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DATE DUE DATE DUE DATE DUE 5/08 K:IProj/Aoc&Pras/ClRC/DateDue.indd LAND USE CRITERIA FOR CRAWFORD COUNTY, MICHIGAN by /. “ .2 Clifford R; Humphrys A THESIS Submitted to the Graduate School of Michigan State College of Agriculture and Applied Science in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE Department of Soils 1941 THESE’ ACKI‘JO‘LLEDGIBENTS Gratitude is here expressed to Professor L. R. Schoenmann, Director of Conservation Institute at Michigan State College and Professor J. O. Veatch of the Soils Department at Michigan.8tate College for criticism and guidance. For assistance in interpreting geological aspects of Craw- ford County I am indebted to Dr. S. G. Bergquist, Head of the Geology Department of Michigan State College. For suggestions on map work I am indebted to Mr. I. F. Schneider of the Conservation Institute at Michigan State College. Grateful acknowledgement for assistance in the field work is made to Mr. John.Bruun of Grayling, Michigan, Col. L. R. Pearson of the Michigan National Guard, Mr. C. E. Miller of the Lands Div- ision of the Michigan Conservation Department, Mr. R. E. Crowell, Supervisor of the Huron National Forest, Mr. Clarence Johnson of Grayling, and Mr. A. Mathew of the Michigan State Highway Department. 5; Il- ‘ '7'” 5K. ‘. 5b. ‘rl'§4. ..\,L .‘A f‘ u ETlC o 1". Cover TABLE OF CONTENTS Nature of the Problem . . Nature of the Problem Area Resume of Present Land Use Objectives of the Study . Natural Land Divisions. . Surface Geology . . . . . Agricultural Classification of Soils cover 0 O O O O O O O O O O O O I O 0 Land Use and Intent of Ownership . . RESUltS Obtained. o o o o o o o o o o Forestry . . . Agdmflhme. . Recreation . . Speculation . . Water Power . . Oil Interest . Criteria for Land Use in Crawford Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . County 18 21 22 24 25 25 72 72 73 77 I‘ '4 c :0, a o 01. .1. a; e "\b 'E: e by .est. .9“; ~V’ '- "'fi WC”? _. »‘ 'vO'h lbw-t , D 0. Ch :1. r: r. a O a "‘~§, ‘i “t’. NATURE OF THE PROBLEM Lumbering has just swept through the pine and hardwood forests of Lower Michigan and is now taking its last stand in the Upper Penin- sula. In its wake there are endless tracts of land reverting to the State by tax reversion. Scattered settlements of established farms and many abortive attempts at agriculture, nucleii of recreational interests are scattered in.profusion throughout the whole cut-over region, and the investments of speculators have added to the complex— ity of the ownership pattern. During the last few decades a considerable acreage of land has oscillated between private and public ownership. Federal and State forest units were set up to stabilize the ownership and use of some of this cut-over region, but the proper use for much of the area is still problematical, especially in terms of future planning. It is thought that by studying the past use of land and the degree of success in its use, the trends in ownership, and the nat— ural characteristics of the land, data will be compiled that will be helpful in planning future land Use. If criteria could be establish- ed for the determination of the best alternative present and future uses for specific land areas, land planning may prevent serious mis- takes and economic losses in the future both for the state and in? In the preparation of this thesis, Crawford County, which is a representative county in northern Michigan, was selected and stud- ied in an attempt to establish such criteria for land use. c: torts. ..-v-Am 3; ...:. _ ‘ ‘, i r' ‘ Jo vat: .Lé 2...“)! ,. Aalv-.+’ ‘l ' ' 17"" f'. . "UM D. tote of f'reiuer.‘ '7‘ PI: -EE;OC ere "cw 2. NATURE OF THE PROBLEM AREA Crawford County was selected as a typical "cut-over" county of northern Michigan. Within the county there are several classes of ownership represented; these may be classified as State forest, lhtional forest, State Parks, game refuge, industrial, agricultural, recreational and speculative. History Up to 1555 the Indians had occasionally used this area for hunting, fishing and a meager amount of agriculture. Their usage would be considered safe conservation, but it was so extensive as to be of little economic importance. From 1555 to 1750 fur traders frequented the area, using the Au Sable River as a transportation route. Fur trading tapped one of the first resources that was ever utilized intensively in the settlement of this country. No thought was ever given to the conservation of fur and in this particular region it probably would not have been practical, for the fur bear- ers were doomed by other types of utilization that was to follow; lumbering and agriculture. Eventually the major part of the fur bearing stock was cropped and in most cases only a sufficient breed- ing stock remained to perpetuate the species. Fur traders were undoubtedly the first publicity men of this northern country and through their stories of the tractless stands of virgin timber and endless waterways, other people became interested in this wilder— ness country and aided in its exploration, colonization and develop— ment. The potermial resources were considered valuable even at that period, as evidenced by the continual struggle between France and England for the ownership of this northern country. Cartier claimed 5. this territory for the French Crown in 1555 and it was successfully held by the French until 1760. In 1760 it was taken over by the Eng— lish and held until 1815, at which time it became part of the public domain of the United States. Up until 1872 the area now designated as Crawford County was utilized only for its fur production. In 1872 the lumber industry had started its westward trek and lumbering began on a small scale. Grayling and Pere Cheney were the centers of lumber production.in the county. Vast stands of red and white pine located along driveable streams made ideal logging "chances". In.the early stages of lumber- ing, the logs were cut in the winter time and transported to the mills by spring drives on the streams. Eventually the easy "chances" along the streams were exhausted and railroads were built to carry the logs to the mill. This new form of transportation.made possible the year- long operation of the mills which had heretofore suffered occasional shut downs when.their yard stock from the Spring drives had been.dimin- ished. Today we feel quite justified when.we accuse these early lumber— men of exploiting our national resources, but in their position at that period there was no indemnification for, or the slightest reason to rec- ognize conservation. Lumber was being demanded for the rapid growth and development of the mid-western states and these pioneers bent their every effort to supply these demands. Their success is evidenced by the early history of the rapid settlement and development of the vast "grain belt" section of the central west. Lumbering was a profitable enterprise for the real estate and £21011 r7 L ,. 5 '61; \fl’ A‘s EP’JTIZ I Y” .- vic‘ .l . :i C -‘nr Q‘ C‘Sfivn‘ slur v~u"~.4 :- 6\ C - s. _ ? .1 Mp... 5 set '5‘ $- .1 no .1 at C» t .1 CC .1 +U oi I000 "I . 4. mill men.during this golden period of logging when the Lake States represented the heart of the lumber industry. All the benefits did not flow to the capitalists who controlled finance, since the avail- ability of cheap building material made possible a more rapid coloni- zation of the whole north central region and the establishment of the nucleus of our present day development. Lumbering gave us much, but its apparent inefficiencies have grown.until they now appear to be ghastly mistakes. Many present day altruistical conservationists can glibly recite on.the evils of former lumbermen and explain elaborate plans for "sustained yield" and proper silvicultural methods which would have, if applied to our former for- ests, supplied the whole world with an abundance of lumber and forest products for an indefinite time, but the fact remains that those for- ests were effectively utilized and performed a great service to our country. With the advent of our industrial expansion, lumber has be- gun to play an increasingly less important roll in.every day life. New building materials are being utilized and the uses of wood in.the manufacture of many items has decreased. Regardless of the decrease in lumber consumption, the use of wood in new forms has increased. The greatest use of wood at present, and it is constantly growing, is its use in the manufacture of paper. Plastic industries are be- coming increasingly important and will probably offer a new outlet for forest products in the future. In view of these observations, it seems evident that forest utilization today must begin to adjust itself for the production of pulp and chemical wood and not exagger- ate the production of lumber. The rise of jack pine and "popple" I: not 5.. from weed tree species to trees of ranking economic importance bear these points out. REoUME OF PRESENT LAND USE Forestry All the industries in the county use wood as raw material, but most of the logs are shipped in from other SOUrces. The floor- ing mill receives very few logs from Crawford County. The cabin fac- tory obtains some of its jack pine logs from within.the county. Its location.near a good highway and a railroad enable it to purchase log stock from distant markets. The novelty works at Frederick is the only industry that secures all its raw material from the county. Little pulpwood is being cut, for better returns can be realized by letting the jack pine grow until it is large enough to sell to the cabin factory. Most of the forest land in the county lies within the bounp daries of the State or Federal forests. Of that forest land held in .private ownership, very little is being held with the expectation of gains through the sale of forest products; the recreational value is usually far greater than the timber value. Agriculture During the intense lumbering period, agriculture was quite sporadic. The mill towns and logging camps offered a ready market for farm produce for in.those days the modern.refrigeration.and can- ning methods of food preservation were unknown and the fresh vegetable supply had to be produced locally. Hay for the lOgging teams brought an excellent price because it is bulky and high freight rates made it uneconomical to ship it long distances. 