info@huronpines.org | (989) 448-2293 | huronpines.org

huRon pines Fall 2017

Board of DirectorsJerry Rucker, ChairJoe Jarecki, Vice Chair Judy Kalmanek, SecretaryConnie Schrieber, TreasurerNed CaveneyChip Erwin Meaghan GassDavid SmithRobert StuberLisa Marie Tobin

Executive DirectorBrad Jensen

Huron Pines StaffLisha Ramsdell, Associate DirectorJohn Bailey, Watershed Project ManagerColby Chilcote, Marketing DirectorAbigail Ertel, Community Program LeadJohn Frye, Habitat Project ManagerJake Jermac, AmeriCorps CoordinatorJosh Leisen, Watershed Project ManagerJennifer Muladore, EcologistJill Scarzo, Program AssistantJennie Zoll, Director of Finance and Administration

Congratulations, Susan. In September, Susan La Vanture retired as the Staff Accountant. We are grateful for all that you’ve done for Huron Pines over the years. Enjoy your retirement, we will miss you.

Welcome, Jake. Jake Jermac, is the new AmeriCorps Coordinator. A Midland native, Jake spent his summers in northern Michigan camping and fishing. Though he earned his master’s in history from Central Michigan University, his passion has always been the outdoors. Prior to coming to Huron Pines, Jake was an AmeriCorps VISTA member who served in Sault Ste. Marie and Lansing.

RetuRn to natuRe with RestoRed RiveRsAt Huron Pines, our mission is to protect the Great Lakes by conserving the forests, lakes and streams of Northeast Michigan. We believe that clean water and healthy habitat are better for wildlife, vegetation, recreation and tourism. That’s why we work to restore naturally flowing waterways and river systems. Connected waterways allow fish to access the habitat they need to spawn, forage and find refuge throughout the changing seasons and stages of their lives. Unobstructed rivers and streams also reduce erosion and improve the movement of debris, floodwaters and sediment. By removing dams and improving road/stream crossings we restore the natural flow of water, making it easier for fish to complete their migration to the coldest headwaters for spawning. Along with many state and local partners, Huron Pines has completed more than 70 road/stream crossing improvements over the past decade and successfully removed 4 high-priority dams in the last 5 years. Here’s an update on what we’ve been working on this year.

Dam Removal• Ribbon Cutting to Celebrate a New Pine River: We celebrated the historic removal of Buhl

Dam on the South Branch of the Pine River with a September 21 ribbon-cutting ceremony. By reconnecting over 20 miles of habitat, native brook trout and steelhead gained access to upstream sections of the river for the first time in decades. In addition, the dam was replaced with a new footbridge providing safer, easier access to the Huron-Manistee National Forest for hunters, anglers and hikers.

• Dam Slated for 2018 Removal on Middle Branch Cedar River: Gingery Dam has been identified as the most significant resource issue on the Middle Branch Cedar River. With nearly all the funding in place, with grants from Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, engineers will begin to prepare designs and permit applications this fall. Dam removal is slated for 2018.

Road/Stream Crossing Improvement• Improving Fish Passage for Lake-Run Brook Trout: By restoring 4 road/stream crossing sites,

Huron Pines completely opened up Mullett Creek reconnecting 7 miles of upstream habitat along the 13-mile creek. The new free-flowing water system allows migration between Mullett Creek and Mullett Lake, which is extremely important since Mullett Creek is one of the few creeks in Michigan to host lake-run brook trout. This project was made possible with funding from National Fish and Wildlife Foundation—Sustain Our Great Lakes (NFWF-SOGL) and Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

• Reconnecting a Blue Ribbon Trout Stream: Huron Pines, the Great Lakes Fishery Trust, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and NFWF-SOGL are working to restore fish passage, reduce erosion and decrease road maintenance on the East Branch Au Gres River in Iosco County with 5 priority road/stream crossing improvements. Undersized culverts will be replaced at all 5 sites by the end of the year, reconnecting over 20 miles of aquatic habitat.

Erosion Control and Instream Habitat Restoration• A Holistic Approach to Habitat Restoration: With the expertise

and input of our Technical Steering Committee, and funding from NFWF-SOGL and the Michigan DNR, Huron Pines made vast improvements to the rivers and lakes throughout the 1,500 square-mile Cheboygan River Watershed. The results of the project include 10 road/stream crossing improvements, leading to over 35 miles of reconnected habitat. Additionally, 2,100 feet of native plants were installed along the banks of Cheboygan County rivers and lakes to create a buffer, or “greenbelt” that will reduce erosion and improve water quality by filtering out pollutants before they enter the watershed. These combined efforts have led to a 111-ton annual reduction in sediment.

sustainable habitat thRough stewaRdshipHuron Pines is dedicated to promoting the stewardship of our most critical coastal and inland landscapes. Our projects focus on activities like restoring native plant communities, treating invasive species, installing instream habitat structure and connecting wildlife corridors in order to support our diverse landscapes. By sustaining Northeast Michigan’s unique ecosystems we help support rare plants and animals like Pitcher’s thistle, wood turtle, Hines’ emerald dragonfly and the Kirtland’s Warbler. Here are some projects that highlight our work.

Invasive Species• Project NATIvE (Northeast Alliance Targeting Invasive Exotics) Gains Traction: We welcomed

four new partners to Project NATIvE this year. Together, our goal is for local conservation districts, nurseries and greenhouses to raise the profile of plants native to Northeast Michigan and stop the sale of invasive species used in landscaping. Planting native provides homeowners with weather-hardy, disease-resistant landscaping that supports pollinators like bees and butterflies.

