Temple Town Forest

Presented by: Temple Conservation Commission (TCC) Significant contributions and extracts from: Eric Foley (TCC member), Temple Town Forest Capstone project and Town Forest Stewardship plan, December 2012

The Temple Conservation Commission Mission Statement – “ To assure the proper utilization and protection of Temple’s natural and watershed resources” Established in 1971 Current members (7) Management responsibility of the Town Forest since 1978 Lone Pine and Swamp Loop Trails created in 2005

Temple, New Hampshire Incorporated in 1768 Located in Hillsborough County Census population as of 2010: 1,366 (2011 Town Report Book) Maps by Eric Foley Towns of New Hampshire Towns near Temple Temple Town Center

The Temple Town Forest The Temple Town Forest is located off of North Road near the Temple/Lyndeborough town line 53 acres Two walking trails – Lone Pine Trail (1.07 miles) – Swamp Loop Trail (0.24 miles) The property is tapped for maple sap There is no charge/permit to use the Town Forest The Town Forest is managed by the Temple Conservation Commission

Temple Town Forest Location The Town Forest is located off of North Road, and the property boarders with the town line between Temple and Lyndeborough. The physical address is 246, North Road, Temple, New Hampshire, The latitude and longitude is The Town Forest can be accessed from two main directions From Temple Take Route 101 heading west Take a right on Webster Hwy Slight left on to North Road and follow North Road for about 1.5 miles. The Town Forest is located on the right at the top of a hill. From Lyndeborough Take Route 31 heading west Take a left on to Old Temple Road West Once you cross into the town of Temple, the Town Forest is on the left at the top of the hill

Temple Town Forest

Temple town forest parking

History of the Temple Town Forest Property On June 10 th 1933 Winfred B. Mansfield, Collector of Taxes, approved the sale of Horton lot for $77.71 from John C. Richards, to the Town of Temple. The Horton lot was to become the Temple Town Forest 45 years later. At the Town Meeting of 1978 the Town gave management responsibility of the land to the Temple Conservation Commission.

Stand Map of the Town Forest (1980) Robert W. Breck Former Hillsborough County Forester Stands 1-5 SW= Swamp 1980 stand age ranges 1Hardwood White Pine White Pine Hardwood Hemlock stand age ranges 2012 Table by Eric Foley Town Forest

The Forest Cruise Conducted by Eric Foley 25 sample plots were systematically placed within the forest at 300 feet apart 10 BAF Angle Gauge DBH, sawlog and pulpwood height measured (8’) Acceptable growing stock or Unacceptable growing stock (In terms of timber potential) Map by Wendy Weisiger Did the plot contain tapped maples, stonewalls, sap mainlines and Allegheny mound ants?

Examples of Forest Cruise Plots Performed by Eric Foley

Examples from the Forest Inventory Painted Trillium Trillium undulatum 2Pink Lady's Slipper Cypripedium acaule 3Red Pine Pinus rigida 4Hobblebush Viburnum lantanoides 5Mountain Laurel Kalmia latifolia 6Ground Cedar Diphasiastrum tristachyum 6

Tree species found on the Town Forest Common NameScientific Name American Basswood Tilia americana American Beech Fagus grandifolia American Chestnut (Seen as saplings) Castanea dentata Balsam Fir (Seen as saplings) Abies balsamea Bigtooth Aspen Populas grandidentata Black Birch Betula lenta Black Cherry Prunus serotina Black Gum Nyssa sylvatica Butternut (One tree seen, poor health) Juglans cinerea Eastern Hemlock Tsuga canadensis Eastern Hophornbeam Ostrya virginiana Eastern Red Cedar Juniperus virginiana Eastern White Pine Pinus strobus Grey Birch Betula populifolia Northern Red Oak Quercus rubra Pitch Pine Pinus rigida Red Maple Acer rubrum Red Pine Pinus resinosa Red Spruce Picea rubens Striped Maple Acer pensylvanicum Sugar Maple Acer saccharum White Ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica White Birch Betula papyrifera Yellow Birch Betula alleghaniensis

Black Gum ( Nyssa sylvatica): A New Hampshire Rarity Map by Eric Foley Black gums are one of the oldest living hardwood species in the U.S (over 500 years old) Black gum is primarily a southern tree species New Hampshire is in the trees northern range extent There aren’t many known locations of black gum trees in Temple Exhibits bright red fall foliage america.com/art/trees/black_gum_leaf.jpg

Black Gum in Temple Town Forest Black gum trees are located in five locations on the Town Forest. These trees are rare to New Hampshire, as this tree grows extensively in the southern United States.

