HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 12-14-2010-13 (3) �n-ForrnG-Pion �-Fem
Orange County Department of
' Environment Agriculture, Parks and Recreation
306-A Revere Road/PO Box 8181
Hillsborough, NC 27278
Phone: (919) 245-2510,Fax: (919) 644-3331
Seven Mile Creek Preserve
Memorandum
To: Frank W. Clifton,Jr.,County Manager
From: David Stancil,DEAPR Director
Subject: OWASA Draft Forest Management Plan
Date: December 8,2010
Enclosed please find a copy of materials prepared by the OWASA staff for consideration by
the OWASA Board of Directors at its December 91h meeting, as well as a resolution on this
topic presented by a citizen at the Board's December 6 meeting.
The OWASA Board is scheduled to receive a staff report on public comments received at a
November 30th community meeting on the draft Forest Management Plan for OWASA-
owned properties. The draft plan covers about 1,900 acres on 17 OWASA properties with
forest land. Sixteen of the seventeen parcels are located in southwest Orange County; the
other is in Chatham County west of Jordan Lake.
A separate forest stewardship plan was prepared for each of the 17 OWASA properties. One
example of those draft plans is attached for your consideration. The complete plan is on the
OWASA website at http://www.owasa.org/whatwedo/ForestManagementPlan.aspx.
Also attached is OWASA's news release for the Nov. 30th community meeting, and the draft
resolution the Board received on December 6 from Orange County resident Randall
Williams.
Enclosures: Material for OWASA Board of Directors meeting(December 9)
Forest Stewardship Plan for the Peninsula North Property(1 of 17 such plans)
OWASA news release for Nov. 30 community meeting
Draft resolution from citizen(presented to Board 12-6-10)
ORANGE WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY
ClW~SA
A public, non-profit agency providing water, sewer and reclaimed water services
to the Carrboro-Chapel Hill community.
December 6, 2010
Dear Citizen:
RE: OWASA STAFF TO PROVIDE BRIEF FORESTRY MEETING UPDATE TO
OWASA BOARD OF DIRECTORS ON DECEMBER 9, 2010
At its December 9, 2010 meeting, the Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA) Board of
Directors will receive a brief staff report on the November 30, 2010 Community Meeting during
which the draft forestry management plan was presented and extensive feedback from the public
was received.
The staff memorandum for the December 9`" Board meeting is attached for your information.
As stated in the memorandum, staff will prepare a detailed draft report addressing the questions,
comments, concerns, and recommendations raised by the public in response to the draft forestry
management plan. That report will be submitted to the Board early next year.
Staff is recommending -and the OWASA Board Chair concurs -that the Board not take any
formal action on this matter at the December 9'h meeting. We expect the Board to concur that
the next steps are to prepare the detailed draft report addressing the comments we have received,
and then to develop a revised draft management plan that incorporates those comments.
The Board meeting will be held in the Community Room at the OWASA Administration
Building at 400 Jones Ferry Road in Carrboro. The meeting is open to the public, and will begin
at 7:00 p.m. We will continue to receive and welcome comments from the public until such time
as the Board is ready to take action on a final plan for our forest lands.
We welcome your questions and comments concerning these important efforts. Please contact
me at 919-537-4210, ~davis ct,owasa.or~ or by fax at 919-968-4464, or write to me at 400 Jones
Ferry Road, Carrboro, NC 27510.
Tha u very much.
Patrick Davis
Sustainability Manager
Attachment
c: OWASA Board of Directors
Ed Kerwin
400 Jones Fcrry Road Equal Opportunity Employer Voice (919) 968-4421
Carrboro, NC 275]0-2001 Printed on Recycled Paper wwuv.owasa.or8
AGENDA ITEM
• INITIAL REPORT AND DISCUSSION OF THE NOVEMBER 30, 2010
COMMUNITY MEETING AND PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT
FORESTRY MANAGEMENT PLAN, AND NEXT STEPS
PURPOSE
• Provide a brief report on the November 30, 2010 Community Meeting and public
comments on the draft Forestry Management Plan, and receive the Board's guidance.
