GLIN==> Coastal restoration generates major economic gains for Muskegon

Coastal restoration generates major economic gains 

for Muskegon

 

$66 million in economic benefits over ten years—a 6-to-1 return on
investment—and nearly 65,000 new visitors annually

 

Contacts:

Matt Doss, Great Lakes Commission, 734-971-9135; Cell: 734-474-1985    

Kathy Evans, West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission

231-722-7878, ext. 17; Cell: 231-903-7224

 

A large-scale coastal restoration project on Muskegon Lake, located in West
Michigan on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, will generate more than $66
million in economic benefits (a 6-to-1 return on investment) over ten years
and attract nearly 65,000 new visitors annually according to a detailed
economic analysis presented today in a briefing to local officials. With $10
million from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Muskegon Lake Habitat
Restoration Project is removing 180,000 tons of unnatural fill from the lake
bottom and rehabilitating nearly a mile of shoreline. The project will
create habitat for valuable fish and wildlife resources and improved
recreational opportunities for local residents and tourists. Building on
more than two decades of cleanup efforts, the project marks a transition
from “remediation” to “restoration” for the degraded lake and brings it
closer to being removed from the list of Great Lakes “toxic hotspots.”

 

Proponents of habitat restoration have long cited the relationship between
environmental quality and economic well-being. New results from the study,
conducted by Grand Valley State University (GVSU), reaffirm this
relationship, showing that the coastal restoration project will generate
greater economic gains than anticipated, including rising property values
and increased recreational uses.

 

The $10 million project is restoring multiple sites along the south shore of
Muskegon Lake and is led by the Great Lakes Commission and the West Michigan
Shoreline Regional Development Commission. It builds on more than two
decades of cleanup work on former industrial areas along Muskegon Lake,
including large-scale removals of toxic sediments funded by U.S. EPA and the
State of Michigan. 

                                                

Conducted by Dr. Paul Isely, chair of GVSU’s Economics Department, the study
quantified the economic benefits that will result from the coastal
restoration project. Using well established methods and rigorous 

 

reviews from outside experts, the study found that the project will generate
a $12 million increase in property values and up to $600,000 in new tax
revenues annually. It also will result in an annual increase of more than $1
million in new recreational spending and nearly 65,000 new visitors to
Muskegon Lake annually. In the long term, the project is expected to result
in an overall economic benefit to Muskegon of $66 million – yielding more
than a 6-to-1 return on investment.

 

According to Dr. Isely, “we used a variety of widely accepted methods to
evaluate the economic benefits associated with habitat restoration and the
results have been reviewed by other leading economists. The results are
clear and we are excited to know that this restoration project will have a
significant beneficial economic impact on the community.”

 

Speaking at the briefing, Congressman Bill Huizenga, stated that “this
restoration will bring a valuable boost to the community and local economy
by inviting more resident and tourist recreation to the southern shores of
Muskegon Lake, and ensuring we have a strong legacy of fish and wildlife
resources that will keep people coming back.”

 

Coastal restoration efforts in Muskegon reflect a broader, regional strategy
to create jobs and stimulate economic development in waterfront communities.
“This project showcases the immense economic potential of the Great Lakes
for Michigan’s coastal communities,” said Patricia Birkholz, Director of
Michigan’s Office of the Great Lakes. “Cleaning up degraded areas along the
Great Lakes isn’t just about correcting mistakes of the past. It is also an
investment that will build a better future for Michigan,” Birkholz added.

 

Kathy Evans, environmental planner for the West Michigan Shoreline Regional
Development Commission and the manager of the restoration project,
emphasized that “we are increasing fish and wildlife habitat on Muskegon
Lake and creating an environmental and economic benefit for the community.”

 

The restoration project builds on nearly 25 years of work by federal, state
and local agencies, in cooperation with landowners, businesses and community
groups, to restore environmental quality in Muskegon Lake. The lake was
designated an Area of Concern in 1987 under the Great Lakes Water Quality
Agreement due to historic filling of open water, wetlands and pollution
discharges that contaminated the lake bottom. 

 

Restoration efforts on Muskegon Lake and other degraded areas along the
Great Lakes are being expedited under the Great Lakes Restoration
Initiative, a five-year, $2.2 billion program begun in 2009 that is
supporting implementation of a comprehensive restoration strategy for the
Great Lakes. In its first year alone, the Initiative is providing over $100
million for more than 175 Great Lakes restoration projects in Michigan.

 

 

# # #

 

 

The Great Lakes Commission, chaired by James Tierney, assistant commissioner
for water resources at the New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation, is an interstate compact agency established under state and
U.S. federal law and dedicated to promoting a strong economy, healthy
environment and high quality of life for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region
and its residents. The Commission consists of governors' appointees, state
legislators, and agency officials from its eight member states. Associate
membership for Ontario and Québec was established through the signing of a
"Declaration of Partnership." The Commission maintains a formal Observer
program involving U.S. and Canadian federal agencies, tribal authorities,
binational agencies and other regional interests. The Commission offices are
located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Learn more at www.glc.org. 

 

The West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission is a federal-
and state-designated regional planning and development agency serving 120
local governments in Lake, Mason, Muskegon, Newaygo, and Oceana counties.
WMSRDC operates programs in economic development, transportation, homeland
security, environmental planning, community development, information &
communications, and others. Learn more at http://www.wmsrdc.org/.

 

 

 

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