Equus Hills, LLC Habitat Assessment

Equus Hills, LLC proposed to develop a former Girl Scout camp with 99 homes on 991 acres of high quality, undeveloped land located in Putnam Township, Livingston County. ASTI completed a wetland delineation, threatened and endangered species assessment, and a natural features community assessment on the Property. These assessments included mapping of all community types according to Michigan Natural Features Inventory. MNFI natural communities identified on the Property consisted of wetland and upland communities including the rare and imperiled prairie fen.

In addition, ASTI conducted habitat assessments for potential state and federal threatened and endangered species. Formal surveys were completed for the following species: Blanchard’s cricket frog (Acris crepitans blanchardi), red-shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus), Cerulean warbler (Setophaga cerulea), Powesehiek skipperling (Oarisma powesheik), and Eastern prairie fringed orchid (Platanthera leucophaea). A nesting pair of bald eagles was identified during assessment activities. Suitable habitat for Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis), Northern long eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis), and Eastern massasauga rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus) existed. ASTI was tasked with determining impacts to the communities and potential species present.