Native Forest Restoration at Sugarloaf Cove

Sugarloaf: The North Shore Stewardship Association manages Sugarloaf Cove, a 32 acre site located on the shore of Lake Superior. From the 1940s through the 1970s, the site was used by Consolidated Papers, Inc. as a pulpwood landing. When the paper company stopped using the site in the 1970s, they removed most of the buildings and established red pine plantations in some areas to cover bare soil. Since then, Sugarloaf has worked to restore the native plant communities that had existed at the site before it was disturbed. Much has been accomplished, including restoration of a wetland and planting of many native conifers. But the red pine plantations have not been managed and are in need of thinning. Sugarloaf is requesting $8475 to restore the biodiversity of the pine plantations by thinning the pines and planting native conifers in the understory. This project will provide improved wildlife habitat, greater structural and compositional diversity, and an overall healthier forest.