UPDATES:
03/02/22:
Logging operation is completed in the Town Forest surrounding the Sand Hill Reservoir.
Use caution if you walk the property, as some slash and branches are under the snow and pose risks.
The town forest on the reservoir property is currently closed due to logging operations.
On Friday, January 14th, the Select Board amended the timber cut contract to include the reservoir peninsula which was 95% red pine. The trees were already showing signs of disease and posed a threat to the dam flow and the public if they fell into the pond. They would also cost the town thousands to be removed and damage the new trails and parking area. The conservation commission had originally recommended this area be cut, but out of concern for the aesthetics, they had eliminated this area from the cut. The plan is to get a mix of native trees from the state for replanting.
On January 10th a logging operation at the Sand Hill Reservoir, contracted with Fort Mountain, will begin to remove the threatened red pine from the site. Once completed, the Conservation Commission will complete the design and mapping of the existing and new trails and two bog bridges to cross the wet areas from the beach. In early spring, the trails and parking area construction will begin. A gate and signage will complete this phase of the project.
Background:
The Sand Hill Reservoir Advisory Committee, led by Bart Hunter, Chair of the Wilton Conservation Commission, and comprised of Wilton residents and town department heads, submitted a detailed plan and recommendations for opening the site for public use that was accepted by the Select Board in early December 2020. The Conservation Commission is coordinating the project consisting of a forestry management timber cut of the red pine, a new trail network and a 14 car parking lot at the logging site on Isaac Frye Hwy.
The fire department has already implemented some safety measures with swimming buoys near the dam and a dry hydrant access point on the beach. The Select Board addressed the parking issues by posting all bordering access roads and making scenic Sand Hill Road, one way.
The area is already open to the public, but currently without any management plan to protect the site and provide safe access. The goal is to make this public property an open space for fishing, kayaking, and swimming and also preserve its character and topography as a wildlife habitat.
For more details, go to the Conservation Commission page HERE.