Pine barrens were once common to michigans northern lower peninsula and provided habitat for a wide diversity of unique flora and fauna

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (CFDA 15.662), awarded a $199,954 Cooperative Agreement to Huron Pines Resource Conservation and Development Council Inc. (Huron Pines) on March 1, 2024. This grant will fund Huron Pines to continue management and stewardship activities on over 6,800 acres of the Kirtland's Warbler Wildlife Management Area in Michigan's northern lower peninsula. The project aims to restore and enhance pine barrens habitat to support biodiversity, including endangered species like the Kirtland's warbler, massasauga rattlesnake, and wood turtle. Key activities include assessing ecological conditions on 400 acres, developing a unified management plan with stakeholders, implementing management prescriptions on 150 new acres, and monitoring results to support an adaptive management framework. This work will help direct pine barrens restoration efforts across northern Michigan and protect the unique flora and fauna dependent on this imperiled natural community.

However the vast majority of these specialized ecosystems have been converted to plantations or other land uses and are now a state imperiled natural community. Pine barrens are important because they support populations of species of greatest conservation need including the kirtlands warbler massasauga rattlesnake wood turtle northern harrier black backed woodpecker whippoorwill common nighthawk spruce grouse and prairie warbler as well as insects such as yellow banded bumblebee blazing star borer moth dusted skipper and secretive locust. They also provide natural fuel breaks that can help to reduce wildfire risk to resources and communities. The kirtlands warbler wildlife management area owned by the US fish and wildlife service covers over six thousand and eight hundred acres over one hundred and twenty seven parcels in northern lower michigan. Huron pines has been an active partner in stewarding these parcels to restore and enhance pine barrens habitat. The goal of the project funded by this grant will be to facilitate the continued management of kirtlands warbler wildlife management area parcels and to work with other public landowners to apply a cohesive and coordinated approach to management. This effort will support biodiversity in and around michigans kirtlands warbler wildlife management area and improve habitat health and connectivity for rare species and the natural communities they depend on. Management successes achieved through this project will help direct stewardship throughout northern michigan. The project will require planning implementation monitoring and outreach to be successful. The project will assess the current ecological and contextual conditions of at least four hundred acres of kirtlands warbler wildlife management area lands and work closely with the US fish and wildlife service to develop management prescriptions. A management plan will be created with stakeholders to guide a unified management approach to michigans pine barrens. Lastly management prescriptions will be implemented on at least one hundred and fifty acres of new lands with additional enhancement of one hundred and fifty acres where previous management has taken place. Ecological monitoring on restored acres will be used to provide feedback essential to an adaptive management framework.