6. Lumbering is a rather nomadic industry and farmers that were one year ideally located in relation to a camp later found that the distance to the camp may have increased, due to relocation, to such extent that it would no longer be profitable for them to haul their produce and hay to the marketing point. It is quite probable that those farmers who happened to be located on good soil decided to change their farming system and remain.on their homestead. Others, less well adapted in relation to soil conditions probably decided to "push on" with the logging camps and established new farms, better located to take advantage of the current demands. This peculiar relationship of farm and market served as a practical means of testing the agricultural possibilities of the county. All types of soils and conditions were encountered by farmers who attempted to service the lumber industry with agricultur- al products. Many of these old farm locations have been overgrown by forest reproduction and it is now impossible to find them. The better farms have grown.and are now components of stable agricultural communities. Many people were induced by real estate men.to buy "cut over" land for farm sites, but frequently the land was unsuited for agri- cultural pursuits and was abandoned after a few years. Acre Value of Land in Crawford County Value State Rank 1950 census $21.47. 82nd place 1955 census 17.65 77th place 7. Since there are only 85 counties in the State of Michigan, it would appear that Crawford County would be classed as a very poor agricultural county. This is true only on an average basis. There is so much poor land in comparison to the good agricultural land that the average acre value is very low. General farming is the usual practice with recent trends toward intensive dairying. The Resettlement Administration of the United States Department of Agriculture purchased many of the sub- marginal farms in the county, thereby raising the average standard of the remaining farms. Recreation Recreational interests have increased decidedly during re- cent years. The majority of the cabins have been built along the banks of the Au Sable river and its tributaries and many serve the dual purpose of hunting and fishing camps. Relatively few cabins are found out on the plains and sand hills. Lake side property has been.deve10ped to a point of stability. Lake margrethe, the largest lake in.the county, has about 150 cottages on it now and all available lots have been sold by the original sub- division owners. It is estimated that there are another 150 privately owned cabin.sites, on.the lake front, that are undeveloped as yet. Residents on Shupac Lake, which is located in the northeast part of the county, have built several summer cottages for rental to vacationists or hunting and fishing parties. Since 1957 Grayling has become a winter sports center of Michigan. Local business men began working on the idea 20 years ago. 8. It develOped so rapidly that the State and Federal Park Services were persuaded to subsidize and plan its future development and permit Grayling Winter Sports Inc., to manage its operation. Speculation Speculators hold considerable acreage along streamways which they hope to dispose of in.small lots for private cabin development or for hunting and fishing clubs. Ownership Since the lumbering era, land ownership has changed consider— ably in.Crawford County. Previously, private interests held large tracts of forest land and only scattered tracts of the original public ownership and only restricted areas, suited for agriculture or recrea— tion, are in.private ownership. Speculative interests hold scattered tracts of"cut over" land with the expectation of gains from such poten- tial land uses as oil and gas, water power, or recreational develop— mentso Objectives of the Study 1. Determination.of the past use of land and the success of its use. 2. The identification of those land characteristics which have ine fluenced the success or failure of the past use of the land. 5. The establishment of criteria to guide the possible alternate future uses for specific land areas. Procedure The following maps were drawn to supply the basic information for this study: 9. 1. Natural Land Divisions 2. Agricultural Classification of Soils 5. Cover Map 4. Land Use and Intent of Ownership NETURAL LAND DIVISIONS 0F CRALFORD COUNTY To be of practical use, data must be classified. Essentially, classification refers to the grouping of entities that have similar characteristics; the more characteristics that are common to all the members in one group or division of a classification, the more service- able the classification becomes. ' When.driving through Crawford County one becomes aware of the existence of different natural conditions. The flat, jack pine plains are easily separated from the low, rolling oak hills. The casual ob— server would probably base his divisions on a combination of cover type and topography. The selection of criteria on which to base a classification is governed by the function.which the classification is going to serve. A classification adaptable for a land use study should be broad. Soil types and tOpography, as mapped in.the Soil Survey of Crawford County and by the Land Economic Survey of the Michigan. State Department of Conservation, were selected as the criteria for dividing the county into natural land divisions. The following Natural Land Divisions were recognized: lO. gggg igpf Coungy 1. Level loamy uplands 57.4 sq. miles 10.2 2. Low sand hills 178.0 " " 51.8 5. Flat sand plains 291.9 " " 52.0 4. Swampland 28.6 " " 5.1 5. Loamy plains 5.1 " " .9 LEVEL LOAMY UPLAND A. Soils Typgg Occurrence Kalkaska loamy sand ) Coventry loam ; Dissected flat uplands Kalkaska sandy loam ; Hartwick sand On steeper slopes between the B. C. flat uplands and valley floor Rubicon sand Bottoms of valleys Topography This division consists of flat topped moraines dissected by a dendritic valley system, the valley slopes of which.vary from 5 - 15%. On the upland and in the valleys the lepes are not in excess of 5%. Slope Classes ggof totalgarea Soil Types 0 - 5% 10 Kalkaska loamy sand Coventry loam Rubicon sand 5 - 7% 7O Kalkaska sandy loam Kalkaska .loamy sand Coventry loam 7 — 15% 2O Hartwick sand 11. D. Cover Soil type Cover type Kalkaska loamy sand Second growth hardwood Coventry loam Mostly under cultivation; the remainder is covered by second growth hardwood and aspen Kalkaska sandy loam Second growth hardwood Roselawn sand Grayling sand Grayling coarse sand Newton loamy sand Ogemaw sandy loam Roselawn sandy loam Rubicon sand Aspen Hartwick sand Aspen E. ngg Soil type Primary use Secondary use Kalkaska loamy sand Forestry Agriculture Coventry loam Agriculture Forestry Kalkaska sandy loam Agriculture Forestry Rubicon sand Forestry - Hartwick sand Forestry - LOW SAND HILLS A-Eila Typpp Occurrence Low rounded morainic hills Small plainlike areas between sand hills 3| 1! I! t! I! n Poorly drained spots of plain and along edges of streams and swamps. Pitted plainlike areas Small areas;.gently undulating B. C. l2. Newton loamy sand Ogemaw sandy loam Tppography This division is composed of low rolling bills or ridgelike series of hills with complementary basins and valleys, most of which are dry. The absence of permanent streams and Swampland is a striking feature of this natural division. Slope class fi_of total area Soil typg O - 3% 2O Roselawn.sand Grayling sand Roswlawn sandy loam Newton sandy loam Ogemaw sandy loam 5 — 7% 55 Roselawn sand 7 - 15% '25 Roselawn sand and Soil tppe Covepptype Roselawn sand Jack oak Roselawn.sandy loam Jack oak Grayling sand Jack pine Grayling coarse sand Jack pine Alder and aspen Aspen D. USe Soil type Primary use Secondary use Roselawn sand Forestry - Roselawn sandy loam Agriculture Forestry Grayling sand Forestry - Grayling coarse sand Forestry —- Newton loamy sand Recreation Forestry Ogemaw sandy loam Agriculture Forestry FLAT SAND PLAINS Leena Iyppp_ Occurrence Grayling sand ) Intermorainic valleys and extensive Grayling coarse sand; outwash plains Rifle peat ) Greenwood peat; ) Along stream bottoms and around lakes Lupton muck ) Kerston.muck 3 Saugatuck sand ) ) First stream terrace and in shallow Newton loamy sand) depressions B. Topography Extensive areas of gently sloping to level plain land with shallowly entrenched drainage ways. 14 . - ,NW'V» . . ,\ \sx Level sand plain land, winter aspect Slopg classes 2 of total area Soil tngs O - 5% 60 Grayling sand Grayling coarse saxrl Rifle peat Greenwood peat Lupton muck Kerston muck Saugatuck sani Newton loamy sand 5 — 7% 40 Grayling sand l5. 0.9212: Soil type Cover type Grayling sand Jack pine Grayling coarse sand Jack pine Rifle peat Greenwood peat Lupton.muck Kerston muck Saugatuck sand Newton loamy sand D.‘§pe Soil type Primary usp Grayling sand Forestry Grayling coarse sand " Rifle peat Game refuge Greenwood peat —- Lupton muck Forestry Kerston muck Game refuge Saugatuck sand Forestry Newton sand Recreation SWAMPLAND meals ma Rifle peat Saugatuck sand B. Tppograpfii Level White cedar and black spruce Leatherleaf Swamp hardwood White cedar and black spruce Aspen Alder and aSpen Secondary,use Agriculture Forestry * Forestry Forestry Occurrence Stream valleys and swamps Islands in swamps 16. Mv‘XV‘ ~\.~ Swampy stream valley. 0- acme; Soil type Cover type Rifle peat Wrdte cedar and black spruce Saugatuck sand Aspen D. fig Soil type Prim use Secondagy use Rifle peat Game refuge Forestry Saugatuck sand Game refuge Rorestry l4 \. .wnl'tlflddanl a; 13} '1 c!’$§490§t03~0lfl’30.0¢. I Q.- .l, 17. Long PLAI N A. Soils Types Occurrence Roselawn sandy loam ) ) Small plainlike areas confluent Roselawn gravelly sandy loam) ) with the flat sand plains Kalkaska loamy sand ) B. ‘Tppography Gently undulating, with very few steep slopes. Slone classes g_of total Soil types 0 - 5% 25 Kalkaska loam 5 - 7% 75 Roselawn sandy loam Roselawn gravelly sandy loam C. Cover Soil type Caver type Roselawn sandy loam ) ) Roselawn gravelly sandy loam) Mostly cleared for agriculture; ) ) Kalkaska loamy sand remainder has second growth hardwood D. USe Soil type Primapy Secondapy Roselawn.sandy loam Agriculture Farm woodlot Roselawn gravelly sandy loam fl n u Kalkaska loamy sand H n n -‘rr. u. -‘HN‘HM ll!!!