About 48,500 native conifer seedlings were planted by The Nature Conservancy in Michigan (TNC), in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and help from contractors, across 161 acres of the Ottawa National Forest near Kenton.
This was part of an ongoing effort, which began in 2018, to restore the watersheds of the Ontonagon River and Sturgeon River riverbanks where trees had been damaged by spruce budworm infestations.
While spruce budworms are native to the area, they can defoliate spruce and fir trees that shade streams from direct sunlight. This results in warmer water temperatures, which can be harmful to fish and other aquatic life.
According to Mindy Kantola, TNC’s Forest Partnerships project manager, diversifying the tree canopy by species and age can help build resilience against the budworm outbreaks and restore areas that are vital to species threatened by warming waters, like native cold-water trout.
“This ongoing partnership with the U.S. Forest Service Ottawa National Forest is truly making a difference in helping foster resilient lands and providing cover for habitats that benefit from natural shading,” Kantola said via a statement.
The project protects water quality by using natural vegetation to improve stream bank stabilization. Last year, 51,000 trees were planted across 170 acres in the East Branch Ontonagon River and Upper Sturgeon River watersheds in the Ottawa National Forest.
Through a partnership with the Ottawa National Forest, TNC has identified, prioritized and implemented the underplanting of a mix of white pine, red pine, white spruce, tamarack, hemlock and cedar tree seedlings. Staff identify and flag areas to plant trees a season in advance.
