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Equipment access for tim-ber harvesting can oftenpose a practical, logisticalproblem for many smallacreage forest owners.Many small acreage forestproperties are fronted byhomes, garages, sheds,lawns & gardens,stonewalls & patios, wells,and septic systems leavingno area large enough topermit access to most stan-dard types of large equip-ment. Where one nearbyproperty owner has enoughroad frontage or otheraccess roads to allow forlarge equipment, it maythen require passagethrough one or more neigh-boring properties to ulti-mately reach your proper-ty. This situation presentsan opportunity for severalforest owners to participatejointly in a tree harvest,reducing costs and otherobstacles. See factsheetWorking for RenewableForest Resources for moreinformation.

What is Forest Fragmentation?

F ragmentation is one of the mostcritical issues facing our foreststoday. Sustainable management ofprivately owned forestlands is

crucial for maintaining our forests eco-nomically, socially, and environmentally.Fragmentation occurs when large forestexpanses are converted to smaller tractsof forest that are surrounded by othertypes of land uses. Parcelization describesthe changes in ownership patterns where-by large forested tracts are divided intosmaller parcels that may or may notremain contiguous forest. ForestFragmentation and Urban Sprawl: Effects onForests—Chris Modisette, Southern NewEngland Forest Consortium, Inc.

Contiguous forest habitat can also befragmented due to natural disturbancessuch as storms and fires. However, forestfragmentation caused by humans can bemuch more destructive than natural dis-turbances. Since it disrupts many ecologi-cal processes, forest fragmentation threat-ens the health and sustainability offorests. It endangers wildlife habitats,both plant and wildlife diversity, andwater quality. Fragmentation can alsoimpair the viability of a forest as an eco-nomic resource for recreation and timber.Additionally, fragmentation destroysforests that enhance the natural beauty ofmany regions.

What can I do to make a difference?

If you are a small acreage woodlandowner and wish to restore or sustainyour land, you will find that you have aunique set of concerns AND opportuni-ties. Try thinking on a “landscape scale.”

For example, most small acreagewoodland parcels may be too small tosustain a population of a specific wildlifespecies such as a variety of songbirds andgame birds. But you can enhance the out-come of your land management activitiesby looking past your property boundaryinto your neighborhood and surrounding

community and spotting opportunities towork with neighboring landowners, landmanagers, and land users.

Your property may border a naturalstream or contain a pond…your neigh-bor’s property may have the ideal condi-tions for providing cover and nestingsites for many species of birds…anotherneighboring parcel may be rented by alocal farmer for corn production, inwhich a small strip of corn left unhar-vested may provide some winter foodfor the desired birds. Here is an opportu-nity to provide food, water, and cover,but which requires the interest and coop-eration of three landowners and oneland user.

In addition to an endless potentialfor wildlife habitat projects, there aremany other opportunities for neighbor-hood projects. Use the Record of WoodlandArea Plans and Activities sheet to recordactions you plan to take and develop atime frame for accomplishing activities.Refer to the list of contacts and resourceslisted at the end of this factsheet for spe-cific information and assistance withthese activities.

➣Establishing long, continuous trailsfor hiking, biking, skiing, or horse-back riding.

➣Creating designated camping andfishing areas

➣Establishing scenic areas ➣Protecting areas where native or rare

species are thriving

Depending on the characteristics of thesurrounding forest and the extent ofinterest among adjoining landowners, acommunity may find that these andother similar projects are all possible.Each landowner’s property may havespecial features that could contribute toone or more land management goals.The forest could, essentially, remain alarge, contiguous expanse.

Community-wide management ofadjoining woodland parcels can also

Working With Your Neighbors—Reconnecting Forest Fragments

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Be aware of yourneighbors –

are you surethat the treesyou are cuttingdown are not, infact, on yourneighbor’s property.

Are you destroying important shadeor windbreaksalong your neighbor’s property?

Perhaps, youshould meet withyour neighborfirst to discussyour plans.

➣The Forest Legacy Program, created bycongress and funded through theUSDA Forest Service, aims to helpmaintain the integrity and traditionaluses of our forests through the acquisi-tion of land or interests in land fromwilling sellers. Interests acquired by thestate of Rhode Island are purchased atthe fair market value determined bystandardized appraisal methods.Acquisitions are based on the conceptof “willing seller, willing buyer.”Contact the RI DEM Division of ForestEnvironment for more information.

➣The Rhode Island Farm, Forest andOpen Space Act for property taxrelief. Contact your town hall formore information.

