Upper Peninsula habitat improvements
On state-managed land in southern Marquette County, there stands a grove of nearly 500 mature Siberian crabapple trees that are thriving – branches heavy with fruit, ready to feed a variety of wildlife this fall, including deer, bear, ruffed grouse, turkeys and songbirds.
The trees will provide a critical food source for wildlife still recovering from a tough, long winter and late spring – a time when the presence of abundant mast (fruit and nut)-producing trees and shrubs can make or break the game of survival in the Upper Peninsula.
While the crabapple trees today look like a natural part of the state forest’s landscape, they actually were hand-planted by Michigan Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Division staff in 1983 as part of an effort to enhance habitat in forest openings – a goal that remains a priority for the Wildlife Division today.
In fact, in 2014 Wildlife Division staffers in the Upper Peninsula were able to greatly ramp up tree and shrub planting efforts for the first time in years due to recent increases in hunting license fees and the addition of the $11 base license required of all hunters, which specifically funds improvement of habitat and hunting opportunities. Read more
“Duck stamps were one of the key funding mechanisms that brought many waterfowl species from vanishing to flourishing. Other bird, mammal, reptile and amphibian species benefitted, too,” said the Club’s Keith Balfourd. “This should be a point of pride for all hunters. It certainly is for Boone and Crockett, whose members played an important part in the history of North American waterfowl, including the duck stamp.”