Riparian Restoration Experiment for Native Species Conservation in Vermont

In northern Vermont, the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department (VFWD), Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC), and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) are working to restore and create riparian buffers to improve habitat for native fish and wildlife, strengthen streambanks, and retain sediment and decrease nutrient loading from agricultural runoff. They conducted experiment on non-native vegetation control to determine best methods for re-establishing floodplain forests (plowing vs. herbicide). High density seeding was conducted to overwhelm white-tailed deer herbivory and small mammals browsing impacts. The team found that the plow then herbicide treatment best encourages the regeneration of woody plant seedlings.