| April 9, 2005 |
Improving Natural Resources
By SUE LATUSZEK
The Alpena News
April 9, 2005
Huron Pines Resource Conservation and Development Area Council has been serving the 11-county, 4.2 million acre region of Northeast Michgian since 1973.
According to executive director Brad Jensen, the mission of Huron Pines RC&D is to "build strong partnerships to meet resource conservation and local community needs throughout Northeast Michigan."
In a nutshell, Huron Pines brings together those involved in a natural resource issue to find a solution, and assists with acquiring necessary funding. Jensen said about 67 percent of the organization's budget comes from federal and state grants, 20 percent from private contributions, 10 to 11 percent from contractual work and two to three percent from local governments.
"It's a pretty long process sometimes," Jensen said. "We want to turn good ideas into great results."
A good example of how Huron Pines works is a weed abatement project on Fletcher Pond. Linda Klemens, chairman of the Fletcher Pond Improvement Association, said about 20 different organizations have been involved since it began in 2001.
Klemens said representatives from Thunder Bay Power reported that eurasian watermilfoil was heavily infesting both Lake Besser (a wide portion of the Thunder Bay River in Alpena) and Fletcher Pond. Eurasian watermilfoil is an invasive aquatic plant which forces out other plants and has the potential to disrupt the aquatic ecosystem for many years.
Huron Pines came together with the interested parties, including FPIA, Thunder Bay Audubon Society, Thunder Bay Power, private property owners and local government officials. The group reached a solution: stock the pond with milfoil beetles -- small bugs which eat the milfoil plant.
The reasons for working with Huron Pines were numerous, Klemens said.
"They have worked with other lakes in Michigan that are experiencing the same problem," she said.
Additionally, FPIA realized it would have to do its own fundraising for the project. Huron Pines "knew how to proceed with fundraising efforts," Klemens said.
Huron Pines began because a need was seen for this type of service. Jensen said his organization covers "a pretty broad mix of things." Some of the many projects the group has been involved in include the in-stream habitat improvement in the Au Sable River, which involves using helicopters to place whole trees in the river to creat fish habitat, and improving conditions in the Ocqueoc River Watershed.
In Grayling, Huron Pines is assisting with retro-fitting the entire storm drain system to eliminate water pollution from runoff. News of the project prompted several other cities to contact Huron Pines for the same type of assistance, including Rogers City.
"It's not a huge problem in Rogers City, but they do have a few drains that run into Lake Huron," Jensen said. Huron Pines obtained a coastal zone management grant to study the problem and should begin later this month. This study could eventually turn into implementing runoff control and treatment, Jensen noted.
Huron Pines will also be working along the Thunder Bay Watershed to implement improvements at several road-stream crossings. This is a "primary point where pollution enters our waters," Jensen said.
Alpena County Commissioner Bill Estack plans to approach Huron Pines about assisting with controlling cormorants in the area.
"They're just like a plague," Estlack said of the birds, which are protected under the Federal Migratory Bird Act.
Estlack is familiar iwth many of the projects Huron Pines has been involved with.
Jensen said the group chooses projects that have the most benefit for resources or wouldn't get done without Huron Pines.
"Every project has different challenges," Jensen said. "We want to get the most done for the resources of the area." |
| info@huronpines.org |
| Northeast Michigan |
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