Task 1: Preliminary Existing Conditions Mapping Perform a desktop assessment and preliminary mapping of Town-owned forest open spaces to establish a baseline. This task will focus on identifying open spaces with larger, representative forest tracts. Task 2: Community Survey Per requirements of the 2025 Urban and Community Forestry Grant, which is funding this project, community engagement must direct the project’s intended areas of service. The consultant shall conduct a hybrid online and paper community survey in collaboration with town staff to gather information on forest usage and current conditions. Promote the survey through a public information meeting, announcements, posters with QR codes, and other outreach methods. Evaluate the survey findings to inform the next steps of the project. Task 3: Forest Inventory and Assessment Planning Use the mapping analysis and survey results to determine the Forest Inventory and Assessment process. Select forest tracts for inventory based on parameters such as: Acreage of the forest tract Biodiversity and composition of forest stands Evidence of tree regeneration Cultural, historical, or recreational significance Populations benefiting from access or proximity to the forest The town manages approximately 1600 acres of open space spread across 18 significant forest patches. The following open space properties are expected to be prioritized for assessment: Schoolhouse Brook Park (428 acres) Dunhamtown Forest (226 acres) Sawmill Brook Preserve (188 acres) Simpson Wood Preserve (144 acres) Shelter Falls Park (75 acres) Task 4: Field Investigations Conduct detailed field investigations of selected forest tracts to document: An inventory of tree stands (biodiversity, composition, condition) Distribution and percentage of invasive and non-native species Wildlife and fisheries habitat value Overall forest health, including stressors Connectivity and landscape position Presence of forested floodplains, wetlands, waterbodies, and riparian corridors Organize this data into a geodatabase compatible with the Town’s GIS software. Task 5: Forest Inventory and Assessment Report Prepare a Forest Inventory and Assessment Report, including: Data results from field inventories Existing conditions mapping of forest stand composition, health, and invasive species Assessment of riparian buffers Habitat assessments and values of the forest tracts
