Thumb Land Conservancy: Spring Burn With The PHTFD

TLC Philosophy

The Thumb Land Conservancy (TLC) was formed in 2008 to provide an organization dedicated to filling the gap of natural area preservation in Michigan's Thumb. Although much attention has been given to a few areas near Lake Saint Clair and along Saginaw Bay, the interior of the Thumb has been largely ignored.

There is a general misconception that little is worth saving north of Detroit because of urban development and agriculture. While much of the landscape has been drastically altered, many high quality natural areas remain. Some habitats are nearly pristine, resembling conditions that existed before European settlement about 200 years ago.

Regardless of condition, the extensive destruction makes preservation even more critical in the Thumb. Small, degraded habitat fragments can be restored and expanded, and often serve as isolated havens for rare plant species. We believe all natural landscapes are important locally because they reflect a unique combination of history and features particular to that location. Many benefits of nature are obtained and enjoyed only locally. We believe it is especially important for children to have natural areas nearby where they can play, grow, and learn.

TLC is carrying on a tradition in the Thumb. In 1952, Macomb and Saint Clair Counties were the birthplace of what became the Michigan Nature Association (MNA), the first statewide land preservation group in Michigan. MNA was led for many years by the late Bertha Daubendiek of Kenockee Township in Saint Clair County, and is one of the few organizations that has protected land in the Thumb, with 18 sanctuaries here.

TLC Sanctuaries

Since forming in late 2008, the TLC has acquired three sanctuaries totaling about 68 acres: the 18-acre Dead End Woods Sanctuary in Fort Gratiot Township; the 38.5-acre Gerrits Sanctuary in Ira Township; and the 11.5-acre Peltier Beach Ridge Sanctuary in Fort Gratiot Township. So far, all TLC preserves are in Saint Clair County only because opportunities have arisen there. Our goal is to eventually protect land in every county of the Thumb.

Please contact the TLC if you are interested in donating land or a conservation easement. The TLC will try to help you protect any land you are interested in.

17.6 Acres in Fort Gratiot Township, Saint Clair County

The Dead End Woods Sanctuary was acquired by TLC from the Saint Clair County Drain Commissioner, Fred Fuller, in December 2008. As a condition for obtaining a wetland permit from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality for the Huffman Drain and Bunce Creek drain project, Fred agreed to preserve nearly 12 acres of wetland in the Dead End Woods as mitigation by placing a conservation easement on the property. As mitigation options were being considered, the owner of one of the Dead End Woods parcels approached Fred with an offer to sell the land at a reasonable price. The MDEQ confirmed the presence of a large amount of wetland on the property and found that it is a high quality habitat. Fred then acquired adjacent land with additional wetland to fulfill all of the mitigation for the current phase of the drain project. As a means of satisfying MDEQ requirements for long-term monitoring and stewardship of the wetland, the two Dead End Woods parcels were then transferred to the TLC, relieving the Drain Commissioner from further responsibility for this land.

At 44.5, the Floristic Quality Index calculated for the Dead End Woods ranks well above 35, indicating a natural area of statewide significance. Some higher quality or interesting species that are not routinely encountered in natural areas of the region include Maidenhair Fern, Spikenard, Richweed, Hazelnut, Black Ash, Butternut, Spicebush, Tulip Tree, Cardinal Flower, Indian Pipe, Black Gum, Sycamore, Christmas Fern, Broad-leaved Goldenrod, Foamflower, and Eastern Hemlock.

38.5 Acres in Ira Township, Saint Clair County

On July 16, 2009, the TLC acquired its second nature sanctuary, the Gerrits Sanctuary, a generous donation from Lois Gerrits, the widow of the late Dr. James F. Gerrits. The closing was held at the Law Offices of Timothy J. Lozen, with attorney Anna Kovar and TLC executive board members William Collins and Terry Gill present. Ullenbruch Flowers and Gifts of Port Huron kindly donated a nice bouquet of flowers to express our appreciation to Mrs. Gerrits.

