Statewide Public Advisory Council

for Michigan’s Areas of Concern Program

Our vision is a vibrant Great Lakes Ecosystem in which we are stewards striving to enhance, restore and protect the health of the Great Lakes for the future of all inhabitants.

• Background on the SPAC
• SPAC Members and Alternates
• Meetings of the SPAC
• SPAC Publications
• Delisting Information for Michigan AOCs
• Michigan RAP Updates and Documents
• Michigan Areas of Concern NEWS Newsletter
• MICH-Rap Email List

Background

The Statewide Public Advisory Council (SPAC) was formed in 1991 to facilitate public participation in decisions affecting Michigan's statewide Areas of Concern (AOC) program, heighten public awareness of and participation in the Remedial Action Plans (RAPs) being developed in the AOCs, and generate public support for implementation of restoration and protection measures in the AOCs.

The Council includes representation from local Public Advisory Councils (PACs) for each of Michigan's 14 AOCs. The Council coordinates support for and communication among local PACs in the AOCs, provides training and technical assistance to RAP participants, and advises state and federal agencies and elected officials on priorities for the statewide AOC program.

The Council is supported by the Great Lakes Commission with funding from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE, formerly the Department of Environmental Quality) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

For more information on the Council and Areas of Concern, please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions about Michigan's Areas of Concern (PDF) document.

SPAC Members and Alternates

The SPAC is a coalition of representatives from the 14 community-based public advisory councils that are guiding cleanup efforts in Michigan’s 14 AOCs. Click here for a complete membership list and local contact information.

Meetings of the SPAC

The SPAC typically meets three times per year and sponsors an annual briefing for state legislators and training workshops on issues affecting the RAPs. Below is information on upcoming and recent SPAC meetings. Contact Matt Doss, mdoss@glc.org, for more information.

SPAC Workshop - May 30-31, 2012, Roscommon, Michigan: Planning is for this workshop is underway and details will be available soon.

SPAC Workshop - February 10, 2012, Lansing, Michigan: This workshop brought together individuals involved in Michigan’s AOC program to coordinate implementation of AOC-specific workplans over the coming year and identify resources available under the third year of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. A complete recap is available at http://glc.org/spac/workshop-feb12recap.html.

Meeting Archive

Summaries and proceedings of a variety of regional AOC workshops and meetings are available on the Commission's AOC Workshop & Meeting Proceedings page.

SPAC Publications

The SPAC publishes a number of documents providing information on Michigan’s AOCs, including an annual Status Report and Legislative Agenda. Click here to download recent SPAC publications.

Delisting Information for Michigan AOCs

In 2006, the Michigan DNRE completed the Guidance for Delisting Michigan’s Great Lakes Areas of Concern (Guidance) that established restoration criteria for 12 of the 14 beneficial use impairments (BUIs) considered under the AOC program. The state requires that a local restoration plan be developed and implemented for the other two BUIs - loss of fish and wildlife habitat and degradation of fish and wildlife populations - given significant difference across AOCs. Individual AOCs have either adopted the statewide criteria or have developed local AOC-specific criteria that have been approved by DNRE. The Guidance also outlines a process to formally remove individual BUIs once the criteria have been met, and delist AOCs once all BUIs have been removed.

In addition to the Guidance, the DNRE released in 2009 a Strategy for Delisting Michigan's Areas of Concern (Delisting Strategy). The Delisting Strategy identifies actions needed to restore BUIs and delist AOCs, establishes program priorities, and helps determine resource allocations in Michigan’s AOC program. The status of Michigan’s AOCs, including the status of BUIs, remedial actions, monitoring, and reporting needs, is documented in the Delisting Strategy’s AOC Action Tracking Table (Appendix A of Delisting Strategy). Implementing the Guidance and the Delisting Strategy is a major focus of Michigan's AOC program.

Michigan RAP Updates and Documents

Remedial Action Plans (RAPs) have been developed and are being implemented for Michigan's 14 AOCs. Click here for a list of available RAP documents for each AOC, organized by lake basin. New RAP documents will be added to this list as they are developed.

Michigan Areas of Concern NEWS Newsletter

The SPAC has historically published a biannual newsletter, Michigan Areas of Concern NEWS. Click here to download issues of the newsletter.

MICH-RAP Email List

MICH-RAP is an email listserve for the RAP and LaMP community in Michigan. It is a forum for sharing news and information related to the Areas of Concern and Lakewide Management programs in the state of Michigan. Appropriate postings concern meeting announcements; new publications; funding opportunities; updates on relevant legislative activities; information requests; requests for suggestions and guidance regarding LaMP and RAP efforts; and media coverage related to the RAPs and LaMPs.

For information on how to subscribe, send messages and other list guidelines, visit the MICH-RAP email list page. For questions regarding this email list or to to speak to the MICH-RAP Administrator, contact:

Erika Jensen
SPAC Support Staff
Great Lakes Commission
Eisenhower Corporate Park
2805 S. Industrial Hwy., Suite 100
Ann Arbor, MI 48104-6791
ejensen@glc.org
voice: 734-971-9135
fax: 734-971-9150