Consumers Energy Demonstrates Commitment to the Environment; Releases Endangered Blanding’s Turtles into Enhanced Wetlands
SAGINAW, Mich., October 10, 2018 /3BL Media/ -- Consumers Energy released three endangered Blanding’s turtles back to a Saginaw area wetland on Thursday, Sept. 27.
The rare turtles – two adults and a juvenile -- were rescued from a right-of-way where Consumers Energy was installing Phase 2 of the Saginaw Trail Pipeline and cared for by a herpetologist employed by the company.
The turtles were released into the same general area as they were found after pipeline construction was completed. The release site features a basking habitat Consumers Energy created for them in a prime wetland using existing logs from the project right-of-way.
The herpetologist also located and rescued a nest of 12 turtle eggs found near the two adult turtles, a female and male. After incubation the eggs hatched, and all survived. The Blanding’s hatchlings will stay in the herpetologist’s care to grow over the winter to increase their survival chances and be released to the same enhanced habitat next spring.
Blanding’s turtles are a listed species in Michigan, meaning they are on the Threatened and Endangered species list.
Once all four phases are completed, the Saginaw Trail Pipeline will replace a 78-mile vintage pipeline dating to the 1940s. The new pipeline will help Consumers Energy move natural gas more quickly, safely and efficiently.
Consumers Energy, Michigan’s largest energy provider, is the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS), providing natural gas and/or electricity to 6.7 million of the state’s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.
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