BACKGROUND
• The Board of Directors previously concurred with the NC Division of Forest Resources'
(NCDFR), NC Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) staff's, and OWASA staff's
recommendation that we draft a plan for sustainable management of our forest lands.
• OWASA's forestry consultant, True North Forest Management Services, drafted a
Forestry Management Plan for 17 parcels comprising about 1,900 acres. The draft plan
includes recommendations and a general timetable.
• The draft plan has been reviewed by staff of NCDFR and NCWRC, and the Duke Forest
Resource Manager, and their comments have been considered in the development of the
draft plan. The Natural Resources and Technical Systems Committee discussed the draft
plan on October 19, 2010.
• On November 30, 2010 OWASA held a Community Meeting to provide information and
receive questions and comments from nearby landowners and other interested citizens
regarding the draft plan. More than 150 people attended, and about 40 people spoke.
• We will draft a report addressing all of the questions, comments, concerns, and
recommendations we received at the meeting and through e-mail, regular mail, and
telephone calls.
• OWASA staff initially requested public comments on this matter by December 2, 2010.
We will continue to receive and welcome comments from the public until the Board takes
action on a final plan for OWASA's forest lands.
ACTION NEEDED
• Discussion and guidance; no formal action is requested.
December 9, 2010
OWASA ORANGE WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY
A public, non profit agency providing water, sewer and reclaimed water services
to the Carrboro-Chapel Hill community.
MEMORANDUM
TO: Board of Directors
THROUGH: Ed Kerwin
FROM: Patrick Davis
DATE: December 3, 2010
SUBJECT: Initial Report and Discussion of the November 30, 2010 Community Meeting
and Public Comments on the Draft Forestry Management Plan, and Next Steps
Purpose•
Provide a brief report on the November 30, 2010 Community Meeting and public comments on
the draft Forestry Management Plan, and receive the Board's guidance.
Overview of Community Meeting:
On November 30, 2010 we held a Community Meeting to present and receive questions and
comments from citizens on our draft Forestry Management Plan. OWASA staff, True North
Forest Management Services (our forestry consultant), and forestry and wildlife experts from the
NC Division of Forestry Services, NC Wildlife Resources Commission, and Duke Forest
participated in the presentation and in responding to comments and questions.
The meeting was held at the Maple View Agricultural Center on Dairyland Road. It started at
7:00 p.m. and concluded around 11:00 p.m. More than 150 people attended, and more than 40
people provided comments, questions, suggestions, and concerns regarding the draft plan.
We received very helpful feedback from the public. Some of the key themes of the comments
include:
(a) There are substantial concerns about impacts on water quality, the width of riparian buffers,
proposed use of herbicides, etc.;
(b) There appears to be an emphasis on timber harvesting rather than promoting a diverse mix
of forest stands and habitats;
(c) Additional baseline studies and inventories (wildlife, cultural and historic resources) are
needed;
(d) OWASA should include additional agencies and a citizens advisory group in developing
the final version of the plan;
(e) The initially announced time period for public review and comment was too short; and
(f) A projection of revenues and expenditures needs to be prepared and made public.
400 Jones Fcrry Road Equal Opportuni~y Employer Voicc (919) 968-4421
Carrboro, NC 27510-2001 Printed on Recycled Paper wN~w.owasa.org
Initial Report on November 30, 2010 Community Meeting, Public Comments and Discussion of Next Steps
December 3, 2010
Page 2
Next Steus•
In the weeks ahead, staff will draft a detailed report addressing all of the questions, comments,
recommendations, and concerns received at the meeting and through a-mail, regular mail, and
telephone.
The draft report on the feedback and our responses will be provided to you for discussion at a
future meeting. When it is distributed in your meeting agenda materials, we would also make it
available to the public (including but not limited to citizens who attended the Community
Meeting and gave us contact information on the sign-up sheet), the Town and County Managers,
etc.
We will inform the public of the date and time at which this matter will be discussed by the
Board of Directors (and Board committees, as applicable).
We look forward to the Board's questions, discussion, and guidance.
Than u very much.
Patrick Davis
Sustainability Manager
oil
FOREST STEWARDSHIP PLAN
for
Orange Water and Sewer Authority
Peninsula North Property
Orange County, North Carolina
3
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Prepared by David Halley
Registered Forester/Certified Forester®
True North Forest Management Services
919-552-4109
www.truenorthforestry.biz
June 2010
NORTH CAROLINA
FOREST STEWARDSHIP PLAN
FOR
Orange Water and Sewer Authority
. Peninsula North Property
400 Jones Ferry Road
Carrboro, North Carolina 27510-0366
Examined by: Tom Craven, Registered Forester on February 9, 2010.
Location/Directions: The property is located on the north side of Teer Road,
less than '/2 mile west of Orange Grove Road in Orange County, North Carolina.
From Carrboro, take Highway 54 west; turn right onto Orange Grove Road. After
2.5 miles, turn left on Teer Road. After a few hundred feet, you will see a field.
Turn right onto the gravel road at the far side of the field. There is a power line
running along the road. FoNow the road around and to the right of the house. The
property is near the end of the road.
Access: Access to this tract is excellent.
Description: This property contains approximately 60 acres of forestland. Based
on forest type, age of trees, and/or management recommendations the property
has been divided into three separate management parcels.
Special Conservation Easement Requirements: In addition to the 15 acres of
Riparian Buffer identified as Stand B on the accompanying maps, portions of this
property will be further protected through a conservation easement dedicated to
the State of North Carolina by OWASA per terms of a Clean Water Management
Trust Fund (CWMTF) grant agreement. An approximation of the CWMTF-
designated buffer area is shown with cross hatching on the accompanying sketch
map. Survey details are recorded in the Orange County, NC Register of Deeds,
Plat Book 87, Page 11. The conservation easement is recorded in Deed Book
2184, pages 354-362. The easement is approximately 29 acres in size.
OWASA-Peninsula North Page 2
42TRUENORTH
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0 500 1,000 2,000
Feet STAND ACRES COVER TYPE
I,q;les A 4 NATURAL PINE
0 0.05 0.1 0.2 B 15 RIPARIAN BUFFER
Topographic Quad: White Cross C 41 HARDWOOD/PINE
Coordinates:-79.12,35.58
O STAND BOUNDARIES Prepared By:Tom Craven,RF
Data Collected By:Tom Craven.RF
USGS STREAAbS Printing Date:June 12th,2010
.n.�ROADS Projection Information:
Name:NAD 1983 StatePlane NC Meters
Projection:Lambert Conformal Conic
Datum:North American 1983
OWASA-Peninsula North Page 3
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Pricing Date: t?ct 27tl~, 201 D
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OWASA-Peninsula North Page 4
DESCRIPTIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS OF PARCELS:
PARCEL A
DESCRIPTION
Acres: 3
Landcover Type: Natural Pine (1963)
Dominant Species Present: Loblolly pine, shortleaf pine, Virginia pine and
yellow poplar
Understory Species: Red maple and sweetgum
Age: 45 to 50 years
Size: 14 to 22 inches in diameter
iNerchantable Height: 3.0 logs
Stocking: Overstocked (100 to 140 square feet of basal area)
Quality: Good
Growth Rate: Poor
Topography: Flat to gently sloping (0 to 4 percent slopes)
Access: Existing road needs improvement (gravel and
grading)
Parcel History: This stand was most likely an old farm field that was allowed to
grow up. The trees in this stand exhibit poor growth.
RECOMMENDATIONS (Parcel A)
Based on slowing growth and the overly mature age of this pine stand we
recommend, a final harvest of this parcel in three years. This harvest could be
bundled with the final harvest of Parcel C on the Peninsula South property in 2013.
Following harvest we recommend that the area be replanted in shortleaf pine.
We need to check the property lines along the southern boundary. Stand A2 is
fairly close to the property line and on the other side of the dirt road coming into
OWASA-Peninsula North Page 5
the property, so it may be on someone else's property. From tax records the
neighboring property owner is Susan Martin (PIN 9830872400). We should make
contact with her before finalizing our plan for active management.
