Photo by Jerry Jourdan

Trenton, Mich. – Much like the television program called “Extreme Makeover” that showcases efforts to renovate houses and makeover people to achieve remarkable results, an industrial brownfield in Trenton, Mich. is undergoing an extreme makeover into the gateway to North America’s only international wildlife refuge.

For 44 years, beginning in 1946, automobile component manufacturing occurred on this 44-acre tract of waterfront property in Trenton, Mich. This facility was remediated to industrial standards, closed, and sat vacant as an industrial brownfield for 12 years starting in 1990. Then in 2002, it was purchased by Wayne County to become the gateway to the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. This property is now known as the Refuge Gateway.

A master plan for the Refuge Gateway was then developed by Wayne County, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and many partners to serve as a blueprint for the cleanup and restoration work at the Refuge Gateway necessary to establish the site as an ecological buffer for Humbug Marsh, now Michigan’s only “Wetland of International Importance” designated under the international Ramsar Convention.

The Refuge Gateway will also become the future home of the Refuge’s visitor center. Everything people will see and do at the Refuge Gateway will teach them conservation and how to live sustainably. Since the completion of the master plan, much work has been accomplished, including: cleanup and capping brownfield lands; daylighting Monguagon Creek and constructing a retention pond and emergent wetland to treat storm water prior to discharge to the Detroit River; completion of a first access road that brings visitors into the Refuge Gateway and adjacent Humbug Marsh; and the development of trails and an education shelter in Humbug Marsh for visitor’s to experience our great outdoors. In fall 2011, the Shoreline Restoration Project was completed at the Refuge Gateway that included restoring a natural shoreline, removal of human-placed fill and debris to restore over three acres of riparian buffer habitat, and construction of a second access road and kayak landing. These projects have resulted in an “Extreme Makeover” of the Refuge Gateway landscape. Now, this former industrial site includes wildlife habitat, innovative storm water management practices, opportunities for outdoor recreation and environmental education, and one of the most exceptional views of the Detroit River.

Also announced today was $1.39 million in new funding to complete all cleanup and restoration work in 2012 necessary for future construction of the Refuge’s visitor center. A capital campaign is underway to raise money for construction of the Refuge’s visitor center.

The funding for completion of all cleanup and restoration work at the Refuge Gateway comes from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation ($500,000), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Brownfield Cleanup Program through Downriver Community Conference’s Brownfield Consortium ($750,000), and the U.S. Forest Service ($113,700). With this funding, the overall project will realize goals of achieving a net gain of 16 acres of coastal wetlands, restoring 25 acres of upland buffer habitat at the Refuge Gateway, treating invasive Phragmites along 2.5 miles of shoreline, and control of invasive species on 50 acres of upland habitats in Humbug Marsh and the Refuge Gateway. In an area that has lost 97% of historic coastal wetland habitat, these accomplishments are significant for conservation of fish and wildlife habitat, and for protection of our Detroit River that provides world-class outdoor recreational opportunities.

“The work being done at the Refuge Gateway is a wonderful story to be told,” notes Congressman John D. Dingell. “Right in the middle of a populated urban area, we are taking the site of an old and abandoned automotive manufacturing facility, cleaning it up, and restoring it to its natural wonder to provide habitat for thousands of plant and animal species. I remember hunting in Humbug Marsh with my dear old dad when I was a kid and promised it would be my life’s mission to make sure these types of opportunities exist for the generations to come. By cleaning this site up, we are paving the way to build a beautiful visitor center and allow the nearly seven million residents in the area to experience and learn about the importance of the almost 6,000 acres of North America’s only international wildlife refuge. Without the support of our public and private partners, especially the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, this work would not be happening. Everyone should be proud of their contributions to the work that has been done and continues to be done at the Refuge.”

“U.S. EPA is proud to support this ambitious environmental restoration project,” said EPA Regional Administrator Susan Hedman. “The Agency has committed a total of $1.2 million to help transform this abandoned industrial site into a refuge that will provide high quality habitat for wildlife and opportunities for people to enjoy the outdoors and learn about nature.”
“This Refuge Gateway project can best be described as transformational for our region,” notes Paula Boase, Director of Economic Development at Downriver Community Conference. “This project is literally transforming an industrial brownfield into the gateway to our international wildlife refuge, showcasing southeast Michigan as an international leader in sustainable redevelopment and conservation, helping attract and retain employees for our businesses, and enhancing quality of life.”

