McMillan Marsh Wildlife Area

Management Objectives

McMillan Marsh Wildlife Area is managed to provide quality wetland, grassland and forest habitats for game and non-game species while also providing compatible public recreation opportunities. Most of the property is open year-round, but there is a seasonally closed refuge area (see maps section). 
  
Wetlands on Mead are managed to provide seasonally productive and diverse habitat types that benefit wetland-dependent species such as waterfowl, muskrats and Trumpeter Swans.  Water levels are intensively managed by utilizing a system of water control structures, spillways and dikes.

Grasslands on McMillan Marsh provide nesting and brood-rearing opportunities for waterfowl, wild turkeys and many other grassland-dependent birds.  A combination of mechanical mowing, herbicide treatment and prescribed burning are occasionally used to maintain these areas in open grassland.  Pheasants are also released each fall to provide a different hunting opportunity to the property users. 

Forest habitat in McMillan Marsh Wildlife Area is influenced by a variety of techniques including coppice cutting, select cutting, tree planting, disease management and invasive species control.  The overall goal for the property is to maintain diverse cover types and age classes to enhance habitats that benefit a wide array of wildlife species.

For more information on master planning for this and other wildlife areas around the state, visit the property planning page.