Grants Enhance Habitat Management Capabilities For Ruffed Grouse Society In Midwest
Grant money will purchase heavy equipment for habitat management.
Michigan and Wisconsin – -(AmmoLand.com)- The Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS) recently received three grants totaling $182,000 to purchase heavy equipment for managing habitat in the Midwest. RGS will purchase two ASV/Terex PT-100 Forestry loaders with mulching heads with grants of from the R.K. Mellon Foundation, from the Frey Foundation of Grand Rapids, MI, and from the Charlevoix County Community Foundation located in East Jordan, MI.
The new pieces of equipment will service Michigan and Wisconsin as well as surrounding states. The versatile equipment will allow the RGS to help public and private partners aggressively manage neglected aspen, alder and brush habitats for ruffed grouse, woodcock and many other species. The RGS and its partners have been operating similar equipment in the Northeast for several years with excellent results.
The equipment program has allowed RGS and its partners to manage high quality habitats that typically are neglected because of the lack of proper equipment. Woodcock in particular have benefitted because large areas of old fields, prime woodcock habitat, that are typically left to convert to forests are now maintained as shrublands.
“We are extremely grateful to our funding partners who have allowed us to grow this program”, stated RGS Executive Director and CEO Mike Zagata. “These machines will help us manage critical habitat on public and private lands in two crucial states”.
“These pieces of equipment are important tools to help the Ruffed Grouse Society target habitat improvements for woodcock in habitat, like alder, that is not being managed by commercial harvests,” adds Gary Zimmer, RGS Senior Biologist in the Western Great Lakes Region. “With this equipment the RGS will be one of the primary implementers of the Upper Great Lakes Woodcock and Young Forest Habitat Initiative.”
About:
Established in 1961, the Ruffed Grouse Society is the one international wildlife conservation organization dedicated to promoting conditions suitable for ruffed grouse, American woodcock and related wildlife to sustain our sport hunting tradition and outdoor heritage.
Information on the RGS, its mission, management projects and membership can be found on the web at: www.ruffedgrousesociety.org.