A Bi-Weekly Publication Friday May 7, 2004

				Dear Wetlands Advocate, We hope this e-newsletter continues to be a valuable resource for Michigan's wetland advocates. Some of the files linked from this eNewsletter are in Adobe PDF format. For a free copy of software to read these files click here. Please forward this on to those you think would be interested. If you would like to be added to or unsubscribed from this list, please email Chris Grubb. ACTION ALERT – WETLAND ADVOCATES NEEDED IN LANSING NEXT TUESDAY, MAY 11! Our Great Lakes coastal wetlands need you! The Senate Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee will be holding a hearing about last year's "beach grooming" amendments to the state's wetland law on Tuesday, May 11^th. The hearing will be held from 3-5PM in room 110 of the Farnum building, located at 125 W. Allegan street in Lansing. SOS has been pressuring the legislature to further weaken Michigan’s Wetland Act to exempt "beach grooming" activities on commercial properties, and while no bill is scheduled to be introduced at the hearing, this is our chance to provide information that will frame the debate for the coming months when a bill most likely will be introduced. When the SOS folks first arrived on the scene, the environmental community didn’t take them seriously. That mistake won't be repeated. We cannot underestimate the importance of a strong presence at this committee hearing. Several prominent wetland scientists will be attending, as well as statewide environmental groups, but it is essential to also have a presence from citizens concerned about wetland protection. Please plan to attend and show your support for protecting Michigan's coastal wetlands! Map of Lansing Committee Meeting Agenda WETLAND BILL IN HOUSE CONSERVATION & OUTDOOR REC COMMITTEE A bill to amend Michigan's Wetland Act will be debated next Wednesday in the House Outdoor Conservation and Recreation Committee. The bill states that wetland areas identified in a 1996 DEQ report, "The Critical Non-Contiguous Wetlands of Michigan" constitutes the department's determination that those areas are essential to the preservation of the natural resources of the state from pollution, impairment, or destruction. Only a small fraction of the wetland areas listed in the 1996 report are privately owned, thus Governor Granholm's recent Executive Directive 2004-4, which protects non-contiguous wetlands on all publicly owned land, renders the bill practically moot. We are also concerned that the 1996 report is outdated, and that it could prevent the DEQ from using criteria already spelled out in administrative rules to determine a wetland to be essential to the preservation of the natural resources of the state from pollution, impairment, or destruction. The message to this committee must be that we fully support protecting non-contiguous wetlands, but this bill may not be the right mechanism to do so. Read House Bill 4588 Committee Meeting Agenda NOT TOO LATE TO REGISTER FOR WETLANDS CONFERENCE Don't miss out! There's still time to register for the Michigan Wetland Conference, May 20-22, at the new Water Studies Institute at Northwestern Michigan University in Traverse City. The conference is intended to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Goemaere-Anderson Wetland Protection Act, and will be a chance for wetland enthusiasts around the state to gather and share their learning and experiences. You may learn more and register by visiting: http://www.michigan.gov/deq/0,1607,7-135-3313_3687-85561--,00.html
	Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council 426 Bay Street , Petoskey, Michigan 49770 Phone: (231) 347-1181 x 118 Fax: (231) 347-5928 Email: chrisgrubb@watershedcouncil.org Web: http://www.michiganwetlands.org