DEQ prepares to lay off wetland staff

The legislature hasn’t allocated any money for the state’s wetland program and the governor has recommended turning it over to the federal government, so with just over a month left in this fiscal year, the Department of Environmental Quality is preparing to lay off staff involved with protecting wetlands.

DEQ spokesman Bob McCann said the department needed to begin the lay off process because union contracts require it to give 30 days notice before laying off workers.

“We are getting down to the wire,” McCann said, “there is a possibility that we will have to lay people off.”

McCann said the department was forced to take similar steps back in 2007. That year an impasse over the state budget forced a brief government shutdown.

Michigan’s wetland program was created in 1979 through the Wetland Protection Act.

According to the DEQ:

Michigan’s wetland statute recognizes the following benefits provided by wetlands:

Flood and storm control by the hydrologic absorption and storage capacity of wetlands.

Wildlife habitat by providing breeding, nesting, and feeding grounds and cover for many forms of wildlife, waterfowl, including migratory waterfowl, and rare, threatened, or endangered wildlife species.

Protection of subsurface water resources and provision of valuable watersheds and recharging ground water supplies.
Pollution treatment by serving as a biological and chemical oxidation basin.

Erosion control by serving as a sedimentation area and filtering basin, absorbing silt and organic matter.
Sources of nutrients in water food cycles and nursery grounds and sanctuaries for fish.

These benefits, often referred to as wetland functions and values, often play a vital role in recreation, tourism, and the economy in Michigan.