For Friday, Nov. 25, 2016 –
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1 – Wetland restoration in Saginaw Bay is highlighted in a national report.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration points to seven partnerships in the U.S. that have helped safeguard natural resources.
The agency says the partnerships demonstrate the benefits of using conservation approaches to address climate change and other issues.
Saginaw Bay is listed alongside areas in California, the Rocky Mountains and Hawaii.
Lake Huron shoreline, Tawas Point, Michigan. Credit: NOAA
Our area is singled out for development of a coastal wetland decision support tool.
The tool helps identify and prioritize restoration activities for existing and historical coastal wetlands.
The national project is called the Resilient Lands and Waters Initiative. It supports a U.S. strategy to build and maintain an ecologically connected network of coastal and other conservation areas that are likely to be resilient to climate change and support a broad range of fish, wildlife and plants.
2 – Eleven freshwater species have been added to a federal ban list.
The Nature Conservancy says the move by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service bans trade or import into the United States, and was determined by examining damage caused in other waters.
The list includes 10 fish species such as the Crucian carp and Eurasian minnow along with the the Yabby crayfish.
The Conservancy says these nonnative invasives aren’t currently part of trade or import, but have been determined through a risk assessment process to have a high climate match. That means, if they’re released here, they could thrive within the Great Lakes basin.
Conservancy officials say past practice has been to prohibit a species only after it’s been established in the U.S. and is causing damage. The group says this proactive assessment and restriction by the Fish and Wildlife Service is an important step forward.
Mr. Great Lakes is heard at 9:30 a.m. Fridays in Bay City, Michigan, on Delta College Q-90.1 FM NPR. Follow @jeffkart on Twitter #MrGreatLakes
Proposing New Cleanup Criteria, Using Turtles to Monitor Wetlands
June 12, 2016 — jeffkartFor June 10, 2016 –
[audio https://dl.dropbox.com/s/j5nvyaecp37es6w/6-9-16-mr-great-lakes-cleanup-criteria-turtles-wetlands.mp3]…
1 – The state is proposing new cleanup criteria rules for contaminated sites.
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality is holding a series of informational meetings throughout the state on the newly proposed generic cleanup criteria rules.
Such rules are used to evaluate risks to public health, safety, welfare and the environment from regulated hazardous substances at sites of environmental contamination.
The update of the cleanup criteria includes 304 regulated hazardous substances. The criteria is used to evaluate exposure pathways such as drinking water and direct contact.
Meetings are planned for June 16 in Gaylord and June 28 in Bay City.
A formal public comment period runs from June 17-July 26.
Pre-registration for the meetings is requested.
2 – You’ve heard of the canary in the coal mine. How about the turtle in the wetland?
Just like canaries were once used to test the safety of air in coal mines, turtles can be used to measure pollution in wetlands.
Credit: Don Henlse
Researchers from the University of Notre Dame report that painted and snapping turtles could be a useful source for measuring pollution in the Great Lakes from the historical dumping of industrial waste.
During work on a federal project to monitor coastal wetlands, researchers tested painted turtles, which can live up to 20 years, and snapping turtles, which live up to 50 years.
They analyzed the muscle, liver, shell and claws of captured turtles in four wetland locations in Lake Michigan for various metals.
They found that concentrations broadly correlated with assessments of metals in the soil of the wetlands.
Because turtles live longer than fish and are relatively high on the food chain, they can be a useful source for measuring wetland pollution.
A paper describing the research was published in the journal Environmental Monitoring and Assessment.
– Mr. Great Lakes is heard at 9 a.m. Fridays in Bay City, Michigan, on Delta College Q-90.1 FM NPR.
Follow @jeffkart on Twitter #MrGreatLakes
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