Press Releases
FotSJR Receives "Fresh" Funding
South Bend, IN, July 20, 2010 – The environment in the St. Joseph River Watershed recently received a boost when the Friends of the St. Joe River (FotSJR) was awarded a grant from Freshwater Future. The $4,200 grant is to develop a bi-state Wetland Coalition and media campaign to increase wetland restoration and protection efforts in the watershed. The FotSJR will engage local, state and federal stakeholders to help implement a wetland program and media campaign to increase awareness of residents and local officials in the watershed's 15 counties. This project will further assist the FotSJR strategic plan to become a center for watershed communication and resource for innovation/change by building a strong coalition, publishing quarterly newsletters, increasing member/donor activity and improving the FotSJR web site.
Freshwater Future builds effective community-based citizen action to protect and restore the water quality of the Great Lakes basin. They work towards this goal by providing financial assistance, communication and networking assistance and technical assistance to citizens and grassroots watershed groups throughout the Great Lakes basin. Grassroots organizations and citizen initiatives in both the U.S. and Canada are eligible for funding in the two annual funding cycles.
"The selection process was especially difficult this Spring as so many government agencies are underfunded and citizens are stepping up to fill those gaps," said Jill Ryan, Executive Director of Freshwater Future. "An amazing array of projects to protect and restore rivers, lakes and wetlands were presented and the Friends of the St. Joe River rose to the top."
The mission of the FotSJR is to unite a diverse group of stakeholders throughout the watershed in a collaborative effort to project, restore and foster stewardship of the St. Joseph River Watershed as critical components of the Great Lakes basin. The grant from Freshwater Future will help accomplish this mission by developing and coordinating a bi-state wetland coalition to direct the wetland protection and restoration in the watershed through prioritization and targeted education/outreach to landowners and municipalities.
"To date, wetland protection and restoration efforts have been passive," said Matt Meersman, FotSJR President. "This new coalition will target restoration and protection resources and expertise (such as cost-share programs) to prioritized areas. Through the media campaign, the general public and key stakeholders will have a greater understanding about the loss of wetlands within the watershed and their functions, the impacts on water quality and habitat, and the opportunities to protect and restore wetlands through federal and state programs."
If you would like more information on this project, contact Leah Cooper, FotSJR Outreach Coordinator at fotsjr.outreach@gmail.com.
FotSJR Awarded U.S. EPA Wetland Program Development Grant
The Friends of the St. Joe River (FotSJR) has been awarded a $115,000 Wetland Program Development Grant through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). The goals of the EPA’s Wetland Program include increasing the quantity and quality of wetlands in the United States by conserving and restoring wetland acreage. The program will also help state, tribal and local governments develop and implement effective, comprehensive programs for wetland protection and management. The long-term goal is to increase both voluntary and regulatory wetland protection.
The St. Joseph River Watershed (SJRW) – the third largest sub-watershed contributing to Lake Michigan – has lost 53 percent of its pre-settlement wetlands. This has resulted in degraded water quality, increased flooding and fragmented habitats. The Wetland Program Development Grant will help improve water quality and wildlife habitat by developing tools to target wetland protection and restoration efforts in the SJRW.
Project Scope
The project, supported by an additional $40,200 in local matching funds, will foster the development and coordination of a bi-state wetland partnership between Michigan and Indiana state agencies and local tribes. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources & Environment (formerly MDEQ), Indiana Department of Environmental Management, the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi and the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi are committed to participating in this bi-state wetland partnership. These groups will share ideas, data and approaches to support and build state, tribal and local wetland programs.
A Landscape Level Wetland Functional Assessment (LLWFA) will be completed for the entire St. Joseph River Watershed. The LLWFA encompasses an in-depth analysis of wetland trends and is intended to assist watershed planning groups with prioritizing wetland preservation and/or restoration activities. This analysis is much more than a basic report on wetland loss, but considers loss of wetland functions as well.The LLWFA will evaluate every existing and historical wetland in Michigan and Indiana for several water quality and habitat related functions.
Sub-watershed groups can use the LLWFA to target wetland protection and restoration activities in watershed management plans. The information can also be used by land conservancies, conservation districts and tribes. Further, the LLWFA can be used to educate decision-makers and landowners about wetland functions, their value within a natural ecosystem, and their importance to the local economy and quality of life.
Additionally, this project will help establish a comprehensive process to identify, evaluate and prioritize wetland efforts. This information will be combined with other criteria to prioritize areas for protection and restoration so partners can use their resources more efficiently.
Click here for more information on the U.S. EPA Wetland Program Development Grant.
FotSJR Awarded "Heart of Cook" Grant
St. Joseph, MI, May 11, 2010 – The Friends of the St. Joe River (FotSJR) was awarded a $2,000 "Heart of Cook" grant from the Heart of Cook Foundation. The FotSJR will use this grant to help further the St. Joseph River Watershed Wetland Partnership project. The grant, which is administered by the Berrien Community Foundation, seeks to fund educational, human services and environmental projects and programs in southwest Michigan and northwest Indiana. Of the 75 funding requests received for the 2010 application year, over $54,000 were provided to 35 area non-profit organizations. The grant review committee, comprised of Cook Nuclear Plant employees, gives special consideration to agencies and projects that have involvement by I & M employees.
