Forest Stewardship Policy

I. Objectives and Principles

A. Ardencroft’s Objectives

The Village of Ardencroft has two objectives in its stewardship of the Village forests:

1. Preservation of a natural ecosystem including appropriate wildlife habitat
2. Enhancing interaction with and enjoyment of this natural environment by residents

B. Principles

These general principles have guided the development of the stewardship policy and should be taken into consideration in interpreting and applying them:

1. Ardencroft desires to allow nature to be the principal creator of change within the forests.
2. The Ardencroft forests are too small in size to resist naturally the invasive action of the surrounding developed environment.
3. Human actions associated with enjoyment of the natural environment can impact negatively on it.
4. Management of the forests to achieve the two objectives may require intervention to balance the priorities of these principles.
5. The designated empowered committee is the Village governmental body with overall responsibility for care and management of the forests.
6. Moneys required for these activities are included in the annual Village budget and oversight of this budget is the responsibility of the empowered committee.
7. The empowered committee shall report regularly to the Village Assembly.
8. The forests in Ardencroft are part of a larger natural system made up of tracts belonging to Ardentown and Arden as well as the Hanby Trust and private landowners in Indian Field, Wilmington Montessori, St. Edmunds and Windy Bush. Ardencroft desires to cooperate with all of these stewards to maximize the effectiveness of the overall stewardship program.

II. Management Guidelines

A. Boundaries

1. Policy

• a. The Village of Ardencroft has set aside large tracts of land for public use and enjoyment. Private use of these lands for purposes other than individual enjoyment of nature is not allowed without specific authorization.
• b. Residents are not allowed to encroach on the public lands adjacent to their leaseholds in any way that is inconsistent with Ardencroft’s forest objectives.
• c. Neighbors living outside of Ardencroft and adjoining the forests are not allowed to encroach in any way on the Village forest lands adjacent to their properties.

2. Responsibilities

• a. The empowered committee is responsible for monitoring encroachment into the forests from either leaseholders or neighbors.
• b. The Directors of the Ardencroft Association and the empowered committee have joint responsibility for enforcement of the encroachment policy.
• c. Leaseholders planning construction on a leasehold adjacent to the forest must present plans and obtain approval from both the Directors of the Ardencroft Association and the empowered committee before applying for a county building permit.

B. Erosion Control

1. Policy

a. Intermittent Water Flow

1. The first line of defense against erosion is control of the source of water causing the problem. Intermittent water flow into the forest from roads, leaseholds or sources outside the Village property should be recharged into the ground where feasible, stored and released into the forest over time, slowed as much as possible before entering the forest, etc.
2. The second line of defense, where problems from intermittent flows cannot be stopped at the source, is to diffuse the water entering the forest in such a way that erosion is no longer a problem.
3. The third line of defense will be to create coffers and weirs to reduce water velocity in the erosion channel to minimize further loss of soil through erosion.

b. Stream surges

1. The first line of defense is similar to the case of intermittent flows – control of the source, spreading out the surges over time and recharging aquifers as much as possible. Cooperative efforts within the context of the Naamans Creek Watershed Association or political associations such as CCOBH are expected to be most effective in dealing with this problem.
2. Failure to deal with the water surges at the source will require a decision to allow a stream bank to widen or to reinforce the bank and channel the water flow. This decision will be made by considering the specific location and the expected impact of stream widening.

2. Responsibilities

• a. The empowered committee is responsible for monitoring the forests for erosion problems.
• b. Residents are expected to control the water coming from their leaseholds. The empowered committee as a part of their monitoring responsibility will notify any leaseholders of problems associated with their leaseholds. The Directors are responsible for dealing with any unresolved leaseholder problems.
• c. The empowered committee handling public area maintenance is expected to control water coming from roads or commons.
• d. Neighboring residents and their civic organizations are expected to control runoff from their streets and properties. The empowered committee with the cooperation of the Directors of Ardencroft Association will deal with any problems arising from improper actions of neighbors.
• e. The Village of Ardencroft will seek active cooperation of its Directors and the other Arden villages in dealing with outside agencies, associations and political groups to work on controlling water surges in the Naamans Creek watershed (including Perkins Run). The empowered committee is responsible for organizing this cooperation.

C. Invasive Plants (maintaining plant diversity)

Local cultivation of many species of plants from foreign ecosystems has resulted in inadvertent introduction of plants into our forests for which there is no locally-evolved population control. Some of these propagate rather slowly and do not tend to move far from their original location, but others are quite invasive, move and propagate aggressively, displacing the native plants and creating a monoculture of the invasive plants.

1. Policy

The policy of the Village of Ardencroft is to prevent the infestation of the forests by invasive plants and to reduce and control those which have crept in over the years.

2. Responsibilities

• a. The empowered committee has primary responsibility for monitoring the forests for invasive plants. They will maintain a list of plants which should be prevented from spreading into the forests. Publicity of this list and action needed by residents should be done by the empowered committee.
• b. Leaseholders are responsible for preventing the infestation of the forests by the identified plants coming from their leaseholds.

D. Trails and areas of repose

1. Policy

• a. Fulfilling Ardencofts’s objective to enhance residents’ interaction with and enjoyment of the natural environment requires public access to the forests. Walking trails and appropriate resting places are provided to meet this objective.
• b. Since maintenance of trails can be in conflict with the objective to preserve the natural ecosystem, judgments and priority setting will be routinely required.
• c. The following guidelines will be used in resolving these conflicts:
  • Adequate trails should be maintained to provide access to all large areas of the forests.
  • Trails are not necessarily maintained to all weather standards or suitable for walking in normal street shoes.
  • Trails should be clearly defined so that walkers are encouraged to use them.
  • Poison Ivy or other dangerous plants should be discouraged from growing near the trails.
  • Trails should be cleared of undergrowth or fallen timber so that a person can pass without difficulty.
  • Trails should be routed and constructed to avoid creating erosion problems in the trails or stream bank destruction.

