LCCMR ID: 022-A2 Project Title: Enhancing Future Forest - - PDF document

Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund 2011-2012 Request for Proposals (RFP)

Enhancing Future Forest Conservation Using Gullion’s Historic Research $220,271 2 yrs, July 2011 - June 2013 Daniel Dessecker Ruffed Grouse Society PO Box 2 Rice Lake WI 54868 715-234-8302 rgsdess@chibardun.coop Carlton Enhance wildlife conservation in Minnesota by securing the knowledge generated during Gordon Gullion's 30+ years of landmark research in an electronic format for use by tomorrows natural resource professionals. Project Title: Total Project Budget: $ Proposed Project Time Period for the Funding Requested: Other Non-State Funds: $ Name: Sponsoring Organization: Address: Telephone Number: Email Web Address County Name: City / Township: Region: Summary: NE Location Ecological Section: No. Minnesota and Ontario Peatlands (212M)

_____ Funding Priorities _____ Multiple Benefits _____ Outcomes _____ Knowledge Base _____ Extent of Impact _____ Innovation _____ Scientific/Tech Basis _____ Urgency _____ Capacity Readiness _____ Leverage _____ Employment _______ TOTAL ______%

Category:

• A2. Natural Resource Data and Information: Distribution, Application, and Training

LCCMR ID: 022-A2

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Project Title: Enhancing Future Forest Conservation Using Gullion’s Historic Research

• I. Project Statement

Project Need: Prior to his untimely death in 1991, Gordon W. Gullion was universally recognized as the world’s foremost authority on ruffed grouse. Gullion began his landmark study of ruffed grouse ecology and habitat management in 1958 under the auspices of the University of Minnesota at the Cloquet Forestry Center, Mille Lacs Wildlife Management Area and the Crow Wing Study Area. Gullion’s efforts followed those of Ralph King and William Marshall, which were initiated in the 1930’s at the urging of Aldo Leopold. The longevity and breadth of this historic research is all but unparalleled in the wildlife management profession. Over 69,000 individual data records were collected on hard copy data forms. These irreplaceable data include records documenting ruffed grouse habitat use throughout the year, food habits, reproductive success and mortality factors that when used in concert, provide an assessment of ruffed grouse ecology that is the very foundation of ruffed grouse habitat and population management throughout much of the range of this important game bird, particularly the Great Lakes region. The forest management strategies designed to sustain habitats for ruffed grouse have been demonstrated equally beneficial to many species

• f nongame wildlife, including the seriously imperiled golden-winged warbler (petitioned for protection

under the federal Endangered Species Act - February 2010). Unfortunately, the hard copy data forms have deteriorated to the point that if they are not soon converted to a more permanent medium, the information they contain will be lost forever – and with it an important chapter in the history of wildlife conservation in Minnesota. The loss of these data would seriously compromise efforts of today’s resource management professionals to gain new insight into ruffed grouse ecology and management using powerful statistical analysis procedures unavailable to Gullion and his predecessors. Project Goal: Preserve the Gullion data to enable natural resource management professionals to take advantage of the wealth of information contained therein as they work to predict and assess the implications to forest wildlife of changes in the species composition and age-class structure of the forests

• f Minnesota and the Great Lakes region.

Project Outcomes: Permanent digital preservation of the data set in a format that can be efficiently analyzed using the latest analytical tools and statistical software to guide the development of forest wildlife conservation policies and practices. Project Strategy: Data from hard copy forms will be preserved by converting these data to an electronic

• format. The digital data will then be stored on computer hardware housed at the University of Minnesota,

a Department of Natural Resources office or some similar venue and will be available to natural resource management professionals upon request.

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• II. Description of Project Activities

Activity 1: Preserve Data by Converting to Electronic Format Budget: $ 143,750 Preserve data currently stored on rapidly deteriorating hard copy forms by converting these data to an electronic Master Data File. Outcome: Development of Electronic Master Data File Completion Date: January 2013 Activity 2: Simplify Data Retrieval to Facilitate Use Budget: $ 75,003 Establish subsets of the Master Data File based on ecological, spatial and temporal attributes (e.g. cause

• f mortality, location, month-year, etc.). Establish companion subset keys to enable future users to easily

and efficiently navigate and retrieve data relevant for the specific analytical task. Outcome: Develop Data Subsets and Keys Completion Date: June 30, 2013

• III. Project Strategy
• A. Project Team/Partners

Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS) RGS will serve as the grantee and fiscal agent for project costs. RGS will review project activity progress and submit payments from grant funds to project partners. RGS expertise will help to ensure that the Data File subsets developed are both ecologically relevant and useable for practitioners. – Daniel Dessecker Svoboda Ecological Resources (SER) SER will coordinate and supervise the development of the electronic Master Data File and all data subsets and companion subset keys. SER will convert location data to latitude-longitude coordinates to enhance spatial analysis of relevant data and to facilitate on-site follow-up assessments for future research efforts. Svoboda’s experience as Gullion’s ruffed grouse research assistant from 1963 to 1973 will be invaluable to ensure the successful completion of this project. , Shorewood, MN – Franklin Svoboda

• B. Timeline Requirements

The project will begin in July, 2011 and will be completed no later than June 30, 2013.

