Chairman’s Report

It is a pleasure and an honor to have been elected as Michigan TU’s council chair. As chair, I will work with and support our staff as they engage in a wide range of initiatives to protect Michigan’s coldwater resources. I will also connect with the ever-growing number of TU National team members working on various projects across our state to ensure that the Michigan TU team and chapters have full awareness and input, when appropriate, into the initiatives this highly talented team is working on. In the spirit of full disclosure, we will be adding a section in future issues of Michigan Trout magazine dedicated to TU National initiatives.

I want to welcome and introduce our newest team member, Gabe Schneider, who has joined the State Council as vice-chair. Gabe has an extensive background in governmental affairs, strategic consulting, business development, public relations and marketing, as well as hands-on knowledge of the legislative process gained by serving as the regional representative and community affairs specialist for former U.S. Senator Carl Levin. The entire team is looking forward to working with Gabe. Please drop him a welcome email when you get a chance.

I am also happy to report that Michigan TU’s core officer team remains intact, with Robb Smith and Mike Lagowski being re-elected as treasurer and secretary, respectively. Robb will also continue to be our representative to TU’s National Leadership Council, heading up that organization’s Great Lakes Workgroup, which recently published “A Case for the Great Lakes.” This in-depth document provides an overview of the many threats facing the Great Lakes, as well as a summary of the challenges and choices that need to be addressed in the world’s largest freshwater resource. Please read this report, which can be found within the Protect tab under the Core Activities section of the Michigan TU website - www. michigantu.org.

Greg Walz will now serve as past chair, focusing on making sure I stay on track and supporting conservation initiatives. I want to give Tom Quail, who has served as past chair for the last two years, a big thank you for

by Tom Mundt

his leadership, which has contributed to Michigan TU’s success, including his role as lead Michigan Trout magazine advertising executive. Tom can use some help in this arena, so please contact him if you wish to support our magazine ad program.

Turning to the committees, Ron Peckens (Paul Young Chapter) will continue to lead Web and Social Media Communications. Joe Barker (Vanguard Chapter) will edit Michigan Trout magazine and organize editorial board meetings. Greg Potter (Kalamazoo Valley Chapter) will continue to head the Education Committee, and Al Woody (Schrems Chapter) continues as Conservation Chair. I am also pleased to announce that Jim Cantril (Fred Waara Chapter) has accepted the role of Development Chair and is already working on several new fundraising ideas. Finally, I will continue as the Finance and Operations Chair until a qualified volunteer comes forward to take the helm (Help - I encourage anyone interested in this position to please contact Robb or me). I thank all of the officers and committee chairs and chapter officers and representatives for volunteering their time and talents to further Michigan TU’s mission to protect, restore, and reconnect our state’s unique coldwater stream and rivers.

I want to report that your Michigan TU team weathered the COVID-19 crisis well. It has been working hard on a wide range of conservation, policy, and legislative issues facing our state’s coldwater rivers and streams, albeit with significantly less face time with their colleagues and partners. With the pandemic placing 2020 fieldwork on hold, the team took full advantage of office time to develop work plans and secure permits and grants. This will ensure we get a running start in 2021 to execute dam removals along a tributary of Big Creek in Luzerne and kick off a major in-stream restoration initiative within the Upper Manistee River watershed. Please read Kristin Thomas’s article in this issue of Michigan Trout, which details the Upper Manistee project. When complete, the initiative will significantly improve the quality of this Michigan gem.

The team has a seat on the state’s Large Quantity Water Withdrawal Advisory Council and is assisting this body to create and adopt regulations that protect the resource from excessive new water withdrawals. Finally, our Executive Director Bryan Burroughs was selected as a key member of Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) Dam Safety Taskforce, which the governor charged with reviewing and analyzing all components of dam management from regulatory and