Wildlife Management Areas and Habitat Management

 
The regional wildlife management staff of biologists is best described as the Wildlife Division’s wildlife generalists or the “jack of all trades.” The eighteen wildlife biologists who staff the Department’s seven regional field offices constitute the majority of the Wildlife Management Section (WMS). Their breadth of knowledge, activities, and job responsibilities range far and wide. In essence, the regional wildlife biologist represents the Department in a multitude of arenas and serves as the “state’s wildlife expert” within their assigned regional geographic area (see Figure 1). They are responsible for implementing the Wildlife Division’s management program within those regions.

The Wildlife Management Section of the MDIFW has management responsibility for all of the Wildlife Division’s real property, which consists of over 60 WMAs statewide. Since 1980, the Department’s land holdings have doubled to about 100,000 acres. These acquisitions have targeted expansions of existing WMAs and the establishment of new WMAs in all regions of the state.

MDIFW owns and manages public land for three primary objectives, including 1) to maintain or create the highest quality upland or wetland wildlife habitats possible, 2) to provide recreational opportunities when these opportunities are not in conflict with wildlife management objectives, and 3) to demonstrate wildlife management techniques and practices to the public.

The Department’s WMAs represent some of the “gems” of special habitats in Maine and support habitat for:

· 45 Rare Plants (8 Endangered, 14 Threatened, and 23 Special Concern)
· 68 Natural Communities
· 36 Rare Animals (9 Endangered, 7 Threatened, and 20 Special Concern

Additionally, many of our WMAs contain some of the best upland and waterfowl hunting opportunities that can be found anywhere in Maine. Please check our website to find more information about these important public lands. (http://www.state.me.us/ifw/wma/index.htm) The following reports from WMS staff are examples of regional habitat management projects many of which are associated with the Department’s WMAs.

--Eugene Dumont, Wildlife Management Section Supervisor

Region A — Gray
Scarborough Marsh WMA Restoration

Located just 9 miles south of Portland and amidst the rapidly growing town of Scarborough is the largest, most ecologically diverse saltmarsh in the state. The estuary is the meeting place of five rivers and the Atlantic Ocean. This exceptional wetland, totaling over 3,100 acres is owned by the Department and managed as the Scarborough Marsh Wildlife Management Area (WMA). MDIFW surveys indicate the marsh provides habitat for the highest number of water dependent birds in the state, including resident and migratory waterfowl and wading birds. Though this WMA was largely acquired and managed for waterfowl such as the black duck, blue-winged teal and wood duck, the marsh provides habitat for many other wetland species, including at least seven state and federally listed birds. Today, as in the past, the marsh provides many recreational opportunities such as waterfowl hunting, trapping, striped bass fishing, shellfish harvesting, canoeing and bird watching. The Nature Center, managed by Maine Audubon Society in partnership with MDIFW, welcomes over 10,000 visitors annually for educational programs.

Much like the state’s vast inland forests, salt marshes, including Scarborough, have a long history of human use. Prior to European settlement, the Sokokis Indians maintained a settlement on Winnock’s Neck, where they harvested shellfish, fish, seal and waterfowl. European settlement beginning in the 1600’s brought livestock to the area. The marsh then became a source of hay, with the cordgrasses (Spartina spp.) and  blackgrasses (Juncus spp.) considered most valuable. The shorter the hydroperiod on the marsh, the higher the yield of hay, so marshes throughout the east coast were parallel ditched to drain the tidal water. In addition, large earthen dikes were built and sluice gates were installed to reduce the influence of the tides on the marsh. This type of farming was physically demanding and technically challenging, yet the marshes were extensive, productive, required no cultivation and could be quite profitable. The harvesting declined in the early 20th century due to competition with larger farms inland. Later, in the early 1920’s, the marshes endured another phase of ditching for the purposes of controlling mosquitoes. Additional alteration of the marsh has resulted from the establishment of three major transportation corridors, two railroad lines and U.S. Route 1. These practices were done at a time when the ecological value of a salt marsh was not fully realized. These values were compromised through changes in hydrology, soils and vegetation types, including the spread of invasive plants. The state acquired Scarborough Marsh largely between the years 1957 and 1978, and smaller acquisitions continue today through funding from Pittman-Robinson funds, state bond monies and private donations.

