Fifty years ago, there were more birds in Michigan than there are now — 2.9 billion birds, to be exact. It’s a staggering loss, and one that is largely driven by habitat loss. The good news is that we can protect birds and help reverse this decline by protecting the places they need. And it’s critically important for communities too. Michigan lawmakers took an important step with next year’s state budget.
Birds can tell us a lot about the health of Michigan’s natural resources. When bird populations disappear, it often signals that our ecosystems are under stress. Take the Black Tern, a species that has lost nearly 99% of its state population since 1966 and was added to the state threatened and endangered species list in 2024. This small and graceful tern has adapted to life in Michigan’s wetlands, where it builds its floating nest out of the dense plants. As wetlands have been degraded and lost, this species has run out of places to breed and raise its young.
Michigan has lost about half of its historic wetlands. The FY27 Budget, passed earlier this month, includes $2 million for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to acquire and conserve wetlands throughout the state — a $1 million increase from the previous year. While funding fell short of the historic $3 million budgeted in fiscal year 2025, conservation remained a priority for lawmakers and doubled from the previous year. That’s important for communities too.
This spring marked the wettest two-month period on record across most of Michigan. Scientists tell us that extreme precipitation events are on the rise. Wetlands offer a solution to help address this growing issue for Michigan’s residents and communities. Like a sponge, wetlands absorb and hold onto floodwater, releasing it slowly back into the environment when conditions improve. One acre of wetland, one foot deep, can store up to 1.5 million gallons of water, helping to keep it from entering our homes and businesses.
Across Michigan, wetlands are rapidly declining. But we can protect them. At Audubon Great Lakes, we’re working across the state to protect and restore 12,500 acres of high-priority wetlands so that birds have the habitat they need to breed, nest, forage for food and rest during their migration, and communities can depend on them for cleaner water and flood control.
Continued investment will be essential to build on this progress. Every wetland protected today helps ensure that future generations of Michiganders inherit a state where birds thrive, communities are safer from flooding, and natural resources remain strong.
By funding wetlands conservation, Michigan’s state budget is investing in the long-term survival of birds and communities across the state. We thank Governor Whitmer and the Michigan Legislature for recognizing the incredible value that wetlands provide to birds and people and passing a state budget that will help conserve these critical natural spaces.
Brian Vigue is Policy Director of Freshwater for Audubon Great Lakes.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Michigan’s bird decline is a warning, a true staggering loss | Opinion
Reporting by Brian Vigue, Guest Columnist / The Holland Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Brian Vigue, Guest Columnist | USA TODAY Network
