Building Capacity and Partnerships to Restore Michigan’s Great Lakes Areas of Concern Under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Michigan State University Union
Abbot at Grand River Ave. on the MSU Campus

• Agenda
• Registration form
• Map and Directions

Sponsored by the Statewide Public Advisory Council for Michigan’s Great Lakes Areas of Concern Program.

(Note: U.S. EPA is convening a public meeting to discuss and receive feedback on the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative on Monday, Aug. 3 from 5:00-7:00 pm at the Kellogg Center on the MSU Campus. Workshop participants are encouraged to attend this meeting. Additional details are online at www.epa.gov/glnpo/glri/publicmeetings.html.)

Background
President Obama has proposed $475 million for a Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. A substantial portion of this funding is proposed for cleaning up designated Areas of Concern in the Great Lakes, and U.S. EPA is expected to release a large request for proposals as early as this summer. U.S. EPA recently released the "FY2010 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Interagency Funding Guide" in order to provide one-stop-shopping for applicants interested in applying for grants and project agreements under the Initiative.

This is a critical time to identify restoration projects for Michigan’s Great Lakes Areas of Concern, and to develop partnerships and other arrangements to prepare proposals and seek funding for those projects. The workshop will be directed toward this end.

Workshop Agenda
Staff from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality will present key restoration needs in Michigan’s 14 Great Lakes Areas of Concern, and representatives from U.S. EPA and other federal agencies will discuss funding opportunities under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Local leaders from Michigan’s 14 Great Lakes Areas of Concern will be on hand to discuss restoration needs, identify potential project partners, and consider next steps for preparing funding proposals. Partners interested in collaborating on implementation projects are invited to set up displays and network with Area of Concern leaders to market their services.

Who Should Attend
The workshop is intended for all parties working to clean up Michigan’s Great Lakes Areas of Concern, as well as partners who can help develop and implement proposals for cleanup projects. This includes public agencies, environmental and conservation organizations, foundations, colleges and universities, consulting firms and other interested parties.

Date, Location and Parking
The workshop will be held on Tuesday, August 4, the day after the EPA-sponsored public meeting on the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. The meeting will be held at the Michigan State University Union, located at corner of Abbot St. and Grand Ave. on the MSU campus in East Lansing. Paid parking is available in structures operated by the City of East Lansing located one block north of the MSU Union. From Grand River, turn onto Charles St. and look for the parking structure on the left.

Displays and Exhibits
Workshop participants are encouraged to bring displays and informational materials to publicize their capabilities and resources to support restoration efforts in Michigan’s Great Lakes Areas of Concern. Use the registration form to request a display table.

Lodging
Overnight rooms for the night of Monday, Aug. 3 are available at the Marriott East Lansing, located at 300 MAC Avenue, approximately one block north of the MSU Union. The rate is $104. To reserve a room, contact the hotel at 517-337-4440 and request a room from the block reserved for the Great Lakes Commission. The reserved block will be released on July 24, after which rooms will be provided on a space-available basis.

Contact
For more information on the workshop, or to request the agenda and registration materials, contact Matt Doss, Great Lakes Commission, 734-971-9135, mdoss@glc.org.

For background on the Statewide Public Advisory Council and Michigan’s Great Lakes Areas of Concern program, visit the Council website at www.glc.org/spac.