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Cameron Davis, left, and Dr. Donald G. Uzarski talk about their work with saving the great lakes at CMU last week..

SAVING WETLANDS: CMU Research on Great Lakes Critical, Says Expert

April 12, 2014       1 Comments
By: Dave Rogers

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Research being done at Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, is critical to the ecology and economy of the Great Lakes region, an EPA official told a symposium audience last week.

Coastal wetlands serve as nature's filter in maintaining water quality in the Great Lakes, which supports a $7.5 billion fishery and robust tourism industry, said the EPA's Cameron Davis.

"By boosting the awareness of our impact and long-term effect on these watersheds, people are becoming more educated on how important these bodies of water are to our world," Don Uzarski, director of CMU's Institute for Great Lakes Research, said. "We've already lost 50 percent of the coastal wetlands surrounding the Great Lakes. We can't afford to lose more."

Great Lakes research, restoration, conservation and the lakes' economic impact highlighted discussions at a symposium sponsored by Central Michigan University's Institute for Great Lakes Research.

The symposium featured special guest Davis, senior adviser to the administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Davis oversees the $1.6 billion Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and was lead negotiator on the U.S.-Canada Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.

Davis said the research CMU is doing on the lakes coastal wetlands is a critical initiative in addressing a variety of Great Lakes issues.

"The work being done by CMU's Institute for Great Lakes Research helps us understand the threats facing this ecosystem so we can address and eliminate the problems," Davis said. "CMU's work is critical to this effort."

CMU oversees a $10 million EPA grant to conduct Great Lakes wetlands restoration and preservation research working in cooperation with nine other universities and three governmental agencies. The research will be used to help the EPA allocate resources to areas of the Great Lakes that need help.

"The work CMU is doing is very important in protecting these gems -- the Great Lakes," Davis said.

University contributions have helped groups studying the lakes move forward on a whole host of processes, Davis said, including mapping out the different wetland areas around the state, and funding research at the CMU biological station on Beaver Island.

In particular, Uzarski has used these resources to help compose a team responsible for identifying a number of wetland areas around the state.

By identifying the location of the wetlands, Uzarski said, it becomes possible to learn more about its history and possibly begin expanding it.

University President George Ross said through CMU's work on Beaver Island, as well as its collaboration with others like Grand Valley State University, CMU and the EPA have been able to help set new standards in Great Lakes research.

"Biosciences and Great Lakes Research are a top priority," Ross said. "CMU faculty and students, at the undergraduate and graduate levels, are leaders in the restoration and preservation of the world's largest supply of surface fresh water."

Ross also stressed the importance of the construction of the estimated $95 million Biosciences Building as a part of his commitment to research. The Biosciences Building, Ross said, will serve as a precious tool for biology students and others who might help and work with the Great Lakes.

He said a portion of the research money has been expended focusing on new technologies, which help make the jobs of these researchers easier and more effective, including CMU's $140,000 unmanned helicopter used for hyperspectral wetlands imaging.

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"The BUZZ" - Read Feedback From Readers!

sheridangabriel Says:       On April 16, 2014 at 04:09 PM
Spending 95 million dollars to build a building to teach others how to save wetlands,is like killing your grandmother so you can wear her jewels. The 95 million should be spent to buy land, expanding wetlands,re-creating those lost filters, especially for the shoreline of Saginaw Bay. We know the problem. No more buildings and helicopters. Expand and restore the wetland-filters we have destroyed. A clean, swimable,Saginaw Bay will bring in more money for the area than any new trinkets.
Agree? or Disagree?


Dave Rogers

Dave Rogers is a former editorial writer for the Bay City Times and a widely read,
respected journalist/writer in and around Bay City.
(Contact Dave Via Email at carraroe@aol.com)

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