The Detroit International Wildlife Refuge covers 48 miles of shoreline along the lower Detroit River and western basin of Lake Erie. It stretches from southwest Detroit to the Ohio-Michigan border. The Refuge focuses on conserving, protecting and restoring habitat for 300 species of birds, including 30 species of waterfowl, 23 species of raptors, and 31 species of shorebirds, and for 117 species of fish.

Humbug Marsh is located on the lower end of the Detroit River in the cities of Trenton and Gibraltar. It represents a significant portion of the last unaltered U.S. wetlands in the Detroit River and the last mile of natural shoreline on the river’s U.S. mainland. Humbug is a unit of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. The marsh serves as a vital habitat for 51 species of fish, 90 species of plants, 154 species of birds, seven species of reptiles and amphibians, and 37 species of dragonflies and damselflies.

For more information, please contact John Hartig of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (734-692-7608;john_hartig@fws.gov) or Allison Krueger of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge (734-692-7672;krueger.ali@gmail.com).

For more information on the Midwest Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service visit http://midwest.fws.gov.

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The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.

The Missouri Department of Conservation began a project last week to increase fishing opportunities on Lake Taneycomo.

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The council’s mission is to advocate for the protection and enhancement of the watersheds’ fish and wildlife habitat and improve water quality through partnership with public and private entities, habitat restoration projects, community education and outreach and strategic planning.

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Integrated habitat

Oak Grove resident Eleanore Hunter, current chair of the Oak Lodge Community Council, told the group that the whole idea of citizens and organizations cooperating with one another is to create an “integrated habitat” for humans, animal, fish and the environment.

It’s all about “connectivity” and an “incredibly supportive community,” she added.

Restoring watershed health will ultimately result in “the ability to introduce fish [in streams] along River Road,” said Chips Janger, one of the founders of Clackamas County Urban Green, an organization dedicated to supporting tree conservation in the county.

“People who are really interested are joining together and we have a lot of power,” he added.

The tour began at Meldrum Bar State Park in Gladstone and stopped at four key locations in the River Forest, Boardman and Rinearson Creek watersheds; these watersheds all flow off Oatfield Ridge and feed into the Willamette River.

As the tour progressed, neighborhood and agency experts discussed habitat, hydrology and water quality and shared their plans to improve watershed conditions for people, fish and wildlife.

Brett Arvidson, the manager of planning and engineering for the Oak Lodge Sanitary District, talked to the group about the recent Metro Nature in the Neighborhood grant for a fish habitat restoration project in the Boardman Creek and Walta Vista area in Jennings Lodge.

The $485,000 grant will replace two culverts near the mouth of Boardman Creek with bridges, allowing fish to return to more than a mile of the creek. He said it is important to note that the grant marks a partnership among the North Clackamas Urban Watershed Council, Oak Lodge Community Council, Jennings Lodge Citizen Participation Organization, Clackamas County Urban Green and North Clackamas Parks & Recreation District.

The total cost of the project will be around $1.7 million and take between three to four years to finish, Arvidson said, because it will involve “a complicated piece of engineering.”

Watershed education

People live all around the creek, where construction will take place, so educating homeowners about watershed health is key, added Tonia Burns, natural resources coordinator for the North Clackamas Parks and Recreation District.

Residents need to be aware of the natural processes that occur in a creek and be careful about what they plant, Arvidson noted, adding, “We want to encourage shade along the creeks,” to provide the best fish habitat.

In the past, the streams were treated poorly, when they were covered up or directed into culverts, leaving fish with no place to go, noted William Wild, president of the Oak Lodge Sanitary District.

“If we can open up the Walta Vista area, we can open up a big piece of the puzzle. We have the greatest partnership with North Clackamas Parks and Recreation. We’ve been involved with them at all the parks and the Trolley Trail,” he added.

Burns echoed that statement, saying, “This new relationship with Oak Lodge is a huge asset to the parks department. There are wetlands begging to be enhanced and we can solidify partnerships and see what we can do.”

At the stop on Glen Echo Avenue, Susan Shawn pointed out that visitors could get a look at the tail end of a wetland that goes back to the East Side Athletic Club.

Although the area is overgrown right now, Shawn, a board member of the North Clackamas Urban Watershed Council and a founding member of Clackamas County Urban Green, asked the group to picture “boardwalks all the way back to the Trolley Trail.”

The tour brought together residents, watershed advocates and water quality experts, who all have a different take on what needs to be done to improve watershed health, Shawn pointed out.

Arvidson added, “But we all have to work together” to make it happen.

