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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20260626_LMP_Main St _1000_COTLAND MANAGEMENT PLAN 1000 Main Street | Cotuit, MA June 26, 2026 SOUTHERN PROPERTY LINE LOOKING TOWARDS THE FOOTPATH 3 NORTHEASTERN CORNER OF PROPERTY 3 INTRODUCTION & PROJECT GOALS The project site is an approximate one acre parcel with a single family home viewing Cotuit Bay. The property is bounded by Cotuit Bay to the east, a saltmarsh to the southeast, and a residential lot to the north. This Land Management Plan (LMP) accompanies a Notice of Intent filing for a proposed shed, driveway addition, proposed vegetation management to remove invasive, aggressive and non-native plant species and planting to restore native plant communities. The project activities will occur within the Coastal Bank and its buffers. The goal of this Land Management Plan is to conserve and restore the existing native plant community in areas that are currently degraded by invasive plant species. These actions will improve the resource area’s ability to filter runoff and contaminants, as well as enhance the quality of habitat available to wildlife. Conservation activities will include the removal of invasive plants and restoration of a native plant community to the Coastal Bank and portions of the 50’ and 100’ buffer to the bank. Revitalizing and enhancing native plant communities will result in greater biodiversity, improved habitat for wildlife, and improved buffer zone functioning. Wilkinson Ecological Design (WED) believes interests protected under the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act and the Town of Barnstable Wetlands Bylaw are served by this plan. PROJECT AREA DIAGRAM MIDDLE OF FOOTPATH LOOKING TOWARDS COTUIT BAY SOUTHWEST SIDE OF THE HOUSE 2 EXISTING CONDITIONS The project area surrounds the residence that is located along the Coastal Bank and within portions of the associated buffer zones. The project area extends along the fence line and footpath that leads from the residence to Cotuit Bay. See the project area diagram on page 3 for the location of all project areas. Directly abutting the southwest side of the house is a carpet of non-native and state-listed invasive vines. These vines are climbing up trees and beginning to damage them. This area receives some shaded canopy from the trees on the adjacent property. North of the residence is a thick spruce dominant woodland that lacks adequate sunlight. There is no understory within this grove and some of the trees are in poor condition due to being starved from light and others were damaged over the winter during the storms. Northeast of the residence, the parcel is primarily wooded. The primary tree species include white oak, pitch pine and white pine. Two Norway Spruce and a Norway Maple were found around the edges of the property. The understory is comprised of a mix of invasive shrub honeysuckle and ornamental junipers. Along the southern property line, leading from the house to footpath the vegetation is primarily state-listed invasive and non-native species including shrub honeysuckle, autumn olive and scotch broom. These invasive and non-native plant species continue along the fence-line and footpath adjacent to the saltmarsh. As the footpath nears the Cotuit Bay, the vegetation is primarily native with hightide bush being the most prominant species. Few invasive and non-native species were noted near Cotuit Bay. 11 2 4 © 2026 Microsoft Corporation © 2026 Maxar ©CNES (2026) Distribution Airbus DS © 2026 T MAP M OBILITY Earthstar Geographics SIO E D N 100’ BUFFER EDGE OFSALT M ARS H 50’ B UFF E R PROJECT AREAS TOP OF C O AS T AL B A N K COTUIT BAY N.T.S. #1000 #996 FEMA FLOODPLAIN (AE)MAIN STREETBAY OVERVIEW AREA FOOTPATH 41 2 3 4 5 PROPOSED PROJECT ACTIVITIES The restoration strategy proposed for the project area will be accomplished through the following activities: 1. Vegetation Management: Manage invasive, non-native, and aggressive plant species within the project area. 2. Native Plant Restoration: Seed appropriate native grasses and forbs and supplementally plant native shrubs and trees to restore the targeted native plant community. 