Michigan’s assortment of landscapes and the scenic beauty they provide enrich all of our lives, but none more breathtaking than our coastal areas. Michigan has approximately 3,921 miles of Great Lakes shoreline and the longest coast of any state in the continental U.S.

The coastal ecosystem not only serves as a vital transition area between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, but also provides critical habitat for many wildlife, fish, and plant species. Coastal features such as wetlands and dunes are extremely fragile and can easily be impacted by land use activities. These areas require special attention because of the many services they provide and their sensitivity to alterations.

The Northeast Michigan Coastal Stewardship Project is a two-phased project to protect and enhance our coastal resources. Financial assistance for this project was provided, in part, by the Michigan Coastal Management Program, Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), through a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce.

In the first phase, Huron Pines will develop a geographic database of the 467 Lake Huron shoreline miles in our service area that will identify sensitive coastal habitats and threats to these habitats, and prioritize areas in need of protection, restoration, and management. The maps from the database will also be utilized to develop a list of priorities and recommendations, as well as compile findings that will be provided to other groups. The project is supported with input from our technical steering committee that includes Michigan Sea Grant, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Northeast Michigan Council of Governments, and HeadWaters Land Conservancy.

The second phase is to implement on-the-ground improvement projects and conduct good stewardship practices in these coastal areas with funding provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Coastal Program. Projects will focus on creating partnerships with private landowners to install conservation measures on their land that will enhance their property and protect coastal resources. Working with private landowners and providing them with resource information to implement best management practices will help to conserve valuable habitat and protect Michigan’s most spectacular landscape.

For more information about this project, contact:

Eric Nelson, Habitat Specialist
(989)344-0753 ext. 31
eric@huronpines.org