FotSJR Grant Abstract Summary
Specifically, the grant funds will be used to support the hiring of a contractor to coordinate the bi-state wetland partnership, maintain a web site with wetland information, and develop wetland protection and restoration maps and educational materials for municipal officials and landowners. Expected outcomes of the Watershed Wetland Partnership project include development of bi-state partnership working to increase wetland protection and restoration projects in the St. Joseph River Watershed. FotSJR, along with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources & Environment (formerly MDEQ) will develop a Geographic Information Database of existing and lost wetlands with an assessment of their functions. Further, FotSJR, with input from the partnership, will prioritize wetland sites and use this prioritization for targeting outreach efforts to landowners and municipalities in defined critical areas. With targeted outreach efforts, the level of understanding wetland functions in the watershed will increase. Ultimately, the number of restored and protected acres of wetland will increase, resulting in reduced flooding, increased wildlife habitat and improved water quality of the St. Joseph River and Lake Michigan.
3rd Annual St. Joseph River Watershed Council Meeting Puts Wetlands in the Spotlight
South Bend, IN, April 15, 2010 – Often misconstrued as open breeding grounds for disease-carrying mosquitoes, wetlands have earned a less-than-appealing reputation. During mid-March the Friends of the St. Joe River (FotSJR) worked towards reversing the negative opinions of wetlands during their 3rd Annual St. Joseph River Watershed Council Meeting. The theme of the meeting was “Restoring our River: A Hydro-Logical Approach” and focused on the important connection between thriving wetlands and healthy river systems.
Guest speaker Rob Zbiciak, from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment, spoke about the wetland issues in both Indiana and Michigan, in particular the critical loss of wetlands in both states. According to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, there were approximately 5.6 million acres of wetlands in Indiana 200 years ago. Today there are fewer than 813,000 acres of wetlands, a loss of over 85 percent. In Michigan, nearly 54 percent of its 11 million pre-settlement wetlands are gone. The loss of these lands poses special problems for hydrological processes and water quality because of the natural storage and cleansing functions of wetlands.
Because wetland hydrology (the movement, distribution and quality of water) plays a vital role in the structure and health of a wetland’s ecosystem, particularly by acting as the main pathway in which nutrients are transported in and out of the system, the vegetation and species compositions are significantly affected when natural or man-made hydrologic alterations occur. Examples of wetland alterations could include drainage, filling, damn construction, water diversion, groundwater pumping and dredging.
Acre for acre, wetlands produce more wildlife and plants than any other habitat type. For ducks, geese and other migratory birds, wetlands are the most important part of the migratory cycle, providing food, resting places and seasonal habitats. Wetlands also play an essential role in sustaining a productive fishery, with many species found with the St. Joseph River Watershed depend on for successful reproduction.
The FotSJR, along with its stakeholders and Watershed Council recognize the need to address the loss of wetlands within the St. Joseph River Watershed. The watershed faces a number of challenges, including excess sediment and nutrient runoff. Most water quality impairments could be improved with the restoration and protection of wetlands. Currently, the FotSJR are hosting a donation campaign called the “Southeastern Lake Michigan Wetland Protection/Restoration Partnership”. This is a collaborative effort to prioritize wetland areas in the St. Joseph River Watershed, and will direct limited resources to areas with the most potential impact for restoring hydrology and gaining back lost wetlands.
To view a summary of the 3rd Annual St. Joseph River Watershed Council Meeting, click here.
St. Joseph River Clean Up a Success
South Bend, IN, March 27, 2010 – Hundreds of volunteers from around the South Bend community cleaned up a nearly four-mile stretch of the the St. Joseph River. Many volunteers kayaked their way along the river bank picking up trash, and the Notre Dame Rowing Team helped bolster the clean up efforts as well. Matt Meersman, President of the Friends of the Joe River, spoke with Nick McGurk of WNDU/Channel 16 on the clean up and how it improves both the aesthetic and water quality issues facing the St. Joseph River.
Groups Try to Reduce Sediment Flowing into St. Joseph River
St. Joseph, MI, March 5, 2010 – While the Army Corps of Engineers is awarding contracts for spring dredging of the St. Joseph River harbor, several organizations are aiming to reduce sediment loading that makes the expensive work necessary each year.
Runoff from 5,000 square miles of land in Michigan and Indiana drained by the river is responsible for a lot of the sediment that clogs the harbor, making it tough for ships to navigate without annual dredging. Runoff that carries sediment nutrients and other pollutants into the river can be reduced by convincing farmers to use best land management practices, preserving and restoring water-retaining wetlands, and other strategies, the St. Joseph River Harbor Authority was told Thursday.
Marcy Colclough, senior planner at the Southwest Michigan Planning Commission, and Matt Meersman, president of the non-profit Friends of the St. Joe River, described the improvement efforts.
Click here to read the full story (as published in the Herald Palladium)
FotSJR Welcomes New Outreach Coordinator
South Bend, IN, September 1, 2009 – Leah Cooper has joined the Friends of the St. Joseph River (FotSJR) as Outreach Coordinator. Leah is a professional marketing consultant with over 12 years of high-level/high-profile creative and technical writing and communications. In this role, Leah will manage the creation and distribution of the FotSJR newsletter, public relations, web site and membership database. As needed, she will support the research and writing of targeted grant applications.
Most recently, Leah spearheaded the marketing communication program for a top Midwestern ecological consulting firm. She is well versed in the serious issues facing the St. Joseph River Watershed and abroad. Leah has studied alongside some of the top water resource scientists to better understand the interaction between hydrology, biology, geology and geomorphology within a watershed area.