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Environmental Services
Mission Statement
We will respect, honor and care for Mother Earth and her families, keeping the next seven generations in mind. We will provide quality environmental services through a professional atmosphere, well-trained staff and empirical data collection.
We will actively participate in local, regional and national environmental decision making processes affecting Indian Country. We will develop and implement ordinances and policies that will ensure the protection of our natural resources. We will continue to be diligent, honest and accountable while making a positive difference regarding environmental issues.
The longest running project of this department is the surface water quality monitoring project. The primary objective is to obtain baseline data for all water bodies within the reservation boundaries. This year's water bodies are Walloon, Round, Wycamp, and Oneal Lakes, Little Traverse Bay, Five Mile, Tannery and Wycamp Creeks and the Bear River. Water parameters include: dissolved oxygen, conductivity, temperature, pH, habitat quality, total suspended solids, velocity, water clarity, nitrate/nitrite, total phosphorus, total kjeldahl nitrogen, chloride, chlorophylla and macroinvertebrates.
We are in the 2nd year of the wetland protection project within the reservation boundaries. Project activities include: assessment of coastal wetland areas, field trips for tribal youth, 303 permit review and development of a tribal wetland protection policy. Our f ield season will start in May and continue through August.
This department continues to build Geographic Information Systems (GIS) capability. GIS is a computer system capable of assembling, storing, manipulating and displaying geographically referenced information. The current project is land use/land cover updating for Cross Village, Bliss, Center, Readmond, Pleasantview, Friendship, West Traverse, Little Traverse, Resort and Bear Creek Townships, all of which are within LTBB's historical boundaries. The project requires groundtruthing of the townships and then digitization of the collected data.
We are offering testing for the presence of radon in tribal member's homes. You do not have to own your residence to be eligible for this service.
Taimi and Rachel sit on various local/regional/national committees that address environmental issues in Indian Country. The committees include: the Regional Tribal Operations Committee, the EPA Consultation Workgroup, the EPA Continuing Grants Workgroup, the Lake Michigan Technical Coordinating Committee, the Lake Michigan Monitoring Coordination Council, the Healing the Bear (River) Project Steering Committee and the Little Traverse Bay Watershed Protection Advisory Committee.
This year we will not receive plants to distribute to tribal
members, but there is still a limited amount of tobacco seed left over
from last year.
We anticipate initiating our recycling program very soon, developing an air quality program and expanding cooperation with other tribes and environmental agencies.
Environmental Services Director: Taimi Hoag
Contact Number: (231) 242-1574
E-mail : thoag@ltbbodawa.org
Water Quality Specialist: Rachel Schwarz
Contact Number: (231) 242-1571
E-mail: rschwarz@ltbbodwa.org
Water Quality Assistant: Kira Jensen
Contact Number: (231) 242-1572
E-mail: kjenson@ltbbodawa.org
Location: 7500 Odawa Circle, Harbor Springs, MI 49740
Fax Number: (231) 242-1575