- uilollll 9 “0.0:. ma, Jar/9m Geo/00¢; of (Paw/om” (om/y , M09516”. 70m, Leverefi' Tea/v 787” 7'2"” raw 789 N ‘ 7'27” 726 N T25” [Make/bank; fin: dove/[r 2- " " " Mrlbk Moraine: 3 u u u 09 PJ . W IU OU/WOJ'A P/al'n.’ 7;'// ID/a/nJ‘ -:~.w-.. .ycr .— r‘» r...» _. 18. Surface Geology of Crawford County By comparing the map showing natural land divisions with a map of the surface geology of the county, it will be observed that the two maps have various features in common. The moraines of the geologic map correspond almost exactly with the level,loamy upland and low, sand hill natural divisions, while the outwash plains correspond with the flat sand plains. From this correlation, it would be presumed that glaciation played a significant role in the origin and development of the soils as well as in the topographic expression. In the northern part of the county there are a series of north and south trending morainal ridges. Authorities on the glaciation of Michigan say that the ice movement in this region was complicated by several advances and retreats of two different ice lobes and the origin of these north and south trending moraines is the subject of much cone troversy. These moraines occur in the interlobate area of the Michigan and Huron lobese~ When the ice had retreated from the West Branch moraine to the position of the outer ridges of the Port Huron system just north of the Au Sable River, the Huron lobe began to split from the Michigan lobe. As the ice front melted back, the hichigan.lobe retreated to the northwest and the Huron lobe retreated to the north- east. During the retreat the ice mass pivoted on.the Port Huron.mor- aine and the north and south trending ridges were deposited. .As the interlobate angle became more acute and extended, the ice front changed from an east and west trend to a north and south trend. The newly developed ice front was approximately on.a line between Grayling and Gaylord when the two lobes parted. While in this position, the Huron ‘- . . .. l -‘ . _——_—_——“ v-V-rv vV—‘v— w— 'v.‘ ‘V‘ ‘wx .w." ‘r ‘u 19. lobe laid down the moraine passing through Lovells and then retreated to a position comparable to the Port Huron.moraine. While the former moraine was being laid down, the Michigan lobe retreated westwardly and laid down successively the moraines passing through Frederick, Deward and Blue Lake. The southern ends of these moraines extend to the Au.Sable River, which was the border drainage way at that time. The bulk of the material that was washed down into its channel by the melting water activity was carried downstream and deposited in a valley train. This interpretation of the formation of the north-south trend- ing morainal ridges is useful in.explaining the difference in soil texture found on the various morainal areas. The moraine passing through Lovells was laid down.by the Huron lobe. This lobe was fed by ice from the Labrador center on the Laurentian.Upland. IIn.passing over the old Pre-Cambrian crystalline formations it picked up material that was of a coarsa.sandy nature; consequently the moraine passing through Lovells is characterized by having deep, loose, sandy soils. In contrast with the moraine passing through Lovells, those that pass through Frederick and Deward have surface soils that are of a loamy nature. The Michigan.lobe, which laid down these moraines, had its origin in the Lake Superior basin and passed over belted outcrops of Lake Superior and St. Peters sandstone and Trenton, Lockport, Menis— tique, Engadine and Fiborn limestones and dolomites. Materials from all these formations were ground up in the glacial mill and became co- mingled in their journey southward. When finally deposited in the mor- aines passing through Frederick and Deward, loamy soils developed. '“m.*\.“ ‘p‘_ «"7... .- .... w ‘vv-u-vv~ ‘ ~1-‘.~IrY.-‘ WWW-m "W‘ - I‘It’w-bu; - "'4...__ . u“ ‘_““‘1qu.‘ 71-:- 7“"?- 20. In the southern part of the county there is a series of east and west trending moraines that are part of the West Branch morainic system. These morainal ridges have comparatively little relief and gently rolling topography. The two areas of loamy plains in the locality of Beaver Creek and Love School might be eXplained in.several ways. In.this partic- ular region the glacial surface was complicated by several advances and retreats in the oscillating ice front. These loamy spots may represent the crests of old moraines of heavy till that later were almost completely blanketed by sandy till deposited during the re- advancement of the ice sheet. Again, the islands of loamy till sur- rounded by sandy till may reflect the character of the rocks in the belted uplants of the northern peninsula from which the ice obtained a large part of its clay and silt. Drill records are necessary before any really substantial explanation can be given for this interlobatearea. Pit Lakes There are several small pit lakes scattered along the main drainage ways of the county. These lakes were formed by blocks of ice that broke off from the main glacier and were dropped en the outwash plain as the ice front retreated. These blocks later melted and left pits which were filled by drainage water from the surround— ing area. Lake Margrethe, with an area of almost 5 square miles, is the largest lake in the county and the best example of this type of feature. 'I—vvv—‘v— wv ‘ WW . -. ‘-. - - ”H ”W ."!“I-‘ L‘ ‘ w a, "..4v w. M- u _ . . Luann.“ m-. _ , ’ —‘“—n— ‘ 1a .. . _ .J agricultural Classification.Map In.a land use study it is necessary to know the amount and distribution.of farm land and its productivity rating. The most efficient way of presenting data of this kind is to plot the areas of each grade of farm land on a base map of the county; This data can then be compared with similar base maps showing natural land divisions, cover type, tax delinquency and ownership. By these comparisons, correlations may be established leading to the development of criteria that may be used for future land use planning. The soils were divided into four groups, based upon their pro- ductivity, and the data necessary for making the productivity rating was taken from the Soil Survey Report of the county. Agricultural Classification of the Soils of Crawford County First class — Hester loam Second class - Coventry loam Roselawn sandy loam Roselawn gravelly sandy loam Kalkaska sandy loam Third class - Kalkaska loamy sand Blue lake loamy sand Bergland clay loam Ogemaw sandy loam Bergland loam fly— '7 > 2,-7.0"W' M' v—v—w -'- "‘ d'fl’fiflfi. ‘_'. . v mr—wm' "u... L: '- i: “Fm—“‘4 _ l mono-6:.“ 'A 0-“..n-pm-fi—u—x...’ . , - ....___ —_—-‘-"'. .3. n w v 22. Fourth class: - Well drained Poorly drained Roselawn sand Rifle peat Hartwick sand Lupton muck Grayling sand Greenwood peat Grayling coarse sand Kerston muck Rubicon sand Houghton muck oaugatuck sand Ottawa loamy sand Bridgman fine sand Newton loamy sand Griffin sandy loam The areas of each of these land classes were plotted on a base map and colored. Contrasting colors were used for each land class so that the amount and distribution of each class could be studied. Cover Map The cover of land is a primary factor in.the development of many land use policies. In locating a deer yeard, it is necessary to include areas of cedar swamp to supply sufficient browse for winter feeding. A public camp ground should be well forested. Cabin sites occur on wooded stream banks rather than in treeless areas of grass or sweetfern. Cover is usually considered in all forms of land utilization. Sometimes it may even be of a negative value, as in clearing land for ' “ flown-.0 ",‘ ,‘ n r 1 . ‘vnsu . - 1r. n‘dr'h “tn: _ 3- “ “~14“ -. p, -‘r,»~wv V.——————fi 1'" 25. agricultural purposes. Some species sprout and continue to grow even though the area is clear-cut. The cover map developed for this study is an interpretation of the Land Economic Survey cover map.’ The Land Economic Survey Cover map was considered too detailed to bring out the broad relationships existing between the natural features of the county. In drawing up the cover mas, seven.divisions were recognized: 1. Jack pine 2. Aspen 5. Jack oak 4. Hardwood 5. hhitecedar and black soruce 6. Grass and sweet fern 7. Cleared land In the process of plotting the extent of these various cover types, small acreages of grass, sweetfern and all the forest types were included within the boundaries of the dominant cover type. Litu- in the area designated as jack pine there are small patches of aspen, jack oak, hardwood, cedar swamp and grassland, but considered as a whole, the area is predominantly forested by jack pine. The map will be useful in making correlations between.cover type, natural land divisions, and the intent of ownership map. It also shows the amount and distribution of cleared land. “w smut. “ “.0n‘. ,_, A h'v.v—- w—v -wv w WIM‘WW‘F ' ,__J?“‘"‘**‘” .MAM ‘ _...___ '—’"—‘— 11ftry:T-*-“**‘-=‘-1uf;.'::n ' ran . I1IH§O1|OIJ1IIICIIOA 24. Planimeter btudy of Cover Map Cover type Area in Square miles yg_of total Jack pine 255.7 41.9 Hardwood 17.2 5.1 Ehite cedar and black spruce 17.7 5.2 Aspen 64.0 11.4 Jack oak 140.2 25.1 Grass and sweet fern 72.0 12.8 Cleared land 10.1 1.8 Lakes 4.1 .7 . 561.0 100 % Intent of Ownership Map In this county, as in.many northern.counties, public owner- ship has been increasing rapidly by the acquisition.of lard through tax delinquency. If a program of efficient land planning is consider- ed, it will be necessary to know the amount and distribution of the various types of land ownership. Each type of intent of ownership has a different form of utilization, and the amount of land present in the county, qualified to serve these various forms of intent of ownership is undoubtedly limited by intrinsic characteristics of the land. If land was to be classified for just one form of utilization, the task would be relatively simple, but when there are several forms of utilization, and the complicating possibility of multiple use on the same area, by a number of nonrconflicting agencies, is considered, the problem displays unusual complexity. The data necessary for plotting the various types and intent i.