Project Safe Passage Update

New Safe Passage Brochure

View the New FLAP Video Here

by Fred Charbonneau

On March 19, the Michigan House of Representatives passed HR 31, a resolution to encourage the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Michigan Public Service Commission to promote Project Safe Passage. The resolution was passed by a bipartisan support vote by a show of hands.

HR 31 was sponsored by Representative Lesia Liss (D) of Warren and passed with a 12-0 bipartisan vote in the House committee on Great Lakes and Environment on May 5. Doris Applebaum, Frank Zaski and Fred Charbonneau attended the hearing, where Frank and Fred testified in support of the resolution. Gayle Miller, representing the Sierra Club, submitted a card indicating support as well.

An earlier version of the resolution was approved in committee during the previous session, but did not get to a vote of the full House.

Will Weber of the Washtenaw Audubon Society has joined the Safe Passage Great Lakes team and is coordinating the program in Ann Arbor. They planned to submit a resolution to the Ann Arbor City Council in time for the spring migration.

Governor Jennifer Granholm renewed her proclamation declaring Safe Passage Great Lakes days for 2009. The original proclamation was issued in 2006, making this the fourth year of the Governor’s support for the program.

Certificates of Recognition were presented to Janet Langlois-Resto, Executive Director of the Business Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Metropolitan Detroit, Lynn Arnott-Bryks, Director of the Facilities and Operations Department, Macomb County Government Buildings, and the Mt. Clemens and Southfield City Councils for their efforts on behalf of Safe Passage Great Lakes.

DTE Energy has generously funded the printing of our Safe Passage brochures, which are available for distribution to nature centers and bird supply stores, as well as DAS and other events.

Detroit Audubon Society and Michigan Audubon have issued a joint press release to news media throughout the state. If you see an article regarding Safe Passage, send a copy to our office.

With the spring migration in progress, we need to make every effort to spread the word. If you live near or work in a building above five stories tall, check with the facility's managers regarding their night lighting practices and update us. With that information in hand, we can contact them with an offer to join our honor roll or we can approach them and explain the program. Either way, we will be able to compile a list of participating buildings.

Safe Passage Great Lakes has made significant progress in the last three years, but much remains to be done. The greatest asset we have in this continuing effort is the support and commitment of our members. With your help, we can document our successes as well as identify and focus on our challenges. Please lend your voice to this effort.

Representatives of DAS and Michigan Audubon will be meeting in July to review progress in our joint effort and to plan for the coming year as we move forward with meeting the challenges that still lie ahead of us. The fall migration will be underway with the early departure of shorebirds by the time you receive this publication and we are still in need of volunteers to spread the word, to help with the monitoring of both compliance with the program and identification and counting of the birds who do not survive their passage over our communities. If you are willing to help with this effort, please contact us at (248)990-1316 (Tuesday - Thursday) or by e-mail to jfcharbo@juno.com. We may not need your services immediately but we would like to have your information when the need arises.

Governor Granholm’s proclamation, designating March 15 to May 31 and August 15 to October 31 as Safe Passage Great Lakes days, was reissued for 2008.

The City of Southfield issued a resolution of support for Project Safe Passage, encouraging business owners, building owners and property owners to cooperate with the program.

State Rep. Lisa Wojno of Warren introduced House Res. 89, a resolution in support of the program. HR89 is in the Great Lakes and Environment Committee, chaired by Rep. Rebekah Warren. We are hoping for Senate sponsorship, but have not yet received confirmation from Sen. Olshove.

During a night drive through downtown Detroit in early June, I was encouraged by the number of buildings that were dark above the lower stories, but display lights on some of the roofs are still a problem that needs to be addressed.

By the time you receive this, the fall migration will be in progress. While we have achieved a measure of success in our efforts, much remains to be done. According to Winging It (the newsletter of the American Birding Association), Jonathan White Jr. of the American Museum of Natural History, after studying specimens brought to the museum over several years, has concluded that many more dead birds were found during autumn than during spring migration. We need to keep this in mind as we move forward to educate and motivate our membership and the public to get involved in making the changes needed to stop the needless loss of so many migrating species.

Although the success of the ‘lights out’ aspect of Safe Passage will mark a significant milestone on the road to the larger task before us, major hazards such as communication towers, windmills and clear glass in our homes and office buildings will need to be addressed, as Dr. Klem and Dr. Gehring have demonstrated with their pioneering research efforts.

The loss of habitat will continue to be a leading cause of the alarming decline in avian populations. Feral and domestic ‘outdoor’ cats account for as many avian fatalities as the other threats. We need the support of our membership to help monitor compliance and motivate their friends and colleagues to participate in making our environment safe for future generations of our fellow creatures as well as our own species. Please consider volunteering in this effort.

Safe Passage By Joe Bartell

New Safe Passage Brochure

Appeal to building owners

Project Safe Passage Flyer--What You Can Do

Sierra Club Endorsement

DAS Receives Safe Passage award

From Michigan Audubon

Proclamation of support from Governor Grandholm

Habitat-A Reflection

By Fred Charonneau

Jackson Citizen Patriot 4-28-2008

Birmingham Eccentric 3-18-07

Window Alert static cling decals.

PROJECT SAFE PASSAGE

Project Safe Passage Great Lakes is off to a good start. Our goal for the project is to persuade the operators of tall buildings to turn off the lights between 11:00 P.M. and 6:00 A.M. during the spring and fall migration periods. To this end, we have approached individual building managers, city and county elected officials, corporate officers and associations. In the brief period since we started, a number of successes have encouraged us.

Governor Granholm has issued a proclamation designating the periods of March 15 through May 31 and August 15 through October 31 as Safe Passage Great Lakes Days.

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Safe Passage Great Lakes Honor Roll

The following buildings have agreed to implement Project Safe Passage Great Lakes by turning out their lights between the hours of 11:00 P.M. and Dawn during the fall and spring migration periods. It should be noted that certain lights may not be turned off due to circumstances beyond the control of the operators, such as code requirements or tenant rights.

Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Michigan

Brewery Park

Buhl Building

Building Owners and Managers Association of Metropolitan Detroit (BOMA)

City of Mt. Clemens

City of Southfield

Chrysler World Headquarters and Technology Center

Coleman A. Young Municipal Building
Detroit Opera Company

DTE Energy
Ford Motor Company

Macomb County Board of Commissioners

National City Center , Troy MI
State of Michigan Government Buildings

Jackson, Michigan Buildings:

The Blake Building

First Baptist Church

Elaine Apartments
Nelson Towers
Jackson City Hall

Jackson County Tower Building

Consumers Energy, One Energy Plaza

Consumers Energy Environmental Laboratory Services

Foot Hospital Buildings, North East Ave. and One Jackson Square

If you live or work where you can monitor compliance or can contact your building management or draw your own blinds at night, please contact the DAS office by phone (248) 354-4960, by mail (26080 Berg Rd. Southfield, MI 48033), or by e-mail (detas@bignet.net) and leave your contact information. We’ll be in touch.

Links with more information:

FLAP--Fatal Light Awareness Program

National Public Radio--Windows: A Clear Danger to Birds

National Audubon--Minimizing Window Collisions

National Audubon--Clear and Present Danger

Birds and Buildings--Information and Resources

Terrain.org--A Building Less Bright

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