03/30/2026
One of the ways the refuge supports wildlife is through habitat management that creates and/or enhances early-successional habitats, including for young forest. These habitats are full of shrubs, tree saplings, grasses, and wildflowers, creating dense cover and abundant food resources for many species.
Since 2012, the refuge has enhanced over 260 acres of early-successional habitat to benefit wildlife including eastern cottontail, white-tailed deer, songbirds like the blue-winged warbler, and other birds including American woodcock, wild turkey, and ruffed grouse.
Young forest habitat plays an important role in maintaining a healthy landscape because it adds diversity to the mix of habitats found on the refuge. Instead of a single type (or age class) of forest, the landscape becomes a mosaic of open areas, forests, and wetlands. Species like the American woodcock rely on this variety by using forests for roosting, moist woodland/wetlands for feeding their broods, and open or shrubby areas for courtship displays and nesting.
The photos below show how these habitats develop over time. A selective cut may look dramatic immediately after the work is completed, but within a few years the area regenerates into a thick stand of young trees. The refuge typically targets stands dominated by aspen for habitat management, as these stands can regenerate into dense, excellent cover via regrowth from their rhizomes when cut in their dormant period in winter.
By actively managing habitat in this way, the refuge helps ensure that a wide range of wildlife species continue to find the food, shelter, and breeding habitat they need.
