Grants: Wildlife Stewardship

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Birding Platforms

November 1997

This funding was provided to improve birding facilities in the watershed. Two new platforms were to be constructed and the existing platform at Nayanquing Point was to be improved. The improvements at Nayanquing Point were completed in 1998. The new platforms were to be located at the Crow Island State Game Area and in Tobico Marsh at the Bay City State Recreation Area. The Tobico Marsh platform is discussed below. The Birding Task Group encountered difficulties at Crow Island because of concerns raised by the Saginaw County Road Commission and by Consumers Energy Corporation due to road and utility right of ways. The Task Group received permission to use the $6,000 provided for the Crow Island platform for a platform at the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge. That platform was completed in the Winter of 1998.

Nayanquing Point East Marsh Enhancement Phase 3

This project was the third and final phase of a plan to enhance the Nayanquing Point Wildlife Area’s (near Linwood) 298-acre East Marsh for wildlife habitat and public use. The phase 3 program involved the installation of screw down flap gates on the two existing 36” tubes through the dike at the East Marsh. The addition of these gates allows water levels to fluctuate naturally with the level of Saginaw Bay, while at the same time allows for the containment of water in the unit during low water, or expected low water conditions.

Highway Borrow Pit Restoration and Enhancement Demonstration

Abandoned highway borrow pits are common throughout the region. Most fall into public ownership and are only marginally suitable for public recreation purposes or wildlife habitat. The Cody-Estey Road pit in Bay County has been selected as a pilot borrow pit restoration site. This demonstration showed how borrow pit areas can be metamorphosed into productive habitat areas for fish and wildlife as well as be aesthetically pleasing areas for public recreation. This project established a gated parking area, completed brush clearing, excavated shallow water areas, established an access drive, and re-vegetated the grassland and provide shrub plantings. A sign that describes the demonstration and recognizes sponsors was erected at the site.

Conservation District Challenge Grants for Wildlife

The objective of this project was to provide “cost-share” dollars to conservation district offices in the Saginaw Bay Watershed for the purchase of “plotmaster” field equipment. The plotmaster is a self-contained implement that allows for the tillage of small tracts of land that ordinary tillage equipment is too large for. The plotmaster equipment also incorporates a seeding device that allows the simultaneous planting of suitable habitat type flora. This grant paid for 65% of the cost for the equipment, and interested conservation districts will paid for 35%. This project is designed to improve habitat in areas that were previously inaccessible, including riparian areas in woodland settings, and along drains that cannot be accessed by other means.

Fish Point Interpretive Trail

This project built upon previous WIN-supported projects at the Fish Point State Game Area including a wildlife/waterfowl observation tower and a wetland restoration project. This proposal supported the re-establishment of an existing, but unimproved, trail that provides educational opportunities about the resources available in the State Game Area, as well as highlights the sustainable concepts that the conservation of these areas promote. Fundamental to the trail improvements was the development of an information kiosk and signage placement along the trail network, along with improvement to the trail bed itself.