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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSE83-2003 COC Request narrative Talbot Ecological Land Care Certified Consulting Arborists, Horticulturists and Conservation Designers Natural Landscape Design and Tree, Shrub and Lawn Care Services Consultation, Education, Permitting, Installation and Management P.O. Box 187, Mashpee, MA 02649 www.ELCNewEngland.com Office: 508-539-1912 Email: info@talbotecolandcare.com www.TalbotEcoLandCare.com Fax: 508-539-8865 September 13, 2018 To: Kelly Grant, Conservation Administrator Rick Bishop, Chairman Town of Yarmouth Conservation Commission 1146 Route 28 South Yarmouth, MA 02664 From: Michael Talbot, CERP, MCH, ISA, ASCA, Principal Consultant Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioner #0142, Society of Ecological Restoration Certified Arborist and Tree Risk Assessment Qualified, International Society of Arboriculture UMass Certificates: Invasive Plant Management and Woody Plant Management Massachusetts Certified Horticulturist and Landscape Designer Former Director, American Society of Consulting Arborists Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions Ecological Landscape Alliance Cc: Dr. Jere Mitchell, Trustee, 18 Rachel Road Realty Trust Attachments: WPA Form 8A - Certificate of Compliance Town of Yarmouth Wetlands Protection Ordinance Fee Payment Transmitted by email to kgrant@yarmouth.ma.us and by certified mail to the Yarmouth Conservation Department Re: Letter in Support of the Request for a Certificate of Compliance for SE83-2003 Dear Ms. Grant and Commissioners, Introduction Environmental Landscape Consultants LLC (ELC), also doing business as Talbot Ecological Land Care, is submitting this request for a Certificate of Compliance (COC) as the representative for Dr. Jere Mitchell, Trustee (and applicant) of the property at 18 Rachel Road in West Yarmouth. ELC was retained by Dr. Michell (the “applicant”) in the summer of 2014 to develop a plan to manage invasive and non-native species growing in a bordering vegetated wetland (BVW) to a salt marsh along a small salt pond off of Lewis Bay. In August of 2014, ELC submitted a Notice of Intent (NOI) to manage invasive species in the BVW and the buffer zone, as well as a plan for native habitat restoration. The plan, titled “Conservation Landscape Plan”, developed by ELC and dated August 22, 2014 (hereinafter referred to as “the Plan”), was approved Request for Certificate of Compliance for SE83-2003 Environmental Landscape Consultants LLC September 13, 2018 Page 2 by the Conservation Commission at its meeting on October 2, 2014. The Order of Conditions (OOC) was issued on October 9, 2014 and was recorded at the Barnstable Registry of Deeds on October 9, 2014. The photo on the right looking south along the west side of the project site in 2014 shows the dense growth of invasive shrub honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii) and multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora) shown by the right arrow. The multiflora rose had grown 20 feet up a tupelo tree (Nyssa sylvatica) in the buffer zone of the BVW and the salt marsh. The left arrow shows a dense stand of non-native phragmites (Phragmites australis) growing in the BVW. Our plan and OOC permitted us to manage the invasive species in the BVW and the buffer zone. This included releasing and preserving the tupelo trees impacted by the multiflora rose. The photo to the left shows a closeup of the edge of the phragmites stand (in 2014) and two non-native hawthorns (Crataegus monogyna) in the buffer zone. We received approval to manage all of these non-native, invasive species, including bittersweet and other invasives growing in the native flora east of this photo. Invasive Plant Management and Restoration Over the last four years our staff have been treating the phragmites and other invasives, according to the protocols described in our NOI filing. Where there were bare soil areas not naturally revegetating with native species, we have been planting native beach plum, blueberries, switchgrass, arrowwood viburnum, Virginia rose, etc.—as described in the Plan. The photo at the top of the next page shows the BVW this summer after four years of careful phragmites treatment. The area is now restored with native sedges, rushes and forbs. The shrubs seen in the Request for Certificate of Compliance for SE83-2003 Environmental Landscape Consultants LLC September 13, 2018 Page 3 foreground are marsh elder plants (Iva frutescens) we purchased from New England Wetland Plants and installed two years ago. In the background there are phragmites and other invasives on neighboring properties. We know these neighboring invasives will try to re-establish once again in Dr. Mitchell’s property. Therefore, we request a condition in the COC to manage invasive species here in perpetuity. This includes invasive vines that reestablish in the red cedars, bayberry and other buffer zone plants. In the photo on the left taken recently you can see the tupelo tree we released when we removed the non-native hawthorns—which were smothering this small cluster of tupelo trees. Our staff planted beach plum, blueberries, Virginia rose, marsh elder, inkberry, bayberry and arrowwood viburnum in the buffer zone here (the red arrows point to native plants and replacement plants we have installed). Winter feeding deer, unfortunately, killed all the beach plums and blueberries over the last four years, so we planted replacement plants in this hot, dry buffer zone. Several bayberry were winter-killed as well, over the last few years. We plan to plant additional native plants here, and we have installed temporary irrigation when we plant. We request a condition in the COC to continue replacing native plants that fail for whatever reason in perpetuity. Our goal remains the establishment of a dense coastal shrubland/grassland in the buffer zone areas where invasives were removed. Dr. Mitchell is completely in agreement with that goal. Request for Certificate of Compliance for SE83-2003 Environmental Landscape Consultants LLC September 13, 2018 Page 4 The photo at the top of the next page shows well established buffer zone plantings in the upland buffer zone and BVW edge west of the location shown above. The arrow shows one of two tupelo trees with invasive multiflora rose and shrub honeysuckle eradicated. In this vicinity are marsh elders, arrowwood viburnums, switchgrass, and inkberries. We are slowly eradicating aggressive, invasive, non-native grasses, such as velvet grass (Holcus lanatus). We may add other native plants here as well. Conclusion This concludes our letter supporting the Request for a COC for MassDEP file #SE83-2003. As the representative, and a Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioner with the Society for Ecological Restoration, I certify that the work was completed according to the Plan and the mitigation plantings are established. More will be added where needed this fall and next year; invasive species will be monitored and managed in the future. Therefore, I respectfully request issuance of a COC on behalf of the applicant. If there are any questions, do not hesitate to contact us. We are happy to meet with you on-site to review the project. Please send the COC, when issued, to our office to be registered at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds. Thank you for your consideration.