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Two years ago, work began to return 82 acres of land that was once heavily farmed back to its natural pre-settlement state.
Now in the second growing season, the prairie grasslands along the south side of Joy Road — on both sides of U.S. 23 in Ann Arbor Township — are getting taller, and soon work will begin on restoring 14-plus acres of wetlands there.

"The prairies are in. We hope to get those wetlands done in the fall of this year, so more to come," said Jason Hill, manager of conservation programs for Ducks Unlimited, a nonprofit dedicated to conservation of wetlands and wildlife habitat.

U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn, and local conservation leaders toured the site on Tuesday, Aug. 9, following a press conference at the Washtenaw Food Hub where they called on Congress to reauthorize the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act in order to fund more conservation work.

The act has provided funding for the conservation project in Ann Arbor Township, which is a joint effort by several partners, including Ducks Unlimited, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and property owner Kim Bayer of the Washtenaw Food Hub.

"Having the opportunity to restore native prairie and wetlands is something that we are just super thrilled about," Bayer said.

In July, Dingell and Reps. Candice Miller and Darin LaHood introduced the bipartisan Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act of 2016. The bill authorizes the Fish and Wildlife Service to provide assistance to local groups for cooperative conservation, restoration and management of fish and wildlife and their habitats.

Dingell said the reauthorization bill would make it easier for local groups to come up with matching funds for federal grant funding by counting the value of land, which would mean more conservation and restoration projects that improve water quality, protect species habitat and improve access for outdoor recreation.

"I hope we're going to get this bill passed," Dingell said. "We've got to get it out of committee and we've got to get it through the Congress, and it should be non-controversial. This one's basic 101. It's good for the economy, it's good for the environment, it's good for conservation and we've got to get it done."

Since 1998, the GLFWRA has provided more than $24.4 million in federal funding to 157 research and restoration projects. Since the projects require a 25 percent local match, that equals more than $36 million worth of benefits to Great Lakes fish, wildlife and the habitats they depend on, Dingell said.

The program was last reauthorized in 2006.

Ducks Unlimited worked with various partners to submit a GLFWRA regional proposal in 2013, securing $560,000 in federal funds for projects to restore 285 acres of wetlands and 125 acres of native prairie, which Hill noted helps reduce nutrient and sediment input ultimately into Lake Erie. The project in Ann Arbor Township is one part of that larger grant award.

"I am super thrilled to be able to thank Rep. Dingell in person, and the great folks at Ducks Unlimited, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the DNR and also Ann Arbor Township for helping make it possible for us to move forward on our vision of relocalizing the food system, and making it possible to prioritize health for individuals, for our local economy and for the environment," Bayer said at Tuesday's press conference at the Washtenaw Food Hub, 4175 Whitmore Lake Road.

"More and more, I think we're understanding science is telling us how everything is connected, and the health of our soil, the health of our water, as we've seen in Flint, has a direct impact on our health and our communities. And so when people love something, they work to protect it, and that is what we're doing with the 187 acres that my husband and I own that's just up the street from here."

Gildo Tori, director of public policy for Ducks Unlimited, said he's been doing conservation work for more than 30 years.

Back when he started as a biologist, he said, the focus was on habitat restoration for animal species that people could hunt, fish or trap.

"Well, today conservation is a lot different and much more improved. And I think overall in those 30 years, we've all gotten a lot smarter about conservation and the understanding between the environment and the economy," he said.

"So, when fish and wildlife habitat conservation are combined with agriculture, such as a project like this, you have a great sustainable approach that we should continue to support and implement."

Lori said the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act has done a lot from a wildlife standpoint.

"We've done a lot of wetland restoration on local parcels, and private and state land, and on federal properties, coastal areas," he said.

"We've protected and done projects for the copperbelly water snake, lots of frogs and toads, pollinators, which are a big need, and our imperiled monarchs, and of course, ducks, geese and swans, too."

The Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act has been around for a long time, but to be successful the program needs champions in Congress and Washington, D.C., Tori said, noting it historically has had bipartisan support.

"Because it's not a partisan issue," he said. "It's a quality of life issue. It's important to all of us, whether you hunt, fish, birdwatch, kayak or whatever."

When she announced her legislation in early July, Dingell said it was based on a recommendation from a panel of conservation and business leaders, and it would dedicate $1.3 billion annually in existing revenue from oil and gas royalties to the Wildlife Conservation Restoration Program.

"The funding would provide states with new critically needed financial resources to effectively implement State Wildlife Action Plans to conserve 12,000 species in greatest need of conservation while providing the public with more access to open spaces," Dingell's office stated in a news release.

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