Updated_Attachment_1_Barton_Farm_SOW_April_2016.pdf

Barton Farm – WRP Restoration NRCS Wetland Reserve Program

Easement Overview

The Barton Farm property is Plat 251 Lot 179, 1351 Centerville Rd, Warwick RI and is owned by the City of Warwick. The entire property is approximately 66 acres. The NRCS Wetland Reserve Program (WRP) easement is 30.4 acres (see Existing Conditions Map). The site historically was a dairy farm, but has been hayed in recent years under the ownership of the City.

The City of Warwick is the property owner, however, USDA – NRCS owns a Wetlands a perpetual easement on the wetland through the Wetland Reserve Program (WRP). As per the easement language in the Warranty Easement Deed: Part V (Rights of the United States) Section ‘A’ (Management Activities). The United States shall have the right to enter unto the easement area to undertake, at its own expense or on a cost-share basis with the Landowner or other entity, any activities to restore, protect, manage, maintain, enhance, and monitor, the wetland and other natural values of the easement area. The United States, at its own cost, may apply to or impound additional waters on the easement area in order to maintain or improve wetland and other natural values.

Existing Conditions:

Most of the upland area of the farm consists of a bedrock-controlled upland (mix of ledge outcrops and deep soils) with well drained Narragansett soils on convex slopes and moderately well drained Wapping soils on the gently sloping lower elevations. Along the concave slopes and drainage ways are the hydric poorly drained Ridgebury/Liecester/Raypole and very poorly drained Whitman soils. All of the well and moderately well drained soils formed in silty loess underlain by ablation till. The site currently has invasive plants Multiflora Rose (Rosa Multiflora), Oriental Bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) and Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus umbellate) that are intermixed through the easement - occurring mostly along the stone walls (see Conservation Plan Map) located in the upland buffer zone, but some are located within the wetland. Vegetation located in the upland areas of the easement (in regulated buffer) consists of poor conditioned cool season grasses and weeds with invasive plants interspersed (see Conservation Plan Map).

Project Scope

The overall goal for this property is to protect existing wetland functions and values, while also improving plant species richness and diversity.

Invasive plants within the NRCS easement will be controlled through mechanical means, where they will be cut by hand implements (chainsaws, brush cutters) and/or brush hogging and removed offsite to allow for the recruitment of native vegetation. Invasive control will be selective in nature and will be located and marked by NRCS staff.

Seeding of native grasses, forbs and legumes in the upland areas (see Conservation Plan Map) will have benefits for many wildlife species, but the intention is to provide the most benefits to native pollinators, such as bumblebees.

Nestboxes for Wood duck (Aix sponsa) will be installed. Two wood duck nestboxes will be installed within the wetland boundary, however, any disturbance will be minimal as the footprint of the boxes is just a few square feet.

There will also be signage posting of the easement.

INVASIVE PLANT CONTROL:

NRCS Practice Code: 314 Brush Management

NRCS has identified areas where invasive occur on our easement (see Conservation Plan Map). The acres on the map are 3.6 in total, with 0.9 occurring in the wetland boundary and 1.7 in the upland buffer zone, however, invasive plant removal will be selective in nature where the display on the map is only a general location and invasive plants will be selected, identified and flagged in the field by NRCS staff.

Invasive plants will be addressed by mechanical treatment and removal. This will be accomplished through the use of hand held equipment such as chainsaws, brush cutters and brush hogs. There may be selective tree removal where there is absolute cover of invasive plant species causing a negative effect on the native vegetation. NRCS will locate and flag the trees in the field. All brush will be removed offsite and taken to local transfer station for proper disposal. The site currently has invasive plants Multiflora Rose (Rosa Multiflora), Oriental Bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) and Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus umbellate). Refer to attached ‘Brush Management – Invasive Plant Control Autumn Olive, Multiflora Rose and Oriental Bittersweet Job Sheets’.

CONSERVATION SEEDING:

NRCS Practice Code: 327 Conservation Cover

In total there are 8.9 acres that will be seeded with 5.9 acres being located in the upland buffer zone.

Seeding Upland Grass-forb Areas.

1. This item shall consist of the work and materials needed to prepare a seedbed and to seed all non-forested upland areas within the easement boundary as shown on the plans and described in these specifications as “Upland Grass/Forb mix”. The seed mix for these areas will consist of the Riparian mix as described below. This shall be done as a fall dormant seeding during the month of October.

2. The site will be mowed between October 15 – October 30. Mower height should be set as low as possible to stress the undesirable plant materials currently on the site.

3. Disk the site to expose bare soils and ensure good seed-to-soil contact.

4. Seed the site with the Riparian seed mix no later than October 30th. If the site prep or seeding dates present a logistical problem, consultation with NRCS is required and alternate dates MAY be suggested.

5. Incorporate the seed by using a cultipacker or dragging a length of chain-link fence. The goal is to not bury the seeds too deep, but to cover with no more than one half inch of soil.

