Young Forest Conservation Phase IV
Young Forest Conservation Phase IV will continue American Bird Conservancy's successful, ongoing efforts to maintain and enhance Golden-winged Warbler, American Woodcock, and Ruffed Grouse breeding habitat on publicly protected lands. This work also benefits a suite of associated deciduous and mixed forest habitat species within a diverse, contiguous landscape-level forest matrix. Through Phases I-III, ABC completed 9,204 acres of high-quality early successional habitat projects. Phase IV will continue habitat treatments on an additional 4,360+ acres in Phase IV, while expanding project work to include additional bird species, including, but not limited to, Red-headed Woodpecker and Sharp-tailed Grouse.
In Young Forest Conservation Phases I-III (2013-present), American Bird Conservancy (ABC) completed 9,204 acres of breeding habitat projects for the Golden-winged Warbler (GWWA), American Woodcock (AMWO), Ruffed Grouse (RUGR), and associated early successional forest and brushland species. To achieve this, ABC worked collaboratively with County, Tribal, State, Federal, and NGO partners. In Phase IV, ABC will continue to use science-based best management practices (BMPs) to implement projects on permanently protected lands, creating 4,360+ acres of habitat over five years.
In Phase IV, ABC will continue to prioritize projects in early successional deciduous forest habitats, and expand to include additional complimentary treatments in mixed forest covertypes to benefit young forest cohorts such as White-throated Sparrow, Veery, and Rose-breasted Grosbeak. ABC will also complete a limited number of projects in adjacent brushland and oak savanna habitats to benefit Red-headed Woodpecker (RHWO) and Sharp-tailed Grouse (STGR). Projects will be completed using science-based best management practices within consensus focal regions.
From 2015-2018, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology finished a program to monitor species response on Phase I-II project sites. Monitors evaluated point locations within ABC-managed sites, observing a positive effect on GWWA and AMWO occupancy, resulting in >90% relative occupancy on shrubland data points of managed sites in Minnesota by year three. GWWA density nearly doubled and AMWO density increased to 1 male/4.84 acres.
Cutting projects emulate natural disturbance by reducing the density of woody vegetation (mostly brush) in non-commercial stands to create nesting, brood rearing, and browsing habitat. Mature trees and patchy, woody structure are retained to create site-level structural diversity to maintain perches for male GWWAs to claim territory and attract females, while providing nesting and forage for associated wildlife species.
Prescribed fire projects may be implemented in disturbance dependent habitats within established burn units with approved burn plans in forest, oak savanna, and shrubland habitats. Treatments will be completed on sites that have become overgrown with brush species that reduce ecological heterogeneity and limit the habitat's viability to meet life-cycle needs of a suite of migratory and resident bird species. The loss or degradation of these habitat types and transition zones greatly reduces the capacity of these areas to support robust wildlife populations.
Planting projects will focus on creating young forest habitat, expanding forest contiguity, and increasing habitat connectivity. Focal areas include, but are not limited to, DNR Wildlife Management Areas, Audubon Minnesota Important Bird Areas, and focal management regions for at-risk bird species.
Treatment of invasive species or woody encroachment via herbicide application may be implemented if complimentary to other projects described herein. Treatments will utilize guidance provided by the Minnesota Management Plan for Invasive Species, written by the Minnesota Invasive Species Advisory Council.
ABC provides technical and project management assistance to partners for all project phases, while engaging in cooperative forums, outreach, and continuing education associated with forest habitat. ABC's collaborative network and technical experience implementing habitat projects enables us to work across jurisdictional boundaries and address landscape-level priorities while meeting site-level goals.
$2,229,000 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.
Healthy populations of endangered, threatened, and special concern species as well as more common species - ABC provides site identification, project design, and project management assistance to cooperative partners for all project phases. ABC project coordinators work hand-in-hand with partners to manage project implementation. ABC also uses GIS to track completed work via GPS units and satellite imagery, allowing us to assess final completed acres with the highest degree of accuracy possible. Project work is also evaluated by project coordinators that mange ongoing project operations and visit completed sites to confirm that they fall within the post treatment conditions defined in the project management plan.
Protected, restored, and enhanced nesting and migratory habitat for waterfowl, upland birds, and species of greatest conservation need - The majority of work will be completed in the Northern Forest Region, with an undetermined percentage of project acres falling within the Forest-Prairie Transition Region. In Phases I-III, a number of sites were located at the border of these two regions and in Phase IV this is likely to continue with some habitat projects and prescribed fire units also falling in the Forest-Prairie region. This region is included in this proposal to avoid revising this input to accommodate online reporting if similar circumstances occurs in Phase IV. Outcomes for this region are evaluated as described for the Northern Forest Region
American Bird Conservancy, USFWS Tamarac NWR, USFWS Rice Lake NWR, USFWS Tamarac NWR Equipment Use and ABC Computers, USFWS Tamarac NWR and Rice Lake NWR Office/Facility Use and USFWS Tamarac NWR and Rice Lake NWR Vehicle Use