The Department of Environmental Quality will be hosting a Saginaw Bay Phragmites Awareness Day from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. on Friday, June 20, in conjunction with Hampton Charter Township's Nature Trails Dedication at the Finn Road Campground and Boat Launch in Hampton Township. This event provides an opportunity to celebrate the success and commitment of numerous federal, state, local and private entities for their collaborative efforts to restore and improve some of Michigan's greatest natural resources for the benefit of Michigan citizens.

Highlights of this event include a media event to discuss the DEQ Phragmites Control Demonstration Project and a Dedication Ceremony for Hampton Charter Township's new nature trails starting at 11 a.m. as well as an Open House for Landowners from 2 - 6 p.m. that will provide an opportunity for landowners to meet with agency staff to discuss questions pertaining to phragmites control.

Financial assistance for these projects has been provided in part by several federal agencies including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-Great Lakes National Program Office, the DEQ Michigan Coastal Management Program through a grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Other contributors include the Department of Natural Resources, Hampton Township Public Works, Ducks Unlimited, BASF Corporation, and others.

For more information about the Phragmites Control Demonstration Project Media Event and Open House for Landowners, please contact the DEQ at (517) 335-4056.

Editor's note: DEQ news releases are available on the department's Internet home page at www.michigan.gov/deq.

"Protecting Michigan's Environment, Ensuring Michigan's Future"

Revised June 17, 2008 by Pat Watson