The Gerrits Sanctuary is 38.5 acres of southern mesic and southern swamp forest with old-field to the north. Crapaud Creek flows through the north end of the property, which is located only about ¾ mile north of Anchor Bay and Lake Saint Clair. Such coastal habitat is critical for migratory birds and insects that move along the Great Lakes.

The sanctuary is located along the east boundary of the City of New Baltimore and Macomb County in Ira Township, Saint Clair County. Although development has taken a toll on nearby land, the forest on the sanctuary is mature, contains many high quality woodland species, and is part of what appears to be the largest and least fragmented forest tract remaining along the Great Lakes coastline from Ohio north through the Algonac area, excluding Grosse Ile near Detroit, and Walpole Island on the Ontario side.

Dr. Gerrits was well known in Saint Clair County. He was co-pilot of a bomber in World War II, and later a fighter and test pilot. Because of his war experiences, he became an outspoken critic of war. He and Lois twice voluntarily went to Vietnam in the 1960’s, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and Catholic Church, to provide civilian medical care to the people of both South and North Vietnam. Lois shared several stories about those times after our closing. The TLC will feature more about Dr. and Lois Gerrits in the future.

11.5 Acres in Fort Gratiot Township, Saint Clair County

On June 28, 2010, the TLC acquired its third preserve, the 11.5-acre Peltier Beach Ridge Sanctuary in Fort Gratiot Township, Saint Clair County. The sanctuary is located south of Metcalf Road, along the east side of the Detroit Water Board property. The parcel was given to the TLC by Ray and Nancy Peltier to satisfy State of Michigan wetland mitigation requirements for an expansion of the Hamzavi Dermatology office in Fort Gratiot. As with our first preserve, the Dead End Woods Sanctuary in Fort Gratiot, the Peltier Beach Ridge Sanctuary is protected by a State of Michigan conservation easement. In accepting ownership of the mitigation property, the TLC agreed to be responsible for all monitoring, management, and long-term stewardship.

The Peltier Beach Ridge Sanctuary is a high quality wetland and upland complex with a unique geologic history, unique plant and animal community, significant Great Lakes coastal habitat, good restoration potential, and a great addition to the TLC preserve lands. The sanctuary is a small part of a much larger and ecologically unique beach ridge and swale landscape, a long, narrow formation within about 1 mile of the Lake Huron shoreline, extending from Port Huron into Sanilac County. The landscape began forming about 11,500 years ago as the last stages of the Wisconsinan glacier melted back and early Lake Huron was about 30 feet higher than today. About 1,500 years later, the melting glacier uncovered a new outlet from the Georgian Bay and the water dropped over 400 feet. The massive weight of glacial ice depressed the earth’s crust for thousands of years, but as it melted, the crust slowly rose and continues today. By 4,500 years ago, the drainage outlet from Georgian Bay raised such that early Lake Huron filled to the Lake Nipissing stage and back to the old shoreline of 7,000 years previous. Great Lakes drainage was gradually limited to the Mississippi River through the old Chicago outlet, and then to the Saint Clair River which rapidly down-cut and lowered the Great Lakes to modern levels, leaving a series of beach ridges as the water dropped.

The landscape consists of a series of mostly forested upland sand ridges and mucky wetland troughs or swales between. In Saint Clair County, the sand ridges average about 40 to 50 feet wide and 3 to 4 feet above the adjoining swales. The swales are usually about as wide as the ridges, but some are a few hundred feet wide. The beach ridge and swale landscape provides not only unique habitat, but also a record of Michigan’s post-glacial past.

On the Peltier Beach Ridge Sanctuary, wetland swales are covered by Silver Maple, Green Ash and Black Ash, the larger ash trees now all dead due to the Emerald Ash Borer, Eastern Cottonwood, and American Elm. The upland beach ridges are covered largely by Black Cherry, Bigtooth Aspen, and American Basswood, with scattered Black Oak, possibly hybridized with Northern Pin Oak, and a few Northern White-cedar. The lower ridge bases are lined with Paper Birch and covered by an unusual concentration of Alternate-leaved Dogwood.

