12.35-Acre Deerfield Wind Energy Preserve
Huron Township, Huron County, Michigan
2016 to present
In late 2016, the TLC contracted with Algonquin Power Company of Oakville, Ontario, Canada
to provide stewardship of their 12.35-acre Deerfield Wind Energy Preserve, about 4 miles
west of Port Hope. The Deerfield Wind Energy Preserve was placed under a State
conservation easement as mitigation for wetland impacts resulting from the nearby Deerfield
Wind Energy turbine project. 1.235 acre of State-regulated forested wetland was permanently
converted to open wetland for the purpose of clearing a 60-foot wide right-of-way for an
electrical transmission line. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality allows
preservation of existing wetland, at a 10 to 1 ratio, as mitigation for permitted wetland
impacts. As with the TLC Dead End Woods and Peltier Beach Ridge Sanctuaries in Fort
Gratiot Township in Saint Clair County, the Deerfield Wind Energy preserve was placed under
a State conservation easement as mitigation for permitted wetland impacts. The MDEQ now
requires long-term stewardship on all mitigation sites, usually provided by land conservancies
like the TLC.
Most of the Deerfield Wind Energy Preserve is southern swamp forest with species trending
somewhat toward a northern community. Dominant vegetation includes Silver Maple, Black
Ash saplings and seedlings, Sensitive Fern, Spinulose Woodfern, Wood Nettle, Clearweed,
Lake Sedge, and other sedges. Small upland areas are dominated by Red Maple, Wild Black
Cherry, American Basswood, and, unfortunately, Japanese Barberry. Uncommon native plant
species include Foamflower, Swamp White Oak, Turtlehead, Woodreed Grass, Spicebush,
Cardinal Flower, Round-leaved Pyrola, and Red Trillium. The preserve is part of one of the
larger forest fragments remaining in the Thumb, almost continuous along tributaries of Willow
Creek to Lake Huron. As such, it is not only important for the watershed, but as habitat for
migratory birds. Those observed on the preserve include Wood Thrush, Veery, Eastern Woodpewee,
Evening Grosbeak, many American Redstart warblers, Common Yellowthroat warbler,
Yellow Warbler, Black-capped Chickadee, Downy Woodpecker, and Catbird.
The most immediate stewardship issue on the Deerfield Wind Energy Preserve was
determined to be a dense growth of invasive Japanese Barberry along roughly 600 feet of the
east preserve boundary, extending about 100 feet west into the forest before decreasing to a
few scattered shrubs. The barberry growth apparently exploded in the past few years as a
result of forest clearing on the adjacent parcel east to expand a hay field. The clearing greatly
increased the amount of light exposure in the remaining forest, shifting edge forest conditions
at least another 100 feet west into the preserve.
The TLC proceeded with extensive manual clearing of the barberry in the fall of 2017, as
opposed to herbicide application, after determining that native forest plants under and around
the barberry would likely be eliminated by herbicide. These species include Foamflower,
Turtlehead, Red Trillium, Round-leaved Pyrola, and Canada Mayflower. Deer ticks are known
to concentrate in barberry, much of it head-high on the preserve, which could present a risk of
Lyme Disease to stewards cutting or digging barberry in the summer. To minimize Lyme
Disease risk and destruction of native woodland herbs, the TLC has limited most of our work
to the fall, winter, and early spring. Starting in early September of 2016, the TLC began
cutting barberry shrubs with hand loppers and a gas-powered weed whacker fitted with a 4-
point steel brush blade. Over one acre of barberry has been cut along the east side of the
preserve. In the early spring of 2018, the TLC will start burning the cut barberry stems with a
large propane torch. Repeated for a few years, most of the barberry should eventually be
killed. Others will be manually pulled or dug from the ground.
As with other stewardship sites, the TLC conducts species inventories, detailed
measurements of vegetation in sampling plots across the preserve, general observation, and
extensive photographic documentation as part of the annual monitoring required by the
MDEQ. The TLC inspects all preserves annually to monitor conditions and identify potential
stewardship issues. A detailed monitoring report is submitted to the MDEQ by the end of
January each year.
