Restoration targets for Great Lakes coastal wetlands in the Lower Green Bay and Fox River AOC

Session: Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands: Innovative Research to Improve Restoration (3)

Erin Giese, UW-Green Bay's Cofrin Center for Biodiversity, [email protected]
Robert Howe, UW-Green Bay, [email protected]
Amy Wolf, University of Wisconsin Green Bay, [email protected]
Brianna Kupsky, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, [email protected]

Abstract

The Lower Green Bay and Fox River Area of Concern (LGBFR AOC) is one of the most ecologically diverse but impaired AOCs in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Restoring this AOC to a less impaired condition is a challenging but attainable goal. We describe a transparent, quantitative strategy for removing two beneficial use impairments (BUIs): “loss of fish and wildlife habitat” and “degradation of fish and wildlife populations.” Our method identifies priority habitats and populations and weights them according to ecological and socioeconomic criteria. These weights are paired with estimates of current condition ranging from 0 (worst possible) to 10 (best possible), yielding an overall (weighted average) condition score for each BUI. The LGBFR AOC represents a case study where Great Lakes coastal wetlands and other wetland types will be prominent elements of AOC restoration efforts. Quantitative metrics describing the condition of wetland habitats and populations therefore are critical ingredients of a viable restoration strategy. These metrics not only track progress toward BUI removal targets, but they also help identify cost-effective wetland improvements that ultimately will result in meaningful ecological restoration of the LGBFR AOC.