IMPACT Conservation Resource Alliance Report to Contributors 2016-2017
Great Lakes and Great People What is a healthy community? In northern Michigan our definition includes balancing the desire for modern technology, safe infrastructure, robust economies, engagement of local stakeholders and strong natural systems. At Conservation Resource Alliance, our mission is conserving natural resources by harmonizing the intersections of life where a road meets a river, where a forest meets a farm building healthy communities from the foundation of clean, free-flowing water and healthy wildlife habitats. We recognize that a healthy community is a macrocosm of interrelated natural and built environments where doing the right thing for one of the components shouldn t compromise another. We live and work in Michigan s playground. It is a special place that we care for passionately and share enthusiastically. We believe in doing the right things, in the right places, at the right time, and we ve been at it for nearly 50 years. This Impact Report celebrates our contribution to keep the Great Lakes great. We highlight what can be accomplished when people come forward to shoulder the responsibility of building a healthy community. We hope you dig into this snapshot of our recent efforts and always let us know what is important to you. Together, we are building healthy communities.
Betsie River, Benzie County
Sensible Stewardship River Care TM and Wild Link TM We get asked all the time, how do you choose your projects? We start with field inventories and local eyes and ears, add community support and available funding, then integrate these into carefully crafted work plans that reflect our long-term vision for the future. Easy, right? Through our two main programs River Care and Wild Link we invest over two million dollars annually in the northwest corner of Michigan s Lower Peninsula. These funds come from public and private partnerships to deliver the river restoration, wildlife habitat and community infrastructure results we are known for. By investing in our high-quality forests and streams, we are building up the resiliency of the Great Lakes improving our ability to withstand future threats while creating safe places to live, work and play. Our work restoring natural floodplains improves public safety in flood-prone areas. Our culverts and bridges help our infrastructure better handle extreme weather events. Our wildlife enhancement work improves the outdoor experience and benefits our Up North economy. We dream big and will continue to work our hardest to reach our stream connectivity and healthy habitat goals. We believe in a bright future and thank the many partners who have shared their vision, passion and creativity to get this good work done. Real Conservation Results Evaluation and accountability are cornerstones of our work. Measurable results that are practical and meaningful help us quantify our conservation story before and after monitoring data is collected at many of the sites we work on. With the help of our federal, state, tribal and education partners, we are able to monitor fisheries, amphibians, reptiles, aquatic invertebrates, plant communities and more. These numbers not only illustrate the impact of our work but help guide future restoration efforts. With nearly 50 years on the job, we don t walk away from our projects once they re complete. CRA is here for the long haul. We build trusted relationships based on sensible projects with real results. Be sure to visit our website at www.rivercare.org for the latest project updates and monitoring reports. You can t be unhappy in the middle of a big, beautiful river. Jim Harrison
Former Boardman Dam, Grand Traverse County
Good Work Done Right We are a team of doers. Working in the nonprofit sector, we get to be agile, inventive and relationship-focused. We also get to have a lot of fun while we re at it. No one year at CRA is like the next, with each annual work plan reflecting a slate of new projects. Each project has its own unique scope and scale. For instance, some dam removals are small privately-owned dams on creeks while others involve major infrastructure in more urbanized areas. The following pages highlight our biggies impressive projects with dramatic before and afters. The projects that are missing include the stabilization of dozens of streambanks, the addition of hundreds of miles of instream habitat, the planting of thousands of trees and all the ripple effects of these projects in our communities. To help tell the whole story of what we do, we ve called out our major types of work and the underlying principles of why we do it.
