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Stewardship Management Plan for Hummels Pond
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Town of Southold
Stewardship Management Plan for Hummels Pond
Latest Revision 6/1/2021
Adopted by the Town Board on June 1st, 2021 by resolution 2021-433.
Properties included in plan:
SCTM# Location Project Funding Acquisition Pursuant To
1000-50.-6-4 15160 Soundview Ave Hanauer & Bagley Open Space Chapter 185
1000-50.-6-5.7 2105 Lighthouse Rd Too Bee Realty Corp Open Space Chapter 185
1000-50.-6-5.11 Lighthouse Rd Too Bee Realty Inc NA Subdivision Dedication
Purposes of Property Acquisitions
Parcels 1000-50.-6-4 & 1000-50.-6-5.7 were purchased for open space purposes.
Parcel 1000.-50-6-6.11 was dedicated to the Town as part of a minor subdivision for the following
purposes:
1. The premises shall be kept as open space, in its natural state, with no above ground structures or
facilities, and shall be solely used to accommodate drainage and overflow from Hummels Pond.
In the event, however, that the Town of Southold determines that it is necessary to construct a
sump or open catch basin or a fence enclosing such sump or catch basin, then the Town of
Southold shall landscape such areas with evergreens of suitable type and size, so as to conceal said
sump or catch basin or fence from view.
Note: Although this language applies to parcel 1000-50.-6-11, the existing recharge area created by the
Town is on parcel 1000-50.-6-5.7.
Prohibited Activities
All activities not related to the purposes of the property acquisition are prohibited.
Use of motorized vehicles and equipment is prohibited with the exceptions of: vehicles and equipment
necessary for approved stewardship work; emergency/public safety vehicles; and motorized
wheelchairs/scooters for the handicapped; and registered vehicles used by visitors to access the designated
parking area on the properties for parking purposes only.
The creation of new trails except as outlined in the Town Approval of Activities section below.
Trapping of wildlife with the exception of Town approved trapping of diseased wildlife and feral cats.
Fireworks.
Weddings, parties, reunions, flea markets, swap meets, antique shows, car shows.
Camping, fires, bonfires.
Sports whether organized or “pick up” in nature.
Paintball and other similar war games.
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Town Approval of Activities
No activities related to the purposes of the property acquisition are allowed on the property without the
explicit approval of the Town Board except for the activities listed in the Allowed Activities section
below.
Allowed Activities
Section I Public Uses
Due to the importance of the Hummels Pond properties to the Town’s Deer Management Program and the
layout of the deer hunting zones which does not provide a safe buffer between the hunting zones and the
trail this property will only be open to the general public from April 1st through September 30th each year.
For the rest of the year it will be considered closed to the general public and only open for participants in
the Town’s Deer Management Program. However, during the period of the year where it is considered
closed to the general public, the Department of Public Works may grant special permission for the general
public to access the property for purposes allowed by this management plan upon request. Should such
permission be granted the Department of Public Works shall close the property for the Deer Management
Program. In addition, the Department of Public Works may open the property to the general public
beyond the period noted above should they decide to shorten the Deer Management Program season.
Access shall be from dawn to dusk unless posted otherwise or approved per the Town Approval of
Activities section above.
Nature walks/surveys, bird watching, citizen science surveys.
Hiking, jogging, walking.
Star gazing.
Pets are allowed per Appendix 3.
Deer hunting per the Town’s Deer Management Program
Participation in the General Activities outlined below.
Section II General Activities
Inventories of the properties including flora, fauna, trails, trash, archaeological features, structures and
any other aspects provided that conducting such inventories does not alter or damage the properties.
Invasive species control and removal provided an invasive species plan using Best Management Practices
is approved and followed. The invasive species plan will be updated, expanded and amended as needed
based on monitoring of the property for the extent of invasive species present. See Appendix 4.
Clean up of man-made trash provided such clean up does not damage the property.
