Info Northeast
By Jerry Nunn

LOVELLS – It was no emergency when Scott Miller called the conservation organization Huron Pines to help plan food plots on his family’s forested property. For more than 10 years Miller has been studying how best to adapt his land for wildlife attraction.

Nonetheless, Huron Pines sent in their Conservation First Responders.

That crack team of 12 naturalists, biologists, wildlife managers and water resource experts remains on high alert, ready to respond to the call from perplexed property-owners looking for advice on everything from erosion control to attracting song birds.

All are volunteers. Their response is to meet with homeowners, discuss the problem and walk the land while offering professional advice on the best treatment for the condition in question. And while most are retired, some still hold down full time jobs, according to Chris Homeister, implementation coordinator for the First Responder program and an AmeriCorp volunteer with Huron Pines.

“We have a retired forester, a fisheries biologist, a soil scientist. We have people who retired from the DNR,  U.S. Fish and Wildlife. Most are from state or federal agencies. It’s kind of neat, actually,” Homeister said. “They can answer just about any question anyone has. And depending on what the homeowner’s needs are I can decide who it is we send in.”

In Miller’s case he was looking for advice, or confirmation really, on how best to grow legumes, native grasses and an assortment of trees on Crawford County’s acid, sandy soil.

The case called for the skills of First Responder Steve Rodock, soil scientist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Grayling.

Rodock’s recent visit to Miller’s 80-acre parcel of mixed forest and swamp was easier, but no less important, than any other call he receives.

“I do this because I enjoy it,” Rodock said, noting that as a volunteer he dedicates the time he wants, unhindered by the limits of a harried and busy work day. “I just like to see people enjoying their property. This is a chance to help people meet their objectives and learn how to make their property better.”

“So many times when I am working I don’t get the chance to talk to people while we are walking through the woods,” said Rodock, who uses his vacation time to assist others.

For Miller, Monday’s visit by a skilled professional was the confirmation he needed to proceed with a project aimed at attracting and producing larger deer. Better yet, Rodock’s explanation of native grasses – how the plants are best adapted to tolerate the area’s poor soil and short growing season – convinced Miller how best to deal with a problem area on his property.

“I’ve been at this for 10 or 11 years,” Miller said. “That’s one thing about it, it’s very costly. If you don’t do it right the first time, your just throwing your money away.”

That was Miller’s voice of experience talking there.

“What I am looking for right now is reinforcement of my ideas,” Miller said, noting deer, bear, bobcats and red fox are frequent visitors to his property. “I’ve read a lot of books; read too many books maybe. But I ain’t going to lie to you, I wasted a lot of time and money when I started this. I would definitely call these guys first if I was starting this today.”

With word of the Conservation First Responders spreading fast through the 11-county Huron Pines service area, most folks who call are at the beginning of one project or another. So far this year, the program’s first, they’ve numbered nearly 40.

“It’s not all about attracting deer,” Homeister said. “We’ve helped people plan shoreline green belts, we worked on erosion control along the AuSable River, we even had a call where people wanted a second opinion on the management plan for a 30- or 40-year-old tree farm.”

Homeister’s job is simplified by the wealth of local talent he has to draw on. That’s good given the state of Michigan’s economy, said Brad Jensen, director of Huron Pines.

“We complain about the lack of funding, but we are lucky. We’re rich in resources; we’re rich in talent in this area ,” Jensen said. Beyond personal knowledge, volunteers know the programs and other avenues of support available to landowners.

For folks like Scott Miller, a visit by a Conservation First Responder can be just what they are looking for, whether facing dire straits or not.

“My father bought this property and cabin in 1957,” said Miller, who fondly recalls the days of his childhood, when he headed for the woods to spend the entire day. “I think he paid something like $1,800 for 80 acres and a cabin. This is my piece of heaven right here; without this I’d be psycho.”

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