• Mich-igan Potash & Salt Company, LLC • Dr. Wayne Miller
• Mike McGarry
• Ronald & Edye McCarty
• Alfred Martinson
• Brian & Barb Polk
• William Penny
• Max Patterson
• Steven Nitsch
• Nestle Waters / Ice Mountain
• Vordyn D. Nelson
• Murphy Properties, LLC
• Jeff & LeeAnn Pullen
• Gary & Cathryn Proudfoot
• Gib Pritchard
• Phil & Jan Potvin
• Jer-ry & Brent Poprawski
• Norman Pokley
• Jesse & Julie Peffer
• Mabel Smith
• Gary & Jan Smith
• Kenneth C. Sink
• Greg B. Schankin
• John Roy
• Paul Romanowski
• David & Betsy Randall
• Robbie Svegel
• Thomas W. Stump
• Dr. William H. Strawter
• Stover Farm
• Michael Stilwell
• Spring Hill Outdoor Education Center
This is the first year that we are offering larger transplant stock. Seedlings vs. Transplants. Conifer seedlings are grown for 2 years in a seedling bed. Conifer transplants spend 2 years in a seedling bed and 1 or 2 years in a transplant bed. All stock will be sold bare root.
We will be selling potted nursery stock as a browse and buy option on the pick up date (Friday, Sept. 27th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.). No preorders for potted stock, first-come, first-served. Potted stock will vary in size and species.
AUTUMN OLIVE WORKSHOP
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6TH
12 P.M. - 4 P.M.
Come learn about the proper identification of this invasive shrub, along with best management prac tices, both mechanical and chemical Snacks & drinks provided - feel free to bring a sack lunch Chippewa Lake Township Hall 10467 19 Mile Rd, Rodney, MI 49342
This event will be split bet ween classroom and field demonstrations
REGISTRATION DUE BY SEPT. 3RD
https://forms.gle/dzqgYChc2mjinvQi9
Brook Baumann (989) 309-9229
4 RUP credits for private or commercial core requested for c ategories 2, 3B, 5, 6
OSCEOLA-LAKE CONSERVATION DISTRICT
138 W Upton, Suite 2
Reed City, MI 49677
Phone: (231) 465-8012
Email: mark.sweppenheiser@macd.org
Website: www.osceolalakecd.org
District Directors
Eric Martin, Chairman
Connie Theunick-Perley, Vice-Chairperson
Mike Stilwell, Member
Jack Thornton, Member
John Beam Sr., Treasurer
District Staff
Mark Sweppenheiser, District Manager
Soren Murphy, District Forester
Brandi Mitchell, MAEAP Technician
USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service
Greg White, District Conservationist
Justin Brown, Soil Conservationist
Board Meetings
Regular board meetings are held bi-monthly on the second Thursday of the month at Richmond Township Hall in Reed City. Meeting schedule can be found on the website. Call the office to confirm dates and times. Open to the public.
Mecosta County Supporters
Aetna Township
Austin Township
Big Rapids Township
Big Rapids Rotary
Chippewa Township
City of Big Rapids
Colfax Township
Deerfield Township
Fork Township
Giving Day Donations
Grant Township
Great Lakes Energy
Green Charter Township
Hinton Township
Martiny Township
Mecosta County
All programs and services are offered on a non-discriminatory basis, without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, marital status or handicap.
Mecosta County Community Foundation
Mecosta County Sheriff’s Posse
Mecosta Township
Millbrook Township
Morton Township
Blue Triton/Ice Mountain
Sheridan Township
Tri-County Electric
Village of Morley
Wheatland Township Lake County Supporters Chase Township
Township
Township
Township
County
Lake
Osceola County Supporters
Burdell Township
Cedar Township
City of Evart
18260 Northland Drive
Big Rapids, MI 49307
Phone: (231) 796-0909 Ext. 3
Email: brook.baumann@macd.org
Website: www.mecostacd.org
District Directors
Bill Jernstadt, Chairman
Mary Lou Kuehn, Vice-Chairperson
Tom Samuel, Treasurer
Joe Ward, Secretary
Connie Redding, Member
Anne Crawford, Assosiate
Tom Manks, Assosiate
District Staff
Brook Baumann, District Administrator
Soren Murphy, District Forester
Cody Christensen, MAEAP Technician
Melissa Heath, CTAI Program Assistant
Zach Peklo, NCCISMA Program Coordinator
Michael Ramsey, NCCISMA Public Engagement
USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service
Jennifer Taylor, District Conservationist
Katy Robinson, Soil Conservationist
Board Meetings
Regular board meetings are held bi-monthly the second Thursday of the month at the USDA Service Center in Big Rapids. Meeting schedule can be found on the website. Call the office to confirm dates and times. Open to the public.
Hartwick Township
Hersey Township
Highland Township
LeRoy Township
Lincoln Township
Orient Township
Osceola County
Osceola County Community Foundation
Osceola County Road Commission
Osceola Township
Recycle of Osceola County
Richmond Township
Rose Lake Township
Sherman Township
Sylvan Township
Village of Marion
MECOSTA CONSERVATION DISTRICT
Courtesy, Jeff Fewless, USDA-NRCS
NCCISMA Prepares for Early Detection Response for Swallow-wort and Application of 5-year Invasive Species Management Plan for Wild Parsnip
The North Country Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (NCCISMA) acts as the invasive species management arm for five conservations districts (CDs) in the region. In 2023, With three permanent staff, two seasonal staff, and the help of several dedicated volunteers, NCCISMA accomplished 4,304 acres of survey for invasive species, 238 acres of control, and monitored an additional 203 acres for recurrence in Mecosta, Osceola, and Lake, counties. NCCISMA used this survey data to create a strategic plan to control the black swallow-wort infestation found in Mecosta County as well as begin the implementation of a five-year management plan for wild parsnip.
Black-swallow wort and its near relative, pale swallow-wort, are invasive vines that pose threats to the environment. They grow rapidly and can overtake native plants as well as create impassible thickets. Despite similarities to milkweed, swallow-wort is toxic to many insect larvae, including the monarch caterpillar. One particular concern is that, because adult monarch butterflies can mistake invasive swallowwort for milkweed, large infestations of swallow-
wort could negatively impact monarch populations.
Black swallow-wort is native to Europe and is in the milkweed family. Leaves are dark green with a waxy coating; they are long and have a pointed tip. Plants are vining and easiest to identify in midsummer by their flowers, which are star-shaped and purple-black. Their seed pods resemble those of native milkweed and are present in late summer and fall. Seed pods turn brown as they begin to dry and split open to release flat seeds with white tufts that are dispersed by wind.
NCCISMA, in collaboration with Central Michigan CISMA, will send 81 mailers to property owners within ¼ mile of the black swallowwort infestation that was identified in Southeastern Mecosta County in 2023. Mailers will include an explanatory letter, keys to identify swallow-wort, and control options. The letter will ask for notification from landowners that have swallow-wort on their property or know of it nearby.
NCCISMA will control in two stages on the eight infested sites – in June and again in the fall. Sites will be monitored in fall for reemergence.
If you suspect that you have swallow-wort
on your property, contact NCCISMA at 231- 4295072. NCCISMA will also be following up on a containment plan for Wild Parsnip in Osceola and Wexford County.
Wild parsnip is native to Eurasia and is related to carrot and parsley. This plant has a two-year life cycle with a basal rosette that resembles a mitten and leaves up to six inches long in the first year. Flower stems grow in the second year, up to four to five feet tall, and bloom in early summer. Flowers are yellow and form large flat umbels like Queen Anne’s lace. Wild parsnip often invades areas of soil disturbance and can form dense stands over time. The primary concern, however, is the threat that it poses to human health.
Handling wild parsnip can be harmful to humans due to phototoxic chemicals in the plant that causes skin to become hypersensitive to sunlight. Exposure to sunlight after contact with the chemical causes severe skin burns and blistering, so anyone
working with or near wild parsnip should wear long gloves. Because of this potential for human harm, areas of heavy foot traffic, such as the White Pine Trail, are a priority for NCCISMA and included in a Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program (MISGP) funded wild parsnip treatment plan.
NCCISMA will begin the implementation of a comprehensive five-year treatment plan for Wild Parsnip this summer. Priority has been placed on controlling outlying populations to prevent the spread of wild parsnip into other areas. Sites will be monitored in successive years, and treatments made according to the plan, to manage wild parsnip throughout the region.
Along with survey and control work, NCCISMA participates in a variety of public engagement efforts in the region. Their outreach focuses on prevention, which is considered the most effective and affordable form of invasive species
management. In 2023, NCCISMA provided 10 presentations, four educational booths, and five student outreach activities in Mecosta, Osceola, and Lake, counties.
Outreach events included elementary school and library readings, presentations to local conservation and management groups, and bar trivia nights and a Trail Head Blitz to communicate the need to #RideCleanRepeat to prevent the spread of invasive plants on ORV trails and forest roads. For more information on invasive species, visit northcountryinvasives. org or contact NCCISMA at (231) 429-5072. To find out more about NCCISMA’s ORV outreach and resources, visit dirtneverhurt.org.
Creating Edge Habitat Give Your Property the Edge
By: Mark Sweppenheiser
Edge habitat is the boundary where two different plant communities meet. Edge habitat is associated with a diversity of vegetation. How effective edge habitat can be depends on the diversity and quality of the plants that offer food and cover. Just as importantly, those plants need to create
a gradual transition from the tall forest trees to the relatively short crop or grass field next to it.
Edge Wildlife
Most transitions are abrupt, but the direct change from low ground cover in a crop field to tall trees doesn’t benefit wildlife like a gradual transition. What many wildlife species prefer is a wider, more gradual border
area. A minimum of 30 feet, but preferably wider zone of grasses, weeds, shrubs, vines and small trees offer the berries, seeds, browse, and insects helpful to wildlife.
The eastern wild turkey and whitetail deer are among the more popular species that relies heavily on edge habitat. Habitat edges provide for an abundance of food, cover and transition areas for
Mecosta County Residents Only (not to exceed 10 tires total)
Thursday, August 8th, 2024
3 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Mecosta County Fairgrounds 540 West Ave., Big Rapids
Tire Recycling:
• Standard passenger & light duty truck tires accepted (on or off rim)
• Limit of ten (10) tires
• No tires over 4 feet tall or wider than 12 inches
For additional information:
(989) 309-9229
these species. Not all wildlife species benefit from an abundance of edge habitat. Forest interior bird species requiring continuous forest avoid edge habitats. In management, there are often tradeoffs to what your goals are for the property.
Creating a Forest Edge
Donations are appreciated for the continued support of the program. Partial proceeds will be given to the Big Rapids Public School Athletic Department for their assistance
• Tires must be dry and debris free (no excessive dirt, paint or cement)
• No commercial farm, business, heavy equipment or gel filled tires. Household and residential tires only.
The transition edge can be created by planting a diversity of shrubs or small trees adjacent to mature timber. Another option is to encourage the area to revert naturally to native plants. Stop grazing, mowing, or cropping the area and the natural succession process will probably work in short order. A light disking will help weeds and other native species to establish more quickly. If the trees in the forest are close to one another, the edge can be improved by thinning the tree stand. Consider a commercial timber sale, or cutting trees for firewood. Thinning the stand near the edge allows sunlight to reach the forest understory. The sunlight then promotes more growth for plants that offer food and cover for wildlife.
