The Chapter received  22 separate grant applications totalling $99,960.  The Board of Directors approved 20 requests totaling $32,905.  In addition, $1,000 was given to Trout Unlimited’s Coldwater Conservation Fund and $1,485 was given to the Michigan Council of Trout Unlimited by way of new member rebates, Griffith Challenge and the Century Club.  Details of this year’s PHY grants follow.  The PHY grants are facilitated by the Chapter members’ and its supporters’ generous contributions.  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.

Anglers of the Au Sable – Kolke Creek
Amount Granted: $4,000
Administered by:  Anglers of the Au Sable
Rationale: The Anglers of the Au Sable (Anglers) and Lynn lake Property Owners (LLPO) are challenging DEQ’s granting of a permit to allow Merit Energy to discharge over a million gallons a day of treated water from the Manistee headwaters into the headwaters of the Au Sable mainstream.  Anglers and LLPO contend that the permit was issued without adequate notice to the public and without the involvement of Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) field staff.  No environmental impact statement was prepared and no public hearing was held. The effects of this dumping, if it is allowed to proceed, include increased flows and water levels, erosion, sedimentation, pollution, changes in water chemistry, temperature modification of the local ecology and unnatural transport of water between watersheds.

Anglers and LLPO further contend that viable alternative methods exist for Merit Energy to stop the plume and cleanse the contaminated water on Merit property.  The proposed alternatives do not require the transfer of 1.15 million gallons of water per day from the Manistee watershed to the Au Sable watershed.  On site remediation is also preferred because in the event of equipment failures or leaks, everything is kept within the boundaries of the Hayes site.  Anglers and LLPO seek a permanent injunction prohibiting Merit’s proposed containment of the plume and remediation of the contaminated water.

Au Sable River In-Stream Habitat Improvement Project
Amount Granted:  $2,500
Administered by:  Au Sable River Watershed Restoration Committee
Rationale: Large Woody Debris (“LWD”) is widely considered an integral component of a healthy aquatic ecosystem in northern Michigan streams.  LWD provides habitat diversity, cover for fish, habitat for invertebrates, reptiles, and other components of the aquatic food chain, adds nutrients to the aquatic system, and protects stream banks during high flow events.  Current-day levels of LWD on the Au Sable River are much lower, primarily due to the following reasons:  (1) the historical, wholesale removal to facilitate the downstream transport of logs, (2) the cutting of the pre-settlement old growth riparian forest, (3) removal to facilitate the passage of recreation watercraft.  Thus, it is felt that current fish habitat is less than optimal in the Au Sable River, primarily due to the lack of large woody debris.

Au Sable River (East Branch) Mercy Hospital Erosion Project
Amount Granted:  $2,500
Administered by:  Huron Pines
Rationale:  As the Mercy Hospital in Grayling completed its expansion recently, it enclosed a small cattail marsh to create a stormwater detention basin.  The detention basin was intended to treat the runoff from the recent hospital expansion project.  This detention basin is precariously close to the river and has already had one failure of the embankment.  As an added danger, the river is eroding away the bank adjacent to the embankment.  This project will reduce the erosion of the streambank and provide a preventative measure to protect the detention basin and the sediment that will enter the stream if the embankment fails again.

Au Sable River In-Stream Habitat Improvement Project
Amount Granted:  $2,005
Administered by: Huron Pines
Rationale:  Within the Au Sable River system there are many large projects underway or being developed.  These projects tend to consume a large amount of resources set aside for restoration and enhancement.  Many smaller, more immediately pressing resource issues are overlooked because restoration resources are spread too thin.  These small projects such as streambank erosion sites, or the ability to utilize fallen trees for LWD can have a significant collective impact on the cold-water fishery of the Au Sable River.  This grant will provide a funding source to immediately address these situations when they arise.

Au Sable River Conservation Easements
Amount Granted:  $1,500
Administered by: Headwaters Land Conservancy
Rationale: The Headwaters Land Conservancy Au Sable Project has a goal of protecting priority parcels totaling nearly 20 miles of riverfront. Desirable large parcels of land, which help define the "Up North" which we all treasure, are being subdivided at an alarming rate.  The Headwaters Land Conservancy has identified 67 priority parcels, comprising over 9,000 acres and nearly 20 miles of riverfront.  From 1960 to 1990, Roscommon County had the largest increase in second homes (5,214) of any county in Michigan.  This grant will support the AuSable Project.

Brush Creek
Amount Granted:  $1,700
Administered by:  Huron Pines RC&D & Headwaters Chapter Trout Unlimited
Rationale:  There are areas of this stream where ORV's are crossing, causing bank erosion, increased sediment, destroying spawning areas for brook trout and putting additional oil, gas and grease into the system.  Brush Creek is a designated trout streams that flow into the Thunder Bay River.  In partnership with the DNR, this project will attempt to curtail the illegal ORV activity, stabilize the banks and improve the river habitat.

Clinton River Coldwater Conservation Project
Amount Granted:  $500
Administered by: Clinton River Watershed Council
Rationale: Continue support of the CRCCP and renew the Chapter’s Watershed Benefactor contribution.

Connor Creek Habitat Improvement
Amount Granted:  $1,500
Administered by:  Fred Waara Chapter Trout Unlimited
Rationale:  Connors Creek is a tributary of the Dead River whose entire watershed was devastated by a flood caused by a dam failure in 2003.  Connors Creek is a high quality groundwater and low gradient stream with excellent potential as a brook trout nursery, but the habitat has been severely degraded in the lower 2 miles by the 2003 flood and in the upstream reaches by sedimentation from road crossings, beaver dams, and logging.  The Fred Waara Chapter, in cooperation with the DNR conducted an on-the-ground reconnaissance of the fisheries habitat quality of Connors Creek and the watershed’s road system during 2006 by assessing 28 sampling stations in 5 separate reaches.  The survey followed standard DNR-Fisheries Division procedures and was funded in part by a grant from the Paul Young Chapter of Trout Unlimited.  The information collected in the reconnaissance survey defined 3 priority areas for fisheries habitat rehabilitation work:  1. brook trout spawning habitat improvement; 2. control of sedimentation from road crossings; and 3. alder and beaver dam removal.  The Chapter has developed plans to implement the fisheries habitat rehabilitation work to address the 3 priority areas during 2007-2009.

The grant will allow the Fred Waara Chapter, in cooperation with Fisheries Division, DEQ and the Marquette County Conservation District to rehabilitate the fisheries habitat in Connor Creek.

Gilcrest Creek
Amount Granted:  $1,700
Administered by:  Huron Pines RC&D & Headwaters Chapter Trout Unlimited
Rationale:  There are areas of this stream where ORV's are crossing, causing bank erosion, increased sediment, destroying spawning areas for brook trout and putting additional oil, gas and grease into the system.  Brush Creek is a designated trout streams that flow into the Thunder Bay River.  In partnership with the DNR, this project will attempt to curtail the illegal ORV activity, stabilize the banks and improve the river habitat.

Ground Water Protection  & Conservation
Amount Granted:  $2,600
Administered by: Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation
Rationale:  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.

Johnson Creek Celebration Project
Amount Granted:  $500
Administered by:  Johnson Creek Protection Group
Rationale:  The Johnson Creek Protection Group was formed to preserve, protect, restore and enhance the water quality, habitat and function of this cold-water stream and its watershed.  The Johnson Creek Protection Group is a venue in which residents, businesses and local officials can work together to identify actions in which the community can partake to preserve and restore water quality, as well as educate the public regarding their role in this on-going endeavor.  Monies are granted to purchase trout in support of the Johnson Creek Celebration Event.

Michigan Hydro Relicensing Coalition
Amount Granted:  $1,500
Administered by: Michigan Hydro Relicensing Coalition
Rationale:  Formed in 1991, the Michigan Hydro Relicensing Coalition’s (MHRC) purpose is to participate as a formal intervener in the process of licensing and relicensing hydroelectric dams in Michigan that are under the jurisdiction of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.  The MHRC is well established as a professional and determined player in the hydropower relicensing process.  The MHRC is uniquely qualified to help ensure that the gains made in relicensing materialize into long-term protection for Michigan’s rivers.

Pine River, 220th Avenue RCX Improvement
Amount Granted:  $2,000
Administered by: Conservation Resource Alliance & Pine River Area Chapter Trout Unlimited
Rationale: The Pine River 220th Avenue project involves the removal and replacement of one of the worst stream crossings in the Pine River watershed.  The existing bridge is at risk of completely failing and in its current condition, contributes tons of sediment to the Pine River, a state designated trout stream and Natural River.  The repairs to the site will involve the removal of the existing structure, installation of an arch culvert or timber bridge, and, if funding allows, paving of the road to control runoff and sediment.

Project Fish
Amount Granted:  $2,100
Administered by: Project FISH / Michigan State University
Rationale: In the past 10 years, Michigan has experienced a 14% decline in unique angling customers purchasing their fishing licenses, representing a significant erosion of financial support for fisheries management throughout the state.  From one year to the next, more than 40% of anglers will choose not to renew their license, and this proportion of lapsed anglers has grown slightly each year since 1995.  The ranks of our fisheries and aquatic resource enthusiasts are dwindling noticeably.

Meanwhile, outdoor play has become criminalized in areas where zoning and covenants prevent yard play structures, untamed fields, and other nearby places to explore, fish, play, and develop stewardship; Families increasingly lack contact with green space, which research is showing fosters interaction and social support; Nature and direct experience with it foster psychological well-being and reduces the need for medication for some forms of childhood depression; One of the main benefits of spending time in nature is stress reduction;  Today’s children spend about 30 hours a week watching TV or a computer monitor, and various technological comforts (such as increased air conditioning, DVD and TV in our cars) keep us from seeing and enjoying the outdoors directly; Highly organized, structured outdoor sports have replaced unstructured exploration of the outdoors, yet outdoor play provides more varied and greater physical and emotional exercise; Parents are less likely than in the past to let their children play unsupervised in neighborhood streams, lots, fields and forests.

Thus, with these needs in society, the rationale for this project is to extend sportfishing and aquatic conservation education into new areas of the state.  Project FISH, working with well-established youth education programs of chapters such as the Paul H. Young Chapter, can make a difference in providing conservation opportunities for the next generation of youth and their families.

Reeling & Healing
Amount Granted:  $750
Administered by: Reeling & Healing – Dick & Judy Walle
Rationale:  Reeling & Healing promotes physical and mental healing and provides social support for breast cancer survivors while gathering in beautiful natural setting to learn fly fishing.  The grant will be used to purchase fly fishing equipment for use at the retreats.

Reeling & Healing, Midwest
Amount Granted:  $750
Administered by: Reeling & Healing – Cathy Sero
Rationale:  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.  A review of previous retreats participants confirms that 95% of the participants return for fly fishing experiences after their first retreat.  A large number encourage their families to experience the sport.  Approximately 10% purchase their own equipment after their first retreat, with the number increasing to 25% after attending two to three reunion retreats.  Fifty percent of the women who have attended a retreat and subsequent reunion retreats are booking travel and guided trips.

Salmon in the Classroom
Amount Granted:  $1,000Administered by: Paul H. Young Chapter Trout Unlimited
Rationale:  Provide students an opportunity for hands-on environmental education at the Marist Academy in Pontiac.  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.

Upper Manistee Watershed Maintenance Projects
Amount Granted:  $3,500
Administered by: Upper Manistee River Association
Rationale:  Within the Upper Manistee River system there are many large projects underway or being developed.  These projects tend to consume a large amount of resources set aside for restoration and enhancement.  Many smaller, more immediately pressing resource issues are overlooked because restoration resources are spread too thin.  These small projects such as streambank erosion sites or the ability to utilize fallen trees for LWD can have a significant collective impact on the cold-water fishery of the Upper Manistee River.  This grant will allow the UMRA to monitor the performance of current restoration treatments, improve them as needed and address new threats when they appear. 

Upper Manistee Access Maintenance
Amount Granted:  $1,000
Administered by: Upper Manistee River Restoration Committee
Rationale: The “Hole in the Wall” access site on the Upper Manistee needs to updated to avoid future impact on the river.  The current access site is a simple dirt path.  The grant will offset the cost associated with the installation of a hardened stair-slide.

Low Impact Storm Water Management Projects
Amount Granted:  $1,700
Administered by:  Huron Pines RC&D
Rationale:  The typical strategy for dealing with stormwater is to move it from any impervious surface to a natural drainage system, such as a local creek or stream, as quickly as possible.  There are several aspects of this practice that negatively affect cold-water systems.  The two most important negative impacts have to do with the transport of sediment from the impervious surfaces to the stream and the temperature of the stormwater runoff as it enters the cold-water body.

Cold-water systems in Northeast Michigan are supported by stable groundwater flows.  The groundwater maintains extremely stable stream flows and water temperature regimes.  Groundwater is typically recharged by the infiltration of precipitation.  When communities work to discharge stormwater into local water bodies as quickly as possible, they jeopardize the proper recharge of the groundwater, and the stable temperatures and flows it provides.  In addition to the stormwater being warmed by the impervious surface onto which it falls, it often transports great amounts of sediment from road surfaces, through the stormwater outfall and into the stream.  Sediment is the number one pollutant in many of the streams of Northeastern Michigan.  Historical stormwater treatments are causing cold-water systems to be the recipient of warm, sediment-laden runoff.  This project will teach communities why those practices must change.