Clean up and removal of the abandoned foundation on the property as depicted in Appendix 1, as well as
restoration of the area, including spreading of the top soil excavated from the foundation area which is
still on site, provided that damage to the surrounding areas is kept to the minimum necessary to safely
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remove the foundation and restore the area and that a specific plan for this work is developed and
approved by the Town Board.
Section III Infrastructure
Signage – the following signage is allowed: Preserve name sign, entrance signs, trail head kiosks, Town
open space signs, posted/no hunting signs, safety signs, rules/regulations signs, directional trail signs and
Deer Management program signs.
Parking will be limited to the road side parking areas depicted in Appendix 1.
The trails as depicted in Appendix 1 shall be maintained as the official trail system. The trails shall be
maintained so they are approximately 4 to 8 feet wide and passable with vegetation not to exceed six
inches in height. As needed the trails may be mowed and trimmed, fallen branches/trees that block or
partially block the trails may be removed, sections of the trails that have been damaged by erosion or
ATVs may be restored and leveled using soil or wood chips, areas of the trails subject to becoming wet
and muddy may be covered with a layer of wood chips. Wood chips may also be used to reduce or
eliminate the need for regular mowing of the trails. Trail maintenance will be kept to the minimum
necessary to maintain the trails in a condition that allows the public to use the trails safely. See Appendix
4 for additional trail maintenance standards related to invasive species that encroach on the trails.
When the foundation area has been restored another trail segment in this area may be created to get to the
corner of Light House Rd and Soundview Ave in order to allow a loop trail in conjunction with the
Soundview Ave roadside, provided the standards noted above are followed and no additional accesses to
the pond are created along this trail segment.
Culvert – There is a culvert at the south end of the pond as depicted in Appendix 1, designed to control
the level of the pond and prevent flooding of Soundview Ave. This pipe was originally installed based on
an Engineering design and functioned normally for several years, only allowing water to flow out of the
pond when the water level approached the level where Soundview Ave would flood. However, the pipe
was then modified by cutting a section of the pipe off which lowered the maximum level of the pond and
flooded adjacent private property. This lowering of the maximum level of the pond is likely responsible
for the degraded condition of the pond based on historic conditions prior to the installation of the pipe and
prior to the modification of the pipe after it was installed. This pipe will be modified or replaced to
restore the pond to the conditions that existed prior to the pipe being cut and/or the original installation of
the pipe.
The preserve or any section thereof may be closed to the public should any unsafe conditions exist; or for
the purposes of protecting native flora and fauna. Signage denoting such closures is allowed.
Appendices
1. Hummels Pond Trail plan
2. Hummels Pond Bird Species Listing
3. Pets
4. Invasive Species Plan
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Appendix 1
Hummels Pond Trail Plan
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Appendix 2
Hummels Pond Bird Species Listing as of May 2020 based on eBird observations
beginning in 1990
Seq Species DEC Status Audubon
Watch List
NY SGCN Status
Breeding
Status
1 Canada Goose Probable
2 Wood Duck Confirmed
3 Mallard Probable
4 American Black Duck High Priority SGCN
5 Ring-necked Duck
6 Bufflehead
7 Hooded Merganser
8 Ruddy Duck SGCN
9 Wild Turkey Confirmed
10 Mourning Dove Possible
11 Common Nighthawk Special Concern High Priority SGCN
12 Chimney Swift
13 Ruby-throated Hummingbird
14 Sora
15 Solitary Sandpiper
16 Herring Gull
17 Great Black-backed Gull
18 Double-crested Cormorant
19 Great Blue Heron
20 Green Heron
21 Black-crowned Night-Heron SGCN
22 Osprey Special Concern
23 Red-tailed Hawk
24 Great Horned Owl
25 Belted Kingfisher
26 Red-bellied Woodpecker Probable
27 Downy Woodpecker Probable
28 Hairy Woodpecker Probable
29 Northern Flicker Probable
30 Eastern Phoebe
31 Great Crested Flycatcher
32 Eastern Kingbird Probable
33 Warbling Vireo
34 Blue Jay Probable
35 American Crow Probable
36 Fish Crow
37 Black-capped Chickadee Probable
38 Northern Rough-winged Swallow Possible
39 Tree Swallow
40 Barn Swallow
41 Golden-crowned Kinglet
42 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