— .vo-v‘... _~ ww w—v—wv vv‘, hm .. '1 pv- L ' j t“ HI...- '5. u t;- .‘_A . t v » _ ‘u- :1 .. «rs- . -.. s.-. mum-‘1'“. I’m 1 '69.! 25. of ownership, vere collected from several sources. Data was drawn from the files of the State Lands Division, National Forest Service, Michigan National Guard Headquarters, and from maps published by the Land Economic Survey. Observations on some of the other land uses were made in the field. Quantitative Summary of the Intent of Ownership Map Intent of OwnerShip ggggg 2iof total area Farmland 11,890 5.5 Industrial 560 .1 Hunting and Fishing Clubs 2,400 .7 Urban 600 .2 State 164,220 45.8 U. 8. Government 55,690 15.5 Recreation 55,520 9.5 Speculation 90,520 _2§;1_ 559,000 100% REsULTS OBTAINED Past Use: Forestry Formerly the whole county was covered by virgin forest, but through continuous cutting, this resource has been almost completely exhausted. Reproduction of economically important species has been hampered a great deal by cutting practices and by fire. During the early stages of settlement, forestry was the dom- inating economic influence. All business within the county was either directly or indirectly dependent on the lumber industry. .Actual log- ging and milling operations were the major sources of employment. - *o-Q- 0.4.; ‘— sh-..- u-- 3“.» ‘- lflt‘m‘~tI-u1“lh‘fw , . ~—. _. :‘r_"m m--l _4 on I “V! i ~I 4" b l it own-7 ‘1‘. _ wanna: . “a . . . . M «are; 26. Railroads, agriculture, and retail sales of supplies and machinery were indirectly dependent upon the lumbering industry. The cover conditions have changed greatly since the virgin stands were cut. When the soil map was made by the Land Economic Survey, the fieldmen made observations to determine the original cover of the various soil types. The original cover was determined by an examina— tion and identification of the stumps that remained on the land. By summarizing this data the probable acreage of the original cover types was computed. Cover Type study Original Cover Area in Cover type ‘gguare miles % of coungg Jack and Red pine 195.1 54.9 Red pine 152.5 27.1 Hardwood 74.6 15.5 White and red pine 71.5 12.8 White cedar and black spruce 42.2 7.4 White pine 14.5 2.5 Leather leaf 4.4 .8 Swamp hardwood 5.9 .7 Sedge 2.7 .5 561.0 sq. miles 100.0% w ‘4'. v. W vi ._,.T-_.~ ‘ -* >l>§flfi - m- mwm. Wm!“ ’ any; ;: ~ 27. Present cover Area in Cover tgpg sguare miles igof county Jack pine 259.8 42.6 Jack oak 140.2 25.1 Grass and sweetfern 72.0 12.8 Aspen 64.0 11.4 Lhite cedar and black spruce 17.7 5.2 Hardwood 17.2 5.1 Cleared land _1Q;1_ 1.8 561.0 sq. miles 100.0% This data shows that the virgin forest was composed of stands of jack and red pine, red pine, hardwood, and white and red pine. The present cover types differ considerably from the original cover and the change is usually credited to fire, but there appears to be other trends of reasoning. Ecolpgical Aspects of the Development of thg Present Cover Type Factors affecting cover type 1. Fire 2. Lumbering a. Selective cutting b. Clear cutting It has been customary to emplain cover type changes by stating that fire most likely swept over an area, killing the original stock of trees and leaving the land Open for the invasion of such fire species as jack pine, jack oak and aspen. Accurate records of fires have been.kept ‘ z- “A”. .vh‘. ‘ . AW‘ . . -~ 5“ it“s-m ——-—-._.___.__ -',.- L i 43—. _-..- ’F ‘u\"' A-‘——--——:wnv _-.~*-—. -: 7‘ ‘£ 1‘”. r I '0'. 411.. 1- .c 1.1.1 .4 . . 4 - ..va “.1044. IIHNOI‘HIII-IIIII V I.» leJ: 33.0”” 0‘. 90...!” $3300.“... t.~tuud\......n.u..:... D V In.apv'VIIDOUrI' 9.0:..IU 0.0-: prevrlllt Ivtl,.tvvu..' . ,. .a v7 .... 4 .1 .v..:... 1 ..1.,. 4 . a . .. > 1‘:: bl. I, 't' {...v 28. by the Conservation Department since 1927, but this data does not cover enough area within the county to justify the changes of cover type that have taken.place. hhere fire occurred it undoubtedly aided the spread of fire species, but it appears unlikely that the whole county would have been burned over. Other factors besides fire may have been effective agents in the changes. While there may be some uncertaintr about the acreage of Craw- County that has been burned over, there is little doubt existing as to whether the area has been logged. In 1927 there were only 2,095 acres of well stocked timber over 9 inches in diameter in the county. This figure included aspen and jack pine. It is dOUbtful if even this acreage of merchantable timber now exists. It is thought that the kind and intensity of cutting that a stand of virgin timber is subjected to will determine its future development. A virgin stand of red pine exists in association with northern white pine, jack pine, jack oak, w.ite oak and paper birch. If cut selectively the more valuable species; red pine and white pine, will be removed, leaving a mixed stand in.which jack pine will probably predom- inate. This change will most likely be complete, for red pine nearly always occurs as an even aged stand. Even if numerous red pine seed trees are left, the resulting stand would be dominated by jack pine because red pine is quite intolerant. If the virgin stand of red pine was clear out, the heavy cover of brush that usually follows this type of cutting would impede the growth of red pine reproduction. It is also quite possible that the cutting would not take place during a good red pine seed year, which normally occurs once every seven.years. The presence of reproduction »- mac—J A.-. an‘ L. . >*~'W. .~4"'~ ‘w , r." - w. r "fi‘ i" ‘7‘. :oa—«m’ ' .4— u“ 'J --.- Tru’h‘ {Inna . . ‘un a? 29. of aggressive species, such as jack pine and aspen, combined with the intolerance of red pine and its peculiar seeding habits, might be cone sidered a significant factor in the degeneration of virgin red pine stands. This reasoning is easily applicable to other cover changes. By comparing the cover map(l) with the map of natural land divisions,2) some very definite correlations can be observed. The jack pine cover type coincides almost perfectly with the flat sand plains; the jack oak cover type is found exclusively on the excessively drained low sandy hills; aspen and hardwood occur on the level loamy uplands. These correlations appear to show that the various cover types are closely related to def- inite edaphic conditions, and the data may be of use in planning for the future use of land for various kinds of forest utilization. Present Forest Utilization Sixty-two per cent of the total area of Crawford County is in public ownership. It is administered by the following agencies: National Forest Service National Park Service State Division of Forestry State Division of Parks State Game Division Michigan National Guard Private Forestry There has been considerable amounts of pulpwood cut in the past, but the present trend is to let the jack pine mature and then sell it to the cabin factory. Lhite cedar is utilized down to a 5—inch diameter for rafters and other interior cabin construction. (l) and (2 - located in pocket at end of thesis. .oqx . ,p. v ‘.' \‘0'."-“‘~ "' w—y— —_w—'—. ‘4"? ol.,-.- -¢=~anwzu . ' “'15.: . ”2.:- L ‘ '_ ‘————.— .Om" a.“ _ ‘W “so A 50. v (1“ I- 1' I W'I‘fi J‘I b.- O z I. ‘. 2- ‘\ V \ my“ cu - . \i\\ . \\~A\-,rv\\i ‘\‘ "Jack pine pulpwood" A A « _ ~~——\_,_,._\_~~F\ ,\\_x "Stock pile" of Air Lock Cabin Company The novelty factory uses jack pine and paper birch almost ex- clusively, but its annual consumption does not exceed 100 cords. “at :‘J‘ ‘ ‘t‘ ‘w- 41...“. ‘1. - J!!afiu1|«0‘luldiill:. Q .0: zx‘tt’.’ltl vvo... put..... ...\6. 200'. WWV‘ a . ,__ \_’-\. "Novelty Factory" at Frederick Future of Forestry So little of the forest land is in private ownership that future forest policies will be directed mainly by the State and Federal Forestry Departments. If pulp production ever developes to a point that it may become a feasible commercial enterprise, the public agencies may lease tracts of land for this purpose. Experiments are being conducted at present with a new hybrid poplar, and if the results are encouraging there are extensive areas in Crawford County that may be suitable for such a venture. Agriculture On a state—wide basis, Crawford County would not be considered a strong agricultural county. The 1940 census states that there are \ In! 1.1.0!"- ll‘l ll .. . . 0 our IMCMMNOOOOOWI’NOIMO. .-od itufluuil1a111 t3. . .7? l................. P..-.::...z.£o.£i: 11.. 311.. t .. . . _ 0 0 500 I convu...'l.li'o. 52. 101 farms which.average 119 acres in size and that the total acreage of improved cropland is 2,882 acres. Most farming is general and self-sufficing, producing hay, oats, corn and vegetables for home use. Dairy farming appears to be quite successful in those locations where a ready market for dairy products is available. It was noted in the field survey that those farms special- izing in dairy or beef cattle were far superior to the average farm. In the future, the summer influx of tourists may make dairy farming practical even.in those areas more remote from the local milk consuming centers or shipping centers. The heavier soils produce fair yields of timothy and clover, but the light sand soils do not give practical yields unless treated with heavy applications of lime and stable manure. Those factors that limit agriculture most in this county are the lack of fertile soil and the short growing period. Distribution of Agricultural Land in.Re1ation to Community and Public Conservation Unit Boundaries Frederick Agricultural Area N0. of Sq; miles figof total area First class land 0.00 0.0 Second class land 6.75 15.7 Third class land 9.82 22.7 Fourth class land 26.21 61.6 42.78 sq. miles 100.0% (45 sq. miles 3 7.7% of whole county) . F7 D”; . m: ...-...; ...,I_.-.T..._:.‘ _. “i_ - ..- G V v - ‘6‘? :3 . ‘1‘" v - au=.34:'.