3. Footpath Management: Prune back vegetation that is reaching into the footpath that leads to Cotuit Bay. Invasive Plant Management Invasive plant management will target all invasive, non-native, and aggressive plants throughout the approximate 3,600 square foot project area. Plants to be managed include shrub and vine honeysuckle, Asiatic bittersweet, and autumn olive. Treatments will consist of mechanical removal and selective herbicide application using the method most effective for the species being treated. All herbicide applications will be performed by Massachusetts licensed applicators. The Invasive Plant Management Protocols in the Appendix include species- specific information and management strategies. After treatment, remaining root materials will be root-grappled, on less steep portions of the bank, in preparation for replanting with native species. Native soils will not be removed from the project area. Areas of bare soil will be seeded with a soil stabilizing native grass mix and covered with a biodegradable mulch product, or biodegradable erosion control blankets, where necessary. Where invasive vines, such as Asiatic bittersweet, are intertwined with viable native species, they will be treated and left in place until desiccated, then removed in order to avoid damaging underlying vegetation. Regenerative pruning techniques will be used on native shrubs where needed, including existing clusters of bayberry and arrowwood. This pruning technique results in increased biomass of the subject plant over several years. Native Plant Community Restoration Restoring the Coastal Bank with a dense cover of native plants adjacent to Cotuit Bay will improve watershed function by filtering potential pollutants and stormwater runoff, while resulting in greater biodiversity and improved wildlife habitat throughout the property. After invasive plant removal is complete in the restoration areas and lawn is removed in the mitigation area, the Coastal Bank and buffer zones will be planted and seeded with native woody and herbaceous plants indicative of a Coastal Woodland and Maritime Shrubland. Proposed native species will diversify the existing native plant communities especially with regard to understory vegetation. Proposed species include black chokeberry, Carolina rose, sweetfern, and winterberry. Seedling sumac will be removed from the maritime shrubland restoration area in order to maintain the open-shrub-dominated plant community in the long-term. The Maritime Shrubland community has significant ecological value to the Cape Cod ecosystem. Maritime Shrublands thrive in areas with sandy, nutrient-poor soil, and are directly exposed to salt spray from the ocean. They are a shrub-dominant community, with over 40% cover being shrubs, and trees making up less than 25% cover. If a community has more than 25% tree cover, it can no longer be considered a Maritime Shrubland. 41% of Massachusetts state-listed moths and butterflies are recognized as species that rely on shrubland communities to survive, with Maritime Shrubland being one of the most important shrubland communities. Many of these species use the shrubs as a host for their larval stage. Songbirds must meet specific nutritional requirements during fall migration. Birds that normally consume insects will eat high quantities of fruit during migration; fruit is high in carbohydrates, which help to provide energy. Fruits provide varying amounts of protein, which is also crucial for migrating songbirds. Maintaining healthy Maritime shrublands and Coastal Woodlands will ensure that songbirds have access to adequate nutrition at migration stopover sites. Maritime Shrubland provides important habitat for avian species. The woody shrubs are ideal nesting sites for Northern Harrier, Eastern Towhee, and Song Sparrow. In addition to avians, white-tail deer also rely on the fruit-bearing shrubs as a source of food. The general quantity of woody and herbaceous understory plant species in the woodland are found to be poor. The proposed woodland restoration activities will improve the understory by removing the state-listed invasive species and aggressive non-native plant species and by planting species typically found in a Coastal Woodland and Maritime Shrubland such as lowbush blueberry chokeberry, sweetfern and Carolina rose. A combined nine trees, including one maple, one oak, one white pine, two hollies, and four spruces will be removed due to poor health, safety concerns and to open the understory up for the restoration planting that will foster a diverse native plant community representative of an Oak-Pine Woodland. This restoration will also increase the density of the naturalized buffer between the developed areas of the property and the salt marsh. The diagram above graphically represents the proposed increase of native understory species. Restoration planting will take place within heavily invaded areas after treatment and monitoring are conducted. All restoration planting will use existing native vegetation including native bayberry, hightidebush, and arrowwood to inform planting palette and location. Refer to the Restoration Plan for a complete listing of proposed plants and planting locations. REGULATORY COMPLIANCE It is WED’s professional opinion that