Save The Dunes Conservation Fund Inc

THIS PROJECT SUPPORTS THE GREAT LAKES RESTORATION INITIATIVE AND THE GREAT LAKES WATER QUALITY AGREEMENT, PURSUANT TO PUBLIC LAW 11210. THE SAVE THE

P19AC00414, INDU, SAVE THE DUNES CONSERVATION FUND, GREAT LAKES RESTORATION INITIATIVE - IMPROVING LANDSCAPE CONNECTIVITY FOR POLLINATORS IN OAK SAVANNAH ECOSYSTEMS - INDU, FY19, $143,399.75

THIS PROJECT SUPPORTS THE GREAT LAKES RESTORATION INITIATIVE AND THE GREAT LAKES WATER QUALITY AGREEMENT PURSUANT TO PUBLIC LAW 111-88. SPECIFICALL

NATIVE POLLINATORS ARE IMPORTANT COMPONENTS OF ECOSYSTEMS AND PROVIDE ECONOMICALLY IMPORTANT ECOSYSTEM SERVICES. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS GREAT LAKES RESTORATION INITIATIVE (GLRI) FUNDED PROJECT IS FOR INDIANA DUNES NATIONAL PARK (INDU) TO WORK WITH MULTIPLE PARTNERS TO INCREASE RESILIENCY OF NATIVE POLLINATORS BY INCREASING CONNECTIVITY OF POLLINATOR HABITAT ACROSS THE INDIANA DUNES LANDSCAPE.INDU AND PROJECT PARTNERS SAVE THE DUNES CONSERVATION FUND (SDCF) SHIRLEY HEINZE LAND TRUST (SHLT) AND THE NORTHERN INDIANA PUBLIC SERVICES COMPANY (NIPSCO) WILL IMPROVE POLLINATOR HABITAT ACROSS 115 ACRES WITHIN THE LAKE MICHIGAN WATERSHED. THE PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT IS TO CONNECT HIGH QUALITY NATURAL AREAS BY IMPROVING MARGINAL LANDS THAT CAN SERVE AS CORRIDORS FOR POLLINATORS. THIS WILL BE ACHIEVED THROUGH INVASIVE SPECIES MANAGEMENT ALONG WITH TURF TO PRAIRIE CONVERSIONS AND NATIVE SPECIES PLANTING AND SEEDING. SEED MIXES AND NATIVE PLANT MATERIALS WILL BE OF LOCAL GENOTYPE AND FAVOR A FULL RANGE OF FLOWERING TIMES IN ORDER TO PROVIDE FLORAL RESOURCES FOR POLLINATORS FROM EARLY SPRING THROUGH LATE FALL. PROJECT PARTNERS WILL ALSO PROMOTE COMMUNITY GARDENS AND BACKYARD POLLINATOR HABITATS WITHIN THE COMMUNITIES SURROUNDING THE INDIANA DUNES NATIONAL PARK TO FURTHER ENHANCE THE CONNECTIVE CORRIDORS AVAILABLE TO POLLINATORS IN THIS REGION. FREE RESOURCES WILL BE DISTRIBUTED TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT NATIVE POLLINATOR SPECIES AND THE NATIVE PLANTS THAT SUPPORT THEIR LIFE CYCLES.