Creating Forest Openings
Funded by: EGLE Scrap Tire Grant & Gotion Inc.
An option or addition to creating edge on the outside of tracts of forests is to create openings within
the forest. Clearcuts can initially create abrupt edges and cutting patterns determine the amount of edge created. Creating the maximum amount of edge entails creating elongated circles or having irregular shaped cuts. The process of leaving islands of residual trees significantly increases the amount of edge created.
Ungrazed clearings in a forest diversify the habitat and offer woodland birds such as wild turkeys the annual weeds, grasses and seedlings that poults need. With selective thinning, fruit and nut producing trees, den trees, and snags can be left for more food and cover for wildlife.
Creating Edge in Fallow Fields
Creating edge in a fallow field can be accomplished in a variety of ways. A temporary way to increase edge is to plant crops like corn or sorghum. In this instance, crops would not be harvested and allowed to stand into spring to provide the maximum benefit. Long term options include planting warm season native grasses like switchgrass, big bluestem and indian grass. Tree and shrub plantings can also be combined to create additional edge within the native warm season grass plantings. The same edge creation tactics of planting islands of trees and having
irregular shaped plantings will increase the amount of edge and effectiveness of wildlife usage. Diversity in these plantings will increase usage and attractiveness for wildlife.
Your Local Conservation District
Your local conservation district is staffed with incredibly knowledgeable resource professionals. An initial call to your district office could be the start to a life long commitment to managing your property. There are
a variety of programs helping landowners reach their management goals. And the best part of contacting your local conservation district is that the consultation is free. Even seasoned property managers can benefit from having another set of eyes on their property. Programs and services are voluntary, you get to decide the improvements you would like to implement. Be warned, you may never look at your property’s potential the same.
What you need to know about Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI): Bird Flu
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), commonly known as bird flu, poses a significant threat to agriculture, emphasizing the importance of proactive measures. Although bird flu viruses do not normally infect humans, sporadic human infections have occurred.
At the Conservation Districts, safeguarding both animal and public health is paramount in combating the spread of HPAI.
Conservation District technicians have heightened their biosecurity protocols while completing site visits. In collaboration with producers, we urge immediate implementation of biosecurity practices and the establishment of emergency preparedness plans. These steps are crucial in preventing HPAI from entering farms and controlling its transmission.
Key biosecurity measures include, but are not limited to:
• Visitor Control: Limiting visitors and foot traffic, requiring footwear disinfection, and sanitizing equipment before farm entry.
• Entryway Management: Establishing clean and dirty zones, mandating clothing changes, hand washing, and protective footwear application.
• Equipment Hygiene: Avoiding the sharing of farm equipment to prevent cross-contamination.
• Barn Maintenance: Repairing barn structures, removing potential nesting sites, and installing deterrents to prevent bird access.
• Nest Management: Clearing old nests before nesting season and adhering to state and federal regulations.
• Feed and Water Protection: Ensuring covered and uncontaminated feed and water sources.
• Livestock Management: Separating poultry from other livestock, monitoring for symptoms, testing animals before movement, and implementing isolation protocols.
Continued collaboration with partners is essential in understanding HPAI transmission dynamics. Stay updated by following our Facebook page for the latest information.
For further details and other best protection practices, please visit: https://rb.gy/t9q1q2 or contact your local Conservation District:
The opportunity to add trees and shrubs to your property this fall is fast approaching. Michigan conservation districts helped landowners plant over two million trees in 2023. Many of our customers have an annual tradition of planting trees each year with family and friends. If this is a tradition you would like to start, we are here to help guide you through the process. Now is a great time to contact our staff of resource professionals to find out what management options may be available to reach your goals for your property.
“To plant trees is to give body and life to one’s dreams of a better world.”
– Russell Page
Benefits of Fall Planting
I enjoy planting trees and shrubs in spring, but the last two years have been challenging because of the lack of moisture. It is extremely time consuming to water plants during prolonged dry periods. I have also planted trees and shrubs in fall with positive results. Typically, I plant into my lightest soils for a fall planting and have had good seedling survivability. I know a lot of property owners don’t want to plant trees during the start of hunting season, but it is an option to try to reduce seedling mortality. Fall is a great time to plant trees if they are planted in the correct soil, heavy clay should be avoided. Fall
brings lower temperatures and increased moisture in the soil, reducing the need for supplemental watering. Late September to November is the optimal time to plant. Fall plantings allow trees to acclimate to the site and establish their roots before facing the summer heat in their new location. Soil temperatures are warmer in fall than spring, helping aid in root establishment before going dormant in winter. Weed control is still important, weed mats or mulch should be considered. The number one cause of seedling mortality is grass and weed competition.
Keep Tree Diversity in Mind
Tree diversity is an important consideration in protecting forests. Forest stands that have less diversity are more suspectable to disease and pests. One of the most recent examples of the need for diversity is the death of the ash tree. The Emerald Ash Borer was first detected in Michigan in 2002. In Michigan, millions of ash trees have been killed and some projections predict the death of billions of ash trees in North America. Still visible in forests and yards today, the ash tree is a stark reminder of the challenges forests face. There are many other reasons to promote tree diversity. Everyone can appreciate spring blossoms and the fall foliage that central Michigan has to offer. Expanding spring bloom periods and increasing fall colors can be a function of simply increasing the tree diversity on your property. Tree diversity also benefits the ecosystem. From bacteria and mycorrhizae in the soil to bird and insect species, tree diversity benefits the most forms of life by providing a mix of diverse food and cover throughout the year. Tree diversity can also be incorporated for the
Tree planting utilizing tree tubes, Photo by Greg White
seasonal needs of wildlife. Conifers can be planted to provide thermal and bedding cover during fall and winter.
