GLC-Board-NOAA-Habitat-Abstract-for-the-Board-20170106-FINAL

To: GLC Board of DirectorsFrom: 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

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

Memorandum

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Ensuring environmental and

economic prosperity for the Great

Lakes-St Lawrence region

through communications, policy

research and development, and

advocacy.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

CHAIR

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

1

Dan Schmidt

Policy Director Office of the Governor

Indianapolis, Indiana

1

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

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

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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-glc-partnership-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: 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

Partners: 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 1 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

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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: Regional Website for Information

Status: 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

Partners: NOAA, U.S EPA, States, AOCs