| March 3, 2008 |
Representatives from six organizations and private landowners gathered Saturday, February 23, 2008, to participate in the first of a series of public meetings organized to discuss the status and future of the North Branch Au Sable River Watershed. There are several groups active throughout the watershed, all working to enhance the natural resources of the North Branch. Lately, many of those groups have been working so independently that a need has arisen to create a unifying document to better guide all restoration work happening in the North Branch.
Au Sable North Branch Area Association and Huron Pines are partnering on a new watershed management plan, specifically tailored to the North Branch Au Sable to provide greater detail and regionally focused recommendations. In the fall of 2007, the North Branch Area Association allotted $15,000 to fund the development of the watershed management plan. Since the plan is being developed without Michigan Department of Environmental Quality financial support, and with much less funding than what it normally takes to complete a DEQ-approved plan, there is a great amount of freedom involved in how to adapt the plan specifically to the needs and wants of the stakeholders within the watershed. The process of collecting those concerns began this Saturday.
The group discussed several topics that go into a typical watershed management plan and which of those elements are important to the North Branch Au Sable. For example, Huron Pines has completed nearly 75% of the road/stream crossing inventory for the watershed. The inventory will be completed with the onset of the 2008 field season. Another facet of the plan will be to look at instream concerns, such as areas that lack proper woody debris habitat or the locations of invasive species populations.
The attendees voiced many different concerns regarding their watershed. The breadth of those concerns reiterated the need for a unified guiding document. Topics brought to our attention spanned from sediment transport and the presence of small dams to the aerial application of gypsy moth pesticides. The conversation continued to flow through discussions of the state’s Natural Rivers Zoning, keeping woody debris habitat stationary, the width of certain stretches of the river, how to involve younger generations as future stewards, and the application of herbicides throughout the power line corridors. The group enthusiastically spoke about their concerns for the watershed and expressed an interest in the planning process.
The participation of these six organizations and the private landowners is greatly appreciated and their input in future aspects of the plan is very much anticipated. For future public meetings, we are hoping to increase the number of stakeholders in attendance. The success of the watershed management recommendations set forth in the plan hinge upon their acceptance by the affected parties. Simply said, the plan is more likely to be successful with increased participation and contributions from local citizens, businesses, and other stakeholders. |
For more information on the Au Sable North Branch Watershed Management Plan, or to submit concerns, please contact:
Patrick Ertel
989.344.0753 x19
patrick@huronpines.org |
|
|