Get Started
Ordering deadline is Wednesday, September 11 at 2 p.m. and the pickup date at the Paris Park Fish Hatchery is Friday, September 27 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. If you
have any questions or would like to place an order, please contact us.
Residents of the Osceola-Lake Conservation District can call 231465-8012 or email mark. sweppenheiser@macd. org. Residents of Mecosta County can call 989-3099229 or email brook. baumann@macd.org. Thank you for supporting your local conservation district.
Lake - Mecosta - Osceola Counties Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Day
When: Thursday, August 1st, 2024 • 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Where: Mecosta County Chippewa Hills Intermediate School (3226 Arthur Rd., Remus)
Lake County Wenger Pavilion, downtown Baldwin (behind Jones Ice Cream Parlor)
Who: Residents of Mecosta, Osceola or Lake Counties can bring Hazardous material to either collection site.
Cost: The community’s continued support and donations are extremely important for the continued success of the HW event. Suggested minimum donation of $15 per vehicle is appreciated to help offset the cost of disposal
Household Hazardous Waste are materials that, if disposed of incorrectly, can cause environmental damage by contaminating ground and surface waters, threatening human health and wildlife.
Items such as: Oil based paint products (NO LATEX PAINT), glue, adhesives, pesticides, fertilizers, mercury, household cleaners, lithium batteries (no other types of batteries will be collected), used motor oil (see note below), oil filters, florescent light bulbs, gasoline and antifreeze, to name but a few. Note: Used motor oil will only be accepted in 5-gallon containers or less. No 55-gallon drums. Pre-registration is not required unless you are bringing over 200 lbs of waste for disposal. For a list of acceptable and non-acceptable items or volunteer opportunities, please call Osceola-Lake Conservation District at (231) 465-8012 or Mecosta Conservation District at (989) 309-9229, or go to our website at www.mecostacd.org or www.osceolalakecd.org. This project is supported by the Mecosto and Osceola-Lake Conservation Districts, MAEAP “Clean Sway” Program, local units of government, municipalities, businesses, organizations, foundations and individual donations. All Conservation District programs and services are offered on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, set, age, marital status, or disability.
Family Time, Photo by Mark Sweppenheiser
Potted Native Tree/ Shrub Sale!!
Pots vary from 1 gallon to 3 gallon Plants range from 2-4 feet tall
DIVERSE SELEC TION OF CONIFERS, HARDWOODS, AND SHRUBS!
PLANTS FOR SALE AS BROWSE AND BUY AT PARIS PARK FISH HATCHERY.
FIRST- COME, FIRST-SERVED LAST YEAR WE SOLD OUT QUICKLY FRIDAY 27 SEPTEMBER
Soil Health Field Day & Tour August 29th from 9am-3pm
Meadows Creek Ranch
Meadow Creek Ranch & Thornton Agriculture are managed by Jack Thornton. He has been using no till long term and following soil health building practices for over a decade. Please join us as we tour Jack’s farm and discuss a variety of topics. TOPICS No Till Practices Soil Health Cover Crops & Termination Water Infiltration Grazing & Animal Integration
Location: 11315 E. 64th St, Reed City MI 49677 IN FIELD DEMONSTRATIONS
• MSU Rainfall Simulator • Soil Pit Comparisons • Soil Health Tests you can perform Catered Hot Lunch Provided Resource professionals from NRCS, MAEAP, MSUE, & Osceola-Lake Conservation District will be on hand to help provide insight and answer questions. Call 231-465-8012 or email Mark.sweppenheiser@macd.org to RSVP 1 RUP Credit, MAEAP Phase 1 Event
Forest to Mi Faucet
Soil Health Tool Kit Giveaway Valued at over $100
What is the source of your drinking water? Does your water come from a well in your backyard? Around 2.5 million people living in rural parts of Michigan get their drinking water from their own well at home. Or do you buy water from your city? Around 7.5 million people in urban areas of Michigan buy water from their municipal water utility, which could source water from wells, a river or one of the Great Lakes. According to MiDrinkingWater.org the cities in Lake, Osceola and Mecosta counties source groundwater from wells. Almost 6 million people in Michigan live in cities that get their drinking water from the Great Lakes. Wherever your water comes from, a forest helped keep it clean before you drank it.
Land use directly impacts our water quality. Urban areas and agricultural lands are more likely to “impair” water with nitrates, phosphorus, sediment, E. coli and chemicals (Michigan. gov/TMDL). Forests and wetlands are more likely to protect clean water with permanent vegetation, infrequently disturbed soil and lower intensity use. Forests cover 56% of Michigan’s land so more than half our water flows through 20 million acres of forest on its way to rivers, lakes and the Great Lakes. Permanent vegetation in forests slows the velocity of water, reduces runoff that causes erosion and filters
water through plants and soil. Forests protect the sources of our drinking water, whether we live in rural or urban parts of Michigan.
Forests protect water quality in both small and huge watersheds. Lake Superior is clear and blue because its watershed is 91% forest. Detroit is fortunate that it gets water from Lake Huron with 67% forest in its watershed (thanks Canada). Lake Michigan and Lake Ontario are in fair shape with 49% forest in their watersheds. Lake Erie is the most polluted Great Lake because its watershed is 19% forest, 61% agriculture and 18% urban. As we replace forests with factories, farms and suburban sprawl, we increase pollution and the cost to clean our drinking water.
Forest to Mi Faucet is a program led by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Forest Stewardship Program with twenty conservation partners around Michigan to showcase connections between forests and drinking water. All partners are trying to help municipal water utilities implement their source water or wellhead protection plans with several forest-based strategies. Partners on the project include five watershed councils, five land conservancies, three conservation districts, three regional conservation organizations, three
statewide associations and one national nonprofit.
Forest to Mi Faucet is funded by the USDA Forest Service and builds on its national Forests to Faucets spatial analysis of priority watersheds for protecting drinking water.
