Shallow water and wetland vegetation crucial for nesting and fish spawning are absent. This step enables us to go to private interests and businesses and say, 'Look, we've got this refuge going. Instead, waterfront property owners would be asked to consider donating it. Dingell said he is most concerned with the shoreline, so owners wouldn't have to give up all of their land. The effort will focus downstream from the downtowns of Detroit and Windsor, where much of the shoreline is controlled by business and industry.
Similar legislation is pending in the Canadian parliament.