Michigan Natural Features Inventory

Michigan Natural Features Inventory
Name	Michigan Natural Features Inventory
Founded	1980s
Location	Lansing, Michigan
Area served	Michigan
Focus	Biodiversity, Natural Heritage, Conservation Planning
Parent organization	Michigan State University Extension

Michigan Natural Features Inventory is a state-based natural heritage program focused on documenting and conserving biological diversity across Michigan. It maintains inventories, mapped data, and technical guidance used by conservation practitioners, land managers, and policymakers in Michigan, collaborating with universities, federal agencies, and nonprofit organizations. The Inventory contributes to statewide planning efforts, species conservation, and habitat protection through surveys, databases, and outreach.

Overview

The Inventory operates as a component of Michigan State University Extension and collaborates with entities such as Michigan Department of Natural Resources, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, The Nature Conservancy, and U.S. Forest Service. It maintains datasets used by programs including Natural Heritage Program (United States), State Wildlife Action Plan, Landscape Conservation Cooperative efforts, and regional initiatives like Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. The Inventory's products inform management at sites such as Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Isle Royale National Park, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Hiawatha National Forest, and Ottawa National Forest.

History and Development

Founded in the late 20th century alongside the broader Natural Heritage Network, the Inventory emerged during a period of institutional expansion involving Michigan State University, the United States Geological Survey, and state agencies including Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. Its development was influenced by conservation milestones such as the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and programs like the National Biological Information Infrastructure. Key collaborations included partnerships with academic programs at University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Michigan State University Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, and conservation NGOs such as Ducks Unlimited and Audubon Society. Over time the Inventory incorporated methodologies from initiatives like NatureServe and data standards promoted by the Federal Geographic Data Committee.

Programs and Activities

The Inventory conducts field surveys, rare species monitoring, ecological community classification, and data stewardship used by stakeholders including Michigan Natural Resources Commission, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Field Offices, and regional land trusts like Land Trust Alliance members. It produces element occurrence records, natural community descriptions, and conservation assessments for taxa such as Piping plover, Kirtland's warbler, Karner blue butterfly, Hines emerald dragonfly, and plant species documented in collections at institutions like Michigan State University Herbarium and University of Michigan Herbarium. The Inventory supports planning tools used by entities like Michigan Department of Transportation for project-level environmental review and by municipal planners in locales such as Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge and Grand Traverse Bay.

Data and Methodologies

The Inventory employs standardized survey protocols derived from NatureServe, incorporates geospatial analyses using Geographic Information System, and integrates remote sensing inputs from programs like Landsat and National Agricultural Imagery Program. Its databases link to collections and observation networks including Global Biodiversity Information Facility, iNaturalist, and state specimen repositories at Bell Museum-affiliated collections. Data quality follows guidelines from the Ecological Society of America and adheres to metadata standards promoted by the National Information Standards Organization and the Federal Geographic Data Committee's metadata directive. Analytical outputs inform modeling approaches such as species distribution models and landscape assessments used by landscape-scale initiatives like Conservation Reserve Program planning and Great Lakes Commission projects.

Partnerships and Funding

Funding and partnerships involve a mix of state appropriations, federal grants from agencies like U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, cooperative agreements with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and support from foundations such as the Kresge Foundation and regional philanthropies. Collaborative projects engage academic partners including Michigan State University, Central Michigan University, Northern Michigan University, and federal research entities like U.S. Geological Survey, as well as NGOs including The Nature Conservancy, Sierra Club, and local land trusts. Interagency coordination connects the Inventory to multi-jurisdictional programs run by Great Lakes Commission, Midwest Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, and cross-border initiatives with Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.

Impact and Conservation Outcomes

The Inventory has informed recovery actions for federally listed species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, contributed to land acquisitions by partners such as The Nature Conservancy and state purchases through the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund, and supported designation of protected areas including additions to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and local conservation easements stewarded by land trusts. Its data underpin strategic conservation plans, influence environmental review under National Environmental Policy Act, and aid municipal green infrastructure efforts in regions like Saginaw Bay, Straits of Mackinac, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The Inventory's science has been cited in recovery plans, management prescriptions, and habitat restoration projects conducted by agencies such as Michigan Department of Natural Resources and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Category:Environmental organizations based in Michigan Category:Conservation projects in the United States