Town of Guilford East River Preserve

August 26, 2009 the Town of Guilford acquired 583 acres conserving the largest remaining tract of undeveloped land within its coastal boundary for ecological conservation and natural resource-based outdoor recreation.

A condition to the grant was a management plan for the property had to be completed.

The Board of Selectman appointed the East River Preserve Management Plan Committee to create a plan that satisfies the requirements of the NOAA grant and requirements for Class A Open Space.

49 additional acres are Class C Land.

The East River Preserve contains critical ecosystems providing:

• Habitat for diadromous fish; • Habitat for estuarine-dependent and

interior forest birds; • High quality estuarine ecosystem; • Old field successional grasslands; • Large intact legacy upland forest; • High quality inland wetland system with

vernal and ephemeral pools.

Recreational activities include: • Walking the New England Trail our nation’s

newest National Scenic Trail; • Educational; • Bird watching, wildflower viewing, night sky and fall foliage viewing; • Open-air arts; • Cultural heritage.

Goals of the East River Preserve Management Plan : • Conserve a diverse and healthy suite of habitats; • Promote ecological and outdoor recreation

connections to adjacent lands and waters; • Provide public access to the East River; • Preserve cultural heritage; • Protect water quality; • Support a healthy balance of wildlife; • Encourage scientific research; • Promote educational opportunities.

Species of Special Concern at ERP • Eastern box turtle • Wood turtle • Mudwort • Savannah sparrow • Bobolink • Least bittern • American kestrel • Eastern meadowlark • Sandhill crane in 2006 • American pipit • Great egret • Bald Eagle • Red-shouldered hawk • Broad-winged hawk • Red-bellied

woodpecker • Yellow-throated vireo

•Carolina wren •Wood thrush •Blue-winged warbler •Northern Parula •Prairie warbler •Worm-eating warbler •Eastern towhee •Savannah sparrow •Indigo bunting •Orchard oriole •Eastern meadowlark

As the East River Preserve is currently used by many for passive recreation, we encourage the Selectmen to:

• Provide additional access to the property and the proposed route of the New England Trail and an independent assessment of the proposed ‘east side trail’;

• Provide support for boundary marking; • Implement High Priority Short Term projects that have no or

minimal costs; • Assign a managing agency with governing capacity; • Provide funding for management of East River Preserve; • Apply for funding to implement management plan; • Control invasive plants.

There are long-term management concerns that the Selectmen need to investigate.

• Management of the woodlands; • Limit horseback riding and mountain bikes; • Access for canoe and kayak launch by Foote’s bridge; • Increase access points; • Manage the white-tailed deer population which

exceeds recommended population for maintaining healthy forest habitat, increasing the risk of tick-borne illness and collisions with vehicles.