2015-2016 Work Program

Emerald Ash Borer Assistance

There is a very real threat that Emerald Ash Borer will continue its march across Wisconsin, destroying small and large stands of Ash trees located in both rural and urban communities. Door County was recently added to the list of quarantined EAB counties in the Bay-Lake Region that had already included Brown and Sheboygan counties. Commission staff have been working with communities and counties for the past few years in the preparation of their EAB response and mitigation plans. We recommend reviewing the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources' Emerald Ash Borer Toolkit for some valuable information and data that can help determine the best alternatives for your local approach to the EAB. For those communities and counties seeking either technical or financial assistance to prepare for or combat EAB, please contact Angela Pierce. 

GLRI Grant Applications

U.S. EPA is soliciting applications for grants and/or cooperative agreements to be awarded as part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). EPA will award approximately $27.5 million under a request for applications (RFA) for up to 30 projects, contingent upon funding availability, the quality of applications received and other applicable considerations. This RFA is EPA's major competitive grant funding opportunity under the GLRI for fiscal year 2014. It is one of several funding opportunities available through federal agencies under the GLRI.

Applications are requested for projects within the following three categories:

• Invasive species control
• Watershed management implementation
• Sediment reduction projects in priority watersheds

Applications are due August 27, 2014 and must be submitted through Grants.gov. Contact Angela Pierce if you need assistance developing a project or submitting an application.

Wisconsin Coastal Management Program Grants and Workshop

Approximately $1,500,000 is available through the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program (WCMP) to enhance and restore coastal resources within the state's coastal zone -- all counties adjacent to Lakes Superior and Michigan. Applications are requested for projects within the following categories:

• Coastal Wetland Protection and Habitat Restoration;
• Nonpoint Source Pollution Control;
• Coastal Resource and Community Planning;
• Great Lakes Education;
• Public Access; and
• Community Planning.

The Bay-Lake RPC will be hosting a WCMP Grant workshop on September 3, 2014 at 1:30 p.m. at 439 S Jackson Street in Green Bay. After a presentation about the grant program, WCMP and Bay-Lake RPC staff will be on hand to discuss your project ideas.

Applications to  the grant program are due November 3, 2014. Application materials are available on the WCMP website. Contact Angela Pierce if you need assistance developing a project or submitting an application.

Join the Campaign to Love Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan is an integral part of our way of life here in the Great Lakes region. It's a massive ecosystem, a valuable natural resource, and absolutely critical to our economy. The near-shore Lake Michigan zone is among the most biologically productive in the region, and the Lake itself provides drinking water, recreational opportunities, wetlands and wildlife, and critical dunes and pristine shorelines.

The use of Lake Michigan's vast resources has enriched our communities, but the cost to the Lake has become clear with time. The unique biodiversity of Lake Michigan is at great risk from a variety of threats, including: invasive species; climate change; water pollution; altered hydrology; poorly planned residential and industrial growth; and stress from agriculture, forestry and fisheries practices.

We believe that Lake Michigan is ours to protect, promote and enjoy. It is up to us, the citizens of the Lake Michigan Basin, to balance the three fundamental elements - environmental integrity, economic vitality and sociocultural well-being.

That's why the Lake Michigan Forum and Bay-Lake RPC are launching the "Love Lake Michigan" campaign. The campaign aims to increase awareness of the value of Lake Michigan and catalyze action to protect it through education, engagement and empowerment of citizens of the Lake Michigan Basin.

Join the campaign by:

• pledging to love Lake Michigan;
• sharing your love of the Lake via social media (#loveLakeMichigan); and
• participating through the Forum; and volunteering in the basin.

Learn more about the Love Lake Michigan campaign at www.lovelakemichigan.org.

By engaging the more than 12,000 citizens of the Lake Michigan Basin, we can work toward our vision of a Lake Michigan with safe and healthy beaches, restored habitats, healthy fish and wildlife populations and a thriving economy for all of us to enjoy now and into the future. 

Watch upcoming E-Newsletters for exciting FREE Love Lake Michigan merchandise like t-shirts, pint glasses, and pens.

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About the Lake Michigan Forum: The Lake Michigan Forum is project funded by EPA through the GLRI and administered by Delta Institute. The Lake Michigan Forum provides input to EPA on the Lake Michigan Lakewide Action and Management Plan from stakeholders of the Lake Michigan Basin; it also serves as a critical link between government, academia, regional planners, industry, and public stakeholders throughout the basin, enabling these groups to share information and coordinate action to restore and protect the integrity of Lake Michigan. Learn more at www.lakemichiganforum.org. 

The Commission has 2-4 offices available for occupancy. The offices range in size from 108 sq. ft. to 143 sq. ft.  Each office has a window with partial furnishings. The rent is $7.00/sf and includes utilities. There will be an additional monthly cost for phone and internet service, parking, and office cleaning. A conference room and small break room are included in the rental cost. If your organization is seeking temporary or long-term office space close to all the downtown amenities, please contact Richard Heath for more information. 

Richard Heath 

Executive Director

Jeff Agee-Aguayo

Transportation

Planner

Richard Malone 

Office Accounts

Coordinator 

Angela Pierce 

Natural Resources

 Planner

Brandon Robinson 

Community Assistance

Planner

Joshua Schedler

GIS Coordinator