Based on this timetable our forest management prescription is as follows:
Forest Management Schedule (Parcel A)
Acres Final :ore
Harvest
3 2013 2014
i
7 �
a
at"t,
S
�l_ Y
3
Parcel A
OWASA-Peninsula North Page 6
PARCEL 6
DESCRIPTION
Acres: 38
Landcover Type: Riparian Forest Buffer
Dominant Species Present: Yellow poplar, red oak, white oak, hickory, loblolly
pine, shortleaf pine, sweetgum and maple
Understory Species: Red maple, dogwood, sweetgum, eastern hop
hornbeam, beech, and holly.
Topography: Gently sloping (2 to 6 percent slopes)
Parcel History: This is the forested buffer adjacent to the drainages and the
forested buffer around the edge of the reservoir.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Maintain as a riparian forest buffer. No timber production or significant harvesting
should be planned for this riparian forest buffer area in the future. Instead, it
should be managed to maximize its potential for water quality protection and
wildlife habitat.
During future thinnings and harvests these riparian buffer areas should be flagged
out prior to any active management activities.
OWASA-Peninsula North Page 7
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View of Peninsula North riparian buffer from other side of lake
OWASA-Peninsula North Page 8
PARCEL C
DESCRIPTION
Acres: 19 (Cl = 16 acres, C2 =2 acres, and C3 = 1 acres)
Landcover Type: Hardwood/Pine(1935)
Dominant Species Present: Red oak, white oak, hickory, loblolly pine, Virginia
pine, shortleaf pine, sweetgum, and yellow poplar.
Understory Species: Sweetgum, maple, dogwood, beech, holly and red
cedar
Age: 60 to 70 year old hardwood, 100 year old pine
Size: 16 to 22 inches in diameter
Merchantable Height: 3.0 logs
Stocking: Overstocked (90 to 110 square feet of basal area)
Quality: Good
Growth Rate: Poor
Topography: Nearly level (0 to 2 percent slopes)
Access: Existing road
Parcel History: This is a high quality oak/hickory site with very little beech in
the understory. It is clear that deer use this stand extensively as a winter food
source. The stand has prominent plow ridges on the ground which means it was in
agricultural production at one time. The hardwood is mixed with mature pine, with
some pockets of up to 80% pine, mostly on the flatter, drier sites. It looks like the
red cedar was cut off the property at one time. There damage from Hurricane
Fran on the exposed portions of the point.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Parcel C3 has a higher concentration of pine than the rest of the parcel and it is
adjacent to Parcel Al so we recommend that this 1-acre parcel be clearcut at the
same time as Parcel A and be replanted in shortleaf pine. This would add to the
viability of Al as a long term pine management site.
OWASA-Peninsula North Page 9
On the remainder of Parcel C (18 acres) we recommend that this stand be
managed for hardwoods. To start with, we recommend harvesting about twenty
five percent of this parcel in a series of small group openings scattered
throughout the stand. These openings would be between 0.5 and 3 acres in size
and would be evenly distributed throughout the stand. These group openings
would allow us to remove the heavier pockets of mature pine and the poorer
quality hardwood. Twenty five percent of the stand equates to about 4.5 acres (3
to 5 small openings). On the remainder of the stand (13.5 acres) we recommend a
light improvement cut thinning to favor the best quality hardwood trees and
improve the understory conditions for natural oak regeneration. During this
improvement cut thinning we would also target the older pines for removal.
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Parcel C1
We recommend allowing the group openings to naturally regenerate back in
hardwood and when the stand is older we would recommend crop tree release to
improve the growing conditions around 10 to 20 high quality hardwood saplings
per acre.
OWASA-Peninsula North Page 10
This site is ideal for conducting controlled burns, given that the bulk of this parcel
is surrounded by the reservoir and there is an existing roadbed along the western
property line. We are recommending a understory burn two to three years prior to
the group opening harvests and improvement cut thinning to help knock back the
red maple and sweetgum understory. This will also help encourage more
advanced oak regeneration. We also recommend conducting another burn three
years following the improvement cut thinning and group selection openings to
further improve oak regeneration in the thinned stands and oak regeneration in
the harvested group openings.
About 10 to 15 years following the light improvement cut thinning we recommend
harvesting another twenty five percent of the stand in another set of small group
openings. These should be located in the areas with the best advanced oak
regeneration.
