Forest Cover Management

Times and circumstances are changing and needs differ from one place to another. Wants and interests of people, and both the use and conditions of the Pigeon River Country have been constantly changing. Management for this area needs more than general objectives; it needs guidelines to serve its particular needs and conditions.

Using the predomination of certain land and cover characteristics and resulting development of past uses as a basis, these general plans emphasize those areas which have been demonstrated to be best suited for a particular use in assigning priorities in management.

These areas are most easily identified by the greater or lesser abundance of certain types of cover, which itself is dependent on soils and drainage. Manipulation of the cover, either by preservation or active control, is the most important element which will influence wildlife, aesthetics, and recreation.

Cover Management Areas: Four broad areas are defined within which cover will be primarily managed to satisfy specific objectives. These will be broad areas in which:

1. The beauty of the deep forest will be given top priority; this area will be called the HIGH FOREST.

2. Conditions most suitable for elk will be developed; this area will be called ELK RANGE.

3. Those wildlife which need seclusion, or which thrive in special circumstances will be given preference; this area will be called WILDLIFE HABITAT.

4. Natural conditions will be preserved for observation and study, or management will be modified to retain wild, natural appearances. These areas will be called NATURAL AND WILD.

Managing these areas for different primary objectives is not intended or expected to create or magnify visible differences. Within each cover management area, islands of differences in soils, terrain, and cover types occur, which will most logically be managed for other objectives. Small HIGH FOREST units will be found in the ELK RANGE: openings will be maintained for WILDLIFE HABITAT within the HIGH FOREST, but the primary management will be that of the cover management area. A variety of conditions will continue to prevail in all areas.

Each of the selected objectives will be attainable under the management to be emphasized in management areas. None are areas of exclusive use, except for the Natural and Nature Study areas, but each will allow greater emphasis in management toward one or another of the objectives.

Timber will be harvested as a product of ever-continuing growth of the forests. The primary objective of forest management will not be to produce a specific product, or products, such as sawlogs or pulpwood, but to achieve the forest conditions most suited to stated objectives of the area. As the most efficient and economical means of management, commercial cutting will be used to keep the forests vigorous, create or maintain desired conditions or effects, as well as to provide important economic benefits. Full production of needed timber products is a certain and intended result of such management.

To achieve and maintain aesthetic qualities and conditions, natural type-lines will be followed whenever possible in timber and cover management. A variety of age-classes, species, cover conditions, and types will be developed.

It will be the policy to restrict clear-cutting to units not to exceed 40 acres, or a combined total of 40 chains in width and length of each cutting unit. More than one unit, not adjacent, may be combined in a sale. The total area so cut should allow regeneration of aspen every 40 years, jack pine every 50 years, and regeneration of the hardwoods thus handled, approximately every 50 years. It is important to restrict the size of units of area cut, mechanically treated, or burned at one time, and also the total. This is necessary in order to maintain areas of every size class for continuation of the program and also to provide favorable food and cover at short distances from any point at all times.

To avoid disturbance during the critical time of nesting, young-bearing, and the early weeks of life of wild young, off-road activities of logging will not be permitted from April 15 through June 30 in either ELK RANGE or WILDLIFE HABITAT management areas.

HIGH FOREST - 31 percent of the public land:

Almost one-third of the total area is in the HIGH FOREST cover management area. Few people realize that this forest is in a rapidly changing state. The natural processes of reproduction, growth and mortality, and changes of species as conditions of shade and competition for moisture change, all demand management. It should be remembered that this area was logged off and burned in the relatively recent past. The forests were almost totally removed between 40 and 100 years ago, and those present now have grown since that time.

Maintenance of the beauty, variety and health of the cover, including the largest trees present, depends on preventing two natural processes from occurring: (1) the tendency for the combination of a few species most tolerant of shade (the "climax" type) from taking over everywhere; and (2) the complete dominance by mature and overmature trees over all other vegetation. If climax types take over, the forest becomes monotonous - all one size and age and of only a few species. If old trees dominate too much, low vegetation and young trees die due through lack of sunlight and moisture. If either occurs, many species of flower and bird life are lost.

