AUGUSTA — A plan for managing the city’s wooded properties, which city councilors appeared to favor during discussion Thursday, recommends logging some parcels, such as land off Pleasant Hill Road, while leaving most others, including Bicentennial Nature Park, alone.

Forester John Churchill, of Central Maine Forestry in Readfield, presented the 10-year plan to councilors Thursday, explaining that parcels of wooded land in the city each have their own plan, based on the city’s goals for each.

His plan recommends taking steps such as marking property lines, placing tree identification signs in public areas, cleaning up litter and a tire dump at one site, marking trails, inspecting forests yearly, and having some parcels selectively cut to harvest wood to sell.

Churchill’s plan recommends selectively harvesting wood on about 60 acres at Pleasant Hill, which could bring in about $20,000 from wood sales. The city’s forest management goal at Pleasant Hill is to maintain the site, which Churchill described as a productive woodlot, and “manage the timber and wildlife habitats for public benefit.” The city previously has had other parts of the parcel logged. The proposed plan recommends selectively harvesting 60 acres of the approximately 200-acre site within the next five years. The report also recommends cleaning up a tire dump on the site.

Churchill doesn’t recommend any wood harvesting at Bicentennial Nature Park, where the city’s goals for the 27-acre parcel surrounding the swimming area for Augusta residents are “to provide a safe forest environment for the public that is secure and attractive.”

Thus, Churchill does not recommend harvesting any of the forest there, which he said is in good shape and healthy and includes a potentially valuable stand of large oaks.

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“There is a significant value of timber in that stand,” Churchill said of the oaks, “and that is where it ought to stay, right there. That is a beautiful piece of land. They’re large trees, they’re sound. You’ve got a lot of use out there, and you don’t want branches falling on people, so you do need to monitor it.”

The plan, funded, according to Leif Dahlin, city services directors, with an $8,000 grant, also suggests cutting and selling some wood on land surrounding the Hatch Hill landfill, which he said could generate $15,000 to $17,000.

City Manager William Bridgeo said previous money from the sale of wood harvested on city property has gone into a trail development account, used in recent years to help develop trails on city-owned land at the Bond Brook Recreation Area. He said councilors again could direct money to be raised from the sale of wood to an account for trail development, but they also could decide to do something else. He told councilors Thursday he would not spend any money from the sale of timber on city-owned land without their approval and guidance on how to use the money.

He said any such money would go into a reserve account until councilors decide how to use it.

Dahlin noted the city would not authorize a contractor to clear-cut or use damaging harvesting methods on city parcels.

“It is done responsibly, and with the right kind of equipment” to limit damage to the land, Dahlin said of logging done on city land.

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Councilors spoke favorably of the plan, which probably will go to them for a vote at their business meeting next week.

“It’s a wonderful report and very helpful,” said Ward 4 Councilor Anna Blodgett, suggesting some proceeds from sales of wood could be used to help pay for the replacement of aging trees planted by the city on Western Avenue which, she said, “have outlived their (expected) lifespans by many years, and they’re looking like it.”

City-owned wooded land includes 27 acres at Bicentennial Nature Park on Three Cornered Pond; 29 acres between Civic Center Drive, Calumet Park and Gilbert School; 200 acres off Pleasant Hill Road, which is off Eastern Avenue; 168 acres at the Bond Brook Recreation Area; 25 acres off Civic Center Drive behind the Central Maine Commerce Center; 7 acres at Savage Park off Riverside Drive, next to Cushnoc Crossing Bridge; and 25 acres at the Hatch Hill landfill.

Keith Edwards — 621-5647

kedwards@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @kedwardskj


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