Green Bay
Approximate demarcation
of Central Basin East and
Central Basin West.
Aurora 1
Napervtlle
JoRet
The Lake Micliigan Lakewide Action and Management Plan (LAMP) is a
collaborative, adaptive management program where federal, state, tribal and
local governments along with other partners work together to protect and restore
Lake Micliigan. The LAMP shares responsibility for implementing many
aspects of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA), which seeks to
"restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the
Waters of the Great Lakes." One commitment under the GLWQA is to develop
and implement lakewide habitat and species protection and restoration
strategies.
Lake- —
Michigan Biodiversity: Central Basin West
The Central Basin West is the area between the Northern Basin and the Mid-
Lake Plateau that spans the Wisconsin shoreline and includes the Two Rivers
Ridge and Door-Leelanau Ridge and Chippewa Basin. This area borders
Door and Kewaunee Counties, and the northern portion of Manitowoc County.
The shoreline and nearshore areas were sculpted by glaciers and are dominated
by the Niagara limestone formation. which is visible throughout much of Door
County.
Central Basin West's blend of open land and water, combined with abundant
recreational opportunities, are increasingly popular. This area lias some of the
most diverse natural communities along Lake Michigan's shoreline, including
forests, coastal wetlands, tributaries, and unique land formations. Tributaries
and coastal wetlands provide spawning habitat for several native fish species,
and forest and wetland areas support a diverse wildlife population that includes
waterfowl, songbirds, diverse plant communities, and several threatened and
endangered species unique to the area.
Collaboration among partners in the Central Basin West region is needed to
implement key actions that will maintain and increase the viability of
biodiversity and abate identified threats to biodiversity.
Threats to Biodiversity
In an assessment of threats to biodiversity, numerous experts rated the current viability status of an array of targets using recognized
Key Ecological Attributes and indicators of viability (Table 1). Critical threats to biodiversity in the entire Central Basin region include
aquatic and terrestrial invasive species, climate cliange, and housing and urban development. Invasive species can alter ecosystem
attributes, such as water clarity and nutrient levels, and present serious threats to native species. Climate changes contribute to a variety
of effects on ecological processes that limit the suitability of lake habitats and increase the tlireat associated with current stressors, such
as invasive species and algal blooms. Coastal development and shoreline alterations have negatively impacted coastal wetland and
terrestrial systems, resulting in altered migration patterns for birds and fish.
Table 1. Viability Assessment Summary for Central Basin
TARGET CATEGORY
ASSESSMENT
THREAT STATUS
Nearshore Zone
Fair
High
Aerial Migrants
Fair
High
Coastal Terrestrial Systems
Fair
High
Coastal Wetlands
Good
Very High
Islands
Good
Medium
Native Migratory Fish
Fair
High
Offshore Zone
Fair
Medium
Source: Lake Michigan Biodiversity Conservation Strategy, 2013.
Cave Point County Park, Door County, Wl
Photo: James Jordan
Lake Michigan Central Basin West Biodiversity
Revised September 2014

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Strategies Needed to Conserve Biodiversity
A number of actions can be taken by agencies, tribes, municipalities, planning
commissions, and other partners concerned with biodiversity in the Central Basin
West area. The following strategies are recommended. For additional details, see
Chapter 6 of the Lake Michigan Biodiversity Conservation Strategy.
•	Align projects among states bordering Lake Michigan to implement
common policies, risk assessments, and funding to minimize invasive
species.
•	Use coordinated land use planning to align future development in coastal
areas with biodiversity conservation and ecological processes.
•	Assess potential management actions across key partners to adapt to the changing climate and reduce impacts to the region.
•	Improve land use practices to minimize detrimental impacts:
o Increase adoption of conservation practices to address the impacts of agricultural and urban water pollution,
o Develop and implement collaborative land-use planning efforts that integrate green infrastructure principles into
shoreline alterations.
Dwarf Lake Iris (Iris lacustris, endangered species),
Ridges Sanctuary, Door County, Wl.
Photo: Joshua Mayer
The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (www.glri.us/) has supported habitat and species protection and restoration efforts and will
continue to serve as an important mechanism for implementing biodiversity conservation strategies in Central Basin West.
Key Next Steps
•	Implement U.S. Fish and Wildlife identified
opportunities to expand habitat for the endangered piping
plover.
•	Continue efforts to manage public swimming beaches
through sanitary surveys and beach restoration projects,
which are currently being completed with GLR1 funds in
Door, Kewaunee, Manitowoc and Sheboygan Counties.
•	Protect and enhance public lands within the Door County
Peninsula.
•	Leverage the 2010 Biodiversity and Conservation Atlas
of the Great Lakes Islands Inventory for invasive species
that have the potential to alter ecosystem dynamics and
protected habitat that is essential for aerial migrants.
www.conservationgatewav.org/ConservationBvGeograp
hv/NortliAmerica/wholesvstems/greatlakes/basin/migrato
rvbirds/Pages/Islands-of-Life.aspx
•	Support biodiversity information and educational efforts
of the Lake Michigan Stakeholders group.
•	Continue to monitor any changes from annual fish
assessments and partner with the Great Lakes Fishery
Commission to implement adaptive management
recommendations.
•	Support protection and enhancement of natural areas and
land that comiects or expands existing areas, as outlined
in the Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resource's Wisconsin
Land Legacy Report
(dnr.wi.gov/files/pdf/pubs/lf/lf0043.pdf).
Continue efforts to reduce tributary phosphorus loading
to Lake Michigan to reduce nuisance algae blooms, as
outlined in Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) and
Wisconsin's phosphorus regulations.
Promote widespread adoption of The Urban
Conservation Treaty for Migratory Birds and continual
implementation of the North American Waterfowl
Management Plan in light of the added stress of climate
change on species and habitats.
Determine roles and responsibilities in the Central Basin
West area in the education surveillance and
standardization of procedures to aid in meeting the
GLWQA Amiex 6 Aquatic Invasive Species Goal of
development and implementation of an early detection
and rapid response initiative by 2015.
To preserve and restore wetlands from the dangers of the
invasive common reed Phragmites, it is important to
consult the current maps and management efforts at
www, greatlakesphragmites net for an interactive forum
for stakeholders working on control of this wetland
problem.
Continue and expand streamside rearing of Lake
Sturgeon, for example in the Kewaunee River
Continue and expand efforts to train and certify green
practices for marinas and ports
(www.miseagrant.umich.edu/greenmarina).
For More Information
www.epa.gov/greatlakes/lake-michigan
LAMP Partners:
Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources //
Michigan Dept. of Environmental Quality //
The Nature Conservancy
dnr.wi.gov
www.michigan.gov/dea
www.nature.ora
U.S. EPA, Great Lakes National Program Office
Elizabeth Hinchey Malloy
Lake Michigan Manage
Phone: (312) 886-3451
hinchey.elizabeth@epa.gov

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