Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Creating habitat W.H.I.P. development

Well, as noted in a previous post I did reach out to the new NRCS agent. Before doing so, though, my contractor had already done so as part of another project he was working on. He assured me that albeit being a very young guy, he was personable and knows his stuff. This is a summary of the NRCS posture on ponds in my area: If it is anything to do with a wetland, they are very interested in engineering and cost-share...if it is a pond, they will help with basic preliminary engineering, but that's about it. Their limited time and resources must remain focused on the better ROI eco-projects. All that being said, tho, he followed up by saying that they appreciate my plan to use the entire parcel to create an eco-friendly nature preserve and arranged a meeting on the property with a state wildlife biologist. The 3 of us walked the property yesterday and discussed any/all options available. I will try to condense everything that Bob the wildlife biologist shared, as follows.

We are working with a mostly heavily wooded habitat...comparatively, this is not attractive to wildlife. It is the short brush, weeds, bushes and grasses that create the best environment. We have a 2 ac corner that is meadow; this lifted their eyebrows and a plan for cost shared native grasses was hatched. Then the pond. He likes the water feature for the overall environment, but it is critical to have shallows that create wetlands, noting that a pond with edges that drop off deep are not eco-friendly. He also said that I will need shallow areas for BG spawn anyway (I already learned this from you PB guys and it is planned). He was very impressed to know that I planned wasting soil from the pond bottom around the perimeter to create a "shelf" that will allow walking and driving access. This shelf should also receive native grasses on a cost share program. He pointed out that a 20-30' wide buffer of native grasses will create far more bio-diversity than the remaining 36 acres of timber. He wants me to find areas along the perimeter with smaller timber that can be sacrificed and cleared back to create little pockets to extend the native grasses into. Even one pocket is a huge improvement. My NRCS agent chimed in by suggesting we continue the native grasses in the 3/4 ac area where we will waste soil behind the dam. I believe he indicated including the actual dam mass....? We then walked into the woods and shifted to timber improvement. From an eco-attitude, less trees and more ground cover. To be practical, we should select areas to remove 75% of the trees and plant ground cover. I have an area of about 1 ac that collects and holds about 6 ac of run-off that is adjacent to the pondsite. It is seasonally wet. It runs away from the pond...my plan is to cut thru a berm and channel it into the pond and drain the area. Based on recommendation, we will remove a bunch of the silver maples growing in this area, "daylight it", and plant deciduous bushes and shrubs to create another eco-zone that is directly adjacent to the pondsite. I hope to include this in the cost-share program.
The government program being utilized is called "wildlife habitat incentive program...W.H.I.P." Basically, they will provide the names of recommended groups to provide products and services. I call, arrange, and manage the project. The govt covers 75% of the cost. The state guy was so interested in making it happen that he mentioned that the state would throw in some additional $ help to the extent that it may cost me very little to execute. They indicated that my contract with the govt would be 5 years.
I am pumped on this one! I told them that I wanted to incorporate this entire project with the pond construction this summer. They are on-board. Bob the bio. thinks that the entire package is a super eco-improvement and should yield excellent wildlife diversity.

Great post Brettski!

"WHIP" is an excellent Program that should meet or possibly exceed your environmental goals and objectives. Hopefully you will receive all the technical and engineering assistance required to fullfill your dream.

Additional Federal Programs include EQIP - (Environmental Quality Incentive Program) and WRP - (Wetland Reserve Program).

Additionally--------- Remember patience and persistence are key to persuing Government (American taxpayers) cost share dollars.

Good Luck,

Ed

Brettski, that is wonderful news. It seems that you are getting some good advise. The advise you are getting is pretty standard and I think should be explained a bit more.

There really isn't such a thing as "wildlife". There are just plants and animals. All of these plants and animals live and are competitive in different environmental conditions. In a changing environment, there are always winners and loosers. In our modern world, the winners are the generalist that live in edge habitat. The loosers are the specialist that live in large, pure habitats of some type.

In general, there are two huge loosers in this country. One is the plants and animals that live in thick, mature forests. The other is the plants and animals that live in large prairie areas. The plants and animals that need these two types of habitat are in a huge decline.

The whole country is becoming edge habitat. Your plan will certainly increase the numbers of these types of species. I'm not saying this is bad. It's a lot like putting a dam over a creek. The winners are the species that live in a lake. The loosers are the species that needed the stream to live in. Lake species are very common while species that need streams to live in are in decline.

I hope this explains the concept of "wildlife habitat" a bit more.

