Up North Progressive

Michigan is one of 13 states to qualify for grants in the National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program. The program is designed to help preserve wetlands along the nation’s coastal regions. The $1 million grant is the federal government’s contribution to conservation groups, state and local governments, and private landowners providing funds to conserve important coastal wetlands for birds who rely on the regions to survive in Michigan. The project will also benefit fish and other wildlife in the protected regions.

Climate change and human development of coastal regions are a threat to natural habitats for birds and other wildlife who live on the coastal regions of the United States. By providing the funds, these areas can be preserved and protected. According to a report by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 80,000 acres of coastal wetlands are lost every year in the United States. By restoring these areas, it will also benefit people through protection from flooding, improve water quality, and improve fishing and hunting for sportswomen and men.

The $1million awarded to Michigan will go toward buying property from four private owners on Abbaye Peninsula and Huron Bay. The land being purchased includes a mile of Lake Superior shoreline and 1,400 acres of land. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Keweenaw Land Trust will preserve this land to protect it from development, and provide habitat for migratory birds, wolves, bears, bobcat, and many other wild species of birds and animals that live there.

Preserving pristine wetlands in the United States is important not only for providing habitat for wildlife. Setting aside land from human development ensures the environment will remain intact, protect the land from storm damage and flooding, and improve water quality for everyone. Making sure there is land for diverse species to thrive improves the health of the land, and the planet.

For more information about the 2015 National Coastal Wetland Conservation Grant Program, contact Chris Darnell at (703)358-2236 or chris_darnell@fws.gov.