July 31, 2007

The Department of Environmental Quality and the Partnership for the Saginaw Bay Watershed will be hosting a presentation on Animal Agriculture in Michigan on August 1, at 7 p.m. at the Bay City State Park Visitors Center.

Dr. Wendy Powers from Michigan State University will address animal agriculture in Michigan with both a historical and current look at animal numbers and how changes compare to national trends. In addition, the presentation will lay out some of the challenges that producers face and what drives demographic changes.

Dr. Powers is a professor and Director of Environmental Stewardship for Animal Agriculture in the Departments of Animal Science and Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering at Michigan State University. Her presentation introduces a series of discussions to look at animal agriculture and its impacts on Saginaw Bay, a priority issue identified through the Saginaw Bay Coastal Initiative.

Details of the Saginaw Bay Coastal Initiative and additional information are available online at http://www.michigan.gov/deq under "Issues to Watch."

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 31, 2007 by Pat Watson