Getting the Message Out on Great Lakes
Restoration:
Communicating with Local
Communities on Restoring
Michigan’s
Great Lakes Areas of Concern
Friday, November 9, 2007
Michillinda Lodge
Whitehall, Michigan (15 miles north of Muskegon)
Updated agenda and registration form available online at http://glc.org/spac/workshop-fall07.html
Workshop Overview
This one-day workshop will review how progress in restoring Michigan’s
Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOC) is being communicated to the public, elected
officials, and other audiences. Scientists, journalists, agency staff and
AOC leaders will discuss how information has been conveyed to local communities
and suggest ways to better inform and engage the public on Great Lakes
restoration efforts. Experts will provide training on “messaging” Great
Lakes restoration and developing effective public participation programs for
watershed management.
Keynote Speaker
The keynote speaker will be Soren Anderson, coauthor of an
important new report from the Brookings Institution entitled Healthy Waters, Strong Economy: The
Benefits of Restoring the Great Lakes Ecosystem. Through rigorous analysis, this landmark study has projected
the economic benefits from implementing the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration
Strategy to Restore and Protect the Great Lakes.
Who Should
Attend
The
workshop is intended for local residents, elected officials, agency staff and
others involved in restoring environmental quality in Michigan’s Great Lakes
Areas of Concern. The workshop will also benefit watershed managers and
others involved in environmental restoration efforts in their
communities.
Workshop Location and
Lodging
The
workshop will be held at the Michillinda Lodge, located just south of White Lake
and approximately 15 miles north of Muskegon (www.michillindalodge.com). Originally a
turn-of-the- century country
estate, the lodge is situated on a wooded bluff overlooking Lake Michigan.
Lodging is available for participants who wish to arrive the night before the
workshop; the cost is $75 for a single room or $100 for a double. Contact
the Michillinda Lodge at 231-893-1895 to reserve a room.
Registration
The workshop fee is $25 and
includes lunch, breaks and all workshop materials. The registration form
is posted above. The registration deadline is Monday,
Nov. 5.
The registration form is available online at http://glc.org/spac/workshop-fall07.html
Workshop
Sponsors
The
workshop is sponsored by the Statewide Public Advisory Council for Michigan’s
Great Lakes Areas of Concern Program, U.S. EPA’s Great Lakes National Program
Office, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Great Lakes Commission,
the White Lake and Muskegon Lake Public Advisory Councils, and the West Michigan
Shoreline Regional Development Commission.
Contacts
For more information on the
workshop, or to request the agenda and registration materials, contact Matt
Doss, Great Lakes Commission, 734-971-9135, mdoss@glc.org.