RRWC, Michigan

Draft

Vision

River Raisin watershed residents recognize and celebrate their reliance on the river, the surrounding land and its interconnectedness with the Great Lakes and the global ecosystem. Together communities, organizations and individuals will educate, understand and actively participate in the stewardship, conservation and preservation of the River Raisin and its cultural, ecological, and economic resources.

Guiding Principles

1.  The planning process should ensure that all interests are heard and should also capitalize on the use of existing planning, education and informational resources as much as possible.

2.  Create/provide/promote new and existing educational and information sources on natural resources, resource planning, land development, agriculture, and best management practices for local units of government, non-governmental organizations, educational institutions and individuals.

3.  Create networking and synergistic collaborative efforts between local units of government, non-governmental organizations, schools, churches and so on. Encourage the alignment of agency/organizational goals.vernment, non-governmental organizations, educational institutions and individuals.

4.  Improve the image of the River Raisin. Create/understand the “story” of the river by creating/promoting its identity, distinguishing characteristics and rallying points.

5.  Develop an implementable plan along with smaller, short-term projects to create implementation momentum and participation. Identify/establish local volunteer groups and leaders committed to the watershed improvement process.

6.  Preserve and protect the River Raisin’s valuable cultural and ecological treasures, including farmland, historical sites, groundwater recharge areas and critical/sensitive natural lands.

7.  Increase and improve opportunities to interact and enjoy the river, including improved recreational access, river monitoring and clean-ups.

8.  Promote active participation in watershed improvement by creating diverse opportunities for participation; educating residents on personal impacts and improvement activities.

9.  Acknowledge the differences between urban and rural development. Work to define development that provides housing, transportation and economic activity while preserving ecological benefits. Balance development with the need for green space and coordinate and provide uniformity between planning efforts and land use ordinances while at the same time respecting private property rights.

Responses to River Raisin Visioning Excercises:
(Grouped by "themes")

WETLANDS
Expand concept of wetlands restoration for improvement of water quality
Set aside some of the wetland areas
Create wetlands map – identify potential wetland areas

CAPITALIZE ON/ALIGN INFO AND GROUP RESOURCES
Ensure that all interests are represented and heard
Capitalize on existing information resources
Network with existing groups – boy/girl scouts, churches, schools, intermediate school districts
Form new working relationships – get agencies to align goals
Create synergies between stakeholders
Create networking opportunities for LUGs
Create synergism
RRWC
Every governmental unit pays the RRWC dues
Establish financial stability of the RRWC
Provide educational resources for teachers and students
Formulate role for RRWC

IMPROVE EDUCATIONAL/INFORMATION RESOURCES
Encourage training opportunities
Provide resource education (eg, kids don’t know where their eggs come from)
Create BMP guide
Create BMP planning resource/toolkit (think outside the box)
Resource planning, BMP, etc. education for LUGs, boards and commissions
Local units of government embrace BMPs
Educate/teach importance of biodiversity and life’s interconnectedness (we’re the earth’s dependents)

IMPLEMENTATION
Create dedicated state watershed funding
Create a list of short-term projects
Create implementable plan
Establish creek groups – volunteers lead sub-watershed groups
Help facilitate creation of friends group and local projects

AGRICULTURE
Form partnerships for Farmland Conservation, e.g., Act 7
Protect farmland
Support and encourage use of USDA programs

CONSERVATION/PRESERVATION
Create permanent conservation easements for critical land
Protect high priority areas with conservation easements
Identify areas of river for highest priorities for preservation, and then find funding to buy land or develop conservation easements.
Restore Saline River Greenbelt at twice the existing width
Create incentives for conservation planning
Promote good conservation practices
Promote wetland and groundwater protection
Maintain long-term protection of sensitive areas
Try to keep the eagle nesting pair (a pair on Saline River and in Monroe)

GLOBAL ECOSYSTEM
See ourselves as microcosm of global community
Recognize we’re entering the ecozoic era (source: Thomas Berry) when all life is mutually enhancing
Undo illusion of control

LAKE ERIE/GREAT LAKES CONNECTION
Better access to Lake Erie
See connection to Lake Erie
Tie RR to Lake Erie and Great Lakes initiatives

DEVELOPMENT/PLANNING
Understand differences between rural and urban areas
Propose how urban development will happen
Sell developers on public green space
Demonstrate economic advantages of dedicated, open green space
Balance purchase of development rights (PDRs) with development
Coordinate uniformity between constituents land use ordinances
Provide incentives for conservation planning
Provide a minimum level of protection
Encourage cluster development
Developers should provide impact analyses
Respect private property rights

REGULATORY/IMPACT EVALUATION
Successfully advocate (at state level too) strictest regulation of septic systems
Re-evaluate storm and sanitary sewers
Integrate drinking water protection with watershed protection
Evaluate points sources, NPDES permits and thermal uses

RECREATION/ACCESS
Increase opportunities to see/interact with the river
Increase awareness of the river
Increase passive recreation opportunities without increase negative impacts
Increase recreation on the river
Increase the number of Adopt-A-Stream participants

IMAGE
Find/create the story/inspiration of the watershed
Enhance marketing of the river
  -establish identity, distinguishing characteristics, goal/rallying point
Improve perception of the river
View river as a resource

PERSONAL PARTICIPATION
How do we generate interest? Apathy is a problem.
Offer diverse opportunities for participation
Increase understanding of personal responsibility
Individual behavioral changes e.g. some municipalities have ordinances for phosphorus free fertilizers.
Get involved (citizen participation) with local units of government
Identify and grow local leaders
Promote public involvement in protecting water quality
Promote citizen involvement
Local “buy in” to improve water quality.

BMPs
Install buffer strips everywhere – parks, drains, drain tiles, rivers, streams, etc.

RESOURCES
Enhance fisheries
Place equal importance on groundwater and surface water
Remove dams