Fairfield council approves next phase of Lamson Woods improvements

FAIRFIELD — The Fairfield City Council approved a motion during its meeting Monday to direct the funds generated from a recent timber harvest toward improvements at Lamson Woods State Preserve.

Iowa Department of Natural Resources District Forester Cassidy Robinson appeared before the council to talk about the recent harvest of 102 trees from Lamson Woods State Preserve on the southeast part of Fairfield.

Robinson prepared a document for the council showing that the timber harvest generated $14,600 from the logging company that performed the harvest. The Fairfield Arbor Committee asked the council to allocate all those funds toward management of the understory in Lamson Woods.

Specifically, about $2,000 would go toward the release of crop trees in 21 acres of the park; $2,600 would go toward preparing 18 acres for “site prep natural regeneration” and $4,600 would go toward controlling invasive species across 42 acres. This money would go to Forest Legacy LLC.

The remaining $5,000 or so could be used for road repairs and a controlled burn.

The motion to approve directing the funds toward further Lamson Woods improvements passed unanimously 7-0, with council members Judy Ham, Doug Flournoy, Paul Gandy, Martha Rasmussen, Tom Twohill, Katy Anderson and Elizabeth Estey all voting in favor.

Clearing 102 trees from Lamson Woods was the first phase in a project to promote the growth of oak and hickory trees, instead of the less desirable plants such as hackberries, elms and buckeyes. Those 102 trees were selected because they were either poorly formed or too close to another mature tree.

Oaks are shade intolerant, so they need sunlight to grow, but they weren’t getting it because too many other plants were in the way. Robinson said the next step in the process is removing those undesirable plants from the forest floor.

During the recent tree harvest, Lamson Woods was closed to the public because brush from the harvest blocked parts of the trail and made walking unsafe. The trail has since been cleared and is now safe to use.

Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com