ISHPEMING, Mich. – With a spotlight on pine martens and fishers, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Through Forestry Series forums return to the River Rock Lanes and Banquet Center in Ishpeming.
The free event open to the public will be from 6 to 9 p.m. EDT, Sept. 26 at the center, which is located at 1011 North Road in Ishpeming.
Featured speakers will include Jeff Bowman, a PhD researcher for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, wildlife biology Professor Jonathan Pauli of the University of Wisconsin, Madison and Cody Norton, Michigan DNR large carnivore and furbearer specialist.
“This will be another outstanding forum in our popular ongoing series,” said John Pepin, DNR deputy public information officer in Marquette. “These sessions link wildlife topics to the numerous ways habitat for birds and animals may be developed and enhanced for a range of species on private lands.”
Purpose
Since 2017, the forums have been presented by the DNR with funding from a Natural Resources Conservation Service grant.
Each of these sessions has included a presentation on an interesting and important wildlife-related topic, with additional information provided to private landowners on the value of a Forest Stewardship Plan.
Resource professionals will be on hand to discuss the development, preparation and implementation of Forest Stewardship Plans.
Speakers
Bowman is one of only a few researchers to have intensively studied fishers in Ontario. His research has resulted in over 200 wildlife-related publications. Bowman has studied those factors that affect mammal populations and connectivity.
Pauli has extensively studied pine marten ecology and population dynamics. He has been actively involved in the reintroduction of pine martens to northern Wisconsin. He has specialized in the response of mammal populations and communities to human disturbance as it relates to the development of conservation strategies.
Norton, as a furbearer specialist with the DNR, he participates in ongoing research that includes pine martens and fishers. He regularly communicates and cooperates with Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula tribal biologists managing pine marten populations.
Forestry resources
More than 150 professional foresters and 20 wildlife biologists develop Forest Stewardship Plans for forest landowners in Michigan. For information about these plans or the Commercial Forest Program, contact Jason Caron, DNR forester, 906-235-4361.
Many county conservation districts in Michigan have foresters on staff available for a free site visit to private landowner properties. They can discuss landowner wildlife habitat and forestry goals and help decide if there are financial assistance programs that can provide cost sharing for resource management plan preparation and implementation.
In Marquette County, contact district forester Sara Kelso at the Marquette County Conservation District at 906-226-8871.
