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Forest Service updates Stamford on timber sales, trail repairs and public access
Summary
U.S. Forest Service district ranger Martina Barnes and timber manager Stacy Stratton told the Stamford Select Board logging at Dutch Hill has ended and the closure order was rescinded; the agency described stewardship work, trail relocations and funding constraints for trail projects.
District Ranger Martina Barnes and Timber Program Manager Stacy Stratton briefed the board on U.S. Forest Service activity in and around Stamford, including timber sales, land-acquisition status and ongoing recreation projects. Barnes said the closure order for Dutch Hill—put in place during heavy equipment operations—has been rescinded and "the area is now open for use again to the public." She cautioned that the Roaring Branch land acquisition remains delayed "due to staffing shortages" and may not close within a year.
Stacy Stratton outlined post-harvest stewardship: hauling remains in some units because mills were closed, and crews will do erosion-control work such as water bars and rock barricades to repair soil damage and prepare for regeneration. On recreation, Forest Service staff said they are replacing a worn shelter on the Appalachian Trail, installing a backcountry privy and planning to add a bear box to enforce a food-closure order aimed at reducing nuisance bears.
The Forest Service also discussed collaborative trail projects: the Green Mountain Club will relocate a segment of the Appalachian Trail from private land onto national forest to provide permanent corridor protection, while volunteer clubs and Bronco Wild funding (noted at $40,000) and $15,000 from the Forest Service are targeted at trail improvements and maintenance. Agency staff emphasized that some grant programs (recreation-trail grants) require trail relocations outside wetlands, which affects eligibility for certain Stamford projects.
Board members and residents raised water-rights and ownership questions about a parcel held by the Trust for Public Land; Forest staff referred those technical questions to land-records specialists and suggested residents contact district land staff for records.
