Forest Land Still Not Protected

On May 20th, Town Meeting accepted the above article, thereby voting to correct the deeds of 3 parcels, totaling about 29 acres to read "Public Domain/ Town Forest". (For more info see the May 21st posting below.) As of today, the change has not been recorded. That means, those parcels are still not protected. Currently much of that land is deeded "Tax title/ Town of Holbrook" , so the land isn't really protected, is it? There is no good reason for the delay; it is a breach of trust, and shows a lack of commitment to the town meeting process.

The following response was received from the Town Administrator regarding the delay: "Town Counsel (aka Arthur George) has indicated that actions of Town Meeting are not required to be recorded. " So much for the Town Meeting process. (You'll remember that the initial petition by 200plus citizens to deem the land conservation was "struck down as improper" by Mr. George,and Town Moderator Patrick Cullhane, and not even allowed to be voted on at the previous town meeting).

What's up with that?

Fall Meeting Schedule

The Holbrook Town Forest Committee has meetings scheduled on the following Wednesdays at 7:30pm at Town Hall.

September 17
October 15
November 19
December 17

Please join us. Your help is needed to maintain, preserve and enjoy this wonderful public asset.

Committee To Meet This Wednesday

The Holbrook Town Forest Committee will meet Wednesday August 20th at 7:30pm at Town Hall.

Regional Magazine Sights Town Forest

A July 2008 article in South of Boston's "Living Well"Magazine lists the "Cranberry Pond Conservation Area in Holbrook" as a great local pick with great walking trails. We agree, and hope you have been out there lately. It is a great local destination which saves on gasoline!
(The Holbrook Town Forest is part of the Cranberry Ponds Conservation Area.) Also listed were the Blue Hills and Boston's Skyline Trail.

The Official Trail Book of the Holbrook Town Forest Committee

A couple of years ago the Forest Committee voted to use the book "Appalachian Mountain Club Complete Guide To Trail Building and Maintenance" as a guide for their work in the Town Forest. It has helped the committee maintain consistent standards and methodology for any work in the Forest.
The book has been recently updated(the 4th edition was published May 2008, ISBN# 9781934028162)and provides lots of clear, information on maintaining, planning, laying out and marking trails. And has received many accolades:
“An excellent reference for woodland owners and foresters alike.”—New England Forestry Foundation “The how-to-do-it reference book for anyone, anywhere, who is responsible for trail work.”—Maine Sunday Telegram “This book talks about trails, their effect on the hiking experience, and the joy of trail tending. Clear and comprehensive, this is the guide for working on trails in the Northeast.”—Lars Botzojorns, Green Mountain Club
The Holbrook Public Library hopes to be carrying the book in the future. The Friends of the Forest recommend this book as a wonderful and helpful resource for anyone interested in lending a helping hand.

Pipeline news-Algonquin pipeline proposed in Holbrook Town Forest

Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board Public Hearing

August 14th at 7 pm in Stoughton

as part of the environmental review process

to provide an opportunity for residents to offer comments

on the East to West Algonquin Gas Pipeline Project.

Residents and town officials are encouraged to attend.

Vernal pools: What's the big deal?

Picture of Salamander November 2008 on upland of Wiggin Trail.

Did you know there are lots of vernal pools in the Holbrook Town Forest?

What is a vernal pool?

In Massachusetts, vernal pools are defined as confined basin depressions with no permanently flowing outlet, which DO NOT contain an established reproducing fish population and which DO provide habitat for certain vertebrate and/or invertebrate wildlife species. Vernal pools are (in almost all cases) temporarily flooded (hence the reason for no fish). They are filled with water in the spring (vernal means "spring") and early summer and are usually completely dry by late summer. Vernal pools typically hold water for more than 2 months of most years. Vernal pools occur in upland and wetland areas and range in size from a few yards to several acres. http://www.massnature.com/Wildlife/Vernalpoolcreatures/vpinfo.htm

Why are they important?
The Environmental Protection Agency's web site explains the importance of vernal pools:
The isolation and their periodic drying keep them free from populations of predatory fish. This reduced-predator environment is essential for the breeding success of many amphibian species, such as spotted salamanders and wood frogs, and the survival of unique invertebrates, such as fairy shrimp. Additionally, they support local and regional biodiversity by serving as important breeding, nursery, and feeding grounds for wildlife, including amphibians, invertebrates, turtles, snakes, mammals, and birds. http://www.epa.gov/bioiweb1/html/vernal_pools.html

What else should we know about vernal pools and surrounding forested landscapes?
In a publication of Forestry guidelines published by the University of Maine, the importance of conserving the Upland Forested areas around vernal pools is explained: The surrounding upland forest supports vernal pool amphibians during the 11.5 months in which they are not using breeding pools. These areas not just "buffer zones", but are actually "life zones".
http://www.maineaudubon.org/resource/documents/VernalPoolHMG-final.pdf

Another wonderful Massachusetts based web site with lots of great info about vernal pools is http://www.vernalpool.org/