Natural Resources

natural areas, fragile areas, and wildlife resources

Healthy, functioning ecosystems are important for ecological, educational, scenic and contemplative value. The Vermont Conservation Design project is a landscape level of design to promote ecological functioning. According to the Agency of Natural Resources, “The lands and waters identified in this project are the areas of the state that are the highest priority for maintain ecological integrity. Together, these lands comprise a connected landscape of large and intact forested habitat, healthy aquatic and riparian systems, and a full range of physical features (bedrock, soils, elevation, slope and aspect) on which plan and animal natural communities depend.” The identified elements of Vermont Conservation Design can be found on Vermont BioFinder. Outside of the high priority areas, some areas are unique and considered rare.  They provide ecological preserves of relatively unaltered environments that are important to wildlife, biological diversity and the natural heritage of the region.

In addition to the state identified natural and fragile locations, the WRC identifies bear habitat and corridor areas, deer wintering areas, brook trout fish habitat, large blocks of forested lands, critical wildlife corridors, areas where threatened or endangered species are found, significant natural communities, amphibian and reptile crossings and locally identified important natural areas as important wildlife resources.

designated natural or fragile areas

Vermont law enables the State to designate Natural Areas (10 V.S.A. § 2607) and Fragile Areas (10 V.S.A. § 6551).

• A Natural Area is a “limited areas of land that have retained their wilderness character, although not necessarily completely natural and undisturbed, or have rare or vanishing species of plant or animal life or similar features of interest that are worthy of preservation for the use of present and future residents of the State and may include unique ecological, geological, scenic, and contemplative recreational areas on State lands.” Designated Natural Areas are owned by the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation.
• The State of Vermont defines a Fragile Area as “… an area of land or water that has unusual or significant flora, fauna, geological, or similar features of scientific, ecological, or educational interest.” Any party can own a Fragile Area, but it must have been determined to be of statewide significance. 

These designations provide protection and the assurance that the areas will be managed to maintain their natural integrity.  Hamilton Falls, on Cobb Brook in Jamaica State Park, and Terrible Mountain on the eastern border of Weston are the Windham Region's only state-registered Natural Areas. The only state-registered Fragile Area is the J. Maynard Miller Memorial Forest (the Black Gum Swamps) in Vernon. 

lands above 2,500 feet

Although not formally designated as such, areas above 2,500 feet in elevation are often fragile areas in Vermont.  Lands above 2,500 feet are especially vulnerable natural environments because of their generally thin soils, steep slopes, sensitive vegetation, important wildlife habitats and often greater than average precipitation and wind.  Some 24,800 acres (4 percent) of the Windham Region are above 2,500 feet in elevation. By state law, all waters above 2,500 feet are classified A1 – Ecological Waters.

bear habitat & Corridors

Eastern black bears require forest territory for survival. Stands of oak and beech trees are especially important in that these trees produce nuts for food in summer and fall. Bears also need wetland forest habitat, where they get food in spring. Because bears use different habitats seasonally, they must also have a way to move between them. Bears travel through "corridors" to move across roads or through developed areas from one habitat area to another.

Bears are large animals, and they require large, unbroken areas of habitat. Habitat fragmentation causes many problems for bears by restricting their movement within their home ranges, by reducing food supplies, and by increasing the chance of collisions with automobiles. It also increases the frequency of contact with humans, a situation that often ends badly for the bears. Fragmentation of bear habitat should be minimized and bear travel corridors should be protected.

deer wintering areas

Deer wintering areas or "deer yards" are a critically important habitat type for deer to survive through the winter. Only 7 to 8 percent of Vermont's forests make up such wintering areas. An important part of a deer yard is the evergreen trees that catch the snow in their branches, thus reducing snow depth underneath and making deer travel easier and less energy intensive when food is relatively scarce. The trees also provide thermal cover that gives the deer protection from the wind. Deer may move 10 to 15 miles to go to a yard and stay in the protection of the area all winter. Deer wintering areas can be found on the Vermont Natural Resources Atlas.

cold Water fish habitat

Most of the region’s rivers and streams provide important cold-water fish habitats.  Shaded stream banks, clean gravel and rocky bottoms, and clean, cool water are necessary to maintain these cold-water fisheries (e.g. brook trout).  Lakes, ponds, and larger, slower moving rivers provide warm-water fish habitat.  Healthy fisheries are important for both their ecological and economic value.  Sedimentation from runoff, bacteria from septic systems, clearing of streambank vegetation, damming of rivers and streams, development of on-stream ponds and lowering in-stream water flows all negatively impact important fish habitats.  Stream crossings that do not provide aquatic organism passage and/or are not geomorphically compatible can also have negative impacts.  Wetlands, vernal pools and other surface waters also provide specialized habitats for fish, reptiles, amphibians, mammals and migratory birds.  Vegetated stream buffers and corridors provide important wildlife travel corridors, help maintain cooler water temperatures and stabilize stream banks from erosion.  Additionally, connectivity both laterally and vertically is important for the ecologically health of the waterway.

