bgcolor=black height=1> Yahoo! is not affiliated with the authors of this page or responsible for its content.
MI Great Lakes Plan:
DRA
FT



MI Great Lakes Plan:
O u r P a t h t o P r o t e c t a n d Re s t o r e
M i c h i g a n s N a t u r a l Tr e a s u r e s
Revised October 2008 DRAF
T
Table of Contents
Background ..................................................................................................................................................... 1
Vision for Michigans Great Lakes Protection and Restoration Effort ............................. 2
MI Great Lakes Plan ...................................................................................................................................... 3
MI Great Lakes Plan Development .......................................................................................................... 4
Michigans Priorities ................................................................................................................................... 5
Aquatic Invasive Species ............................................................................................................................. 6
Habitat/Species .............................................................................................................................................. 12
Coastal Health .............................................................................................................................................. 22
Areas of Concern/Sediments .................................................................................................................. 28
Nonpoint Source ......................................................................................................................................... 34
Toxic Pollutants .......................................................................................................................................... 40
Indicators and Information .................................................................................................................. 49
Sustainable Development .......................................................................................................................... 55
Acronyms ......................................................................................................................................................... 61

ii DRA
FT
Our Path to Protect and Restore Michigans Natural Treasures
B a c k g r o u n d
The Great Lakes are Michigans natural resource treasures. They shape our state, our lives and our
economy. But these treasures demand increased attention at the state, local, and national levels.
In response to this need, the Michigan Office of the Great Lakes (OGL) and Michigan United
Conservation Clubs (MUCC) will lead an effort to prepare and begin implementation of an action
agenda to protect, remediate and restore the Great Lakes.
This new effort builds upon the tremendous investment of time, passion, and money this state has
made to protect, restore, and remediate the forces that continue to threaten the health of the Great
Lakes. Michigan has been a leader within the Great Lakes region in protecting these spectacular
waters. State and local units of governments have invested billions of dollars towards this effort.
We have nurtured a sport fishery that is unrivaled in the world. Michigan was the first Great Lakes
state to ban the discharge of ballast water at our ports. Visitors come from far and wide to play on
our state and local beaches, launch their boats at publicly owned access sites, and camp in the state
parks that line our shoreline. These and other actions that have been undertaken are highlighted
in the State of the Great Lakes report at
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/deq/deq-ogl-StateGLRpt2007_219068_7.pdf.
Each segment of a stream is supported from and dependent upon the land within its watershed.
The efforts to protect and restore Michigans waters will recognize the importance of looking to our rivers and nearshore areas as the vital link between
the states watersheds and the health of the Great Lakes. In addition, the efforts of state and local watershed groups to protect and restore the watersheds
within the Great Lakes will be recognized and celebrated.
Great Lakes Governors Priorities
In 2003, looking towards a vision that the
Great Lakes will be the premier freshwa-
ter resource in the world and will sustain
a healthy environment, strong economy,
and high quality of life long into the future,
the Great Lakes Governors adopted nine
priorities that embody the goals of protect-
ing and restoring the natural habitat and
water quality of the Great Lakes Basin,
preserving diverse plant and animal com-
munities, protecting the water supply, and
safeguarding human health. Acknowledg-
ing that the state and local entities have
already invested and will continue to invest
significant resources in efforts designed to
attain these goals, the Great Lakes Gov-
ernors asked that the federal government
also make a long-term, large-scale financial
commitment to the Great Lakes.
1 DRA
FT
V i s i on f or M i c h i g a n s G r e at L a k e s P r ot e c t i on a n d R e s t or at i on E f f ort
Whether youre looking over the rocky shores of Lake Superior, watching the sun rise over Lake Huron, climbing the dunes on Lake Michigan, walleye
fishing on Lake Erie or just enjoying a walk along the river that runs through your town, we in Michigan are united by the beauty, the wonder, and the
power of water. It is in these moments that we feel our connection to the water, and it is this water that is our states defining resource and that gives
Michigan its sense of place.
It is our collective vision that the Great Lakes and the rivers bringing water to the Great Lakes will be the premier freshwater resource in the world and
will sustain a healthy environment, strong economy, and high quality of life long into the future. This includes the vision of a sustainable Great Lakes eco-
system that ensures environmental integrity and supports economically viable and healthy communities. It is also our vision to protect and restore into
the future the integrity of the Great Lakes ecosystem through collaborative partnerships. This vision includes a Great Lakes system where we have:
Ensured that no new aquatic invasive species (AIS) are introduced into Michigan waters and onto Michigan lands.
Conserved and enhanced Michigans fish and wildlife by protecting and restoring the ecological processes that sustain them.
Adopted a long-term goal of virtually eliminating the release of, and exposure, to persistent bioaccumulative toxics (PBT) and other toxics sub-
stances into the Great Lakes Basin ecosystem to protect human health, fisheries and wildlife populations and the aquatic environment.
Restored the beneficial uses currently impaired at the 14 Michigan Areas of Concern (AOC).
Controlled pollution from nonpoint sources (NPS).
Used standardized and scientifically valid data to make the best decisions.
Incorporated the principles of sustainability into their principles and practices the activities of Michigans citizens and public and private entities
while sharing a commitment to protect and enhance and be wise stewards of the waters, lands and related resources of the state of Michigan.
State, local and federal governments; private business; citizens and others have invested and will continue to invest significant resources in programs
designed to attain this vision. It is our vision that this partnership continue and that the effort will foster increased collaboration and coordination neces-
sary to address the critical issues identified in this report.
2 DRA
FT
3
As the 2005 Brookings Institute report, Healthy Waters, Strong Economy: The Benefits of Restoring the Great Lakes System concluded, we are confi-
dent that the efforts identified in the MI Great Lakes Plan will have significant economic benefit to the state of Michigan and the Great Lakes region. We
believe that they will:
Lead to direct short and long-term economic benefits,
Directly raise coastal property values,
Reduce costs to municipalities, and
Produce economic activity by making the state and the region more attractive to business and workers.
This effort is not intended to identify every action necessary to protect and restore the Great Lakes. Such a list would be exhaustive and dated. This ef-
fort is intended to consider existing resources, identify those protection and restoration efforts that can make a significant impact on the Great Lakes and
provide a guide for moving forward to seek collaboration and additional resources, where needed. It is also important to realize that significant efforts are
already underway and the need to continue and expand those efforts is essential to the continued improvement of the Great Lakes system.
M I G r e at L a k e s P l a n
The Great Lakes Regional Collaboration (GLRC) Strategy reflects the protection and
restoration efforts needed throughout the Great Lakes basin. When completed, the MI
Great Lakes Plan: Our Path to Protect and Restore Michigans Natural Treasures (MI Great
Lakes Plan) will