Based on this timetable our forest management prescription is as follows:
Forest Management Schedule (Parcel C)
Acres Harvest Replant Mark and cut Improvement
Parcel C3 Cutover in Group Cut Thinning
Shortleaf Pine _ O enin s
19 2013 2014 _ 2015 2018 2018 2021
(1 ac) (1 ac) (4.5 ac) (13.5 ac)
] Y J
1
f: t � _•- _. Wiz' 4 i. :..
Parcel C
OWASA-Peninsula North Page 11
SUGGESTED SCHEDULE OF MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES
OWASA
Peninsula North Property
(As of June 2010)
W: Winter S: Spring U: Summer F: Fall
~.
-Year.
,:
Season
Acres
Parcel
Activity*
,Activity
Com leted
2013 S-F 3 A Final harvest
2013 S-F 1 C3 Final harvest
2014 S 4 A & C3 Replant cutover in Shortleaf pine*
2015 F-W 18 C Understory burning*
2018 S-F 4.5 C Mark and harvest small group openings
2018 S-F 13.5 C Mark and conduct improvement cut thinning
2021 F-W 18 C Understory burning*
2032 S-F 4.5 C Mark and harvest another set of small group openings
2034 F-W 4.5 C Crop Tree Release of Group Openings from 2018*
*A financial incentive program may cover the activities starred above. Please contact the North Carolina Division of Forest Resources for specific
advice and availability of cost-share funds. Once approved contact NCFS before starting practices so they can check for cost-share compliance.
This schedule may need to be adjusted depending on financial needs, timber markets, timing of actual harvest, and availability of contractors.
Soils Map
OWASA
Peninsula North Property
Orange County
( TRUE NORTH
PENINSULA NORTH SOILS
E 1 a
e � HrBI
_ € CP TaD
z. TaD ' = .
{
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TaD--
HrC
i
= f
Ta
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TaD
e
O 375 750 1,500 1 Miles
Feet 0 0.05 0.1 0,2
SOIL TYPE HrB,Herndon silt loam,2 to 6 percent slopes
Ch. Chewacla loam HrC. Herndon silt loam,6 to 10 percent slopes
Cp, Congaree fine sandy loam HWB. Hiawassee clay loam,2 to 6 percent slopes
En B,Enon loam,2 to 6 percent slopes Lg,Lignur"5 ilt loam. 0 to 3 percent slopes
R ,¢ EnC,Enon loam,6 to 12 percent slopes Or,Orange silt loam,0 to 3 percent slopes
GeB.Georgeville silt loam.2 to 6 percent slopes TaD.Tatum silt loam, 8 to 15 percent slopes
GeC, Georgeville silt loam,6 to 10 percent slopes +' TaE,Tatum silt loam, 15 to 25 percent slopes
GID.Goldston slaty silt loam,6 to 15 percent slopes w,Water
-< GIF, Goldston slaty silt loam,15 to 45 percent slopes ' USGS STREAMS
NCDOT ROADS 1� STAND BOUNDARY
This legend shows all of the soil types within all OWASA forest management tracts near Cane Creek Reservoir.
From: Greg Feller [GFeller@owasa.org]
Sent: Friday, November 19, 2010 3:46 PM
To: undisclosed-recipients
Subject: OWASA news release: Citizens invited to community meeting Nov. 30th on proposed sustainable
forestry management plan
Orange Water and Sewer Authority
A public, non profit agency providing water, sewer and reclaimed water services
to the Carrboro-Chapel Hill community.
NEWS RELEASE November 19, 2010
OWASA INVITES CITIZENS TO COMMENT ON PLAN
TO SUSTAINABLY MANAGE FOREST LANDS
OWASA invites all interested citizens to participate in a Community Meeting on November 30th
to discuss a proposed plan for sustainable management of OWASA's forest lands.
The Community Meeting will be held at 7 PM in the Maple View Agricultural Center at 3501
Dairyland Road in southwestern Orange County. (Please see the map and directions at the
end of this news release.) Customers are also invited to send comments and questions to
OWASA by letter, e-mail or fax by December 2nd. (Please see additional contact information
below.)
The objectives of OWASA's forestry stewardship plan are to protect drinking water quality and
watershed health by improving the health and diversity of OWASA's forest lands, while
improving the quality and diversity of wildlife habitat.
