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GL Basin Ecosystem
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Sand Mine Reclamation
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Final Report - October 2000
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To view a PDF file in its entirety, please obtain the most recent edition of the free Adobe Acrobat reader. Final Report (1153kb) Appendix A: Planting Zones Map 22 |
The purpose of this project was to complete an ecological restoration of the Peters sand mine at Grand Mere State Park, Berrien County, Michigan. Grand Mere State Park is a 985 acre park characterized by one mile of Lake Michigan shoreline, large oak-forested dunes, several large blowouts, and three shallow inland lakes behind the dunes (largely succeeding towards shrub-dominated swamp). An active sand mine is adjacent to the 1,200-acre dedicated National Natural Landmark that includes Grand Mere State Park. The overall goal of the project is to reclaim the sand mine to native species (local genotype) that blend well with the surrounding natural communities, while demonstrating to regulators and the sand mining industry a more ecologically-sound way of reclaiming sand mines. Throughout the project, cooperation between private industry, state and federal agencies, and the local community was emphasized.
The project duration was originally set at two years, with a one-year extension anticipated from the beginning. It was recognized in the original project narrative that additional time may be needed for restoration, depending on how quickly the sand mining was completed. As of September 1, 2000, TechniSand is still completing mining and contouring of the site. Some slopes have received initial plantings, but the majority of the site will not be ready for plantings until fall 2000 or spring 2001.
Because mining has not yet been completed, this final report cannot present the outcome of a completed restoration. The report will document what was accomplished to date and how the federal funds were spent. It will be necessary to continue monitoring and implementation of the restoration plan to ensure all requirements of the plan are met. The State Park Stewardship Program is prepared to continue this project until all phases of the plan are carried out. An addendum to this final report will be completed detailing the progress of the reclamation after all plants purchased with EPA assistance are installed and monitoring has continued for at least three years. At that time, a more elaborate summary can be made of lessons learned through this project.
The specific objectives of the project are as follows (excerpted from a letter to Project Officer Kent Fuller dated January 14, 2000):
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