Former MDIFW Biologist Russell Degarmo was instrumental in the acquisition of the marsh in the early days. Much of the initiative for restoring the marsh can be attributed to the work of MDIFW’s Region A Wildlife Biologist, Phil Bozenhard. A group of citizens and conservation groups concerned about the future of the marsh established the Friends of Scarborough Marsh. They have been an important liaison to the community and are fully invested in the planning and restoration of the marsh.

Large-scale restoration of the marsh requires extensive resources, community support and technical expertise from natural resource professionals in a developing new science. MDIFW has collaborated with many dedicated partners in this effort including the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, USFWS Gulf of Maine Program, Friends of Scarborough Marsh, Ducks Unlimited and Maine Audubon. Restoration projects begin with baseline data from a preconstruction monitoring plan. Based upon this data, a restoration plan tailored to the specific site is developed. Another important component of this work is a period of post-construction monitoring, during which the effectiveness of the plan can be evaluated. The salt marsh is restored largely through the plugging of ditches, removal of berms, lowering of marsh elevation, creation of saltwater pannes, modification of tidal restrictions and removal of stands of phragmites; a prolific invasive aquatic plant that compromises waterfowl habitat and vegetative diversity. Completed project sites include Seavey Landing, Mill Brook and Cascade Brook. The Seavey Landing project restored 38 acres of marsh through plugging and excavation of pools so attractive to waterfowl and wading birds. The restoration of Cascade Brook was required after a culvert on Old Blue Point Rd. was washed out after 19” of rain fell in October of 1996. Nearly 3,000 cubic yards of spoil material and riprap that was deposited was carefully removed from over 2 acres of the marsh surface. The Mill Brook project has restored 380 acres of marsh functions through plugging ditches, breeching a berm and removing invasive plants. A site walk along Mill Brook, post-restoration, will reveal more functional, shallow pools holding water at low tide.

Ongoing projects include resolving an issue of tidal restriction at an undersized culvert along the Libby River. Increasing tidal flow at this site will allow greater salinity upstream and along with herbicide treatments, discourage the establishment of phragmites. The Libby River has 27 acres of this invasive plant. The Nonesuch River project will begin in June of 2006. Restoration of this 247-acre marsh will entail the plugging of ditches, removal of berms and removal of phragmites. The 135-acre Dunstan River Marsh, bisected by U.S. Route 1, is considered by many to be the most degraded part of Scarborough Marsh. This site has been chosen as the recipient of mitigation funds resulting from the 1996 Julie N oil spill occurring in Casco Bay. These funds will partly cover the cost of restoration, which will include reducing the elevation of the marsh north of U.S. Route 1, dredging existing channels to increase the flow of salt water upstream of the highway, create a perimeter ditch to reduce fresh water intrusion from the uplands, create 15 shallow pools and eradicate over 30 acres of phragmites that has colonized the upstream side of the marsh.

The ultimate goal of the restoration is to return the marsh to a more functional ecosystem that provides diverse habitats of native vegetation and hydrology. There is still much to learn about the complexities of salt marsh restoration, but two guiding principles are well accepted by resource professionals; provide conditions permitting salt water to do the work nature intended and minimize anthropogenic pollution such as chemical contaminants, excess sedimentation and freshwater runoff. These two principles are especially significant considering the extent of tidal flow barriers and the rapidly developed uplands immediately adjacent to Scarborough Marsh.

--Scott Lindsay, Assistant Regional Wildlife Biologist

Region B — Sidney
James Dorso Wildlife Management Area

In April 2006 one of the best wildlife habitats to be found in central Maine, Ruffingham Meadow Wildlife Management Area, was renamed in honor of James Dorso. The newly signed James Dorso Wildlife Management Area is located in Searsmont just off of Rt. 3 between Augusta and Belfast.