2. Responsibilities

The empowered committee handling public area maintenance has responsibility for planning, building and maintaining the trail system, including bridges.

E. Preserving Trees

1. Policy

• a. Since the objective of the Village is to preserve a natural ecosystem in the forests, trees may not be pruned, removed or harvested from Ardencroft’s Forests except as indicated below.
• b. When trees fall naturally in the forest, the general policy is to leave all wood where it falls. Trees that fall in a way that obstructs trails or creates potential erosion problems will be cleared to prevent these problems.
• c. Fallen branches and leaves should be left on the ground or neatly piled for habitat or compost where possible, including on leaseholds (See Debris Pile Allowance Guidelines below), to return vegetative matter to the earth and provide habitat for animals and insects. As an exception, residents and leaseholders may send leasehold fallen branches and leaves as yard waste with the Village trash pickup.
• d. Trees that pose a danger to people or leasehold property may be removed at the discretion of the empowered committee. A tree on public land that is a clear and present danger may be removed by the Village. In other cases when a leaseholder demonstrates a reasonable expectation of future danger, the empowered committee may give a leaseholder permission to remove a tree that is on public land adjacent to their leasehold. Any tree removal by residents or leaseholders must comply with Ardencroft’s Tree Removal Ordinance.

2. Responsibilities

• a. The empowered committee has all responsibilities for decisions, implementation and monitoring of the harvesting of wood from the forests as described in this policy.
• b. Leaseholders must obtain agreement from the empowered committee before any work that could impact the Forest. See section A.2.c. above.

F. Debris / Branch Pile Allowance Guidelines

1. Allowance for Branch and Woody Debris Piles

Residents of Ardencroft may maintain natural branch piles consisting only of:

• Fallen branches, sticks, and limbs;
• Naturally occurring yard woody debris;
• Pruned branches from on-site vegetation.

This allowance applies because natural woody debris is not classified as prohibited “debris” within the Ardens under New Castle County property maintenance code amendments.

2. Size and Location Requirements

To ensure safety and neighborhood compatibility:

• Maximum Size:
  Pile may not exceed 8 feet in diameter or 5 feet in height, unless otherwise approved by the Village of Ardencroft.
• Setbacks:
  Minimum 10 feet from any property line.
  Minimum 25 feet from any structure, including sheds, garages, or dwellings.
  Must not block drainage paths or public rights-of-way.
• Placement:
  Pile must be located in the rear or side yard whenever feasible.
  Placement shall minimize visibility from adjacent homes and common paths.

3. Safety Requirements

To prevent fire hazards, pests, and unsafe conditions:

• No inclusion of trash, treated wood, lumber, building materials, or household items.
• No embedding of metal, wire, or other non-organic materials.
• Pile must remain stable and not risk collapse or wind dispersal.
• Pile must not create harborage for vermin; if this occurs, the owner must mitigate or remove the pile.

4. Duration and Maintenance

• Branch piles may be maintained for up to 6 months, with renewal permitted if the pile remains compliant.
• Residents must add, remove, or re-stack material as necessary to prevent overgrowth, decay odors, or nuisance conditions.
• Seasonal clean-outs are encouraged to avoid prolonged accumulation.

5. Neighbor Compatibility / Nuisance Prevention

A branch pile is not permitted to:

• Emit foul odors;
• Attract vermin or insects beyond natural expectations;
• Block sunlight or airflow to neighboring properties;
• Encroach onto another parcel;
• Significantly impact a neighbor’s reasonable use or enjoyment of property.

If a complaint is received, the Village may require re-location, size reduction, or removal.

6. Enforcement

If a pile is found to be unsafe or a nuisance, the resident will receive notice and a reasonable opportunity to correct the condition. Persistent violations may result in removal at the owner’s expense under Village policy and applicable New Castle County enforcement procedures.

G. Buildings or other construction

1. Policy

Buildings or similar types of construction are not generally consistent with Ardencroft’s objectives of forest stewardship and are not allowed except as indicated in paragraph II.F.2. below.

2. Responsibilities

• a. Construction, which is deemed necessary to the proper stewardship of the forests or other Village property may be proposed to the Village Assembly.
• Any proposal for construction within the forest boundaries would require special approval of the Village.

H. Cleaning up the forests

1. Policy

In keeping with the desire to maintain a natural setting in the forests no littering is allowed. All trash will be removed.

2. Responsibilities

• a. Users of the forests will take with them all trash they generate in the woods. They will also be encouraged to remove any other trash they can conveniently carry at same time.
• b. Committees will work jointly to organize a woods clean-up in the spring, when community volunteers participate in a morning of collecting whatever trash has accumulated over the past year.

I. Procedures

The empowered committee will develop and maintain procedures, including a calendar, spelling out the actions needed to fulfill its responsibilities as defined in this policy.

J. Use of the Forests

The empowered committee has been given responsibility by the Village for making rules associated with use of the forests.

K. Empowered Committees/Officials

Separately from any ordinance or policy, Village policy empowers committees or relevant officials to perform functions associated with an ordinance. This meets the needs of ordinances, while avoiding the procedural hurdle of amending the ordinance for simple text changes if there is ever need for reassignment of responsibilities to a new party, or if a committee or title is formally changed.

For the policy above, the empowered committees/officials are: