Dynamic speakers. Hot topics. Uniquely local perspectives.ONE IRREPLACEABLE RIVER.

C O N F E R E N C E 2014STATE HURON

Creat ing Our Own BLUE FUTURE

of the

Thursday, April 24 • 8:30 AM to 4:30 PMWashtenaw Community College • Morris Lawrence Building • Ann Arbor, Michigan

Sponsored by:

Presented by:

Photo: K. Matz

WELCOME!The Huron River watershed is a natural treasure. The Huron River meanders through remnant forests, agricultural areas, and a complex series of wetlands, lakes, and urban environments before flowing into the western basin of Lake Erie. The watershed (908 mi2) is home to a half-million people, supplies drinking water to over 150,000 people, supports one of Michigan’s finest smallmouth bass fisheries, and is the only designated Scenic River in southeastern Michigan. The watershed contains two-thirds of this area’s public recreation lands, and is home to numerous threatened and endangered plant and animal species and habitat types. All of this speaks highly to the health and the fragility of this special area, and the need for active community stewardship.

The State of the Huron Conference is a convening of community stewards and a day of learning, inspiration, and action. This year, our focus for the conference is “Creating our Blue Future.” The Huron River Watershed Council (HRWC) is working with private and public partners to spark a river renaissance, known as RiverUp! RiverUp! is a plan for the Huron River’s future – a strategy to realize the goal of a vibrant, robust and fully restored river as a destination for residents and tourists.

RiverUp! approaches this ambitious endeavor with a focus on three objectives – Fix Up!, Clean Up!, and Build Up!. You can learn more at “RiverUp! Revitalizing the River Corridor” in the Huron River Economy track, Placemaking H2O session.

We are proud of the progress made on RiverUp! projects up and down the river. These efforts include clean-ups of contam-inated properties, water and land trail development, portage improvements, economic development opportunities such as restaurants, liveries, and redevelopment, and public outreach and marketing. This progress is made possible through diverse partnerships with business leaders, downtown development authorities, recreational enthusiasts, state and local legislators, local government planners and staff, artists, and historians. We hope you will find inspiration in this vision and an area where you can get involved.

Enjoy the day and thank you for coming,

Laura Rubin, Executive Director

Creating Our Own Blue FutureConference Tracks and Sessions At-a-Glance

TRACK 1 The Huron River’s Blue Economy10:15 AM The Value of River Recreation1:45 PM Placemaking H

2O

3:15 PM Telling Our Story

TRACK 2 Science and Policy10:15 AM Blue Science1:45 PM Policy Tools for Water Protection3:15 PM No Longer Business as Usual – The Huron in a Changing Climate

TRACK 3 How DO We Create a Blue Future?10:15 AM Making Infrastructure Green1:45 PM Wicked Problems: Fracking, Pipelines and Aquatic Invasives3:15 PM Bringing More People Under the Tent

Photo: A. Savage

riveruphuron.org huronriverwatertrail.org

C O N F E R E N C E AG E N DA

7:30 - 8:30 AM Registration Check-In and Breakfast

8:30 - 9:30 AM KEYNOTE PRESENTATION: Blue is the New Green, John Austin, Director, Michigan Economic Center

9:30 - 10:00 AM WELCOME and the STATE OF THE HURON Laura Rubin, Executive Director, Huron River Watershed Council

— 15-minute transition to concurrent sessions —

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The Huron River Economy – The Value of River Recreation (Room 101)

Insights from Recreation and Tourism Professionals Water-based businesses play a significant part in the Blue Economy by providing jobs, generating local revenue, and pioneering new strategies and technologies. Our speakers will share first-hand experiences with building successful ventures around the clean waters of the Huron River. Mary Kerr, President and CEO Ann Arbor Area Convention & Visitors Bureau; Cheryl Saam, Livery Manager, City of Ann Arbor; and Mike Schultz, Owner, Schultz Outfitters, LLC

Science and Policy – Blue Science (Room 103/123)

The State of the Huron’s River and Tributaries Over the past two years, HRWC staff have compiled data on the Huron River and its tributaries at a creekshed scale, including data on fish, macroinvertebrates, land cover, stream habitat, bacteria, flow, and phosphorus. HRWC has ranked and scored these parameters in order to graphically portray where the problem areas are located. Successes and challenges throughout the watershed over the last five years will also be discussed. Paul Steen, Watershed Ecologist, HRWC

Environmental Flows for the Huron River System: Chuck McDowell and Yu-Chen Wang, Graduate Researchers, University of Michigan

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How DO We Create a Blue Future? Making Infrastructure Green (Room 105/121)

Cost-effective Retrofitting with the Green Infrastructure Portfolio Standard: Hal Sprague, Water Policy Manager, Center for Neighborhood Technology

