Guide to Significant Wildlife Habitat - Door County Web Map
Guide to Significant Wildlife Habitat - Door County Web Map
Guide to Significant Wildlife Habitat - Door County Web Map
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• A conifer/birch woodland is located in the far southern tip of the site adjacent <strong>to</strong> Highway 57. The<br />
dominant trees include white cedar with scattered hemlock, white spruce, white birch, and white pine.<br />
The unders<strong>to</strong>ry is light and composed of scattered white cedar and balsam fir, and beaked hazelnut.<br />
Groundcover is also sparse and consists of Canada yew, thimbleberry, large leaved aster, wild<br />
sarsaparilla, and several weedy species including hawkweed and helleborine orchid (Epipactus<br />
helleborine).<br />
• Common birds surveyed at the site include Ovenbird, Red-eyed Vireo, Eastern Wood Pewee, Veery,<br />
Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus), and Great Crested Flycatcher. Black-throated Blue Warblers have<br />
been reported as nesting at this site.<br />
• Rare plants that occur in the Meridian Park area include State special concern long-spurred violet<br />
(Viola rostrata), and State and Federally threatened dune thistle (Cirsium pitcheri). Rare plants near<br />
Heins Creek include State special concern bog reed grass (Calamagrostis inexpansa); State<br />
threatened dune goldenrod (Solidago simplex var. gillmanii) and State threatened thickspike<br />
wheatgrass (Elymus lanceolatus var. psammophilus).<br />
CONSERVATION GOALS:<br />
• Create and maintain a contiguous and natural landscape between Peninsula State Park, Fish Creek,<br />
But<strong>to</strong>n Marsh Lowlands, Thorpe Pond and Hibbards Creek.<br />
• Maintain or enhance the ecological composition, structure and functions of the several core natural<br />
areas of the site, (e.g., the marsh and lowland conifer forest at the north end of Kangaroo Lake, Piel<br />
Creek fen, the open marl ponds south of Kangaroo Lake, and the forested sand dune south of the<br />
lake).<br />
• Maintain the existing forest of the site and reforest abandoned agricultural land adjacent <strong>to</strong> the<br />
existing forest <strong>to</strong> increase the overall size of the forest.<br />
• Moni<strong>to</strong>r and control, as necessary, exotic aggressive species, particularly Japanese knotweed,<br />
barberry and garlic mustard along the forested trails west and south of Kangaroo Lake.<br />
• Prevent impairment <strong>to</strong> water quality and flow regime of Piel Creek, especially the headwater fens.<br />
THREATS:<br />
• Four major roads intersect Hibbards Creek: <strong>County</strong> Hwy A, Junction, Honold, and Fairview. The<br />
roads threaten the natural corridor by impeding movement of native plants and animals and allow<br />
invasive exotic plants <strong>to</strong> gain access <strong>to</strong> interior portions of the area. During the winter months creek<br />
water quality is impacted by runoff from road salting operations. (Grimm 2001B).<br />
• The Town of Jacksonport owns and operates a sand quarry close <strong>to</strong> Hibbards Creek. Land has been<br />
cleared near the quarry, increasing habitat fragmentation of the stream corridor.<br />
• Quarrying is taking place in the southwest corner of the Thorp Pond wetland area. It does not pose a<br />
significant threat <strong>to</strong> plant, animal, and water quality at this time. If the quarry increased mining<br />
efforts it could become a threat <strong>to</strong> the area (Grimm 2001B).<br />
• Poor agricultural practices threaten Hibbards Creek and the surrounding corridor. In several<br />
locations, land is cleared up <strong>to</strong> the stream’s edge and used for agricultural purposes (Grimm 2001B).<br />
Bay <strong>to</strong> Lake <strong>Wildlife</strong> Corridor 105