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by Judy Hughes Astle and Jack Boss
Five years ago, Camp Henry located in Newaygo, Michigan,
was surrounded by impenetrable wetlands that were disparaged and ignored
except for the occasional bog walk or bullfrog hunt. Today, schools come
from all over western Michigan to savor the educational opportunities
afforded by the development of a trail system through the camp’s fifteen-acre
wetland. Campers with binoculars in hand can now enjoy a variety of destinations:
a dry landing by the wetland creek, a small tower overlooking the marsh,
a woodland trail to the lakeshore, a winding trail through the hummocks
of small willow, and an earth-berm trail through the heart of the wetland
where new wetlands, created by impounding a small stream, meet natural
wetlands.
A newly excavated shallow pond has created greater surface
water for wetland wildlife. Students can inspect animal life up close;
turtles, snakes, birds, butterflies, ducks, swans, and deer are prevalent.
Rare cinquefoil bloom just inches from the path and marsh grasses waft
in the breeze.
So, how does the disparaged become the deeply appreciated?
With a change of attitude, a strong plan, some creative partnerships,
public and private monies, and a labor of love, Camp Henry transformed
their program area into an environmental resource. By observing the steps
Camp Henry followed, you will be on your way to creating an effective
land-management plan for your camp.
Step 1: Make and Attitude Adjustment
An attitude adjustment in thinking about your inaccessible
properties will change your mental images from impenetrable overgrowth
to the jewel of your program. The most likely impetus for the adjustment
is that you simply haven’t been able to access the area to understand
the raw beauty and power that resides there. Take a break from your busy
day and hike into the areas; you may need a pair of very tall boots. You
will find natural beauty beyond your imagination. Just a few of the benefits
to your program are natural beauty, recreational opportunity, environmental
education, conservancy, wildlife protection, and resource utilization.
Making such beauty accessible to all can become an impassioned focus.
Step 2: Write a Forest Stewardship Plan
Camp Henry is one of hundreds of private landowners in
Michigan that have taken advantage of the Forest Stewardship Act, which
originated in 1990 and provides cost- sharing assistance for forest management,
wildlife, and fisheries habitat enhancement, water and soil conservation,
and wetland protection, as well as helps landowners pay for management
plans for their properties. In 1996, Camp Henry’s Board of Directors decided
to have a Forest Stewardship Plan written for their 200-acre property.
The board hired a consulting wildlife biologist, one of Michigan’s certified
plan writers in the Forest Stewardship Program (FSP). The consulting biologist
also drew on the expertise available at the local soil conservation district
offices. The plan, which was paid for largely through the FSP, provided
a comprehensive set of land-management guidelines. And, it sparked a great
deal of interest from volunteer groups and donors.
In addition to land-management directives, the Forest
Stewardship Plan furnished several ideas for increasing recreational and
educational opportunities. The plan presented the layout for a new trail
system, officially called the Halstead Wetland Trail system, that would
greatly expand access throughout the property for hiking, nature study,
and cross-country skiing. The board adopted the plan and filed it with
the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Recognizing the educational
benefits of wetlands, Camp Henry acquired an adjoining nine acres of wetlands
and expanded the wetland trail.
Step 3: Create a Fund
Soon after the Forest Stewardship Plan was written and
adopted, the board acted on one of the plan’s recommendations — to harvest
a small portion of the mature hardwoods on the property. The sale of just
seventy-seven carefully selected hardwood trees from two small areas of
camp property grossed over $13,000. A management service was selected
to bid and manage the harvest. The money was set aside in a special Land
Stewardship Fund and designated to fund trail construction and other plan
recommendations. Trails in the wilderness area of Camp Henry were the
first to be addressed. New horse trails were cut to make circular loops
within the eighty-acre wilderness tract.
Step 4: Get the Necessary Permits
Your consultant should be able to help you identify the
necessary permits and walk you through the permitting process. For wetlands
projects, at the very least, you will most likely need a state environmental
permit, but don’t be surprised if you also need a local government permit
and/or a federal permit as well.
Step 5: Find Private Partners for Special
Projects
Camp Henry found a willing partner in the Wetlands Foundation
of Western Michigan, which committed to funding materials for the proposed
Halstead Wetland Trail system over a three-year period. Camp Henry agreed
to supply the labor. Two separate lumberyard vendors gave special discounts
for treated lumber purchased for the trail.
Work began on the first phase of the Halstead Wetland
Trail in 1999. The initial stretch is a boardwalk that winds through the
wetland at the west end of the main campus. This raised boardwalk allows
users to easily access an isolated island that was previously difficult
to reach without a boat. An overland trail leads to the second leg of
the boardwalk that stretches from the island to a flooded impoundment.
The third leg follows the top of the impoundment to culminate at a wetland
observatory, which overlooks a stream impoundment, an excavated pond,
and other manmade wetland improvements.
With the first leg of the Halstead Wetland Trail completed
and dedicated, Ducks Unlimited, Inc., and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(which administers funds provided by Ducks Unlimited) readily agreed to
fund the excavation of a small pond that was identified in the permit.