6. The Riparian seed mix shall consist of the following:

Species List

• 14% Little Bluestem, Fort Indiantown Gap-PA Ecotype (Schizachyrium scoparium, Fort Indiantown Gap-PA Ecotype)

• 14% Indiangrass, PA Ecotype (Sorghastrum nutans, PA Ecotype)

• 10% Riverbank Wildrye, PA Ecotype (Elymus riparius, PA Ecotype)

• 10% Virginia Wildrye, PA Ecotype (Elymus virginicus, PA Ecotype)

• 9% Deertongue, 'Tioga' (Panicum clandestinum (Dichanthelium c.), 'Tioga')

• 8% Big Bluestem, 'Niagara' (Andropogon gerardii, 'Niagara')

• 7% Fox Sedge, PA Ecotype (Carex vulpinoidea, PA Ecotype)

• 2% Switchgrass, 'Shelter' (Panicum virgatum, 'Shelter')

• 2% Boneset, PA Ecotype (Eupatorium perfoliatum, PA Ecotype)

• 2% Soft Rush (Juncus effusus)

• 2% Swamp Milkweed, PA Ecotype (Asclepias incarnata, PA Ecotype)

• 2% Autumn Bentgrass, PA Ecotype (Agrostis perennans, PA Ecotype)

• 2% Wild Senna, VA & WV Ecotype (Senna hebecarpa (Cassia h.), VA & WV Ecotype)

• 2% Oxeye Sunflower, PA Ecotype (Heliopsis helianthoides, PA Ecotype)

• 2% Blue Vervain, PA Ecotype (Verbena hastata, PA Ecotype)

• 2% Partridge Pea, PA Ecotype (Chamaecrista fasciculata (Cassia f.), PA Ecotype)

• 1% Wild Bergamot, PA Ecotype (Monarda fistulosa, PA Ecotype)

• 1% Redtop Panicgrass, PA Ecotype (Panicum rigidulum (P. stipitatum), PA Ecotype)

• 1% Joe Pye Weed, PA Ecotype (Eupatorium fistulosum, PA Ecotype)

• 1% Flat Topped White Aster, PA Ecotype (Aster umbellatus (Doellingeria umbellata), PA Ecotype)

• 1% Purplestem Aster, PA Ecotype (Aster puniceus (Symphyotrichum puniceum), PA Ecotype)

• 1% Zigzag Aster, PA Ecotype (Aster prenanthoides (Symphyotrichum p.), PA Ecotype)

• 1% New England Aster (Aster novae-angliae (Symphyotrichum n.))

• 1% New York Ironweed, PA Ecotype (Vernonia noveboracensis, PA Ecotype)

• 1% Many Leaved Bulrush, PA Ecotype (Scirpus polyphyllus, PA Ecotype)

• 1% Spotted Joe Pye Weed, PA Ecotype (Eupatorium maculatum (Eupatoriadelphus maculatus), PA Ecotype)

7. The seeding rate for the Upland Grass/Forb mix shall be 20 lb/acre

8. Contractor shall be responsible for establishment of vegetation over 100% of the area to be seeded. Contractor shall repeat treatment under following guidelines if vegetation does not establish. Replanting will be needed on areas with less than an 80% stand. For sites with less than 50% ground cover, follow original recommendations for replanting. For sites with 50% to 79% cover, reestablish using half of the original planting recommendations.

NEST BOXES:

NRCS Practice Code: 649 Structures for Wildlife

The forested wetland area is suitable for Wood duck (Aix sponsa) nest boxes. Two Wood duck boxes will be installed in the southwestern portion of the property on opposite sides of the stream (see Conservation Plan Map). NRCS will locate the sites in the field. Refer to attached ‘NRCS Rhode Island:

NEST & DEN BOX SPECIFICATIONS and DESIGNS’ pages 1 & 5 of 20 for materials, construction and installation requirements. Specifications of materials must be provided to NRCS for approval prior to installation.

SIGNAGE INSTALATION:

NRCS Practice Code: 472 Access Control

The contractor shall retain a professional land surveyor to first reestablish the easement bounds on the ground. There shall be 4x4 cedar posts with USDA/NRCS Easement signs attached every 50 feet of the easement with consideration that there must be a post on every corner. There will be approximately 255 posts. The cedar posts shall be 9 feet long with 3 feet in the ground. The easement signs will be provided by NRCS, but must be attached by stainless steel hardware so that it does not rust.

Specifications of materials must be provided to NRCS for approval prior to installation.

Obstruction Removal

NRCS Practice Code 500 Obstruction Removal

This item included the removal of soil and other debris that is within several of the areas that will be established to wetland planting.

This item includes 300 cubic yards of material will be excavated and removed from the site.

Tree Removal

Trees will be removed prior to the restoration and establishment of the wetland and grassland buffer areas. All stumps will be removed prior to establishing the wetland and grassland vegetation.

There will be 65 tress of varying sizes to be removed from the site.

EROSION AND SEDIMENTATION CONTROLS

NRCS Practice Code: 570 Storm Water Runoff Control

This item includes the installation and removal of erosion control measures as located Conservation Plan Map and as specified below.

Approximately 5,400 feet of straw wattles will be installed as precautionary steps for erosion control during implementation of conservation seeding. Refer to attached ‘Erosion and Sediment Controls – Installation Detail Sheet’. All installation and material specifications need to meet the guidelines found in the Rhode Island Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Handbook. Materials specifications need to be submitted to NRCS prior to installation for approval.