To continue the present pleasing general conditions of the forests, will call for:

(1) Permitting controlled commercial harvest at selected places and times.

(2) Application of cultural practices to remove undesirable species and diseased, crowded, or suppressed trees.

(3) Noncommercial cutting to stimulate sprouting or seedling reproduction, and planting in limited areas when natural regeneration does not succeed.

Some of these efforts may be needed to regenerate temporary types such as aspen, white birch or jack pine, or to replace one type with another for greater variety or for wildlife benefits.

None of these methods will be applied in wholesale measure which would offend the viewer or user of the area or upset continuous productivity of all conditions. To maintain the northern hardwoods and the red and white pines of the HIGH FOREST in approximately their present desirable stage of development, single tree selection will be used in the hardwoods to achieve and maintain all-age stands; group shelter-wood silviculture will be applied at 10-year intervals in the red and white pines and they will be regenerated on a 120-year rotation. Periodic thinnings will be necessary in the pines.

The goal will be a variety of conditions, from grass, ferns and shrubs, to small, medium and large trees, with many species represented. Meadows and sod-covered hills, deep silent swamps and cathedral-like groves of tall pines and hardwoods will be provided.

ELK RANGE - 33 percent of the public land:

The present (1973) elk herd is estimated to be between 400 @nd 700 animals. The goal of the elk management in the Pigeon River Country will be to maintain a healthy, visible herd, so as to preserve it as an example of this impressive native of Michigan. Efforts will be made to keep the herd between 500 and 1,000 animals.

A healthy herd will be an increasing herd, and periodically their numbers will need to be reduced to balance their habitat and to avoid conflict with other uses of the area. Reduction of numbers may be done by carefully regulated hunting when and if this need is determined.

ELK RANGE management will be given top priority in large cover management areas totaling approximately 30 percent of the entire tract. Elk will share equally in benefits on another 25 percent managed for mixed wildlife habitat. They will continue to be found in conditions to their liking which will be maintained in lesser amounts over the rest of the area.

The following specific practices will be employed:

Maintain and increase grassy openings. "Permanent" grassy openings will be maintained in all areas wherever they occur by periodically using rolling choppers or similar devices to prevent tree encroachment at the edges and by fertilizing and seeding. These practices will also rejuvenate shrubs in the edge growth.

Grassy openings in the ELK RANGE (and WILDLIFE HABITAT) management areas will be enlarged and new openings added by following tree harvest with rolling choppers, selective herbicides, seeding and fertilizing. The goal will be to double the present total area in grassy openings over a 20-year period by adding approximately 200 acres each year, primarily in the elk range cover management areas. Prescribed burning may be used in restricted areas.

Renew available herbaceous and woody sprout growth. By clearcutting of aspen and jack pine, of northern hardwoods where high quality stands are not developing, and of lowland hardwoods in the elk management areas, new sprout and seedling growth, and growth of mixed herbaceous plants will be created on a regular basis each year. The schedule for cutting of these types should almost double the area in seedling and sapling size classes over this entire managed area within the next 20 years. Coniferous trees may invade aspen types and some will need to be removed during harvest operations in order to avoid loss of the aspen type. Red and white pine invading jack pine type should be cut similarly. If jack pine is to be regenerated, prescribed burning or planting may be necessary.

Normal selective harvest in northern hardwood stands is expected to result in considerable benefits to both elk and other wildlife as it establishes and supports new understory growth.

Provide seclusion and solitude. - During the calving season and for a short period (May and June), seclusion and solitude are sought by elk cows. This period is also when recreational activities of people begin to increase.

Neither foot traffic nor skiers bother elk. They are, however, quite alarmed by autos or other fast-moving vehicles which cause them to move away from roads and trails. To avoid this, traffic in elk areas will be reduced and held to a low level by closing unneeded roads and trails to public vehicles.