• Sharing Costs to Double Impact: Thanks to the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program, our cost-share program allows funding for invasive species to go further by splitting costs 50/50 between Huron Pines and public and private landowners. We’re currently working with 75 local communities and landowners to restore wildlife habitat, focusing on invasive removal in coastal wetlands, forest habitats and roadsides.

• Protecting and Restoring Critical Habitat on Big Charity Island: Huron Pines, with the help of members from the Saginaw Bay Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area, spent a week this September treating over 38 acres of invasive phragmites on Big Charity Island, part of the Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge. In October, students from Au Gres-Sims Schools will visit the island as part of their annual Pitcher’s thistle monitoring program that tracks the state- and federally listed threatened plant. Our work on Big Charity Island National Wildlife Refuge is made possible, in part, through funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service–Coastal Program.

Pigeon River Country State Forest Wildlife Habitat Project• Fire as a Tool to Regenerate Wildlife Habitat: In this year’s phase of the Wildlife Habitat Project,

the Michigan DNR fire crew conducted a prescribed burn to encourage native prairie regeneration near Inspiration Point. Fire reduces weeds and dead plant material that chokes out native plant growth.

• Oil and Gas Partnership Moves Forward: We’re working with partners in the Michigan DNR, the Au Sable Institute of Environmental Studies, Michigan Oil and Gas Association and others to strategize how best to restore decommissioned oil and gas drilling sites to a more natural state. Over the next 20 years, at least 10,000 sites will become obsolete, so Huron Pines and the Michigan DNR are currently testing different restoration approaches through a handful of sample sites.

Coastal Wetland Restoration• Reptile Monitoring and Habitat Restoration: Since reptile populations in Michigan

are decreasing at a higher rate than other animal species, Huron Pines worked with the Michigan Natural Features Inventory to set up monitoring site for snakes, turtles, salamanders and frogs in Squaw Bay. In addition to the monitoring, we helped locate turtle nests and completed plans to install basking logs on the property.

• Increasing Native Plant Buffers on the Lake Huron Shoreline: Our AmeriCorps members visited over 50 coastal landowners in Alpena to promote native plant buffers in an effort to stop shoreline erosion and protect water quality. Through these conversations, we were granted permission to plant 300 feet of shoreline buffer on private land. With the

help of youth volunteers, we planted another 400 feet along Mich-E-Ke-Wis Park.

Recent contRibutoRsMajor FundersThe Americana FoundationBesser FoundationThe Carls FoundationCorporation for National and

Community ServiceThe Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow

FoundationEagle Creek Renewable EnergyRollin M. Gerstacker FoundationGreat Lakes CommissionGreat Lakes Fishery TrustGreat Lakes Restoration InitiativeITC Holdings Corp.Michigan Department of Military &

Veterans Affairs - Camp GraylingMichigan Department of Natural

Resources: Aquatic Habitat Grant Program

Wildlife Habitat Grant Program

Michigan Community Service Commission

Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation—Sustain Our Great Lakes

Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network (WIN)

The Elizabeth, Allan & Warren Shelden Fund

U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

U.S. Fish & Wildlife ServiceU.S. Forest ServiceWalters Family Foundation

SupportersBill and Debi AndersonAu Sable River Property Owners

AssociationEugene BaconBig Bear Lake AssociationMary CoxDeirdre Curran and Roger AndersonMichael and Terri CwikDunn’s Business Solutions as

suggested by M&M ExcavatingJohn D. and Eleanor H. DurnoScott and Christine FosterJoe and Betsy HemmingBrad Jensen and Rebecca BensonJim and Wendy Johnson

Emily and Robert KemnitzRobert KluczynskiWilliam and Marietta KuseyLeah La VantureBernard and Nancy LampLatitudes TavernBob LinsenmanMarcena W. LoveRandy and Jeanette MateerCheryl McCormickPatricia and Terry McLarenBonnie MitchellRoy MytychMarty and Cathy NagleGary NeumannOpal Lake AssociationOtsego County Community

FoundationOtsego County United WayAndrea PalmerDick PastulaKeith Radwanski and Erin FanningTheresa RichterJake ShinnersJoan ShivelySnowbelt Brewing CompanyDave and Ann StephensonJoseph SwallowFred and Carole SwinehartBill TaylorPeter and Suzanne ThomsonRex R. and Sharon VaughnThomas Jr. and Margaret “Betsy”

WalbridgeJudy Walle

Julie and Chuck WiesenRoderic and Ruth WileyAndrew WilliamsStanley and Linda YolkiewiczJennie and Mike Zoll

In Honor OfTim Carroll from Maureen SmithColby Chilcote from Anastasia

KudrezJerry Rucker from Antonio

Fernandez

In Memory OfEd and Dolores Bozynski from

George and Janet BozynskiPaul Heye and Russell Kullberg from

Kristine Determan

Special ThanksCharity Island Transport, Inc. M&M Excavating Otsego County Community

Foundation (Youth Advisory Council Fund, Otsego County United Way and the McNamara Fund)

Bunker and Sons SawmillPine River-Van Etten Lake Watershed

CoalitionJulie and Jack MarletteOtsego Club & ResortPresque Isle Harbor Association

and Friends of the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Thank you to our recent funders and members, without whom this work would not be possible.

Show your support: huronpines.org/donate info@huronpines.org | (989) 448-2293 | huronpines.org

Huron Pines 4241 Old US 27 South, Suite 2Gaylord, MI 49735

NON PROFITU.S. POSTAGE PAIDCrossroads Ind. Inc.Gaylord, MI 49735

Permit #281

Huron Pines Resource Conservation and Development Council, Inc. is a not-for-profit, nongovernmental 501(c)(3) organization protecting the Great Lakes by

conserving the forests, lakes and streams of Northeast Michigan. This organization is an equal opportunity provider.