GINLC Newsletter: Reflections from the President

Another eventful year is drawing to a close and we are now preparing for the Grosse lie Nature & Land Conservancy's annual membership meeting. We hope that you'll be able to join us for a continental breakfast starting at 10AM on Saturday, November 8th at the Centennial Farm Recreation Building. This is an opportunity for our members to meet with the board of directors, to obtain committee reports and to sign up to help with future volunteer efforts.

Nature Area Transferred

Earlier this year congressional legislation passed to move the "Grosse Ile Nature Area" from the US EPA to the US Department of interior to be administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. The property will officially be used for "a habitat for fish and wildlife and as a recreational property for outdoor education and environmental appreciation." The legislation included a requirement that the US Department of Defense through the Army Corps of Engineers perform environmental remediation so that the 40-acre site achieves the standards required for use as a wildlife habitat and recreational property.

According to Dr. John Hartig, Refuge Manager, "the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been directed to cap certain portions of the property that may pose a risk to wildlife. The capping is expected to be completed by January 2010." Agreement between FWS and ACE on the extent of capping is the first step in this process. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Michigan Department of Environmental Quality are also involved in these discussions. Dr. Hartig also noted that the FWS is "very much looking forward to partnering with the Grosse Ile Nature and Land Conservancy on stewardship of the property and public use."

Likewise, the Conservancy looks forward to working with the FWS in continued reclamation of the area's ecosystem while increasing public access. Since the remediation work might not be completed before January 2010 the Conservancy does not expect to host any open hours or educational programming at the site during the 2009 year.

Blog

I apologize for not posting much to our blog this summer. Remember, you can find it at http://ginlc.blogspot.com/. Unfortunately I had some health issues that stole my time and energy these past months. I'm doing better these days, so I'll start posting some more photos and commentary in the months ahead I promise, when the cold weather hits you'll have the opportunity to be vicariously warmed while looking at some of our summer photos.

Hope to see you at our meeting on November 8th! -Liz Hugel