Written by Peter Pearsall/Photo by Peter Pearsall
From August 1-3, Refuge staff and partners participated in a Wet Meadow Review workshop. The Wet Meadow Review is a technical, collaborative, interdisciplinary, and multi-interest effort that focuses on an abiotic process-based approach to key wet meadow habitat management challenges and questions. It incorporates the historical and modern landscape, future climate predictions, geomorphic features, hydrologic processes, soils, and ecological function of the area, with an emphasis on wet and mesic meadows and adjacent seasonal marshes. The review utilizes a technical process that explores meadow-related Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) goals and objectives and identifies adaptive management strategies for this critical wildlife habitat. It is site-specific and addresses specific management questions with the purpose of fostering new approaches to wet meadow rehabilitation and management. All materials developed through this review will be incorporated into the Refuge’s collaborative process.
The results of the workshop are still forthcoming. It will summarize various management strategies that were discussed, along with predicted abiotic and biotic responses, monitoring actions to consider, possible challenges to implementation, and data needs.
