| Photos: Martin Buedel, LaPorte |
A 2007 study completed by the Great Lakes Commission reports direct and secondary impacts from boating to the Michigan economy to include $2.4 million in annual sales and over 34,000 jobs for a total value added of $975 million. Further, without adequate access to many of these small harbors, the loss of property values and subsequent loss in tax revenues would be devastating to the local economies and far surpass the spending needed to keep them viable. |
| To see which coastal communities have supported the effort thus far, visit the Michigan Sea Grant website to check out a new interactive Google map feature. See: Coalition Members Map |
Contact Jennifer Read Ph.D. |
Working for Michigan’s Small Harbors By Stephanie Ariganello The Michigan Small Harbors Coalition continued to gain momentum throughout 2008 and is off to a strong start in 2009, working to bring awareness and funding to smaller harbors throughout the state. In less than a year, the coalition – part of a Michigan Sea Grant initiative – has brought together the state’s coastal communities and organizations, representing over 1.4 million people in Michigan. The statewide coalition is a group representing small harbors where dredging and harbor maintenance issues are a persistent problem. A small harbor is one that is federally authorized, generally shallow (14-18 feet of depth or less) and is used more for recreational purposes rather than commercial. Commercial and deeper harbors are also part of the group and have offered support. The key to the equation is federal funding. In order to secure funding for harbor maintenance and to dredge critical access channels, small harbors must rely on their congressional representatives to add specific earmarks to federal bills for the necessary resources. Currently, due to administration priorities federal funds appropriated for Great Lakes harbor maintenance are prioritized for the large, deep-draft commercial ports, like Detroit, Duluth or Toledo. Getting the federal funds is somewhat of a battle. Each port has to be individually identified during both the House and Senate appropriations committee meetings and subsequently defended during follow-up committee meetings. Most recently the coalition met in January near Mount Pleasant. One of the goals of the coalition is to establish dedicated funding to maintain Michigan’s navigation channels and infrastructure requirements annually. According to Jennifer Read, a member of the Small Harbors Coalition technical support team and assistant director of Michigan Sea Grant, the group has made headway. More than 60 coastal communities and advocate organizations have passed resolutions supporting the coalition. On a larger scale, there’s a federal appropriations bill currently being considered that would allocate $5 million to Michigan harbor maintenance this fiscal year. During the January meeting, organizers updated plans to pursue short-term and long-term strategies to better plead the case of dredging needs for small harbors to federal agencies and legislators and to ultimately seek legislative change through the Water Resource Development Act of 2009 to provide an ongoing, sustainable source of funding for shallow draft harbor maintenance. Chair Pro Tem of the Coalition Chuck May recently went to Washington D.C. to continue the buzz. He said lawmakers have been receptive to the coalition’s mission, and a letter of support for specific legislation has been making its way through the Senate. “Are we making progress? Absolutely,” said May. “Do we have a game plan? Absolutely. The question now is how long is it going to take for the actions to bear fruit? I believe it can happen a lot faster than others do.” The Michigan coalition has also been discussing the possibility of forming a regional group with other Great Lakes states to increase their legislative power, but discussions are tentative. An important element of the coalition’s drive is to develop and grow an ongoing recognition of the economic impact Michigan’s small harbors contribute to the state, and the safety issues that maintenance – or lack thereof – can cause. The recently released Michigan Great Lakes Plan concluded that first class harbors and marinas generate $2 billion annually from the recreational boating industry. “There is an economic impact for the whole state for sure,” said Read. “Michigan’s economy is increasingly dependent on tourism. These small harbors generate a lot of economic benefit from not only recreational boaters, but also charter fishing operations and even ferries.” Along with economic impacts, though, safety remains a top priority for the group. In 2006 when three people boating out of the Upper Peninsula’s Grand Marais died when they could not be reached for a rescue because of a silted in harbor. A year later, a sailboat seeking refuge during the Chicago to Mackinac Race grounded in a shallow harbor in Northwest Michigan. The incident created a potentially dangerous situation and resulted in the total loss of the boat – possibly damaging the Michigan boating industry’s reputation along with it. “This coalition has been a unifying force,” said May. “We need to work together on this; it’s critical for our harbors.” The next meeting of the coalition is scheduled for May 12. See: Website |