Monitoring Balance in Working Landscapes

Abstract

The Little Traverse Conservancy’s overarching mission aims at protecting the natural diversity and beauty of northern Michigan by preserving significant land and scenic areas, while fostering appreciation and understanding of the environment. For that purpose, understanding the ecological conditions of their land is fundamental and especially critical for their Working Forest Reserve Program, which seeks to balance the management of an active timber harvest between three primary objectives: sustainable commercial timber production, improving forest health, and increasing wildlife habitat. In support of this mission and objectives, the following document contains a forest condition monitoring protocol crafted for the Little Traverse Conservancy (LTC) by the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability graduate capstone project. It focuses on the practical and implementable aspects of LTC’s citizen science-based monitoring program as it applies to their Working Forest Reserve Program. While using citizen science as a primary strategy this document details: 1) monitoring protocols for the ecological and biological metrics of protected properties pre- and post- timber harvest; 2) instructions for LTC staff to train volunteers (presentation and step-by-step instructions of how to run the training workshop); 3) volunteers’ field instructions guide and data collection form; 4) assessment and evaluation of management activities; and 5) adapting management recommendations.