Unique species on the sanctuary include Purple-flowering Raspberry, Yellow Lady’s-slipper orchid, and the Eastern Hog-nosed Snake. Purple-flowering Raspberry is the Lower Peninsula’s equivalent of the Upper Peninsula’s Thimbleberry, thought to be native to only 7 shoreline counties in Michigan. Yellow Lady’s-slipper orchid grows in a variety of habitats, but in Saint Clair County is largely restricted to the moist ridge bases and mucky swales of this landscape. The Eastern Hog-nosed Snake is a special reptilian inhabitant that prefers the more open sand of dunes and disturbed ground such as along the south end of the sanctuary. When aggravated, the snakes flatten their necks like a cobra, and then sometimes rolling over and play dead with their mouths hanging open. They can look imposing, but are harmless.

One of the most critical functions of this coastal forest habitat is the support it provides to an abundance of migratory birds as they move north and south along the Lake Huron shoreline. The spring and summer breeding bird population is very abundant and diverse in this area, especially the forest warblers. Several species of warblers have been identified on the Peltier Beach Ridge Sanctuary.

Friday, March 20, 2015

Spring Burn With The PHTFD

Bill Collins, Executive Director, Thumb Land Conservancy

Since taking over stewardship in 2011 of the Saint Clair County Road Commission and Pro-Tel Development preserves along the east side of Michigan Road, between Dove Road and the Canadian National Railway, in Port Huron Township, it was clear that control of invasive Glossy Buckthorn is the big management issue out there. Refer back two posts ago to “Michigan Road Preserve Stewardship” for more details about these preserves. Glossy Buckthorn – Rhamnus frangula, recently renamed as Frangula alnus, is native to Eurasia and North Africa. It was introduced to North America about 200 years ago, first as an ornamental hedge plant, and later as a planting for wildlife and other conservation uses. Like so many other shrubs brought to North America for these purposes, including Common Privet, Tartarian Honeysuckle, and Autumn-olive, Glossy Buckthorn became highly invasive, especially in open forests and shrub swamps. It forms very dense shrub thickets that shade-out and displace nearly every other plant species that once grew in the same area.

Glossy Buckthorn on the west edge of the Road Commission preserve.

The best control for Glossy Buckthorn is pulling the smaller plants and cutting the larger, usually combined with herbicide applications. This is very labor-intensive, requiring a lot of people and time to make significant progress against large areas of Glossy Buckthorn such as on the west sides and interior shrub swamps on both Michigan Road preserves. And herbicide has the disadvantage of not always being so selective in which plants it kills. We are aware that some land managers have had tremendous success in controlling Glossy Buckthorn in shrub swamps by burning. This is usually more effective in open wetlands where there is more herbaceous growth and therefore, more fuel for burning. Except during autumn leaf fall, there is not typically a large amount of dry fuel on the ground of mature forests, and therefore, burning is more difficult.

Another aspect of the burning is that, to some extent, the northern plant community on these preserves and across drier sandy soils in the Port Huron area, is probably fire-dependent. Oaks, Paper Birch, blueberry, Wintergreen, Bunchberry, and other species on the upland sand ridges on the preserves all thrive in response to burning. Fire should help to restore some of the natural structure of the vegetation among other benefits.

We decided to try burning on the west side of the two Michigan Road preserves to see how the buckthorn would be affected in the swamp forest. We considered burning in the shrub swamp portions of the preserves, but we didn’t want to decrease the Tag Alder – Alnus incana cover which appears to be competing with the Glossy Buckthorn, and we don’t want to open these areas to further invasion by Reed – Phragmites australis which dominates the lower wetter areas.

Typical mix of Tag Alder and Glossy Buckthorn down in the shrub swamp.

I had been in contact with Port Huron Township Fire Chief, Craig Miller, since the winter of 2011-2012 about conducting small test burns on the preserves http://porthurontownship.org/TownshipDepts/FireDepartment.aspx . Craig is an old friend from school and Boy Scouts so it was nice to talk with him again after so many years. But, the spring of 2012 passed without the TLC being granted permission to burn by the Township. The summer drought of 2012 made burning a very hazardous proposition, so any pursuit of burning was dropped for 2012.