Reduce poaching. The closing of unneeded roads and trails to motorized vehicles will facilitate law enforcement. Many believe that the most serious problem of the elk herd is attrition through poaching. The excessive network of drivable roads not only makes surveillance by law officers difficult, but makes apprehension of violators even more so.

WILDLIFE HABITAT - 25 percent of the public land:

Within the Pigeon River Country are natural circumstances which particularly favor certain game species of wildlife and a great number of non-game birds and animals. Great care will be taken to avoid the loss of any element necessary to those circumstances.

The non-game species benefit from the presence of a great variety of cover types, from grassy meadows to very large trees and from wet marshes to deep lakes and streams. Fortunately, this variety is the most important of all characteristics of the Pigeon River Country, for people as well as for wildlife. Every necessary effort will be expended and every consideration given to keeping these varying circumstances, except in the natural Area and Nature Study preserves where natural development will diminish low growth, openings and young trees.

Of special importance among animals and birds are black bears, bobcats, deer, grouse and woodcock. The first two are certainly neither rare nor endangered, but habitat to suit the needs of these very wild creatures, which must have seclusion to survive, is rapidly diminishing in the Lower Peninsula.

Bears and bobcats: Both bears and bobcats need sizeable areas where they will not encounter man. Bears are particularly vulnerable in the spring when they are hungry and when cubs are very small. Bobcats are seldom seen, except when hunted, attesting to their wildness. For the special benefit of these animals, coniferous swamps will be treated as areas of shelter and seclusion. Large areas which include swamps will be left roadless and to a great degree trailless. Timber cutting in these swamps will be limited to that necessary for maintenance and regeneration.

Deer: Deer will thrive in conditions made favorable for elk and other wildlife. Deer are now numerous in the area and no additional measures are needed for them. Deer pose a special problem in the Pigeon River Country area. They are carriers of the brainworm disease which does them little harm but which, when transferred through grazing to elk, causes death. For that reason, hunting will be encouraged and aided in an effort to prevent a great increase in deer numbers.

Ruffed Grouse: Grouse will benefit especially from the cover management to be employed for elk. They need various sizes of shelter and mature patches of aspen and basswood for winter food. Cover and timber management practices to be employed everywhere will provide these in abundance. The edges and small sodded clearings provided by little-used service roads and landings will be used by them also.

Woodcock: Woodcock thrive best with access to wet areas, including low-land brush, hardwood swamps and wet grassy meadows. All of these conditions exist in areas of the WILDLIFE HABITAT cover management area, and specific efforts will be made to maintain them. Small areas will be burned to keep the grassy meadows, and lowland hardwoods will be cut to rejuvenate lowland brush and marsh conditions. Any landings (small clearings) created within the vicinity of marshes or swamps will likely be used as singing grounds in the spring.

NATURAL AND WILD - 11 percent of the public land:

Certainly a great present aesthetic value, and now very similar in appearance to the High Forest, the areas to be preserved as a Natural Area and as a Nature Study Area are of particular interest. The only management to be applied in these areas will be to protect them from unnatural alteration (the effects of people) and from major natural disasters such as fire, which could totally destroy them.

The area which will be recommended for dedication as a Natural Area under the Wilderness and Natural Areas Act of 1972, is approximately 160 acres of natural red and white pine up to 1OO years old, and mixed with a few hardwoods and aspen, the latter of which are dying out. At one place the type changes from red and white pine to cedar of the same age. The stand has full structure from ground cover to tall trees, and great natural beauty.

A few miles south of the Natural Area is an area of northern hardwood type, totalling approximately 850 acres, which will be recommended for dedication as a Nature Study Area. Part of this area has been logged since its origin as a stand about 100 years ago, but the remainder has been untouched. Time will heal the scars here and the growth and changes which will occur under protection alone will be of great interest to observers, as will the flora and fauna of this area.

Along the watercourses which will be recommended for study and possible dedication under the Wild and Natural Rivers Act, and also bordering all other streams and lakes, an area of trees and associated ground cover will be carefully maintained in natural appearance. This area will require modifications to any cutting, but not its complete abandonment.

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File:COMfores.htm 11/27/2001