I have walked it in the winter and springtime with Turtle and others. It had water flowing across the road in spring. Maybe it was used intermittently?
They might be marking trees with nests and possible nesting areas for Barred Owl and other T&E avian species. No trees are supposed to be cut until November 1st to April 31st.
Last paragraph on page 89 to beginning of page 90. It sounds like this project was in the planning stages when Sandy hit so those areas were included in the AWC restoration plan.