Ira Shulgin wrote to this list yesterday: "I don't now what kind of
project is under way, but this week ALL small willow trees were cutted
at Honda wetland of Glacier Ridge MP, Union Co. It means, NO Willow
Flycatchers will be singing at this part of the park any more. And for
some other birds the habitat was lost also."
          I recommend asking. I too would be upset if good bird habitat is
lost, but I have learned to trust that the Metro Parks respect wild
species and have long-range plans to protect them all in a larger
ecological context. If I heard they were plowing a prairie or cutting
trees to put in a soccer field or a place to hand-feed deer, I'd be
bothered. But below is what they told me, and what they'd have said if
anyone else had asked:
"The Honda Wetland Education area is managed as an young successional or
open wet meadow/prairie wetland complex.  Managing the habitat at this
stage of development requires intense mowing and burning regimes every
few years.  Since the wetland complex has been restored, Metro Parks
staff has mowed and burned selected areas in an effort to promote the
open wet prairie habitats.  This also maintains flight lines for the
variety of waterfowl that may use the area during migration.  Many years
may go by that mowing and burning opportunities are not available due to
water levels, ground moisture and a lack of frozen conditions for
equipment.  Without some type of regular management, successional stages
advance quickly. Sometimes we are presented with an opportunity, such as
we have experienced this winter, with extended periods of frozen ground
that allow us to mow larger expanses of the wetland.  This is an ongoing
management effort, with our goals guiding us through the variable
seasons and years, as we strive to promote healthy balanced ecosystems.
  It is why each of our parks is not one habitat type, but a patchwork
of habitats that go through successional changes and various habitat
management activities.  As mentioned, willow flycatchers (as well as a
number of other species of wildlife) are attracted to the young
successional willows and shrubs that occur in the wetlands.  If no
management efforts were implemented the wetlands would succeed to trees
and would likely become unsuitable to their habitat needs in a few short
years.  Just to the north of the Honda
Wetlands we are managing a second wetland complex towards reforestation,
which will provide a large expanse of suitable successional habitat  for
the next few months.  Additionally, there are a number of willows along
Kile Ditch and portions of Indian Run that should also provide a
diversity of necessary habitat.  Metro Parks general management
philosophy is to manage restoration and natural areas as communities and
ecosystems with the idea that the individual species will be present if
the overall habitat goals are met. Metro Parks is grateful to our
visitors for their care and concern regarding what is happening in the
parks and we are always happy to share our management goals as we work
to responsibly steward the more than 27,000 acres of natural area parks
in Central Ohio."
        This reassures me that if willow flycatchers will have no habitat in
this particular place for the next few years, that they will have more
habitat elsewhere nearby, and within a few years in this same place,
just as they might if humans didn't live here and natural forces ruled.
I have learned to trust the parks with the big picture, and I also trust
people know that I would gripe if I felt otherwise.
Fitz-bew,
Bill Whan
Columbus





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