Hiawatha Highlights

News Summer 2016 Spring and Early Summer Updates Welcome to our latest edition of Hiawatha Highlights, covering April, May, June and July. This is our busiest time of year, preparing for and hosting visitors, and setting up and implementing projects. As you thumb through our newsletter, I hope you’ll get a sense for the breadth of the work required to manage your public lands for multiple uses. As a manager, I am proud of the work we do each day, but as a citizen I never cease to be amazed and appreciative. I hope you’ll feel the same way... Cid H. Morgan Forest Supervisor Contents Waterworks  Waterworks 1 The Lake Michigan watershed recently benefited from the  Sustaining: 2-3 enthusiasm and energy of a four- GNA, Restoration, Wildfire person Superior Watershed  Delivering: 4-7 Partnership Great Lakes Conservation NCCC/YCC Crew, Kids Fishing Corps young adult crew. Hiawatha’s west zone Fisheries biologist Mark Day, Film Crew, Education Ammerman reports that the crew Outreach, Volunteers, Youth recently helped address fisheries Archaeology, Trails Analysis, habitat work in two creeks. Visitor Center Technology, Historic Structures Report, “They were an awesome crew who Michigan History Society loved to work!” said Ammerman.

 Parting Shots 8 The crew helped install “tree groups” in Big Murphy Creek and  Calendar repaired log bank cover structures on Carr Creek.

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Summer 2016 Sustain Our Nation’s Forests and Grasslands Good Neighbor Authority

On July 18, the U.S. Forest Service and Michigan range of benefits to all Americans,” said Hiawatha DNR announced that the two agencies are Supervisor Cid Morgan. She explained that in completing another step toward implementation of addition to the benefit of timber receipts and other the Good Neighbor Authority in the state. The payments to local communities, the National parties are signing three Supplemental Project Forests in Michigan protect cultural and Agreements for timber sale work on the Hiawatha, environmental resources; provide outstanding Huron-Manistee and Ottawa National Forests. natural settings and iconic facilities for recreation and tourism; offer employment opportunities; and The Good Neighbor Authority offers the opportunity protect special areas like wildernesses. to work across jurisdictional boundaries to sustainably manage forest lands by allowing state The Hiawatha National Forest SPA includes two resources to accomplish work planned on national sales including almost 500 acres of work in aspen, forest system lands. The projects will maintain and balsam fir, northern hardwoods, and red, white and create healthy forest conditions as called for in the jack pine forest types starting this year. Forest national forests’ land and resource management Service management objectives for these sales plans, while providing additional wood fiber to include thinning red pine plantations, improving Michigan’s vital forest products industry. A portion hardwood stands, and regenerating aspen and of the receipts from the timber sales will reimburse jackpine as wildlife habitat. the state for its costs to do the work, with remaining DNR Director Moritz echoed the sentiment that the funds available to conduct additional restoration project outlined in the SPAs will continue the activities on the forest. On-the-ground work is ongoing positive collaborative relationship between expected to occur in 2016 and 2017. state and federal land management agencies. A separate SPA is being signed for each National “We very much appreciate the willingness of our Forest by its respective Forest Supervisor -- Cid federal partners to undertake this pilot program in Morgan for the Hiawatha, Linda Jackson for the Michigan,” he said. “This program is a tribute to the Ottawa, and Leslie Auriemmo for the Huron- leadership of the U.S. Forest Service to improve the Manistee – and DNR Director Bill Moritz. effectiveness and efficiency of forest management.” The Good Neighbor Authority provides another Each National collaborative tool to assist the Forest Service in Forest’s SPA achieving the forest management outcomes is described in the forests’ 2006 Land and Resource supplemental Management Plans. Managing over 3 million acres to the state- in the Michigan provides ample opportunity for the wide GNA Forest Service to partner with the DNR and other Master land management agencies in a variety of ways, Agreement such as trails, fisheries, law enforcement and more. signed in “The US Forest Service has a legacy of managing October USFS forester determines sale volume National Forest lands in a way that provides a wide 2015. on East Zone. Hiawatha National Forest - Your Great Lakes National Forest Hiawatha Highlights P a g e 3 Summer 2016 Sustain Our Nation’s Forests and Grasslands Restoration and Prescribed Fire