➣Proper estate planning to relieve heirsof Inheritance Tax burdens. ContactThe Nature Conservancy or your localland trust for more information andcontacts.

➣Creative zoning techniques to reduceparcelization by heirs. Contact yourlocal town officials and zoning boardfor more information.

Where do I turn for more information and help? RI DEM Division of Forest Environment(401) 647-3367 • www.dem.ri.gov• To talk with a state service forester.• Obtain information about the Rhode Island

Forest Legacy Program, list of consultingforesters & licensed wood operators.

Southern New England Forest Consortium,Inc. (SNEFCI)(401) 568-1610www.snefci.org• Information and publications on forest

resource potential and stewardship, sus-tainable forestry, forest legacy, tax andestate planning, forest fragmentation.

USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Area,State and Private Forestrywww.na.fs.fed.us• Information on Forest Legacy Program,

Forest Legacy Library.

Links to Durham, NH Field Office(603) 868-7600• Information on Forest Fragmentation,

www.fs.fed.us/na/durham/fragmentation/index.htm

The Nature Conservancy, Rhode IslandChapter(401) 331-7110 • http://nature.orghttp://nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/rhodeisland• Information and programs on the preserva-

tion and protection of land & wildlife.

Your local Land Trust; Your local Town/CityOfficials• Information on local tax and land protec-

tion programs.

A Forest Landowner’s Guide to InternetResources: States of the Northeastwww.na.fs.fed.us/pubs/misc/ir/index.htm• Publications and factsheets for: Income Tax

and Estate Planning; Economics of ForestInvestments; Maps & Geographic InfoSystems; Conservation Easements.

Other PublicationsCommonwealth Associates, prepared for theSouthern New England Forest Consortium,Inc. 1995. Cost of Community Service inSouthern New England.

Land Trust Alliance. 1996. ConservationOptions: A Landowner’s Guide. LandTrust Alliance: Washington, D.C.

Small, S. 1998. Preserving Family Lands: Book Iand Book II. To order call (617)357-1644 or visit the Preserving Family Landswebsite: www.stevesmall.com

Programs and activities are available to all persons withoutregard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, sexual orienta-tion, or national origin.

This project is a collaboration of the Southern New EnglandForest Consortium, Inc.1, and the University of Rhode IslandCooperative Extension Home*A*Syst Program2. Written byHolly K. Burdett 2, Christopher Modisette1, Alyson McCann2 andBrianne Neptin2. Special thanks to all publication reviewers.Funding for this project was provided by the USDA ForestService in cooperation with the Rhode Island Department ofEnvironmental Management Division of Forest Environmentand the USDA Renewable Resources Extension Act, URICooperative Extension.

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result in several economic benefits andgains, such as:

➣Hiring a consulting forester for “one”large forest tract

➣Group timber harvests--hiring alicensed wood operator, arborist, orlogger for “one” large job.

➣Group tree plantings (bulk seedlingorders)

➣One-time equipment rental/hire orhiring of other service providers for“one” large job

➣ Joint ventures in producing “enough”of an alternative forest product such as,maple trees for maple syrup produc-tion, Christmas trees, specialty woodfor furniture and smokehouses, floralgreenery for crafts and holidays, etc.

In the end, respect each other’sproperty and land use goals

Each landowner has their own array ofland use goals and interests. Where it ispossible for landowners with similargoals and interests to collaborate willbenefit the community and the sur-rounding forestland several-fold. Forsome landowners, however, their smallparcel of woodlands is a special havenwhere privacy and peace is the primarygoal. And it is important to rememberthat what you do on your land canimpact your neighbor’s land. When theopportunity to collaborate on projects isnot present, be mindful of your propertyboundaries and the effects your activitiescan have on the surrounding area. Forexample, are you sure that the trees youare cutting down are not, in fact, on yourneighbor’s property. Are you destroyingimportant shade or windbreaks alongyour neighbor’s property? Perhaps, youshould meet with your neighbor first todiscuss your plans.

When landowners open up theirland to limited public access (access byparticipating neighbors), most participat-ing neighbors have a mutual respect foreach other’s land and land use goals. Infact, neighbors usually aid in “watchingout” for the potential of abuse or vandal-ism. A neighbor, however, may have “NoTresspassing” signs posted due to pastexperiences with vandalism or huntingactivities without permission. In the end,always respect each landowner’s proper-ty, privacy, and wishes.

Refer to factsheet Working forAlternative Forest Products for more infor-mation on important legal issues con-cerning public access for a fee.

