environment

Port Huron State Game Area Day

Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) Wildlife Division staff are hosting a tour of the Port Huron State Game Area on Saturday, September 24, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. The MDNR field office at 6181 Lapeer Road in Kimball Township will serve as the central meeting location, and MDNR staff will be set-up to interact with attendees.

The primary goals for this event are to:

  • Increase awareness of State Game Areas and make them more accessible to users, including hunters and non-hunters
  • Showcase the Port Huron State Game Area
  • Make MDNR Wildlife Division staff and local partners more accessible
  • Celebrate and showcase MDNR partnerships with the public

The Thumb Land Conservancy (TLC) is encouraged by this well-deserved attention to one of the most significant natural areas in the region. Several TLC members have promoted the Port Huron State Game Area, including Bob Haas who worked for the MDNR Fisheries Division for many years and authored the Black River Assessment. Bob passed away in June.

TLC Member John Fody did much of the field work to produce the 2012 Natural Features Inventory and Management Recommendations for the Port Huron State Game Area.

Tour planning is underway and will include driving and walking. There will be activities for kids at the field office, including a nature loop they can check out. They will have combo kits of blaze orange hats and vests to give out, as well as some other goodies that are still to be determined.

Reporting for WGRT – George James

Power Outages On The Rise In Michigan

Have you experienced more power outages this year than you can recall in comparison to previous years? The analysis conducted by nonprofit research group Climate Central, has shown that there’s a reason for that.

From 2000 to 2021 83% of outages were caused by weather related events which may intensify as the climate continues to warm. Kaitlyn Trudeau, data analyst for Climate Central says, “The system we have right now was not built in a time and climate we’re experiencing now.”

The largest number of power outages were reported in Texas, followed by Michigan, California, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. 

According to Trudeau the climate crisis will continue to cause issues and force grid operators to encourage residents to use less electricity when the supply is unable to meet the demands placed on the system. The solution to the problem would require states to invest in smart grid technologies, as well as improving the current system to withstand more severe weather changes. 

Reporting for WGRT – Choze Powell

Update On 120-Inch Water Transmission Main Break

The Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) has an update on the August 13th break to the 120-inch water transmission main that distributes finished drinking water from its Lake Huron Water Treatment Facility to communities in the northern part of GLWA’s drinking water service area.

With the 120-inch transmission main now fully closed, GLWA’s Lake Huron Water Treatment Facility has begun producing the 81 million gallons of water it will take to fill the 26 miles of main. Once the transmission main is filled, GLWA will work with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) to implement a flushing and disinfection plan. Due to the size and length of the transmission main, GLWA expects this flushing and disinfection to take some time and is estimating a return to normal operations by September 21st.

GLWA will share more information as it becomes available.

Reporting for WGRT – George James

New Michigan DNR App for Licenses, Harvest Reporting

The new Michigan Department of Natural Resources hunting and fishing app is now available for download to Apple and Android devices. Introduced in July after months of development and testing, the free Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app offers a convenient way for hunters, anglers and other outdoor enthusiasts to:

  • Buy hunting and fishing licenses and trail permits.
  • Report deer or fish harvests.
  • Look up regulations and download guides and digests.
  • Find their license history, including point and chance balances.
  • Check out maps with multiple layers, showing features such as shooting ranges and boat launches.
  • Get timely notifications from the DNR.

“I like the app; it’s easy to use and has everything right there,” said Mike Koziara, owner of MQT Adventures and Guide Service, which provides guided fishing and other outdoor excursions in the Upper Peninsula.

The Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app is available:

If you have any questions about the app, call DNR licensing customer service at 517-284-6057 during normal business hours, 8 AM to 5 PM Monday through Friday.

Reporting for WGRT – George James

With Spotted Lanternfly Infestation Looming, MDARD Pleads for Vigilance in Reporting and Prevention

The spotted lanternfly is a menace and has the potential to destroy Michigan staples like apples and hardwood trees. But it’s not picky. It feeds on more than 70 different species, and an infestation could be devastating to the state’s agricultural economy.