Red Creek / Haze Road, Benzie County
What We Do Best Road / Stream Crossings Poorly constructed or failing road/stream crossings contribute unnatural amounts of sediment and often prevent fish and other aquatic species from moving upstream. Characteristics that define failing crossings include culverts or other structures that are too small for the water flow, poorly aligned, too short for the stream channel, perched or simply falling apart. Addressing worst first problems, CRA is replacing the most severely degraded crossings with bridges and modern structures to control runoff, restore fish passage and improve public safety. Dam Removal Dams and other obstructions often restrict the movement of fish and other aquatic species. They also create artificially warm water temperatures and sometimes fail, releasing sediment downstream. The benefits of dam removal include restoring more natural river flows for fish and wildlife, eliminating the safety risks of aging infrastructure and enhancing opportunities for recreation. Some dams, including those that generate hydropower, support irrigation and provide flood control, still deliver important community benefits. That s why partners are working to carefully assess and systematically remove dams and barriers in the Great Lakes that no longer serve a purpose. Improving Instream Habitat Nature is the best engineer. The bulk of our habitat work is needed where we ve interfered with the natural design of our waters or woods. In our rivers, the legacy of logging and the current practice of over manicuring streambanks mean many of our waterways need more wood. That s why every year CRA feeds our streams. We usually talk about this process as enhancing instream habitat. It means we start by harvesting whole trees and then we place them in the water along streambanks. Sometimes they are secured and often they will naturally find a nook to occupy. These structures build up the habitat diversity in our waters for many species they provide fish cover, places for turtles to bask and new niches for macroinvertebrates. Habitat Connectivity Fish and wildlife need to move. When we talk about habitat connectivity, we are talking about the degree to which the land or water facilitates the movement of fish, wildlife and other ecological flows like the movement of sediment or plant communities. When movement is unnaturally blocked, by roads, dams or other development, the survival for many species is compromised. CRA takes a holistic watershed approach to restoring habitat connectivity. We do this by bundling projects into comprehensive initiatives that restore entire reaches of a river or landscape. This also saves time and money by reducing mobilization costs, stretching every dollar to its fullest.
Before, Jordan River / Old State Road, Antrim County After, Chestonia Bridge
Feeling Free on the River Jordan What do you get when you combine good science, a passion for healthy rivers and a whole lot of persistence? According to our partners in Antrim County, the answer is Chestonia Bridge. Since 2013, a dedicated group of partners set their minds to improve fish passage, reduce streambank erosion, restore a natural stream channel and provide recreationists with safe river access where the Jordan River meets Old State Road. The former crossing consisted of twin 16 ft-wide culverts that were perched and significantly undersized. These conditions created a velocity barrier to some fish species and a dangerous situation for recreational users, all while interrupting the natural movement of water and nutrients. Burt Thompson, Engineer and Manager at the Antrim County Road Commission, faced a difficult situation at the crossing, That site had a failing wooden retaining wall, failing erosion control and failing guardrail. The new bridge was timely for us and we were able to contribute construction engineering and labor. The price tag for the project was $1.27 million. This included a full-span concrete bridge over Old State Road as well as a concrete box culvert over the nearby Cokirs Creek. Partners also kicked in over $200,000 for a vastly improved recreational access site. Community and private philanthropic support for this project was unprecedented. Public funding was matched one-to-one with private dollars bringing much-needed investment to this rural corner of Michigan. Chip Hansen, President of the Charlevoix County Community Foundation, reflected, The Charlevoix County Community Foundation viewed the Chestonia Bridge project as a significant opportunity to make a dramatic and necessary impact on the health of the Jordan River. CRA s plan convinced our Environmental and Land Use Advisory Committee, who recommended the largest grant ever made in the history of the Community Foundation s Lake Charlevoix Watershed Fund. The significance of our commitment resonated with other funders as well, creating the conditions that allowed us to partner with CRA to leverage the resources necessary to meet the funding target. This project highlights how multiple interests come together to create a win-win for all. Public infrastructure is upgraded, the river is healthier and the community has a better way to get on and off this northern Michigan gem. Thank you to the many partners who stepped up to get this project to the finish line.