Jim Dorso served as a wildlife technician for the MDIFW for over twenty years before retiring in 1989. Jim became known as the father of Maine’s waterfowl nesting box program. Jim began making nesting boxes after seeing the idea and illustrations in a Popular Mechanics magazine. He built several, placed them near his house, and was amazed at their success when he found eggs in them that nesting season. Within a few years, he had built and was maintaining 150 of them.

In 1965, Jim was laid off from his job at the S.D. Warren Paper Mill in Gardiner, but was quickly presented with an opportunity from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to oversee the nesting box program. He accepted, and began a program that was modeled after his earlier private success with nesting boxes. Jim’s program demonstrated a level of success that was unrivaled through out the country and contributed measurably to local waterfowl populations.

Ruffingham Meadow was one of Jim’s favorite wetland habitats where he banded females in the spring and conducted nest box maintenance each winter. Jim was successful in establishing a viable breeding population of common goldeneyes at Ruffingham Meadow by transplanting them from other areas farther north. Common Goldeneyes continue to nest at Ruffingham each spring.

Originally, Ruffingham Meadow consisted of an old lake basin that was transected by Thompson Brook and Bartlett Stream. The basin was overgrown with sedges, grasses, sweet gale, willow, dogwood and alder. The wildlife management area was formed through the acquisition of approximately 30 privately owned tracts. These parcels received limited use for the production of wild hay and grazing. Acquisition began in 1946 and was completed during the early 1950’s when the water control structure was constructed. Water levels are managed to provide stable water levels during the waterfowl-nesting season and provide maximum amounts of brood cover.

Ruffingham Meadow is approximately 610 acres in size and consists of 386 acres of inland wetland and some 224 acres of upland habitat. The upland portion is predominantly mixed forestland with an additional five acres of field and alders. The WMA is part of a 17 square mile watershed originating from two streams (Bartlett Stream and  Thompson Brook) on Frye Mountain in Montville. The wetland portion of this area is a shallow and deep fresh marsh - shrub swamp association bordered by bog, flooded woodland and forested upland. The upper reaches of the wetland are routinely flowed by beaver creating additional wetland habitat for wildlife.

Ruffingham Meadow offers outstanding waterfowl hunting and deer hunting in the uplands. Centrally located between Augusta and Belfast, it is an ideal place to canoe, bird-watch and enjoy wildlife. Make a point to check out the new James Dorso Wildlife Management Area.

--Keel Kemper, Assistant Regional Wildlife Biologist

Region C — Jonesboro
Downeast Deer Habitat Management

Despite more than 20 years of conservative hunting regulations, downeast deer populations continue at a depressed level from the benchmark period of the 1950’s. While it is probably not realistic to expect a full return to those days of yesteryear, which were characterized by the peak period of farm abandonment that produced ideal habitat conditions against a backdrop of relatively small scale logging operations, limited access, and the post-World War II era, the general lack of population response has been a source of concern for the public and the Department alike. It should be noted that lower deer populations are not exclusive to the downeast region. Much of the northeastern fringe of deer range including northern Maine and the Maritime Provinces, an area generally characterized by northern spruce-fir forest type, have experienced deer population declines over this same period. It would seem, then, that habitat is a major, underlying factor in addressing this issue.

Many potential causes have been targeted by a frustrated public including commercial timber harvesting, chemical spraying by the blueberry and forestry industries, poaching of one form or another, predation by coyotes, black bear, and other predators, lack of fawns, unprecedented back road development and the resulting access, and the list goes on. Certainly, some of these issues have an impact and were closely examined by two different Department committees that explored alternative management strategies. But habitat, both quantity and quality, is the common thread which incorporates most of these concerns.

As a result of the second committee’s deliberations in 1995, the downeast Regional Wildlife staff developed a proposal at the request of then Commissioner Bucky Owen, to help “jumpstart” the deer herd in eastern Maine. This strategy was focused on habitat  management and enhancement over fairly large land areas termed “habitat focus areas.” The core of these focus areas were based on historical locations of deer wintering areas (DWA) … a critical, softwood shelter based, habitat component, which directly affects deer survival during harsh winter periods. Given that a high percentage of DWA normally occur in upland habitats along watercourses (riparian), the skeletal framework of these habitat focus areas were historically documented river and stream corridors that would be managed to provide contiguous softwood shelter for wintering deer and connectivity. Additional uplands were added to the proposal sufficient to meet the size and requirements of a deer’s home range. Various management techniques were identified for discussion that would enhance these upland habitats for deer while maintaining commercial operations flexibility. Five focus areas were taken to industrial forest landowners for their consideration. Unfortunately, none were ever implemented.

