Nearly $1 Million Awarded for Coastal Projects

Nearly $1 million in federal grant funds from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will go to local governments, non-profit organizations and university researchers to implement creative coastal projects, the Office of the Great Lakes’ Coastal Zone Management Program (CZM) said.

The CZM team will collaborate with partners to improve governmental coordination and administration of state shoreline statutes.

This funding will support the CZM Program’s work to safeguard irreplaceable coastal ecosystems and foster stewardship of water resources in Michigan’s coastal communities.

Specific projects will include a study of the economic, social, and cultural values of Michigan’s coastal dunes; help paddlers in Michigan’s Thumb area view and learn about shallow water shipwrecks; plan a water trail for Beaver Island; prepare a form-based code to implement a waterfront redevelopment plan; and improve public access to the Great Lakes.

The Office of the Great Lakes will support 15 coastal projects totaling $927,161 to the following:

  • Alliance for the Great Lakes;
  • City of St. Joseph;
  • Emmet County;
  • Harrison Charter Township;
  • Land Information Access Association;
  • Michigan Boating Industries Association;
  • Michigan Association of Planning;
  • Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources;
  • Michigan Environmental Council;
  • Michigan Technological University;
  • Noble Odyssey Foundation;
  • St. Clair County;
  • University of Michigan;
  • Van Buren County.

Other CZM initiatives include a Coastal Clean Marina Initiative, Clean Beaches Initiative, and an initiative to increase community resiliency to coastal erosion and other extreme weather impacts.

These projects support recently released Michigan Water Strategy recommendations.