projects
To further the stewardship goals of EPI, several major projects are under way on sanctuary properties to inventory wildlife and map habitat, to restore and maintain native ecosystems, to conduct selective forest management and harvesting, and to provide for compatible public access and low-impact recreation. These projects are summarized below:
WILDLIFE STUDIES AND HABITAT MAPPING
Wildlife studies for use in monitoring habitat and planning habitat protection are ongoing on EPI properties, particularly in the 74,000-acre East Branch sanctuary.
Ecological Inventory. In 2004-2008, Dr. Bart DeWolf and a team of field ecologists and student interns conducted an ecological survey of the sanctuary under the auspices of EPI. The goals of the survey were to (1) enable informed appreciation of the unique features of the property, (2) highlight the ecological significance of the land and its functioning within the surrounding landscape, and (3) provide baseline data for subsequent development of stewardship plans. The inventory, detailed in Dr. DeWolf's East of Katahdin: Ecological Survey of the East Branch Properties, recorded 308 plant species, 75 bird species, 18 mammal species, and over 25 natural communities. Three rare plant species (purple clematis, fragrant woodfern and northern firmoss) and many uncommon plant species were observed, as well as 3 natural communities/ecosystems considered imperiled in Maine (spruce heath barren, blueberry lichen barren, and hardwood river terrace forest) and 6 rare communities (maple basswood ash forest, red pine woodland, three-toothed cinquefoil blueberry low summit bald, silver maple floodplain forest, hardwood seepage forest, and bluejoint meadow).
Canada Lynx and Pine Marten Habitat Management. During 2007, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife conducted a winter track survey in the East Branch sanctuary, identifying the presence of the Canada lynx, listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. At that time, EPI enrolled some 53,000 acres of EPI sanctuary lands in the Healthy Forest Reserve Program (HFRP). Using aerial photography captured in 2010, EPI has since classified 13,000 acres of lynx habitat in the East Branch, Appalachian Trail and Benson-Sebec sanctuaries, delineating early successional spruce-fir forest stands favored by the snowshoe hare, the primary food for lynx. Winter track surveys are ongoing in these sanctuaries. See lynx habitat map.
As the forest matures, it is expected that this habitat will gradually become less suitable, and in the absence of natural or silvicultural disturbance, lynx will eventually disappear. To ensure the quality and quantity of habitat necessary to sustain this species, EPI has developed a management plan with eight guidelines: (1) maintain connectivity of habitats and coordinate to be complementary with adjacent lands to facilitate lynx travel through contiguous areas; (2) reduce human-related disturbance in road, harvest, and recreational plans on managed habitat; (3) design timber harvest units to promote swift vegetative regeneration and snowshoe hare/lynx recolonization; (4) maintain high-quality snowshoe hare habitat located within lynx forage habitat, providing horizontal cover above average snow depth; (5) include riparian vegetation as forage habitat, such as willow thickets along wetlands; (6) ensure denning structure is available across the landscape; (7) create denning habitat if no existing den site exists; and (8) reduce harvesting in areas difficult to regenerate, such as ridges and saddles. EPI will monitor and evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of the plan in cooperation with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
The plan also sets forth goals for the pine marten, a second species identified for management. The marten, the range of which is greatly reduced from heavy fur harvest and large-scale deforestation, requires different habitat than lynx, namely more mature forests with a complex physical structure on the forest floor (snags, hollow limbs and slash piles) for hunting and denning sites. Management for and protection of each of these species' habitat, which are considered complementary, benefits other species with the same, similar or overlapping habitat requirements.
Atlantic Salmon Habitat Mapping. As a baseline for future studies, management and planning, EPI has recently mapped 37,740 acres of Atlantic salmon habitat in the East Branch sanctuary. Restoration activities such as road decommissioning and the removal of failed bridges and other stream blockages are designed to improve water quality and allow the fish free passage to spawning and rearing habitat. See Atlantic salmon habitat map.
