February 10, 2009

Michigan Working Waterfront Conference comes to Lansing, March 17-18

Michigan Working Waterfronts needs your input.
Come and discuss jobs, economy, natural resources, visual and recreational access to public waters, tax policy, transportation and other topics at the Michigan Working Waterfront conference scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, March 17 and 18 at the Radisson Hotel in Lansing.
 
Michigan has a competitive edge - our Great Lakes coastline.  The limited number of places we can access our public waters for things like fishing, transportation and recreation are incredibly significant places.
 
Working waterfronts allow citizens to access the Great Lakes without owning coastal property, provide jobs through tourism and shipping and add value to the heart of our coastal communities.  The Michigan Working Waterfronts conference will cover the importance of keeping those places accessible to the public, how we can better plan for sustainable points of access and what supporting working waterfronts can do for local areas as well as the state.
 
Other coastal states like Maine, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and Alabama have been dealing with similar challenges to water access and working waterfronts for several years. In fact, the  issue was so significant that 70% of the voters in the State of Florida passed a state constitutional amendment in 2008 to protect working waterfronts by continuing to do tax assessments at current value in working waterfront areas.
 
For more information on working waterfronts in Michigan, contact Mark Breederland, Michigan Sea Grant Extension Educator for the Northwest District, by phone at (231) 922-4628 or email at breederl@msu.edu

See: Tentative Agenda (PDF) | Registration Form

At a Glance…

What: Michigan Working Waterfront Conference
When: March 17-18, 2009
Where: Radisson Hotel
111 N. Grand Avenue, Lansing, MI 48933
Why: Speakers both from within Michigan as well as from out of state will discuss the host of issues confronting sustainable coasts and communities in our state. A panel of state lawmakers will tackle the policies and needs surrounding working waterfronts. Community planning, jobs and environmental stewardship will also be examined. See the agenda for more details.
Cost: $25 for early registrations before March 12; $40 after March 12. Includes two days of seminars, lunch on Tuesday and refreshments during breaks.  
Who: Anyone interested in Michigan’s coastal development is invited.

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