Airport Property evaluations

Ecological Evaluation of "Former Airport Property" (on top)

Executive Summary The reviewed property consists of 169.1 total acres located along a significant mosaic of greenspace within the Kalamazoo River corridor. The site offers a diverse range of habitats including mature expanses of Mesic Southern Forest, Floodplain Forest, a biodiverse river corridor, several vernal pools, and multiple non-natural communities facing substantial anthropogenic disturbance. Based on our findings detailed below in this report, we recommend any future development and/or recreational amenities should remain on the western half of the property which is of lower ecological quality. The eastern half of the property consists almost entirely of high quality habitat that should be preserved if possible. Pockets of invasive species should be prioritized for management throughout the entire property in order to prevent the eventual displacement of these high quality plant communities. Site Description The property under review is situated directly east the intersection of 63rd St and 134th Ave in Saugatuck. The property has a long history of anthropogenic disturbance including a brief stint as an airport, a snowmobile club and trail system, as well as a current storage area for DPW lawn waste and other materials. The extensive history of anthropogenic disturbance is most obvious on the western half of the property. A plethora of invasive and noxious, disturbance-prone species can be found throughout this area. Despite this concern, the property also harbors several high-quality natural areas as we move east throughout the property including a rich creek corridor, hemlock dominated slopes leading to the creek, large tracts of mature forest with old growth oaks, multiple vernal pools, and several pockets of high-quality wet woods. Although invasive species are dense on the western half of the property, the presence of this wide range of habitats warrants a concerted management effort to discourage the spread of invasive species and preserve the integrity of the high-quality natural areas of the property.