Moravian Preservation Master Plan.indb - Society for College and ...

Moravian College • Preservation Master Plan
vegetation for nutrients. Invasive plants can
quickly escape their intended boundaries
and colonize large portions of land in a
small amount of time. Visit the Pennsylvania
Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources website for more information about
what plants are considered invasive in this
region (http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/
wildplant/invasivelist.aspx, Invasive Plants in
Pennsylvania)
• Refer to Chapter 7 for the treatment
recommendations for each character area,
which contain lists of preferred material for
any future plantings within the campus.
Woodland Preservation
The following guidelines promote the preservation
of historic woodland areas, particularly those
that line Monocacy Creek and protect the slopes
and bluffs above it. The guidelines reference the
woodlands’ ecological significance, rather than
individual historic trees or other vegetation:
• Designate areas of existing woodland on
campus, particularly wooded areas found
on steep slopes, ravines, floodplains, within
100 feet of a perennial or intermittent stream,
within 50 feet of wetlands, and/or containing
wildlife corridors (forest, tree lines, or
hedgerows that connect two or more woodland
areas) as woodland preservation zones for
priority retention, and protect these areas from
disturbance.
• Add delineation of these woodland
preservation zones to the college Geographic
Information Systems (GIS) database to aid in
the recognition, mapping, and management of
important campus resources.
• Strongly encourage creative land planning and
site design approaches during the project review
process involving new development to ensure
woodland preservation and enhancement.
• If, after review by Moravian staff, it is
determined that plans cannot reasonably be
altered to preserve woodland areas, conduct
a biological inventory of the proposed impact
area to document the vegetation to be affected.
Inventory should include the species, number,
size, approximate age, and distribution of trees,
as well as the composition of the woodland
understory (shrubs and groundcovers).
• Establish, in consultation with professional
foresters, and enforce standards for replacing
lost vegetation, giving considerations for lost
canopy coverage, species type and distribution,
and location, to mitigate the cultural and
ecological impacts. Consider a allowing a
variety of replacement strategies depending
upon site conditions and project requirements,
such as:
◦ On-site reforestation (based upon a
percentage of existing canopy coverage,
species composition, and species
distribution)
◦ Reforestation of equivalent sites outside of
the project area that will not be subject to
future development.
◦ Other methods, such as purchasing lands
or permanent conservation easements
on developable lands with equivalent
woodland resources located off campus.
Total area, canopy cover, woodland type,
understory vegetation, wildlife habitat
value, and other appropriate resource
assessment criteria shall be considered in
determining whether off-site resources are
equivalent to those of the project site.
Landscape Structures
Landscape structures, such as retaining walls,
free-standing walls, and gate piers, are an important
character-defining feature of historic campus
landscape. The following general guidelines should
be considered prior to undertaking any repair or
rehabilitation work:
• Deteriorated structures should be repaired
rather than replaced, when possible. If the
severity of deterioration requires replacement,
the new structure should match the original
in design, color, texture, materials, and other
visual qualities. Existing materials should be
reused to the greatest extent possible.
• If replacement is necessary, document existing
structures before and during demolition/
removal with photographs, scaled drawings,
and notes, giving particular attention to the
following characteristics: materials, color,
texture, dimensions of structure, dimensions of
masonry unit, coping treatment, construction
technique, and mortar.
• If consultants are retained to develop details and
specifications for replacement work, Moravian
John Milner Associates • October 2009 • Chapter 6 • Landscape Guidelines • 150