DNR celebrates 40 years of helping Michigan’s rarest flora and fauna

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Michigan's Endangered Species Act.
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Press Release


 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 5, 2014

 

Contact: Dan Kennedy, 517-284-6194 or Ed Golder, 517-284-5815

 

 

DNR celebrates 40 years of helping Michigan’s rarest flora and fauna

 

40th anniversary ESA logoThis year marks the 40th anniversary of Michigan’s Endangered Species Act (ESA), the important legislation that has been critical to the recovery of many different species. The Department of Natural Resources is celebrating this milestone over the next four months by highlighting 18 of Michigan’s protected or recovered species. These species will be featured in classroom lesson plans, weekly articles and a celebration dinner later in the year.

 

On July 11, 1974, Gov. William Milliken signed the ESA into law and it took effect on Sept. 1, 1974. The law has been immensely beneficial to the DNR and its conservation partners by enabling protection and management of rare species across the state. Since the ESA was signed into law, the DNR has partnered with many other conservation organizations and federal agencies that have helped recover listed species. Important species that have been recovered and removed from the state’s threatened and endangered species list include the gray wolf, bald eagle, peregrine falcon and osprey.

 

Kirtlands warbler in jack pineOne ESA success story is the endangered Kirtland’s warbler, which draws visitors from all over the world to see this rare bird. “Michigan’s ESA has been pivotal in the recovery of the Kirtland’s warbler,” said Dan Kennedy, DNR threatened and endangered species specialist. “The population of the rarest warbler in North America has increased dramatically through management and protection of more than 150,000 acres of jack pine habitat in Michigan.”

 

Currently, 60 threatened and 140 endangered animals call Michigan home at some point in their lives. Threatened species are those that may soon be designated endangered, and endangered species are those that are at risk of going extinct. These species are important because each fills its own unique niche and plays an important role in Michigan’s ecosystems.

 

For more information on Michigan's threatened and endangered species and the 40th-anniversary celebration, visit www.michigan.gov/wildlife.

 

For definitions and for more information on the ESA, see Part 365 of Public Act 451 of 1994.


The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state’s natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnr.