HABITAT IMPROVEMENT PROJECT
Dennis LaBare of Upper Tract is a retired environmental consultant and an activevolunteer with the Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS). In a number of states, LaBare hunts some 60 to 70 days a year for grouse and woodcocks over his three English setters; he currently has a project underway called the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge Woodcock Project, which should help out not only woodcock and grouse but also a number of other game and non-game species.

The working group for this project includes LaBare, retired biologists Walt Lesser and Joe Rieffenberger, Mark Banker, the Southern Appalachian regional biologist for the RGS, retired biologist Jim Rawson, now with the Canaan Valley Institute, refuge manager Stan Skutek, and biologist Ken Sturm, and Caleb Gould as a citizen member. So far, the group has raised about $25,000 from various sources, such as the DNR, RGS, National Wild Turkey Federation, West Virginia Trophy Hunters, individual donors, and matching funds from United States Fish and Wildlife Services (USFWS).

Among the accomplishments and goals to improve upland wildlife habitat in the Canaan Valley are the following:

• In 2004 and 2005, some 17 acres of aspen were cut on the valley floor, with an additional five acres being scheduled for cutting in 2006.

• Important riparian corridors restored by the refuge staff. Staff planted 1,000 spruce seedlings in 2005 with another 3,000 planned for 2006. Both grouse and woodcock thrive along streams.

• Tractor mowing to reduce Spiraea alba to increase roosting and singing grounds for woodcocks and additional grouse habitat as well. Ten acres were cut in 2004, 14.5 acres in 2005, and another 15 acres in 2006.

• Working with the DNR to conduct deer hunts at Timberline and on Canaan Valley State Park, as hardwood regeneration is in a very bad way in both places, LaBare said. Deer numbers are simply too high and the habitat is suffering. Nesting and rearing of game birds should improve if deer numbers can be decreased. Important hardwood species, such as aspen, maple, cherry and dogwood, are alarmingly rare.

• Addressing the alder/rare plant problem. Because of the issue of rare plants mixed in with the alder communities, project members have been creating some experimental alder plot cuts in the fall of 2005 to monitor throughout the 2006 growing season, and this has been done. This was implemented so as to avoid cutting alder with known rare plants mixed in with it. The outcome is of particular interest, as it will determine how much additional alder management can be accomplished. Cutting alder can increase bird habitat.

Finally, woodcock biologist Andy Weik visited the Canaan area during the first week of December to consult with other biologists. One of the focal points of Weik's report involves alder management and regeneration. Highpoints include the following:

• Select the drier stands (that is, soil not saturated) for clear-cutting during the dormant period.

• Manage alder on a 15- to 20-year cutting rotation.

• Horizontal stems indicate a stand should be cut.

• Maintain a diversity of age-classes in an area, which includes staggering cuts over a 15- to 20-year period.

• Isolated patches will be used by non-breeding woodcocks for feeding and resting (during summer and during migration); habitat value for resident breeding woodcocks is enhanced by being adjacent or in close proximity to nesting and brood-rearing habitat.

• In larger cuts, leave a few stems (particularly of other woody species such as ash or fir) to serve as perching sites for insect-hawking birds, such as some warblers and flycatchers.