GENESEE COUNTY, MI -- Consumers Energy has released 19 rescued turtles back into their natural wetland habitat.
Juvenile Blandings Turtles were rescued in the fall from the construction path of the Saginaw Trail natural gas pipeline replacement project. Now they have been returned to their wetland habitat in Genesee County, according to a Thursday, May 28 Consumers Energy news release.
Eggs of adult females were safely removed from the pipeline path in 2019, then returned when construction was complete.
Natural gas pipeline project carves 29-mile path through Genesee County
Consumers Energy is proud to play a key role in helping the Blandings Turtle, a species of special concern in Michigan, survive and thrive, said Dennis Dobbs, Consumers Energys vice president of enterprise project management and environmental services.
Our dedicated and caring pipeline employees embraced our commitment of leaving it better than we found it by working to protect and enhance wildlife and valuable habitat while modernizing our pipeline system, Dobbs said.
A herpetologist contracted by Consumers Energy incubated the eggs and nurtured the juvenile turtles over the winter until they were large enough to have a good chance of survival from predators, the release states.
Consumers Energys pipeline employees also enhanced the turtle release habitat by placing trees removed from the pipeline path into the wetlands to create additional protective cover, basking sites and food sources like aquatic insects and tadpoles.
The Blandings Turtle is listed as a species of special concern by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. It is protected by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and proposed for federal protection.
The turtles have a lifespan of over 80 years, but dont reach sexual maturity until they are about 20 years old. Hatchling and juvenile turtles suffer very high mortality rates from predators, particularly raccoons. It may take one adult female decades to produce enough turtles to help keep the population stable.
Its a really good feeling to know that because of our efforts these turtles could be here for the next generation of Michiganders to enjoy. Were very proud of that, Dobbs said.
12 rare turtles with names like Thor and Taco released into wetlands
Last spring, a separate group of 12 juvenile Blandings Turtles were released after being successfully incubated and given a head start that included acclimating to natural temperatures, eating a live diet and learning to catch food themselves.
The Saginaw Trail Pipeline replacement project is a four-phase, $610 million project to modernize natural gas infrastructure in Saginaw, Genesee and Oakland counties. The work is part of Consumers Energys Natural Gas Delivery Plan, a 10-year plan to create a safer and more reliable, affordable and clean system.
More than 30,000 frogs, toads, salamanders, turtles and snakes have been safely relocated from the pipeline path over the past three years of construction on the Saginaw Trail Pipeline, according to Consumers Energy. Other animals protected during pipeline work include several species of nesting birds and small mammals.
The first phase, completed in 2017, ran 18.5 miles from northern Genesee County into Saginaw Countys Spaulding Township. The second phase, completed in 2018, included an 18.5-mile path through Spaulding, James, Swan Creek, Thomas and Tittabawassee townships. The third phase, included 29.2 miles of 24-inch steel pipe from the Clio city limits south to Grand Blanc.
A fourth and final phase of the project covering 28.2 miles -- from Grand Blanc to Clawson Control in Oakland County -- is scheduled to begin in 2020.
A look at phase 3 of the four-phase Saginaw Trail Pipeline project by Consumers Energy currently underway in Genesee County. The third phase running from Clio to Grand Blanc is expected to be completed by October 2019.
Read more:
Consumers installing new gas pipeline through federal wildlife refuge
Proposed pipeline involves 650 landowners in Saginaw, Genesee, Oakland counties
Consumers Energy prepared to avoid disruption to service amid coronavirus outbreak
Consumers plans long-term fix to problems with some Saginaw gas meters
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19 rare turtles released into Genesee County wetlands - MLive.com
