Great Opportunities for Change Makers

Get a head start on your 2023 plans for giving back by signing up to be a board member. These openings are a perfect fit for Change Makers.

HRWC Board openings

HRWC is a council of the local governments within the Huron watershed.  The following member governments are looking for folks to become representatives on HRWC’s Board. Contact Rebecca Esselman if you are interested:

  • Belleville
  • Brighton
  • City of Dexter
  • Green Oak Township
  • Putnam Township
  • Van Buren Township
  • Walled Lake
  • Wayne County
  • Wixom
  • Wolverine Lake

Land Preservation Boards need members

These boards explore strategies for preserving forests, wetlands, prairies, and farmland.

  • Scio Township’s Land Preservation Commission; Apply here.
  • Dexter Township Farmland and Open Space Preservation Board; Apply here.
  • Northfield Township’s Land Preservation Committee; Apply here.

Other Board Openings

  • Northfield Township Planning Commission; Apply here.

As we learned in our Change Makers Boot Camp, the planning commission makes decisions about the location and design of neighborhoods, businesses, parks, and all land uses in their municipalities.

  • Oakland County Conservation District Board:

OCD is seeking new Board Members who possess an interest in soil and water conservation and who is able to bring to the table a variety of skills that include, but are not limited to: natural resource knowledge, environmental stewardship, farming, gardening, grant writing, fundraising, and outreach/communication. We are also interested in adding Associate Board Members.

If you or anyone you know may be interested in becoming a member of the Oakland Conservation District Board, please call Office at 248-922-7822 or send us an email at oaklandconservation@gmail.com.

Livingston County High-Quality Natural Areas Assessment

The Livingston County Planning Department has released its updated natural areas assessment online map here. Using many of the same criteria as HRWC’s Natural Areas Assessment and Protection (NAAP) Bioreserve map, it shows areas dominated by native vegetation with potential for harboring high-quality natural areas, unique natural features, and critical ecological functions.

Farms Under Threat

American Farmland Trust has released a new report with disturbing findings: From 2001–2016, the U.S. lost or compromised 2,000 acres of farmland and ranchland every day. The report shows that, if this trend continues, another 18.4 million acres will be converted between 2016 and 2040—an area nearly the size of South Carolina. Of this total, 6.2 million acres will be converted to urban and highly developed land uses such as commercial buildings, industrial sites, and moderate-to-high-density residential development. The remainder, 12.2 million acres, will be converted to low-density residential areas, which range from large-lot subdivisions to rural areas with a proliferation of scattered houses.

Check out this webinar for details specific to Michigan. Here is the full report (which I will place in the Change Makers Resources library below)

Thank you!

Kris and Jason