Wildlife Habitat Improvement for The Nature Conservancy’s HEJ Preserve

(PA Game Commission Public Access Project in Monroe County)

All Purchase Orders require the contractor to provide the labor, supervision, tools, equipment, herbicide, insurance, and all miscellaneous expenses to complete the operation for all projects listed.

Questions concerning the Bidding Procedure or Bid should be directed to 717-787-6594. Any questions concerning the technical aspects of this bid should be directed to the Northeast Wildlife Diversity Biologist, Richard Fritsky, at 570-406-6690.

There is to be one-time tour only of the project site provided on April 20, 2016 at 10am. We will meet at the TNC Hauser Nature Center, 1567 Long Pond Road, Long Pond, PA 18334 and drive to the site.

PROJECT OVERVIEW:

The HEJ Preserveis 356acres and is located inLong Pond, Monroe County. It is accessed via Deep Lake Road and via access roads within the Bethlehem Water Authority land. The project area (~66 acres)includes 25 acres of open fields separated by hedgerows and41 acres of scrub-oak barrens that are reverting to forest. Because of their narrow, linear shape, the hedgerows provide minimal cover for small game and ground nesting birds. Theirthin shape also provides easy access for predators. Four (4) hedgerows will be cut to increase the amount of old-field early successional habitat while leaving an island of trees. This will provide potential nesting territories for golden-winged warblers (see Figure 2). This area will be maintained as permanent early successional habitat using prescribed fire approximately every 5-10 years. There are a few small patches of invasives including Canada thistle and multiflora rose. The preserve is currently enrolled in Hunter Access.

CONTRACT TASKS:

The proposed work would be to enhance grassland habitat for deer, rabbit, and golden-winged warblers, and other wildlife.

Line Item #1: Tree cutting – 4.1 acres

Approximately 4.1 acres of hedgerows are to be felled: specifically all trees greater than 2” DBH). All marked trees are to be retained.

Hedgerow 1: 0.3 acres

Hedgerow 2: 0.6 acres

Hedgerow 3: 1.0 acres

Hedgerow 4: 1.2 acres

Line Item #2: Mowing – 41.0 acres

Approximately 41.0 acres is to be mowed to a maximum of two (2) feet high. All trees less than 5” DBH will be felled with the exception of Pitch Pines. All pitch pines are to be retained.

Line Item #3: Herbicide Applications – 5.0 acres.
Treat understory with herbicide to eliminate multiflora rose, Japanese barberry, reed canary grass, and autumn olive. Rain cannot be forecasted within 48 hours after application.
  1. Spot treat Japanese Barberry and Multiflora Rose. They need to be sprayed after leaf-out (May 15 through June 30). Approximately 1 acre total.
—Low Volume Application
  1. Rodeo at 4% (5 oz./gallon of water)
  2. Surfactant (1 oz./gallon of water)
  3. Escort XP(1 gram/gallon of water)
  1. Spot treat Reed Canary Grass, a perennial, cool-season, rhizomatous grass. Approximately 3 acres total.
  2. Oust XP at 1 oz/ac. That rate of Oust works early season as well as late.
  1. Spot treat Autumn Olive. Approximately 1 acre total is to be treated for autumn olive with Garlon 3a or Garlon 4 Ultra. Rain cannot be forecasted within 48 hours after application.

Line Item #4: Fire Breaks – 1.1 miles

Around the outside of the mowed area, an8’ wide 0.5 mile fire break is to be cleared of all trees and brush and mowed to ground level.

0.6 miles of two track road which borders the north and west of the mowed area need to be cleared of any trees and brush.

THE CONTRACTOR WILL PERFORM THE ABOVE DESCRIBED WORK BETWEEN JULY 1, 2016 AND MAY 30, 2017.


Figure 1.

Excerpt from “Golden-winged Warbler Habitat Best Management Practices for Forestlands in Maryland and Pennsylvania”

A timber harvest where an island of trees was retained within the harvested stand. Andrew Vitz

Figure 2.