Contacting the Office:
Julie Morin, Acting Native American Specialist
e-mail: Julie_Morin@fws.gov
BHW Federal Building
One Federal Drive
Fort Snelling, MN 55111
Phone: 612-713-5108
Fax: 612-713-5280
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Public Contributes Information for Tobico Marsh Restoration
On Jan. 30, 2002, over 30 local residents met with representatives from
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources,
the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, and General Motors to share
information on the potential restoration of Tobico Marsh. A settlement for
natural resources damages in Saginaw River and Bay provides for restoration
work in the marsh, located along Saginaw Bay near Bay City, Mich. This meeting
was a scoping meeting to collect information on water fluctuations and other
issues relating to the marsh before the parties to the settlement develop
proposed alternatives for restoration. Local residents raised concerns about
potential impacts from a nearby landfill and provided a historical perspective
on the marsh and Great Lakes water levels. The goal of this project is to
restore natural water fluctuations for this 1,300 acre marsh and improve
its connection to Saginaw Bay.
Offices Involved: R3-East Lansing FO
Resource Outputs: This is the scoping meeting required by NEPA to
progress on planning this project. The goal of the project is to restore
natural water fluctuations for this 1,300 acre marsh and improve its connection
to Saginaw Bay.
Partners: Saginaw Chippewa Tribe, Michigan Department of Environmental
Quality, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Michigan Attorney General,
General Motors
Park Opening and Habitat Restoration Completed in Saginaw Bay Watershed
On July 30, 2002, the City of
Bay City, Mich., hosted a grand opening for the new public park created
as a result of the Saginaw River and Bay Natural
Resource Damages Settlement. The grand opening marked the opening not only
of the Edward M. Golson Jr. Boat Launch and Nature Park, but also the opening
of two other boat launch facilities and completion of restoration of natural
hydrology on 391 acres of public land, all as a result of the settlement.
Approximately 50 people attended the grand opening of the Edward M. Golson
Jr. Boat Launch and Nature Park. During his career as Bay City's environmental
manager, Mr. Golson was instrumental in Bay City's participation in the NRDA
settlement, and the project development for three boat launches the nature
park and numerous other projects. Golson's widow spoke at the grand opening
and expressed her appreciation for the honor being bestowed upon Mr. Golson
and for the new facility and its many features. Lisa Williams spoke on behalf
of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Saginaw River and Bay Trustee
Council, and Joe Medved spoke on behalf of General Motors in his role as
principal project coordinator for the defendants in the settlement. Other
speakers included the mayor and the city manager of Bay City. The Edward
M. Golson Jr. Boat Launch and Nature Park on the Saginaw River in Bay City
includes a natural area of 26 acres with nature trails, wetland overlooks,
a boardwalk and an outdoor classroom. A boat launch area with a large river
overlook, wheelchair-accessible washrooms and a 4-lane boat launch with ample
trailer parking was also developed. Special features include grab rails on
the dock posts and a loading platform so people with disabilities have access
to boats. In addition, the large median in the boat launch area has been
planted with native grasses and wildflower. The second boat launch, the Jones
Road boat launch, provides access to Saginaw Bay primarily for small boats
fishing in the popular near shore area and an accessible viewing platform
overlooking an expanse of coastal wetland and the open waters of Saginaw
Bay. A third boat launch, the Cass Avenue boat launch, provides boat access
to the Saginaw River at the upstream end of Bay City and includes a river
overlook area with benches. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service worked with
the other trustees and the defendants in the settlement along with Michigan
Department of Natural Resources to restore naturally fluctuating water levels
on 391 acres and to transform agricultural land into coastal wetland, lake
plain prairie and upland habitats. All of the projects were completed on
lands acquired through the settlement and then transferred to the Michigan
Department of Natural Resources. Previous landowners used drainage systems
and dikes to make the land suitable for agriculture. The Service removed
or plugged existing drainage systems, breached dikes to allow water levels
to fluctuate with Saginaw Bay levels and built up other dikes to protect
neighbors from any changes in their drainage. Structures and debris were
also removed on these and other properties acquired in the settlement to
provide as much habitat as possible and to remove hazards for people visiting
the sites. For more information, please visit the website for the settlement
at http://midwest.fws.gov/nrda/saginaw
Offices Involved: R3-East Lansing FO
Resource Outputs: 1) $2.5 million from NRDA settlement spent on three
parks: Golson Boat Launch and Nature Park is 43 acres and includes a four
lane boat launch, ample parking, a river overlook, restrooms, handicap-accessibility
features and a 26 acre nature park with trails, a boardwalk, wetland overlook
platforms, and an outdoor classroom structure; Jones Road Boat Launch includes
a 1 lane boat launch, parking, restrooms, and an observation deck overlooking
the coastal marshes and open waters of Saginaw Bay; Cass Avenue Boat Launch
includes a one lane boat launch parking, restrooms, and a river overlook
area with benches. 2) $1.0 million from NRDA settlement spent to restore
hydrology on 391 acres and remove structures and debris on parcels totaling
approximately an additional 1,000 acres.
Partners: Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Michigan
Attorney General's Office, Saginaw Chippewa Tribe, Michigan Department of
Natural Resources, Ducks Unlimited, Department of Justice, DOI's Office of
the Solicitor, General Motors, City of Bay City
