Protection of rare and endangered species is a critical step in assuring that we can restore Michigan's magnificent ecosystems. Sierra Club uses all appropriate tools, from scientific documentation to litigation to assure that species like the Coaster brook trout and the wolf will be protected to the full extent of the law.
Wolves were virtually eliminated from Michigan as a result of hunting and habitat loss. As a result of the federal and state Endangered Species laws, Michigan began to see the return of wolves more than twenty years ago. The growth in the wolf population led to delisting of the species and plans for management of the wolf in Michigan. Sierra Club participated in the Michigan Wolf Roundtable and is continuing to follow the development of these plans.
The Coaster brook trout is a native of the streams that feed into Lake Superior, but logging and mining eliminated spawning habitat for this beautiful fish from the mainland of the United States with the exception of the Salmon Trout River. When the threat of sulfide mining under the headwaters of the Salmon Trout came to light, Sierra Club petitioned the US Fish and Wildlife Service, along with the Huron Mountain Club, to seek protection for this fish under the Endangered Species Act. After the agency failed to act the Sierra Club and Huron Mountain Club sued to force their hand.
In March 2008, the federal government agreed that additional protection may be warranted for the Coaster brook trout, and opened a public comment period on the proposal. A decision is expected from the US Fish and Wildlife Service in December 2008.
For more information about this protection effort, contact Marvin Roberson.
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