project activities described in this Land Management Plan serve the interests of the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act and the Barnstable Wetland By-law. Proposed activities will meet all applicable resource area performance standards, improve conditions for the benefit of extant wildlife, diversify plant species, and promote natural communities. The Restoration Planting Area will be planted with a quantity of trees and shrubs to restore the woodland understory and shrubland. Species to be planted include eastern red cedar, winterberry, and black chokeberry. In addition to the native plant restoration, management of storm damaged saplings and trees are proposed within the project area due to storm damage. Two (2) white pine saplings and one (1) eastern red cedar saplings are proposed to be removed due to storm damage. Two spruces that were also damaged from the winter storms are also proposed to be removed. The storm topped the saplings and trees, leaving them with a higher risk of structural damage in the future. Nine trees will be mitigated with shrubs at a minimum 3:1 rate to better support the understory restoration within the woodlands, while two of the proposed non-native trees to be removed will be replaced at a 1:1 ratio with Native Eastern Red Cedars. To replace the damaged saplings, one eastern red cedar will be planted within the native plant restoration area. The eastern red cedars will better support the restoration efforts of a Coastal Woodland and Maritime Shrubland. Canopy Canopy Sub-Canopy Shrub Ground Cover Existing Woodland Conditions Proposed Woodland Conditions Plant Species Plant Species Oak White Pine Oak White Pine Arrowwood Black Chokeberry Bayberry Carolina Rose Shrub Honeysuckle Scotchbroom Butterflyweed Sweetfern Little bluestem Creeping red fescue Fox sedge Upland bentgrass Broomsedge Winterberry Eastern Red Cedar 76 Fall • Pre-treat all Asiatic bittersweet, shrub & vine honeysuckle, and non-native plant species approved for removal with an herbicide appropriate to the plant species if necessary. Treatment methods, depending on species, size and environmental conditions, will consist of cut-and-wipe or selective foliar application. • Where feasible, mechanically uproot or root grapple pre- treated vegetation using compact, low ground pressure equipment with care to remove only root material, leaving native soils in place. • Perform regenerative pruning of native shrub species as necessary. • Immediately seed any exposed or conditioned soils with specified seed mix and cover area with a biodegradable mulch product, or install biodegradable erosion control blankets where necessary on sloping areas. General Notes: • Herbicides are to be applied by Massachusetts licensed individuals only. • All herbicide applications will avoid non-target native species. • All herbicides used near open water will be approved for wetland use. Winter/Spring • As previously cut plants re-sprout and any remaining seed bank germinates, selectively treat using a low-volume foliar spot application or a cut-and-wipe application of an approved herbicide to all previously listed species at the approved rates • Hand-weed any annual weed species, re-sprouting invasive or aggressive plants where feasible. • Monitor plant response to earlier management treatments and calibrate follow-up treatments accordingly. Summer • Continue management treatments as previously cut plants re-sprout and seed bank germinates by either weeding or selectively treating using a low-volume foliar spot application or a cut-and-wipe application of an approved herbicide to all previously listed species at the approved rates. • Hand-weed any annual weed species, re-sprouting invasive or aggressive plants where feasible. • Install temporary irrigation in preparation for planting the project area. Fall • Plant project areas according to the Restoration Plan. • Continue management treatments as previously cut plants re-sprout and seed bank germinates by either weeding or selectively treating using a low-volume foliar spot application or a cut-and-wipe application of an approved herbicide to all previously listed species at the approved rates. THREE-YEAR LAND MANAGEMENT TIMELINE 20272026 Winter/Spring • Monitor plant response to earlier management treatments and calibrate follow-up treatments accordingly. Summer • As previously cut plants re-sprout and any remaining seed bank germinates, selectively treat using a low-volume foliar spot application or a cut-and-wipe application of an approved herbicide to all previously listed species at the approved rates • Hand-weed any annual weed species, re-sprouting invasive or aggressive plants where feasible. Fall • Continue management treatments as previously cut plants re-sprout and seed bank germinates by either weeding or selectively treating using a low-volume foliar spot application or a cut-and-wipe application of an approved herbicide to all previously listed species at the approved rates. 