Management of Wetlands to Control the Spread of Invasive Plant Species

Author/Presenter: Brian Majka JFNew Unit Manager Michigan Restoration Services 11181 Marwill Avenue West Olive, MI 49460 (616) 847-1680 bmajka@jfnew.com; www.jfnew.com

The spread of invasive wetland plant species has resulted in detrimental impacts to the health and biodiversity of Great Lakes wetland ecosystems. Some of the most harmful vegetative species invading Great Lakes wetlands include purple loosestrife, common reed, and glossy buckthorn. While the aggressive spread of these populations makes control very difficult, it can be achieved through prioritization of target management locations, use of long-term integrated management practices, and cooperative efforts among involved organizations. By initially focusing our control efforts on select sensitive wetland communities, we can protect the most diverse areas from the degraded conditions associated with the presence of invasive species. Once these locations are engaged in long-term management, adjacent wetlands and less diverse communities may be identified for control. Control techniques utilized on any given project should be selected within the context of the restoration objectives for that site. Some currently used invasive species management tools involve chemical control (selective application of wetland-approved herbicides), mechanical control (manipulation of water levels, prescribed burning, and cutting/removal of target species) and biological control. Restoration of degraded wetlands to previously existing native vegetation may also require re-introduction efforts, through seeding and planting. GIS and GPS technology can be used to effectively track these control efforts and the effectiveness of treatments on localized target populations. A crucial step in successful control and restoration is the education and cooperation of all parties that may have direct or indirect influence on the issue of invasive species spread in our wetlands and waterways. Increased understanding of the problems and potential treatments will encourage participation in these efforts.

Approaches to Guiding Wetland Restoration in Canadian and Binational Great Lakes Areas of Concern

Authors/Presenter*: Greg Mayne* and Luca Cargnelli Environment Canada 867 Lakeshore Road Burlington, ON L7R 4A6

Of the 17 Canadian Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOCs) identified under the Canada-U.S Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, only two have been delisted (Severn Sound and Collingwood Harbour) while the remaining 15 continue to experience multiple beneficial use impairments. Thirteen of these AOCs are degraded due in part to the "loss of fish and wildlife habitat". This is one of the most serious of use impairments as it is the most difficult to reverse and because it impacts other use impairments such as the "degradation of fish and wildlife populations". Although the International Joint Commission set forth generic guidelines for delisting in 1991, habitat restoration goals are specific to each AOC and often rely on comparisons to reference conditions and/or existing standards and guidelines. Wetlands are one of the most degraded and fragmented of habitat types and occur in many of the Canadian AOCs. In this presentation the authors provide an overview of issues confronting wetland restoration and protection efforts, data and assessment needs and guidelines and standards for determining when wetland habitats have been restored in the AOCs.

Wetland Mitigation Construction and Monitoring at Crosswinds Marsh

Authors/Presenter*: Stephen G. Metzer, PWS; Daniel L. Zay; Natalie A. Dingledine; and Meghan D.C. McDowell* DLZ Michigan, Inc. 1425 Keystone Avenue Lansing, Michigan 48911 (517) 393-6800, Ext. 556; Fax: (517) 272-7390 mmcdowell@dlz.com

The Runway 4/22 Environmental Mitigation Project included the development and implementation of a detailed mitigation plan for all wetland impacts associated with the construction of the fourth parallel runway (4/22) at the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport. The resulting wetland construction project is known as Crosswinds Marsh - Phase II and is managed as a Wayne County Parks property. The mitigation plan addressed the displacement of more than 150 acres of wetland, the relocation of Hale Creek and several drains and tributaries, the remediation of environmentally contaminated sites, the relocation of state listed threatened and endangered species, and the design of 263 acres of mitigation wetland. The project also included the supervision of all construction activities and the monitoring of the mitigation wetland for five years after the completion of construction. Six subareas were created at the mitigation site including a variety of wetland habitats. A particularly innovative and effective technique was utilized to develop micro-topography in wetland cells. After five years of monitoring the final wetland delineation determined that 313 acres of wetland were created on site. The plant communities were well established and wildlife was fully utilizing the site. The state special concern Blanding's turtle, American Bittern, and Marsh Wren as well as the federally threatened Bald Eagle were observed using the site during monitoring activities.

Amphibian Communities of Wetland Mitigation Banks - Comparisons to Natural Wetlands

Author/Presenter: Mick Micacchion Ohio EPA Division of Surface Water Wetland Ecology Group 4675 Homer Ohio Lane Groveport, OH 43215 (614) 836-8779; Fax: (614) 836-8795 Mick.Micacchion@epa.state.oh.us

Thirty-five subareas at twelve major wetland mitigation banks in Ohio were monitored to determine amphibian usage. Results were compared to amphibian data from a set of 111 natural wetlands. Amphibian presence and community composition at wetland mitigation banks was much different than for natural wetlands, especially forested and shrub wetlands. Bank wetlands were dominated by tolerant amphibian species including green frogs, Rana clamitans melanota (38%), Toads, Bufo sp. (21%), Northern leopard frogs, R. pipiens pipiens (19%) and bullfrogs, R. catesbeiana (12%). Sensitive species including Ambystomatid salamanders, red-spotted newts, Notophthalmus viridescens, and wood frogs, R. sylvatica were almost totally absent from mitigation bank amphibian communities. Reasons for the absence of sensitive species at wetland mitigation banks includes a prevalence of permanent versus temporary hydroperiods, presence of predatory fish, steep slopes and absence of vegetation, especially woody species, large size reducing edge effects, little or no buffers and high intensity surrounding land uses.

Landscape Level Mapping to Assess Habitat Availability in an Urban Watershed

Authors/Presenter*: David A. Mifsud, M.S., PWS* Wetland Stewardship Program Coordinator/GIS Specialist Friends of the Rouge 4901 Evergreen Road, 220-ASC Building Dearborn, MI 48128-1491 (313) 268-6189 miffer@umd.umich.edu; DavidAMifsud@gmail.com and WatchFrog@therouge.org

Key Words: Wetlands, Habitat Mapping, Urban Landscape, Fragmentation, Rouge River Watershed, GIS, Area of Concern, Beneficial Use Impairments The Rouge River Watershed is an Area of Concern (AOC) that suffers from degraded and diminishing wildlife habitat. Only an estimated 4% of the original wetlands and 7% of the woodlands remain intact within the watershed, and these areas are highly fragmented. Delisting criteria for habitat-related Beneficial Use Impairments (BUI) have been particularly difficult to assess and address. Almost every United States AOC has identified habitat-related BUIs, but the Great Lakes Ecosystem continues to be impacted by the loss and decline of critical habitat. The Rouge River watershed is one of the most intensively monitored watersheds in the country. This project gathered existing data into a geographic based database using GIS software. The objective was to identify critical areas and aid in planning and setting measurable restoration goals. In addition, wetland and woodland habitats were mapped using on screen digitizing of high resolution digital orthophotography (12" pixel resolution). Select sites were then verified through field surveys. These maps will be the first step towards measuring the progress of habitat restoration in the Rouge. They will provide a baseline of known information for the Rouge, making it possible to develop realistic restoration goals for each segment of the river and identify areas in need of more inventories. These maps will also enable the prioritization of areas in need of restoration, as well as identify areas where research and protection have been accomplished. Thus, this information can serve in the development of bench marks to evaluate progress during the delisting process.

Using Probability-based Sampling for Assessing the Regional Status of Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands

Authors/Presenter*: Mary F. Moffett, Ph.D.* Ecologist U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Mid-Continent Ecology Division 6201 Congdon Boulevard Duluth, MN 55804 (218) 529-5174; Fax: (218) 529 5003 Moffett.Mary@epa.gov and T.P. Simon U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Bloomington Ecological Services Field Office Bloomington IN Thomas_Simon@fws.gov

Fish community multimetric IBIs (Indices of Biotic Integrity) were developed and tested for rating the condition of drowned river-mouth coastal wetlands along the United States shore of the Laurentian Great Lakes and connecting channels. A probabilistic sampling survey design allowed an efficient unbiased method of sampling sites randomly, but spatially balanced across the region, and with a weighting for wetland size. Over 120 wetlands were sampled across Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and St. Clair and their connecting channels in summer of 2001 as part of a U.S. Regional Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (REMAP) project. The survey analysis provided a means to estimate the uncertainty associated with the estimates of condition for each lake. The fish community multimetric IBI scores produced numerical measures of wetland degradation, which was extensive in large regions of the lower lakes, while Lake Superior wetlands and the northern portions of Lakes Huron and Michigan generally supported higher quality fish communities. (This abstract does not necessarily reflect USEPA policy.) Impact Statement for the Agency: Monitoring aquatic resources for regional assessments requires methods to efficiently sub-sample the population and make estimates of condition with associated uncertainty. This research is a demonstration in freshwater coastal wetlands using the survey design developed by the Agency's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program. This presentation will increase communication to wetland managers and wetland scientists of the results of research we did to provide unbiased estimation of condition for use in the EPA Region 5 States' 305b reports of condition of their states' waters and wetlands, specifically drowned river mouth coastal wetlands. This research done by the Mid-continent Ecology Division-Duluth in collaboration with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also gives the results of development and use of multimetric indices (IBIs) for measures of biotic integrity and assessing condition for these coastal wetland ecosystems.

Natural Features Inventories and Local Ordinances for Wetland Protection - A Michigan Perspective

Author/Presenter: Steven F. Niswander, Ph.D. co-owner Professional Wetland Scientist #1276 Niswander Environmental, LLC 10524 E. Grand River Avenue, Suite 103 Brighton, MI, 48116 (810) 2250-539; Fax: (810) 225-4042 sniswan@niswander-env.com

In light of current legal issues impacting the protection of wetlands through out the United States, it is critical that new avenues for wetland protection be explored. Michigan's wetland statute, Part 303, Wetlands Protection, of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act, 1994 PA 451, as amended, allows for local governments to regulate isolated wetlands if it is shown that the wetland is essential to the preservation of the community's natural resources. The creation of a Natural Features Inventory and implementation of a local wetland ordinance for three Michigan communities will be presented. The communities include developed suburbs (Rochester Hills and West Bloomfield, MI) and a rural vacation community that is experiencing growth pressure (Long Lake Township, MI). In particular, the presentation will discuss the role of a Natural Features Inventory (NFI) for developing a local wetland ordinance, how a NFI when coupled with a Master Land Use Plan becomes a policy guide for Planning Commissions and City Council/Township Boards, and finally how a NFI and local ordinance can be used to establish the policy and precedence in a community for defendable land use decisions.

WETLAND RESTORATION TRAINING INITIATIVES SOUTHERN ONTARIO1996 TO 2006

Author/Presenter: Angus Norman Wetlands/Wildlife Specialist Southern Science and Information Section Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources 659 Exeter Road London, Ont. N6E 1L3 (519) 873-4623; Fax (519) 873-4645 angus.norman@mnr.gov.on.ca

High loss of wetlands in southern Ontario has resulted in high loss of ecological services particularly water benefits and support for biodiversity. To counteract this loss we need to keep remaining wetlands and restore lost and degraded wetlands where ecologically feasible and economically practical. In the mid 1990's, knowledge of wetland restoration was synthesized in a 4-day workshop by 80 wetland scientists and restoration practitioners from across North America. From this synthesis we developed a week long Wetland Restoration Course on themes, concepts and principles of successful wetland restoration. The course has helped participants look at wetland management in a watershed context with an appreciation for some of the many factors affecting successful wetland restoration projects. Over the last 11 years, over 270 staff of resource agencies and organizations has taken the Level I course. In the fall of 2005, we initiated a second level of wetland restoration training. We selected two teams of participants from the Level I course and began a 3-year initiative on two areas of the Oak Ridges Moraine - in the headwaters of the Humber River and the Duffins Creek Watersheds. There are 2 phases to the Level II course. Phase 1 involves characterizing the watershed from 19 different attributes, evaluating the ecological history of the area, examining relevant social-political issues, synthesizing all of the above information and selecting pilot restoration sites. Because of this thorough examination of the landscape, we will identify a long list of potential wetland restoration sites. In phase 2, the two teams will restore wetlands selected in phase 1. There will be significant stewardship initiatives associated with phase 2 of the project. This initiative is appropriate for many other areas across North America where high wetland loss and degradation have occurred.

Resolving Wetlands Disputes (Or, Using Dispute Resolution in Wetlands Cases)

Dustin P. Ordway* Miller Johnson 250 Monroe Avenue, NW Grand Rapids, MI 48116 (616) 831-1706: Fax: (616) 988-1706 ordwayd@millerjohnson.com Christopher M. Bzdok Olson, Bzdok & Howard 420 E. Front Street Traverse City, MI

I. Overview Managing wetlands involves a complex interplay among competing perspectives based on applicable legal standards and procedures, scientific and technical investigation and recommendations, agency priorities and staffing, and business and personal property owner understandings and plans. This presentation will discuss the use of dispute resolution in solving complex conflicts over wetlands in a way that can address both landowner concerns and environmental goals. II. Background The principle legal issues that arise in wetlands cases are: 1. Jurisdiction 2. Impacts 3. Alternatives 4. Mitigation; and, in cases involving parties in addition to the government and landowner, 5. Standing The United States Supreme Court's recent jurisdiction decision in the Rapanos case, and the Michigan Supreme Court's recent standing decision in NWF v Cleveland Cliffs, both show that adjudicating the major issues in wetlands cases is getting more factually complex, not less. III. Forum Currently, the issues are adjudicated in one or more of these forums: 1. Internal administrative appeals at agencies (e.g., Army Corps appeals) 2. Formal administrative adjudication (e.g., state agency contested cases) 3. Judicial review of ## 1 or 2 (e.g., state or federal court) 4. Original actions in court (e.g., MEPA trials) 5. Dispute resolution (e.g., facilitative mediation) IV. Issues to Consider for Resolution As the trend toward more factually intensive adjudication of wetlands cases continues, being able to resolve these disputes through mediation or other dispute resolution processes will become more and more important. In order to create the conditions for success in a wetlands dispute resolution, the following issues should be considered: 1. Who are the participants? 2. What are the ground rules? 3. What are the characteristics of the mediator (generalist/specialist, etc.)? 4. What are the assumptions, understandings and priorities of agency staff? 5. What are the assumptions, understandings and priorities of landowners? 6. What are the assumptions, understandings and priorities of other interested parties? 7. How do agency staffing and resource issues play a role, if they do? 8. Are some wetlands more or less valuable than others? 9. What is the effect of multiple agency involvement, if any? 10. What is the role of statutory mandates? 11. Who has the authority to make decisions? 12. How can the procedures be streamlined? V. Case Studies Case studies can be used to explore these questions. Possible ones might include: 1. Crystal River 2. Cedar River 3. MCWC v Nestle (Ice Mountain) 4. Other VI. Conclusion Numerous opportunities exist to resolve wetlands regulatory issues within existing agency procedures, existing judicial alternatives and in private processes designed to facilitate settlement. A combination of education, attention to both the legal framework and the scientific function of wetlands, and a focus on the interests and needs of all involved parties, can lead to effective resolution of wetlands disputes.

Wetlands and Endangered Species

Author/Presenter: Patrick Parenteau Professor of Law Director Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic Vermont Law School South Royalton, VT 05068 (802) 831-1305; Fax: 802 831-1322 pparenteau@vermontlaw.edu

Nearly forty percent of species of plants and animals listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act depend upon wetlands for a significant portion or their life history. The survival and recovery of these species depends upon conserving the remaining wetlands where they are found and restoring degraded wetland habitats to allow expansion of populations and species range. Mitigation of wetland losses is particularly difficult for species that may already be facing extinction and have little margin of error. The ESA, often called the "pit bull" of environmental laws, imposes very strict procedural and substantive requirements on federal agencies including the Corps and EPA. For example, depending on what species is involved, the Corps must consult with either the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the National Marine Fisheries Service before issuing 404 permits that may affect a listed species. The Corps cannot issue a permit that would "jeopardize' the continued existence of a listed species or adversely modify designated critical habitat. The ESA also prohibits "any person," including private parties, corporations, and federal, state and tribal agencies, from "taking" any listed species of animal. The term take is broadly defined to include activities that not only kill or injure animals but that "harass" and "harm" species by destroying their habitat. This presentation will cover these issues with a view towards helping wetland program managers understand how the ESA works and how it might come into play in the wetland regulatory context.

Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Habitat Use By Yellow Perch: Patterns Within and Among Wetland Types

Authors/Presenter*: A.D. Parker*, D.G. Uzarski, M.J. Cooper Grand Valley State University Annis Water Resources Institute Muskegon, MI 49441 and T.M. Burton Michigan State University Departments of Zoology and Fisheries and Wildlife East Lansing, MI 48824

Great Lakes coastal wetlands are known to provide spawning and nursery habitat for yellow perch (Perca flavescens). However, in six years of sampling coastal wetlands of Lakes Michigan, Superior, and Huron, it is apparent that not all wetland types provide equivalent yellow perch habitat. During this time, we collected only 49 yellow perch from drowned river mouth wetlands while 1,661 were collected from coastal fringing wetlands (fishing effort was similar between wetland types). Spearman correlations revealed significant positive relationships between yellow perch catch and temperature as well as sulfate. Yellow perch catch was negatively correlated with nitrate-N, soluble reactive phosphorous, conductivity, alkalinity, turbidity, and total dissolved solids (TDS). Drowned river mouth wetlands tended to have higher nutrient concentrations, conductivity, turbidity, TDS, and organic sediment depth than coastal fringing wetlands. These factors are often associated with abiotic conditions that are unfavorable for yellow perch (i.e., hypoxia). Our results indicate that, in general, Great Lakes drowned river mouth wetlands are more susceptible to anthropogenic disturbances, such as cultural eutrophication, making them less suitable for yellow perch than other types of Great Lakes coastal wetlands.

Using Coarse-Level Metrics to Assess Restoration Progress in Southern Michigan Fens

Authors/Presenter*: Douglas Pearsall*, Steven Woods, and Patrick Doran The Nature Conservancy in Michigan 101 E. Grand River Avenue Lansing, MI 48906 (517) 316-2259 dpearsall@tnc.org

Midwestern calcareous fens are groundwater-fed, mostly herbaceous wetlands that harbor distinct plant and animal assemblages, including many globally rare species. Fens are of disproportionately high importance to biodiversity relative to their size, and are very well represented in the Great Lakes basin. Past land conversion and current urban sprawl have isolated most fens in a largely fragmented landscape. Fire suppression and invasive plant species are also direct threats to the structure and composition of fens, and virtually all fens will require restoration and stewardship to be conserved. Over 20 of the 130 documented fens in southern Michigan are currently being managed by a variety of agencies, organizations, and individuals, requiring intensive investment of time and resources, yet little is being invested in monitoring the success or failure of restoration efforts. Detailed monitoring of hydrology and changes in vegetation composition and structure are preferred techniques but are cost prohibitive for most managers. We have developed a set of three coarse-level metrics; percent native species, percent flammable fuels, and percent herbaceous cover, that are relatively easy and inexpensive to assess and that require little training. Regular assessment of these metrics at management unit or whole wetland scales allows restoration progress to be easily tracked over time. Two years of assessment in a pilot project reveal that consistent timing and calibration of field surveyors are critical factors for getting useful data. We are promoting this approach among partners in Michigan and adjacent states to further evaluate their utility.

