Young Forest Conservation Phase III
Young Forest Conservation Phase III will continue American Bird Conservancy's successful, ongoing efforts to maintain, restore, and enhance Golden-winged Warbler, American Woodcock, and Ruffed Grouse breeding habitat on publicly protected lands in Minnesota. This work also benefits a suite of associated deciduous, mixed upland and lowland forest habitat species within a diverse, contiguous landscape-level forest matrix. Through Phases I and II, ABC completed 5,535 acres of high-quality early successional habitat projects. Phase III will continue habitat treatments on an additional 3,650+ acres over a five-year period.
In Young Forest Conservation Phases I and II, ABC completed 5,535 acres of projects to create breeding habitat for the Golden-winged Warbler (GWWA), American Woodcock (AMWO), Ruffed Grouse, and associated young forest species, exceeding project goals. ABC partnered with 11 Minnesota DNR Offices, seven Minnesota Counties, two USFWS National Wildlife Refuges, Chippewa National Forest, and the Red Lake Band of Chippewa. In Phase III, ABC will continue to use science-based best management practices (BMPs) to build upon this success and complete 3650+ acres of habitat projects over five years.
Minnesota is a key state in an international initiative to conserve GWWA and AMWO, Minnesota Species of Greatest Conservation Need. ABC also collaborates with partners in Central and South America to conserve GWWA stopover and wintering habitat, while implementing a regional program to restore and enhance breeding habitat throughout the Great Lakes. ABC's Minnesota Private Lands Program, implemented with funding through NRCS, completed similar work with private landowners, resulting in 5,760 acres since 2013.
In Phase III, habitat project work will be completed on sites adjacent to deciduous and mixed forest stands to accommodate diverse habitat needs of target species. Mechanical operations concentrate on emulating natural disturbance by hiring contractors to cut dense alder, willow, and other forest or brushland species from 1-5? diameter on non-commercial forest/brushland stands to create nesting, brood rearing, and browsing habitat. Mature trees and patchy, woody structure are retained during project operations, creating site-level structural diversity to allow male GWWAs to claim territory and attract females, while providing ground nesting and forage for GWWA and associated species. A limited number of planting projects may be implemented to create similar habitat and enhance forest continuity. All projects are completed using GWWA and AMWO BMPs within consensus focal regions.
ABC will utilize funding to provide financial, technical, and project management assistance to public and tribal agency partners for all project phases, while engaging in cooperative forums, outreach and continuing education associated with forest habitat. Due to ABC's established partner network and technical experience restoring and enhancing early successional habitat, we are able to work across jurisdictional boundaries and address landscape-level priorities while meeting site-level goals. We propose to continue working with established public and tribal agency partners and will continue cultivating new partners in Phase III. ABC may also pursue and manage supplemental project funding if necessary due to a reduced budget associated with COVID-19.
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology recently finished a program to monitor pre- and post-treatment avian occupancy on Phase I and Phase II project sites. From 2015-2018, monitors evaluated project point locations within managed sites and observed a positive effect of treatment on GWWA and AMWO occupancy, resulting in 93% and 88.5%, respectively, on shrubland data points in Minnesota by year three. The results showcase a very positive management response from focal species. GWWA density nearly doubled and AMWO density increased by approximately 45%. This data is not yet published and may be adjusted slightly during peer review.
$1,275,000 the second year is to the commissioner of natural resources for an agreement with the American Bird Conservancy to enhance publicly owned, permanently protected forest lands for wildlife management. A list of proposed forest land enhancements must be provided as part of the required accomplishment plan.
Healthy populations of endangered, threatened, and special concern species as well as more common species - ABC, in partnership with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, recently finished a program to monitor pre- and post-treatment avian occupancy on Phase I and Phase II public lands project sites. From 2015-2018, monitors evaluated project point locations within managed sites in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Monitors observed a positive effect of treatment on GWWA and AMWO occupancy, resulting in 93% and 88.5%, respectively, on shrubland data points of managed sites in Minnesota by year three. GWWA density nearly doubled and AMWO density increased by approximately 45%. (Results are presently being peer-reviewed for publication.) Proposed Parcel table is subject to revision.
Protected, restored, and enhanced nesting and migratory habitat for waterfowl, upland birds, and species of greatest conservation need - A very small number of project acres fall within the Forest-Prairie Transition Region. In Phases I & II, there were project sites that fell directly on the boundary of the Forest-Prairie Transition/Northern Forest resulting in <2% of the final acreage falling within the Forest-Prairie Transition region. This region is included to avoid revising this input to accommodate online reporting if a similar circumstance occurs in Phase III. It is possible that less than the 100 acres included in this proposal will ultimately fall in this region. Outcomes for this region are evaluated as described for the Northern Forest Region
USFWS Tamarac NWR, USFWS Tamarac NWR, USFWS Tamarac NWR, American Bird Conservancy and American Bird Conservancy via NRCS RCPP