2028 ONGOING Ongoing Maintenance • If land management treatments have been successful, only monitoring and hand removal will be required to keep non-native, invasive, and aggressive species from being reintroduced (this will vary depending on actual carbohydrate stores in the roots and environmental conditions throughout the treatment period). Invasive plants generally take a minimum of three to five years of active management to reach a level of successful control. • Invasive plant removal is recommended to be an ongoing part of the life of the Order of Conditions for this project in order to maintain the restored condition of the plant communities on the property. Ongoing invasive plant removal is typically carried out three to five times per year depending on the site conditions and client preference. We ask that this condition be incorporated into the Special Conditions of the Order. 8 9 APPENDIX I: Plant Inventory for 1000 Main Street Native species: Hightide Bush Baccharis halimifolia Eastern Red Cedar Juniperus virginiana Bayberry Morella pensylvanica Pitch Pine Pinus rigida White Pine Pinus strobus Black Oak Quercus velutina White Oak Quercus alba Staghorn Sumac Rhus typhina Poison Ivy Toxicodendron radicans Arrowwood Viburnum dentatum Invasive and Non-native species: Norway Maple Acer platanoides Japanese Barberry Berberis thunbergii Bittersweet Celastrus orbiculatus Scotch Broom Cytisus scoparius Autumn Olive Elaeagnus umbellata Burning Bush Euonymus alatus English Ivy Hedera helix Common Juniper Juniperus procumbens ‘nana’ Shrub Honeysuckle Lonicera morowii Vine Honeysuckle Lonicera japonica Norway Spruce Picea abies White Poplar Populus alba Multiflora Rosa Rosa multiflora Lilac Syringa spp. Invasive Plant Management Protocol Invasive Plant Management Protocols are designed to maximize the effectiveness of treatments and minimize disturbance to natural resources through selective herbicide application and/or mechanical methods. Appropriately timed treatments are based on individual plant life cycles, growing seasons, and levels of infestation. Mechanical means of removal or hand removal will always be considered and utilized where possible. A program of selective herbicide application will be instituted during time periods when the plants will translocate the herbicide most efficiently to destroy root materials. As the carbohydrate transfer is dictated primarily by weather, the management timeline is specified by season only, necessitating field expertise to initiate timely management procedures. Please reference the Three-Year Land Management Timeline for specific treatment times. The Massachusetts Invasive Plant Advisory Group [MIPAG] is a voluntary collaborative representing organizations and professionals concerned with the conservation of the Massachusetts landscape. MIPAG Definitions 1. Native plants: A native (indigenous) species is one that occurs in a particular region, ecosystem, and habitat without direct or indirect human actions. Native plants suited for our coastal areas bind sediments with their fibrous roots. Grasses and forbs create a groundcover that not only stabilize sediments, but improve the quality of wildlife habitat and slow water runoff. Many invasive plants lack fibrous root systems and often have allelopathic chemicals which inhibit the growth of surrounding vegetation, thus creating areas of bare earth which lead to faster rates of erosion, decreased wildlife habitat quality, and increased storm water runoff. The loss of native vegetation to invasive plant species degrades our wetlands and public interests (as stated below) and decreases the diversity of our biological community. 2. Invasive Plants: As defined by MIPAG, invasive plants are non-native species that have spread into native plant systems, causing economic or environmental harm by developing self-sustaining populations and dominating and/or disrupting those native systems. Invasive plant’s biology and physiology equip them with the means to out-compete native plants, disrupting native plant communities and compromising the integrity of that ecosystem. Invasive plant species can alter hydrological patterns, soil chemistry, moisture holding capacity, and can accelerate erosion. 3. Regenerative Pruning: Limited pruning of native shrubs and saplings, such as Clethra and black cherry, to remove damaged, weak, and leggy stems will stimulate healthy new growth and vigorous flowering, thus encouraging their continued growth. 