Habitat Restoration (submitted by wildlife biologist and project coordinator Jeff Herrick; a version of this description was published in Covers magazine)
In 2011, The Wildlife Management Institute (WMI) teamed up with refuge staff as part of the Young Forest Initiative to chart the course for restoring and increasing young forest wildlife habitat, through a variety of management techniques, over the next decade. Soon after, Refuge Manager Vicki Muller and WMI Habitat Biologist, Jeff Herrick who have coordinated the activities, were reaching out to find additional partners to help accomplish the ambitious plan. Numerous partners contributed to this project.
We thank the Ruffed Grouse Society / American Woodcock Society, the Allegheny Northwoods and many other Chapters in PA for:
More than $20,000 in funding throughout the decade has helped to restore nearly 200 acres of the 735 acres of young forest / early successional habitat.
Chainsaw crews were contracted to regenerate several units of aspen and other successional hardwoods to create and restore high stem density young forest habitat.
Chainsaw crews cut successional hardwoods that were shading out and suppressing native fruit bearing shrubs and small trees. This allowed the gray and silky dogwoods, viburnums, high bush blueberry, crabapple, hawthorn, elderberry, and many others to survive and increase soft mast fruit production and high stem densities.
Provided $2,000 for purchase of a tree planter utilized to plant aspen and native alder
US Fish and Wildlife Service Partners program contributed the use a hydroax mulching machine.
National Wildlife Turkey Federation contributed financial support.