Forest to Mi Faucet is promoting three forest-based strategies to improve land use and lower water treatment costs: protect more forests, manage forests better and expand riparian forests. Homeowners and landowners can do lots of things in your woods or yard to help protect water quality.
First, let’s protect forests so they can continue to protect water quality. Only 5% of family forest landowners in Michigan have a conservation easement for permanent legal protection against land use change.
Partners like the Land Conservancy of West Michigan (NatureNearby. org) and other land trusts establish nature preserves and conservation easements with private landowners to protect forests that are important for source water protection and other ecological functions. You can find your local land trust at HeartOfTheLakes.org. Conservation easements are custom agreements clarifying your land protection values that can allow, or limit, timber harvesting. Only 6% of Michigan’s 20 million acres of forests are protected in ways that restrict timber harvesting, so most forests are available to provide both traditional forest products and ecosystem services.
(Continued on Page 12)
Land cover in the Great Lakes watershed.
Nature preserve that protects water quality.
(Continued from Page 11)
Forest to Mi Faucet
Second, let’s manage all forests well. We need forests to provide goods we use every day like building
supplies, school pencils and toilet paper. Forest to Mi Faucet encourages landowners, foresters
and Master Loggers (MiMLC.com) to take good care of the woods. Partners like the Michigan
Forest Association (MichiganForests.org) are promoting forest management plans and forest certification with American Tree Farm System (TreeFarmSystem. org/Michigan). Michigan Association of Timbermen (MichiganTimbermen. com) and Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFIMi. org) provide training for loggers to use forestry best management practices to protect soil and water quality. Michigan only harvests 315,00 acres annually or 1% of our public forests (8 million acres) and 2% of our private forests (12 million acres). It is possible to protect more forests for clean water AND manage most forests well to support our forests products industry that employs 42,000 people across Michigan.
Third, let’s expand forests in strategic places. Partners like Conservation Resource Alliance (RiverCare.org) are planting trees in riparian zones in urban and rural areas. Riparian forest buffers help keep soil, nutrients and manure on farms, not in our drinking water. Green infrastructure like rain gardens in cities are important to reduce runoff, especially in big cities like Lansing and Detroit whose “combined sewer overflows” dump 9 billion gallons of untreated sewage into the Great Lakes every year (Michigan.gov/ SewageDischarge). Caption: students from Leeland Public School planting trees.
If you don’t own a forest, there are still lots of things that homeowners and renters can do to protect water quality. Septic systems should be inspected and maintained every three to five years. Replacing some of your lawn with wildflowers will reduce chemicals. Growing a garden and eating less meat reduces agricultural impacts on water quality. Picking up and properly disposing dog poop reduces E. coli in water. Join your local watershed council or become a Clean Water Ambassador. Buy trees and shrubs from your local conservation district and volunteer with community tree planting projects. Buy less stuff you don’t need. Use less road salt in the winter. Ask your city if you can read their source water protection plan and how you can help implement it. Pay attention to connections between land use and water quality. Talk about forests and drinking water with your neighbors. Vote for politicians who will protect water quality. Ask your local, state and federal government agencies to protect forests and water quality. If we work hard together, we can make the world a better place.
More information and a list of partners is at Michigan.gov/ ForestToMiFaucet. Questions? Contact Mike Smalligan, DNR Forest Stewardship Program Coordinator, at SmalliganM@Michigan. gov.
Forestry best management practices.
New Forester Covering Mecosta, Osceola, and Eastern Half of Lake Counties
My name is Soren Murphy and I am the new District Forester at the Mecosta Conservation District.
I am very excited for this opportunity and look forward to getting started working with other professionals that are passionate about conserving and further promoting our natural world.
I was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but have spent the majority of my life in the Lansing area. I am a recent graduate of Michigan State University, finishing my program in April of 2024.
During my time at Michigan State, I pursued a degree in forestry with supplemental minors in some subfields of forestry including Urban and Community Forestry and Environmental and Sustainability Studies.
On my days off, I almost never know what to do with my time. While I enjoy numerous different outdoor activities, my true love is hiking and exploring natural areas with my girlfriend and dog. I also love all things sports
TIRE AND ELECTRONIC RECYCLING COLLECTION
S aturday, August 3rd 2024 from 9 a.m. to Noon Loc ation: Rec ycle of Osceola County 531 E Lincoln Reed C ity, MI 49677
(particularly soccer and skateboarding) but keep up with and play almost everything. When I am not outside, I spend my time playing all sorts of different video games on various different electronic devices.
While I am coming to Mecosta County as a district employee, I am classified as a Michigan Forestry Assistance Program Forester. The Michigan Forestry Assistance Program looks to increase and maintain engagement levels in privately owned non-industrial forestland management.
This means that I am here to serve you as landowners and can provide assistance in a multitude of ways such as education, outreach, and one-on-one technical support.
I can be reached at soren.murphy@macd. org as well as by phone at 231-408-3567 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
I look forward to getting started and meeting, and working, with all of you.
Stewardship
At Ice M ountain®, water stewardship is a core par t of our business. Since 2002, the Ice Mountain Environmental Stewardship Fund has provided funding to organizations and programs whose stewardship works to conser ve, improve, and restore the Muskegon R iver Watershed. We are proud to have awarded over $850,000 to suppor t nearly 50 watershed improvement projec ts within one of M ichigan’s largest watersheds.
The Ice M ountain Environmental Stewardship Fund is now accepting projec t grant applications until July 15 for the 2024 year.
Learn more and how to apply at Fremont A rea Communit y Foundation (facommunit yfoundation.org).
A Disturbing Truth
Buyers of Red Pine Pole Timber Leaders in Red Pine Management
6151 G er woude Dr. McBain, MI 49657
Phone: 231-825-2233
Fax: 231-825-2107
Tony Furlich & Tony Hitch, Foresters
Disturbance is disturbing to many people, especially when it comes to forests.
Folks like things as they are, or as they think they are. When something changes the visual quality of a forest, the fan gets hit.
By: Bill Cook
As forests age, increases in natural mortality and subsequent disturbance events happen. Michigan forests are growing older and natural mortality is, indeed, on the rise.
For the past several years, natural mortality volumes have exceeded harvest volumes.
Disturbance in our northern forests is the ecological driver for regeneration, habitat diversity, and ecological succession. Disturbance is a good thing. It’s a natural thing. Nature employs several tools to create lifegiving disturbance. The most well-known might be fire. However, there is also wind, insects, diseases, and beavers.
Forestry, of course, has learned these lessons and mimics disturbance through harvest practices. Forest management is intentional, serving to emplace disturbance that minimizes the downsides to people, and maximizes the positive outcomes. Nature is more random and spontaneous, which often conflicts with human welfare.
Disturbance has both spatial and temporal elements. The monster wildfires of the western states and much of northern Canada create more problems for people than the smaller fires we are used to in the Lake States. Fire management and the underlying causes for wildfire is a series of
topics all by themselves.
On the other end of fire spectrum, prescribed burning can be a very helpful tool to increase the health of certain ecosystems and successfully (and more naturally) regenerate others. Jack pine forests are the poster children of a fire-dependent ecosystem. However, several threatened forest types can also be maintained by prescribed burning, especially oak barrens and savannas.
Oak barrens sport scattered groups of trees and individual trees. The canopy is largely open. The regular occurrence of light fire eliminated invading trees and shrubs and favors a suite of grasses and forbs peculiar to oak barrens or, more properly, prairies.
The term “oak opening” originated with pioneers crossing the open prairies where groups of old bur oaks provided some shade among the seas of grasses. These oaks have thick bark that protects the trees from most wildfires. Over time, these oak openings have been overrun with more mesic tree species. However, the discerning observer will see the remnant bur oaks among the “invading” trees species. This might just conjure-up mental images of what these oak openings of yore might have looked like, although the prairie plants are pretty much gone.
Prescribed burning can also help maintain
common oak types and red pine. Removing understory competition from shrubs and non-type trees can pave the way for regeneration of oaks and pine. Blueberries love periodic light fires.
Prescribed burning can also be a tool in the battle to reduce the harm done by exotic plants and shrubs.
Much of our forest character was derived from the unnatural disturbances of century-old logging and wildfires. The Lake States used to have fires at the size scale of those we now hear about in the news.
The oak forests of northern Michigan frequently occupy sites where pines used to grow. Pines could not survive the repeated wildfires. Oaks could. So, one can argue that most of those oak forests are human origin, not entirely “natural”.
The benefits of prescribed fire are many. However, it’s a tool that requires some care. Of course, a prescribed fire should not escape and grow into a wildfire. This is a risk that can be minimized. Close attention must be given to burn conditions.
More commonly, smoke is a problem when burning occurs too close to residential areas or travel corridors. Wind direction needs to be plotted. Public outreach is a good idea.
This public outreach component can be critical. Some people are understandably afraid of fire, especially if they have houses among forest types that are prone to fire. Yet, strategic prescribed fire will actually lower the chances of a wildfire by reducing fuels. This reduction happens on human terms, rather than
later on nature’s terms with higher fuel loads. More common, but less glamorous, are the myriads of small non-fire disturbances creating gaps in the forest canopy. This disturbance regime is more the style for our sugar maple-dominated northern hardwood types. Single large trees or groups of trees that die leave gaps allowing more light to reach the forest floor. This increased light helps stimulate regeneration and allows saplings to recruit in the canopy.
Beavers “open up” ten to fifteen thousand acres each year. Thunderstorms, high wind events, insect outbreaks, and ever-persistent disease organisms create a patchwork mosaic of age classes and forest conditions.
Combinations of wind, disease, and insect activity cause trees to die. Usually, these are small and isolated events scattered throughout the forest. However, there are a few glorious cyclical insect cycles which can result in thousands of acres of mortality. These events also encourage reproduction and recruitment of new forests.
Foresters and biologists understand the important role of disturbance in forest ecology. Forest management systems are designed to mimic these natural disturbances suited to particular forest types. So, the next time you see “disturbance”, perhaps thinking about regeneration and young forests might be easier than grousing about changes in visual quality.
Offices at: Baldwin • Big Rapids
Irons
MAEAP - A Beacon for Sustainable Agriculture and Forestland Management
The Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP) is a voluntary and confidential verification program offering acknowledgement and benefits to producers and landowners who are known to be top stewards of their land. MAEAP verifications take place in four forms known as systems. Systems available for verification include Farmstead, Cropping, Livestock, and Forest, Wetlands, and Habitat. These systems and their verifications are based on Michigan’s Generally Accepted Agricultural Management Practices (GAAMPs) and the Generally Accepted Forest Management Practices (GAFMPs) which protect a producer’s right to farm and forest in Michigan.
So how does a MAEAP verification take place? We like to have all producers and landowners complete a producer education - which is known as a MAEAP Phase 1. This will help you determine if this program is right for you. Next, you would invite your local MAEAP Technician to your farm or forest to conduct a risk assessment. This assessment will uncover any potential environmental risks that we need to address together. After the assessment is complete, your local MAEAP Technician will generate an action plan to complete and proceed with the verification process. When the action plan is complete, we are ready to submit the request for verification to MDARD to have a thirdparty verifier come out and give our work a review and place the MAEAP stamp of approval on your farm or forest!