Green Infrastructure – Ann Arbor’s Roadmap for Protecting the Huron River The City of Ann Arbor’s recently drafted and approved “Green Streets Policy Statement Consisting of Stormwater Guidelines for Public Street Construc-tion and Reconstruction,” provide a mechanism to ensure that stormwater runoff is treated for pollutant removal at the source, as well as strengthening the connection with the built environment and the natural environment. Jennifer Lawson, Water Quality Manager, City of Ann Arbor

Green Infrastructure Policy: Washtenaw County The County is at the forefront of integrating Green Infrastructure into stormwater management. This presentation will provide an overview of the main proposed changes to current storm-water regulations, how those changes might affect stakeholders, and a summary of the ongoing public involvement process. Evan Pratt, Water Resources Commissioner Washtenaw County

STATE OF THE HURON

How can Michigan be a leader in the Blue Economy? How does the Huron River connect to the broader move-ment? John Austin will outline economic and environmental opportunities that leverage Michigan’s Great Lakes and inland river resources.

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The Huron River Economy – Placemaking H2O (Room 101)

Maximizing the River for Community Development Learn how the Huron River’s RiverUp! program is working to assist communities to maximize waterways as signature community assets to attract residents, visitors, and businesses. Elizabeth Riggs, Deputy Director, HRWC

Trail Towns – Making Destinations of the River’s Towns: Michelle Aniol, Community Development Manager, Village of Dexter; Anita Twardesky, Trail Towns Coordinator, HRWC; and Christian Wuerth, Manager, Village of Milford

Science and Policy – Policy Tools for Water Protection (Room 103/123)

Michigan Inland Water Laws, Key Concepts, and Current Issues Assistant Attorney General Dan Bock will present an overview of Michigan water law, focusing on riparian rights, the public trust doctrine, and the state’s police power with regard to inland lakes and streams. Daniel Bock, Assistant Attorney General, Environment, Natural Resources, and Agriculture Division

Local Policies for Water Resource Protection Local communities are protecting the watershed with ordinances and policies that ensure development and land use activities occur in a way that keeps it healthy. After an overview of the kinds of ordinances most important to consider for water quality protection, local officials will share their experiences, and a roundtable discussion will capture attendees’ questions, comments, and insights. Sally Elmiger, Associate, Carlisle/Wortman Associates, Inc.; Kris Olsson, Watershed Ecologist, HRWC; and Mark St. Charles, Supervisor, Green Oak Township

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How DO We Create a Blue Future? Wicked Problems (Room 105/121)

Fracking in Michigan: Where Do We Stand? With ongoing headlines throughout Michigan and the United States about hydraullic fracturing (or “fracking” as it is frequently called) and its potential environmental, social and economic impacts, we are typically left with more questions than answers. This presentation will directly address fracking’s potential ramifications on Michigan’s natural resources, as well as the current regulatory climate surrounding the issue. Attendees will leave the presentation with the information and tools to get involved and ensure their voice is heard as further regu-latory changes are considered. Jack Schmitt, Deputy Director, Michigan League of Conservation Voters

Pipelines: Tar Sands in the Great Lakes Since the 2010 Enbridge oil spill into the Kalamazoo River, the increase of tar sands transportation in the Great Lakes has become one of the largest threats facing our waters and communities. Walk through lessons learned from the Kalamazoo River spill, pipeline expansions in the region and how communities can become involved to both prevent tar sands pipeline expansions and pipeline spills. Beth Wallace, Owner, SURF Great Lakes

Protecting Your Waters from Invasion – Aquatic Invasive Species Management in Michigan Protecting your waters from the harmful effects of aquatic invasive species (AIS) requires prevention, early detection, management and control. This talk will focus on how the State of Michigan’s AIS program can help in each area. Kevin Walters, Aquatic Biologist, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality - Water Resources Division

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM Buffet Lunch followed by HRWC Annual Awards

12:30 - 1:30 PM KEYNOTE PRESENTATION: Across the Continent by Kayak, Canoe and Dogsled, Amy and Dave Freeman, Adventure Educators and National Geographic 2014 Adventurer of the Year Honorees

Michigan Recreation and Parks Association Award Presentation to RiverUp!

— 15-minute transition to concurrent sessions —

Photo: B. Hansel

Amy and Dave Freeman, adventure educators who paddled, dogsledded, and hiked 11,647 miles across North America while 85,000 students helped shape their course will share their travelogue.

