Brownfield Redevelopment Branches Out Across Michigan

Delta Institute recently received funding from the U.S. Forest Service for a project that will combine environmental clean-up efforts with community and economic development.  The program will establish poplar tree farms in several communities in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula for the joint purpose of cleansing brownfields and providing a lightweight, rapidly renewable, locally grown resource for businesses and manufacturers. 
    The idea came from a project Delta implemented on a smaller scale in Elkhart, Indiana, which was designed to demonstrate the sustainable reuse of a brownfield property in support of green economic development.   Recognizing that there were thousands of other acres of abandoned, underutilized or potentially hazardous properties throughout the Great Lakes region that could be cleaned up and put into productive reuse, Delta sought and received a $203,000  grant from the U.S. Forest Service to replicate the program in several different communities in Central and Southern Michigan.
    Hybrid poplar trees have been found to be an excellent tool for reclaiming brownfields.  These trees are able to take up contaminants such as heavy metals and chlorinated solvents through their natural processes, eliminating the problem of disposing toxins once they have been extracted.  Poplars also help to absorb excess water that could otherwise result in contaminated run-off.      As well as having a positive environmental impact on communities, this project will also serve to invigorate economic development in the areas where farms are planted.  Hybrid poplars are extremely fast-growing trees, and are therefore excellent sources of materials for local businesses and manufacturers.  Their wood can be used for construction purposes, especially in home fixtures like cabinets and paneling, and also be turned into fiber which can be used in bio-energy production.  The trees from these farms will supply area businesses, which will decrease shipping distances and make their operations more cost and energy-efficient.