-.. - Au.sab1e State Forest First class land Second class land Third class land Fourth class land (254.67 sq. Huron National Forest First class land Second class land Third class land Fourth class land (129.08 sq. Hartwick Pines State Park First class land Second class land Third class land Fourth class land §£§a| ngf total area .01 sq. miles .004 5.18 " " 2.2 5.89 " " 2.5 fl .. .. 95.3 254.67 sq. miles 100.0% miles _-_ 41.9%. of whole county) érg§_ % of total area .10 sq. miles .1 9.87 " “ 7.7 .59 " " .5 129.08 sq. miles 100.0% miles 3 25.0% of whole county) Area fiLof total area 1.60 sq. miles 10.7 1.01 " " 6.7 1.19 " " 7.9 Mg " n 74.7 15.00 sq. miles 100.0% (15.00 sq. miles = 2.68% of whole county) - . . . _ . - -.. Mr» V... jnfi- 1"“ “‘51—: - 2.. - _.? Q. 1'4 |_a Higgins Lake State Forest £r§§_ §.°f total area First class land 0.00 sq. miles 0.0 Second class land 4.46 " " 4.8 Third class land .57 " " .4 Fourth class land ‘§§;Q§_ " " _§4;§_ ' 92.86 sq. miles 100.0% (92.86 sq. miles ; 16.6% of whole county) Beaver Creek Agricultural Area .££§§ % of total area First class land 0.00 sq. miles 0.0 Second class land 1.84 " " 22.2 Third class land .56 " " 6.8 Fourth class land _§;§Z " " _jl;g_ 8.27 sq. miles 100.0% (8.27 sq. miles = 1.5% of whole county) Hanson State Game Refuge Area % of total area First class land 0.00 sq. miles 9.0 Second class land 0.00 " " 0.0 Third class land 0.00 " " '0.0 Fourth class land _ 56.64 " " 100.0 56.64 sq. miles 100.0% (56.64 sq. miles = 7.1% of whole county) 54. _v__ on”. m, -“L.I-"." I": vwvvv vv v-ww ... mmm - u..."- « ... .. i . - ~. »‘ A A .u . ‘ u v. - .v- a. .3? Pan-I5 V.” via-F's- - Eu. ..AK. ‘ ‘ ”32‘ '3: .4-4‘.‘ ..an m I ~ .>. - ‘ Summary of the Planimeter Study of the Agricultural Classification.Map §3;_Ei;2§ Egpf total area :E First class land .11 .2 Second class land 29.70 5.5 5: Third class land 18.24 5.5 g; Fourth class land 512.91 21:3L' % L {1] 560096 sq. 11110 100.0% tttt In an effort to determine the "success factors" of farming, a number of correlation studies were made. Correlation of Farmland and Abandoned Farmland with the Natural Land Divisions -...qurv Farm Abandoned Total cleared % of cleared land farm land land land abandoned (acres) (acres) ‘(acres) Level loamy Uplands 1552 2198 5550 62 Low sand hills 1557 2585 5940 66 } Flat sand plains 1047 2801 5848 75 A Loamy plains 960 565 1525 57 i This study shows that abandonment has been comparatively high on all the land types except the Loamy Plains. The low rate of abandons ment on this particular natural land division may be interpreted by analyzing its basic characteristics. ——-‘.—..—T r. "t a ... I ...i . . I] gugtg IL?! .4{.rO;Uo:OOovu—V¢IOdonut; 0| ’9‘ n.1,", I II 0...... ot...t'oa...4u..u.~.. . . . v" . :Ihtvl 0., .. .. n I . . y .. . , u . as t (1) It may be observed on the Natural Land Division Map the loamy plains areas are compact undissected divisions. 56. that By referring to the Agricultural Classification Map it is seen that these areas are unbroken.bodies of second class land. Both communities are well serviced by good roads and they are conveniently located between.Grayling and Roscommon. Characteristics of Loamy Plains Agricultural Communities 1. Second class agricultural soil 2. Compactness of communities a. tell adapted for social relationships b. basily serviced by (l) roa ds (2) schools (5) electricity (4) telephones c. Available market for farm products d. Easily accessible purchasing and recreational centers. CORRELATION OF FARMLAND AND ABANDONED FAEKLAND WITH THE AGRICULTURAL CLASSIFICATION OF THE SOILS *W 1 4—» Farm- % of Abandon- Total % of Total % of Item land total ed farm- area of cleared acres land farm- land cleared land ab- of class land land andoned land cleared (acres) <(acres) (acres) clear First class land 50 .6 0 50 0 70 45 Second class land 2,918 62.2 1,196 4,114 29 19,008 21.6 Third class land 554 7.5 1,001 1,555 74 11,674 11.6 Fourth class land 1,594 29.7 5,950 7,544 81 528,288 2.2 Total 4,695 100.0 8,147___12,845 559,040 (1) Located in pocket at end of thesis ‘ “~6‘§.‘.1¢-,“. _.. . v-Vv ......a I“ .AL‘.".‘~&““-AOO'AJJ-D.Au uh'u. - .. . ' ... _ m K ..r - -.p‘.‘4--v¢_ 'e' ‘-‘ ...qu - n 9 'Ifi‘rd hours-n ...—numwm " “A - ‘ . ...... III-IIICO ..Fi 0.030.... O. In“! :90 c x ”0‘0! I’..'I- t: ...- 57. This study shows that abandonment is inversely preportional to the agricultural classification of the soil; abandonment increases as productivity decreases. At present sixty-three percent of all the farms in the county are located on first and second class land. This study does not present all the facts related to abandonment for there are many old abandoned farms that have grown up to jack pine or jack oak and there are no records available by which they could be located. This data indicates that farming is successful only on first or second class land or on those associations of several land classes in.which the first and second class land predominates. Most of the third class land being farmed occurs in relationship with second class land. CORRELATION 0F FARM BUILDING CLASSIFICATION’WITH AGRICULTURAL LAND CLASSIFICATION . Total % of total Agricultural Building Classification number of farms on classification Excellent Very good Average Poor farms on land class (A) (B) (C) (D) land class First class land 0 0 0 O 0 0 Second class land 1 12 26 9 48 75 Third class land 0 2 l l 4 6 Fourth class land 1 O 4 9 14 21 Total 2 14 51 19 66 100;; During the field work in the county, 66 farms were visited and classified on.a basis of the condition and quality of their farm buildings. In cases where there were more than one land class represented on.a farm layout, the tabulation was credited to the dominant land class. Prac- tically three—quarters of the farms were located on second class land. —— mm—I,‘ . “1p 4'9. on M" ' 'H'. fi—w ww—wv " - - bu... A _ V aha—1.11;; .I. nan-Mu.-. ’ I Q avg» u: ' w”. *‘wm- "2- ‘ , 'ulw w "ma: ‘ . 3J7 ,‘fiuL... ‘oz- A WWMM‘ - . Building Classification Class "A" Buildings ‘ _ fi_ M~~x u- .,, \\~~ ——\1 ,- Farm Layout of "South Branch Ranch" < 75 WWWWM F D n . innunfinuqflhuuflmhnmififiHE l3 - 1 . ,— ...... Dairy Barn at "South Branch Ranch" 58. . “"‘"'V" w-~.-.~ W.........(,. .... ,. ‘. . . an...“ Ad. 1 ., r. V ‘ _ ,W. ‘r/1 4. 4| (1.. Inn. in “an um... «MMMHOUL 3 Class "B" Buildings '\, \ _ ~_,,,77N\M‘¥~\W "Dairy Farm" in Beaver Creek Settlement WM-~’\ \'\ \_F\.‘ "Dairy Farm" near Love School 59. —. .g. .. -— 4-1., x” .‘rr' “491‘ ' vac- (1.4/ 1! .II' ..I' 1! lo]. t llulllll“! fill-lititn 1 I 7 .- . Ina d”. . cl. ll 11 ii‘. i!.... o.u-i’oaoatww.aw..ww.wun- “.... Oliglaangfibo b a o. .J. t I o :7. 0 (9!: ‘7‘»... v a v no . . 1 ¢. . . .. ... ......n... .a .1. . . 00.. ... .. v. ..... ... . ’ .Ilvlco - U u loaf: :v . . p . , . . . . . ., .. .. . . :gming. afizu.u..m-.-.;v.fiuw..x...u. ... . . . . .. .. .. .1 . .. . .(. a... I. ~- . inn. .v.l-. . Class “C" Buildings h 40. [J i l V 144' WMQH- l l Farm located on south edge of Frederick Community Y ’5 ...”- \_._..,_.. ' Ms» Wu‘t) . W t: 1 F .. . "_ ‘1 « - 1- mate. Farm located in north east part of Frederick Community o I!!! “mail 1441 II. a nah. on ..uuu" . 0|: ..W\.1AY4|(.‘7. ..... ...-..DJuawdu ulilurhl -.J 41. 3?! Class "D" Buildings T m ‘1 } I . w J I i f g g z ) 1 1 ? I I I r *4 ° y '1 3" Farm located in northwest part of Beaver Creek bettlement )‘ a; .4 I g i. \ a \ v . 3. \ s: ~VK~" \ ~ \ "\“N ~~I\‘ 4 ,rifi. Farm located near Scott School in southeast part of county I'll Ilh )1 7 itflvflfi u.‘n‘/H~u . ...II > ‘1 o.o.‘§.otoa.~tur~iuv-on.3 .... “Eng nighflloi‘u . . notoo.’.vt'uon'uto.0.fol.flla.t:>u‘tor... ......n.... ......y.... , . .y. 5.- lb 0" it.vofi...n......u. .... . . . y .. ...... .. ....... ... a. .. . .... . ........ . . 42. The distribution of farm buildings of a single class in relation to the agricultural land classification is best illustrated by means of a series of simple bar graphs. Bar Graphs Showing the Distribution of Each Farm Building Class over the Various Land Classes Class "A" Buildings 0% 50% 0% 50% First Second Third class class class class land land land land Class "B" Buildings 0% 86% 14% 0% First Second Third Fourth class class class . class land land land land Class "C" Buildings 0% '% 5% 15% First Second Third Fourth class class class class land land land land — vmcfiv -,\ .4 nun-alga” 'an-iaV ”i. rfiun: W' m v—u—v-vV—v—wv ‘Wr- 4. = \ ‘ '-‘.Q'._:_.—_—.nm,_.__. --_ . .. -z. I . . _' \ '."_ l 1 Illa... 1000401!!! ““300! .| in}... prrbvvno rd.h‘.....i «a 3.vu..wuau .. .... j.r~—M.~.wv~w1‘14- Ivut.-DD|A. In... 9....... .. . v. ... a . ....Dotn. I. v..'.t.lt " 1” D ‘ l. iguaattauhfituiiff......1 , : .... . ... .. ... ... . .. . .. ... II , ..1..,-., 3:37:24. 45. Class "D" Buildings 0% 48% % 48% First Second Third Fourth class class class class land land land land It is apparent that second class land ranks high in per cent of total buildings in each building class. Summary of Total Number of’Farms on each Land Class oz 75% 6% 21% First Second Third Fourth class class class class land land land land The third class land appears to rank exceptionally low in the various classes of farm buildings and total number of buildings, but this is due to its relatively small acreage. The third class land usually occurs in close relationship with second class land, and whereas there were many farms on which the third class land was present, it was secondary in quantity to the second class land and the farm was tabulated on a second class land basis. ... ‘ , h-tu' ... : I u VLF-.Ta. 0...“- r'. ”-.Am‘m ‘1 ' "I w . w. quwntw ht- __ arc—...... 44. The bar graph on the class "A" building class is not normal. If more data were available, the graph would probably show that the better classes of land have better buildings. South Branch Ranch, the one Class "A" farm on fourth class land, is unusual in many ways. It might be referred to as a classic example of over-capitalization. The original plan of the owner was to establish a large dairy farm with equipment for handling 500 milk cows. The land could produce pasture of fair quality, but could not produce the enormous quantities of concentrates needed for a herd of 500 milk cows. The present owners of this ranch have been advertising the recreational possibilities of the area and are attempting to build up a tourist trade. Headquarters of South Branch Ranch - .-. "4M -__‘....‘,_ ~ .w. “my”; K7. :3. 45. 'e- 'e» \ \l- ’WFVMWWN' Tourist Cottage at South Branch Ranch AGRICULTURAL EXPANSION Agriculture is so intricately related to the socio-economic status of people that it may appear futile to make any prediction as to its future, but progressive land planning must be flexible enough to withstand the inevitable mistakes that occur. An attempt should be made to estimate the extent of future agricultural expansion. The tools or aids that are available for making such an esti— mate, consist of the results of quantitative and qualitative studies of the past use of the land. This is merely a projection of those facts arrived at by the trial and error process of private enterprise. "w" .m- ~ _. ~ my. .,...- “i. .V,_., WWI-<17 ' M"‘".W‘:S a ‘I ['J . . .bl-us 30.0.ln10 .. ... .pu. nfihoayzo . . , 41100! « {tout-cit! 1’tfi’.l. . 46. If a certain class of land has failed to support agricultural pursuits in the past, it seems logical that unless farming practices are revolutionized or economic conditions change, the land will continue to be submarginal for farming in the future. Predictions will be based on the present area of cleared land, present rate of abandonment and total area of each agricultural class of land. The "success factor" used in the following calculations is that percentage of the land class that has stayed in farm use during previous agricultural use. If 100 acres of land, in a particular land class, vere cleared and farmed over a period and 40 acres were later abandoned, the success factor of that land class would be 60 per cent. Extent of Possible Agricultural EXpansion by Land Classes Total Area of Success Extent of total Land class land class factor possible future utilization (acres) _j%), (acres) First 70 100 70 Second 19,008 70 15,506 Third 11,674 25 2,919 Fourth 328,288 20 65,657 Total 81,952 Acres Over a period of 60 years, the average size of farms in.Crawford 1 County has been approximately 165 acres. ) The maximum number of farms that the county could support would be about 495. The chief source of possible error in this calculation would be the lack of accurate data on farmland abandonment, especially on the fourth class land. (l) Census lass—1940 “._A ‘v_., w— ...“... ‘y—wi—‘v u. ...-«re luv . . ‘MW‘ 47. . . ...... 1’..ng It :rluci .IP?|I .l . kn! 33‘7"" ..g't.‘ Farm abandomnent on fourth class land. \ —\ >¥l«—\. xi, 5.3!, vf—e' . y . ‘yrh‘ 0". 4-0.... uluu _W\O|..v ».,., . ”flag: 1 - .rflnr... . II aaaaaaa II‘0‘0600'.Obo~0.'§‘0a“0h‘Ill... . .. .. . ..u, , . , . flvmuuuflflflnfluufirflufiuuuflu ‘_—.l -..... a... -...-.» RECREATION - -—.. ...-...... vu- wwrhv-oql. 5“ . Skiing "A new use for the sand slopesu , 49. RECREATION Recreation is no longer considered a luxury; it is truly a necessity in the modern mode of living. Although occurring in many var- ieties and intensities, recreation is aluays typified by some form of aesthetic satisfaction. Due to its intangible characteristics,recrea- tional endeavors defy accurate classification and evaluation. 5. 4. 5. 6. 7. Cottage Sites. Recreational facilities in Crawford County Cottage sites Fishing - a. Lakes b . Streams c. Ice fishing d. Hatchery Hunting — a. Deer b. Partridge 0. Duck d. Rabbit e. Wildcat Water sports - a. Swimming b. Canoeing Winter Sports - a. Toboganning b. Skiing 0. inowshoeing d. Ice skating Hartwick Pines State Park Hanson.Game Refuge and National Guard Reservation (1) On the intent of ownership map there are extensive areas (1) Located in pocket at end of thesis. M' "H, s 7"??? i- ‘# aW‘O‘. A}- "‘fd’" . , ~"'\(':¢‘b 13.". ‘ that" “P." 4mfi'tx‘id 50. designated as recreational land. It consists of relatively small plots of privately owned land being utilized for its recreational qualities or apparently held for future development. Most of the plots are from 40 - 80 acres, but there are a few holdings that contain as much as 640 acres. The large holdings are the summer estates of wealthy in! dividuals and are quite elaborate in comparison to the usual modest cottage site of the average summer vacationist. Several studies have been conducted to determine the character— istics of cottage sites. That land, designated on the intent of owner- ship map as recreational, is being utilized or held for cottage sites. Correlation of Recreational Land with Lake and Stream Frontage (Hunting and Fishing club property not included) - ———— *4 w._ .w—.. ...... ,. qu.\ corral, y 'm‘... - .- mmmu flaw-mm . ... ’ _ l 1' , - ‘I 21‘ EMmber % of Item # total — 40's located within-% mi. of lake frontage 109 15.6 40! S H I! 1 H II I! ll 25 5.1 40's " " % " " stream " 600 74.8 40! S n I! l H I! I! I1 42 5 .2 40's not located " l " " water " 27 5.5 Total 805 100.0% » py- vpr-o‘m' fill- V s.~..-. ..‘~ . v. v . Evidently water frontage was the greatest attraction to people seeking cottage sites. Orfly'5% of the land designated as recreational is not located within easy reach of water frontage and when examined more thoroughly, it was found that this 5% was situated near good roads leading to streams. W” «(mag-'V w-uo.»4 wvwa, r1. - 51. Typical Cottage Sites Cottage on the North Branch of the Au Sable The bluffs along the Au Sable are ideal for cottage sites, in that they are high, well drained, wooded and scenic. g... - Egg. ...: ' t ' t DIK'\'O.OOOI\I 1.9. :1 Rngiqdliql-luflal.flu. 31.2.... ,...!..€..... 72: ......l.... L Ivntvv.:»sn .. .3........mmmaa Leefiuflflufiun 0|". 9.0.1! u.IUO 52. Cottage on the South Branch of the Au Sable i. 5., -..)rnrltl‘lf l . ,.')-Ifl it}. [I .\ in}... If )1; \‘\\\ ”\l- \«r‘ .fl. Even the low sites are utilized - cottages near Wakely Bridge .I" ~. .llbuhrinls 1" ||V llclJ Ir! , u 4-- rwuflflil ”4.1:pr ‘lvblg “arrtO-I‘.vw ‘ A 55. Commercial cottage developments are also found located along the banks of the Au Sable River. .f. 3‘ y, gill—g l 14—»de . . . \\\__ "Penrod's Cabins", Grayling, Michigan , £3 :’ f " e '\ i 1 i E \ x K 1 l , 5 I A, 5 x \ a I Tourist cabins at Mclfiaster's Bridge on South Branch of‘ Aquh'ln ... ll: {AN / 4”. i 2.15. flu. gfiiill.xiz - aneuoucsauu4.....-..,...ul. Lake Margrethe Lake Margrethe has developed to a point where lots are no longer available for cottage sites. The possibility of increased private ownership depends upon the future land policies of the Michigan National Guard. In the past, this agency has traded lake frontage for blocks of privately owned land centrally located in the reservation. In this way private ownership within the military Reservation is being encouraged to concentrate around Lake Margrethe where it does not interfere with military training procedure. Lake Margrethe Correlation of Recreational Land with Natural Land Divisions Fully 90% of the land designated as recreational on the "intent (1) of ownership" map occurs on the flat sand plains. This is fourth class agricultural land. The remaining 10% of the recreational land occurs on the low sand hills. It is gratifying to note that land being used or 115 Located in pocket at end of thesis WK- WWI/x”. A? i iguana!" “mung u. H” was I «I! F.- .,.I «i... aeratooihlfil .. 55. held for recreational use does not compete with farming for the ownership of first and second class agricultural land. Recreational endeavors do not normally utilize the fertility of the land and in a country endowed with so little good agricultural land, it would be poor lend use to have the good land in the possession of owners who did not intend to utilize it to its fullest extent. Fishing The Au Sable River is a well known Michigan river and is as heavily fished as any other trout stream within the State. Its fishing qualities aids in explaining the close correlation of cottage sites and stream frontage. "Aesthetic satisfaction" «5" ....vm . -.- u -—-r. _~.—- ... ~ ., ...? .r “b“, 56. The Au Sable, its tributaries and the head waters of the Manistee undoubtedly benefit from the experiments of the Hunt Creek g Trout Experiment Station in Kalkaska County. The troup hatchery at f1 Grayling supplies all the trout fry necessary for plantings. Numer- ous deflectors and improved spawning beds were noted on the streams during the field work. There are 15 fishing clubs established along the banks of the Au Sable and its tributaries. This fact alone indicates that good fishing must be available. lav -x-—~.-r-.v~ .1- n. _ ..? ‘-..... 4‘ 'J’Vf’w‘mWf.l /A. Van-£33" ‘H-"l'v-a—mmn . ex‘. Grayling Fish Hatchery 57. Lake Margrethe is the best known fishing lake in the county. Although primarily a bass lake, good pike fishing is enjoyed on this lake both in summer and winter. Recently plans have been completed for a dam to be built across its outlet. By flooding the swampland adjoin» ing the outlet, it is heped that the pike spawning grounds will be improved. This dam will also make it possible to regulate the water level, thereby stopping ice damage in the spring. Hunting The importance of deer hunting within the country is realized by noting that the Tenth Biennial Report of the Department of Conserva- tion.states that Crawford County had 15 to 15 hunters per square mile during the 1959 season. Only five other counties in the state had an equal or greater number of hunters per square mile. The popularity of the county, for deer hunting may be in part attributed to the fact that the Hanson Game Refuge aids in.maintaining the deer pOpulation. The net- work of roads and trails that cover the county makes the hunting area accessible by car to those people who only have a few days or a week end to hunt. The vast acreage of State and Federal Forest land (62% of the Whole county) which is open to public hunting, appeals to those hunters who dislike the inconveniences imposed by numerous posted areas that occur in other counties. Investigation'hy the State Conservation.Department indicates that the heaviest deer population in.the lower peninsula is found on old pine plains with numerous swampy areas and a diversity of cover types. The optimum site for deer is cedar swamp dispersed throughout pine plains and jack oak hardwood hills. Deer seem to congregate along the edges of swampland and highland cover types. By observing the cover map of Crawford County, it may be seen that this ideal site condition is closely approximated throughout the whole county. ‘waw‘ fi - “an". n_ , ‘ - qu-pv» ‘ ’ ‘ ‘ “use-i u... y--. H e “4' Hr mm‘;-g. ,’ ... «yum "'I 17' ' gun"! ‘10P avoovoc It. on. ...: on: 0.0.0.! : . - .1. 