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Commission recommends city seek Bird City Michigan designation to support bird‑friendly programs
Summary
Staff recommended and the commission voted to recommend city council approval to apply for Bird City Michigan designation; staff said the program aligns with existing habitat, education and outreach work and would require a modest annual application fee and a council resolution if accepted.
Becky Hand of Natural Area Preservation presented a proposal for the city to apply for designation in the Bird City Michigan network, a state‑level program run through Michigan Audubon that is affiliated with the national Bird City Network (American Bird Conservancy/Environment for the Americas).
Hand explained the Bird City Michigan application asks communities to commit to a subset of action items (staff said a minimum of 10) drawn from categories including habitat conservation, mitigation of threats to birds, education and sustainability. Staff noted many Bird City actions overlap with existing NAP, Office of Sustainability Initiatives (OSI) and Washtenaw Bird & Nature Alliance activities.
Hand said the program requires an annual application fee (she described it as a small fee under consideration by the program, on the order of a few hundred dollars) that NAP can accommodate within its budget. She said the city would submit an application and, if accepted, a council resolution would formalize participation.
Commissioner Ruth moved the resolution recommending application and acceptance; Commissioner Larry seconded. The commission voted to recommend council approval; the motion carried.
