River News Calendar About WMTU Join WMTU WMTU Board Links Communicate WMTU Home

Schrems West Michigan Trout Unlimited To conserve, protect and restore coldwater fisheries Property Management Plan January 3, 2006 Assessment Site Map & Photo Location of Dolan Property - 2.5 MB Landcover Photo Soils Map Topographic Map - 2.8 MB Wetlands Map - 2.8 MB Recommendations Forest Stewardship Plan (text) - 3.4 MB Recommendations Map - 3.5 MB Each of these files can be viewed with Adobe Acrobat. Please note that they are large files. All of them are graphics, except for the Forest Stewardship Plan. Early in 2005, the board of Schrems WMTU commissioned Jack Boss of King and MacGregor Environmental, Inc. to complete a Forest Stewardship Plan (FSP) for our property on the Coldwater River, commonly called the Dolan Property. The FSP evaluates the existing conditions and proposes specific recommendations to enhance the property in line with our goals and objectives, as well as provides the owners with a wealth of additional information on improving the ecosystems on the property. Our stated goals are: “To maximize plant and animal diversity; protect riparian and wetland areas; and enhance recreational and educational opportunities.” The FSP was completed in September, and the board has been studying the specific recommendations, evaluating the potential costs, and prioritizing the recommendations contained in the FSP. During the month of November, the board prioritized the project list and came up with the following plan: Top Priority Projects (should be completed within the next 3 years): Invasive Species Control (Unit E, Recommendation 17) Install 2 artificial wildlife/fish structures (Unit B, Recommendation 14-1) Install 7 artificial wildlife/fish structures (Unit A, Recommendation 13) Enlarge existing deep pond for warm-water fish (Unit A, Recommendation 21) Install 4 artificial wildlife/fish structures (Unit C, Recommendation 4) Selectively harvest mature hardwoods (Unit C, Recommendation 8) Construct 4 shallow water ponds for wildlife (Unit C, Recommendation 22) Invasive Species Control (Unit A, Recommendation 16) Selectively harvest mature hardwoods (Unit B, Recommendation 7) Construct 1 shallow water pond for wildlife (Unit D, Recommendation 23) Medium Priority Projects (should be completed within the next 5 years): Establish a native grass prairie (Unit A, Recommendation 18) Install 2 platforms and educational signage (Unit C, Recommendation 12) Plant ~250 Conifers (Unit C, Recommendation 2) Install 2 platforms and educational signage (Unit A, Recommendation 11) Mulch, restore existing trail; and create new trail (Unit A, Recommendation 9) TSI thinning of pines for release of desirable tree species (Unit F, Recommendation 6-1) Mulch, restore existing trail; and create new trail (Unit C, Recommendation 10) Plant ~100 hardwoods (Unit E, Recommendation 4) Plant ~50 conifers (Unit E, Recommendation 3) Fertilize and plant wildlife food patches (Unit A, Recommendation 20) Low Priority Potential Projects (no commitment as to timing): Install dam on adjacent property in order to create a wetlands area on our property (Unit B, Recommendation 14-2) Plant ~250 shrubs (Unit A, Recommendation 5) Plant ~2,000 conifers (Unit A, Recommendation 1) Expand Red Pine Plantation to the west by planting additional conifers (Unit F, Recommendation 6-2) Sharecropper hayfield, crop field, and mowing rotation (Unit A, Recommendation 19) This plan was presented to the board for final approval on December 6, 2005 and approved on January 3, 2006. Actual projects for implementation will be approved on an annual basis.