The Western Lake Erie Basin Partnership is a tri-state partnership dedicated to enhancing multi-purpose projects that improve land and water resource management in the basin and promote a healthy, productive watershed.

A recent amendment of the Michigan CREP expanded the scope of this valuable program beyond the River Raisin area to include parts of Branch, Hillsdale, Lenawee and Monroe Counties to enhance benefits to the Western Lake Erie Basin. CREP participants receive payments to take highly sensitive, marginally-productive lands out of production and convert them to streamside buffers, restored wetlands and other practices that filter water and provide wildlife habitat.

The project compliments national efforts to develop, demonstrate, and evaluate innovative conservation outreach approaches designed specifically to target absentee landowners. As part of this effort the website Center for Absentee Landowners has been developed by AGREN Inc. Arenac and Tuscola counties are Michigan's pilot counties for this project.