1...... young. firm-g. S toot.\tv ............ ...-{1'01}... 3.0‘0IWO and. 58. Deer are so numerous in the Hanson Game Refuge that the average winter—kill through starvation is estimated at 50 deer per square mile of the winter yarding area. Because of stipulations in the original deed to the state, this area is closed to all hunting and trapping. Climatic conditions are such that the deer are seldom forced to yard up in the winter time and they browse over the sand hills and plains throughout the entire year.(l) Deer hunting is king of its field, but the county also affords fair partridge, duck, and rabbit hunting. Wildcat hunting is being re- vived and attracts many hunters throughout those winter months when a good tracking snow is present. fx, Heavy stand of jack pine on Hanson Game Refuge 215 Tenth Biennial Report - The Department of Conservation, State of Michigan H- .a,-_“_ a“ «uni.» .-.- A .~.A , , 4.5? A {... ...—«1... \“---r.» Mrs-nan“... y, ! ...-I 4 VW ’7 lit . . Illx‘l I .... aihnnfiuflunaflm Burr . F . L .Jum.;.vo‘uuu««muuufl$vuv«ununnuii ..-. ‘ ...mfifl.... (......11 .... ...... . ... A I ‘I 1.1! r F 1 .l>4 'U' V U I II a I I vi 1*. éafiflnfim. -..: -. . 3...}! . IL» t . . .0 .0’. .1.I§. {I..r|> u—.— - .. -..—......— 59. ”a-.. J, .25 _ - 31?. " ”\a » '\ \--\. Fighting Deer Club - "Lodge“ on north branch of the Au Sable Water Sports j Swimming is of little importance except at Lake Margrethe, which is the principle place in the county that offers suitable facilities. a r -— w—r— i—r—‘w; Canoeing is developing rapidly and promises to assume greater popularity in the future. The Au Sable River is well suited for canoe trips. It offers unexcelled scenic beauties, good fishing and conven— I) ient camping locations. I 60. .'\\ Resting place for canoeists. Table and dock in lower left corner are examples of canoe trail facilities. The road system serving the main and tributary streams of the Au Sable is diSpersed in a way that enables the canoeist to plan trips of varying lengths. All the bridges are well marked to aid the canoeist in locating himself and many of the bridges even have special docks and stream-side tables. The high bluffs offer ideal sites on which to camp over night. If the facationist wishes, he can rent a canoe in Grayling at the local canoe livery and float down to Mic, 90 miles eastward, then by calling up the livery he can have his car brought to Mio for the return trip. - ,. w? -.1.. up.“ A.» 61. Canoe Livery at Grayling Winter Sports 4.1".”1— [a ,4/<- ‘WwMM Entrance to Grayling Winter Sports Park ._ -h- .... r ~""-P r—m 62. Grayling is a pioneer center of the winter sports activities in Michigan. The nucleus of the present Sports park was subsidized and developed by local business men. DevelOpment was so rapid that private subsidies could not support necessary expansion, so the State and Federal Park authorities were invited to take charge of the area. Several years passed before the pUblic Park officials consented to accept the responsibility of this new park. All land and equipment was sold to the state for the sum of $1.00. At present the park is sub- sidized cooperatively by the State and Federal Park Divisions and is managed by the Grayling Winter Sports Inc., with the agreement that all profits are to be reinvested in the park. Park Facilities The winter sports park is located 4 miles southwest of Graya ling, easily accessible from local train and bus depots. Roads are good and bus or taxi service is available. Ample parking space is provided at the park for the drive in.attendance. Eouinment: Tobogganing 70 x 80' log and stone toboggan.house 6 steel toboggan troughs 1500' long, equipped with conveyor to return.toboggans to tOp of hill. 94 steel-shod toboggans. .- .- wwwuceip. RI, -1. .\ ‘Viv . p- RJ ( ‘2'" ~ .'.' ‘t‘ _.,.__-._.... .. - ~ . ~.-; 7 {WWI . g : ‘. 5“ 'J x. ~ 4 mp 31.x..- my ....- hvr".‘“‘ - ‘. M‘WC‘J"‘ “a" ‘-"‘- mmfiith ’. w 65. (1) Toboggan house and slides Skiing: 2 ski jumps a. Amature jump 40' high b. Professional Class A jump 95' high 40 miles of well-marked ski trail Ice skating: harming shelters 2 ice rinks a. Standard racing rink, 200' x 412' b. General rink 557 x 659' Rinks are serviced by trucks with snow plows and brushes. A special ice planer is used to re—surface the rinks. Flood lights and music (1) Original photograph taken.by Lou Kramer -.- '“u-wr‘u ~: -. .- .. -._-_. ...... ‘ View of general ice rink from Johnson Hill Winter Sports Park ‘ho ‘o- 1‘; ‘» 3~ ["06 ’q ~ ~a. ‘- , . 'Iv Ice throne at Grayling Winter Sports Park 64. ...-...wtg. a w u punt. 2‘ Wm M -~m.w1a ‘— the summer training grounds for the Michigan National Guard. It has improved camp grounds, a recreational hall, barracks, garages, stables and a rifle range. Being located just 6 miles from Grayling, this camp attracts many sightseers and tourists that travel north or south on trunk line U.S. 27. 71. Speculation In a land use study, just the fact that land is being held for speculative purposes is not as important as its possible future utiliza- tion. Most of the land located along streamways will probably be pur- chased by people interested in cottage sites, but some of the land held by speculators will eventually find its way into public ovnership through tax delinquenqy. Gain may be realized from these speculative holdings by: 1. Sale of the land for cottage sites. 2. DevelOpment of water power or lease to power companies 5. Development of oil and gas wells or by leasing to oil companies 4. Harvesting of timber in future. Correlation of Land Held for Speculation and Stream and Lake Frontage no. of % of Item 40's total 40's located within 1 mile of stream or lake frontage 1,255 55.7 40:3 not I: u n n u n n u u 1 005 44.5 Total 2,258 100.0% From previous studies it is known that most land near streams or lakes is used for summer cottage, fishing or hunting cabin sites. Speculators have observed this and the above correlation.demonstrates that over 50% of their holdings are well suited for recreational devel- 0pment. ”Mn-m WW‘WVM u q--o:‘-w_n; 32': n:- ‘. «W van .camxz-c ~ w—aw ‘- . smut-r * Water Power The National Resources Committee states that there are 15 potene tial -ydro-electric power sites above Redheads, in the Au.Sable drain- age basin. It is possible that some of the land previously discussed as being held for recreational purposes by speculators will be used for hydro—electric power development. These potential water power possibilities will be developed only if the power companies can out—bid recreational interests for the use of the land. Oil Interests The petroleum industry has been gradually moving north from where the initial wells were located in the east and west central part of the state. In Crawford County, oil interest is most intense in the southeastern part. There is a considerable acreage of land in the south- east corner of the county held by speculators because of the possibility of oil development. Its location is not perceptively adaptable for recreation, forestry or agriculture. Forestry Except for farm woodlots, there is no appreciable amount of land, Within the county, dedicated to private forestry. There are no commer- cial forest areas established under the Commercial Forest Reserve Act. Several applications have been made in the county, but they were all re- jected upon examination. flhfil‘o,..‘ f: :1 ll ...“. n - ..1 1. a“ mama's-t"; 4:. ml ‘_’.9")"\'.".7_'.‘2 i7. I. A ”I‘m'wi.w ‘ fiw" t‘z“ “1+ :4 w. mmg'uh A v- . .1 . ' ‘9?” C CRIThRIA FOR LAND USE IN CRALFORD COUUTY This study has led to the development of several axiomatic postulations. l. A "blanket" set of criteria, applicable to all land uses cannot be drawn up. ho one set of criteria will serve to separate the land of the county into the various specialized land use areas. 2. Some tracts of land are adaptable to more than one land use. The extensive public forest lands may be utilized for their recreational qualities without seriously conflicting with the forestry utilization possibilities. 5. All land, being used for any specialized use, has been found to possess common characteristics. The constancy of these dominant characteristics is likened to the average bell-shaped curve demonstra- ting the mode of mathematical data. The majority of the tracts of land in a certain land use will have common characteristics, but the remain- ing minority will have various diverse characteristics. This is exem— plified by a study of the recreational land. It was found that 75% of the land occurred near lakes or had stream frontage,while the remaining 25% had various other characteristics. Criteria for Agricultural Land The limiting factors affecting agricultural development in Craw- ford County are low soil fertility, inadequate transportation facilities to local market, long distance to market or lack of a market. Khtural Land Divisions - Only land located on the Level Loamy Uplands and the Loamy Plains divisions has proven to be successful farm— ing land. Successful farming communities must have good transportational connections with marketing outlets. . ~.—g.-wum —— W ' *- ‘ \#-'LK\V“" r .... - 4- .— ._‘-—.- ....“ M‘ ’I H ' 1(78 ——‘. " Iv Hera-5r. 74. Cover Type - Successful farming communities coincide with hard- "ood cover types. Agricultural Classification - Sixty-three percent of the total number of farms in the county are located on first and second class agri- cultural land and 70% of all the farms ever initiated on these classes of land have been maintained as farms. Those conditions best suited for agricultural utilization are concentrated areas of fertile soil that are serviced by a good system of roads. All such areas are already being utilized to some extent at present. If future economic conditions permit, the farm capacity of the county could probably be increased five-fold on the basis of acreage of potential agricultural land. Criteria for Forest Land All land unsuited for any private enterprise has found its way into public ownership and is being used as State and Federal forest land. Results of Correlative studies: thural Land Divisions - the cover type is easily correlated with the Natural Land divisions. Level loamy uplands aspen and hardwood Low sandy hills - jack oak Sand plains - jack pine Loamy plains - hardwood Examps white cedar ard.black Spruce All the studies that were conducted in the preparation of this ”mart *0." —.. oflm‘ in W' ""l- \v ' «r.»