Title:
Donation of Tree Service Contractor - Shuffletown Prairie Nature Preserve
Summary
ACTION:
Recognize and receive the donation of a tree service contractor valued at $14,445 and funded by Friends of Plant Conservation and the US Fish and Wildlife Service
Staff Contact: Chris Matthews - Division Director of Nature Preserves and Natural Resources
Presentation: No
BACKGROUND/JUSTIFICATION:
Shuffletown Prairie Nature Preserve is a State significant natural heritage area purchased by Mecklenburg County in 1998. The ecologically significant portion of this preserve is a 7-acre powerline right-of-way which supports a piedmont prairie community considered to be one of the most ecologically intact remnants in the southeast. This preserve contains two federally endangered species, Helianthus schweinitzii and Echinacea laevigata and one federal candidate species, Symphyotrichum georgianum.
The proposed project for this site is thinning of the overstory trees along the southwest edge of the prairie remnant. The goal of this treatment is to promote a soft or feathered forest/prairie edge and provide more sunlight for the imperiled flora. Sixty overstory trees have been marked by Mecklenburg County natural resources staff for removal. This will be achieved by hiring a contractor who will use the right-of-way road for access and remove the trees using a bucket truck with crane. Funding for the contractor will be provided by Friends of Plant Conservation and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
PROCUREMENT BACKGROUND:
N/A
POLICY IMPACT:
N/A
FISCAL IMPACT:
Mecklenburg County has no financial obligation to this project.