Franklin-McElheny Working Group at the Six Month Mark - April 5, 2019

Published April 5, 2019

Since December 2018, a group made up primarily of Rollinsford residents has been working with SELT to understand the issues at play in managing the Franklin-McElheny Preserve (the Preserve) in Rollinsford, NH. Over a six-month period, this group has worked to learn together and will be recommending a management plan for the property to SELT’s Stewardship Committee and Board of Directors by June of 2019 that reflects SELT’s role, mission, and the preferences of the community.

To date, the group has done the following:

• Determined a process to arrive at a balanced decision that draws upon accessible and understandable information to identify two or three management options;
• Monitored and discussed feedback received from concerned citizens regarding the forest management of the Preserve; and
• Learned about topics critical to understanding how to approach a management plan, including:
• The Hemlock Woolly Adelgid’s (HWA), biology, life cycle, and threat to the Preserve;
• Soils present on the Preserve and how they impact management decisions;
• The results of an eagle survey (see results below) conducted on the Preserve on February 6, 2019;
• A variety of techniques used to address HWA infestations that were applied to similar sites, and
• SELT’s land management objectives and policy.

Looking ahead, the Working Group will:

• Jointly develop the criteria for framing management options;
• Continue learning about HWA management approaches, including for the Vaughn Woods across the river in South Berwick;
• Study wildlife considerations related to different management strategies;
• Delve into the economics of various management options; and
• Understand the risks of invasive species populating the property, in relation to the possible solutions being considered.

In June, the Working Group will present its forest management recommendations to the community via a Franklin-McElheny Preserve walking tour/field trip and solicit feedback. Once the community’s feedback has been considered, the Working Group’s final recommendation will be sent to SELT’s Stewardship Committee and Board of Directors for final decision making.

Report: The Presence of Bald Eagles at the Franklin-McElheny Preserve

SELT is aware that Bald Eagles have been sighted on the Preserve during daylight hours throughout the year. In addition, SELT has long been aware of a known nest site nearby at the Three Rivers Farm.

To understand if/how eagles are using the Preserve, SELT has consulted with eagle experts Chris Martin, Senior Biologist-Raptors, with NH Audubon and Tom Wittig, Eagle Coordinator, with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Region. 

Specifically, SELT has discussed with them:

• The proximity of the Preserve to the known nest location downstream,
• Any documented winter roosting sites on the Preserve as well as the potential for winter roosting on the Preserve,
• Daytime sightings of Bald Eagles on the Preserve, and
• Considerations we should make for management of the land given the potential for foraging or roosting activities.

To determine impacts to the Bald Eagle, wildlife biologists consider three primary behaviors: nesting, roosting, and foraging activities on a given property.

Nesting

In New Hampshire, nests are most commonly found in tall, mature, open trees near the water’s edge, with white pine the most common species used. To date, no eagle nests have been observed on the Preserve.

Winter Roosting

In the winter, Bald Eagles will roost at night in communal groups near large areas of open water such as Great Bay in the Seacoast Region. 

According to UNH Cooperative Extension, winter roost sites are most commonly “characterized by large diameter white pines spaced far apart. This allows for easy access into the roost yet provides sufficient overhead cover to protect against inclement weather. Roost trees often face east on a >20% slope.” In order to help understand if roosting occurs on the Preserve, an evening eagle survey was conducted, as further described below. At this time, there is no documentation of a winter roost on the Preserve.

Foraging

Throughout the day, Bald Eagles forage for food. While they mainly eat fish found in the open water, they also will eat other birds, small/medium mammals, turtles and carrion.

SELT is aware that Bald Eagles have been observed in close proximity to the Preserve or on the Preserve during the day and that this site may support foraging activities by the eagles. Any proposed plan by the Franklin-McElheny working Group will account for possible eagle foraging on the property.

Eagle Survey

Our understanding is that while Bald Eagles most likely use the Preserve to forage throughout the day, that does not mean the Preserve is used as a winter roost at night. Because winter roost sites are used at night, an eagle survey was conducted on the evening of February 6, 2019. The Preserve was observed from a vantage point across the river from approximately 4:15 pm to 5:30 pm by New Hampshire Audubon’s Chris Martin, Rollinsford resident Jon Ordway, and Deborah Goard, SELT’s Stewardship Director.

During the survey no Bald Eagles were observed flying into or roosting in the trees on the Preserve; however, two adult Bald Eagles were observed along the river corridor. When the survey participants first arrived, one eagle was observed on a dead tree on the Maine side of the Salmon Falls River by the bridge. It soon departed and flew downstream toward the convergence of the Salmon Falls and Cocheco Rivers. The second eagle was seen just after 5:00 pm flying downstream over the Preserve, in the direction the first eagle flew.

While no direct signs of roosting were observed, SELT will pursue additional survey work in early spring to further look for signs of potential winter roost sites on the Preserve, such as feathers or regurgitated pellets, under trees that are suitable for roosting.