special conservation opportunities. An example in 2015 has been our partnership with The Nature Conservancy at three sites in Vermont to restore disease-resistant elm to riparian areas – part of the largest elm tree restoration project in the Northeast.
The NorthWoods Stewardship Center is located in East Charleston, VT and is dedicated to connecting people and place through research, education, and action. Since 2005 our crews have planted nearly 50,000 trees and shrubs to restore riparian areas throughout northeastern Vermont and northern New Hampshire. Landowners who would like participate in this program and obtain very low cost riparian area restoration on their own land, should contact NorthWoods at 802-723-6551, extension 302.