1. Forest Management for Flood Resiliency and Water Quality
24 September Family Forestry 101: Small Woodlot Re-Wilding & Cropping
New Haven Town Hall, New Haven, VT
Kristen L. Underwood, PG
South Mountain R&C
Bristol, Vermont
David Brynn
Vermont Family Forests
Bristol, Vermont

2. Climate Change Greater frequency of higher magnitude flows
More persistence of spring rains (rainy days followed by rainy days) – antecedent moisture, increased potential for flooding
Warmer temps leading to shorter frozen season, earlier thaws and rain-on-snow events
Shift of flows to earlier in the spring/ late Winter
Possibility for summer dry spells by late century
Mansfield Heliflight

3. Forest Resources

4. Forest Resources Natural Setting of our Forest Lots can Vary
Gentle Slopes Steep slopes
Well-drained soils Poorly-drained soils (sands & gravels) (silts/clays)
Deep soils Shallow-to-Bedrock soils
Far from streams Riparian Areas
Sensitivity

6. Forest Resources Improvements Legacy vs Newly-Designed Access Network
Logging Landings
Logging Roads
Skid Trails / Forwarding Paths
Foot Paths
Bridges / Culverts / Crossings
Legacy vs Newly-Designed

7. Strategies Stormwater - “Slow it, spread it, sink it” OCPs
Optimize our Access Networks to avoid most sensitive areas hydrologically
Apply different management strategies depending on natural sensitivity of the land
In a forest land context, this involve access networks (roads, trails, landings) that increase connectivity and extend the stream network, and harvest activities that compact the soils and remove a portion of the vegetation, leading to decreased interception, evapotranspiration, and infiltration and increased runoff. Taken individually, each culvert, road ditch or skid trail may not seem all that significant, but collectively these activities in the landscape accumulate to have a substantial downstream effect on channel stability and infrastructure.

8. Access Network Design SLOW IT SPREAD IT
“Lines of grace” (< 7%) – follow the contours
Lesser gradients allow for BBDs, require less maintenance, cost less to install
Avoid most sensitive land areas (steep slopes, poorly-drained soils, riparian areas)
Minimize overall road network
Avoid work in the most sensitive seasons of the year
OCPs have more stringent requirements than AMPs for most hydrologically sensitive areas
SLOW IT
SPREAD IT

9. Access Network Drainage
SLOW IT, SPREAD IT
Broad-based Dips, Water Bars
SPREAD IT, SINK IT
Disconnect ditches from stream crossings
With Sediment Traps
Source: Better Backroads Manual, 2009

10. Special Care in Riparian Areas
SLOW IT
SPREAD IT
Corduroy at Crossings
SLOW IT
Directional Felling

11. Use Forwarders Less soil compaction Less disturbance
Useful in greater variety of weather conditions
Narrower and fewer access roads required
UVM School of Natural Resources
Skid Path
Forwarding Path

12. Address Legacy Impacts
Move roads out of stream corridors
Decommission trails on steep slopes
Replace with “lines of grace”
Downsize access network
Rewild under-used trails