Robert Miller with the Pesticide and Plant Pest Management Division of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said, “Our agricultural and natural resources are part of Michigan’s identity, and spotted lanternfly has the potential to forever change that landscape.”

The pest has been spreading rapidly across the northeastern United States and dead lanternflies have been found in packaging materials in Michigan. So far, MDARD hasn’t found any live ones.

Miller said, “With the current rate of spread, it is possible spotted lanternfly could reach Michigan at any time.”

If you come across the dreaded pest, let MDARD know immediately. Citizen awareness and reporting are critical in containing the pending arrival of the invasive pest.

From MDARD:

From late summer to the first hard frost, spotted lanternflies are in their adult stage and easiest to identify. Adults are roughly one inch long. Their folded wings are gray to brown with black spots. Open wings reveal a yellow and black abdomen and bright red hind wings with black spots transitioning to black and white bands at the edge.

Female spotted lanternfly lay egg masses in the fall, which resemble old chewing gum, with a gray, waxy, putty-like coating. Egg masses can survive winter temperatures to hatch in the spring. Hatched eggs appear as brownish, seed-like deposits. Spotted lanternfly juveniles are wingless and are black with white spots, developing red patches in their final juvenile stage

If you find a spotted lanternfly egg mass, juvenile or adult, take one or more photos, make note of the date, time and location of the sighting, and report it to MDARD via email at MDA-Info@Michigan.gov or by calling 800-292-3939. If possible, collect a specimen in a container for verification.

Before traveling, check out the map of confirmed spotted lanternfly locations. For additional information on identifying or reporting, visit Michigan.gov/SpottedLanternfly.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Giant Wind Turbines Could Be on Their Way to Southern Sanilac County

Fifty wind turbines could be coming to southern Sanilac County, and residents have mixed feelings about the potential drastic change to the landscape.

Riverbend Wind Energy, LLC, also known as Liberty Power and Algonquin Power and Utilities Corporation, of Canada, is in the process of acquiring land for 50 wind turbines in Buel, Elk, Fremont, and Speaker Townships.

Some residents who will be living near the turbines have formed a grassroots effort to impose a moratorium on moving forward with the project. They are considering legal action, citing concerns about conflict of interest with local government zoning boards and about the effect on the quiet, peaceful country landscape in which they live. Turbines could be as high as 700 feet, and are lit up at night.

According to Fremont Township Supervisor Jeff Furness, who owns property where turbines could be placed, the project could have “good economic value to the townships, schools, and county”. Furness said there have been test towers up for the past twelve months, but he did not yet know the results of the study.

Furness said that at this point the project is moving forward.

Furness said that wind zoning has been in place since 2016 when Nexterra, an energy company, was showing interest in the area for wind energy. There are currently power transmission lines owned by ITC that can handle the power generated by the wind turbines, according to Furness.

Residents of Speaker and Fremont Townships have voiced strong concerns about the effects on their property values, along with health and safety concerns for humans, livestock, and wildlife, and the safety of the turbines near their property.

Those opposed to the Riverbend Wind Energy project have also cited concerns regarding conflict of interest among the planning commissions that would permit construction of the supersized windmills. Many of those decision-makers stand to profit from allowing the turbines on their property.

When asked about the potential for conflict of interest, Furness pointed out that due process has been followed all along and it has been proven that there is no conflict of interest. He said that “everything that was supposed to have happened, has happened.”

Furness said that when there is a direct conflict of interest, such as voting on one’s own parcel, that Planning Commission member abstains from the vote. The Planning Commission voting is done on a parcel-by-parcel basis.

Liberty/Algonquin has a target date for starting the construction of the turbines in 2023 and is targeting generating electricity in 2024.

To see the map of the location of the proposed Riverbend Wind Energy project, go to https://riverbendwind.com/?page_id=36.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland