The Chapter received grant applications totaling about $54,000. The Board of Directors approved 18 requests totaling $21,625. The Board renewed the $3,000 annual funding for the Lake & Stream Leadership Institute. Please do not hesitate to contact any of the Board members if you would like additional information concerning any of the grants or if you would like to participate in the granting process. Your input is valued and always welcomed.
2011 PHYTU Annual Granting Program – Grant Summaries
Salmon in the Classroom – Shelby JHS
Amount Granted: $ 1,000
Administered by: PHYTU
This grant will be used to establish the Chapter’s sixth PHYTU Salmon in the Classroom project. By studying salmon habitat, water quality, and the salmon themselves, students can learn about the interrelationships of species within their local watershed. In learning how to protect the salmon's environment, the students are ultimately learning how to protect their own environment.
North Branch Au Sable River
Amount Granted: $ 750
Administered by: Huron Pines
The North Branch Foundation, in conjunction with Huron Pines, has secured a Federal Grant of to repair the eight worst stream crossings ("The Great 8") in the watershed. Revising/repairing those crossings will eliminate tons of sand presently being put into the river. PHYTU AGP funds will be used to ensure project success.
Upper Black River – Habitat Improvement
Amount Granted: $ 1,000
Administered by: Upper Black River Restoration Committee
AGP funds will be used to support in-stream habitat enhancement work being performed in the main branch of the Black River in Montmorency County. The work will consist of the placement of natural woody debris, whole tree revetments and deflection logs.
Clinton River Coldwater Conservation Project
Amount Granted: $ 525
Administered by: Clinton River Watershed Council
Now in its 10th year, the Clinton River Coldwater Conservation Project (CRCCP) is a joint effort of local Trout Unlimited chapters, Michigan Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Division (MDNR), City of Auburn Hills, and the Clinton River Watershed Council. Its mission is to engage anglers in coldwater fishing and in river stewardship activities. CRCCP generates interest in trout fishing and coldwater conservation, recruits new trout anglers, and provides hands-on involvement with conservation projects.
AmeriCorps River Technician
Amount Granted: $ 300
Administered by: Au Sable River Watershed Restoration Committee
An AmeriCorps Volunteer River Technician position will assist with the numerous surveys being conducted on the Au Sable and Manistee Rivers. The worker will also assist in several stream bank restoration projects being developed by the partners, river mapping to determine how and where to proceed with future stream restoration efforts, and purple loosestrife identification and removal. The position will run from May through October of 2011.
Ground Water Protection & Conservation
Amount Granted: $ 500
Administered by: Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation
Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation (MCWC) shares the commitment of the Paul H. Young Chapter in preserving Michigan’s most precious cold-water resources. The grant will enable MCWC to enhance its effectiveness in working to protect these resources from multiple new water mining proposals. MCWC’s environmental experts and legal team will review and monitor the reports from watersheds and trout streams where Nestle (and others) are known to be collecting data from test wells. MCWC’s environmental experts and legal team will also monitor and challenge commercial applications for permits to mine Michigan’s water. MCWC will continue to work to improve Michigan’s water withdrawal laws.
South Branch Black River (Alcona Cty) – Sucker Creek RSX
Amount Granted: $ 2,000
Administered by: Huron Pines
The Sucker Creek Rd crossing over the South Branch of the Alcona Black River is in horrible condition and continues to negatively impact the cold water fishery supported in the Alcona Black. The focus of this project is to improve a road/stream crossing that is a major source of sediment pollution and an obstacle to fish passage on a small river that flows directly into Lake Huron. The project includes removing the old structure, replacing it with a full span bridge and hardening the road surface.
Upper Manistee Watershed Maintenance
Amount Granted: $ 700
Administered by: Upper Manistee River Association
Within the Upper Manistee River system, the Upper Manistee River Association is tasked with protecting the river. The PHYTU AGP funds will be used to fund two separate porta-potties to help improve the river corridor environment.
Invasive Plant Project
Amount Granted: $ 710
Administered by: Huron Pines
The threats and impacts of invasive plant species to the health of the Au Sable River continues to increase. Phragmites and purple loosestrife in particular continue to change the composition of the vegetative community adjacent to streams and in wetlands. The overall project objective is to be poised to properly identify patches of invasive plant species and to treat those stands immediately. It is this “early detection, rapid response” strategy that will lead to proper eradication.
Trout Unlimited Riverkeepers Program
Amount Granted: $ 2,000
Administered by: Michigan Trout Unlimited
The MITU River Keepers Program provides chapters with services to develop and carryout monitoring projects. Types of data monitored may include water temperature, stream flow, aquatic macroinvertebrates, in-stream habitat, and fish populations. This data can then be used to identify restoration and protections needs. The PHYTU AGP funds will be used for salaries and needed equipment.
Angler Survey / Demographics
Amount Granted: $ 2,500
Administered by: Michigan State University / Michigan Trout Unlimited
The objectives of this project are to determine who fishes in coldwater streams in Michigan, what they value in their fishing experience, and how much money they spend in relation to angling. This information will then be used in efforts to improve coldwater fisheries management.
Reeling & Healing, Midwest
Amount Granted: $ 200
Administered by: Reeling & Healing Midwest
Breast cancer survivors head to Gates AuSable Lodge for a weekend to get away from treatment and learn about Fly Fishing, Fly Tying and connecting with nature which is truly a "healing" experience. Reeling & Healing Midwest New Participant retreats offer introductory fly fishing skills to participants as well as an opportunity to build a support network beyond the hospital and their families and physicians.
Salmon in the Classroom
Amount Granted: $ 500
Administered by: PHYTU
This grant will provide ongoing support to the six schools actively involved with the PHYTU Salmon in the Classroom project. By studying salmon habitat, water quality, and the salmon themselves, students can learn about the interrelationships of species within their local watershed. In learning how to protect the salmon's environment, the students are ultimately learning how to protect their own environment.
Sturgeon & Pigeon Rivers
Amount Granted: $ 2,000
Administered by: Huron Pines
This project would directly organize each partner group’s efforts to create a system-wide action plan for the Sturgeon and Pigeon Rivers that would focus on projects that protect water quality and ultimately the globally rare, stable, coldwater ecosystems found there. The types of projects that would be outlined in such an action plan would be road/stream crossing replacement of troublesome sites, erosion control and stream banks stabilization, in stream habitat enhancement, small dam removal, and other practices that are found to be the preferred technique in treating threats to each river.
Volunteer Project Development
Amount Granted: $ 2,000
Administered by: Huron Pines
This year Huron Pines will again be organizing large scale events focused on providing unique conservation opportunities to interested volunteers. The goal is to create a mix of the topics covered at each, from watershed planning to hands-on in stream habitat enhancement, and to better distribute projects offered geographically. By involving more people, from more watersheds, learning more topics, conservation across Michigan will improve.
Michigan Hydro Re-licensing Coalition
Amount Granted: $ 750
Administered by: Michigan Hydro Re-licensing Coalition
Originally founded in 1992 as a loose association of conservation and recreation groups, the Hydropower Reform Coalition has grown into a broad consortium of more than 150 national, regional, and local organizations with a combined membership of over one million people. The Coalition represents stakeholders from canoeists to conservationists to lake homeowners and has protected or restored thousands of river miles, thousands of acres of watershed land, and countless opportunities for boating, fishing, and other forms of recreation.
Michigan Lake & Stream Leader Institute
Amount Granted: $ 3,000
Administered by: Michigan State University / Michigan Lake & Stream Associations
Many of Michigan’s 36,000 miles of streams and 11,000 lakes are facing pressure for competing human uses. Resource managers, decision makers, homeowners and other interested residents can learn about lake management issues and their implications by completing the five-part Lake and Stream Leaders Institute presented on a bi-annual by Michigan State University Extension Services.