FOTR Advocacy

This page serves as a clearinghouse for the Advocacy and Lobbying work Friends of the Rouge is doing as an organization.

In 2023

May 12, 2023: The Executive Director signed onto Healing Our Waters (HOW) letter regarding funding for the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission. The letter details this program and makes our respective FY2024 funding request. View the letter Here.

May 12, 2023: The Executive Director signed onto Healing Our Waters (HOW) letter regarding funding for  the USDA and Farm Bill programs, including the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and its programs important for providing the technical assistance and investments needed to reduce agricultural runoff and its impact on water quality and the growing threat of HABs. The letter details these programs and makes our respective FY2024 funding requests. View the letter Here.

May 12, 2023: The Executive Director signed onto Healing Our Waters (HOW) letter regarding funding for NOAA programs, including funding for the Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab, Marine Debris, research into HABs, and several grant programs like Sea Grant and the Coastal Zone Management Grants. The letter details these programs and makes our respective FY2024 funding requests. View the letter Here.

May 12, 2023: The Executive Director signed onto Healing Our Waters (HOW) letter regarding funding for the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, including the Corps role in protecting the basin from invasive carp through investments in Brandon Road PED, in addition to enhancing Great Lakes restoration and resiliency through research and coastal infrastructure improvements. The letter details these programs and makes our respective FY2024 funding requests. View the letter Here.

May 12, 2023: The Executive Director signed onto Healing Our Waters (HOW) letter regarding funding for the GLRI, the USGS and FWS’s invasive species activities and research, and the array of EPA clean water and water infrastructure grant programs. The letter details the importance of these programs and makes the respective FY2024 funding requests to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies. View the letter Here.

April 18, 2023: The Executive Director wrote a letter to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy voicing strong opposition to the Salem Springs Application for a Wastewater Treatment Facility. Due to the Fellows Creek’s unique importance as an ecological resource, and the negative impact that the Salem Springs development and associated infrastructure could have on the health of Fellows Creek and the Rouge River watershed, FOTR recommends denial of this permit. View the letter Here.

April 18, 2023: The Executive Director wrote a letter to the Livonia Planning Commission urging them to act cautiously when considering the new development of St. Mary’s Basilica (18100 Merriman and 36000 Brookview Drive in Livonia). Due to Tarabusi Creek’s unique importance as an ecological resource, FOTR recommends implementing strong green infrastructure practices that can mitigate stormwater impact to adjacent communities and creek. View the letter Here.

April 18, 2023: The Executive Director wrote a letter to the Plymouth Township Planning Commission urging the them to act cautiously when considering rezoning for new Sparr’s Greenhouse development (corner of Joy and Lilley). Due to the proximity of Tonquish Creek, and its unique importance as an ecological resource, FOTR recommends implementing strong green infrastructure practices that can mitigate stormwater impact to adjacent communities and creek. View the letter Here.

February 13, 2023: The Executive Director wrote a letter to Kurt Heise asking Plymouth Township leadership to act cautiously when beginning this new era of development regarding Northville Downs. The proposed relocation of their horse racing track to Plymouth Township to a 40-acre parcel on the easterly portion of a 128-acre swath of the broader site near Five Mile and Ridge would run directly along Johnson Creek, the last remaining cold water tributary in the entire Rouge watershed. View the letter Here.

February 13, 2023: The Executive Director wrote a letter to Kurt Heise asking Plymouth Township leadership to act cautiously when beginning this new era of development regarding Jones Development company’s plans to build three warehouses, totaling nearly 1 million square feet, at the southeast corner of FiveMile and Napier roads. Which would run directly would run directly along Johnson Creek, the last remaining cold water tributary in the entire Rouge watershed. View the letter Here.

In 2022

November 2, 2022: The Executive Director signed onto Healing Our Waters (HOW) Letter urging the Administration to fully fund the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) at no less than $425 million in the President’s Fiscal Year 2024 Budget request. View the letter Here.

November 2, 2022: The Executive Director signed onto Healing Our Waters (HOW) Letter urging congress to come to an agreement on a final fiscal year 2023 that enhances support for Great Lakes restoration and clean water priorities. View the letter Here.

June 16, 2022: The Executive Director signed onto a letter to the EPA regarding the continuing implementation of the new State Revolving Fund (SRF) funding provided by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) of 2021, as requested by the HOW. View the letter Here.

May 17, 2022: The Executive Director signed onto Great Lakes Coalition Senate WRDA 2022 Letter of Support, as requested by HOW. View the letter HERE.

January, 31 2022: Signed onto Healing Our Waters (HOW) Letter urging WOTUS to strengthen Clean Water Protections. View the letter HERE.

January 31, 2022: Submitted letter, requested by community members, to the City of Northville Planning and Zoning Commission. View the letter HERE.

January 12, 2022: Signed onto Healing Our Waters (HOW) Letter urging for equitable implementation of water infrastructure funding. View the letter HERE.

January 12, 2022: The Executive Director made a statement, reviewed by the Advocacy Committee for review and certified by Mike Wilczynski, that may be used for future requests on watershed development activities.

In 2021

December 20, 2021: Responded to a letter drafted by the City of Detroit Council Member Scott Benson, District 3, regarding a third shoreline collapse in the Detroit River due to poor management from Detroit Bulk Storage. Rather than sign the original letter, FOTR drafted our own letter due to concerns about FOTR’s ability to suggest that a company be barred from doing business in a community.