Only remnants remain of historical deer yards in the unorganized towns of central and northern Washington and Hancock Counties, as these areas failed to meet final zoning criteria of the Land Use Regulation Commission (LURC) back in the early 1980’s. This was due primarily to a combination of the effects of the spruce-budworm epidemic which devastated many thousands of acres of maturing softwood stands downeast and the related lack of sufficient densities of wintering deer. The budworm epidemic resulted in extensive salvage harvesting operations and a corresponding, unprecedented level of road development, which produced dramatic changes to the forest landscape. The effects continue as now regenerated, maturing stands have been influenced by subsequent events which include contemporary, mechanical harvesting methods, outbreaks of balsam wooly adelgid (an insect pest which has produced significant mortality in balsam fir), and the wave of recent, investment-based land acquisitions that have resulted in renewal of wide scale, intensive timber harvesting.

Due to both private and publicly funded efforts, the ability to manage core habitat areas across the downeast region for the benefit of not only deer, but also a wide array of wildlife, appears to be taking shape. Acquired under various resource initiatives, certain lands under conservation ownership by private, non-governmental, and government interests are providing some of the skeletal framework of riparian habitats targeted originally by the habitat focus area proposal (Figure 2). As an example, a community led effort to sustain a resource-based economy resulted in the recent acquisition of two townships totaling over 27,000 acres owned by the Downeast Lakes Land Trust (DLLT). Region C Wildlife Biologists provided the DLLT with historical locations of deer wintering areas and advocated for a riparian-based approach to habitat management, which has been successfully incorporated into a comprehensive forest management plan. This land includes much of what was one of the original habitat focus area proposals focused on the upper Machias watershed.

To the west, the DLLT purchase abuts another 27,000 acres of public reserved lands of the Duck Lake Unit where DWA and riparian habitats have received priority management through the efforts of a Department wildlife biologist assigned to the Department of Conservation’s Bureau of Parks and Lands (BPL), their district forester, and Region F Regional Wildlife Biologists. Foresters and biologists met several times this winter to examine and  coordinate management efforts targeted at perpetuating DWA, travel corridors, and other upland habitats on both the Duck Lake Unit and DLLT lands. This evolving partnership is seeking to coordinate management efforts with the Passamaquoddy Nation with adjacent lands to the north, as well as with other conservation lands on the watershed.

An initiative targeted at restoration of the endangered Atlantic salmon and involving partners such as The Nature Conservancy, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, and the Land for Maine’s Future Board, resulted in the fee and easement acquisition of 25,000 acres along a 1000 foot corridor on each side of the Machias River, and six major tributaries, to the south of the DLLT purchase. This area includes the core of another one of the habitat focus areas, which was historically utilized by wintering deer. Under BPL management, Regional Wildlife Biologists will promote actions to perpetuate DWA and travel corridor stand characteristics during the Bureau’s development of a management plan. Soon to be completed, a third phase of this land acquisition project will provide similar management oversight to 83% of the upper Machias watershed, and will link approximately 450,000 acres of conservation lands.

Another purchase focused on salmon restoration along the Dennys River resulted in the acquisition of 4,600 acres of riparian and upland habitats. This area was also identified in the Department’s habitat focus area proposal, and historically was a very large, well-known DWA in the downeast area. Other conservation lands, such as Department-owned Wildlife Management Areas, prioritize the management and maintenance of key habitat features including substantial, riparian buffers. When viewed collectively then, conservation lands are forming a landscape framework of core habitats, which will undoubtedly have significant, long-term benefits to wildlife including wintering white-tailed deer. Department wildlife biologists will continue to work cooperatively with various landowners to support these efforts and implement appropriate management strategies.