In the meantime, with the help of the Michigan Prescribed Fire Council http://firecouncil.org/ and a few burn consultants, Mike Appel http://www.appelenvironmental.com/ and David Borneman http://www.restoringnaturewithfire.com/ I wrote burn plans for each of the Michigan Road preserves as well as the TLC Dead End Woods Sanctuary and Peltier Beach Ridges Sanctuary. Most of the work for these plans is actually in gathering all the current landowner names that surround the preserves so they can be notified of a burn. I then submitted the plans to the Port Huron Township and Fort Gratiot Township Fire Chiefs for their review. I even thought about showing them my old JFBA - Junior Fire Bug Association membership card from Troop 169 to see if that might help, but decided to hold off.

The burn plans seemed to help because in the spring of 2013, with Chief Miller’s help, the TLC received permission to burn. However, the spring was so wet and cool that burning was not possible before the emergence of forest herbs. Of particular concern is the possible occurrence of Michigan Endangered Painted Trillium – Trillium undulatum, which normally emerges from the ground in mid-May. We considered conducting a burn in the fall of 2013, but again, conditions were generally unsuitable with frequent rains.

Painted Trillium

Finally, thanks again to rather last-minute accommodations by Chief Miller and the generous help of several volunteers on the Port Huron Township Fire Department, we were able to conduct two small burns on April 12 of 2014. Our burn window opened suddenly. Conditions were warm and dry enough only for a few days before turning cold and wet again all the way through May.

To my surprise, when we arrived at the fire department that morning, I was greeted by another old Scouting friend, John Bachman. I hadn’t seen him I guess since he was barely out of high school. He knew who I was, but before I recognized him, he had to give me a jab about being some kind of ecology nut or something. I was probably his instructor for Environmental Science merit badge at summer camp. Then later on our first burn site, Chief Craig Miller came out, the first I’d seen him since our Scouting days. Both Craig and John were in Troop 178 from Port Huron Township. I knew several of the guys in their troop. Their Scoutmaster, Don McColeman, was even a friend in later years. In 1974, after my first summer camp at Silver Trails with my Troop 169 from Fort Gratiot, I stayed a second week with Troop 178. It was a very nice reunion that morning and a reminder of the contribution Scouts make to our emergency services throughout the US, and probably across the world. And it seems Scouts and fire just naturally go together.

Captain John Bachman monitoring the situation.

Typical burn intensity on the Road Commission preserve.

One of the crew sweeping along a control line.

Post-burn on the Road Commission preserve.

Spraying the north edge of the Road Commission preserve after the burn.

Burn line on the Pro-Tel preserve.

Post-burn on part of the Pro-Tel preserve.

The test burns were conducted largely according to the plans submitted to the Township. We adjusted the location of the burn on the Road Commission preserve somewhat because part of the proposed area was too wet. On the Pro-Tel preserve, we burned a slightly larger area than the proposed 100-foot by 100-foot test size, simply for ease of establishing a better south control line with good access. Leaf litter and twigs on the forest floor burned fairly well on both sites, interrupted only by lower saturated soils and lack of fuel in some spots. Almost no material above the ground surface, such as dry branches, burned to any significant degree. The fire crew did a great job sweeping along the control lines to make sure the fire didn’t burn beyond, and we had no trouble at all. Actually, I think we were all hoping for more burn intensity, but the fuel was a bit thin and the soil still mostly damp.

During the summer 2014 preserve monitoring, some decrease in the number and density of small-diameter, less than 0.5-inch, woody vegetation was noted in each burn area. The results will be clearer in 2015 due to delayed resprouting of some stems, but it appears that burning under a forest canopy, combined with hand-pulling and cutting, is likely to be effective in helping to control Glossy Buckthorn in the forested portions of the preserves.

Thumb Land Conservancy

Blog Archive

.

TLC Mission Territory