Boardman River, Grand Traverse County
The Boardman: A River Reborn It took more than 120 years, but the Boardman River finally found its way back home as partners removed Boardman Dam in 2017. A new chapter was ushered in with tremendous community support to see this river flowing freely through its historic channel. Led by the US Army Corps of Engineers and fueled by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the removal of Boardman Dam marks the second dam to come out on the Boardman River. The first dam, Brown Bridge Dam, was removed in 2012. The third dam, Sabin Dam, is slated for removal in 2018. And lastly, modification of Union Street Dam is planned for 2019. The magnitude of this endeavor and the personal passion and commitment to the river is truly unparalleled. It is the largest dam removal initiative in Michigan s history and one of the most comprehensive restoration projects in the Great Lakes Basin. Once complete, The Boardman: A River Reborn will reconnect over 160 miles of free-flowing, cold-water stream and restore hundreds of acres of wetland and upland habitat while removing aging infrastructure that no longer produced viable electric power. CRA supports the initiative by applying a collaborative partnership approach to project management and fundraising. Through both the replacement of Cass Road Bridge and the removal of Boardman Dam, federal, state, local and tribal governments partnered with local interest groups, nonprofits, area businesses and philanthropic organizations to reach the finish line. At the helm of this great journey is the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa & Chippewa Indians. As caretakers of our water, the Aníšhinaábek have brought unity back to our waterways through these dam removals. Their outstanding leadership and deep commitment to the region is nothing short of exceptional. As a result of the extraordinary effort to restore the Boardman River, the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, known in some circles as the international sea lamprey police, selected the river for an innovative new technology site at Union Street Dam. Known as FishPass, scientists from around the world will work to solve one of the greatest fishery management challenges of our time allow for the movement of desirable aquatic species past a dam while blocking unwanted species, namely invasive sea lamprey. Please stay tuned as this exciting project moves forward. To all of the partners involved, Miigwech.
Maple River Twin Branch Project Kick-off, Emmet County West Branch Maple River / Robinson Road
Free Spanning the Maple River We like to tell stories about the special places we work to protect and improve. We focus on the impact of our efforts. From a business perspective, the important analysis might be return on investment. Not just dollars and cents, but an over-arching look at all the benefits, risks, and costs for the resource and for people. That s one view we take on big, watershed-wide initiatives like our Free Span the Maple River projects. Conceptualized nearly a decade ago, we locked arms with the Emmet County Road Commission to tackle the worst road/stream crossings and man-made barriers with a goal of 100% connectivity of over 40 miles of Maple River main stem and tributaries. Then we got to work. To date, five major crossings have been replaced, four with modern timber bridges that aesthetically fit in with the necessary intersection of nature and rural transportation infrastructure. Instream habitat and erosion control work compliment the improvements. Back in May of this year, over 70 partners gathered in the meadow overlooking Lake Kathleen and the culverts under Woodland Road to celebrate the kick-off of the next phase of this good work. Community leaders from the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, townships, county, public agencies and nonprofit partners shared their unique, but common, commitments for removal of the dam that has clogged the river and replacement of the failing crossing with a safe, environmentally friendly timber bridge. This event moved us and affirmed that with the support of many good people, great things are accomplished. This historic phase of the Free Span the Maple River initiative is expected to commence in early 2018. When completed, the river will run free again. We think that s a pretty good return on investment.
Clean Cold Water A Healthy Diet for the Pere Marquette River and the Great Lakes From the big open water of our Great Lakes to the secluded creeks of our headwaters, we are lucky to have a vast array of freshwater habitats here in Michigan. Some fish like bass, whitefish and pike thrive in our big lakes. Others, like brook trout, depend on our cold-water streams. Keeping these habitats in balance is critical for a diverse fishery and something we pay close attention to at CRA. Less than 20% of rivers in Michigan s Lower Peninsula have cold-water characteristics year-round, meaning they are able to support certain fish species through even the hottest months of the summer. The rarity and sensitivity of cold-water habitat means freshwater conservationists prioritize projects that safeguard these special streams. Our work on Sanborn Creek, a tributary to the Baldwin River and Pere Marquette River Watershed, is a great example of conserving this unique habitat and reaching 100% connectivity throughout an entire reach. Guided by the Pere Marquette River Restoration Committee, CRA and partners are reconnecting over 14 miles of habitat through a series of nine road/stream crossing improvement projects. Sanborn Creek is a high-quality cold-water tributary that supports wild populations of at least four different salmonid species. The primary management goal for Sanborn Creek is to replace poor road/stream crossings, commented Mark Tonello, Fisheries Management Biologist, with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Replacing undersized and perched culverts with appropriately sized structures translates into natural stream flows, natural stream substrate, reduced thermal pollution and reconnected floodplains - and hopefully, the fishing gets better and better. Tonello pointed out, Sanborn Creek provides an excellent opportunity for anglers to catch trout, offering a small stream angling experience in a beautifully forested setting. The naturally reproducing trout and salmon from Sanborn Creek provide angling opportunities in the open waters of Lake Michigan and throughout the watershed. These recreational opportunities significantly enhance the local economies in the region. We are eager to see this tributary restored and reconnected to the Pere Marquette River, the longest free-flowing river in Michigan. These healthier tributaries feed cleaner water into the Great Lakes, supporting local communities and building resilience in this extraordinary freshwater ecosystem.
