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SUMMER 2003 -- Please take a look at our site and contact us if you share our concern and want to help. E-mail SWAT at chesterfieldswat@yahoo.com Our focus has been on "Endangered Woods" in Chesterfield Township, consisting of 4 large parcels of about 30 acres each. This area, a vast forested upland/wetland complex is under threat of imminent residential development, proposed as "Secluded Woods" and "Lakeview Estates". <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> Despite over three years of local public opposition, it appears that a very significant forested wetland/upland complex south of 23 Mile Road and west of Jefferson Avenue, in the middle of Section 23 of Chesterfield Township, Macomb County, Michigan will be lost to yet more residential development. This is the last of two or maybe three large forested swamp areas along the entire western side of Lake Saint Clair, depending how far inland is taken into consideration. The site is located on four major parcels ranging from 20 to 32 acres each, known as "Secluded Woods" (recently owned by Antonio Evangelista and sold to Paul Esposito), "Lakeview Estates" (owned by Paul Esposito), "English Homes", and "Village Builders" (recently owned by Saint Joseph - Mercy Hospital of Macomb County), located along the east side of Salt River and inland from Lake Saint Clair roughly 1,000 feet. The forest extends mainly across the south ½ of Section 23, totaling approximately 100 acres. The owner and developer, Paul Esposito, has had his crews out on the Lakeview Estates and Secluded Woods parcels clearing trees for installation of roads and a sewer line. Substantial portions of this forest are very mature, approaching what could be called old-growth, or at least what has been termed "climax" forest, consisting of large American Beech, Sugar Maple, Black Cherry, White Oak, and Red Oak. Herbs such as Red Trillium, Dutchman’s Breeches, Toothwort, and the usual array of woodland wildflowers are abundant across the upland portions of the forest floor. It appears very likely that Michigan Threatened Large Toothwort - Dentaria maxima is also present throughout the area. The forest is confirmed breeding habitat for many interior woodland birds such as Wood Thrush and various warblers observed on the site. This forest is one of the top 10 forests in Macomb County in terms of size and quality, and perhaps only 5 forests in Chesterfield Township were comparable in size and lack of fragmentation according to the 1969 aerial photograph base of the Soil Survey of Macomb County. Please take note that 1969 was a long time ago for Macomb County. Less than 9% of Macomb County and Chesterfield Township remains forested according to 1995 SEMCOG land use cover data. Based on studies of forest fragments in southern Michigan, as little as 5% and at most 8% of the Macomb County landscape would have consisted of interior forest in 1995. Interior forest, as opposed to edge forest, is necessary to support and maintain many uncommon interior woodland species. The percentage of interior forest in Macomb County is certainly less in 2002 because of development. Due to the maturity of the forest, extensive swamp wetland, and its proximity to Salt River, the area was identified as potential habitat for the federally Endangered Indiana Bat - Myotis sodalis. However, because of the weakness of our so-called Endangered species "protection" laws, habitat is rarely protected. Generally only a "direct take" of a protected species is prohibited. Therefore, any potential roost tree for Indiana Bat (generally those with loose, exfoliating bark such as dead American Elm, or Shagbark Hickory) may be cut from November 1 through March 31, that period when the bat is considered to have migrated south from its northerly breeding range in Michigan, and left its roost trees. Therefore, no direct take is considered to have taken place since the reasoning is that the bats will simply find other roost trees, despite the fact that females often return to southern Michigan pregnant and tend to use the same tree year after year. In late March of 2002, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service staff from East Lansing were actually on-site showing the developer’s contractors which trees to cut on the Secluded Woods parcel to eliminate potential Indiana Bat roost trees. They returned in the early spring of 2003 to cut trees on the Lakeview Estates parcel to install roads and a sewer line that has not yet been approved in a formal site plan.
Explore Endangered Woods at the links below:
Endangered Woods Aerial Photographs
Endangered Woods Wetland and Forest Maps
Secluded Woods Parcel
Wolf Site on Lakeview Estates Parcel
Michigan Threatened Large Toothwort in Endangered Woods
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