ATTACHMENT 4

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Curtis Brooks
Sent: Tuesday, April 06, 2004 12:10 PM
To: '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'
Cc: Cal Horton; Bruce Heflin; Bill Terry; Bill Webster
Subject: Recap of 4/6/04 Merritt Pasture Meeting

 

Sally, Betsy and Jim,

 

Thank you all for your help in clarifying what needs to be done to implement the Merritt Pasture Vegetation and Maintenance Plan.  I found today’s site visit to be very helpful.  I’ve attached files of the adopted plan and the related agenda item from June 24, 2002 along with the map of the pasture for your reference as I recap what I believe were the essential points from today’s meeting.

 

  1. Bush Hogging – Areas of the pasture described as “Zone 4” in the maintenance plan need to be bush hogged as soon as resources are available.  These areas were not mowed last year and are becoming overgrown.  The invasive species multiflora rose is a particular problem in much of this area.  The area includes essentially all sections of the pasture that have been mowed in the last 3 – 4 years but were not harvested for hay last year.  The Town’s Urban Forester will coordinate this work and monitor the extent of bush hogging to be done, noting any small areas of noteworthy native trees that may best be left intact.  In the future this section of the pasture should be bush hogged once a year in late winter or early spring.  If it is determined to be necessary once the first cycle of bush hogging has been completed, the Urban Forester will field locate the edges of this area to prevent future expansion of woody species into this zone.

 

  1. Forest Restoration in the RCD – The goal for areas of the meadow within approximately 100 feet of Morgan Creek is to allow natural plant succession to reestablish a forested stream buffer.  Much of this area was mown for hay last year and needs to be clearly delineated in the field so that it is removed from the mowing cycle and allowed an opportunity to regenerate.  Some areas in this zone that were not mown for hay have begun to regenerate but are still mostly herbaceous plants similar to what’s found in the area described above for zone 4.  This year, those sections of the stream buffer should be bush hogged one last time to facilitate the field staking of the eventual stream buffer limits and allow all sections of the forest regeneration area to establish simultaneously.  Once the initial bush hogging is done the Urban Forester will stake the edge of this section in the field to establish the future limits of mowing.  The Town will also notify OWASA of our intent to let the area regenerate and request that OWASA limit it’s easement maintenance mowing to those areas directly over and adjacent to their sewer lines.

 

  1. Milkweed Area – The milkweed area identified as “Zone 3” in the maintenance plan actually encompasses several stands of milkweeds separated by areas of primarily pasture grasses.  The surrounding area in the pasture is described as “Zone 2” and is mown two or three times a year for hay.  In order for the milkweed to thrive it should only be mown once a year in late winter or early spring.  Accordingly, it cannot be mown when hay is being harvested.  The Urban Forester will stake the limits of the milkweed areas in the field to establish edges for this summer and fall’s mowing.  An effort will be made to protect as much of the milkweed population as possible while still providing edges to the “no mow” zone that are reasonably straightforward to delineate and maintain.  This will likely involve establishing 2 or 3 separate no mow areas.  In the future, this zone should be bush hogged once a year, preferably in February or March, at the same time the area described as Zone 4 above is bush hogged.

 

  1. Removal of Invasive Species – Invasive exotic species have become firmly established in much of the eastern section of the pasture that has been allowed to regenerate (“Zone 5”).  Ideally, these invasive exotics would be selectively removed.  Because selective removal is very labor intensive, however, the amount of this task that can be completed is limited by the labor resources available.  This project will likely be an ongoing effort and could include support from NC Department of Correction’s crews, when available, or volunteer groups.  An effort should be made to begin this project.  The North Carolina Botanical Garden has established methodologies for controlling invasive exotic species that can be consulted for technical advice on when and how removal treatments are most effective.  Initial efforts to control invasive species should be along the edges of Zone 5, specifically the area near the northeast corner of the pasture.

 

I believe that these were the four primary points of discussion.  If you feel I’ve missed anything please contact me.  I’ll keep you all updated as we proceed with implementation.

 

Curtis