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The Huron River Economy – Telling Our Story (Room 101)

It Almost Started Here: the Huron River in the War of 1812: Daniel Harrison, Librarian, Henry Ford Community College

Osprey Reintroduction Along the Huron From 1998-2007 Ospreys were introduced into the Southern half of the lower Peninsula. Reached 10 years ahead of schedule, the goal was 30 nesting pairs by 2020. Hear more about the reintroduction program and learn new efforts to track Michigan Osprey migration via satellite telemetry. Barb Jensen, Osprey Watch of Southeast Michigan

History of the Huron River: From Power Source to Recreational Haven: Grace Shackman, Historian

Science and Policy – No Longer Business As Usual – the Huron in a Changing Climate (Room 103/123)

Building Climate-Resilient Communities From stormwater to river flows, natural areas to urban forests, learn what natural resource managers are doing to build resilience to climate change in the communities of the watershed. Rebecca Esselman, Watershed Planner, HRWC

Climate Change and the Huron River Watershed A presentation of the significant changes in temperature and precipitation in the Great Lakes Region and how they are amplifying the challenges of watershed management. Dan Brown, Research Associate, Great Lakes Integrated Sciences and Assessments

Climate Change and Instream Flows: What it means to paddlers and anglers Climate change predictions suggest that the Huron River will have a markedly different flow regime and character compared to its present condition. But what will this look like exactly? We will explore these changes by comparing the present Huron river with other Michigan rivers that now resemble what the Huron River is likely to become. The results will surprise you! Jeff Schaeffer, Research Fishery Biologist, USGS Great Lakes Science Center

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How DO We Create a Blue Future? Bringing More People Under the Tent (Room 105/121)

Lessons on Inclusion from Near Yet Far This panel discussion will take local lessons from peer organizations to help identify ways to bring more community members under our organizational tent, and how to make the tent larger. Jason Frenzel, Volunteer & Stewardship Coordinator, HRWC; Amanda Edmonds, Executive Director, Growing Hope; Guy Williams, President and CEO of Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice (DWEJ), and Founder of G.O. Williams & Associates, L.L.C.; and Jeremy Peters, 826 Michigan

4:30 - 5:00 PM RECEPTION

5:00 PM Annual Meeting for the HRWC Board of Directors

— 15-minute transition to concurrent sessions —

SOCIAL MEDIA. Share the conference through social media! Tweet and re-tweet about your favorite session or post photos and thoughts to HRWC’s Facebook page.

@hrwc, hashtag: #sohc2014 Facebook.com/huronriver

PHOTO RELEASE. Photos and videos will be taken during the conference and may be used for future marketing purposes. If you would prefer not to be included please contact Pam Labadie, HRWC Marketing Director at plabadie@hrwc.org or (734)769-5123 x 602.

SPEAKER BIOS are currently at www.hrwc.org/sohc2014.

PRESENTATIONS will also be available at the conference website after today’s event.

About the Huron River Watershed CouncilThe Huron River Watershed Council (HRWC) coordinates programs and volunteer efforts that include pollution prevention, hands-on river monitoring, wetland and floodplain protection, public outreach and education, and natural resources planning. Individuals, local businesses, and more than 40 communities support its work through voluntary membership.

Founded in 1965, HRWC is southeast Michigan’s oldest environmental organization dedicated to river protection. Its mission is to inspire attitudes, behaviors, and economies to protect, rehabilitate, and sustain the Huron River system.

ENJOY. PROTECT. JOIN.It’s Your River!

It all begins with clean water. That’s why rivers matter to a community. HRWC invites you to enjoy the beauty and the bounty of the Huron River, because it is your river. It starts at the headwaters in Oakland County at Indian Springs Metropark’s Huron Swamp. Flowing 124 miles in a complex system of lakes and wetlands, the main branch travels through Milford, Dexter, Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and Flat Rock to its final destination, Lake Erie at Point Mouillee. Along its course, 24 major tributaries feed the main stem.

You can enjoy the beautiful scenery of the meandering river in the Scenic River section that starts at Kent Lake Dam in Kensington Metropark and continues downstream to the Scio-Ann Arbor Township line. In 1977, HRWC and several citizen groups secured the “Scenic River” designation for this part of the Huron from Michigan’s Natural Rivers Program. As a friend of ours always says, “Why drive 200 miles up north to find a beautiful river, when there’s one right here in Southeast Michigan.”

Smallmouth bass thrive in the main branch of the Huron and common mammals include raccoon, mink, muskrat, beaver, and deer. Bird species include the great blue heron, a variety of wild ducks, and numerous songbirds as well as migrating bald eagles, peregrine falcons, Canada geese, ospreys, warblers, and sandhill cranes.

The river is a favorite venue for contemplation or camaraderie among friends, family and recreation lovers with over 35 public parks along its banks. There are long designated streamside walks in the shade with soothing murmurs and far off scenery diversified with hills and woods. There are beautiful quiet water paddles on 104 miles of the water trail, swimming, paddle boarding, fishing and birding adventures.

Whether splashing with your kids in a local creek or filling your glass with water at your kitchen sink, it all begins with clean water. HRWC will continue to pioneer new ways to safeguard our clean water for our communities today and for future generations. Visit our website to find a variety of river maps, information on protecting the river, and recreation adventures on the beautiful Huron River.

Jump in. The water is fine, so go ahead and enjoy your river!

Photo: G. Hieber

NOTES

The 2014 STATE OF THE HURON CONFERENCE was made possible by the following sponsors, committed to clean water and the Huron River Watershed Council.

1100 North Main StreetAnn Arbor, MI 48104734.769.5123www.hrwc.org