THIS PROJECT WILL RESTORE 12.7 ACRES OF HIGH-QUALITY FEN WETLAND AND ASSOCIATED PLANT COMMUNITIES AT THE 38-ACRE TRAIL CREEK FEN NATURE PRESERVE IN LAPORTE COUNTY, IN. TRAIL CREEK FEN IS A RAISED GRAMINOID FEN THAT SUPPORTS OVER 200 SPECIES OF NATIVE PLANTS THAT IS OWNED AND MANAGED BY SAVE THE DUNES CONSERVATION FUND. TRAIL CREEK FEN EXISTS WITHIN THE CHICAGO LAKE PLAIN SUBREGION OF THE NORTHWEST MORAINAL NATURAL REGION IN THE LITTLE CALUMET-GALIEN WATERSHED.THE SCOPE OF WORK FOR THIS HABITAT RESTORATION PROJECT INCLUDES TREATMENT OF THE FOLLOWING NON-NATIVE INVASIVE SPECIES THAT COMPETE WITH THE FENS NATIVE SPECIES COMMON REED (PHRAGMITES AUSTRALIS), HYBRID CATTAIL (TYPHA X GLAUCA), REED CANARY GRASS (PHALARIS ARUNDINACEA), AND PURPLE LOOSESTRIFE (LYTHRUM SALICARIA) DURING 2024 WITH A FOLLOW-UP TREATMENT IN 2025.TWO PREVIOUS FLORISTIC QUALITY ASSESSMENTS PERFORMED IN 2009 AND IN 1978 (UPDATED IN 1982) RECORDED NATIVE FLORISTIC QUALITY INDEX (FQI) SCORES OF 65.2 AND 75.9 RESPECTIVELY. THE PREVALENCE OF NON-NATIVE INVASIVE SPECIES HAS LED TO A DIMINISHED NATURAL PLANT COMMUNITY WITHIN THE STATE SIGNIFICANT WETLAND FEN. THE PROJECT SITE HAS NUMEROUS RECORDS OF STATE-LISTED SPECIES INCLUDING STATE SPECIES OF SPECIAL CONCERN STAR-NOSED MOLE (CONDYLURA CRISTATA) AND EASTERN BOX TURTLE (TERRAPENE CAROLINA CAROLINA), STATE THREATENED BRANCHED BUR REED (SPARGANIUM ANDROCLADUM) AND AWNED OVAL SEDGE (CAREX STRAMINEA), STATE ENDANGERED SPOTTED TURTLE (CLEMMYS GUTTATA).THE GOAL OF THIS HABITAT PROJECT IS TO ERADICATE NON-NATIVE INVASIVE PLANTS WITHIN THE WETLAND AREAS AND PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE NATIVE PLANT COMMUNITIES TO FLOURISH. HERBICIDE APPLICATIONS ON NON-NATIVE INVASIVE SPECIES WILL BE CONDUCTED IN A TARGETED AND SELECTIVE MANNER BY A PROFESSIONAL HABITAT RESTORATION CONTRACTOR ON 8.6 ACRES WHERE HIGH QUALITY NATIVE SPECIES ARE ALSO PRESENT. THE CONTRACTOR MAY OPT FOR A BROADCAST BLANKET TREATMENT APPROACH ON 4.1 ACRES OF INVASIVE TARGET SPECIES MONOCULTURE STANDS AS MAPPED. THE HABITAT RESTORATION ACTIVITIES WILL FAVOR THE DIVERSE REMNANT PLANT COMMUNITY SUPPORTING NUMEROUS WETLAND-DWELLING MIGRATORY BIRD SPECIES INCLUDING A VARIETY OF WRENS, SPARROWS, WARBLERS, AND FLYCATCHER SPECIES IN ADDITION TO POLLINATORS, INSECTS, REPTILES, AND AMPHIBIANS. THE PARTNERS BIOLOGIST WILL COORDINATE WITH THE LANDOWNER TO DEVELOP A RESTORATION WORK PLAN, CONDUCT AN ON-SITE INVESTIGATION PRIOR TO RESTORATION ACTIVITIES, PROVIDE PROJECT OVERSIGHT, AND PERFORM A POST-RESTORATION SITE INSPECTION TO VERIFY COMPLETION OF THE HABITAT RESTORATION WORK. THE PARTNERS FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE PROGRAM WILL PROVIDE 12,299.33 COST-SHARE TOWARDS THE WETLAND HERBACEOUS WEED TREATMENT OF NON-NATIVE INVASIVE SPECIES DURING THE 2024 GROWING SEASON. THE LANDOWNER WILL PROVIDE 7,700.67 FOR THE REMAINING BALANCE OF THE TREATMENT IN 2024, AND 2,000.00 FOR THE FOLLOW-UP TREATMENT IN 2025. TOTAL CASH MATCH IS VALUED AT 9,700.67.