--Tom Schaeffer, Regional Wildlife Biologist

Region D — Strong
Woodcock Habitat Management

 
MDIFW maintains Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) throughout the state with the intent of providing high quality wildlife habitat, allowing recreation for the public, and to demonstrate the benefits of specific habitat management techniques. The western mountain Region is home to six WMAs, and all but the Strong WMA are dominated by wetland habitats. Management activities on those areas focus on the maintenance of a diverse complex of wetland habitats, providing important nesting and staging areas for waterfowl and wading birds.

The landscape at the 90-acre Strong WMA is much different, containing a mixture of upland hardwoods, old fields, and low-lying alder patches. This combination of habitats offers the regional staff the opportunity to actively manage for woodcock, a migratory species that spends the spring, summer and fall in Maine. In order to prosper, woodcock require a diversity of young, vigorously growing habitats, which are most often located on moist soil. We use habitat management techniques that focus on retarding forest succession to provide woodcock with the right combinations of these habitats. This land management strategy also benefits ruffed grouse, as well as a suite of species relying on early-successional habitats.

Management for woodcock at the Strong WMA began in 1983, when the old fields leftover from a long history of farming were reclaimed. Open fields are a key component in woodcock management because they are utilized during courtship (for singing grounds) as well as for roosting areas at night. In order to prevent these areas from reverting to forests, the fields are mowed a minimum of once in a 3-year period. Woodcock also need habitats that provide food and cover, which is achieved by periodically thinning the low-lying hardwood and alder stands located adjacent to these open fields. A matrix of habitat blocks have been delineated and mapped throughout the alder and low-lying hardwood stands in order to systematically select 1/20th of these blocks to be cut every year. Each block, typically 40 feet wide by 100 feet long, is cut once in a 20-year period, which overtime creates a patchwork of alder and hardwood stands in a variety of age classes (0 to 20 years old). Maintaining this diversity of stand-types supplies woodcock with a continuous source of vigorous, young growth. Research has shown that young, open hardwood stands in proximity to open fields are important to woodcock for nesting and raising their young. Likewise, young and vigorously growing alder stands readily supply nitrogen to the soil, growing plenty of earthworms, which are a very important food source for woodcock.

These management techniques are borrowed ideas, adapted from strategies illustrated in the publication, A Landowner’s Guide to Woodcock Management in The Northeast, developed at the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge located in Calais, Maine. This publication is available online at: http://www.umaine.edu/mafes/elec_pubs/miscrepts/ne_woodcock.pdf.

The work associated with woodcock management at the Strong WMA could not have been completed without the assistance of a variety of volunteers including forestry students from the Foster Regional Vocational Center. If you are traveling through the western mountains and are interested in woodcock, take some time and visit the Strong WMA.

--Robert Cordes, Assistant Regional Wildlife Biologist

Region E — Greenville
Beech Management

 
As the days begin to shorten and the greens of summer transform into the brilliant shades of autumn, many of our species of wildlife are busy locating, consuming, or stashing ample food in preparation for another Maine winter. One such food which is tiny in stature but certainly not in importance, is the small nut produced by the American Beech tree (Fagus grandifolia). Every other autumn just like clockwork, many of the mature beech trees in the Moosehead Lake Region release thousands of these small food packets from their spiny armor to fall to the ground. Although the bulk of these nuts are expelled from the canopy in October, insect damage or extremes in weather can start this process early in September and continue as late as November.

During that special time of year when the nuts hit the ground, northern hardwood stands containing beech become magnets to a variety of wildlife including white-tailed deer, black bear, ruffed grouse, blue jay, red squirrel, chipmunk and other small mammals. In addition, mammalian predators such as pine marten and fisher frequent these areas to capitalize on the concentrated prey as well as the nuts themselves.

But, among all the “critters” that seek out this important food source in the north, none appear to be so closely linked to the frequency of beechnut production as our black bears. Thirty plus years of research conducted by our Department on transmitter-equipped bears have clearly shown that nearly all of the reproductive-aged female black bears produce cubs during the winter following an abundant autumn nut crop. Conversely, almost no female bears produce cubs during the off year.

