Announcement & Registration
Information
Aquatic Invasive Species/Lake Michigan Monitoring
Workshops
June 7-10, 2004
Grand Valley State University
Annis
Water Resources Institute - Lake Michigan Center
Muskegon,
Michigan
We are pleased to invite you to participate in a series of workshops and meetings focusing on aquatic invasive species (AIS) issues in the Great Lakes region and coordinated monitoring opportunities in the Lake Michigan basin. It should be noted that although these workshops are being held as separate events, they are interrelated given the common interest in AIS monitoring. The events will be held June 7-10, 2004 in Muskegon, Michigan, coinciding with the state of Michigan’s Aquatic Invasive Species Awareness Week. Below you will find information about each event. A registration form for all events is attached. Agendas for each event will be available online at www.glc.org in the coming weeks.
Monday, June 7, 2004
Workshop: Rapid Response for Great Lakes Aquatic Invasions: A
Species-Specific Case Study
The second workshop
for the project A Rapid Response Plan for Great Lakes Aquatic Invasions,
focuses on a species-specific case study on hydrilla (Hydrilla
verticillata). The project, funded by the U.S. EPA’s Great Lakes National
Program Office (GLNPO), is in the process of developing a model rapid response
plan for Great Lakes aquatic invasions. The primary objective of the second
project workshop is to apply the model rapid response plan to a species-specific
case study on hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata). Although this aquatic
invasive species has not yet been detected in the Great Lakes system, it is
considered a high risk species with the potential to invade, causing significant
ecological damages, as evidenced by invasions in other regions. The case study
will examine the components of the model rapid response plan to determine where
the plan is effective in addressing the potential invasion of hydrilla and areas
in need of refinement and/or further development. A secondary objective of the
workshop is to explore how rapid response planning should be modified for
different jurisdictional scenarios in the event of hydrilla
infestations.
Tuesday, June 8, 2004
Workshop: AIS
Early Detection and Monitoring: A Pilot Project for the Lake Michigan
Basin
The project AIS Early Detection and
Monitoring: A Pilot Project for the Lake Michigan Basin, also funded by U.S.
EPA GLNPO, will produce a set of guidelines and recommendations for developing
an invasive species monitoring network for the Lake Michigan basin. As part of
the project, a survey was sent out to Lake Michigan monitoring programs to
assess their respective interest, ability to contribute, and applicability to
invasive species monitoring. Based on survey results and analysis, a draft set
of guidelines and recommendations have been produced. The purpose of the
workshop will be to review survey results and provide input and further
development on the draft guidelines and recommendations for an AIS early
detection and monitoring network in the Lake Michigan basin. Topics for the
workshop include active AIS monitoring perspectives, passive AIS monitoring
perspectives, the role of volunteer monitoring, communication and reporting
protocols, and monitoring gaps.
Wednesday, June 9, 2004
Spring 2004
Meeting of the Lake Michigan Monitoring Coordination
Council
The Commission continues to provide
organizational support to the Lake Michigan Monitoring Coordination Council
(LMMCC), formed in 1999 by various federal, state and local agencies to foster
cooperation and coordination among groups involved in ecosystem monitoring
activities in the Lake Michigan basin. The Council hosts workgroups that focus
on ten issue-based monitoring networks covering the range of monitoring in the
Lake Michigan basin. These monitoring networks include tributaries, wetlands,
aquatic nuisance species and wildlife, among others. Each group is working to
establish strategies to better coordinate data collection, sharing and
reporting. This meeting of the Council will provide updates on recent
monitoring-related activities in the Lake Michigan basin and provide topical
presentations and information on coordinated monitoring initiatives being
planned for the near future. While the focus this year is on tributary and AIS
monitoring initiatives, future efforts will continue work toward the development
of common monitoring standards and a coordinated monitoring framework for the
Lake Michigan basin.
Thursday, June 10, 2004
Lake Michigan
Tributary Monitoring Workshop
This workshop,
hosted by the LMMCC Tributaries Workgroup, will aim to solidify details for a
synoptic monitoring event for Lake Michigan tributaries in the 2005 sampling
year. Through the workgroup, the Commission is coordinating four state agencies
and several federal agencies to combine monitoring efforts and supplement them
with additional monitoring to update pollutant load estimates to Lake Michigan
from major tributaries. Details of this synoptic monitoring event will emerge
over the course of this year, with monitoring commencing in spring 2005.
Registration and Additional Information
Please complete and return the attached registration form and return it
by Friday, May 21, 2004. For additional information please contact Kevin Walters
(kwalters@glc.org) or John Hummer
(jhummer@glc.org). Both can be reached
by phone at 734-971-9135.
Receptions and Other Activities
Receptions will follow the Rapid Response workshop (June 7) and the
meeting of the Lake Michigan Monitoring Coordination Council (June 9) at local
restaurants. A tour of the Annis Water Resources Institute Lake Michigan Center
and the W.G. Jackson research/education vessel will follow the AIS Early
Detection and Monitoring workshop on June 8. All participants are invited to
attend the receptions and tour.
Directions and Transportation
A map
with directions to the Lake Michigan Center in Muskegon is available at
www.gvsu.edu/wri/about/directions.htm. For those traveling from Wisconsin, there
are now two ferries that cross Lake
Michigan:
S.S. Badger from
Manitowoc, WI to Ludington, MI. See: www.ssbadger.com/home.asp
Lake Express
from Milwaukee, WI to Muskegon, MI. See: www.lake-express.com/
For those taking the Lake Express ferry or flying
into Muskegon and needing local transportation, a free shuttle is available to
the Holiday Inn Muskegon Harbor – call 231-720-7100. A taxi service is also
available – Yellow Cab – call 231-739-7161. Rental cars will also be available
at the Lake Express dock through Thrifty Car Rental at
414-483-5870.
Logistics/Hotel Accommodations
The workshops and meetings will be held
at Grand Valley State University’s Lake Michigan Center in Muskegon, Michigan
(http://www.gvsu.edu/wri/). Hotel accommodations are available across the street
at the Holiday Inn Muskegon Harbor (http://www.holidayinnmuskegon.com/). Rooms
are available to participants at the discounted rate of $79 (plus tax) per
night. To ensure this special pricing and room availability you should make your
reservations by May 17, 2004. Reservations can be made by contacting the
Holiday Inn at 231-720-7100. Be sure to ask for the Great Lakes Commission
rate.
workshop-announce_5-7-04_Final.pdf
Reg-Form-wksp_5-7-04_Final.pdf