For Cabas, confidence and conservation go hand in hand
Francisco Cabas owns and operates about 30 acres of land in Halifax, Vermont, which he purchased in 2021. Upon purchasing the land, Cabas was optimistic—and a little overwhelmed—as he began navigating what, to him, felt like limitless opportunities. His land felt like a blank canvas upon which he could paint whatever future he wanted. Cabas’ overarching goal was to become a steward of the land, maintaining and promoting the existing ecological community on his land with an emphasis on sustainability. Unsure how to make this a reality, he reached out to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for help; this sparked the beginning of Cabas’ relationship with NRCS.
After learning about NRCS through his contracted forester, Cabas reached out in 2021 to begin navigating the process of helping the land that he owned live up to its natural potential. Working with different environmental groups—including Vermont Fish and Wildlife and the National Wild Turkey Foundation—gave Cabas confidence and a better understanding of how to protect and maintain his land going forward.
Technical evaluations by NRCS determined that the forest was in good health overall but would benefit from targeted forest stand improvement focusing on releasing or opening areas surrounding mast-producing trees and crop trees, such as red oak, white oak, beech, black cherry, hickory, and butternut. USDA defines forest stand improvement broadly as the manipulation of the composition, structure, or density of tree and shrub species to achieve desired forest conditions. This can promote the overall health of the forest and help forest carbon stocks, improve wildlife, fish, and pollinator habitat, and reduce forest wildfire hazard.
“The process was straightforward and clear regarding the logic behind the conservation practices, and which tree species was to be released,” Cabas said.
NRCS technicians worked with Cabas to prepare his conservation plan and his Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) application for federal funding to address his resource concerns in the forest. His application was selected for approval and obligation in the summer of 2022, and NRCS technicians worked with Cabas and his forester to flag each of the trees that required additional spacing to grow to their optimum potential.
Throughout this process, Cabas learned about each of the species and their contributions to the soil, air, surrounding plants, and wildlife populations. He indicated that initially he felt very ignorant on his own land, unable to identify trees on his own land.
“When I went out for certification at the end of the project, he (Cabas) was identifying trees by their bark, or their leaves, and you could tell how proud he was of the knowledge he had gained,” said Emma Kuester, an NRCS soil conservationist who worked with Cabas on his land.
In the spring of 2023, Cabas has successfully completed installation of the crop/mast tree release practice over a total of 4.1 acres. He plans to continue partnering with NRCS to address additional conservation projects and has plans to establish a small pollinator habitat to increase local bee and butterfly populations.
When asked what advice he would give to others who may be new to owning land or who want to work toward conservation, Cabas was quick to answer.
“Get informed and listen to multiple perspectives from different people--foresters, loggers, technical service agencies, and wildlife or conservation groups. Also, get involved with the conservation process, walk your land, work to establish community, and be bold when it comes to taking action,” Cabas said.
Anyone interested in learning more about what NRCS can do for them should visit our website, where they can learn about the programs we offer, or find their local USDA service center.