For more information about North Clackamas Urban Watersheds Council, visit www.ncuwc.org.

The following are Metro Nature in Neighborhood grants for Clackamas County:

Boardman Creek fish habitat restoration project

Recipient: Oak Lodge Sanitary District and Clackamas County Department of Transportation and Development.

Partners: North Clackamas Urban Watershed Council, Oak Lodge Community Council, Jennings Lodge Citizen Participation Organization, Clackamas County Urban Green and North Clackamas Parks & Recreation District.

Nature in Neighborhoods capital grant: $485,000. Total project cost: $1,667,000. Location: S.E. River Road and S.E. Walta Vista Court, Jennings Lodge.

Boardman Creek is slowly being transformed from an overgrown urban ditch to a refuge for fish and wildlife. This grant will support the keystone to the restoration of this basin – replacing two culverts near the creek mouth with bridges and allowing fish to return to more than a mile of the creek between the park and the Willamette River.

This transformation will restore instream habitat along 300 feet of the creek and demonstrate how bridges can also create a “wildlife crossing” for amphibians and land animals.

Klein Point overlook and habitat enhancement

Recipient: Johnson Creek Watershed Council and the city of Milwaukie. Partners: Willamette Riverkeepers, Milwaukie Rotary, Oregon Dental Services (ODS), Gary and Sharon Klein, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, PGE Salmon Fund, FishAmerica Foundation and the city of Portland.

Nature in Neighborhoods capital grant: $225,000. Total project cost: $670,399. Location: 1900 S.E. Jefferson St., Milwaukie.

This grant will initiate the first phase of a master plan for Riverfront Park, constructing an interpretive overlook and a new trail tracing the river bluff. Visitors will be able to stand in the shade of a magnificent old Oregon white oak. Below, they might see salmon and trout making their way into the mouth of Johnson Creek, where six acres of restored riparian habitat will provide refuge to help threatened fish species thrive.

Mount Scott Creek restoration at North Clackamas Park

Recipient: Clackamas Water Environmental Services.Partners: City of Milwaukie, North Clackamas Parks & Recreation District, Friends of Trees, North Clackamas Urban Watershed Council, Friends of Kellogg and Mt. Scott Creeks and Friends of North Clackamas Park.

Nature in Neighborhoods capital grant: $150,034. Total project cost: $450,222. Location: 5440 S.E. Kellogg Creek Drive, Milwaukie.

Restoring lower Mount Scott Creek at North Clackamas Park will balance the needs of people and fish, creating a model for improving habitat at popular recreation destinations. Located in a densely developed urban area, Mt. Scott Creek is a priority for restoration because of the salmon, steelhead and cutthroat trout there.

This project will restore the stream bank and its riparian areas and remove a small culvert at the confluence of Camas Creek. It will also redesign access to the creek, installing two new visitor overlooks to reduce the heavy foot traffic that has trampled plants and habitat.

Rinearson Creek Feasibility Study

Recipient: SOLV (Stop Oregon Litter and Vandalism). Partners: Willamette Riverkeeper, Wilderness International, North Clackamas Urban Watershed Council, city of Gladstone, Rinearson Homeowners Association, Robinwood Riverie Homeowners Association, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.

Nature in Neighborhoods restoration and enhancement grant: $10,000. Location: Rinearson Creek, Gladstone.

SOLV and its partners are exploring long-term restoration opportunities in the lower Rinearson Creek watershed. An independent scientific assessment will narrow down five alternatives, which include restoring a pond area and removing a dam, and will help the Rinearson Coalition pick one approach to move forward.

Meanwhile, SOLV will restore the upper watershed near Rinearson Creek, engaging volunteers through community planting days. Students will help monitor water quality, wildlife and vegetation.

Site Restoration at the John Inskeep Environmental Learning Center

Recipient: Clackamas Community College. Partners: Greater Oregon City Watershed Council, Clackamas County Office of Sustainability, city of Oregon City and Oregon State University Extension for Clackamas County.

Nature in Neighborhoods restoration and enhancement grant: $10,000. Location: 19600 Molalla Ave., Oregon City.

Clackamas Community College will redevelop a five-acre environmental learning center. The project had been abandoned several years ago due to budget cuts. This planning project will lay the groundwork for a regional outdoor learning laboratory, demonstration site and natural area that showcases innovations in stormwater management, landscape design and sustainable living practices. Ultimately, the learning center will improve water quality in the Newell Creek watershed and create a network of partners committed to protecting its health.BY ELLEN SPITALERI