This spring and summer, there have techniques including aerial ignition to been 26 wildfires on the Hiawatha reduce our impact in these sensitive National Forest, burning about 135 areas.” acres. Of those, the two largest were both lightning caused and were The Landscape Treatment Designer is located on the East Zone. The Wilwin a spatial prioritization and Fire, detected June 29, was located in optimization software program that a remote wetland area near Trout allows planners to quickly model and Lake. It burned about 65 acres before test different land management it was fully contained. The Pine strategies in terms of management Plantation Fire, detected July 13, was priorities, tolerance of fire risk or loss, located in a red pine plantation implementation time frames and southwest of Raco. The fire burned budget constraints. about 56 acres before firefighters Fire personnel have worked For several years, Hiawatha’s fire were able to stop the fire’s advance. personnel have been leading the Rx (above) and Wild (below) A portion of the North Country Trail Forest toward an integrated fires on the Hiawatha this and Soldiers Lake Campground were approach to fuel treatment using the year. temporarily closed. The Forest Service Landscape Treatment Designer appreciates the fire personnel from program. Simultaneously, the forest USFS, Michigan DNR, USFWS, NPS and BIA, who have assisted so far has been making strides to increase this season. its prescribed fire program The lessons learned on the Wilwin fire have proved invaluable. This substantially to achieve three primary natural ignition that burned in a dune and swale landscape has goals: validated current efforts to plan and implement restoration Reduce hazardous fuels (e.g. in our treatments in that same type of fire-dependent ecosystem. In the jackpine stands); next few years, working with the Michigan Department of Natural Enhance habitat (e.g. Kirtland’s Resources, the Hiawatha is planning large landscape scale projects warbler); and intended to address the three primary factors of the National Implement “the cohesive strategy” Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy. Ultimately, the Forest’s fire “With the reintroduction of fire to broad areas, these projects will management team would like to restore and maintain resilient landscapes regardless of agency work toward a “landscape scale” boundaries; create fire adapted communities that can than approach to planning so that the withstand an unplanned ignition; and build strong relationships that Forest Service is working in unison will foster future efficiencies in wildland fire response,” said Eric with other land management Rebitzke, Assistant Fire Management Officer for Hiawatha and organizations and adjacent private Ottawa National Forests. “We intend to use existing natural and landowners to implement fire manmade barriers as control features, and to employ various firing management on “all lands.”

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Hiawatha National Forest continues to lead the way with equipment. Some saw wildlife for the first innovative, collaborative approaches to education outreach. time. These young people had the In July the Forest hosted a crew consisting of national YCC experience of a lifetime and forged youth and with Americorps NCCC leaders. During the group’s connections with outdoors public lands! 3-week stay, participants experienced a wide range of work and recreation time activities. The hard-working crew installed trail re-routes on Bruno’s Run Mountain Bike and Hiking Trail, removed Non-Native Invasive Species on Grand Island National Recreation Area, and marked timber sale boundaries. They also participated in a faux firefighting scenario. In their free time, crew members explored local National Forest and National Park sites. Stationed at the Hiawatha’s Clear Lake Education Center, they enjoyed quiet time outdoors using CLEC’s dock, canoes, kayaks and other

Action! Deliver Benefits to the Public: Connect People to the Outdoors US Forest Service Kids Fishing Day Events Washington Office and USDA Office of The Hiawatha and its community partners Communication visited the Forest’s NCCC/YCC sponsored two wildly successful Kids crew in late June to film Fishing Day events again this year, one at the crew at work. The Camp 7 Lake Campground (West Zone) and footage will be used as the other at Castle Rock (East Zone). Over part of a nationwide 400 youth plus their families attended the educational video to events. For its 25th Anniversary, the Camp explain the NCCC and 7 event was supported by 80 businesses YCC programs. and 65 volunteers. Similarly, the 20th Many of the crew annual event at Castle Rocks benefited members, leaders and from over 100 hours of volunteer time. We Forest Service liaisons would like to thank our partners for their were interviewed as part of the filming ongoing dedication to connecting youth to project.. the outdoors! We are already looking forward to next year!

