Project Area
Management Goals
The overarching management goals for this project are to:
- Enhance stream habitat for native fish by increasing complexity of river geomorphology
- Enhance habitat resilience for wildlife and plants in river system in face of flood, drought and higher temperatures
- Protect local infrastructure from extreme weather events by reducing flow velocity
- Engage stakeholders (town, landowners, anglers, regulators) in process and promulgate these practices
Climate Change Impacts
Adaptation Actions
The Franking Land Trust, Trout Unlimited, and other local partners received a grant from the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Climate Adaptation Fund to improve the ability of the North River Watershed to cope with changing conditions. As part of this project, the Franklin Land Trust is demonstrating climate-informed options for enhancing in-stream habitat on the Crowningshield property and West Branch of the North River. Land trust staff and partners used the Adaptation Workbook to identify restoration and adaptation activities for implementation across these sites (see table below). Outreach materials for foresters, land trusts, and municipalities are also being developed in addition to the implementation of on-the-ground actions.
1.3: Maintain and restore stream channel form and function
1.4: Maintain and restore floodplain connectivity
Monitoring
In the forest and riparian areas, monitoring will be used to evaluate the forested condition of riparian areas (tree health, amount of stream shading) and the species composition. Invasive plant species will also be monitored to ensure favorable riparian forest conditions.