Seney National Wildlife Refuge records

Seney National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1935 for the protection and production of migratory birds and other wildlife. Today the refuge is a rich mosaic of marsh, swamp, bog, grassland, and forest; with nearly two-thirds as wetlands.

Over a century ago, lumbering operations forever altered the landscape of the Upper Peninsula’s great pine forests. The ring of the lumberman’s axe echoed through the forests as local mills depleted the region’s valuable supply of red and white pine. After the pine forests were cut, mill owners turned their axes and saws to the refuge’s northern hardwood and swamp conifer species. Following the lumbering operations, fires were often set to clear away the debris. These fires burned deep into the organic soil, damaging its quality and killing the seeds that would have produced a new forest. On many areas of the refuge, the scars from these lumbering operations remain visible to this day.

After the fires, a land development company dug many miles of drainage ditches throughout Seney. This drained acreage was then sold using extravagant promises of agricultural productivity, but the new owners quickly learned that these promises were unfounded. One by one, the farms were abandoned, and the land reverted to state ownership.

In 1934, the Michigan Conservation Department recommended to the Federal Government that the Seney area be developed for wildlife. This proposal was accepted and Seney National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1935. Physical development and restoration of the refuge land began soon after establishment. With the aid of the Civilian Conservation Corps, an intricate system of dikes, water control structures, ditches, and roads was built. This system now impounds over 7,000 acres of open water in 26 major pools.

This history was taken from the official informational brochure of the Seney Wildlife Refuge and can be found at http://www.fws.gov/midwest/seney/documents/Seney.pdf