43 White-breasted Nuthatch Probable
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Seq Species DEC Status Audubon
Watch List
NY SGCN Status
Breeding
Status
44 House Wren Probable
45 Winter Wren
46 Carolina Wren Probable
47 European Starling Probable
48 Gray Catbird Probable
49 Brown Thrasher High Priority SGCN
50 Northern Mockingbird Probable
51 Wood Thrush Yellow SGCN
52 American Robin Probable
53 Cedar Waxwing Confirmed
54 House Finch Probable
55 American Goldfinch
56 American Tree Sparrow
57 Fox Sparrow
58 Dark-eyed Junco
59 White-throated Sparrow
60 Song Sparrow Probable
61 Lincoln's Sparrow
62 Swamp Sparrow
63 Eastern Towhee Probable
64 Orchard Oriole
65 Red-winged Blackbird Probable
66 Rusty Blackbird Yellow High Priority SGCN
67 Common Grackle
68 Northern Waterthrush
69 Blue-winged Warbler Yellow SGCN Probable
70 Black-and-white Warbler
71 Common Yellowthroat
72 American Redstart Probable
73 Bay-breasted Warbler Yellow High Priority SGCN
74 Yellow Warbler Probable
75 Blackpoll Warbler
76 Yellow-rumped Warbler
77 Northern Cardinal Probable
78 Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Current Status Notes:
NYS DEC
Special Concern: Any native species for which a welfare concern or risk of endangerment has been documented
in New York State.(New York State DEC, 2001).
Threatened: Those designated by the DEC as likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future
throughout all or a significant portion of their range.
Endangered: Those designated by the DEC as seriously threatened with extinction.
Audubon Watch List
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Yellow: This category includes those species that are declining but at a slower rate than those in the red
category. These typically are species of national conservation concern.
Red: Species in this category are declining rapidly, have very small populations or limited ranges, and face
major conservation threats. These typically are species of global conservation concern.
New York Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN)
High Priority SGCN: The status of these species is known and conservation action is urgent in the next ten
years. These species are declining and must receive timely management intervention or they are likely to reach
critical population levels in New York.
SGCN: The status of these species is known and conservation action is essential. These species are expected to
experience significant declines over the next ten years and will need management intervention to secure their
populations.
Non-SGCN Species of Potential Conservation Need: The trends in abundance and distribution of these species
are poorly known, but there is an identified threat to the species, or the species has a high level of intrinsic
vulnerability. Further research and surveys are needed to determine their actual population status. Although not
classified as SGCN, actions for their conservation will be identified and they will be included in the State Wildlife
Action Plan.
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Appendix 3
Pets
o Unless posted otherwise, pets are allowed provided that they are leashed and under control at all
times while on the property.
o The Town may permanently or temporarily restrict pets from the property or designated areas of the
property for reasons including, but not limited to, wildlife and nesting habitat protection and public
safety. Such restrictions will be approved by the Town Board and will be posted at the property.
o All pet waste must be picked up and properly disposed of as required by Southold Town Code.
o Failure to follow pet rules may result in all pets being prohibited from using the property.
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Appendix 4
Invasive Species Plan for Hummels Pond
Invasive species such as Autumn Olive, Russian Olive and Oriental Bittersweet may be present along the
trail. In addition these invasives may also occur in off trail areas of the preserve where they hinder the
growth of native species. Trimming of these invasive species has proven ineffective in keeping the trails
open as the trimming serves as pruning which causes faster growth and more seed to be produced. Since
these are invasive species that are preventing the normal growth of native species and creating trail
maintenance issues the following maintenance standards will be followed for these species:
Should any specimens of these species be found on the preserve whether along the trails or in off
trail areas, the entire specimen will be cut down as close as possible to the ground and either
removed from the preserve or cut up/chipped so that it does not encroach on the trail.