The draft plan covers about 1,900 acres on 17 OWASA properties with forest land. All but one
parcel are in southwest Orange County; one is in Chatham County just west of Jordan Lake.
About 500 acres are proposed to be left undisturbed as forested stream buffers. The draft plan
proposes thinning of low quality trees to improve forest health in upland hardwood areas and
dense forest stands, and clear-cutting and reforestation of certain pine forest stands. The
proposed forest stewardship plan is on OWASA's website at
http://www.owasa.org/whatwedo/ForestManagementPlan.aspx.
Representatives from the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (WRC) and the NC Division of
Forest Resou,:.es (DFR) will also participate and help answer questions. OWASA retained
True North Forest Management Services to help draft the plan, working closely with the NC
DFR and NC WRC, and other stakeholders
After considering any comments and concerns, at a later date the OWASA Board may finalize
the forest stewardship plan and authorize OWASA staff to implement the plan.
12/8/2010
Page 2 of 3
For more information:
Patrick (Pat) Davis, Sustainability Manager, 537-4210 or pdavis@owasa.org
Ed Holland, AICP, Planning Director, 537-4215 or eholland@owasa.org
400 JONES FERRY ROAD, CARRBORO, NC 27510
PHONE: (919) 968-4421; FAX: (919) 968-4464
WEB SITE: WWW.OWASA.ORG; E-MAIL: WEBMASTER@OWASA.ORG
general Vrc,n,ty Map for tvlaple Vrew }~~ncuftural Center. 3501 Darryland Road
From south Chapel Hill and Carrboro
Take Highway 54 Bypass West. Just past Carrboro Plaza, turn right at the stop light onto Old
Fayetteville Road. At the first stop light, continue straight onto Old Highway 86. In approximately 1
mile turn left at stop light onto Dairyland Road. The entrance to Maple View Agricultural Center is a
little over 4 miles on the right, approximately one half mile past the Maple View Farm Country Store.
From north Chapel Hill
Follow Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd (aka Historic Airport Road / NC Highway 86) to the intersection
with Homestead Road (near Orange United Methodist Church). Turn west on Homestead Road and
follow to the intersection of Homestead Road and Old Highway 86 at Calvander. Go straight through
the intersection. The road becomes Dairyland Road. The entrance to Maple View Agricultural Center is
a little over 4 miles on the right, approximately one half mile past the Maple View Farm Country Store.
12/8/2010
Directions to Maple View Agricultural Center 3501 Dai~and_RoadL
11 [/ t
~C~QNV~~ V Ci~~ /~ G 7
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Resolution Regarding OWASA's Draft Forestry Plan for ~
the Cane Creek Protected and Critical Watersheds
Prepared for the Orange County Soard of County Commissioners ~ ~I
Whereas, OWASA's primary mission is to provide water and sewer services to
Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and portions of southeastern Orange County;
Whereas, Cane Creek Reservoir is the Chapel Hiil-Carrbaro community's primary
water source and represents a $20 million investment by OWASA and other
entities including the taxpayer-funded Clean Water Management Trust Fund;
Whereas, in April 2007, the OWASA Board of Directors adopted a sustainability
policy which included permanent protection of the watershed and wildlife;
minimizing land disturbing activities and mitigating their effects; and restoring
and enhancing the natural quality of land under OWASA's control that has been
degraded by OWASA's operations or others.
Whereas,the consultant who drafted the "forestry management" plan for
OWASA specializes in commercial forestry operations and did not sufficiently
consult with independent environmental experts, ecologists, and water quality
experts, and therefore the .plan does not meet OWASA's primary sustainability
goals for water quality.
Therefore, be it resolved that the Orange County Board of County
Commissioner-s will:
1. Request that the OWASA Soard of Directors reject the draft forestry plan
and replace it with a program targeted to improve water quality.
2. Ask OWASA to form an ad hoc citizen board consisting of water quality
specialists, environment specialists {wildlife, aquatics, plants, cultural
heritage}, legal and business professionals, reservair neighbors, and
OWASA customers.
3. Send this signed resolution to OWASA before OWASA's January Board
meetin
Signed, on behalf of the Orange County Board of County Commissioners
Name Date