MI DNR Partnership
A DNR partnership agreement was developed with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources-Grayling Forest Management Unit, Huron Pines RC&D Area Council, and the Au Sable River Property Association’s Cedars for the Au Sable (CFAS) project to use an “adopt-a-bank-segment” approach to restore Northern White Cedars to ecologically appropriate sections of the South Branch of the Au Sable River located within boundaries of the Mason Tract and the upper Manistee River in the Deward area.
Volunteer river conservation groups were assigned a segment of the river by MDNR Forest Management. The volunteer group plants and protects a minimum of 50 Northern White Cedar seedlings each year for five years in their assigned segment. MDNR determines the exact planting location of each seedling. Huron Pines RC&D maintains a schedule of required planting, maintenance and monitoring. CFAS provides the cedar seedlings and all necessary wooden stakes and fencing materials as well as additional volunteers.
Mason Tract Northern White Cedar Reforestation Project
Site plantings were completed on the south branch of the Au Sable River in the years 2004 – 2008. Ten different groups participated over the 5 year period completing 21 separate plantings. An estimated 265 volunteers did the work in 1500 – 2000 hours. During the plant phase, 751 seedlings were planted, plus 200 replants. Twenty seedlings were removed and not replaced. This would leave about 730 growing seedlings now with only live seedlings in enclosures.
The following river conservation groups have been participating sponsors during the planting years within the Mason Tract: Anglers of the Au Sable, the Headwaters Chapter (Gaylord) together with the Mason-Griffith Founders Chapter (Grayling), The Sierra Club, the William B. Mershon (Saginaw) of Trout Unlimited, Paul H. Young Chapter (Detroit) of Trout Unlimited, The North Branch Boys of Toledo, Ohio, and the Michigan Fly Fishing Club.
Click here for Mason Tract News Releases and Planting Reports, 2005 to Present
Upper Manistee River Northern White Cedar Restoration Project
The Upper Manistee River Northern White Cedar Restoration Project completed its fifth year in the Deward area in 2015. One additional planting year is planned for 2016.
Site plantings were completed on the upper Manistee River in the years of 2011- 2015. To date, five different planting groups participated in planting a total of 708 cedar seedlings and 120 replants.
The following river conservation groups have been participating sponsors during the last five years: Mason-Griffith Founders Chapter TU (Grayling), Anglers of the Au Sable, Headwaters Chapter of TU (Gaylord), Sierra Club of Michigan, and Huron Pines RC&D.
Click here for Manistee Planting Reports, 2011 to Present
Lots of Trees…for Lots of Years! September 2015
An update on the Mason-Griffith Founders Chapter of Trout Unlimited and their partnership with CFAS