Young Forest Conservation Phase II

With assistance from the Minnesota Outdoor Heritage Fund, in Phase II the American Bird Conservancy (ABC)
Minnesota Public Lands Program continued to compete targeted young forest and brushland habitat projects on
County, State, Federal, and Tribal lands with collaborative assistance of associated public and tribal agencies. These
projects were implemented using science-based best management practices (BMPs) to create diverse breeding
habitat for the golden-winged warbler (GWWA), American woodcock (AMWO), and associated wildlife species
within the northern Minnesota focal area. This project is part of a cooperative, full life-cycle, international initiative
to restore the population GWWA, which declined by 68% since 1966. Additionally, throughout its range, AMWO
populations also steadily declined over the last quarter century at a rate of 1-2% per year.
Project areas were located primarily in non-commercial habitat types, the vast majority being lowland or upland
brush sites that contained very old and dense brush species, including alder, willow, and hazel; with alder being
the most common. Stems measured 1-5” (avg. 2-3") diameter and grew in dense clumps that had a higher
aggregate diameter at the base. Average brush height was approximately 10’ within deciduous or mixed forest
matrix. These closed brush canopies limited or removed the ability of ground nesting avian species such as the
GWWA and AMWO to occupy sites for the purposes of nesting and brood rearing. Habitat projects concentrated on
brush cutting treatments to emulate natural disturbance. Post-treatment habitat conditions included a mix of
scattered and clumped tree species dominated by hardwoods that were retained as residual structure along with
scattered brush. Woody retention of vertical and horizontal structural diversity depended on a suite of site level
factors, including size and shape of the site, distance from forest edge, adjacent forest characteristics, and the
number of trees present in a given area. When project areas did not have sufficient tree cover to maintain 10-15
mature trees per acre, well distributed clumps of brush (10-15/acre, ≥25% cover) were retained. Some larger
project areas also retained undisturbed legacy patches (>0.25 acres in size). Feathered edges at the site boundaries
were also emphasized to create a gradual transition into the adjacent forest when possible.
Most project sites were located in brushland/forest interfaces, though a small number of projects were completed
in aspen cover types to create or maintain habitat openings and multi-aged stands. The latter sites were completed
using similar methodology as those described in brushland habitats in terms of treatment prescriptions and
retention of residual woody structure.
Monitoring efforts were completed by Cornell University and Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Research
Institute and included project sites from both the ABC MN Public Lands Program (projects completed via funding
from MN OHF 'Young Forest Conservation Phase I & II') and the ABC MN Private Lands Program (projects
completed via funding from the NRCS Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)). It is notable that the
ABC Private Lands Program is separate and complimentary to the ABC Public Lands Program. No projects on
private lands were completed with funding via MN OHF.
Point count monitoring indicated that GWWA local abundance is increasing where ABC project work has occurred,
and that GWWA population response has been positive to BMP implementation. Occupancy rates on shrubland
project sites exceed 95% in both Western Minnesota (98% of sites; 95% CI: 92–100%) and Eastern Minnesota
(97% of sites; 95% CI: 88–99%)(McNeil et al. 2020, Biological Conservation). These sites were monitored between
2015 and 2017 (with a subset of sites also monitored in 2018) and included project sites since the winter 2013-14
project season. Because most of the projects completed on private lands were timber harvests, it can be safely
stated that a significant proportion (and possibly the majority) of shrubland sites monitored were located on
public lands completed in Phase I or II of the MN Public Lands Program, though ABC does not have this information
due to the independent nature of the study. Relative abundance on shrubland habitats rises from approximately
1.5 to 3.0 male GWWA per point count on treated vs. untreated sites, respectively (publication in peer review
process). Monitoring was also begun this year to examine monarch and other pollinator responses within managed
sites. AMWO also has been observed as increasing in local abundance at these project locations with 92% of
treated sites across all public and private lands project sites occupied by AMWO, at a density of 0.516 singing
males/ha observed on shrubland sites.
In Phase II, the ABC Public Lands Coordinator continued expand ABC's partner base throughout northern
Minnesota by engaging public and tribal lands partner agencies in project design and implementation and by
participating in educational workshops. It quickly became apparent in Phase I and continued to be evident in Phase
II that public and tribal lands agencies had a need and interest to complete habitat projects of this type. As a result,
the number of project partners has grown every year since the inception this program. Natural resource managers
across county, state, federal, and tribal partners have expressed that ABC is filling a much needed role in Minnesota
forest conservation, implementing projects that otherwise would not be completed. As a driving force in
cooperative forest conservation, ABC was also a founding member of the Minnesota Forest Habitat Collaborative
(MFHC). The MFHC was created to provide a round table community forum to identify, promote, and deliver
collaborative conservation, outreach, and research programs that assist natural resource managers across
jurisdictional and ownership boundaries to maintain, enhance, and restore MN’s forest habitat for the benefit of
associated resident and migratory wildlife species.