Thank You Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe!

Last week, the Isabella Conservation District received approximately 200 thousand dollars from the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe! 

As part of an agreement with the State of Michigan, the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe distributes 2% of its earnings from electronic gaming at its two casinos to local governments and schools.  To get any of this money, government agencies and schools have to submit a grant proposal that details what they propose to do, how it will benefit the local and tribal community, and includes a detailed budget for the project.

The money that the Isabella Conservation District received will allow us to run a community household hazardous waste disposal program and a tire disposal program in 2016.

More importantly, from my perspective, it will also allow our Environmental Education Program to operate for another year.  This means that we will be able to provide classroom programs on environmental and conservation education in local schools through the 2016 - 17 school year.  Since 2009, our programs have been presented to over thirty thousand students in the local schools.   This year I expect to provide more than 400 classroom programs, and expect to do the same for the 2016 - 17 school year.

Thank you to the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Council and all employees of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe who support the Isabella Conservation District Environmental Education Program!

Chi Miigwetch!