July 26, 2006

The Department of Environmental Quality, the Association of State Wetland Managers, Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are sponsoring an international symposium entitled “Wetlands 2006: Applying Scientific, Legal, and Management Tools to the Great Lakes and Beyond.” The symposium will be held August 28-31, at the Grand Traverse Resort in Acme, Michigan, where attendees will share information about current issues of wetlands science, law, and policy.

This conference is designed for wetland and aquatic resource managers; scientists; consultants; lawyers; federal, tribal, state, and local government staff; state and provincial legislators; not for profits; and others with interest and expertise in wetland issues. The symposium will include a variety of sessions including:

• Restoration of Northern Forested Wetlands

• Wetlands, Climate Change, and Carbon Sequestration

• Remote Sensing and Mapping of Wetlands

• Developing and Maintaining a Tribal Wetland Program

Speakers will include former Michigan Governor William Milliken; Michigan State Senator Patty Birkholz; wetland ecologist Dr. Paul Keddy – author of Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation; and numerous leading scientists and policy makers from the U.S. and Canada.

Wetlands 2006 will be preceded by a special one-day legal symposium to share insights on current legal issues that are impacting the management of wetlands and aquatic resources. The June 2006 U.S. Supreme Court decision in two wetland cases arising in Michigan – Rapanos v United States and Carabell v United States Army Corp of Engineers – is of particular interest due to the potential impact of this case on federal jurisdiction over wetlands and other waters. Speakers discussing this case will include legal staff from the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. EPA, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

More information on Wetlands 2006 and the legal symposium is available online at http://www.aswm.org. Registration can be completed online at our Web site www.michigan.gov/deqworkshops (click on “Upcoming DEQ Workshops”), or by contacting the DEQ’s Environmental Assistance Center at 1-800-662-9278.

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 July 26, 2006 by Pat Watson