Hello everyone,

The last few months I’ve been able to spend some substantial time on the Great Lakes— Michigan and Superior. On Lake Michigan, I’ve been spending time chasing salmon and trout and on Superior I was doing some camping, hiking, and scouting for the upcoming fall runs. The freshwater resources that stretch across the USA are truly remarkable.

Over the past months, CTIC has been working with partners to develop a phosphorus trading program within two watersheds on another Great Lake, Lake Erie. As we’ve started to work with farmers and ranchers in the Maumee and Sandusky Watersheds, it’s clear that these programs are viewed with a mix of optimism and skepticism. Optimism centers around the prospect of free markets to support conservation adoption. However, concern over unfulfilled promises of past markets, like the Chicago Climate Exchange, still linger.

Novel strategies to support conservation adoption are needed now more than ever. As we’ve transitioned through many buzzword phases (organic, green, sustainable, and so on). I think Teddy Roosevelt said it best: “There can be no greater issue than that of conservation in this country.” Farmers and Ranchers are the first line of offense in adapting conservation and we need to do all that we can to give them the tools and resources to do so.

Enjoy the day,

Mike