| “The Great Lakes are more than a phenomenal natural resource. From the time of settlement, the lakes were key elements of the development of Michigan’s economy, and they can be engines of our recovery.” — Donald Scavia, Michigan Sea Grant Director |
Contact Lynn Vaccaro |
New Reports Reveal Great Lakes’ Influence on Michigan Jobs, Economy An estimated 806,000 jobs in Michigan—representing 23 percent of the State’s payroll—are connected in some way to the Great Lakes, according to a new report produced by Michigan Sea Grant. In Michigan’s Great Lakes Jobs, the authors tallied the total number of jobs in industries that rely directly on the lakes, such as recreation, tourism, transportation, and municipal water utilities. Also included are industries that benefit from their proximity to the lakes, such as coastal agriculture in areas with lake-moderated climates, power plants that use Great Lakes water for cooling, and manufacturing sectors that benefit from efficient shipping transportation. “The Great Lakes are more than a phenomenal natural resource,” said Michigan Sea Grant Director Donald Scavia, who co-authored the report. “From the time of settlement, the lakes were key elements of the development of Michigan’s economy, and they can be engines of our recovery.” In compiling the Sea Grant report, the authors used publicly available datasets from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Tourism Industry of America, and Census Bureau’s Geographic Area Analysis. The sources will allow Michigan Sea Grant to track state-specific occupation data annually, and the methodology can be replicated in other Great Lakes states. A second report produced by Michigan Sea Grant, Michigan’s Economic Vitality: The Benefits of Restoring the Great Lakes, concludes that recommended federal investments to restore the Great Lakes will yield tangible benefits to Michigan in the range of $7 to $13 billion. The state-specific benefits are based on previous work conducted by the Brookings Institution, which calculated the region-wide economic benefits of implementing the restoration plan outlined in the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy to Restore and Protect the Great Lakes. The estimated economic benefits to Michigan are connected to increased tourism, fishing, and recreation, as well as reduced costs to municipalities, and increased coastal property values in Areas of Concern. The Michigan Sea Grant reports are available online. See: Reports Michigan Great Lakes Plan Data from both Michigan Sea Grant reports is highlighted in the MI-Great Lakes Plan, released in January 2009 by Lt. Governor John D. Cherry, Jr. and Michigan’s Office of the Great Lakes. The MI-Great Lakes Plan is a blueprint for the protection and restoration of the Great Lakes and Michigan’s waterways and includes specific recommendations for federal investments totaling more than $3 billion annually. “Protecting and restoring Michigan waterways is essential to our economic transformation,” said Cherry. “By investing in the Great Lakes, we will sustain and improve our quality of life, make Michigan more attractive to talented workers and new businesses, and create jobs.” As outlined in the MI-Great Lakes Plan, the state will seek federal investments that include:
The Michigan Office of the Great Lakes facilitated the development of the MI-Great Lakes Plan in collaboration with businesses and advocacy groups such as the Michigan United Conservation Clubs and the Healing Our Waters Coalition, as well as tribal representatives and more than 2,000 individuals who participated in reviewing and commenting on the plan at more than 20 public meetings. Participants in the process will continue to be involved through the formation of implementation teams that will work to put the recommendations into action. “The MI-Great Lakes Plan is built from the ground-up based on the experiences, challenges and needs of communities across Michigan,” said Ken DeBeaussaert, director of the Michigan Office of the Great Lakes. “The recommendations in the plan reflect approaches that have already succeeded in creating jobs and improving water quality and apply those approaches to meeting the challenge of long-term sustainability of our waterways and economic recovery.” “Michigan’s economic recovery and our future prosperity depend on protecting our waterways,” said Cherry. “We have a president-elect from the Great Lakes region who understands Great Lakes’ issues and has made specific budgetary commitments. That provides us with a tremendous opportunity to jumpstart our recovery by investing in Michigan’s blue water economy.” To read the MI-Great Lakes Plan visit: DEQ Great Lakes website |