The Rouge Green Corridor

1
The Rouge Green Corridor
Protecting and Promoting Rivers January 20,
2009 Grand Blanc, Michigan
Donna Folland, Executive Director Six Rivers
Regional Land Conservancy
2
The Rouge Green Corridor
Six Rivers Regional Land Conservancy -
Introduction Mission We conserve, sustain and
connect natural areas, lands and waters that make
the places we live special Founded in
1994 Formerly Oakland Land Conservancy Protect
over 1,000 acres in Oakland, Macomb, Lapeer and
Genesee Counties through managing nature
preserves, holding conservation easements and
assisting communities in meeting their land
conservation goals Green Infrastructure
interconnected natural areas, parks and working
lands Highly collaborative Stewardship Program
- many partnership, volunteer and educational
events and opportunities
3
The Rouge Green Corridor
THREE PROJECT PHASES
1. Identification of Community Assets 2. Identity
Demonstration Project 3. Urban Habitat
Conservation Stewardship Project
4
The Rouge Green Corridor 1
PHASE I IDENTIFICATION OF COMMUNITY ASSETS
Funded by a Rouge Program Office Grant and
in-kind partner match
5
The Rouge Green Corridor 1

• The Rouge Green Corridor is an urban river
  flowing through Birmingham, Beverly Hills, and
  Southfield that provides a haven for wildlife and
  people to enjoy. This first phase of the project
  emphasized the identification of the community
  assets already available for the public to enjoy.
  
• Nature preserves and public lands to explore
• Private residents that are stewarding the river
• Businesses that are participating in good
  corporate citizenship practices
• Documentation of cross-jurisdictional support for
  river conservation and stewardship that would
  support further acquisition of riparian land

6
The Rouge Green Corridor 1
Partners City of Birmingham Village of Beverly
Hills City of Southfield Southeast Oakland
County Water Authority (SOCWA) Friends of the
Rouge Six Rivers Regional Land
Conservancy Oakland County Office of the Drain
Commissioner Oakland County Planning Economic
Development Services
7
The Rouge Green Corridor 1
Main 1-2 Subwatershed Goal Maximize community
assets related to the river
8
The Rouge Green Corridor 1Why is it special?

• Intact riparian vegetation

9
The Rouge Green Corridor 1Why is it special?

• Improvements in water quality due to installation
  of CSO basins

• Recent monitoring has shown
• Increased dissolved oxygen
• Decreased bacteria
• Highest diversity of fish species in the Rouge
• Sensitive River Bugs-macro-invertebrates
• Five kinds of turtles, two kinds of non-poisonous
  snakes, eight species of frogs, and seventeen
  species of mammals
• Largest and most diverse population of
  freshwater mussels within the entire Rouge River
  watershed
• Several natural areas of significant floristic
  quality (Douglas Evans, Berberian Woods)

10
The Rouge Green Corridor 2
PHASE 2 IDENTITY DEMONSTRATION PROJECT
Funded by a Rouge Program Office Grant and
in-kind partner match
11
The Rouge Green Corridor 2Identity Demonstration
Project
Project Purpose
To provide local communities with tools to
identify, promote, protect, and enhance Riparian
Green Corridors in the Rouge River Watershed and
throughout Southeast Michigan
12
The Rouge Green Corridor 2Identity Demonstration
Project
Project Products

• Rouge Green Corridor Identity and Branding
  Package
• Educational Poster Map Guide
• Planning Guidelines for Riparian Corridors
• Technology transfer to other Rouge communities
  and Southeast Michigan watersheds

13
The Rouge Green Corridor 2Identity and Branding
Package
14
The Rouge Green Corridor 2Identity and Branding
Package Road Sign
15
The Rouge Green Corridor 2Branding Package Road
Sign
16
The Rouge Green Corridor 2Educational Poster
17
The Rouge Green Corridor 2Educational Poster
18
The Rouge Green Corridor 2Self-Guided Tour Map
19
The Rouge Green Corridor 3
PHASE 3 URBAN HABITAT CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP
PROJECT
Funded by a National Fish Wildlife Foundation
(Great Lakes Watershed Restoration Program) Grant
and by in-kind partner match
20
The Rouge Green Corridor 3
1. Landscape-scale green infrastructure plan and
conduct a corridor-wide terrestrial and aquatic
natural resources inventory
21
The Rouge Green Corridor 3
2. Management plan for the aquatic and
terrestrial natural resources throughout the
corridor
22
The Rouge Green Corridor 3
3. Habitat improvement demonstration projects to
be used for public outreach initiatives
communicating the habitat inventory, habitat
plan, green infrastructure plan, and the role of
active stewardship of river corridors in urban
areas.
23
The Rouge Green Corridor 3
4. Public education for private riparian
landowners on ways to manage habitat on their
land.
24
The Rouge Green Corridor
CONTACT
Donna Folland, Executive Director Six Rivers
Regional Land Conservancy dfolland_at_sixriversrlc.or
g www.sixriversrlc.org 248-601-2816