Saving the Lake Champlain Sandplain Forest

The Lake Champlain Land Trust recently saved one of the most important natural areas in Vermont-a 78-acre forested block containing five significant natural communities located in Colchester, Vermont.

The most notable, and one of the Vermont's most threatened natural communities, is the Pine-Oak-Heath Sandplain Forest. This outstanding section of Sandplain Forest covers approximately 25 acres. The preservation of this important property was made possible by the landowner, Dr. Phillip Howard, who generously donated a conservation easement on the land he has owned and stewarded so carefully over the last 40 years.

"This land protection success is important because it is the largest permanently protected example of the Pine-Oak-Heath Sandplain Forest in the State of Vermont," noted Bob Popp, the Vermont NonGame and Natural Heritage botanist responsible for the protection and restoration of the Sandplain Forest in Vermont. "The permanent protection serves not only to protect this imperiled natural community but also conserves a suite of associated rare plants and other species, many of which are only found in this community type." There are 26 plant species of special concern associated within this unique Sandplain Forest.

The present day Sandplain Forests were deposited postglacially, as large, sediment-filled rivers of glacial meltwater emptied into the precursors to Lake Champlain-glacial Lake Vermont or, later, the Champlain Sea. The fan-shaped deltas of the glacial meltwater rivers formed the flat, present-day sandplains. Originally covering an estimated 15,000 acres, there are now believed to be only 650 acres left, often located in disconnected small patches surrounded by buildings, roads, and other development.

"The Lake Champlain Sandplain Forest Conservation Project represents one of the best examples in Vermont of the Sandplain Forest Natural Community," said Eric Sorenson, state ecologist for the NonGame and Natural Heritage Program. "It is especially significant as it is a fairly large example of this community within a very intact landscape setting. Specifically, the surrounding natural communities are intact forested lands buffering the core Sandplain Forest."

The Lake Champlain Sandplain Conservation Project also includes "the first permanently protected example of the unique Wet-Sand-Over-Clay Hemlock Forest.... with many of the hemlocks dominating this wet forest estimated to be at least 150 years old." Eric Sorenson notes that "the extremely rare Wet-Sand-Over-Clay Forest is one of only two known examples of the Hemlock version in Vermont."

The conserved land will also protect significant examples of Limestone Bluff Cedar-Pine Forest along a high ridgeline on the parcel, a Transitional Talus Woodland along the bottom of the cliffs, and a Mesic Maple-Ash-Hickory-Oak Forest surrounding the other natural communities. This key forested wildlife corridor is located within one mile of both Lake Champlain and our Niquette Bay State Park project. Dr. Howard will continue to own and manage the property in a way that protects this irreplaceable Lake Champlain treasure. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Dr. Howard for this generous and visionary gift. We also want to thank the Vermont NonGame and Natural Heritage Program; Karen Bates, of the Colchester Conservation Commission; and Michael Snyder, the Chittenden County Forester, for their important assistance on this project.

THE FUTURE--- ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION

The Lake Champlain Land Trust is now pursuing opportunities to partner with Dr. Howard on the long-term ecological restoration of the Pine-Oak-Heath Sandplain Forest on the parcel. To encourage regeneration of the Pitch Pine within the Sandplain Forest, the Lake Champlain Land Trust hopes to conduct ecological management activities to help create a replacement generation of Pitch Pine. If you would be interested in contributing to our Sandplain Forest Ecological Restoration Fund, please contact Chris Boget at 862-4150 or chris@lclt.org.