White-Tailed Deer Mapping. EPI has also mapped critical winter habitat for white-tailed deer in the East Branch, Appalachian Trail and Benson-Sebec sanctuaries. In northern Maine, the population of white-tailed deer has been impacted in recent years by severe winters, coyotes, changing forests, and the loss of traditional wintering areas, driving their northern range south. See East Branch Sanctuary deer wintering areas and Appalachian Trail and Big Benson-Sebec sanctuaries deer wintering areas
Reptile and Amphibian Study. Of the more than 25 species of reptiles and amphibians known to occur in Maine, 23 are found on EPI lands, several of which the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife lists as either endangered (box turtle), threatened (spotted turtle) or of special concern (wood turtle, blue-spotted salamander, northern spring salamander, northern leopard frog, eastern-northern ribbon snake, and northern brown snake). In a study conducted in 2009, Professional Wetlands Scientist and ecologist Chet Bigelow assessed the anticipated benefits of EPI's road decommissioning project on these populations and on the quality of water and aquatic habitat. See Anticipated Benefits of Road Decommissioning on Amphibians, Reptiles and Water Quality on EPI Lands.
Roads, whether gravel or paved, can fragment habitat into smaller, scattered blocks, impeding pathways to breeding pools, wetland complexes, and other habitats critical to stages of the lifecycle. Roads increase the mortality of reptiles and amphibians by increasing their exposure to predators, blocking their movement, and causing physical trauma. Contaminants from vehicle oils and grease and airborne particulates and, more importantly, siltation and sedimentation of streams and wetlands from road erosion pose threats to these species.
Recovery from road decomissioning, currently under way on EPI lands, can reduce mortality and predation, reintegrate habitat, and reconnect species to breeding pools, re-establishing population connections that improve the genetics of particular species. This project is an important preliminary to future research on decommissioning as it relates to these specific populations, as very little has been done to date.
RESTORATION
On several of the sanctuary properties, EPI has decommissioned roads, limited road vehicle access, and maintained roads in an effort to encourage the restoration of native habitat for reptiles and amphibians, fish and other populations. Roads are known to impede species movement, fragment habitat, introduce environmental contaminants and warmer temperatures into streams and wetlands, and increase species mortality. Decommissioning, which has involved removing human-made structures such as failed culverts or collapsed bridges, is now allowing water to flow freely, and the installation of diversion ditches on hills is preventing erosion and gullies from forming. Strategically placed gates, boulders or gravel piles block vehicle passage in some areas, and in others road maintenance improves limited road passage, preventing sedimentation from the roads into watercourses.
In addition to roads, EPI has decommissioned many of the camps on the properties to reduce human-related disturbance and allow forest regeneration and the restoration of habitat. Some of the decomissioned areas along the East Branch of the Penobscot are now in use as campsites.
FOREST MANAGEMENT
EPI is developing forest management and harvest plans for select areas of the EPI ownership within the East Branch and Benson-Sebec sanctuaries. Primary objectives are to grow sawlog quality trees to be harvested for commercial use, to provide exceptional wildlife habitat and maintain diverse ecosystems, to develop high-quality recreational areas for prospective visitors, and to maintain aesthetic objectives consistent with recreation. The majority of EPI lands must grow for another 20-30 years before a harvest of large-diameter sawlogs is justified.
RECREATION
A significant project to encourage hikers and backcountry skiers to enjoy the wilds of the East Branch sanctuary is the development of a 30-mile section of the International Appalachian Trail/Sentier International des Appalaches (IAT/SIA) through the East Branch sanctuary. Following a memorandum of agreement between EPI and the IAT/SIA Maine Chapter, allowing for the construction and maintenance of the trail, an IAT work crew teamed with members of the Maine Conservation Corps to build the new section of trail and three new lean-tos. The trail, which runs north from Baxter State Park to Grand Lake Matagamon, incorporates sections of two historic trails--the Deasey Mountain Fire Lookout Trail and the original Appalachian Trail built in the 1880s. This latter trail, not to be confused with the existing Appalachian Trail, ran along the Wassataquoik Tote Road from the East Branch to the summit of Katahdin. The new section of the IAT trail provides access to the recently restored Deasey Mountain fire lookout, now named to the National Historic Fire Lookout Register. The north end of the trail provides access to campsites and portage trails along the East Branch.