Red-Tail Land Conservancy Inc

THE PROJECT WILL ENHANCE APPROXIMATELY 13 ACRES OF MATURE FLOODPLAIN FOREST ALONG THE WHITE RIVER IN MADISON COUNTY THROUGH INVASIVE SPECIES CONTROL ON PERMANENTLY PROTECTED LAND OWNED BY RED-TAIL LAND CONSERVANCY AS PART OF THE HIDDEN CANAL PRESERVE. THE PROPERTY BORDERS THE WHITE RIVER NEAR THE CITY OF ANDERSON, INDIANA AND IS DIRECTLY ACROSS THE RIVER FROM MOUNDS STATE PARK, A 290-ACRE PROPERTY OWNED BY THE INDIANA DNR, WHICH FEATURES UNIQUE NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES, INCLUDING FEN HABITATS AND PRE-HISTORIC MOUND STRUCTURES. THE 51-ACRE HIDDEN CANAL PRESERVE PROPERTY ALSO FEATURES A FORMER CANAL STRUCTURE USED FOR HYDROELECTRIC GENERATION PURPOSES, AND INCLUDES BOTH MATURE AND REGENERATING FLOODPLAIN FOREST, STEEP WOODED SLOPES, AND OLD AGRICULTURAL FIELDS REVERTING TO WOODY VEGETATION.TOGETHER WITH MOUNDS STATE PARK AND THE NEARBY RANGELINE NATURE PRESERVE, THESE PROPERTIES FROM AN IMPORTANT FORESTED CORRIDOR ALONG THE WHITE RIVER IN A MOSTLY AGRICULTURAL AND URBAN SUBURBAN LANDSCAPE, AND THUS PROVIDE AN IMPORTANT HABITAT CORRIDOR FOR MIGRATORY BIRDS AND OTHER WILDLIFE. THE WHITE RIVER IN THIS REACH ALSO HAS A HIGHLY PRODUCTIVE AQUATIC COMMUNITY, AS EVIDENCED BY AN INDEX OF BIOTIC INTEGRITY (IBI) SCORE OF 56 AT THE LOCATION OF MOUNDS STATE PARK. IN ADDITION, THE PARK BOASTS THE HIGHEST FLORISTIC QUALITY INDEX (FQI) OF ANY PROTECTED PROPERTY IN THE EAST-CENTRAL INDIANA AREA, WITH AN FQI OF 96.2 AND 478 NATIVE PLANT SPECIES. A KEY GOAL OF MANAGING THE HIDDEN CANAL PRESERVE SITE IS TO REDUCE THE IMPACT OF NON-NATIVE, INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES AT THAT SITE, THE MOST DAMAGING OF WHICH ECOLOGICALLY INCLUDE AMUR HONEYSUCKLE, AUTUMN OLIVE AND CALLERY PEAR. IMPROVING THE STRUCTURE AND COMPOSITION OF THE FLOODPLAIN FOREST BY REDUCING WOODY INVASIVE DOMINANCE IN THE UNDERSTORY WILL BENEFIT A VARIETY OF MIGRATORY BIRD SPECIES, INCLUDING WOOD THRUSH, ACADIAN FLYCATCHER, KENTUCKY WARBLER, INDIGO BUNTING, BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO AND WILD TURKEY. THE AMUR HONEYSUCKLE HAS BECOME THICK ENOUGH TO BLOCK SUNLIGHT FROM REACHING THE FOREST FLOOR AND INHIBITING THE NATIVE HERBACEOUS PLANT COMMUNITY. BENEFITS TO THESE BIRD SPECIES INCLUDE ENHANCED NESTING AND FORAGING HABITAT THROUGH IMPROVED HERBACEOUS AND SHRUB SAPLING DIVERSITY. THIS RESTORATION PROJECT WILL HELP DEPLETE THE INVASIVE SPECIES SEED SOURCE AND CURB THE SPREAD OF INVASIVE SPECIES TO THE ADJACENT PERMANENTLY PROTECTED LANDS, INCLUDING MOUNDS STATE PARK. THE WHITE RIVER CORRIDOR ALSO PROVIDES IMPORTANT HABITAT TO MULTIPLE THREATENED AND ENDANGERED SPECIES. MAINTAINING A HEALTHY FOREST ECOSYSTEM WOULD BENEFIT THE NORTHERN LONG-EARED BAT AND INDIANA BAT, WHICH UTILIZE FORESTED FLOODPLAIN CORRIDORS FOR MIGRATION AS WELL AS ROOSTING AND FORAGING HABITAT. THE SERVICE WILL COORDINATE WITH THE LANDOWNER, PROJECT PARTNERS AND THE CONTRACTOR, AND WILL PROVIDE COST-SHARE FUNDING TO RED-TAIL LAND CONSERVANCY IN SUPPORT OF THE RESTORATION WORK. THE PFW COST SHARE WILL BE UTILIZED BY RTC TOWARD HIRING AN ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION CONTRACTOR FOR FECON AND HAND CUTTING WORK DURING THE LATE FALL WINTER AND FOLLOW-UP HERBICIDE APPLICATION TO CONTROL THE NON-NATIVE INVASIVE SPECIES. CUT-STUMP HERBICIDE TREATMENT WILL TAKE PLACE DURING THE WINTER MONTHS AND THE FOLIAR HERBICIDE APPLICATION WILL BE COMPLETED DURING THE GROWING SEASON. RED-TAIL LAND CONSERVANCY WILL ALSO PROVIDE FUNDING TO THE CONTRACTOR FOR THE INVASIVE SPECIES CONTROL ACTIVITIES.