For the better part of a decade, Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters has worked diligently at the Minnesota State Capitol, Washington DC, and all over the country advocating for Boundary Waters protections, something we are enormously proud of. While this will remain one of the pillars we continue to operate under, we’ve decided that there is a significant enough need here in the Arrowhead Region of Minnesota to get involved with “boots on the ground” stewardship projects that help improve the region’s outdoor experiences.
This year, we’ve adopted the Pine Island Wildlife Management Area (WMA) on Lake Vermilion. This is the first project of Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters’ Stewardship and Habitat Initiative, a program that we are excited to implement in multiple spheres in and around the Boundary Waters with partnering agencies, conservation organizations, and outdoor industry leaders.
On Saturday, August 24th, the SFBW staff joined forces with Mark Kenyon of MeatEater’s Working for Wildlife Tour, the onX team, and the Tower Area DNR to work with volunteers and tackle a large chunk of the restoration work on Pine Island via one huge effort. The volunteer crew of more than 50 people carried out tasks ranging from tree planting to brushing, trail creation, and helping repair and replace the unit’s signs.
Why this project?
Pine Island WMA is just under 40 acres and sits within 1 mile of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, with several thousand acres of public land plots directly to its west. This region is heavily used by deer, grouse, waterfowl, black bears, and various non-game species that help make Northeast Minnesota the beautiful place it is.
As a part of the adoption, SFBW hopes to accomplish the following: Create access for a difficult-to-reach WMA, create and improve a series of Hunter Walking Trails, plant white spruce and red oak trees to improve White-Tailed Deer wintering habitat, clear canopy to allow for regenerating long lived conifer species to grow and thrive, replace and repair WMA signage at landing spots, install an informational Invasive Species Kiosk, install fishing line collection tubes, clear/brush/chainsaw the WMA boundary line, install boundary signs, and manage the upkeep of the WMA during the adoption.
This project aims to improve an existing ecosystem without dramatically changing users’ impact on the landscape. One of the first things done at Pine Island WMA was thinning undergrowth, or “daylighting.” This practice is vitally important, especially in areas that haven’t experienced burns in a long time, because it promotes the regeneration of the native coniferous species. Thankfully, Dutchman Tree Services out of Ely, MN, worked with us to accomplish this goal, as they are a conservation-minded business that does exemplary work.
With more light able to penetrate the canopy and reach the forest floor, we’re hoping to see native white pines flourish, as well as the trees we’ve planted for wintering habitat. This approach, combined with the planting of climate-resilient species such as red oak and the establishment of Hunter Walking Trails, will create an ecologically diverse ecosystem that will support wildlife and outdoor enthusiasts for generations to come.
Funding for the Pine Island WMA is provided by the onX Adventure Forever Grants program. onX believes that where there is access, stewardship is needed, and where there is stewardship, access is protected. After working with the staff at onX and going through the application process, it was apparent that the work we’re doing here in Northeast Minnesota fit onX’s mission perfectly, compelling them to fully fund this project! We couldn’t be more excited to be working with onX and continue to utilize their mapping resources on a daily basis.
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