A Forest Legacy—Tell me moreabout options for forestlandpreservation

The Rhode Island Department ofAdministration Statewide Planning esti-mated that by 1995 roughly 30% of theacreage in Rhode Island had already beendeveloped (Selected Land Use Trend Data forRhode Island. May 2000. RIDOA StatewidePlanning Program). The land consumptionrate has been particularly high in ruraltowns and in suburban areas.

Nevertheless, Rhode Islanders areworking to preserve undeveloped lands.State, federal, and municipal govern-ments, water companies, wildlife organi-zations, and more than forty RhodeIsland land trusts have so far preservedwell over 100,000 acres, or about 15%, ofthe land in Rhode Island.

Whether landowners seek the help ofpublicly sponsored programs, or act on

their own to develop creative estate plan-ning and tax relief strategies, there aretechniques and programs that can aid orencourage private landowners to pre-serve their lands from urban develop-ment and fragmentation. These programsand strategies include:

➣Protection and conservation of proper-ty in perpetuity through the purchaseand sale of development rights or thesale or donation of conservation ease-ments. These options are usually fund-ed through various federal, state, andmunicipal sources and programs, aswell as certain organizations such asThe Nature Conservancy and localland trusts. This option can allow thelandowner to maintain ownership ofthe property with certain deed restric-tions. Contact The RI DEM Division ofForest Environment, The NatureConservancy, your local land trust,and your local town hall for moreinformation and contacts concerningthis option.

Impacts of Forest Fragmentation and Urban Sprawl Ecological Impacts: ➣Sprawling development can destroy wildlife habitat and cut off the

routes animals use to find food and water.➣Foreign plant and animal species can invade local environments more

easily, sometimes harming native species. For example, the hemlockwooly adelgid, a serious threat to hemlock trees, has been spread to newsites in New England on ornamental hemlock and other species used inlandscaping.

➣Some wildlife species that can expose humans and pets to rabies andLyme’s disease thrive in a fragmented forest.

➣There is a greater risk of water pollution from oil and gasoline washingoff paved surfaces (such as roads and parking lots) during rainstormsand from pesticides, lawn fertilizers, and other chemicals.

➣Flood potential can rise because there are more impervious surfaces,such as pavement and concrete. Natural areas absorb rainfall likesponges, releasing water slowly. Torrents of water from hard surfacesrush directly into streams, rivers, and lakes, often causing soil erosionand flooding.

➣Hard surfaces can limit the amount of water that seeps into theground, affecting the water that is available for wells and irrigation.

➣There is a greater risk to life and property from wildfires due to theincreased amount of urban/wildland interface.

➣Some species of birds and other animals can only live where there arelarge tracts of undeveloped land. Some “Neotropical Migratory song-birds” have suffered serious population declines, due to both fragment-ed habitat in the United States and loss of habitat in their southernwintering ground in Central and South America.

Economic and Social Impacts: ➣When businesses and residences are spread out, it costs the community

more to maintain roads, sewers, school bus routes, and other services.➣Property taxes creep upward as the growing population requires more

services, prompting people to sell their open land to developers. Somewho cannot afford to pay these higher taxes and are forced to move fur-ther out into rural areas, setting the cycle in motion all over again.

➣The spread-out nature of sprawl makes walking impractical, leavingpeople more dependent on automobiles. They commute further to jobsand services. Eventually, the increases in traffic, noise, and pollutiondiminish the quality of life.

➣Because forested tracts are small, landowners often cannot earn enoughincome from their land to cover the cost of writing and implementing amanagement plan. This, in turn, can drive forest- and agriculture-based businesses out, costing the community jobs and money that usedto be spent in the local economy.

➣Sometimes traditional land uses like timber production and farmingface additional pressure from new ordinances that regulate logging,noise, or odors.

➣The culture of the community can change. For example, residents mayhave hunted, fished, and hiked freely on private land. Greater popula-tion density often leads to the posting of land, cutting off this access.

Taken from USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Area, State and PrivateForestry, Durham, NH Field Office website on Forest Fragmentation:www.fs.fed.us/na/durham/fragmentation/index.htm

Techniques &Programs thatcan aid in thepreservation ofprivate land➣ Protection and conserva-

tion of property in perpe-tuity through the pur-chase and sale of develop-ment rights or the sale ordonation of conservationeasements.

➣ The Forest LegacyProgram, created by con-gress and fundedthrough the USDAForest Service.

➣ The Rhode Island Farm,Forest and Open SpaceAct for property taxrelief.

➣ Proper estate planning torelieve heirs ofInheritance Tax burdens.

➣ Creative zoning techniques to reduceparcelization by heirs.