2805 South Industrial Hwy., Suite 100 Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104-6791 Office 734-971-9135 ▪ Fax 734-971-9150 ▪ glc@glc.org EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Tim A Eder BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIR Memorandum 1Jon W Allan Director Office of the Great Lakes Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Lansing, Michigan VICE CHAIR John Linc Stine Commissioner Minnesota Pollution Control Agency St Paul, Minnesota 1IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR Kelvin Burch, Retired Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Wayne Rosenthal Director Illinois Department of Natural Resources Springfield, Illinois Dan Schmidt Policy Director Office of the Governor Indianapolis, Indiana Basil Seggos Commissioner New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Albany, New York James Zehringer Director Ohio Department of Natural Resources Columbus, Ohio Timothy Bruno Chief Office of the Great Lakes Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Erie, Pennsylvania Pat Stevens Administrator Environmental Management Division Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Madison, Wisconsin William Carr Senior Manager International Relations Policy Office of International Relations and Protocol Toronto, Ontario Eric Marquis Québec Government Representative Ensuring environmental and economic prosperity for the Great Lakes-St Lawrence region through communications, policy research and development, and advocacy To: GLC Board of Directors From: Tim Eder, Executive Director and Heather Braun, Program Manager Date: January 6, 2017 Re: GL C Re gio nal Par tne rsh ip wit h NO AA to Su pp ort Are a of Co nc ern Restoration Un der the GL RI Overview The Commission has cooperative agreements in place under NOAA’s Great Lakes Habitat Restoration Regional Partnership Grant program to implement habitat restoration projects in the U.S Areas of Concern (AOC) with funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) This funding mechanism differs from traditional grants by awarding partnerships to qualified organizations that provide capacity to assist NOAA, U.S EPA, the states and local AOC groups implement priority habitat restoration projects The NOAA partnerships provide funding through a five-year cooperative agreement intended to support habitat restoration at multiple sites in multiple AOCs The Commission currently supports projects in AOCs in Michigan and New York In addition to on-the-ground restoration, the Commission also supports regional AOC restoration needs, including the implementation of a socioeconomic study on the benefits of habitat restoration, and the development of communication materials, such as a video series and centralized webhub, to promote the benefits of habitat restoration and improve communication and technology transfer across the AOC community (described below) The program is well suited for Commission leadership because of its regional nature, the aim to support projects identified by the states, and the focus on achieving AOC restoration goals under the GLRI The work is consistent with the Commission’s strategic plan under the program areas for Coastal Conservation and Habitat Restoration and Economic Development and Community Revitalization Programs such as this one provide multiple benefits to the states and GLC First, GLC helps implement restoration priorities of the states and ensures state interests are fully considered Second, the project enables the GLC to expand its capacity to provide expertise and support to states on habitat (in this case) or other issue areas Also, expanded capacity enables the GLC to support senior staff and the directors, freeing up limited dollars from state dues Finally, we spend taxpayer dollars extremely efficiently with lower overhead than most states or for-profit entities would charge The partnership model is desirable to U.S EPA and NOAA because it provides flexibility to fund multiple projects, reprogram funding, or request increased funding when necessary It also increases efficiency for NOAA by working through a single cooperative agreement to achieve restoration projects in multiple AOCs Currently, the Commission serves as the single point of contact for 14 projects in three AOCs with a combined budget of approximately $38 million The Partnership also benefits the states and local AOC groups, which may not have capacity to implement complex restoration projects Project Identification and Selection The Commission does not select the projects funded under the NOAA partnership Rather, decisions on restoration projects are made by the states and U.S EPA through the AOC planning process under the GLRI These agencies meet at least annually to review potential projects and associated goals for removing beneficial use impairments in each state’s AOCs Once priority projects are identified, federal agencies and the states determine the most efficient way to support their implementation Funding mechanisms can include contracts, grants to agencies, or interagency agreements One of these mechanisms is U.S EPA (GLRI) funds to NOAA through an interagency agreement, which NOAA uses to fund its regional partnerships The partnerships are used for projects that are consistent with NOAA’s mission and that require support from an organization, such as the Commission, to ensure successful completion and compliance with federal and state requirements In 2016 the Commission, Ducks Unlimited and Friends of the Detroit River were awarded regional partnerships The Commission’s current partnership builds on work initiated under a previous 2013 partnership (scheduled for completion in May 2018), and supports not only implementation, but also regional communication and coordination and a study of economic benefits from habitat restoration Connection to the Commission’s Strategic Plan The NOAA partnership addresses several of the Commission’s core competencies including Regional Project Management and Communications and Outreach It also directly addresses the following Strategic Actions under the Coastal Conservation and Habitat Restoration Program Area: Strategic Actions: • Lead and support regional programs that restore, protect and manage valuable habitat and water resources through implementation of the NOAA-GLC Regional Partnership in Areas of Concern, and in coordination with U.S EPA, NOAA, the