May 25, 2006

Department of Environmental Quality Director Steven E. Chester will join with officials from the city of Escanaba on May 25, at 11:30 a.m. in the Council Chambers of City Hall, 410 Ludington Street, to announce plans to further efforts to protect and enhance the environment, while boosting the economic vitality of the local community.

The DEQ and Escanaba will partner together to create a Wetland Task Force that will work to improve public awareness concerning the city’s wetlands, evaluate the current state of their wetlands, identify potential areas for future city development that will minimize environmental impacts, and locate areas suitable for potential wetland mitigation banks.

“This effort represents a cooperative spirit between state and local government, and demonstrates our commitment to providing for a healthy environment and a healthy economy throughout Michigan,” said Director Chester.

The Task Force will include representatives from federal, state, and local government, as well as residents from the community. Their efforts will create the opportunity for Escanaba to expand while minimizing impacts on existing wetlands, and improve the effectiveness of wetland mitigation projects to ensure no net loss of the city’s wetland resources.

"A quality Wetland Management Plan will facilitate an increased community awareness of the importance of wetlands while at the same time allow for much needed planned future growth and development of the city. This partnership and creation of the Wetland Task Force setup between the city of Escanaba and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality is a good example of a joint leadership initiative which will maximize the performance of an important environmental asset within the boundaries of the city and the state of Michigan. This agreement today is setting the footprint for other communities to follow in an effort to acknowledge wetland protection while recognizing a community's need to develop," said Mayor Judi Schwalbach.

The Task Force will also evaluate options for controlling buckthorn, and other invasive species, that are impacting the quality of wetlands in the region.

Editor’s note: DEQ news releases are available on the department’s Internet home page at www.michigan.gov/deq.

“Protecting Michigan’s Environment, Ensuring Michigan’s Future”

Revised May 25, 2006 by Pat Watson