Conservation commissioner outlines multi‑year restoration plan for Lilona Cove

Sandy Angelus, a member of the Southbury Conservation Commission, told the Inlands, Wetlands and Watercourse Agency on June 17 that the commission plans to restore roughly 27.3 acres at Lilona Cove after extensive tree cutting on the parcel in 2017.

Angelus said the site, adjacent to Lake Lillenona, lost about 140 trees in 2017 and that the disturbed canopy has allowed invasive species such as multiflora rose, Japanese barberry and oriental bittersweet to proliferate. She said native saplings — including red oak, American hornbeam, sugar maple and red maple — are returning in places but that invasive understory growth is dense and impeding recovery.

"We want to encourage the native growth. We want to discourage the invasive species," Angelus said, describing drone and GIS photos she showed the commission. She said the settlement tied to litigation over the property yielded funds the town will use to address the damage.

Angelus described a proposed three‑ to four‑year treatment plan followed by long‑term monitoring: annual or semiannual targeted control of invasives (including limited herbicide application by trained personnel), followed by canopy recovery and reduced treatment needs once native trees establish. She said some areas will require professional contractors because the scale and techniques (herbicide application, repeated visits, and plantings or transplants) exceed volunteer capacity.

The presentation emphasized minimizing long‑term disturbance and restoring native understory and canopy structure. Angelus said the commission intends to monitor the site for roughly a decade and to return for follow‑up treatments if invasive species reappear.

The commission did not take a formal regulatory action on the presentation; Angelus presented the plan as an update and a courtesy so commissions and staff would be informed about proposed use of settlement funds and planned contractors.