Williston, VT - The Catamount Community Forest Committee is seeking comments on a new Forest Management Plan for the Catamount Community Forest, a 393-acre conserved property owned by the town of Williston.
The Catamount Community Forest is one of Vermont’s newest town forests, acquired by the town of Williston in 2019 with assistance from the Trust for Public Land, the US Forest Service, the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board and others. The property, a beautiful and important piece of forested land with unique forest types and wildlife habitat, is now protected with a conservation easement held by the Vermont Land Trust and the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board.
The Catamount Community Forest Committee is proposing a Forest Management Plan for the property, which will supplement an existing “Management Plan” adopted by the Williston Selectboard in 2018. This Forest Management Plan was prepared for the committee by Ethan Tapper, the Chittenden County Forester for the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation. It provides detailed recommendations on forest stewardship at Catamount, from invasive plant control to carbon sequestration and storage, wildlife habitat, and management for local, renewable resources.
The focus of this Forest Management Plan is to encourage a healthy, vibrant forest at Catamount through regenerative, ecological forest management. At the same time, forest management at Catamount will improve public understanding of responsible forest stewardship by demonstrating it in an open, transparent and inclusive way, and coupling it with many public educational opportunities. Within these goals, some unique opportunities are detailed in the Forest Management Plan:
- In partnership with the University of Vermont, Catamount Community Forest will be part of a long-term research project called “Adaptation and Restoration of Northern Forests.” Through this project, Catamount will be one of several demonstration sites across northern New England and New York, helping us understand how forests can be managed responsibly and adaptively in a changing climate.
- In partnership with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, and Audubon Vermont, the Forest Management Plan prescribes the creation of unique wildlife habitat conditions valued by bird species of concern, such as golden winged warbler and American woodcock, at Catamount.
Before the Forest Management Plan is submitted to the Williston Selectboard in summer 2020, the public is invited to read and provide input on it. Comments on the forest management plan can be sent via email to mscott@willistonvt.org.
There will also be several public events in May and June where the public can learn more about the work planned at Catamount Community Forest, ask questions and provide comments on the Forest Management Plan. Virtual events will be held in May, and in-person events are planned for June, subject to state recommendations for social distancing. These events will be posted on the Williston town website, through Williston’s Front Porch Forum, via conservation partners like Audubon Vermont, Fish and Wildlife, and via the office of the Chittenden County Forester. To be included in the Chittenden County Forester’s email list, and kept informed about these and other related events in northwestern Vermont, please email ethan.tapper@vermont.gov.
To read the forest management plan, visit: https://www.town.williston.vt.us and navigate to the Catamount Community Forest Committee page.