• C. Long-term Strategy and Future Funding Needs

A significant potential application for these data is the development and validation of predictive models to assess ruffed grouse population response to changes in the composition and structure of future forest

• landscapes. This type of predictive model could be developed through work conducted by the University
• f Minnesota’s Gordon W. Gullion Chair in Wildlife Research and Education.

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BUDGET ITEM Personnel %FTE %$ Salary %$ Benefits Time Period # People Amount Dan Dessecker 8 77 23 2011 – 2012 1 $13,728 Contracts: Helgeson Enterprises – data entry of card records, digital scans and conversion to MS Access format - $143,750 Svoboda Ecological Resources - Supervise data entry conversions and database format, test database files, GIS spatial analysis - $61,275 Equipment/Tools/Supplies: Travel: Pick up and return cards to Cloquet Research Center 180 mi x 2 x 2 x 0.55 = $396 Trips to HE to deliver cards and review data entry procedure 45 mi x 2 x 14 x 0.55 = $693 MS contractor meetings 30 x 2 x 13 x 0.55 = $429 Additional Budget Items: TOTAL ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES TRUST FUND $ REQUEST SOURCE OF FUNDS AMOUNT Status Other Non-State $ Being Applied to Project During Project Period:

• $

NA Other State $ Being Applied to Project During Project Period:

• $

NA In-kind Services During Project Period: RGS & Svoboda Ecological Resources Margie Vollmer (RGS Accounting): 4% of FTE: Salary (2 yrs) = $3,200, Fringe (2 yrs) = $960. Dessecker travel: (2 yrs), 12 trips to Cities; 270 miles per trip @ $0.55 per mile = $1,782; meals for these trips - $15 per trip x 12 = $180. Total RGS in-kind = $6,122. Carolyn Dillin & Erica Britcher ( SER Admin Staff) 100 Hours (over 2 Years) = $4,000; Frank Svoboda (Project Mtgs) 100 hours (over 2 years) = $7,500; Purchase Idrisi Software for project use

• $1,300. Total SER in-kind = $12,800

18,922 $ NA Remaining $ from Current ENRTF Appropriation (if applicable):

• $

NA Funding History:

• $

NA AMOUNT

2011-2012 Detailed Project Budget

• IV. TOTAL TRUST FUND REQUEST BUDGET 2 years

13,728 $ 205,025 $

• V. OTHER FUNDS

220,271 $

• $

1,518 $

• $

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Drumming Log Location Map

Plotted on: 1964 Aerial Photography Data Projected in North American Datum of 1983, Universal Transverse Mercator Zone 15 N

Drumming Logs Trapping Sites Weather Stations 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.05 Miles

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Project Title: Enhancing Future Forest Conservation Using Gullion’s Historic Research Project Manager Qualifications and Organization Description Project Manager – Daniel R. Dessecker Dan Dessecker is the Director of Conservation Policy for the Ruffed Grouse Society and currently serves as the Society’s Regional Biologist for Minnesota as well. Dan received a B.S. in Wildlife Management (1981) from the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point and a M.S. in Wildlife Management (1984) from the Pennsylvania State

• University. His professional interests include the historical and current roles of

disturbance in forest ecology and he has published extensively on this and related topics. Dan is past-president of the Wisconsin Chapter of The Wildlife Society and served as Chair of the American Wildlife Conservation Partners in 2003. AWCP is a consortium

• f 44 national wildlife conservation organizations that work to affect wildlife and natural

resource policy at the federal level. He was appointed in 2006 by then Secretary of the US Department of the Interior, Gale Norton, to serve on the newly established Sporting Conservation Council. The 12-member Council is charged with providing guidance to the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior on issues related to wildlife conservation and hunting. Organization Description – Ruffed Grouse Society The Ruffed Grouse Society is the one international non-profit wildlife conservation

• rganization dedicated to promoting conditions suitable for ruffed grouse, American

woodcock and related wildlife to sustain our sport hunting tradition and outdoor heritage. RGS enjoys the support of 100+ chapters across the United States, including 15 in

• Minnesota. The 15 Minnesota RGS chapters represent approximately 3,000 members.

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