Norm,
Thank you for the input.
When we entered the property, the state biologist and I spent about 10 minutes discussing what I have and what I wanted to do. In a nutshell, I told him I wanted to turn the 44 ac I own into an eco-friendly nature preserve that would attract and support as much wildlife and bio-diversity as possible. Naturally, they would have rather seen a wetland instead of a pond, but conceded that having a pond was by no means a negative in the big picture. We did not, however, have any areas developed specifically with prairie grasses. In fact, the entire region is fertile farmground. What isn't farmed is either timber or the small towns that dot the area. We have one of those timber patches. I presume his advice was based on my own little eco-project melded in with the needs of the entire region. He kept coming back, as you noted, to the "edge habitat" that we so sorely lacked. He also was very interested in some area of the pond being preserved as a shallow wetland. We had plans of doing this anyway. I was somewhat surprised by his inference that the heavy timber was not such a huge provider of this diversity that we seek. He shared a story: similar region, he visited a proud new owner of about 100 acres of thick, mature hardwood timber that wanted the same as us...wildlife and bio-diversity. He said he had a hard time telling him that the first step is to cut down a bunch of his prizes to allow the daylighting necessary to grow weeds, grasses, bushes, and shrubs...didn't go over well.
We truly hope this comes together for a second very good reason. I may not only have someone else plant these areas, but it might get paid for with tax dollars...and only a 5 year commitment. Lastly, this is exactly the "look" we wanted for this property. It matches my vision of the final product very well.

W.H.I.P. update....
My wildlife habitat improvements are a combination of 5 - 7 different areas (depending on how you hook 'em up). They are all fairly small by themselves, but in combo will meet the required $1000 min of cost share value under WHIP. The problem: a large portion of it will be in the pond construction site...and this won't be done until later this fall. My NRCS agent strongly recommends that I wait until all the dirt is moved and we have a very clear picture of the improvements required, particularly the specific amount. As Norm and Ed will likely attest, when you make the deal to plant the acreage, you have to plant the acreage.
And, if you come up short...you come up short. There is not enough work available to split it up and do 1/2 & 1/2 at $1000 per. So, he sent me back directly to the State biologist to see if they would take it over. I went directly to the bio. at the DNR. Yep, they will handle it piece-meal. He worked up a proposal for the parts that are ready now. I looked it over. It's kinda slight on the cost share and it is a 10 year commitment. I talked it over a little with my NRCS agent and his original wisdom has become my posture: I am gonna wait until next spring to do the entire package with the NRCS sponsered WHIP program. I feel it will be a better economical choice and only a 5 year commitment. As much as I want to get a full year of growth on the sections that are ready now, I gotta chill and do the right thing to yield the best ROI.
Note to Norm, Ed, or any other savvy wildlife development gurus: I have a 1.75 ac meadow that is enclosed on 3 sides with trees, the 4th is open to the many ac of farm field that surround our timber. I plan on planting a conifer shelterbelt to enclose this 4th side. Within the remaining meadow, we want to go with various native grasses and wildflowers (the DNR showed this as Forbs, right?) We are bird lovers; this is what I noted to the DNR when they responded with this blend. Any other ideas?

Brettski,

Your ideas sound good to me! I am a big fan of conifers for various reasons, wherever I can get them established. Take for instance today! - stop drifting snow, wildlife and livestock protection, improved moisture conservation and aesthetics to name a few.

Your ideas for native grasses and forbs (flowering plants other than weeds and grasses) are good. Remember, if you plant forbs with your native grasses you will be very limited with your chemical weed control efforts.

Good luck,

Ed

Brettski, I have some experience with prairie plants. Unfortunately, I think you will be fighting a loosing battle. The trees will invade this small prairie very quickly. You will have to mow this prairie every year and burning will also help. Still, the trees will shade much of this prairie and prairie plants do very poorly with shade.

Bruce Condello, can you add some of your experiences with your CRP bottom land? This grassland was completely overtaken by trees.

Bring up these concerns to your local biologist and ask their advice. I love prairies. After you have visited with your local biologist, post their thoughts and I can add some ideas for you to consider.

--------------------
Norm Kopecky

Ed,
Yeah, I haven't got a single conifer in the entire 44 ac; it's mostly hickory, maple, cherry, and walnut. Man, I love them pine trees. I really wanted to plug in Easter White Pine (listed as a top-shelf player in my region and soil), but both the NRCS and State bio. waved me off unless I install appropriate deer forage protection (nope, too much work & too many trees). Instead, they recommend Norway Spruce. I'm not crazy about this option because they look so droopy when they really mature, but I s'pose I shouldn't be concerned....by the time that happens I will likely be their fertilizer. Regarding chem. weed control, I anticipate that when all this stuff really takes root and grows, it's gonna be 2 - 3 years and weeds will be part of the show anyway. There will be an initial Round-up before planting, but I foresee only random cuttings thereafter once or twice a year.
Norm,
When we discussed maint, the bio. did make a special point to me that I have responsibility to keep the tree-lines at bay. He said that there would be random cuttings that should take care of that when done at the perimeter. I will admit that this advice was given when the only plantings were WWNG...not the flowers. I suppose mowings of flowers may be their annual death blow...?
Thanks to both you and all my new PB comrades for the support and help. This, like the fish thing, is a level that I never thought I would aspire to in my life...and luvin' it.