UMBS Stewardship Plan & Policy Recommendations

Abstract

The University of Michigan Biological Station (UMBS) expressed a need for a stewardship plan to ensure consistent, long-term stewardship of its 10,000 acres of diverse lands and waters and to ultimately advance research, education, outreach, and preservation. In response, we developed this report, which provides a set of recommended strategies, policies, and tools for UMBS to consider in future efforts to steward the property. Importantly, these findings are not meant to be comprehensive or prescriptive; rather, they serve as a set of guidelines on how land and water stewardship values could be embodied at UMBS. We believe our work will aid in the development of such plans as it compiles supporting information and recommendations across a broad range of stewardship responsibilities and considerations. Our documentation and guidelines are organized under the following categories: 1) Public Outreach & Communication, 2) Property Acquisition and Maintenance, 3) Public Use, 4) Timber Harvesting, 5) Existing and Emerging Ecological Threats, and 6) Preservation of Habitats and Species of Concern. Though these categories vary widely, and each consist of a diverse set of related recommendations, they are all aimed at supporting one or more of the UMBS Core Values: Research, Education, Outreach, and Preservation. These four values are central to how we conceptualized stewardship at UMBS and how we approached the development of these recommendations and tools. See Table 1 for detailed descriptions of each value. Public Outreach and Communication strategies are needed to facilitate public use consistent with UMBS principles, as well as to ensure the continued value of UMBS by strengthening the University’s relationship with the local community. The guidelines in this report are primarily aimed at improving outreach and education and include recommendations related to informative and rule communication signage, K-12 educational opportunities, and survey design. Property Acquisition and Maintenance are vital for increasing opportunities for research and education as well as preserving and restoring UMBS lands and waters for public, student, and researcher use. Information provided is geared at documenting existing processes for UMBS property acquisition and property maintenance to strengthen all aspects of UMBS stewardship. Further, we recommended and constructed a maintenance schedule. The schedule provides a matrix for staff to list key items and tasks on a monthly, annual, and 2-5 year basis; instructions for carrying out the tasks; their priority level, anticipated costs, materials, and staffing requirements; and planned dates and location(s). Public Use, engagement with public users, and promoting sustainable use can better assure that the natural features of UMBS are preserved for scientific discovery, enhance safety, increase capacity for data collection, and build relationships and respect for UMBS. This section lists a set of recommendations for managing land uses and access for the public, specifically for hunting and trapping and Off-Road Vehicle (ORV) use. For hunting and trapping, we offer a set of recommendations aimed at improving rules and regulations for preserving UMBS habitats, ameliorating the communication of rules and regulations along with best practices, optimizing wildlife management and administrative actions, and building relationships with local hunters and trappers. For ORV use, we recommend a series of best management practices associated with ORVs, aimed at protecting sensitive ecosystems and species. Timber Harvesting optimization is key for minimizing adverse ecological and social impacts from timber sales. We offer recommendations for administrative, technical, and safety measures for these sales. Moreover, we developed a case study on the timber sale that occurred on Pellston Hill in 2019. This case study is then used to inform a general SOP for UMBS staff to ensure efficient, consistent, and high-quality timber sale operations on the property. Existing and Emerging Ecological Threats will be of increasing concern under future climate change scenarios, and any land management plan must explicitly address strategies to adapt to these dynamic realities. This section contains a set of best practices and recommendations for responding to some specific, common ecological threats, which include Wooly Hemlock Adelgid, Beech Bark Disease, Oak Wilt Disease, Zebra Mussels, and Emerald Ash Borer.

Preservation of Habitats and Species of Concern is vital for maintaining the intrinsic ecological value of biodiversity at UMBS, as well as assuring research and educational opportunities for generations to come. This section includes recommendations for establishing management zones based on ecosystem sensitivity and preservation value that are to be managed accordingly for use by UMBS and/or the public. This section also contains recommendations more narrowly focused on preserving threatened and endangered species, namely Michigan Monkey-Flower and Hungerford’s Crawling Water Beetle. Due to limited existing knowledge of the distribution and sensitivities of UMBS populations, preservation efforts should be experimental and conducted alongside life history research projects.