DRAFT

Advisory Committee on Land and Property Use May, 2011

Lands West of the Tracks:

Environmental and Use Assessment

A report to the Ecosystems Task Force

Introduction

Goals: We were asked tomake recommendations about the long-term, future use of the UNH owned lands west of the railroad line that bisects campus, including identification ofthose areas that have greatest value in the undeveloped state. If the recommendations include designation of all or a portion of these lands as green space, we are expected to identify a boundary delineating the area to remain undeveloped. We were also asked to do a preliminary evaluation of the natural resources and potential uses of the private lands west of College Woods.

Tasks: First, we were charged with describing– in spatially explicit terms where possible – the natural resources and usesof the UNH College Woods and Woodman Horticultural Farm, particularly with respect to the university’s mission.Specifically we were asked to describe thephysical and biological natural resourcesand the ecological functions of these lands, as well asvalue of this property for teaching, research, outreach, recreation, natural heritage, and campus sustainability. Based on these data, we will identify lands that ought to remain in the undeveloped state. To the extent possible, we will describe the physical and biological resources of the lands west of the UNH College Woods.

Approach: Our initial step, taken in the fall of 2010, was to develop a list of the natural resources and uses that were to be described and mapped. These were presented to the EcoTask Force. Second, we developed methods to describe and evaluate some of the uses, especially teaching, research, and recreation. Third, we had to collect and map the data. Over the past year, Steve Eisenhaure, UNH Land Coordinator, has collected or compiled most of the natural resource data for this project and has produced maps using GIS. Since early 2011, various committee members have collected the data on teaching, research, and recreation. This work will continue through the summer of 2011, Steve Eisenhaure has begun to craft a document from all these components. We plan to complete analysis of data, evaluation of the lands, and writing of the final report early in the fall semester.

Outline of the final report, and current status of the data layers

  1. COLLEGE WOODS
  1. History (done)
  1. Natural Resources
  2. Physical resources
  3. OysterRiver and other flowing waters (done)
  4. Soil type (done)
  5. Vegetation and natural communities
  6. Wetlands and associated natural communities (done)
  7. Upland forest communities (“timber type”)(done)
  8. Timber volume and regeneration(done)
  9. Exemplary natural communities (as per NH Nat. Heritage) (not done)
  10. Areas of old-growth and individual old and large trees (not done)
  11. Wildlife resources
  12. Wildlife habitat (NR 738) (not done)
  13. Wildlife sightings (historical data, data from Jim Haney’s BIOL 541) (not done)
  14. Species of concern (done)
  15. Other
  16. Non –native, invasive plants (done)
  17. Potential corridors (connections to other undeveloped or less developed lands)(done)
  18. Overall ecological value
  1. USES
  2. Teaching(in progress)
  3. Research(in progress)
  4. Recreation(in progress)
  5. Resource management (timber harvest, wildlife management)(done)
  6. Other uses (orienteering, 1° and 2° schools, etc.)
  7. Overall use value(not done)
  1. Analysis and evaluation of lands relative to UNH mission
  1. WOODMAN HORTICULTURAL FARM
  1. Natural Resources
  2. Physical resources
  3. Soil type (done)
  4. Vegetation and natural communities
  5. Wetlands and associated natural communities (done)
  6. Upland forest communities (“timber type”) (done)
  7. Timber volume and regeneration (not done)
  8. Exemplary natural communities (as per NH Natural Heritage) (not done)
  9. Wildlife resources
  10. Wildlife sightings (historical data, data from Jim Haney’s BIOL 541) (not done)
  11. Species of concern (not done)
  12. Other
  13. Non-native, invasive plants (done)
  14. Potential corridors (connections to other undeveloped or less developed lands)(done)
  15. Overall ecological value(not done)
  1. USES
  2. Teaching (in progress)
  3. Research (in progress)
  4. Recreation (in progress)
  5. Resource management (timber harvest, wildlife management)(done)
  6. Other uses (orienteering, 1° and 2° schools, etc.) (not done)
  7. Overall use value
  1. Analysis and evaluation of lands relative to UNH mission
  1. OYSTER RIVER LANDS (private lands west of College Woods) (not started)
  1. Physical resources
  2. Soil type (NRCS)
  3. Perennial and intermittent streams
  1. Biological resources
  2. Upland and wetland community type
  1. Analysis and evaluation of POTENTIAL OF THESE lands relative to UNH mission
  1. OVERALL ASSESSMENT

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