2009 Mason Tract Annual Report

Mason Tract Northern White Cedar Reforestation Project

Annual Report – 2009

Site plantings were competed in the years 2004 – 2008. Ten different groups participated with the planting over the 5 years. We completed 21 separate plantings. An estimated 265 volunteered did the work; with an estimated 1500 – 2000 man hours. During the plant phase, 751 seedlings were planted, plus 200 replants. Twenty seedlings were removed and not replanted. This would leave about 730 growing seedlings now, with only live seedlings in exclosures.

This year marks the beginning of the second phase of the Mason Tract Northern White-cedar Reforestation Project. Now, the planting sponsors begin the exclosure maintenance, monitoring protocol, and larger exclosure installation.

Exclosure maintenance includes the removal of weeds and grass within the exclosure and the immediate surrounding area. Also, any damaged exclosure is repaired or replaced. Any dead seedling is replaced or the exclosure is removed. The monitoring protocol includes recording the height of the seedling and its condition on the Monitoring Protocol Form (see attached). Small metal tags are secured to each exclosure indicating the seedling identification number. A replacement exclosure, a larger 6-ft black PVC coated exclosure, is installed if the enclosed seedling is greater than 3.5 feet tall.

Anglers of the Au Sable completed their annual project on September 12, 2009. The Mason-Griffiths Founders Chapter of Trout Unlimited and the Headwater Chapter of Trout Unlimited completed their project on September 19, 2009. Each planting sponsor performed maintenance work and monitoring protocol in their assigned segment. Additional planting partners will begin the maintenance phase next year.

The Sierra Club planted and protected 10 new seedlings at the “Hanger” site. Two additional cedars were protected in 6-ft exclosures at Daisy Bend, bringing the total to three. The idea of creating individual GPS coordinates for each seedling is being considered.

The planting partners were presented with plaques from Huron Pines RC&D, DNR, and “Cedars for the Au Sable” to pay tribute to their commitment to the project for the past five years