Good stuff Brettski. Scrubland and shallow water are some of the best wildlife habitat, even if they are some of the least valuable land for the owner.
One thing I didn't see mentioned was about the *quality* of individual trees in the forest. Mature and semi-mature forest can be excellent wildlife habitat depending on what types of trees and shrubs are there. Too many forest stands are "sterile" due to having too few wildlife friendly trees. Mast producing trees and trees that are food sources are highly valuable for wildlife. We are talking Oaks, beech, walnut, dogwoods (berries), hickory, etc. and especially native fruits such as Pawpaw, persimmon, blackberry, black cherry, etc. Alot of small trees and shrubs like Devil's Walking Stick, hazelnut, hawthorne, etc have high wildlife value for their fruit or berries ... but they have to have some sunlight to thrive and will die or not fruit under the canopy of mature forest. Pines are considered by some to be a component of sterile woods, but they do have value as windbreak/shelter in increment weather and animals do eat the pine nuts. By having a wide variety of species & sizes interspersed with some scrub/shrubs you can provide food for most or all year on a rotating basis.
You might consider "releasing" some of the high value trees you find (such as oaks) by removing competing trees directly around them.
Den trees (trees with holes or cavities in them), snags (trees or stumps with broken branches still connected), fallen logs, and rock piles are also very valuable for wildlife. This is probably another discussion ... but I'm a proponent of native only. If I find any invasive or non-native species their dead. Awesome and very interesting project you have there at Liberty.
Eric