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Summer 2016 Deliver Benefits to the Public: Connect People to the Outdoors Education Outreach

Every summer for many years, Youth participants in LOLSs Michigan State University Extension contributed toward has hosted a multiple-event “Life of restoration of the old field Lake Superior” (LOLS) program that site on Grand Island NRA by gives youth hands-on experiences planting hundreds of native related to Lake Superior including its pollinator-friendly plants.. natural, cultural and recreational features. Hiawatha National Forest recently hosted a LOLS program on Grand Island National Recreation Area. Here are some highlights of that day: including its formation during glaciation, native American Over 80 people participated in the settlements, trading post era, resort event, including thirty-five LOLS era, logging era, and the current public youth, young adults from land era. Participants also learned to AmeriCorps, YCC, Great Lakes flint knap, making their own Conservation Corps and Marquette arrowheads. Conservation District. Partners in the day’s events included Participants planted 3,330 native Superior Watershed Partnership, Grand nectar plants from Hiawatha National Island Association, Central Upper Forest seed. Nine hundred of these Peninsula Cooperative Weed plants were common milkweed for Management Area and Michigan State monarch butterflies. University Extension. Participants toured the Island on the Another LOLS event will occur at Little bus, learning the story of the island Bay de Noc Campground in August.

Join Us in Welcoming New Volunteer Caretakers at Point Iroquois Lighthouse Doug and Peggy Hoort are the new Point Iroquois Lighthouse volunteer caretakers. The caretaker appointment involves a two-year commitment to oversee operations at this beautiful structure on the Forest's Whitefish Bay Scenic Byway near Brimley, Michigan. Doug and Peg are both veterinarians who come to us from Lake Odessa, Michigan. As volunteer caretakers, the Hoorts will be responsible for many aspects of the Point Iroquois operation including year round maintenance of the site, daily operations of the museum and gift shop, building and grounds maintenance, and special projects. Tasks include everything from cleaning to mowing to snow blowing; from operating the gift shop to keeping records and greeting guests. Hiawatha National Forest - Your Great Lakes National Forest Hiawatha Highlights P a g e 6 Summer 2016 Deliver Benefits to the Public: Preservation 50 Youth Archaeology Workshop

In July the Forest hosted the 2016 Youth Archaeology Workshop heritage site for the National Register on Grand Island. Over the past 18 years, this remarkable program of Historic Places, respectively. has resulted in at least 3 youth eventually pursuing graduate Students also gained hands-on degrees and professional careers in archaeology! This year, 10 area experience with experimental youth ages 11 to 15 spent three days with Forest Service archaeology as they learned to make Archaeologist and Heritage Program Manager, Eric Drake, stone tools and cordage from natural conducting archaeological investigations on Grand Island National plant fibers found on the island. Eric Recreation Area. Students conducted Drake was assisted by the Hiawatha’s an archaeological survey on the island Interagency Education Specialist, and also excavated a 1,500- to 2,500- Melissa O’Donnell, as well as three year-old site that was being volunteers who participated in the threatened by erosion. The results of 2015 Grand Island/ Illinois State the work will assist the Forest in University Archaeological Field relocating a campsite and evaluating a School.