The future of the American Beech, however, may be less certain these days, especially in the Moosehead Lake Region. Beech bark disease has caused significant mortality in some stands. In addition, the development in the pulp market for hardwood during the last ten or so years has allowed forest managers to sell a greater percentage of the beech stems than ever before. Strictly from a silvicultural standpoint, it appears to make sense to cut the beech to favor the more highly valued maples and birches. Unfortunately, in some cases nearly all of the merchantable beech trees are removed.

Region E’s wildlife staff continue to work with forest managers in an attempt to ensure that some mature beech trees will always be available to produce mast for our wildlife. Although some beech tress infected with beech bark disease will succumb, many will survive for years. In addition, diseased trees are stressed, so they frequently produce large nut crops.

Our recommendation to land managers is to always keep some mature (i.e. at least 8 inches dbh, or about 10-12 inches butt diameter) beech stems in the northern hardwood stands. If possible shoot for about one third of each of the sapling, pole and saw log – sized classes comprised of beech. This would apply equally on industrial lands as well as small woodlots. As mentioned above, the presence of beech bark disease should not be the only guideline to dictate harvest. Instead, look at crown characteristics. A large, live crown is a good indication pf overall tree health as well as a measure of the tree’s ability to produce nuts. In most cases, a light thinning that allows sunlight to get to the tree’s crown is a good way to promote tree health and nut production.

--Doug Kane, Regional Wildlife Biologist

Rregion F — Enfield
National Wild Turkey Federation Super Fund Project at Page Farm Parcel

 
Wild Turkey habitat management is a popular activity for landowners in this region of the state. Recognizing the winter bottleneck for wild turkeys at the edge of their known range, landowners in this region of the state of Maine have turned to conservation organizations like the National Wild Turkey Federation and the Regional Wildlife Biologists of Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, (MDIFW), for technical advise to enhance their property for wild turkeys.

The Maine Chapter of the National Wild turkey Federation has spent over $63,000 on habitat improvements in the state of Maine. These projects have consisted of:

· maintenance and development of brood habitat
· wildlife openings
· prescribed fire
· tree planting
· riparian restoration
· water development projects
· control of invasive plant species
· support for seed subsidy and conservation seed programs

Currently, MDIFW and the Maine Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation have an ongoing project at the MDIFW-owned Page Farm parcel, part of the Mattawamkeag River System Wildlife Management Area, located in Drew Plantation. Located on this parcel are two abandoned farmsteads and their associated reverting fields. After reviewing the area with representatives of the local Penobscot Valley Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, (NWTF), a superfund project was co-developed to restore some of the reverting fields through mowing and herbaceous seeding. Additionally the project will rejuvenate the apple trees through pruning, fertilizing, and liming, nurture some of the soft-mast producing shrubs such as high bush cranberry by liming and fertilizing, and supplement the hard-mast producing trees by planting additional trees such as red oak and American Chestnut throughout the hardwood stands on appropriate soils. The superfund program provides funding from NWTF acquired through the local membership at banquets, raffles, and membership dues to assist in completing selected projects.

Habitat restoration and enhancement implemented by landowners throughout the state can benefit many species of upland wildlife. Proven techniques such as those employed at Page Farm parcel can be used on smaller or larger parcels of privately owned land. The NWTF website, http://www.nwtf.org/ has a wealth of information for the landowner wishing to actively manage their property. Habitat improvement information is also available through workshops sponsored by NWTF and other conservation groups, as well as through your Regional Wildlife Office. With the ongoing partnering of NWTF and MDIFW, and habitat improvement projects on private land, Maine now has Wild Turkeys occupying areas of the state once believed not capable of supporting Wild Turkey flocks. Coupled with habitat conservation efforts, the restoration of the Wild Turkey is an extremely successful wildlife management effort.