states and local organizations • Elevate awareness of coastal conservation issues among decision-makers, managers, researchers and the public by convening meetings, coordinating action and developing communication products such as websites, webinars, and publications State Role Commission staff coordinate with state agency staff throughout the project period to ensure state representation on project management teams Project management team members participate in communication and outreach activities, including project-related events and media, development of communication materials and participation on monthly coordination calls Status of Projects under the NOAA-GLC Regional Partnership The Commission’s 2013 regional partnership with NOAA has a funding ceiling of $30 million and will expire in May 2018 To date, approximately $29.6 million has been allocated to the Commission through eight amendments to the cooperative agreement with NOAA The following is a synopsis of the projects currently underway; additional information is available from the project website at http://glc.org/projects/habitat/noaa-glc-restoration/noaa-glcpartnership-projects-2013-2016/ St Marys River AOC: $9.4 million Project: Little Rapids Restoration Project Status: This project will restore rapids and aquatic habitat within the St Marys River by replacing a failing causeway with a bridge The project was substantially completed by November 2016, with final paving and vegetation maintenance to take place in spring 2017 Post restoration ecological monitoring will also be completed in 2017 Partners: Chippewa County Road Commission: Project Manager Eastern Upper Peninsula Planning and Regional Development Commission: Communication Lake Superior State University: Ecological Monitoring Michigan DEQ: Member of project management team, AOC coordination Buffalo River AOC: $6.27 million Projects: RiverBend Phase II – Restoration River Fest Park – Design and Restoration Blue Tower Turning Basin – Design and Restoration Riverbend Phase I – Post restoration management Old Bailey Woods – Design and Restoration NYSDEC Ohio Street Boat Launch – Design and Restoration Toe of Katherine Street Peninsula – Design and Restoration Buffalo Color Peninsula – Design and Restoration Status: Partners: Eight design and restoration projects will be completed through the Partnership RiverBend Phase I Phase II are largely complete with post-restoration management taking place as necessary Construction on the remaining six projects is scheduled to start in spring 2017 with substantial completion by the end of 2017 Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper: Project Manager NYSDEC: Member of project management team, AOC coordination Muskegon Lake AOC: $13.9 million Projects: Mill Debris – Restoration Veterans Park – Design and Restoration Bear Creek – Design and Restoration Lower Muskegon River Wetlands - Design Status: Four projects have been initiated through the partnership including the design of the Lower Muskegon River Wetlands project Implementation of that project is being provided under the 2016 NOAA Partnership The mill debris project is under construction and will pause for the winter Designs for Veterans Park are being amended and additional funding has been secured to complete this project in 2017 The Bear Creek project was substantially completed in 2016 with some final work to be completed in 2017 Ecological monitoring is a strong component of this work and both pre and post restoration monitoring is planned Partners: West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission: Project Manager Grand Valley State University, Annis Water Resource Institute: Ecological Monitoring Michigan DEQ: Member of project management team, AOC coordination The Commission’s 2016 regional partnership with NOAA has a funding ceiling of $40 million and will expire in July 2019 To date, over $8 million has been allocated to the Commission through the initial award with an additional $900,000 pending through amendment The following is a synopsis of the projects currently underway: Muskegon Lake AOC: $8 million Project: Lower Muskegon River Wetlands - Restoration Status: This project, to reconnect hydrology and restore river-side wetlands was funded for design in the 2013 Partnership and will be implemented in 2017 pending final designs and permits Ecological monitoring is a strong component of this work and both pre and post restoration monitoring is planned Partners: West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission: Project Manager Grand Valley State University, Annis Water Resource Institute: Ecological Monitoring Michigan DEQ: Member of project management team, AOC coordination Socio Economic Evaluation: $35,000 Project: Muskegon Lake Socio Economic Study Status: Economist Paul Isely, Grand Valley State University, will lead this study to quantify the recreation and aesthetic amenity values for Muskegon Lake This study will build upon the work done between 2009 and 2011 by the GVSU AWRI research team in association with the $10 million NOAA ARRA funded habitat restoration project Field work is scheduled to initiate in spring 2017 through fall 2017 Partners: Grand Valley State University: Socioeconomic Monitoring Regional Communications: $50,000 Project: NOAA Communication Videos Status: Issue Media Group will create targeted solutions journalism to explore the topic of AOC habitat restoration, highlighting the NOAA-Commission Regional Partnership These regional communications will showcase the impact of restoration work on the quality of communities surrounding AOCs and across the region Key messaging will include the positive impacts of habitat restoration on native ecology, local and state economies, neighborhoods and community health This project will initially focus on the impacts of Partnership projects at the Muskegon Lake and St Marys River AOCs for release in early 2017 Partners: Issue Media Group Little Rapids Restoration team Muskegon Lake Restoration team Project: Status: Partners: Regional Website for Information The webhub is being initiated in winter 2017 to assist local, state and federal AOC leaders in completing successful habitat related projects by providing planning tools, templates and best practice materials in a centralized, accessible location to promote de-listing and successful stewardship following de-listing NOAA, U.S EPA, States, AOCs