- 2.x: '- .w” V tug-Ire“ . .P’OI ' [FEE 75. report indicate that forestry is a subsequent land use. There are no selective factors governing the character of the land in forest utiliza- tion. The boundaries of the public forests are so extensive, that all land acquired by the state through tax delinquency, automatically be- comes forest land. Private forestry will not succeed in this county until new methods of utilization are developed or until the demand for forest products increases to that point where large investments of capital for forest management will be justified. The present forest areas are more important from a recreational standpoint than for their yield of forest products. Multiple land use should be encouraged on the forest land for its practicability is gen— erally accepted. It is a means of greatly increasing the yield of land and the efficiency of investments. Criteria for Game Refuge The pertinent factors governing the successfulness of a game refuge are the characteristics of the cover type and its size. A game refuge for deer must include uneven aged or young stands of cedar for winter browse and the area surrounding the swamp should consist of vari— ous upland cover types with frequent open grass and sweetfern meadows as coordinates of the general cover complex. This cover complex affords the maximum amount of "edge" which apparently constitutes the optimum site for deer. The size of the refuge should not be established as an exact area, but should be so regulated as to best meet the current demands. In years of over-population, the size of the refuge could be reduced, o “tn. my, .... .M'thw—vw ‘r— —- " 'Azwmkxmnn‘ufé- " “wow-‘0‘! «..--t ‘ . --.‘_ "T"“"‘ . .. ‘ Hun-- ...1.. '3‘»-.. a- '- we“ 4.... norm-ver- . - . . ..., . .——-.———___.____. - an: \ a" "37. 'I’mus.‘ 7"” l 76. thereby giving deer hunters a better chance to increase the kill. If the breeding stock became limited, the size of the refuge could be in- creased, thereby affording added protection. Criteria for Parks - Parks utilize only those areas that have outstanding beauty or other points of recreational attraction. Hartwick Pines State Park is an.example of the application of these criteria. The "Pines" are a scenic attraction and they are unusual in that they represent the last virgin area of white pine in the lower peninsula. Grayling Winter Sports Park has the rugged topography necessary for winter sports, combined with pleasing winter scenery and accessibility. Potential park sties: 1. Au Sable River a. tourist camp sites b. Canoeist camp grounds 2. Lake Margrethe tourist park 5. Plains "nature study" camp grounds Criteria for cottage sites - Land suitable for cottage sites, must be located at least within one mile of stream or lake frontage and be accessible by car. Lake or stream frontage is a dominant character and transportational facilities are secondary. Development of cottage property often.pro- ceeds the establishment of an organized system of roads, maintained by the county or state. u...- ‘ “ v —. i_.i__+-.._g~___.__._ _ ui_ _ - ..m.;k:.~. 1 ' —.\~ '1 -.. 1... A “ was asp-.3925. r*“*—-v—_--_-“‘“‘u' J‘ . ! fl i .. ‘t‘ ‘W‘ ....“ "ct-“"(L.'.~""' a E“ m‘m'f‘s’.‘ 2' “V! ' 'mch‘ w 77. Criteria for a public hunting ground:- A public hunting ground should be extensive, unbroken by pri- vate tracts of land, accessible by car and controlled in.accordance with an effective program of game management. CONCLUSIONS This study has not brought out any striking examples of pres- ent land misuse, but on the contrary, it indicates that natural trends have been developing a practical and efficient method of land use. Agricplture Maladjustment is evident on,a few farms within the county. {The first farmers coming into this area sought cheap,open land with no special reference to soil fertility or other crop reqtfirements. A large part of these early farms were speedily eliminated by economic forces and edaphic and climatic deficiencies of the land for crop pro— duction. Trial and error method of farm location is wasteful, both of capital and human resources. Attempts at farming submarginal land will undoubtedly continue until progressive legislation.makes possible the establishment of zoning laws restricting the future use of the land. Education of tkose private individuals who control land sales in the county would aid in accomplishing this proper land use objective and could be promoted by cooperative research between.local real estate men.and public agencies of land control. Many of the past mistakes of agricultural enterprise will not be repeated for the land is now "frozen" in public ownership as a part of either a State or Federal forest. Those people now farming in the r" W“ - 't' ‘ -. a - _-————‘—' lfiwuml“ _‘.‘n.'-‘-au" pv‘ ...ws- ‘1!" .- _.-. we av—s‘un I.‘.fl‘*q'n.. r‘vv “swan ~. ma; - shew-n, i‘jfl- W/‘n “ Id! ' ...—v Ff anti-2p} ‘« . ‘1..-:_‘ A i. 78. county, should not be pitied but should be admired for even.subsistingm They would probably be much more successful if given.an opportunity to fermion a better site. The farmers in this region are no worse off than farmers in other parts of the state. Comparatively speaking, the loss or the depletion by misuse of all the farms in Crawford County would not be nearly so serious as misuse of first class agricultural land that is prevalent in the south- ern part of the state. Useless subdivisions around Detroit, for example, are at present holding hundreds of acres of fertile land out of agri- cultural use. In Crawford Coummy present trends indicate that farming will probably decrease slightly in the future, to that point where only the better adapted farms will remain. Game Managemerm Deer are probably the greatest single recreational asset that Crawford County possesses. In the fall thousands of hunters flock into the county for their annual deer hunt. Tourists and vacationists enjoy a year round season of camera hunting and sightseeing. Natural repro— duction of deer has been so successful in the past that both hunter and tourist achieve their respective goals. Recently the question of deer over-pOpulation has been raised. Studies of winter starvation have been interpreted by some to mean that there are too many deer for the "carrying power" of the area. Others maintain that this winter kill is only normal and that sufficient food of various kinds is available. Even jack pine is frequently used as browse by deer in the late winter (1) months. (1) Technical Lgtes no. 155, Feb. 1958 — Lake States Experiment Station, U. 5. Forest Service. . - Manta-g f . 'N-'~ "In“... vy—r -nw— -. -l~ £7 2 :‘ ’1 u Junta—m 79. and ducks are plentiful along the streamways and lakes. A cross sec— tion of the county from the standpoint of both flora and fauna can.be observed during a canoe trip down the Au.Sable River. Judging from past records, future land use will probably con- tinue to make the land more productive of wild life. Recreation In Crawford County, recreation may be said to be just in its infancy, in respect to the number of possibilities present. The county is ideally located in relation to the concentrated centers of popula- tion in the lower peninsula. A possible demand may some day arise for greater public access to various parts of the Au Sable River. New, practically all river frontage is privately owned and it is probable that when it is more completely develOped, public access for fishing may be restricted. A number of areas having river frontage, could be obtained by the state, by various methods and be held in reserve. These areas could be utilized for canoeist and fisherman camp grounds in the future. Several small camp grounds, providing only water and sanitary conveniences, could be established thronghout the County, even.on the sand hills and plains to accommodate those groups, typified by Boy Scouts, which are merely seeking a change in environment or an.oppor— tunity to study nature. Future recreational expansion appears inevitable, due to the growing demand of the public for cottage and camp sites, State and Fed- eral parks and fishing and hunting grounds. '- ~' "WV-sun? .‘I “xv-a r" a . r"... 4 Lu: V” n .n-Xlrgdl as." Aug-ths .-h-‘g-a fl .‘ ‘ u l. . i 44 .i—.___._.‘ no ("VD-7g “ac—‘3" q;v‘~ .-.. -.r‘au'w www.mm-u .— ‘- 1‘ F} V” «gov’ovfiuI. "t‘t‘lv! .00 c.500l: oOor. ,hoyx .htvovn"I40.O.lt iiis’gle-Oeto... .i .‘ . l v. V i 80. Forestgy Conditions are not very suitable for private forest management. 0n the type of cut over land, which is dominant in this county, for— ests should be managed extensively by public agencies in accordance With as many interests as possible. Saw log production may be quite unimportant in relation to the recreational value of the land. Present day foresters maintain that it is necessary to publically own only 40 - 50% of a forest area, to be able to efficiently and economically manage the whole tract. More stress is continually being placed upon coordinated management of preperty owned by several interests to ach- ieve greater benefits for all. Jack pine pulp production may become increasingly important in the future, due to the economic forces of the present war. Eighty-five percent of the poor sandy soils in the county will produce fair yields of jack pine. Private land holders should be encouraged and aided in pulp production. 1 —_.~_.—.__—_#‘_. r < r W.—— Tran. we \ccgmn.m-. (‘ng “fir-unfln-mi I . . . . . ...—1's? 16.—2.. . 1 . e A ”"93”“- . I’~\.'.\ vr-v \w .64 v-w-v—Q— F‘v-mq'> r. v ”a” 'I-wnno u.- mmflafi' 'v. 4 ._ dilllf ..l... . . ..a "Ii 4.0.... r... 1:41.332!» w... in... Lie-uh." a... I... '.Il|lnff§ 1 .I .II. Jig, (urn-Ill... II I ... int... 311.,ifr