2026 Wildlife Habitat Assessments

On clear days after snowy nights, wildlife tracks can be seen and studied. The size, shape, and distance between footsteps all give valuable clues as to who was heading where, how fast they were moving, and what that animal might be doing within their habitat. During the winter, FCNRCD staff use these clues to help landowners determine what wildlife is using their property. With that knowledge, along with habitat characteristics, the FCNRCD team helps landowners determine how they can best manage their land to support wildlife.  

Before the team visits a site, a Desktop Habitat Assessment is completed using ANR Atlas. We look at many of the property’s characteristics using the available mapping layers. These include the property’s soils, land use history, presence of wetlands, habitat and forest connectivity, and many others! Compiling this information before visiting the property gives the team and the landowner a comprehensive understanding of the habitat and the potential wildlife that may be seen on the land. For example, by finding out what soils make up the property, we can infer what natural communities will be on the site (AKA what type of trees and vegetation). This then provides insight into what wildlife will be using the area for food and shelter. All these puzzle pieces form the form the bigger picture! 

This year, FCNRCD visited five landowners with varying sized properties, assessing 280 acres all together! One of the properties we visited was of the landowners Lynn and Peter Locher. They were truly a delight and warmly welcomed us into their piece of paradise! The Lochers have worked hard to maintain their property in a natural state for many years. Lynn grew up on this land, and her deep connection to the wildlife, river, and forest shine through her and her husband’s dedication to conservation and stewardship. From swimming in the river that is home to otters and various fish, to taking daily walks through the forest that is full of deer, the bridge between recreation and conservation is demonstrated nicely here.  

Once we debriefed the Desktop Habitat Assessment and the landowner’s insights, we took to the snowy fields and forest. The property was made up of a mix of varying ages of Northern Hardwood Forest and Hemlock-Northern Hardwood Forest types. The south branch of the Trout River flows through the property with two majestic waterfalls. A beaver dam wetland complex is located near the house. Within the mixture of both young and mature forests, we found evidence of deer, various birds, and even some otter tracks along the river’s edge. The Locher’s also reported seeing black bears, coyotes, porcupines, fishers, moose, and so many others! Unfortunately, the snow was working against us that day (actively falling with wet snow), so few other tracks were found or identified.  

Left to right: South branch of Trout River that runs through the property where otter tracks were found; tracks from Wildlife Assessors while looking for wildlife tracks!; Covered bridge near the property's edge

However, we did discuss how to encourage wildlife to use habitat and other land management recommendations. Some of these suggestions included to continue managing for invasive species such as Japanese knotweed, support existing mast-producing trees and shrubs (fruit- and nut-producing species such as apple, chokeberry, and raspberries), and maintaining a 50-foot buffer of native trees and shrubs along the river’s edge. We provided the Lochers with resources (e.g., Invasive plant identification, how to promote pollinators), programs, and contact information to agencies/organizations (e.g., Vermont Coverts: Woodlands for Wildlife), which can help them achieve these goals.  

We are thankful to all the landowners we were able to visit this year and are happy we could provide you with the information to support wildlife habitat! We look forward to more Wildlife Habitat Assessments in 2027! 

Also look out for similar opportunities with us such as Stream Wise Assessments and Stormwater Consultations coming up soon! Visit our social media platforms for more information (Instagram- vtfranklincountynrcd; Facebook –Franklin County NRCD).