Visitor Center Pilots Deliver Benefits to the Public New Technology Trails Analysis Inspired to seek creative solutions to Who uses trails on the Hiawatha? All-Terrain Vehicle riders, single-track address increased motorcyclists, snowmobilers, mountain bikers, oversnow fat tire bikers, day tourist demand, the hikers, backpackers, canoeists, kayakers, cross-country skiers, snowshoers, dog Hiawatha’s Munising Visitor Center has sledders, equestrians — to name a few! Given the limited resources available installed outdoor for trails management, the Forest Service plans to begin a comprehensive information screens review of the existing trail system. While not a decision-making process, the and a stand-alone wifi part of the trails study process may include gathering a working group of user server that delivers group representatives who would develop mutually agreeable management digital information recommendations within sideboards set by the agency. The Forest Service directly to visitors’ hand could then use those recommendations to develop future proposals for -held devices. This year, the District is environmental analysis and public involvement in the National Environmental collaborating with CIO Policy Act process. to upgrade the product delivery platform.

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Summer 2016 Deliver Benefits to the Public: Preservation 50 Great Lighthouses: Historic Structures Report

We often refer to the Hiawatha as announce that in June a crew of “Your Great Lakes National Forest.” historic structures experts and The Forest’s proximity to three of the engineers made the difficult passage to Great Lakes affects the cultural and the little island in order to inventory natural heritage of our landscape. the maritime structure. Led by Lighthouses (6 of them!) are among Hiawatha heritage program manager the unique cultural resources found Eric Drake, the crew gathered data that on the Hiawatha. The preservation will be compiled into a Historic and interpretation of these signature Structures Report, which is a key tool historic structures is an important to assist the agency and partners component of the work we conduct involved in management and on the Forest, but the continual need grantwriting for restoration of the for maintenance is sometimes a structure. Often required for grant challenge. applications, Historic Structures Forest Service employees Reports are a standard way of and historic structures In search of new ways to address the documenting the story, condition and experts John Ferguson and need, this summer the Forest is future vision for a historic building. Joel Little arrive on Round taking steps to improve future Similar data gathering was also begun Island for Day 1 of Historic prospects for two of its lighthouses. for the Point Iroquois Light Station. Structures Report inventory. Situated on Round Island in the “Our iconic lighthouses represent the Straits of Mackinac in view of the maritime history of our area. We are Mackinac Bridge and along the ferry very excited that the completed route to Mackinac Island Historic reports will benefit these structures by Park, Round Island Lighthouse is helping us partner more successfully easily the most-viewed historic for their maintenanace,” said Forest structure on Hiawatha National Supervisor Cid Morgan. Forest. The Forest is thrilled to

Current and Retired Employees at Historical Society of Michigan Conference Retired Hiawatha National Forest archaeologist John Franzen and current heritage program manager Eric Drake each made presentations at the recent Historical Society of Michigan conference held in Munising, MI. Mr. Franzen delivered a keynote address entitled “A Grand Adventure: Grand Island National Recreation Area.” Mr. Drake provided a concurrent session entitled “Digging Through Time: The Grand Island Archaeological Project.”

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Date Event ______Parting Shot Aug Christmas Range Light Tours daily 10a.m. Aug Ranger Programs Monocle Lake and Kayak Safety Brevort Lake Campgrounds Social Media Aug 1-6 Passport in Time: Coalwood Project/ Campaign — In MTU Archaeological Field School response to Aug 3-4 Sandtown Native Plant Restoration increased Aug 5-9 Our Global Kids @ CLEC tourism, the Aug 10-11Kids in Woods: Little Bay de Noc USFS, NPS and Sep 3 HistoriCorps: Soldiers Lake Pavilion other Sep-Oct Friends Meeting (Date TBD) community (Call ahead; dates subject to change) partners are working to promote sea Questions? Look us up! kayaking safety www.fs.usda.gov/hiawatha in the Great Facebook: HiawathaNF Lakes. Twitter: HiawathaNF

Hiawatha National Forest 820 Rains Drive Gladstone, MI 49837