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Forestry Studies

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Forest Health and Management

The Conservation Commission is responsible for nearly 3,000 acres of Town-owned open spaces. Most of this property is forested. Forests are subject to many threats to their health. These threats include pests and pathogens such as the Emerald Ash Borer that has decimated most all of the ash trees in our town, the Hemlock Wolly Adelgid that is damaging and killing Eastern Hemlock trees, Beech Bark Disease and Beech Leaf disease, etc. Other threats come from the spread of invasive plants that crowd out the natural regrowth of trees. In addition, the overpopulation of white-tailed deer due to a lack of natural predators has resulted in deer browsing on new tree growth, decreasing their reproduction. In addition, by eating new tree seedlings and other native plants, deer inadvertently aid in the spread of invasive plants. Disturbances are a natural part of the forest lifecycle, but in recent years, the disturbances caused by these threats have been multiplying and threatening the normal growth and regeneration of our forests.

The Conservation Commission is aware of these forest health issues and is taking steps to address them where our resources allow. One of the first steps is to inventory our forests and assess their health. These forest management surveys can be an expensive undertaking requiring trained foresters or forest ecologists. We have been fortunate to partner with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s Forestry Division (DEEP) in conducting forestry site walks of some of our properties. To date, our regional DEEP forester has conducted field visits with Commission members to over a dozen properties. Writeups of these forestry field visits are available through the attached links. Where we have the resources available, the Conservation Commission addresses the open issues raised in these reports and the additional findings of our own Commissioners present on these field walk. More field visits to additional town forests are planned for the future.

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If Connecticut residents own forested properties over 10 acres and would like to have a state forester assist them, they are encouraged to visit the State’s DEEP Service Forester’s website.

Click the images for more information about the forest studies!

Office Hours

Mondays, Tuesdays, & Thursdays from 9 am to 1 pm.

Meeting Information

When: Generally every two weeks on Mondays unless otherwise noted. If Monday is a holiday, meetings are held on Wednesdays. Schedule can be found here.

Where:  1st Floor Conference Room, Town Hall Annex (66 Prospect Street)

Time: 7:00 pm

© 2024 Ridgefield Conservation Commission

How to Reach Us

Phone: 

Conservation Office: (203) 431-2713

Conservation Enforcement Officer: (203) 431-2383

Address:

Town Hall Annex
66 Prospect Street

Second Floor

Ridgefield, CT 06877

See map: Google Maps

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