Restoring Critical Deer Habitat in the Upper Peninsula
For nearly a decade, we have partnered with the Sustainable Resources Institute and Safari Club International to bring together landowners, foresters, and wildlife professionals to improve habitat conditions and landscape connectivity for game, non-game, and sensitive species.
The overarching mission is to support a healthy, stable whitetail deer population while bolstering the local economy and enhancing habitat for a variety of wildlife species.
Our work has included developing winter shelter through conifer planting, and conducting small-scale deciduous mast plantings, forestry mulching, conifer release treatments, and mechanical and chemical site preparation to manage invasive species.
We have also conducted direct restoration work and engaged landowners in sustainable forest management practices such as promoting timber harvests, developing forest management plans, and building connections to consulting foresters.
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To make all this happen, we utilized funding from Safari Club International and grants from the Michigan DNR Wildlife Habitat Grant program, which focuses on the enhancement of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula Deer Wintering Complexes. These projects span over 500 acres across the UP — maintaining, repairing, rehabilitating, regenerating, and recovering critical deer habitat.