Something unique about the program is that your local technician can offer some cost-share funding to assist you with any projects you may have to work towards a system verification. Sometimes the projects can be costly to complete, and we want to help in every way possible to get you to the verification finish
line! Some cool costshare projects your local technicians have assisted in are water testing, soil sampling, secondary contaminants for chemical storage, spill kits, concrete refueling pads, and many more.
Not only does MAEAP provide you with the comfort of knowing that you are following best management practices, but the program also offers some tangible benefits. Some of these benefits include insurance discounts, agricultural membership discounts, and more! The most notable benefit might be the large white yard sign that you are granted once your farm or forest is officially MAEAP verified. This sign serves as an indicator to your neighbors and passersby that you are a top steward of your land and are taking the steps to ensure you are mitigating soil erosion, ground, and surface water contamination.
Your local MAEAP Technicians are hard at work protecting Michigan’s freshwater and soil resources in Mecosta, Montcalm, Clare, Eastern Lake, and Osceola counties. We are very eager to work with you and love to help our clients achieve their conservation goals!
Contact your local MAEAP Technician for more information!
Brandi Mitchell, MAEAP Technician
Osceola, Clare, & Eastern Lake brandi.mitchell@macd.org - 231-465-8005
Cody Christensen, MAEAP Technician
Mecosta and Montcalm Counties cody.christensen@macd.org - 231-408-3582
Muskegon River Watershed Assembly
By: Paul Haan
In late 2023, the impoundment on Buckhorn Creek just north of Paris in northwest Mecosta County was drawn down as the dam’s stop logs were removed. Cold, crystal-clear waters now flow where once there was a stagnant, algae covered, water-warming pond.
The Muskegon River Watershed Assembly (MRWA) took on this project for a number of reasons. On the environmental side, removal of this impoundment and the future removal of the culvert will reconnect seven miles of stream to the lower waters and directly to the Muskegon River, allowing the open movement of trout and other species through the present-day dam area to the upstream Haymarsh Lake State Game Area. This is good for the species and will create new fishing opportunities. The removal of the impoundment will also lower stream temperatures and the water temperature of the adjacent Muskegon River.
But the work is not done. A perched culvert remains under the White Pine rail trail. Replacing this culvert is no small
task, as the new, channel spanning and open-bottom bridge is required to support access to heavy emergency vehicles along this section of the Fred Meijer White Pine Trail State Park. Replacement of this bridge is scheduled for early 2025 and will be accompanied by additional streambank stabilization. The ponded area will be returned to a naturally functioning stream with the appropriate, lower level of nutrient and sediment delivery, greater dissolved oxygen for the fish, and an appropriate array of aquatic organisms.
There is also future added social and community benefit as the bridge in the Fred Meijer White Pine Trail State Park will be protected from collapse. The partial collapse of the Buckhorn Dam deck was creating a safety risk that will be resolved as this project moves forward, benefitting local residents and visitors alike.
Project partners include Mecosta County Parks, the Michigan DNR, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Spicer Group, JMB Associates, Encompass Socio-Ecological Consulting, and South Peat Environmental.
Planting Cover Crops, Sprouting Knowledge
By: Katy Robinson, Soil Conservationist
One of my favorite things about working in Mecosta County during spring and fall is watching the cover crops pop up and appear as the snow melts
or the crops come off. There is something about a field covered in green that makes me look forward to the next planting season. Some of you might be wondering what is a cover crop exactly, and what is the point of planting one? Essentially, a cover crop is any crop (or multiple crops) that is grown to cover the soil. The cool thing about cover crops is that any size production can use them! From small garden/vegetable beds (like my little garden beds that are currently planted to rye) to large fields, all soil that grows a crop can benefit from cover crops. There are about six main purposes for cover crops.
• Reduce erosion from wind and water;
increase organic matter. Others, like crimson clover and hairy vetch, have a process that helps grow the nitrogen in the soil (they are called legumes which “fix nitrogen”). These are signification components when enhancing soil quality. Cover crops help to decrease water quality concerns because they soak up any excessive nutrients in the soil. The use of them can also reduce the amount of nutrients that have to be added back into the soil because the biomass from the cover gets incorporated, either by tillage or, in the case of no-till operations, by soil organisms. All cover crop species help to do this.
• Maintain or increase soil health and organic matter content;
• Reduce water quality degradation by utilizing excessive soil nutrients;
• Suppress excessive weed pressures and break pest cycles;
• Improve soil moisture use efficiency;
• Minimize soil compaction.
When that soil has something growing on it all year long, the root systems and aboveground vegetation of all those plants help the soil be less susceptible to wind and water erosion. The primary species we use are grasses and grains. Some good examples include annual ryegrass, oilseed radish, winter cereal rye, and oats. Cover crops that provide a large amount of biomass (above ground and root mass) will
To prevent excessive pests and weeds, cover crop selection should physically compete with weeds, provide food and habitat for enemies of pests, and/or release compounds that suppress pathogens or pests in the soil. Sometimes our crop fields are either too wet, or too dry! We can use cover crops to help with both these situations when they occur. Some cover crops will help to soak up more of the water (rye is a good example) and others help by keeping the soil covered but don’t require much water. Field compaction can have a huge impact on crop yield. Cover crops like oilseed radish and forage turnips have roots that help to break through compacted areas in the soil.
I could carry on and on about cover crops for pages. There are so many interesting and exciting components to their uses. Stop by our NRCS offices in Big Rapids or Reed City if you’re interested in learning more.
By: Jack Epstein
The morning dawned crisp and clear. The drive to the access point was smooth, although the two track itself was rutted and occasionally punctuated with a deep pool. Two other vehicles were already in the grassy parking area. Drove over a hidden log and parked. Soon the rest of the team assembled.
We were there to survey the trout population of the Pine River. For three years, the Michigan DNR samples a set of locations to monitor the abundance and diversity of fish. Then three years off spent elsewhere. This site was just downstream of where the Pine’s main stem formed from headwaters.