With their commitment came additional consulting freely given on-site,
including names of contacts for skilled excavation contractors.
Step 6: Partner with Other Organizations
for Volunteer Labor
Camp Henry partnered with Bethany Christian Services
and the STEP Program (Supervised Transitional Evaluation Placement) to
provide ongoing labor for the project. Teenagers placed in a foster care
setting by the court system, under a highly supervised regimen with almost
a one-on-one ratio, rolled up their sleeves and carried literally tons
of wood chips and wooden trail sections to the farthest most regions of
the trail using sheer muscle power and determination. The sense of accomplishment
was palpable.
"The STEP Program has given countless hours of volunteer
services to help make this trail a possibility. These young people are
well supervised and a wonderful group to have at Camp Henry helping with
whatever hard work needs to be completed. We are grateful for their time
and commitment," noted Tom Halstead, Camp Henry’s facilities manager.
Other volunteer groups, including workday groups, members
of the board of directors, United Way Day of Caring volunteers, school
groups and adult corporate groups, Boy Scout troops, and individual Boy
Scouts seeking eagle merit badges willingly undertook trail sections,
planting, mulching, and reforestation. Hundreds of seedlings and young
plants have been planted. Nearly all of these were made available at a
very reasonable cost by the local soil conservation district office.
Upland portions of the trail, some still in progress,
are also being constructed by volunteers clearing brush and spreading
wood chips. Offshoots from the upland trail will provide access to various
points of interest on the property, including a spring, a vernal pond,
and a bog. The trails will enable visitors to easily discover Camp Henry’s
wide variety of natural habitats with their diverse populations of plants
and animals.
Step 7: Create a Quality Environmental
Education Program
Camp Henry’s staff has been hard at work matching environmental
educational modules to the new resources at hand. They hired an environmental
education director to develop a curriculum for an exceptional environmental
education program. A great deal has been accomplished in a short period
of time, including modules that meet Michigan educational standards, contacts
with over 300 schools within a 100-mile radius of camp, outreach to local
schools, a brochure, and descriptions posted to camp’s Web site.
Expanding the Forest Stewardship Plan
Camp Henry has implemented several other projects that
were proposed in their Forest Stewardship Plan. Hundreds of trees and
shrubs have been planted for reforestation and wildlife cover. At least
fifteen nest structures have been installed for wood ducks, bluebirds,
swallows, bats, and tree squirrels. With seed donated by Pheasants Forever,
two small food plots have been planted for upland game. And, through a
grant from the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) program, a 300-foot
vegetation corridor was constructed for wildlife moving between isolated
wood lots. SIP (Stewardship Incentive Program) funds, although applied
for, were not awarded.
Recently, Camp Henry developed a small aspen clear-cut
for ruffed grouse and deer and conducted timber stand improvement work
in a portion of their oak forest. The corporation doing the management
will supply seedlings in the fall for
under-planting the pine forests that were disturbed in the clearing process.
While these timber operations did not generate a large sum of money (about
$4,000) they will significantly improve future wildlife use and forest
production. They will also provide examples of forest management that
may be used as educational tools or to demonstrate a commitment to the
wise use of forest resources.
The Time Is Now
Identify your consultant, write your plan, and everything
else will flow from there. Resources will readily appear. The time is
now to showcase and protect the natural world and appreciate the wonders
of creation.
Michigan's Forestlands: New Opportunities
for Private Land Management
Forests are a major feature of the Michigan landscape,
currently covering 19.3 million acres-- about 53 percent of the state's
total land surface. Michigan's forestlands are indeed a wonderful resource.
They teem with plant and animal life; they provide diverse outdoor recreation
opportunities; they protect and enhance air and water quality; and they
support more than 200,000 jobs and contribute over 12 billion dollars
to Michigan's economy each year. Yet, much of this resource is underutilized
or improperly managed.
Ownership of Michigan's forestlands is mostly private.
Public holdings, including three national forests and the nation's largest
forest system, account for 6.5 million acres. Industry owns about 2 million
acres, and the remaining 10.5 million acres are privately owned. Professional
land managers believe that the majority of small-privately owned forests
are poorly managed-- producing at one-half or less of their potential.
In the past, forestry and other resource management endeavors
were focused mainly on public lands. This occurred, primarily, because
public funds were not available for private land management. In Michigan,
state and federal resource professionals were obligated to work and finance
projects on publicly owned forests and wildlife areas. But, recently much
more concern has been placed on increasing the productivity of privately
owned forestlands. With this came opportunities or private landowners
to utilize public funds and professional advice to greatly enhance their
properties.
Environmental Resources on the
Web:
The National Association of Conservation
Districts
Forest Stewardship Program
USDA Forest Service State &
Private Forestry Cooperative
Forestry
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Ducks Unlimited
Pheasants Forever
Environmental Grantmakers Association
Originally published in the 2000 September/October
issue of Camping Magazine. |
