RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF ACQUISITION OF P¹TOBEGO
WATERSHED PROPERTY TO MAINTAIN CONTINUOUS QUALITY
WILDLIFE HABITAT AND PREVENT THE DESTRUCTION OF SAME
WHILE PROTECTING WATER QUALITY OF THE BAY AND AREA FOR
FUTURE GENERATIONS.
WHEREAS, public lands are essential to the spiritual and
recreational needs of all of our citizens and affect
their health and well-being.
WHEREAS, state demographers project the Grand Traverse
Region will experience unprecedented growth-development
pressure in the next twenty years.
WHEREAS, quality wildlife habitat is rapidly decreasing
throughout the region.
WHEREAS, places of natural beauty, inhabited by a
variety of wildlife, greatly enhance the quality of life
for all who live in and visit this region.
WHEREAS, the ECOSYSTEM OF THIS WASTERSHED is unique and
rarely duplicated in this state or the Great Lakes
Basin.
WHEREAS, a considerable portion of this proposed
acquistion is wetland which is an important, valued
factor in maintaining the water quality of the area and
East Grand Traverse Bay in the future.
WHEREAS, this proposed acquisition, in addition to
containing valuable wetlands, includes portions of
woodland, hillside scrubland, and meadow that afford
excellent habitat for a variety of plant and animal
species.
WHEREAS, this watershed is a place where Black Terns
and Sedge Wrens, species of special concern in Michigan,
nest, where Bald eagles have nested and still visit for
food, where Marsh Wrens, rare in Northern Michigan,
nest, and where American Bitterns, also of special
concern, and Sandhill Cranes have been observed as
possible breeding species, and the only place (because
of low water levels) in G.T. County where Pied-billed
Grebes have bred in the summer of 2000.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the The Grand Traverse
Audubon Club supports any action that facilitates the
acquisition of as much of this watershed as possible by
the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy for
ownership by Whitewater Township, Acme Township, Grand
Traverse County, the State of Michigan, or any other
organization or entity mandated to preserve its
ecological integrity in perpetuity.
Adopted this 5th day of August 2000 by the Grand
Traverse Audubon Club .
Robert Carstens
Vice-President -Environment
John Mesch
President – G.T. Audubon Club