Abstract
In 2001, the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge was established based on the principles of conservation and sustainability. The refuge has grown from 49.1 ha in 2001 to over 2,300 ha in 2010. Agreement on a compelling vision for a sustainable future was necessary to rally stakeholders and move them forward together. Project examples include: lake sturgeon and common tern restoration; soft shoreline engineering; ecotourism; sustainable redevelopment of a brownfield; and indicator reporting. Key success factors include: a consensus long-term vision; a multi-stakeholder process that achieves cooperative learning; strong coupling of monitoring/research programs with management; implementing actions consistent with adaptive management; measuring and celebrating successes; quantifying benefits; building capacity; and developing the next generation of sustainability practitioners and entrepreneurs.
Highlights
When most people think about the Detroit, Michigan-Windsor, Ontario metropolitan area, they think about a major urban area, the automobile capitals of the United States and Canada, the industrial heartland and ―rust belt‖, ―Motown‖ music, and professional sports, but not wildlife
This paper describes how a sustainable future is being pursued through the establishment and development of North America’s only international wildlife refuge
U.S and Canadian participants in that multi-stakeholder exercise agreed in 2001 to the following vision statement: In ten years the lower Detroit River ecosystem will be an international conservation region where the health and diversity of wildlife and fish are sustained through protection of existing significant habitats and rehabilitation of degraded ones, and where the resulting ecological, recreational, economic, educational, and ―quality of life‖ benefits are sustained for present and future generations. This consensus vision was used by Congressman John Dingell to introduce legislation creating the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge (DRIWR) that was signed into law by the President of the United States on December 21, 2001
Summary
When most people think about the Detroit, Michigan-Windsor, Ontario metropolitan area, they think about a major urban area (i.e., nearly seven million people live in the watershed), the automobile capitals of the United States and Canada, the industrial heartland and ―rust belt‖, ―Motown‖ music, and professional sports, but not wildlife. U.S and Canadian participants in that multi-stakeholder exercise agreed in 2001 to the following vision statement: In ten years the lower Detroit River ecosystem will be an international conservation region where the health and diversity of wildlife and fish are sustained through protection of existing significant habitats and rehabilitation of degraded ones, and where the resulting ecological, recreational, economic, educational, and ―quality of life‖ benefits are sustained for present and future generations This consensus vision was used by Congressman John Dingell to introduce legislation creating the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge (DRIWR) that was signed into law by the President of the United States on December 21, 2001. Conservation and sustainability became driving forces for bringing stakeholders together, working in partnerships at all levels, and moving all stakeholders forward together toward this common vision
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