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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.
5 | Solutions to Sprawl (Part I)
States and communities are beginning to realize the effects of sprawl, and many are in the early stages of developing and implementing plans to curb it. The city of Portland, Oregon, is one the best examples of efficient land-use planning in the United States. In the late 1970s, Portland's government drew an invisible circle around the city limits, restricting any development beyond that line. Therefore, the city grew up instead of out, retaining both the downtown life inside of the city and the farmlands and open spaces outside of the city. Developers were prompted to use space more efficiently, and rather than leaving abandoned buildings to decay, these buildings are often cleaned up and turned, once again, into housing, office, or commercial spaces. Portland does have its share of growth-related problems, such as high rents and traffic congestion, but it's an excellent example of what a city can do to stem urban sprawl.
Protect farmers and greenfields
Without farmland there would be no food, and without greenfields, our landscape would be a never-ending chain of strip malls, big box stores, and sudivisions connected by pavement. With farmland and other greenfields rapidly disappearing, some organizations and states are beginning to fight for protection. Organizations such as the "1000 Friend" chapters (see More Information) and other grassroot efforts bring together citizens with a variety of backgrounds and interests, such as farmers, environmentalists, ruralists, and urbanists. By forming a coalition, thier concerns about land-use practices are better represented and create a stronger impact on local governments. Some state governments have also created programs to protect open spaces and farmland, such as the Growing Greener and Growing Smarter programs in Pennsylvania. The Growing Greener program will invest more than $650 million in land protection, and provide grants to organizations who have ideas on how to protect Pennsylvania's natural resources, while the Growing Smarter program encourages effective land-use planning while respecting the rights of property owners.
Revitalize your downtown
While many of the large cities around the Great Lakes region are struggling with depressed downtown areas, some cities are discovering ways to make their downtown more desirable. Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has been able to clean up some of its brownfields and entice businesses and people back to the city. The mayor, John O. Norquist, is well known for his efforts to promote urban revitalization within Milwaukee by increasing job growth, simplifying zoning laws, lowering city taxes, and creating a safer city in which to live. He also supports deconstructing a partially built highway that would cut right through an old community, and his leadership helped build a river walk along both sides of the Milwaukee River, providing public gathering places and beauty.
Graphics: Michigan Farm; Milwaukee River Walk (photo courtesy of IJC-Milwaukee)
