WILDLIFE CLUB MAKING PROGRESS ON WILDLIFE CERTIFICATION PLAN

The Beaver Island Wildlife Club is working on a Wildlife Certification Plan in consultation with other lo-cal organizations and the Michigan DNR, which ultimately will have to approve such a plan.

Appearing below is a draft plan outline the Club prepared in Feb-ruary. President Jeff Powers said it is still a work in progress, but the Club is happy to have it published here because it wants its work with the DNR to be synergistic with ef-forts of other groups such as the former NREC and to proceed in cooperation with BIA and the township governments. Jeff said the Club hopes to bring in a wide variety of resources and interests to make this Certification plan bene-ficial for all stakeholders in the management of Beaver Island's natural resources.

DNR officials came to the isl-and in April for a background meeting with the Club to discuss the draft plan and deer hunting ant-ler point restrictions, and that process will continue soon to ela-borate on the plan further.

We express our congratulations and gratitude to the BIWC for its work on this important project, and our thanks to Jeff for permission to publish this outline.

Purpose: Provide a template for establishing a collective focus on selective wildlife and their sup-porting habitat through collabora-tive effort, and define a framework for community support and neces-sary guidance by Michigan DNR and other relevant divisions.

Benefits: Encourage native species proliferation within limits of habi-tat and management goals (current examples include walleye rearing pond and stocking of Lake Genese-rath and Fox Lake, now in its 9th year, and wild turkey winter feed-ing program in its 8th year); pro-vide long term conservation im-provements; encourage resident ownership and pride in their envi-ronment (example, support of wildlife food plots); positive im-pact to local economy.

Scope: initially, Beaver Island pri-vate and public lands, including the archipelago and its waters; eventually, expand to include Gar-den Island, etc.

Management: locally, Beaver Isl-and Wildlife Club working in part-nership with other interested island groups such as BICC, NREC, township governments and others; state level, working in partnership with DNR, MUCC, etc.; national-ly, partnerships with other organi-zations to facilitate achievement of goals, examples include QDMA, USDA-WS; period, two-year time horizon with periodic detailed re-view of objectives and results; lo-cal funding through community groups and other individuals, fund raising efforts and partnership with other organizations, plus state funding of turkey food plots and federal and state funding of cormo-rant control efforts.

Activities:
Identify focus wildlife and define their supporting habitat.

Determine wildlife population and inventory and condition of relevant habitat, including: assess soils and forage base through testing and food plot work (50+ acres planted in 2010); assess deer population by biological harvest analysis and driving surveys; monitor walleye stocking efforts using resources of tribal biologists interacting with MDNR and local organizations; monitor loon nesting activity and chick survival rates; define realis-tic target management goals and measurements.

Determine detrimental (non-native competition) and improvement fac-tors to focus wildlife and their ha-bitat. Examples: deer, turkey, Great Lakes small mouth bass ha-bitat, creation of young forest habi-tat benefits woodcock, grouse, and songbird populations.

Develop and implement action plans to reach management goals using sound scientific methodolo-gy with DNR oversight and partic-ipation, including: current (fifth year) joint efforts with USDA-WS to reduce cormorant impacts throughout the archipelago and with DNR to institute antler point restrictions as one component of a Quality Deer Management pro-gram to be implemented Fall 2011.

Desired Outcome: Certification by DNR that sound principles and conservation efforts are being applied to improve focus wildlife and their habitats.