Tributary to Soper Creek, Wexford County Landowner Al Whitehouse and Chris Pierce, CRA Biologist
A Family Affair on Soper Creek Originally constructed in the mid-1950s, Soper Creek Trout Farm was a network of over 20 ponds and 20 low-head dams. Flowing into the Manistee River, the 48-acre property boasted a productive brown and brook trout hatchery. Due to the economic downturn in the 1980s, the business began to decline and hatchery operations were abandoned. As years passed, the property fell into disrepair. With a tangled mess of rundown buildings and water flowing in all the wrong places, Al Whitehouse came across the property in 2013. I grew up less than a mile from here. I used to fish in these streams. I watched this place fall apart over the years, but I remember what this place once was, Al reflected. Al s bread and butter is the timber industry so he knows his way around big machinery. And he s also a lover of brook trout. When the former trout farm property went up for sale, he couldn t resist. After Al and his wife, Darlene, purchased the property, his first visit was with Susan Conradson, the Cadillac District Engineer with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Water Resources Division. Susan recalled, I first met Al when he walked into the Cadillac DEQ office to discuss the Soper Creek property. He said he wanted to clean it up so we set up a site visit with a handful of other partners including CRA. The site was quite the mess dilapidated buildings, dozens of ponds, abandoned pipelines and pumps and a dam which posed a threat to a downstream house and county road. Al was up for the challenge, and after that meeting the seeds for the project were sown. CRA then jumped on board to help navigate the restoration process. Also known as the Floating Forty, the dozens of artesian wells on the property made you feel like you were standing on a gravity-defying mystery spot. Add the tear down of old infrastructure, rehab of over two miles of existing creek, construction of nearly half a mile of new stream channel and the reconnection of an acre of floodplain, we knew our work was cut out for us. Several funders stepped forward to help reconnect these headwaters to the Manistee River and eventually, Lake Michigan. These funds were matched two-fold by the Whitehouses, with Al and his son, Preston, doing much of the on-the-ground work. The hard miles have paid off. This transformative project is a testament to sensible stewardship of the land and water. Projects that seamlessly match personal landowner passions with CRA s project management expertise build trust and a land ethic that will be passed down for generations. The result of all this work, Al noted, was nearly undetectable, The more you do, the less you can see what you did and that s a good thing!
Strength in Numbers Sustainability and agility too. CRA puts resources to work to solve problems, build bridges and brighten the future. The business of conservation is important work that requires commitment and trust. Our success depends on it. It s fun but serious business. The economic landscape can change even faster than the beautiful places we work so hard to protect. Fifty years of experience, sound fiscal management, responsible governance, and professional services help us get it right, year after year. Few organizations strategically weave as many funding pieces together as CRA does to ensure successful outcomes for all of our projects. What is the most important element to this consistent impact? We ve got great partners and supporters! CRA Annual Budget Expenses 2015 2016 Watershed, Wildlife, and Forest Programs 91% 91% Operation, Administrative & Fundraising 9% 9% 2015 Total Expense $2,094,000 2016 Total Expense $2,003,000 Support 2015 2016 Federal Grants & Contracts 51% 54% Private Contributions 26% 39% State & Local Grants & Contracts 23% 4% $ 4 Million Investment Income 3% $ 3 Million $ 2 Million 2015 Total Support $2,215,374 2016 Total Support $2,562,735 $ 1 Million 1.9 2.7 2.1 2.0 3.9 River Care Permanent Fund 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 (est.) $1,054,199 balance as of December 31, 2016
