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Strategic plan targets invasive species
The Superior Daily Telegram (11/17)
Douglas County’s Land Conservation Committee is forwarding a plan to the county board that takes aim at invasive species.
Mich. Clean Marina Program: Public-private partners work together to improve water quality
Grand Rapids Environmental News Examiner (11/9)
Partners from the public and private sector in Michigan are working together in a voluntary program to improve the quality of the Great Lakes.
Researchers seek funding for wind test site in Lake Michigan
Grand Rapids Environmental News Examiner (11/7)
In a recent article in The Muskegon Chronicle, it was reported that researchers at Grand Valley State University’s Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center (MAREC) cited a lack of year-around data (on wind platform testing) needed by prospective development companies.
COMMENTARY: Senate needs to pass clean energy act to help Michigan
The Grand Rapids Press (10/26)
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was absolutely correct with his recent proclamation about the current condition of the Great Lakes State: "The State of Michigan," Reid declared from the Senate Floor, with a copy Time Magazine in his hand, "is in trouble."
First Nation women 'walk the environmental talk'
WeNews (10/23)
Tomorrow's global day of climate activism aims for media and political attention. First Nation women have another way. Since 2003, they've walked the shoreline of a Great Lake or major river, meditating on the needs of an unborn generation.
City making big push for water school
The Business Journal (10/23)
The push is on to convince the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee that the best location for its new School of Freshwater Sciences is near the university’s existing Great Lakes Water Institute on East Greenfield Avenue.
What's going on in your neighborhood this month? Meet other people and learn together at recreational and educational events! Our new dynamic calendar is updated daily with current educational events.
3 | Bridge trivia
How much steel wire was used? The total length of steel wire spun together to form the two main cables is 42,000 miles -- enough to circle the globe one and one-half times!
Did anyone die during the construction? Five men lost their lives during the bridge construction: one fell from a tower, one diver surfaced too quickly and did not recover, and 3 iron workers fell from a catwalk collapse.
When was the bridge opened to the public? Opening day for the Mackinac Bridge was Nov. 1, 1957, although the official grand opening celebration was postponed until June 26-28, 1958, because the organizers anticipated poor weather in late November. Ironically, the June celebration was marred by fog and rain anyway. View the 3¢ U.S. postage stamp, issued June 25, 1958, to mark the dedication of the bridge.
Do you have to pay to cross the bridge? To offset operating costs, fares are collected for crossing the Mackinac Bridge. The current fare for a passenger car is $2.50 (U.S.) for a one-way crossing.
What's a Timmy? Some people to this day are afraid to drive across the Mackinac Bridge, typically because of a fear of heights. Their timidness has earned them the nickname "timmies" by the fare collectors and Bridge Authority. In extreme circumstances, "timmies" will be chauffered across the bridge by bridge personnel or the local authorities.
Isn't the Golden Gate longer than the Mighty Mac? 
Although the center span of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Calif., is longer then the Mackinac Bridge, from foundation pier to foundation pier, it is 2,164 feet shorter than the "Mighty Mac." The total length of the suspended portion of the Mackinac Bridge is 8,614 feet; the same length on the Golden Gate Bridge measures 6,450 feet.
How long will the bridge last? Now more than 40 years old, the Mackinac Bridge has withstood some incredible winds and severe snow and rain storms and has shown little sign of weakness. The original bridge architects and designers say that, if properly maintained, the bridge will probably last for 1,000 years! The bridge is currently being totally stripped and repainted, an $80-million project that will take more than 20 years to complete! A total resurfacing of the bridge roadway will be a $189 million project, expected to begin around 2016.
Read more:
Mackinac Bridge Authority to create park in viewing area, MDOT News (4/26/01)
By 2017, Mackinac Bridge to have new paint, Detroit Free Press (8/11/99)
Graphics: The view underneath the Mackinac Bridge (looking north), courtesy Christine Manninen; comparison of the world's greatest suspension bridges, courtesy "Picture Story of the Mackinac Bridge," 1978 Voyager Press.
