 A controlled burn is one tool that wildlife managers use to enhance grasslands and remove woody vegetation from grassy fields.
Grasslands are Great: Maple
River State Game Area
June 4, 2018
Over the course of the year, we’ll be sending a series of stories about
grasslands and the great benefits they provide to wildlife and to people. Specifically,
we’ll be highlighting some of the exceptional grasslands that can be found in southern
Michigan. Many may not know that grasslands help to improve water and air
quality – important for all of us in Michigan and throughout the world. They also
are simply stunning to view in mid- to late summer when the prairie wildflowers
are in full bloom. This month, we’re featuring the awesome grassland habitat at Maple River
State Game Area. We hope you’ll take the time to experience this exceptional state
game area for yourself this year.
Many know that Maple River State Game Area has some
of the best wetland habitat in the state, but they may not know that Maple
River has exceptional grassland habitat as well.
Spanning about 9,600 acres, the Maple River State
Game Area stretches from south-central Gratiot County through northwest Clinton
County and into northeast Ionia County. The habitat varies across the game area,
ranging from mature forests to wetlands to old fields, prairies and grasslands.
Over the past six years, the staff at Maple River
State Game Area has enhanced and restored over 400 acres of grasslands. They’ve
also planted over 40 acres of food plots to provide food sources for wildlife
in the winter, when food can be scarce.
"Since the beginning of this initiative several
years ago, most of the acres we had set out to restore to grassland have been
planted," said Holly Vaughn, Michigan Department of Natural Resources wildlife communications coordinator. "Now, our focus is more on maintaining and improving the habitat for
all the wildlife species that utilize the area."
Nearly 60 acres of the restoration work has been completed through DNR Wildlife Habitat Grants administered by Pheasants Forever. The 60 acres is a mixture of winter cover, food plots and nesting/brood-rearing cover. Around 50 acres of restoration work also will be completed with money provided by Enbridge, a global energy leader present in Michigan for the last 60 years.
Several wildlife species depend on grasslands for
food, nesting, bedding and winter cover. The grasslands of Maple River attract
many grassland-nesting birds, including vesper, field, savannah and grasshopper
sparrows, bobolinks, ring-necked pheasants, and Eastern meadowlarks. Rabbits,
deer and turkeys also use the state game area’s grasslands for feeding, bedding
and thermal cover in the winter.
Grassland species are among the state’s most imperiled
wildlife. This habitat type has declined drastically over the last 150
years due to the conversion of grasslands to agriculture, residential and
commercial development, along with the succession of grasslands into
forestlands.
The Michigan Pheasant Restoration
Initiative is working to improve and enhance Michigan’s remaining grasslands on
private and public lands in southern Michigan. This includes planting diverse
mixes of grasses and wildflowers for birds, insects and other wildlife. In addition to Maple River, extensive grassland restoration work is in progress at Lake Hudson State
Recreation Area in Lenawee County, Verona State Game Area in Huron County,
Sharonville State Game Area in Jackson and Washtenaw counties, as well as other public and private lands in
southern Michigan.
Made up of many partners, the Michigan
Pheasant Restoration Initiative is a conservation initiative to restore and
enhance Michigan pheasant habitat (grasslands), populations, and hunting
opportunities on private and public lands. The initiative works by acquiring state,
federal and partner resources to assist landowners in cooperatives to improve
wildlife habitat on their properties and by improving grassland habitat on
selected state game areas, recreation areas, or other public lands. To learn
more, visit www.mi.gov./pheasant.
/Note to editors: Contact – Holly Vaughn,
313-396-6863./
|