Forest Blocks and Corridors

The mountainous, forested landscape remote from community centers is the stronghold and haven for the region's large mammals, including black bear, moose, deer, bobcat, fisher, coyote, otter, and beaver. Large populations of deer and coyotes can also be found in the less remote areas.  Completing the forest ecosystem are the smaller mammals, reptiles, amphibians, game birds, raptors, and many valued songbirds, insects and a network of plants, fungi, mosses and micro-organism working together to create a diverse forested landscape. New roads, guardrails, and construction of homes and other forms of development, as well as indiscriminate timber cutting, outbreaks of tree disease and replacement of native vegetation with invasive plant species, endanger both the quantity and quality of these important wildlife habitats.  

rare, threatened or endangered species

A rare species is one that has only a few populations in the state and that faces threats to its continued existence. Rare species face threats from development of their habitat, harassment, collection, and suppression of natural processes, such as fire.

The term “endangered” generally refers to species whose continued existence as a viable component of the state's wild fauna or flora is in jeopardy, while “threatened” species are those whose numbers are significantly declining because of loss of habitat or human disturbance, and unless protected will become an endangered species.  The Vermont Natural Resources Atlas, can be used to identify areas where threatened or endangered plant and animals are located in the state. Due to threat of threatened and endangered species being harvested from the wild, the map does not name the species of concern nor give a pinpointed location.

In the Windham Region, the Town of Vernon, the West River, Herrick’s Cove at the mouth of the Williams River and other Connecticut River direct tributaries have high occurrences of rare, threatened or endangered species.

critical natural areas (high levels of biodiversity)

Critical natural areas are zones that can support a high level of biodiversity because of their natural characteristics.  Based on Vermont Conservation Design, BioFinder is a map and database identifying Vermont's lands and waters supporting high priority ecosystems, natural communities, habitats, and species. Within the Windham Region, Stratton and Somerset mountains, the Black Gum Swamp in Vernon, Herrick’s Cove in Rockingham, and the upper and lower West River reaches and tributaries all have areas supporting high levels of biodiversity.

invasive species

Invasive species, also called invasive exotics or simply exotics, are "non-indigenous" or "non-native" species that adversely affect the habitats and bioregions they invade economically, environmentally, and/or ecologically. Such invasive species may be either plants or animals and may disrupt the native habitat by weakening or eliminating natural controls such as predators or herbivores. In the Windham Region, the most notable terrestrial invasive plants are Japanese Knotweed, Barberry, Garlic Mustard, and Glossy Buckthorn. Aquatic invasives include Eurasian Watermilfoil, Water Chestnut, Hydrilla, and Curly Leaf Pondweed. Forest pests include emerald ash borer, hemlock woolly adelgid, elongate hemlock scale, Asian longhorned beetle, spotted lanternfly, beech leaf disease, oak wilt, and jumping worms. To find out more information on invasive species of Vermont, including identification, biology, management options, and Vermont distribution, visit Vermont Invasives.

Early detection is very important in controlling the spread of invasive species. When detected at the early stage, there is some hope, that with treatment, the species root hold can be disrupted. Once established, evasive species are not likely to be eradicated, but there are steps for managing their spread. In Windham County, the Southeast Vermont Cooperative Invasive Species Management Association (SE VT CISMA) is a non-profit volunteer group working on educating the public about terrestrial invasive species. For aquatic invasive education, the Windham County Natural Resource Conservation District hosts the Vermont Public Access Greeter Program at several lakes throughout the region . Vermont DEC runs an aquatic invasive monitoring program called the Vermont Invasive Patrollers (VIP) Program and volunteer monitors in the region report sightings to Vermont DEC’s ponds and lake division.

Air Quality

The Clean Air Act of the Environmental Protection Administration identifies two types of national ambient air quality standards. Primary standards provide public health protection, including protecting the health of "sensitive" populations such as asthmatics, children, and the elderly. Secondary standards provide protection against decreased visibility and damage to animals, crops, vegetation, and buildings.  The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation Air Monitoring Section operates the division’s statewide ambient air monitoring network for the measurement of EPA criteria pollutants- ozone, particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide, as well as meteorological parameters such as wind speed and direction, temperature, barometric pressure, precipitation and solar radiation.  The two closest monitoring stations to the Windham Region can be found in the Towns of Bennington and Rutland.

Aside from national air quality standards, outdoor air pollution in significant concentrations can raise aesthetic and nuisance issues such as impairment of scenic visibility; unpleasant smoke or odors; atmospheric impacts to water quality; and can also pose human health problems, especially for more sensitive populations like children, asthma sufferers, and the elderly. The region’s air quality is impacted by both local and distant sources of air pollution. Local sources include discharges from industries, combustion of fuels for residential heating, and significantly from non-point sources such as automobile operation. As in other parts of New England, the topography, prevailing wind and weather patterns also bring air pollution to southeastern Vermont from other areas of the country.