Sportsmens groups pitching in to improve local WMA

LAKE VERMILION— As many as 50 volunteers are expected to arrive on here on Saturday as part of an effort to improve wildlife habitat and public access to a little-known wildlife management area on Pine Island, near Canfield Portage Bay. Members of Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters, and Mark Kenyon of MeatEaters Working for Wildlife, will join forces with staff from the Tower area DNR wildlife office for an intensive one-day effort to improve habitat on the site, replace or update signage, and install an informational kiosk on invasive species.
A former private landowner donated the 42-acre parcel years ago in order to help preserve the boreal forest habitat found there, which includes a white cedar grove, which provides excellent winter cover for white-tailed deer. The WMA is located on a narrow isthmus of Pine Island that allows for access from either the north or south side of the WMA. The tract is located adjacent to hundreds of additional acres of county, state, and federal land, open to hunting and foraging.
The WMA project is part of the DNR’s Adopt-a-WMA program and reflects a multi-year commitment by Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters. This year’s work project is being funded by onX Hunt, an online application used extensively by hunters.
“We’re looking to do a whole host of things,” said Jessica Holmes, area wildlife manager for the DNR. “We’re going to be doing a lot of tree planting of long-lived species. We’ll be planting white spruce for its boreal characteristics as well as red oak for climate resiliency.”
The volunteers will also work to clear a series of hunter walking trails and will enhance the access points to make it easier for users to reach the WMA. “Right now, it doesn’t get a lot of use,” said Holmes.
“This project aims to improve an existing ecosystem without dramatically changing users’ impact on the landscape,” states the website of Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters. “One of the first things we’ll be doing on the site is thinning undergrowth, or ‘daylighting.’ This practice is vitally important, especially in areas that haven’t experienced burns in a long time, because it promotes the regeneration of the native coniferous species. Thankfully, Dutchman Tree Services out of Ely is working with us to accomplish this goal, as they are a conservation-minded business that does exemplary work.”
It won’t, however, be all work and no play. The groups are hosting an after-party at Grand Ely Lodge in Ely, from 5-9 p.m. There will be live music from Van and the Free Candies, remarks from Mark Kenyon from MeatEater and Ben Brettingen from onX Hunt, an onsite raffle, door prizes, silent auction items, yard games, food options, drinks, and more.