Town of Hinesburg: LaPlatte Headwaters Town Forest Committee

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LaPlatte Headwaters Town Forest

The acquisition and conservation of the 301 acres of forestland, wetlands, and riparian areas along the LaPlatte River that is Hinesburg’s Town Forest was part of the LaPlatte Headwaters Initiative on the Bissonette Farm led by the Hinesburg Land Trust and Trust for Public Land.
www.flickr.com This is a Flickr photo badge showing pictures from a Flickr set called Bissonette Town Forest. Click Above to View Photos From The LHTF	The Town now has the opportunity to enjoy this diverse and unique property, as well as the responsibility to manage it into the future. As a first step in the management process, a planning committee was assembled during the spring of 2008 and created a draft management plan for the Forest. As a part of this process, the committee organized a series of walks to give the public the opportunity to learn about the Forest (see photos to the left).
In July of 2008 the Hinesburg Select Board appointed members from the Hinesburg Planning Commission, Conservation Commission, Trails Committee, and Land Trust to serve on a planning committee with the responsibility of creating the management plan that incorporated public input, including a public forum, and expert advice. Memebers included: Kristen Sharpless, Kate Tarkington, Andrea Morgante, Lisa Godfrey, Jean Isham, Lenore Budd, Stewart Pierson, and Tim Clancy. The management plan was completed and approved in December 2009. The temporary committee was dissolved and the permanent Town Forest Committee was given the charge of implementing the plan.

Vision Statement
The following statement is the vision of the residents of Hinesburg for the future of the LaPlatte Headwaters Town Forest (LHTF): The LHTF is a special place where we come to enjoy, learn from, and care for the land, its forests, streams, wetlands, and inhabitants. We will observe natural processes at work and model management activities to reflect these processes. We will monitor changes and adapt our future management in response to what we learn. All of us will have opportunities to explore the LHTF’s unique and diverse natural systems and our place within them.

Goals
The following are Hinesburg residents’ goals for the management of the LHTF: Promote educational and community uses of the LHTF that are compatible with other management goals. Maintain and enhance ecological connections between the LHTF and the larger landscape. Allow natural processes to govern the LHTF’s ecosystems and model any active management on these processes to the extent possible. Protect and enhance habitat for the endangered Indiana Bat and a diversity of other native species. Allow the LaPlatte River and its tributaries to create and adjust their natural channels and floodplains over time. Protect the water quality of the LaPlatte River and its tributaries. Restore and conserve wetlands. Promote and manage recreational uses that are compatible with other management goals for the LHTF. Demonstrate sustainable forestry practices that protect and enhance ecosystem function and health. Allow agricultural uses that are compatible with other management goals in designated areas of the LHTF. Monitor and respond to ecological changes.

Documents: Laplatte Headwaters Town Forest Management Plan – 12/2009 (.pdf) LaPlatte Headwaters Town Forest Map – 9/13/10 (.pdf)


Committee Meeting Minutes
2009 Minutes September 3, 2009 July 16, 2009 June 11, 2009 May 21, 2009 April 30, 2009 April 16, 2009 April 2, 2009 March 19, 2009 March 5, 2009 February 12, 2009 January 22, 2009 2008 Minutes November 20, 2008 November 6, 2008 October 16, 2008 October 2, 2008 September 18, 2008 September 4, 2008 August 26, 2008 August 12, 2008 July 22, 2008 July 8, 2008 June 10, 2008 May 15, 2008 April 17, 2008 April 2, 2008

Town of Hinesburg
Founded 1762