A Bi-Weekly Publication Friday December 16, 2005

				In This Issue: · REPORT ON BIODIVERSITY OF ISOLATED WETLANDS NOW AVAILABLE · WETLANDS TRADE OFF · GREAT LAKES RESTORATION PLAN UNVEILED · ANNEX FINALLY SIGNED · HAPPY HOLIDAYS REPORT ON BIODIVERSITY OF ISOLATED WETLANDS AVAILABLE Some of the wetlands and other waters that are "isolated" from navigable waters are no longer under the jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act as a result of a 2001 Supreme Court decision (Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County vs. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (SWANCC), 2001). NatureServe has recently completed an assessment of the potential impacts of the SWANCC decision on the at-risk species and communities that are associated with these isolated wetland systems in all 50 U.S. states. The information and analyses contained in this study are designed to assist policymakers and land managers at federal, state, and local levels better understand the biodiversity value of isolated wetlands in their jurisdiction and plan for their protection. This information can be especially valuable for us in Michigan as it has been determined that 54% of our wetlands are considered isolated. This is based upon the project- specific definition for geographically isolated for the study. The complete report and supporting data are available for viewing and download on NatureServe's website: www.natureserve.org. WAYNE COUNTY WETLANDS LOST IN SWAP A wildlife-rich 445-acre tract of coastal wetland along Lake St. Clair’s Anchor Bay will become public as part of a deal that dooms acres of wetlands elsewhere. Last week, the state issued a permit allowing Waste Management Inc. to expand its Woodland Meadows landfill into 31 acres of wetlands in Wayne County in exchange for the expansion of state-owned St. John’s Marsh. The Wayne County wetlands were supposed to be protected forever through an easement but state officials reneged on the deal. State officials claim the trade is a great deal as the St. John Marsh expansion is ecologically lucrative and the 31 acres of wetlands in Wayne County are “degraded to a point of dying.” While the preservation of 445 acres of coastal wetlands is highly commendable, reneging on conservation easements is certainly not. This deal which failed to uphold the protection of wetlands in Wayne County could set quite a troubling precedent. THE NEXT STEP IN GREAT LAKES RESTORATION On Monday, December 12, 2005, the Great Lakes experienced a historic unprecedented time with the release of the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy to Restore and Protect the Great Lakes. With all levels of government and the citizens of the Great Lakes united, the next step in implementing the plan is to obtain the necessary funding. The mayors, governors, Tribes, and members of Congress have independently sent the President a list of near-term action items that could substantially improve the long-term ability to protect and restore the Great Lakes, which calls for an increase of $300 million for the Great Lakes ecosystem. We will have to wait to see the if President Bush will fulfill the commitment made to the Great Lakes with the inclusion of funding for Great Lakes restoration in the 2007 fiscal federal budget which is due out in February 2006. If the President’s budget fails to provide the needed funding, Congress has the ability to step in and make the Great Lakes a priority. We will be calling on them to do so.			HAVE A HAPPY AND MAGICAL HOLIDAY SEASON As the Holiday Season is upon us, we find ourselves reflecting on the past year and on those who have helped protect wetlands in a most significant way. We would like to sincerely thank you for your continued commitment to protecting our magnificent wetlands and natural resources. In turn, we wish you the special gifts of this holiday season. The gift of joy. The gift of peace. The gift of happiness. GOVERNORS AND PREMIERS FINALLY SIGN ANNEX Representatives of eight states and two Canadian provinces formally approved an agreement Tuesday that would prevent outsiders such as booming cities of the Southwest from raiding Great Lakes water. The pact, reached months after four years of talks, also seek to encourage conservation of water by the states and Canadian provinces around the Great Lakes.
	Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council 426 Bay Street , Petoskey, Michigan 49770 Phone: (231) 347-1181 x 114 Fax: (231) 347-5928 Email: jenniferm@watershedcouncil.org Web: http://www.michiganwetlands.org