Appropriations Requests for : Detroit Zoological Society

1. Cosponsoring legislators:

No Cosponsors

Recipient Information

2. Intended legislatively directed spending item recipient:

Detroit Zoological Society

3. Physical address of legislatively directed spending item recipient and the intended location of the project or activity:

8450 W. Ten Mile, Royal Oak, MI 48067

4. The recipient's employer identification number:

386027356

Funding Details

5. Requested amount of the legislatively directed spending item:

$500,000.00

6. What is the purpose and how does the legislatively directed spending item provide a public benefit that is an appropriate use of taxpayer money?

The National Amphibian Conservation Center (NACC) at the Detroit Zoo is one of the country’s leading facilities dedicated to the conservation of amphibians—animals that are among the most rapidly declining vertebrate groups on Earth. Each year, approximately 1.2 million guests visit the Detroit Zoo, and the NACC plays a vital role in educating the public about amphibian conservation while supporting hands-on recovery efforts for species facing extinction. Behind the scenes, NACC staff work to breed critically endangered amphibians and reintroduce them into their native habitats, helping to restore populations that have been devastated by habitat loss, climate change, pollution, and emerging diseases. These conservation programs require extremely stable environmental conditions. Amphibians are highly sensitive to temperature and humidity changes, and even small fluctuations can disrupt breeding cycles or threaten animal health. The $500,000 National Amphibian Conservation Center Resiliency & Sustainability Initiative will modernize critical building systems that maintain these precise environmental conditions. The project will replace aging infrastructure—including a generator, boiler, and chiller—that has exceeded its useful life and poses a risk to the reliability of life-support systems within the facility. The upgrades will include replacing the existing diesel generator with a natural gas–powered system, improving operational reliability while reducing emissions and fuel storage risks. The project will also replace an aging boiler currently operating at approximately 80% efficiency with a modern system capable of achieving up to 96% efficiency and install a new chiller to ensure stable temperature control throughout the building. These improvements will significantly strengthen the resiliency, redundancy, and energy efficiency of the NACC while safeguarding the sensitive environmental conditions required for amphibian care and breeding. This legislatively directed spending request provides a clear public benefit that is appropriate for taxpayer investment. Amphibians play a critical ecological role as indicators of environmental health and as regulators of insect populations that affect agriculture and public health. By supporting the infrastructure that enables breeding and recovery programs for endangered amphibians, this project directly contributes to biodiversity conservation, scientific research, and environmental education. In addition, the Detroit Zoo welcomes more than 1.2 million visitors annually, providing millions of opportunities each year for families, students, and educators to learn about wildlife conservation and the importance of protecting fragile ecosystems. Investing in the infrastructure of the National Amphibian Conservation Center ensures that these nationally significant conservation programs can continue while also reducing energy use, strengthening facility reliability, and protecting the public investment already made in this unique conservation resource.

7. Has the legislatively directed spending item previously received or been awarded any of the following types of funding in the past 5 years?

No previous funding received

8. Estimated time frame for completion of the legislatively directed spending item project:

Approximately October 2026 – September 2027 for planning, procurement and installation.

Additional Information For Nonprofit Corporations

9. Is the recipient a nonprofit corporation?

Yes

4. Officers and active members on the board of directors:

Board of Directors Executive Committee • Anthony F. Earley Jr., Chair • Stephen R. Polk, Vice Chair • Robert G. Riney, Vice Chair • John G. Sznewajs, Treasurer • Tonya L. Berry • Denise Brooks-Williams • Dr. William A. Conway, M.D. • Cynthia Ford • Dr. Terry S. Harvill • Alan Kalter • Alan J. Kaufman • Bonnie Larson • Thomas J. Lewand • Shawn Patterson Directors • N. Charles Anderson • Alisha R. Bell • Scott Benson • Andrew Blake • Sharima Bulchak • Beth Chappell • Dr. Betty Chu • Dr. Beth Daly • Charles Ellis (Bishop) • John Erb • Jennifer M. Grieco • Brandon Kolo • Mario Morrow • Dr. Isaiah McKinnon • Stuart Robbins • Gino Roncelli • James Rosenthal • Rick Ruffner • Dr. James Sawyer • Shirley R. Stancato • James Tate • Joel D. Tauber • Manny Torgow • Marianne Vidershain • Lawrence A. Wolfe • Stacy Ziarko

Certification By Sponsoring Legislator

• "I certify that my immediate family members, legislative staff members, and I have no direct or indirect pecuniary interest in the requested legislatively directed spending item."
• "I certify that the intended recipient of this legislatively directed spending item is not a for-profit entity."
• "I certify that the information in this form is true to the best of my knowledge."

Senator Mallory McMorrow