Wisconsin has an adopt a Fish and Wildlife Area program

[kabic]

http://dnr.wi.gov/volunteer/

Thought this may be of interest to some people here, that may be itching to get out and do some work, either because they dont have their own land or want to do some work on a different piece of property for a change of pace.

 

[wiscwhip]

;)

 

[Riggsgwp->]

Sounds like a good program but I'm guessing you wouldn't get much say on the habitat projects. DNR has different ideas then we do.

 

[SD51555]

Why mess with it? Buy a 1000 red osier dogwood and spruce plugs. Go out under the cover of darkness and plant 250/night. Like a rebel !

 

[dipper]

Would be a great place for a habitat enthusiast to let off some energy if he didn't own land. I've got plenty on my plate. I've been recruited by the dnr to fight invasive species. There's one forestry tech my entire county that fights invasive species, so you can assume how that battle is going.
Riggs you'd be surprised how knowledgeable dnr staff is. Many times they aren't managing specific pieces of public property for what we value, like deer. Almost all the land the dnr owns in my area is actually managed as a fishery, because of the value in trout streams and wetlands that feed the streams.
A lot of people don't understand the dnrs management goals for specific properties, and write the dnr off because it's not managed for deer.

 

[wooduck]

Would be a great place for a habitat enthusiast to let off some energy if he didn't own land. I've got plenty on my plate. I've been recruited by the dnr to fight invasive species. There's one forestry tech my entire county that fights invasive species, so you can assume how that battle is going.
Riggs you'd be surprised how knowledgeable dnr staff is. Many times they aren't managing specific pieces of public property for what we value, like deer. Almost all the land the dnr owns in my area is actually managed as a fishery, because of the value in trout streams and wetlands that feed the streams.
A lot of people don't understand the dnrs management goals for specific properties, and write the dnr off because it's not managed for deer.

So what your saying is the DNR is probably managing habitat for all natural resources and species for many diverse groups of users not just deer? Just maybe some bigger picture things going on than meets the eye

 

[sandbur]

Would be a great place for a habitat enthusiast to let off some energy if he didn't own land. I've got plenty on my plate. I've been recruited by the dnr to fight invasive species. There's one forestry tech my entire county that fights invasive species, so you can assume how that battle is going.
Riggs you'd be surprised how knowledgeable dnr staff is. Many times they aren't managing specific pieces of public property for what we value, like deer. Almost all the land the dnr owns in my area is actually managed as a fishery, because of the value in trout streams and wetlands that feed the streams.
A lot of people don't understand the dnrs management goals for specific properties, and write the dnr off because it's not managed for deer.

Not managing for deer is very true from what I see in our area.

Most area sportsmen's groups are not in a cooperative mood in central Mn after what we see with the Mille Lacs and deer situations.

But this thread is about Wis.

 

[wiscwhip]

This "program" is nothing really new, it is just that now the DNR has a "name" for it and "advertises" it on their website. It has been going on for years, but in the past you basically had to inquire with DNR personnel to find out about the programs. I have helped on some small projects like this in County Forests and at one State Park removing invasives in the past. I have also helped the USFWS remove beaver dams on drainage ditches in a National Wildlife Refuge on multiple occasions. The WI DNR manages the habitat type, they do NOT manage a species, EVER, unless it is very specific habitat for a specific endangered plant or animal. I have had this made clear to me on many occasions when I asked DNR personnel about it in the past. I asked about releasing some wild crabapple trees that we had found while removing AO one time and the DNR guys looked at me like I was from another planet. I really never figured out why, because it isn't like deer would have been the only beneficiaries of releasing those apples. For all anyone knew they weren't even "deer-sized" apples because the trees were so covered up in brush and canopy, they had no fruit?!?:confused: If you read the management plans for almost all of the State Natural Areas that they want help on, they only really need help removing invasives, as the actual management "plan" is stated as "Natural processes will determine the structure of the forest." Meaning they aren't doing anything to the habitat other than letting it progress through natural succession. Occasionally they need help clearing firebreaks and maintaining gates and other such things, but that is really the extent of any type of "habitat manipulation" that they will do. The other big thing is they need people to count animals, birds, and plants for them, and many of the volunteer programs are specifically set up to fill this need. Trust me, you won't be doing any hinge cutting, mast plantings, or food plots, the best you could hope for is to be doing some plantings for soil stabilization or maybe some thermal cover conifer plantings, but they are the rare exception, certainly not the rule.