DETROIT – DTE Energy has earned the Wildlife Habitat Council‘s 2018 Corporate Conservation Leadership Award. It is the highest recognition for overall excellence in corporate environmental stewardship.

The award recognizes DTE’s overall achievement in conservation efforts, exemplary corporate commitment to biodiversity and conservation education as well as meaningful alignments with global conservation objectives. DTE recently accepted the award at the WHC’s 2018 Conservation Conference in Baltimore.

DTE currently has 36-certified sites with many more programs planned for certification for the first time by 2020, including pollinator habitats, bald eagle nests and banding, and conservation projects with K-12 schools throughout Michigan.

“DTE employees are national leaders in conservation and environmental protection,” said Skiles Boyd, vice president, Environmental Management and Resources for DTE Energy. “These efforts were led by passionate employees who love our land, plants, animals, and volunteer their time to leave behind a better place.”

With 36 certified programs in 25 counties, DTE has more WHC certified programs than any other company in Michigan. DTE is helping the WHC expand its Michigan footprint by collaborating with wildlife habitat efforts in West Michigan communities, such as Muskegon and Grand Rapids, getting other businesses and organizations engaged. DTE ranks second nationally among energy companies in WHC certifications. In addition, DTE is the only company in the energy sector actively collaborating with the WHC to expand environmental stewardship initiatives with supply chain partners.

Now celebrating its 30-year anniversary, the WHC’s certification program is the only voluntary sustainability standard built on the best practices of global recognition programs. The program recognizes a company’s efforts to use its land, resources and partnerships to help address pressing global biodiversity issues.

DTE received its first WHC wildlife certification in 1996 at its Belle River Power Plant for a project that included collaborations with Pheasants Forever and the Cub Scouts to convert leased farmland into food plots for wildlife and building bluebird boxes. As a major land owner in Michigan with lots of shoreline property, DTE voluntarily maintains 8,000 acres of land in its natural state, providing habitat for hundreds of species of birds, mammals, fish and insects – some of which are threatened or endangered. Land at several company sites has been reclaimed for habitats featuring native Michigan plants, including those benefiting the monarch butterfly and other pollinating insects. Ending repetitive mowing improves air quality and makes financial sense, too. Mowed grassy areas burn money in upkeep. When reclaimed, native wildflowers and grasses require much less maintenance and provide food, shelter, and space for a variety of wildlife.

DTE’s Michigan Avenue Service Center (Ypsilanti) and Traverse City Service Center were also finalists for the WHC Green Infrastructure Project Award.

DTE’s WHC certified program sites

WILDLIFE HABITAT COUNCIL CONSERVATION
CERTIFICATION PROGRAM SITES

LOCATION

INITIAL CERTIFICATION

CERTIFICATION STATUS

Allen Road Service Center Complex

Melvindale

2008

Gold

Alpena Service Center

Alpena

2009

Certified

Ashley Mews

Ann Arbor

2007

Gold

Belle River Mills Compressor Station

East China Township

2008

Gold

Belle River Power Plant

East China Township

1996

Silver

Big Rapids Service Station

Big Rapids

2010

Gold

Cadillac Service Center

Cadillac

2010

Silver

Citizen’s Gas

Adrian

2016

Silver

Coolidge Service Center

Detroit

2018

Silver

Detroit Headquarters Campus

Detroit

2000

Silver

Escanaba Service Center

Escanaba

2015

Silver

Fermi 2 Nuclear Power Plant

Newport

2000

Gold

Gaylord Transmission & Storage Operations Station

Gaylord

2012

Silver

Grayling Service Center

Grayling

2008

Silver

Greenwood Energy Center

Kenockee

2004

Gold

Huron Renewable Energy Center

Bad Axe

2018

Silver

Kalkaska Transmission and Storage Operations

Kalkaska

2009

Silver

Kingsford Service Center

Kingsford

2015

Gold

Ludington Service Center

Ludington

2009

Silver

Michigan Avenue Service Center

Ypsilanti

2008

Gold

Milford Compressor Station

Milford

2009

Silver

Monroe Power Plant

Monroe

1999

Gold

Mt. Pleasant Service Center

Mt. Pleasant

2008

Silver

Muskegon Service Center

Muskegon

2009

Gold

Newport Service Center

Monroe

2016

Silver

Petoskey Service Center

Petoskey

2015

Certified

River Rouge Power Plant

River Rouge

2004

TBD

Sault Ste. Marie Service Center

Sault Ste. Marie

2015

Certified

St. Clair Power Plant

East China Township

2001

Silver

Tawas Service Center

Tawas

2009

Silver

Traverse City Gas Operations

Traverse City

2009

Silver

Trenton Channel Power Plant/Sibley Quarry

Trenton

2002

Gold

W.C. Taggart Compressor Station

Six Lakes

2003

Gold

Washington-10 Compressor Station

Romeo

2008

Gold

Wealthy Street Station

Grand Rapids

2012

Certified

Western Wayne Service Center

Belleville

2005

Silver

About Wildlife Habitat Council

Wildlife Habitat Council partners with corporations, fellow conservation organizations, government agencies and community members to empower and recognize wildlife habitat and conservation education programs. Our members are environmental leaders at local, national and global levels, voluntarily managing their lands to support sustainable ecosystems and the communities that surround them. Since 1988, WHC has certified more than 1,000 habitat and education programs worldwide; WHC Conservation Certification programs can be found in 48 states and 25 countries. To learn more, visit www.wildlifehc.org or follow @WildlifeHC on Twitter.

Information about DTE Energy is available at dteenergy.com,