Located in Oscoda County near the beautiful Au Sable River lies our most recent Conservation Easement property, Stearns Cabin.
This 67-acre property was bought in the 1940s by Duane and Frances Stearns from the Friendship Hunting Club. When the Stearns initially
purchased the land, it was essentially bare and devoid of trees. To reverse this, the Civilian Conservation Corps came in and planted jack and red pines.

Now about 70 years later, the property has transformed into a mature jack pine barren, with red pine, cherry, aspen, and oak trees as well. Stearns Cabin is now held in a trust by Duane and Frances’s children, who wanted to keep the land intact and preserve their father’s legacy. “I remember that we didn’t have electricity in the cabin when we were children”, says Marv Stearns, one of the Stearns siblings, “We used kerosene lamps and had an outhouse, it was a fun experience.”

A pine barren is a habitat type that is not well known but is very important for many species of plants and animals. It is defined as an area with
sandy soils, flat land, and scattered trees with open areas in between. Some people may look at it as a waste of land, but barrens are actually
needed by species like the Kirtland’s Warbler, which only nest in young jack pine forests and barrens. Kirtland’s Warblers were one of the first species to be listed as endangered in the US, but they have now been taken off the list due to their great recovery. Maintaining habitats like those found on the Stearns Cabin property will ensure Kirtland’s Warblers continue to thrive and sing on into the future.

In addition, while the property does not border the Au Sable River, it is still a valuable buffer for the health of the river’s watershed. The land surrounding rivers, creeks, and lakes has a great impact on the water that eventually ends up in these waterways. Maintaining a zone of native vegetation creates a safeguard against erosion or trash and contaminants entering our water bodies. By donating a conservation easement on the property, the Stearns have ensured that their property will remain natural, beautiful, and contribute to the health of northern Michigan’s landscape.