THIS PROJECT WILL RESTORE 42.9 ACRES OF REMNANT FORESTED HIGH DUNES AND OAK SAVANNA AT THE STOCKWELL WOODS NATUREPRESERVE PROPERTY LOCATED IN LAPORTE COUNTY, IN. ENCROACHMENT BY AGGRESSIVE NON NATIVE INVASIVE WOODY SPECIES,INCLUDING BUSH HONEYSUCKLE (LONICERA SPP), TREE OF HEAVEN (AILANTHUS ALTISSIMA), AUTUMN OLIVE (ELAEAGNUSUMBELLATA), ORIENTAL BITTERSWEET (CELASTRUS ORBICULATUS), MULTIFLORA ROSE (ROSA MULTIFLORA), JAPANESE BARBERRY(BERBERIS THUNBERGII), WINGED BURNING BUSH (EUONYMUS ALATUS), AND BUCKTHORN (RHAMNUS ATHARTICA) HAVE DEGRADED THEPROPERTY OWNED BY THE SAVE THE DUNES CONSERVATION FUND. IN ADDITION TO THE INVASIVE SPECIES MANAGEMENT, TREETHINNING IS NEEDED TO HELP RESTORE AND MAINTAIN THE OAK SAVANNA COMMUNITY AND STRUCTURE THAT HAS BECOMEOVERCROWDED WITH WOODY SPECIES FROM YEARS OF FIRE SUPPRESSION. THE TREE THINNING EFFORTS WILL TARGET A 5 ACREAREA OF OAK SAVANNA.SEVERAL STATE VULNERABLE, RARE, OR THREATENED SPECIES HAVE BEEN RECORDED AT STOCKWELL WOODS INCLUDING JACK PINE(PINUS BANKSIANA), EASTERN WHITE PINE (PINUS STROBUS), COMMON JUNIPER (JUNIPERIS COMMUNIS), SPOTTED WINTERGREEN(CHIMAPHILA MACULATA) AND SAND HEATHER (HUDSONIA TOMENTOSA). A PREVIOUSLY CONDUCTED FLORISTIC QUALITY ASSESSMENT PERFORMED ON THE PROPERTY RECORDED A NATIVE FLORISTIC QUALITY INDEX (FQI) OF 48.6 COMPRISED OF 87 NATIVE SPECIES.THE GOAL OF THIS HABITAT PROJECT IS TO ERADICATE NON NATIVE INVASIVE PLANTS, IMPROVE SAVANNA STRUCTURE, ANDPROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE NATIVE PLANT COMMUNITIES, ESPECIALLY THE HERBACEOUS LAYER, TO FLOURISH. HERBICIDEAPPLICATIONS ON NON NATIVE WOODY SPECIES VIA CHEMICAL AND MECHANICAL TREATMENTS WILL FAVOR THE DIVERSE REMNANTPLANT COMMUNITY SUPPORTING NUMEROUS MIGRATORY BIRD SPECIES INCLUDING A VARIETY OF WOODPECKERS, WARBLERS,FLYCATCHERS, AND VIREOS. APART FROM THE BENEFITS TO MIGRATORY BIRDS, THE CANOPY OPENING, AND INVASIVE SPECIESCONTROL WILL ALSO BENEFIT POLLINATOR SPECIES INCLUDING THE KARNER BLUE AND MONARCH BUTTERFLY BY ENHANCING FLORALRESOURCES. THE ORGANIZATION S LONG TERM GOAL IS FOR THE STOCKWELL WOODS PROPERTY TO BECOME A DEDICATED STATENATURE PRESERVE.THE PARTNERS BIOLOGIST WILL COORDINATE WITH THE LANDOWNER TO DEVELOP A RESTORATION WORK PLAN, CONDUCT AN ON SITEINVESTIGATION PRIOR TO RESTORATION ACTIVITIES, PROVIDE PROJECT OVERSIGHT, AND PERFORM A POST RESTORATION SITEINSPECTION TO VERIFY COMPLETION OF THE HABITAT RESTORATION WORK. THE PARTNERS FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE PROGRAM WILLPROVIDE 10,585.00 COST SHARE TOWARDS THE TREE THINNING DURING THE WINTER OF 2022 2023 AND THE INVASIVE SPECIESCONTROL IN SUMMER FALL OF 2023. THE LANDOWNER WILL PROVIDE 3,948.00 CASH MATCH TOWARDS THE INVASIVE SPECIESCONTROL IN 2024 AND CONTINUE RESTORATION EFFORTS BEYOND THE SCOPE OF THIS AGREEMENT TO IMPROVE THE WILDLIFE HABITAT VALUE OF THE PROPERTY.

LITTLE CALUMET RIVER RESTORATION AND RECREATION- INDU