Creating a Vision for SEAS Properties

Abstract

The University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) currently owns 1,761 acres across six properties in Southeastern Michigan, including Saginaw Forest, Stinchfield Woods, Newcomb Tract, St. Pierre Wetland, Harper Preserve, and Ringwood Forest. These natural areas accompany various satellite properties owned or managed by other University departments, existing as part of a broad patchwork of preserved property across the state of Michigan. The diverse array of habitats across the sites and vast networks of local and regional stakeholders present a unique opportunity to reexamine the goals and management plans for these properties, and to further demonstrate the University’s commitment to land preservation, sustainable stewardship, and carbon neutrality. With these goals in mind, our team utilized several interdisciplinary research methods during the course of this project, largely consisting of carbon sequestration and storage analyses, remote sensing and GIS, and social research considerations. Over the past year, these approaches were used to arrive at holistic, concrete recommendations for both current and future property uses and considerations, which will lay the groundwork for forthcoming SEAS masters projects at each specific property. Our results point towards a wealth of new management and utilization objectives, including carbon neutrality and pricing, stewardship program initiatives, joint management models with land conservancies, and expanded opportunities for engagement with U-M faculty and students, local and regional institutions and organizations, and the general public.