High quality natural areas like this one in Hamburg Township may become part of a state wide network of Biodiversity Stewardship Areas.
High quality natural areas like this one in Webster Township may become part of a state wide network of Biodiversity Stewardship Areas.

HRWC was thrilled to provide data from our Bioreserve Project to a MDNRE Subcommittee recommending high-quality native plant and animal communities for inclusion in a statewide network of Biodiversity Stewardship Areas (BSAs).  The goal of the network is to identify and manage natural areas that support intact functional examples of Michigan’s ecosystems and represent the wide range of the state’s native biodiversity.

The Bioreserve Project mapped the remaining natural areas in the Huron watershed and then ranked them based on 15 ecological criteria.  Over the past three years, we have been sending volunteers out in the field to enhance this data with more detailed on-the-ground information.  Many or our higher ranking bioreserve areas may now be included in the State’s Biodiversity Stewardship Area Network.

The BSA network is one of the DNRE’s primary strategies for conserving the native biodiversity of the State of Michigan. The portions of BSAs that occur on DNRE-administered land may be managed with an emphasis on biodiversity conservation. DNRE and HRWC will provide owners of non-DNRE lands within BSAs information on how they can conserve biodiversity.  Private land owners  will be under no obligation to change what they are doing with their lands.

You can also submit specific recommendations for natural areas you think should be part of the BSA network.

The Huron River's health depends on the continued existence of a network of ecologically functioning natural areas.