If necessary, herbicide may be applied to the stumps to prevent new growth. Use of herbicide will
be per the Town’s Policy for the Use of Pesticides & Fertilizers.
Specimens treated will be monitored for new growth. Should any new growth be detected the
specimen will be cut and treated with herbicide as above.
Where Oriental Bittersweet has been cut off at ground level and it is not practical to pull the rest of
the plant down from where it has climbed the plant will also be cut as high above ground as
practical to prevent the cut portion of the plant from becoming an easy vector for new growth to
climb up again.
Mile-a-minute Weed is another invasive species likely to be found on the properties. The following shall
apply for the control of this invasive throughout the preserve:
Where practical it may be mowed or weed wacked to prevent it from covering other species and
producing seed.
It may be removed by hand pulling. If it is removed prior to having viable seeds it may be left off
trail. If the seeds are viable the pulled plants will be placed in plastic bags and allowed to bake in
the sun long enough to kill the seeds.
Any plants or portions of plants that have grown over other desirable plants shall be pulled off to
allow the other plants to grow normally.
Chinese Bush Clover may also be present. The following shall apply for the control and removal of this
invasive:
Integrated management: A combination of complementary control methods will be used for more
rapid and effective control of Chinese Bush Clover Sericea lespedeza. Integrated management
includes not only killing the target plant, but establishing desirable species and discouraging non-
native, invasive species over the long term.
Plants should be mowed when they reach a height of 12-18 inches, and should be cut as close to
the ground as possible.
Mow again when plants are producing flower buds, because root carbon reserves are then at their
lowest levels.
It is crucial to inspect and mow any remaining plants before seed is set.
A final cutting in late fall just prior to senescence may weaken plants by reducing carbon storage.
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Cutting treatments will need to be repeated for several seasons. Mowing in the flower bud stage
for 2 to 3 consecutive years will reduce stand vigor and control further spread.
Hand digging can be effective for controlling small, scattered populations. Digging or pulling
activities that remove the root crown, but not necessarily the entire root system, would be
sufficient to kill the plant.
Establishing desirable native species: In year four following three consecutive years completing
the prescribed mowing schedule evaluate the affected area. If Bush clover population appears to
be under control plant desirable native species such as Switch grass, Pennisetum virgatum 18
inches on center in the affected area.
Note: New planting must be undertaken without mechanical site preparation. Disking well
established or "run down" Sericea lespedeza stands may result in stand enhancement, rather than
degradation, presumably due to enhanced seedling establishment combined with root crown
sprouting.
There is a significant Parrot Feather infestation throughout much of the pond which has resulted in
degradation of the quality of the pond. Dense mats have formed in shallow areas of the pond, likely due
in part to the changing of the historic water levels of the pond, see Infrastructure section of this plan for
information on the outfall pipe.
The following shall apply for the control and removal of this invasive:
Hand pulling, raking and seining of the plants can be effective in reducing them, especially when
the area is a small, self-contained pond, like Hummels. However, any plant fragments left will re-
establish so care should be taken to minimize fragments. Plants removed should be disposed of at
a dry site well away from the water or wet areas. Regular pulling, raking and seining will likely
be necessary to control re-establishment from fragments remaining from earlier removals. Long
term monitoring will be necessary to avoid future infestations.
Herbicide control can also be effective and would be subject to NYS DEC permits. The NYS
DEC permit process will determine methods and chemicals used.
A combination of physical removal and herbicide control will likely be the best way to control this
invasive in the long run.
The extent of any invasive infestations will be monitored each year and documented with photos to record
the status of the infestations.