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http://beta.aalf.org/wiki/index.php?title=NinaMorman433&action=history Revision history for this page on the wiki en MediaWiki 1.13.3 Sun, 01 Nov 2026 06:21:08 GMT http://beta.aalf.org/wiki/index.php?title=NinaMorman433&diff=8199&oldid=prev <p>New page: One would think significant differences separate conservationists, those interested in the protection of natural resources and those who since the beginning of time have converted forests ...</p> <p><b>New page</b></p><div>One would think significant differences separate conservationists, those interested in the protection of natural resources and those who since the beginning of time have converted forests and savannahs alike into productive farms. In Michigan's [http://www.labadiegm.com/ buick saginaw], however, farmers, urban volunteers, and conservationists represented by the U.S. Fish &amp; Wildlife Service have joined together to protect and restore wetlands and native grasslands, creating an important refuge for nearly three hundred species of wildlife, many of which appear on Michigan's endangered species lists. In addition, ten thousand acres of former swamp became rich farmland of unparalleled productivity devoted to many crops including corn, soybeans and sugarbeets and by 1935 had become the largest single farm east of the Mississippi River.<br /> <br /> It wasn't always that way. There was a time, 130 years ago, when the Saginaw Valley swamps bore the stigma of a wasteland. The idea of turning the muck that made up the low-lying marshland seven miles south of a Michigan lumber town, into productive farms seemed outlandish to all except one man. He was Harlan P. Smith, a visionary attorney.<br /> <br /> It was hardly an idea that captured much interest because in the 1880s land was cheap. The U.S. government had a keen interest in populating lands secured by the 1819 Treaty of Saginaw when one-third of the state's Lower Peninsula passed forever from the hands of the Chippewa to the federal government. Unoccupied land tended to attract heads of governments. The U.S. had experienced French, English and Spanish flags flying over its Michigan Territory and wanted no more of the costly wars required to thwart the ambitions of European expansionists. To encourage settlement, the federal government handed out 160-acre land grants to veterans of the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the war with Mexico. The Land Act of 1820 allowed others to buy eighty acres from the government for $1.25 an acre, meaning that for $100 (about $1,500 in this era) a family could own an 80-acre farm on high ground.<br /> <br /> Harlan P. Smith understood the descriptive, swamp, was owed to the wet and forbidding nature of the 28-square mile marsh, not only was erroneous but derogatory as well. Spring thaws overflowed the marshes to depths as great as fifteen feet and left behind mud and debris that discouraged farming. From spring until autumn, a coiling miasma of mosquitoes lifted from the foliage to mount relentless attacks on those who dared to intrude upon their domain. Those who stepped boldly out of doors usually developed a form of malaria labeled &quot;ague&quot; which was marked by alternating periods of fever, chills, and sweating. The vicious marauders had caused the abandonment of a military fort at Saginaw in 1823 only one year after its construction, whereupon its commander, Major Daniel Baker, declared in his final report, &quot;Only Indians, muskrats, and bullfrogs can live on the Saginaw River.&quot;<br /> <br /> The vast marsh lies south and west of the city of Saginaw, one hundred miles north of Detroit. It is an aftermath of a glacial lake formed during an ice age that ended 10,000 years ago. The glacier left behind a flat terrain situated a few feet above the nearby lake levels, a haven for wildlife and migratory birds: bald eagles, shore and wading birds, song birds, waterfowl, and - people. Navigable by canoes, Native Americans enjoyed game, fish, wild fruits and nuts and wild rice. Sugar-maple trees provided a supply of sweets and corn grew in abundance along the bottom lands. In addition to food, the marsh provided materials for habitation, canoes, weapons, and utensils. There was little to want for the Native Americans who lived among the prairie grasses for nearly five thousand years, according to some estimates, before European settlement.<br /> <br /> U.S. Recognizes Need for Fish and Wildlife Protection<br /> <br /> Today, under the protection of the U.S. Department of Interior's Fish and Wildlife Service since 1953, 9,620 acres or about one-half of the swamp that early settlers avoided is under the care of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Its legal designation is the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) and is home to deer, beaver, muskrats, turtles, rattlesnakes and flocks of Canadian Geese, often numbering 25,000, many of which remain year around.<br /> <br /> According to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Conservation Planning, the Refuge's major habitat types include nearly 3,800 acres of wetlands, 3,500 acres of forests, 1,200 acres set aside for agriculture, and more than 500 acres set aside for grasslands. The Division of Conservation Planning relates: &quot;This diversity of habitats supports an abundance of plant, mammal, reptile, amphibian, and fish species. The Refuge is home to a variety of species that are federally listed or state-listed as threatened or endangered. These species include the Eastern fox snake, the short-eared owl, the Peregrine falcon and the least bittern. Fish found in Refuge waters or expected to inhabit refuge waters include the lake sturgeon, state-listed as a threatened species in Michigan, and the river darter, a state-listed endangered species.&quot;<br /> <br /> The Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge is a busy place year around. It is under the care of Steve Kahl, Refuge Manager and Assistant Manager Ed De Vries. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports that &quot;It provides food, nesting and roosting areas for more than 40 species of shore and wading birds. Average peak numbers range from 1,800 to 2,000 for shorebirds and from 400 to 500 for wading birds. Portions of the waterfowl flights from both the Mississippi and Atlantic flyways use the area each spring and fall. Peak waterfowl numbers on the Refuge exceed 40,000 to 50,000 ducks, 20,000 to 30,000 geese, and 700 to 1,200 swans. The American black duck and Canada geese are common on the Refuge in the fall, winter and early spring.&quot;<br /> <br /> An important adjunct to Shiawassee is the Green Point Environmental Learning Center, a 76-acre tract within the city limits of Saginaw. Green Point, managed by Rebecca Goche, teems with wildlife observed by visitors who stroll along well-maintained trails. Friendly U.S. Wildlife Service Park Rangers, one of whom is Tom Horb, a retired school principal, guide groups, large and small, along rustic trails where they point out animals, birds, types of foliage, and conservation methods, all subjects of keen interest to eco-aware visitors. Tom spent ten years as a volunteer before accepting a full time position in 2007, thus knows all 76 acres as well as most of us know our backyards. He is on hand many summer weekends to give tours, hand out fishing rods, and answer questions all to the purpose of introducing visitors to the pleasures of the forest.</div> Sat, 18 Feb 2012 01:29:33 GMT NinaMorman433 http://beta.aalf.org/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:NinaMorman433