Shrub species found on the Town Forest Common NameScientific Name Hobblebush Viburnum lantanoides Lowbush Blueberry Vaccinium angustifolium Mountain Laurel Kalmia latifolia Northern Highbush Blueberry Vaccinium corymbosum Witch Hazel Bush Hamamelis virginiana

Plant species found on the Town Forest Common NameScientific Name Bracken Fern Pteridium aquilinum Christmas Fern Polystichum acrostichoides Eastern Poison Ivy Toxicodendron radicans Goldthread Coptis trifolia Ground Cedar Diphasiastrum tristachyum Hay-Scented Fern Dennstaedtia punctilobula Indian Cucumber Root Medeola virginiana Painted Trillium Trillium undulatum Pink Lady’s Slipper Cypripedium acaule Prince’s Pine Lycopodium obscurum Red Raspberry Rubus idaeus Sensitive Fern Onoclea sensibilis Shining Clubmoss Huperzia lucidula Star Flower Trientalis borealis Trout Lilly Erythronium americanum Wintergreen Gaultheria procumbens

Stone Walls in Temple Town Forest There are several stone walls in the Town Forest. These walls represent the time when the Town Forest was once agriculture land. There are signal-stone wide walls that may have been used for boundary lines. Then there are large wide walls. These walls may have been used to keep farm animals out of certain sections of the property

Streams and wet areas The forest has several intermediate streams. There are wet areas in southern most acres of the town forest.

Town Forest Soils The soils at the Town Forest have some variation. The property starts on a hill and gently goes into shallow land that has an intermediate stream running through it. Then the ground slopes upward again. Pine species grow on the sandy hill at the beginning of the property and are found less often further on. MapDescriptionAcresPercent 76B Marlow loam, 3 to 8 percent slopes % 143C Monadnock stony fine sandy loam, 8 to 15 percent slopes % 247B Lyme stony loam, 0 to 5 percent slopes % 559B Skerry stony fine sandy loam, 0 to 8 percent slopes % 559C Skerry stony fine sandy loam, 8 to 15 percent slopes % Total %

Trails and Recreation Motorized vehicles are prohibited on the Town Forest. Trail walking and sight-seeing are two main recreational activities. The Lone Pine and Swamp Loop Trails were created by Conservation Commission members John Kieley and Dave Repak in 2005.

Map by Eric Foley Trail Maps Trails of Temple Town Forest Lone Pine Trail (1.07 Miles) The Lone Pine Trail is named after a dead wolf white pine that is along the trail. This tree has multiple branches from being grown in open space for so long. This tree has had a couple of its larger branches cut off during the last logging job. The trail traverses the property, going past large impressive stone walls, white and red pine forest, tapped maple trees, hemlock, red oak, black birch forest and past wet areas with the black gum tree. This trail allows a visitor to experience the multiple forest types and ages.

The Lone Pine Trail

Map by Eric Foley Trail Maps Trails of Temple Town Forest Swamp Loop Trail (0.24 Miles) The Swamp Loop Trail is named after the “Swamp” that is at the fork of this trail and the Lone Pine Trail. When this trail was created it was intended to be part of the Lone Pine Trail but once the trail neared the swamp area it was decided that the trail could not cross over it. So this trail became a loop trail. The swamp area near this trail contains black gum trees. These trees are at their northern range limits within New Hampshire. These trees offer beautiful crimson red fall foliage. There is a stand of American beech that this trail goes around. Two features of this trail are a high over look spot, ideal for picnics and bird watching. The other feature is a uniquely shaped rock within a stone wall.

The Swamp Loop Trail

Other possible recreational activities Activity Trail walking and running Dog walking Hunting Snowshoeing Rock, leaf and insect collecting Nature study and writing Picnicking Tree climbing Listening to nature sounds Blueberry picking Meditation Photography Bird and wildlife viewing Art creation Metal detecting Geocaching Trail maintenance Invasive species monitoring

Maple Sugaring at Town Forest Sugaring on the property is being conducted by Ben Fisk of Ben’s Sugar Shack ( maple-syrup.com/) located on 83 Webster Hwy, Temple, NH. He has over 1,000 taps on red and sugar maple on the property. He uses a main collection tank by North Road at the end of the Lone Pine Trail. There a vacuum pump draws the sap from lines. There is also a smaller sap tank in the back of the property that collects sap from the right side of the property. There is a small vacuum pump on this sap tank. maple-syrup.com/

Questions?