A path looped from the parking area to the streambank, wandering past a bench placed years earlier by the TU fishermen who enjoyed this reach. We walked the path, occasionally using a chainsaw to clear passage from the deadfall that accumulated since the last survey. Mostly overgrown, dark, green, cool.
The team included a fish biologist, a forester, and volunteers from the various MDNR divisions. Today, they were joined by a group of students from Lake City, summer interns with MDOT, here to witness the kind of fieldwork done by MDNR. And me, representing conservation groups PRA and PRATU.
The team walked the equipment from the truck to the stream down the path, four people hoisting the special Jon boat with the metal plate on the bottom. Because we were going to use electrical current to stun the fish then net, catalog and release them. Earplugs to protect against the
Pine River Survey
generator’s roar.
This reach was 40 feet wide and 1,000 feet long, and the stream itself was studded with wood. Some added a decade or so ago, artificial bank side log jams anchored with wood posts driven into the stream bed. And an abundance of wood donated by the forest that flourished uninterrupted on both sides.
We assigned tasks to each participant. As the ninth wheel, I was given a net and shown how to transfer the fish from shockers to fish biologist, allowing them to continue to shock and net without having to take time to transfer themselves. Two of us, one experienced and adept, the other new and willing.
We started off downstream, each person smoothly working along with minimal instruction. The roar of the generator covered any bird song, but the sunlight and gentle breeze made a soothing backdrop. The silvery fish breathing in the nets were briefly stunned but recovered rapidly for return to the river.
It took three passes to cover each segment, and a pattern developed. While some small fish were found just about everywhere, the larger fish, the rainbows and the brookies, were found almost entirely in the deep structure. Many, many browns some as long as 15 or 16 inches. Trout heaven.
This stretch was managed for fish, but the forester was there to cut away the new wood that formed a barrier to safe navigation. Each time we worked near a barrier, we kept an eye out for the four-foot-long logs that would be released, slowly, when they could not be lodged in the sweeper.
I was struck that this was so different from the reach downstream where I live. There, the liveries have spent decades managing the river for kayaks and rafts, trimming away most of the instream wood and limbing up the stream bank vegetation. Like a different river entirely, a direct result of the hand of Man.
We worked back to the starting point, where we rested while the students got a detailed view of sample fish, and one crayfish, in the live well. Lots of Q&A about the procedure itself, and some about the surrounding
forest. They were attentive and engaged. Hopefully a future naturalist or two among them.
Then back to work upstream, like a well-oiled machine, probing each structure thoroughly, creating navigation space, enjoying the day in the sunshine and fresh air. Almost four hundred trout in all. It was a lesson in teamwork, shared goals, deep expertise, comfort with one another, and mutual respect.
All too soon it was over. The parade of equipment rolled in reverse. Everyone took a few minutes to share
the long-delayed breakfast, now High Tea, and to exchange thoughts. Follow up plans were confirmed, schedules synchronized, and vehicles repacked. This survey was done. Until again in 2024.
Thanks for the invitation, and tolerance of newbie errors, to team members: Fisheries Tech Supervisor Joe Mickevich; Fisheries Technicians Tara Miller, Bob Kerry, Jared Thompson; Fisheries Seasonal Mikael Ranta; DNR Parks seasonal Jack Racignol; DNR Forester Mike Aksamit; Fisheries Biologist Mark Tonello.
Protecting Pollinators
By: Melissa Heath
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Pollinators are an essential part of our ecosystem and without them the human race would not survive. Pollinators are insects and small animals that include butterflies, bats, hummingbirds, moths, flies, beetles, and wasps, but the honeybee is the most important. Pollination occurs when pollen is transferred from the stamen (male part of the flower) to the stigma (female part of the flower).
hot summer days by leaving out a small water dish with rocks for them to land on;
● ‘No Mow May’ - wait until June to mow your lawn. This provides food sources (white clover, daisies, dandelions, etc.) for early season pollinators, like native bees. Be sure to check your local ordinances to ensure this practice is allowed, to avoid any potential fines;
● Avoid the use of chemicals. A google search can provide you with safer alternatives;
● Implement reduced tillage practices - many of our native bees nest in the ground;
● Support beekeepers and farmers by buying local honey and locally produced organic foods;
● Spread the word and educate your neighbors, family, and friends.
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Pollinators are needed for many of our food crops, such as apples, almonds, blueberries, melons, and cucumbers, as well as most flowering plants. Pollination also transpires by way of wind and water. Although some plants are selfpollinating, many benefit from cross-pollination, as visits from pollinators result in larger, more flavorful fruits and higher crop yields. Pollinators not only help plants reproduce, they also support the environment in many other ways. They assist with carbon sequestration, stabilizing soils, & sustaining other wildlife. The flowering plants that pollinators land on help to purify water & prevent erosion by means of their strong root systems.
Presently, many pollinators are struggling and experiencing a decline due to loss of habitat, invasive species, disease, and climate change. There are various ways in which we can all protect and assist our pollinating friends:
● Add natural habitat areas in home gardens and farming systems. Include native plants, hedgerows and other shrubs, butterfly way stations, and bat houses. You can also provide a source of water on those
National Pollinator Week is June 17 - 23 this year (dates change annually). Visit: pollinator.org to learn more;
● Call your local Conservation District for native plant sale information. Pollinators need a variety of food source and native plants are ideal because they are better adapted to local climates, growing seasons, and soils. Also, keep in mind that plants with double blooms prohibit pollinators from accessing the pollen and nectar & are usually sterile – this includes roses, tulips, daffodils, and daylilies.
By attracting pollinators to your garden & yard, you will create a healthy & thriving environment for plants, insects, & animals. Pollinators are vital to our existence & need our help to survive. We can all play a part in protecting this precious resource.
