Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation and The Nature Conservancy received the grants for conservation projects in Edgartown and West Tisbury from the state Department of Fish and Game.
Nearly $150,000 in state grant money was awarded to two conservation groups on Tuesday to help restore critical wildlife habitat on the Island.
Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation and The Nature Conservancy received the grants for conservation projects in Edgartown and West Tisbury from the state Department of Fish and Game.
Adam Moore, the president of Sheriff’s Meadow, said the state awarded his nonprofit $75,000 to manage the invasive southern pine beetle at the Caroline Tuthill Preserve in Edgartown.
While the beetles haven’t reached the Caroline Tuthill Preserve, Mr. Moore said the grant will go towards prevention. The beetle has been invading the Island’s other forests at an alarming rate, with the first infestation detected in 2023 on pines in the Phillips Preserve, also a Sheriff’s Meadow property.
“We do expect that the beetles will make their way [to the Caroline Tuthill Preserve] within the next couple of years, so this will be good to get ahead of it,” Mr. Moore said.
In the coming weeks the foundation will be marking pitch pines in dense areas that it plans to cut down or trim. The plan will then be reviewed by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation.
The beetle feeds on living inner-bark tissue in trees. Thinning the forest growth disrupts the bugs’ chemical messaging system, making it difficult for the species to spread, while also reducing the risk of wildfire.
“We’re grateful for the support and we think it’ll be beneficial to the property and to the forest, and to the community,” he said.
The Nature Conservancy received $65,100 to conduct prescribed burns in the Katama Plains and the Frances Newhall Woods Preserve in West Tisbury.
Karen Lombard, the director of stewardship and restoration for the Conservancy, said the burns will help preserve the iconic grasslands. The organization has been prescribing burns for its Island properties since the 1980s and received a similar state grant two years ago.
“It’s really to support biodiversity, which is one of the global crises, along with climate change,” Ms. Lombard said.
The Conservancy plans to hire a contractor and partner with the DCR and Island fire departments to safely perform the burns in the spring.
Comments
How is this management
turtles CjhilmarkHow is this management effecting box turtles? I understand that natural clearing: hurricane, lightning fires and tree disease and bug infestation can alter the environment and create openings in the forest and provide nesting sites and new food sources over a long time frame. Turtles can live for 100 years. Is there any funding to quickly locate and protect the turtles from this relatively new and continued man made mowing, burning management in specific areas? From what I have read box turtles are faithful to a small area. I looked at the nature conservancy grassland network and they either burn in the growing season to change the system or in the dormant season to maintain the system. When are these burns scheduled? I also just noticed that the nature conservancy has used "phenoxyl" based herbicide, 268 Picoloran, glyphoate, krenite herbicides" in its management , are these chemicals ok for turtles? Is there going to be pre fire turtle location? Would it make sense for the non profits to pool their funding and re-prioritize land acquisition over land management before it is lost to development? This tactic would also support carbon sequestration. Please educate, my concern is for the quiet and patient and endangered turtles of Chilmark
What is the vineyard
Johanna HynesWhat is the vineyard conservation society’s current stance on DCR’s proposal to remove more than 10,000 healthy white pines from the state forest.. ?
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