--Vasco “Buster” Carter, Assistant Regional Wildlife Biologist

Region G — Ashland
Lt. Gordon Manuel Wildlife Management Area

 
One of the five state wildlife management areas within this region is the Lt. Gordon Manuel Wildlife Management Area, in the towns of Hodgdon, Cary, and Linneus, in Southern Aroostook County. The Lt. Gordon Manuel WMA encompasses 6,488 acres and is composed of forested land (85 %), fields (2%), and wetlands (13%). The initial acquisition centered around an existing dam site on the South Branch of the Meduxnedeag River in the town of Hodgdon Mills and the associated wetlands that were to be restored when the dam was replaced. The majority of the uplands are located west of the wetlands associated with the South Branch of the Meduxnekeag River. The uplands consist of active agricultural land; abandoned, reverting old fields; cedar lowlands; spruce-fir flats; and hardwood stands.

The Lt. Gordon Manuel WMA was primarily purchased for the management of waterfowl, with secondary management directed toward Ruffed Grouse and Woodcock. Many of our other wildlife species (consumptive and on-consumptive) are direct beneficiaries of management toward these species. A timber harvest operation on the Lt. Gordon Manuel WMA was initiated for wildlife management in the fall of 2003, focusing on Ruffed Grouse and Woodcock as our two “featured species”. Three types of harvests were completed. The first was “Grouse Management Blocks”. Two grouse management areas equivalent to 80 acres of 4-acre clear-cut blocks in predominant poplar forest types were harvested to create interspersed, early successional stages. Poplar is a very fast growing species and is a critical food source for grouse during late fall and winter. These clear-cut blocks adjacent to residual mixed-wood create an age class diversity offering ideal, brood rearing, and loafing habitat within the first 3-6 years. Blocks of more mature poplar adjacent to these clear-cut blocks offer ideal feeding, and escape cover and create a mosaic of habitats necessary for the life stages of this bird. Another wildlife advantage with this type of harvest in poplar stands is the creation of excellent early critical habitat for woodcock the first fifteen years in the form of feeding, nesting, brood, and escape cover.

The second type of harvest completed on the management area was “Strip Clear-cuts”. A system of progressive strip clear-cuts was initiated on the management area in 1983. The system that was set up at this time was continued. The areas were divided into strips 100 feet wide and numbered sequentially 1-8. The “1”s and the “2”s were harvested in the first entry with the “3”s and the “4”s scheduled for the 2003 entry. Approximately 20 acres of strips were clear-cut as a result of this prescription. The clear-cuts were not forest-type specific, thereby creating interspersed age classes of trees of different seral stages of hardwood, mixed-wood, and softwood benefiting a variety of wildlife species. Potential den and cavity trees along with any fruit and nut producing trees were left standing for the benefit of wildlife. Vertical structure was accomplished through new tree growth in the understory of residual strips through the increase of sunlight, and horizontal diversity was accomplished through the initiation of different seral stages by creating new strip clear-cuts on a 20-year interval.

The third and final harvest on the management area was a “Three-stage Shelterwood”. A shelterwood harvest is the removal of all trees from an area except for several large trees that provide shade for developing seedlings. A 3-stage shelterwood is used to open up an area much slower, with entry every 10-15 years for development of regeneration, and perhaps to maintain wind firmness within the stand by allowing regeneration to increase in height. For this initial entry, overmature Balsam Fir was harvested in the shelterwood area. Within the shelterwood section of the harvest, special wildlife consideration was directed toward cedar stands and riparian zones. Cedar stands are critical winter habitat for white-tailed deer in Northern Maine. All cedar stands within these shelterwood sections were blocked off for retention. Riparian zones (intermittent and seasonal streams) were protected to maintain these very unique habitats. Riparian areas are some of the most important wildlife habitats supporting the life stages of more wildlife species then any other single habitat. All den trees and potential den trees (snags) were retained within these zones.

State wildlife management areas are not only for the management of wildlife but also for the enjoyment of the public as a multiple-use facility. Through these harvests the public can be educated on ways to manage wildlife, and over time see a direct influence on species richness. For additional information pertaining to the Lt. Gordon Manuel WMA, on recreational uses and map, please refer to the web site http://www.maine.gov/ifw/wma/office/regg.htm.

--Rich Hoppe, Regional Wildlife Biologist