The Michigan Department of Transportation's Forested Wetland Restoration Lessons Learned

Author/Presenter: Michael R. Pennington Michigan Department of Transportation Environmental Section 425 W. Ottawa Lansing, MI 48909 517-335-2619 penningtonm@michigan.gov

Since the early 1990's, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has been creating and restoring forested wetlands to compensate for road construction projects. Early attempts at creating/restoring forested wetlands often resulted in partial or complete failures. Failures were due to several factors including poor site selection, poor design, and a general lack of knowledge of plant/water relationships. In 2000, MDOT conducted a research study on forested wetlands restoration in cooperation with Michigan State University. This research examined interrelationships among natural vegetation zones, soil redox potential (Eh), and metrics of tree seedling performance (i.e survival, growth, and photosynthesis) for several tree species planted in forested restoration projects in the Midwest. Naturally developed vegetation zones were found to be good predictors of seedling growth, survival and physiological functioning. Seedlings planted in transitional wet meadow zones generally exhibited greater height growth and survival rates than seedlings planted in upland areas and persistent emergent wetland zones. Photosynthesis rates were also higher in transition zones and positively related to both survival and Eh. The transition zones at the sites studied extended over only a 9.3 cm vertical elevation gradient. This narrow margin illustrates the importance of precise grading when creating/restoring forested wetlands. MDOT recently incorporated the results of this study into the design of several forested wetland mitigation projects. By grading sites relatively flat, incorporating adjustable water control structures, and postponing planting until vegetation zones are developed, MDOT has been able to greatly increase the success of their forested wetland restoration efforts.

Long Term Monitoring and Characterization of a Coastal Plain March, a Globally Imperiled Wetland Community, and the Ecology of a Rare, Fugitive Seed Bank Species

Authors/Presenter*: Michael R. Penskar* Botany Program Leader Michigan Natural Features Inventory P.O. Box 30444 Lansing, MI 48909-7944 ( 517) 335-4582; Fax: (517) 373-9566 penskarm@michigan.gov; penskar@msu.edu and Phyllis J. Higman Conservation Education Program Leader Michigan Natural Features Inventory

Among the numerous wetland community types of the Great Lakes, coastal plain marshes are both biologically rich and globally rare. These wetlands are named for their distinctive flora, comprised of species that are often markedly disjunct from their main range along the Atlantic Coastal Plain and Gulf Coast. Botanists and ecologists have long been fascinated by coastal plain marshes because of their unpredictable inter- and intra-seasonal hydrological fluctuations, the unknown role of fire and other natural perturbations, their unique plant assemblages, and the presence of numerous rare species whose appearances do not simply correlate with annual flooding and drawdown cycles. In 1999 we established a permanent, long-term monitoring macroplot within a high quality coastal plain marsh containing the state's largest population of Hall's bulrush (Schoenoplectus hallii, Cyperaceae), a rare sedge nominated for federal listing by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Although Hall's bulrush is not a coastal plain disjunct species, it is known only in Michigan from five coastal plain marsh complexes, and is frequently associated with rare coastal plain species throughout its Midwest and eastern USA range. Here we describe the results of an eight-year study to characterize and compare the coastal plain marsh habitat of Hall's bulrush sites and the implementation of a long-term monitoring plot to better determine the conditions necessary for the emergence of this sporadically occurring sedge and associated coastal plain disjunct taxa.

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