Crescent Beach Preserve

Project Background
The Land Bank has completed forest health assessments at many of its preserves to help prioritize its stewardship efforts in the face of a changing climate. The Crescent Beach Forest Thinning Project was first identified in 2022 by local forest management contractor Rain Shadow Consulting. It is also described in the 2024 Crescent Beach Stewardship and Management Plan. Both documents are available by request.

In broad terms, the project was designed to improve the forest’s health and resiliency to wildfire. We sought to meet these objectives by removing small diameter conifers within a 32-acre work area and by establishing a shaded fuel break along the existing trail. In 2024, the Land Bank applied for and received up to $240,000 in federal grant funds through the State’s Division of Forest Resiliency, a relatively new branch of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). We worked closely with DNR staff in the planning, delineation and marking of project boundaries. DNR led a competitive bidding process and selected Rain Shadow Consulting as the implementation contractor. Prior to initiation, we installed informational signage at the Preserve’s north and south trailheads.

Project Implementation
The project was completed over a period of eight weeks between July and September 2025 at a cost of $148,000. Although this required closure of the Preserve’s popular trail, the timing avoided primary nesting season and minimized the potential for soil compaction. Track-mounted equipment used in the operation included chippers, excavators and a skid-steer affixed with grinding heads. Following the completion of thinning activities, the Land Bank rehabilitated the trail corridor to its previous width and closed access roads created by the equipment.

Forest Disturbance and Recovery
Forest thinning operations cause unavoidable disturbance, which can be alarming. To enhance the long-term ecological health of the forest, and meet DNR contract requirements, it was necessary to remove vegetation along the trail corridor. Much of the vegetation in the shrub-layer will re-sprout, and grow back; however, we will continue to manage for a relatively open understory within 60 feet of the trail corridor to limit fuel, and to increase tree canopy cover and height. Prior to the project, the Preserve had extensive areas dominated by non-native, invasive plants such as English hawthorn and holly and Himalayan blackberry. We removed many of these plants mechanically during the project and will continue to manage them for several years. Other species such as English ivy and vinca are also present and increasing and will require management over time as part of our general stewardship efforts.

Following the completion of thinning operations, we raked and covered most areas of exposed soil and applied native grass seed where necessary. This winter, we will plant up to 10,000 native trees and shrubs in areas where the pre-treatment conditions prevented their establishment due to competition or understory vegetation due to dense shading. The species selected for planting (list provided below) will serve to reestablish species currently underrepresented due to factors such as previous logging, deer browse, overshading and a lack of local seed sources.

Sun-loving trees and shrubs will be planted in openings, and shade tolerant species will be spread throughout the understory in thinned areas. Many will be browsed to some degree by deer but, based on previous experience, most will tolerate it and survive. A few sensitive species (e.g., flowering dogwood), will be caged temporarily to prevent deer browse. Although most of the plants will be planted by Land Bank staff and contractors, there will be opportunities to volunteer in this effort.

If you have interest in joining a winter planting party, please email Tanja Williamson at tanjaw@sjclandbank.org.