Partners discuss jack pine regeneration techniques such as prescribed burning, ground scarification, and planting seedlings while at the Raco Plains. - FWS photo by Joel Trick, Green Bay Ecological Services Office.

Hiawatha National Forest maintain large permanent openings on the jack pine plains with prescribed burning. This area provides important breeding habitat for sharp-tailed grouse. - FWS photo by Joel Trick, Green Bay Ecological Services Office.

With the Kirtland’s warbler population at an all time high, 1,697 singing males, more breeding warblers are showing up in the Upper Peninsula, Wisconsin, and Canada, outside of the birds “core” breeding area in the northern lower peninsula of Michigan.  At the same time, some of the large landowners in these non-core areas have an interest in changing their jackpine management scheme to benefit a suite of wildlife including Kirtland’s warblers. 

With this growing interest as a backdrop, Christie Deloria of the Upper Peninsula Ecological Services Office organized a field trip on October 3 and 4^th to open up dialog among partners and explore opportunities for Kirtland’s warbler and jack pine management.  Staff from Hiawatha and Ottawa National Forests, Michigan and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Marquette County, Plum Creek Timber, the Service’s Green Bay Field Office and Seney National Wildlife Refuge participated.

On October 3^rd, the group visited the Raco Plains in the Eastern Upper Peninsula where the Hiawatha National Forest has recently begun managing the outwash plains to benefit Kirtland’s warblers, sharp-tailed grouse, and other species.  The second day of the field trip was spent on the Yellow Dog Plains in northern Marquette County, discussing the potential issues and opportunities of starting new management efforts at this location or within other jack pine outwash plains in the Upper Midwest. 

The field trip provided an important venue to exchange ideas, information, and to begin development of cross-organization partnerships focused on jack pine barrens management.