Wildlife Habitat Enhancement Projects Planned for Hambden Orchard Wildlife Area
“Over the years, this area has become less conducive for wildlife.” – ODNR Wildlife Management Supervisor Scott Peters.
Woodland habitat at Hambden Orchard Wildlife Area in Hambden Township will be enhanced to attract a wider diversity of wildlife species, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
Hambden Orchard is an 842-acre property owned and managed by the ODNR Division of Wildlife. The management practices will create early-successional habitat, which is important for many species of wildlife.
“Over the years, this area has become less conducive for wildlife,” said Wildlife Management Supervisor Scott Peters. “In general, most wildlife species thrive with access to a diversity of habitat types. From deer to songbirds, many wild animals require an early-successional habitat component for protective cover, for rearing young, and access to food resources.”
Two habitat projects the ODNR Division of Wildlife will complete at Hambden Orchard during the next six months include a 10-acre clear-cut as well as a 46-acre crop tree release.
A properly conducted clear-cut is a forestry practice in which most or all trees are uniformly cut down, according to ODNR. Clear-cutting is used by foresters to create certain types of forest ecosystems and to promote select species that require an abundance of sunlight or grow in large, even-age stands.
Crop tree release is a method of thinning that is suited to large and small woodland parcels. This method involves selecting the most desirable trees on a property to keep as crop trees — trees that produce sustenance for wildlife — and then removing less desirable trees that directly compete with crop trees for light, water and nutrients.
The 10-acre clear-cut will remove primarily red maple and aspen trees, both of which have relatively little wildlife value except in the early forest stage.
The 46-acre crop tree release is designed to release hickory, black cherry and oak trees that provide valuable mast crop for wildlife.
The primary tree species removed in this larger timber harvest is red maple and white ash. Unfortunately, all the ash trees are either dead or dying because of an outbreak of emerald ash borer, a tree-killing insect from Asia.
The National Wild Turkey Federation is also cost-sharing with the ODNR Division of Wildlife on an additional project to enhance wildlife habitat at Hambden Orchard.
The ODNR Division of Wildlife plans to release some of the apple trees remaining in the original orchards on this area to increase soft mast production.
“The ODNR Division of Wildlife does not manage forests or farm fields for a profit. Our mission in simplest terms revolves around providing the public opportunities to enjoy Ohio’s wildlife,” Peters said. “We are a unique agency in government because we are almost exclusively funded by the sale of hunting and fishing licenses.
“Additionally, excise taxes on hunting and fishing gear help to fund projects that ultimately enhance wildlife-related recreation in our state.”
