Cutting at Armacost Park Part of Restoration Tests

AVALON — A borough resident called the Herald to complain county Mosquito Control workers were cutting down sections of Armacost Park.
Last fall, plant life was studied at the park to find sites for pre-restoration experiments in the park, according to a report prepared for the borough.
Scott Wahl, borough public information officer said limited mowing was taking place in the park this week. He said, “Scientists are removing only green briar and vines from three, 20-foot diameter test areas.”
Wahl said that was also being done so appropriate water and soil samples can be taken.
The county Department of Mosquito Control is in support of the project and has an interlocal agreement with the borough to provide support when needed, said Wahl. The borough has two consultants, Paul Schroeck from Windward Consulting (Avalon’s firm) and Wayne Ferren, a scientist/consultant who was hired by a resident to look at the borough’s study, he said.
Wahl said Ferren was in agreement with most everything in the borough’s report and was working along with Schroeck.
The work was scheduled to conclude Fri. March 23.
According to the report, “the test will determine any changes resulting from removal of ground vines at pilot project sites that dominate particular portions of the park and cutting of vines that grow over candidate mature trees selected onsite for monitoring.”
These actions will allow sunlight and precipitation to reach the experimental ground plots, which may initiate response from the otherwise dormant seed bank and also initiate changes beneficial to wildlife and candidate trees, essentially smothered with vines, to grow less inhibited by the vines…”
The three plots will be used to test particular restoration techniques and to gain information that could help guide the design and execution of a larger-scale ecological restoration project.
Each of the three candidate sites for pre-restoration experimentation will have manual removal of all ground cover by clipping at the ground surface, according to the report. It notes all leaf litter and other material on the ground will be raked and removed.
“Three soil samples will be taken from each of the three sites for testing at the Rutgers Soil Lab to determine nutrient content, soil texture, salinity, and other characteristics. Three additional samples will be selected each from the Dune Woodland and Maritime Forest communities for comparison,” said the report.
In addition “hand-augered water wells will be installed in the three experimental plots to determine characteristics of the water table.
Wahl said updates to the public were made available during a March 14 borough council meeting and at March 20 meeting of the Avalon Environmental Commission. The entire project has been discussed at more than a dozen meetings of borough council, the Environmental Commission, and Planning/Zoning Board.
He said the project has the support of mayor, council, commission, board, the Avalon Home and Land Owners Association.
“The Borough continues to do scientific studies at the park simply to determine the health of the park, and if anything, needs to be done to make it ecologically healthy,” said Wahl. “Avalon is having science prove the results.”