Measurable Impacts 2015-2017 A few years ago, CRA s staff met for a visioning session that would help us map out our purpose into the future. We went BIG. Our conclusions showed us that northern Michigan s high-quality waters, landscapes and natural systems needed unwavering care for many years to come. Our experience, history and valued partnerships formed the foundation of a renewed long-term commitment to keep on doing all we can to make a difference. We can count the beans that show some pretty great impacts of this effort over the last two years. But, it s the quality of the beans that matter too. Dams and other man-made barriers are the bane of healthy river systems. CRA s team took on 27 of these projects that freed obstructed waters of decades old infrastructure, connecting hundreds of miles of quality water. Our mentor, Jim Haveman, often reminded us, Fail to plan, plan to fail. We listened. Watershed inventories and planning projects keep us on the right track with priorities clearly aligned with local needs. We completed 34 plans and engineered designs that do just that. Often called the frosting on the watershed conservation cake, instream habitat and streambank improvement projects are fun. Working closely with many grassroots partners, 28 sites were completed that will strengthen the resiliency of northwestern Lower Michigan's watersheds. One of the exciting new measurables that everyone is paying attention to is Community Leverage. How does the work we do impact the entire region beyond the scope of our project work? The answer is mind-blowing. Over $16 million of additional value that is directly related to CRA s current projects. The future benefits for sport fishing, recreation, land values, reduced maintenance and overall quality of life make clear that all of these investments are so worthwhile. CRA Financial Team: Mark Hepler Board Treasurer Bill Sundstrom Board Finance Committee Kevin Gay Board Finance Committee Pat Kelly Board Finance Committee Diane VanderVeen Contract CFO Glenn Hirt Investment Advisor CRA s open-books financial policy means that all information is available to contributors and partners. Feel free to request a copy of these resources from CRA s office: audit reports and financial statements, annual workplans, investment policies, and River Care TM fund and program guidelines.
Board of Directors Leadership Passion Empowerment Daniel A. Hubbell Chairman Tenacious Farmer President, Hubbell Law Office Dr. Pat Kelly Vice Chairman Ardent Fly Fisherman Vice President, Traverse Dental Associates Mark Hepler Treasurer Whitetail Hunter Chief Financial Officer, Munson Healthcare Sue Peters Secretary Nature Nurturer Vice President of Human Resources, Munson Healthcare Kevin Gay Director Orchard Revivalist Retired Vice President of Finance & Administration for Three Rivers Corporation Christine Bates Director Big Water Believer Environmental Professional, Retired Director of General Motors Public Policy & Earth Force Board of Directors Keith Charters Director Lifetime Conservationist Natural Resources Trust Fund Former Chairman, Natural Resource Commission, Michigan Department of Natural Resources Michael J. Donahue Director Water Wizard Vice President, URS Corporation William Sundstrom Director Hook & Trigger Extraordinaire Attorney, Sundstrom & Mindlin, LLP Bob Garner Director Iconic Outdoors Advocate Semi-retired television host/producer, Former Natural Resources Commissioner, Former Chair of the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund
Outstanding River Care Partners Once every two years we gather for CRA s Biennial Celebration. We pause to recognize individuals and organizations that have helped make CRA s mission and work successful, more fun and more impactful. In 2017, we honor the following Outstanding River Care Partners: Kaleva Norman Dickson Elementary School Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa & Chippewa Indians DTE Energy Foundation Burt Thompson, Manager, Antrim County Road Commission Our Mighty Staff Our dedicated staff is the engine that powers the organization's good work. With a combined 125 years on the job, we truly love what we do. Pictured above from left to right: Casey Ressl, Nate Winkler, Kim Balke, Matt Thomas, Amy Beyer, Chris Pierce, Bethany Bucklew, Paul Kogelschatz, Diane VanderVeen, Sue Antaya, Kira Davis, (not pictured) Molly Flowers All of our partners and supporters, like you, make this good work possible. Your donations of time, labor and money fuel our engine and are the key to keeping northern Michigan spectacular. We appreciate your trust, investment and involvement. We can t say it enough - Thank You.
Conservation Resource Alliance 10850 Traverse Highway Suite 1180 Traverse City, MI 49684 Non Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Petoskey, MI Permit No. 110 231-946-6817 info@rivercare.org www.rivercare.org