For June 28, 2019

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For June 28, 2019

1 – Projects in Gladwin, Clare and Bay Counties are among those funded recently by the Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network.

The network, funded by area foundations, awarded $92,000 in grants for four new projects, including a regional effort focusing on outdoor education at schools throughout the 22-county Saginaw Bay watershed. 

The Bay County project will convert a portion of an existing paved parking lot into a green space to create a scenic public waterfront park in the Linwood area along Saginaw Bay, including benches, picnic tables and spotting scopes. A 60-foot seasonal fishing dock also will be installed along with a kayak launch that’s handicap-accessible.

More information is available online at saginawbaywin.org. 

2 – Severe cold and historic rain events this year are having a devastating impact on the state’s farming community, officials say. 

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has launched an online resource and information portal to help. The site is updated as new information and aid is identified. It includes resources from Michigan State University Extension and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

State officials say wet conditions are preventing farmers from getting into fields and planting for the growing season. Farmers in many parts of the state are weeks behind schedule. 

For information, visit michigan.gov/cropdisaster.

3 – Talking raccoons are part of Michigan efforts to boost recycling. 

The state Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy this week launched “Know It Before You Throw It,” the first-ever statewide education campaign on recycling. 

The goal is to promote awareness of cleaner recycling practices to reduce the amount of contaminated materials going into recycling bins. 

The state also wants to double Michigan’s recycling rate to 30% by 2025. Michigan’s current rate is the lowest in the Great Lakes region and among the lowest in the nation. 

To kick off the campaign, the department introduced the Michigan Recycling Raccoon Squad, a highly motivated band of masked recycling experts who will serve as education ambassadors. 

More information is online at RecyclingRaccoons.org.