4. Sapling: A small tree, usually defined being between 2 and 4 inches dbh. References Bryan, Robert R. (2012) “Principles for Sustaining Ecological Integrity: Recommended Management Practices.” Maine Audubon Society. Maine Audubon Society. 14 May. 2012. Cullina, M., Connelly B., Sorrie, B., & Somers, P. (1999). The vascular plants of Massachusetts: A county checklist (first revision). Westborough, Mass.: Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program. Massachusetts Invasive Plant Advisory Group (MIPAG) (2005). Strategic Recommendations for Managing Invasive Plants in Massachusetts. Retrieved from https://www.massnrc.org/ mipag/docs/strategic_plan_final_042005.pdf Swain, P.C. (2016). Classification of the Natural Communities of Massachusetts. Version 2.0. Westborough: MA, Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. Retrieved from https://grownativemass. org/sites/default/files/documents/Swain_Classification_ Natural_Communities.pdf Smith, Susan B., McPherson, Kathleen H., Backer, Jeffrey M., Pierce, Barbara J., Podlesak, David W.,McWIlliams, Scott R. “Fruit Quality And Consumption By Songbirds During Autumn Migration.” Wilson Journal Of Ornithology 119.3(2007): 419- 428. was charged by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs to provide recommendations to the Commonwealth regarding which plants are invasive and what steps should be taken to manage these species. Refer to http://www.massnrc.org/MIPAG/. Asiatic Bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) poses a threat to the preservation of native plant communities because it has the ability to form dense stands of vines in open fields and forests alike. It is most effectively controlled using a “cut-and-wipe” method of herbicide application with an ultra-low volume Triclopyr-based herbicide. A low volume foliar spray or a basal bark treatment is also very effective. (MIPAG Listed Invasive). English Ivy (Hedera helix) is an aggressive evergreen vine often used as an ornamental groundcover. It has the potential to completely out-compete all low-growing vegetation. English ivy can also grow into trees and cover the trunk, branches, block sunlight, and eventually kill the tree. The tree eventually becomes susceptible to blow over due to its weakened state and the added weight of the vine. Mechanical uprooting followed by treatments of a Triclopyr-based herbicide is the preferred treatment method for this plant. (Not a State-Listed invasive). Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) is an aggressive perennial vine that thrives in a range of conditions, including full sun and full shade. This invasive species has several advantages over native plants species, including high seed production rates and persistent leaves that allow photosynthesis after surrounding deciduous vegetation becomes dormant. These advantages allow the vine to form dense mats that out- compete native vegetation. An herbicide treatment is the most effective method to control the vine. The persistent leaves can be used to an advantage, allowing for an application of Glyphosate-based herbicide when other deciduous plants are dormant. (MIPAG Listed Invasive) Multiflora Rose (Rosa multiflora) is a highly adaptable perennial vine or shrub that can grow in full sun or full shade and thrive in a wide variety of habitats, including upland, wetland, and coastal habitats. The plant’s aggressive growth habit forms impenetrable thickets, allowing it to crowd out native vegetation. Birds help disperse the prolific amount of seeds Multiflora rose produces. Mechanical removal is recommended if conditions allow. If soil disturbance must be minimized, a cut and wipe treatment with a Triclopyr-based herbicide should be used. Regular hand pulling of juvenile plants and spot herbicide treatments are also recommended for persistent re-sprouts. (MIPAG Listed Invasive) Shrub Honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii & bella) poses a major threat to native habitats. These species aggressively out- compete native shrubs in the edge habitat and woodland understory. Shrub honeysuckle can invade a wide variety of native habitats, with or without any previous disturbance. According to vegetation management guidelines published by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, shrub honeysuckle is suspected of producing allelopathic chemicals that inhibit the growth of other plants. Honeysuckle should be mechanically uprooted if conditions allow, where this is not possible, a cut and wipe herbicide treatment should be used. Regular hand pulling of juvenile plants and spot herbicide treatments are also recommended for persistent re-sprouts. (MIPAG Listed Invasive, Massachusetts Prohibited Plant List).