Bristol Lot Timber Sale

The goals of the project were: to reduce the public safety hazard of standing dead trees along several roads; establish oak regeneration; and increase the structural diversity of the forest.

Wrentham, Massachusetts

The project is in the northwest corner of the F. Gilbert Hills State Forest along both sides of High Rock Road.

42.069921

-71.289215

The project area is located just southeast of the intersection of Washington Street (Route 1) and High Rock Road in Wrentham.

A paved road divides the project and is easily accessible by foot or vehicle.

Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation

+1 508-465-9372

42 ACRES

Central hardwoods

Stem exclusion

spongy moth

spongy moth

Sandy loams ranging from fine to gravelly and derived from glacial till. Rock outcrops and stoniness are present.

1920s

The project is within a section of the state forest that was purchased in 1995. There is no written management history. Stone walls are found throughout the state forest with portions within the project area. The area was most likely used as a pasture due to the lack of small stones in the stone walls, small pits and mounds, and eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) in the understory.

Quercus rubra (northern red oak)

33%

Quercus velutina (black oak)

19%

Pinus strobus (eastern white pine)

9%

Dead oaks from Spongy moth infestation.

Due to spongy moth outbreaks, and along with stress from drought, many oak trees died. Approximately 28% of the sawlog quality oak trees died in the year before harvest operations. Standing dead trees posed a hazard to public safety along High Rock Road and two forest roads travelling through the project area. As a result of the sawlog quality trees dying from spongy moth, many were salvaged as firewood instead of providing sawlogs.

The primary silvicultural goal is to establish oak regeneration. Very little oak regeneration was occurring in the project area. The overstory oak trees had no regeneration progressing past the seedling stage. A secondary goal is to increase the structural diversity of the forest. The understory is lacking for all species. A third goal is the demonstration of a shelterwood with reserves system.

• Demonstrate a two-age silvicultural system - shelterwood with reserves • Demonstrate harvesting techniques and best management practices that protect and enhance forest productivity, soil, and water resources • Provide locally grown forest products to the local economy • Create a more diverse forest structure that is resilient to disturbance • Sequester carbon in retained overstory trees, permanent forest products produced from the harvest, and in the vigorous regenerating forest • Sustain regeneration of oak species through the use of prescribed fire

The forest is even aged consisting mostly of oak species and lesser amounts of hickory, eastern white pine, red maple and black birch. The project area will be managed to favor the development of the more vigorous oak trees through their release from competition. Due to the uneven mortality of the oak species, due to the spongy moth, large gaps will occur between retained trees. Tree species located within the project area will be selected for cutting due to their potential to reduce competition, increase growth on larger trees, increase mast production and to increase public safety. Trees that are suppressed, of poor vigor, showing signs of decay or disease, and having smaller crowns will be targets to favor remaining canopy trees with large crowns and better form. The silvicultural operation will take the project area down to a total stand level of approximately 40 ft2 /acre. The project area will be thinned in between openings. Large tree distribution will be for the most part a dispersed distribution where individual trees are scattered across the stand area. Scarification will occur through the normal process of log skidding to encourage acorns to grow. Removing existing competition from large living oak trees that have healthy crowns will help increase production of acorns for a variety of animals and lessen stress to increase vigor to help combat any future insect infestations. Hickory will be favored due to its wildlife benefits. At least 5 snags/acre will be retained, which is the standard per the DCR Management Guidelines.

irregular shelterwood

• forest health
• species or ecosystem restoration

A wheeled cut to length harvester and a wheeled forwarder.

Overall, the timber harvest went well. The weather was great (dry and sunny). At the suggestion of the logger we changed from two landings to just stacking the logs along the main road that divided the project area. This made it easier to load when multiple trucks were on site, lessening forwarding distance, and helped spread out the impact. Only 15% of the trees removed were of sawlog quality due to the prior year’s spongy moth infestation.

yes

A post-harvest inventory was conducted 5 years after the timber sale. Spongy moth continues to impact the project area, further impacting the oaks. The overall condition of the overstory is fair. Defoliation of the oak trees over the past few years has caused some mortality. Many of the oaks still alive today have reduced crowns and dead limbs.

Having received only 1 bid due to low quality and location, and the logger using a harvester and forwarder, we did not get as much scarification as we wanted to provide for acorn establishment. A skidder would have been better.

Conduct a prescribed burn to: (A) Release the oak from competition of other hardwood species. Vigorous oak advance reproduction can develop under shelterwoods when managed with periodic fires. Burning in the early growing season will encourage vigorous production of oak stems and reduce red maple and black birch stems. And (B) Maintain the Oak-Hickory Forest natural community and associated Species of Greatest Conservation Need.

89

59

• feet squared per acre

105

62

14.1 inches

Paul Gregory

Management Forester

Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation