FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS

The Conference on "Rehabilitating and Conserving Detroit River Habitats" was a major success, attracting over 170 participants. Presentations describing successful habitat rehabilitation and conservation were well received. This conference not only highlighted Detroit River success stories, but it also allowed stakeholders to learn what steps are necessary to move forward on habitat rehabilitation and conservation projects, and of the need to recruit "new champions" to this field.

Major findings of the conference included:

• there is an urgent need to protect the few remaining natural areas along the Detroit River (e.g., islands and coastal wetland habitats such as Humbug Marsh and Peche Isle; unique prairie habitats);
• management agencies must take the lead in using available guidance tools to set priorities for habitat rehabilitation and conservation (e.g., Environment Canada's "A Draft Framework for Guiding Habitat Rehabilitation in Great Lakes Areas of Concern") and move forward with habitat rehabilitation and conservation projects;
• individuals and organizations who have habitat expertise need to get involved prominently and early in the planning processes for waterfront development, shoreline modification, and similar projects;
• habitat rehabilitation and conservation projects should be recognized as important experiments from which we can learn; we must therefore explicitly link research/monitoring with planning and management of habitats; and
• greater emphasis must be placed on quantifying the economic, social, and ecological benefits) of habitat rehabilitation and conservation projects.

Again, participants recognized the urgent need for "champions" - credible individuals or groups willing to propose, publicize, and implement specific habitat projects and conservation efforts. In addition, a high profile must be sustained for Detroit River habitat rehabilitation and conservation, and other environmental issues.

The Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, it's partners and conference cosponsors all recognize the important role of transfer of scientific knowledge, and of the need to couple research with management and public issues. They pledge to convene similar conferences and public meetings in the future to promote and sustain open dialogue.