Transcript Eastern U.P. Regional Planning & Development Commission

for
Lake Superior and the St. Mary’s River
Kick-Off Meeting
December 3, 2014
Made possible through a Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
Coastal Zone Management Grant with local support from our project
partners.
Presentation Overview
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Welcome & Introductions
Who we are
Water Trails Definition and Review
Community Benefits
Project Overview
Project Scope
Project Schedule
Project Partners Roles and Responsibilities
Project Outcomes
ExploreM123.com
 Video Clip
Welcome & Introductions
 Ellen Benoit, Assistant Director
EUP Regional Planning & Development Commission
 Wendy Hoffman, Transportation Planner
Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians
 Ruth O’Gawa, President
Lake Superior Watershed Conservancy
About the EUP Regional Planning & Development
Commission
 Created by legislation in 1968 (Public Act 281 of 1945)
 One of 14 State designated Planning & Development Regions in Michigan
 Governed by a 19 member board
 Planning expertise located in one place and applied to the needs of large and
small scale units of government
 Serves village, city, township and county governments as they plan for the
future
 Implement state and federal initiatives
 Federally designated Economic Development District (EDD)
 State recognized Rural Transportation Planning Organization
 Located in Sault Ste. Marie, MI
Programs and Services
Region is primarily grant/contract funded, through State, Federal and
Local programs and projects.
Economic Development Planning
Community and Recreation Planning
Transportation Planning
GIS/Mapping – Data Collection/Analysis, trails, transportation networks,
map creation, GIS/GPS technical assistance and more!
Solid Waste & Recycling
Planning
Grant Writing
State Data Center
MI Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs
Mini-Grant Program Administration
Recreation plans (required by
DNR to obtain Trust Fund grants)
About the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians
Anishinaabeg (Original People)
Sault Tribe’s ancestors were Anishinaabeg fishing tribes
whose settlements dotted the upper Great Lakes around
Lake Superior, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron,
throughout the St. Marys River system and the Straits of
Mackinac. Anishinaabeg gathered for the summers in
places like Bahweting (Sault Ste. Marie) and broke up
into family units for the winter.
Blueways and water trails are growing in popularity and becoming
valued for their recreational, educational and economic potential.
What Are Water Trails?
Water trail/Blueways are marked routes along rivers, lakes, and
coastlines for boating including: signs and route markers; maps and
promotion of water routes; facilities for parking, boat ramps or docks,
and places to camp and picnic. Water trails are primarily designed for
small watercraft such as canoes, sea and whitewater kayaks, rafts and
drift boats.
Heritage water trails are routes on navigable waterways designed and
implemented to foster an interactive historical education experience.
Benefits
 Economic Benefits - non-motorized boating has grown in popularity in recent
years in the state of Michigan. This increase in participation translates into
financial benefits for communities that provide access to water trails. Water trails as
a recreation destination provide rural communities with income to local boat
liveries and outfitters, motels and bed and breakfasts, restaurants, grocery stores,
gas stations and shops.
 Recreational Value and Health Benefits -The recreational value of water trails
are often their foremost attraction. In addition to the entertainment values of
recreation, there is a significant health and fitness benefit as paddling involves
exercise. This health benefit accrues to the individual, and, in the form of reduced
health-care costs, to society as well.
 Conservation/Stewardship Benefits - Water trail activities can support the
conservation of the aquatic and shore land ecosystems. Trail builders and activists
are a respected constituency who advocate for resource protection, and participate
in resource restoration. By promoting minimum-impact practices, water trails
embrace the "Leave No Trace" code of outdoor ethics that promote the responsible
use and enjoyment of the outdoors.
 Educational Benefits - Water trail organizations use comprehensive trail guides,
signage, public outreach, and informative classes to encourage awareness of the
natural, cultural, and historical attributes of the trail.
With this Water Trails Project we have the opportunity to…
• Share our knowledge of our natural resources , history and what’s unique to
our area.
• Create a sense of place to draw tourism, boost economic growth and creating
a safe way to locate and travel our waterways.
History of Water
Trails in Michigan
 State initiative to develop a state wide system of trails
including water trails
 EUPRP&DC Regional Trails Initiatives
 2011 Lake Huron Public Access Inventory –
huronrec.com
 2012 Lake Michigan Public Access Inventory –
michiganwatertrails.com
Goals & Objectives
 We propose a series of interrelated tasks toward the
completion of a contiguous Water Trail and geographic
database for the Lake Superior shoreline from Grand
Marais to Sault Ste. Marie and the St. Mary’s River
shoreline from Sault Ste. Marie to DeTour Village.
 Phase I
 Initiate partnerships to gather local information
 Inventory ingress/egress sites to incorporate into GIS
 Phase II
 Assess and evaluate sites
 Develop universal language to incorporate into local
recreation plans
 Develop “best practices” standards
 Phase III
 Develop and maintain website
 Phase IV
 Sustainability, conservation and implementation
Project Scope
 Lake Superior Shoreline – Grand Marais to Sault Ste.
Marie
 St. Mary’s River – from Sault Ste. Marie to DeTour
Village
Tasks and Timeline
TASK
1. Reach out to partners/stakeholders
2. Quarter 1 Kickoff Meetings: DeTour, Bruce Twp.,
Sault Ste. Marie, Paradise, Luce Co.
3. Gather and develop list of sites to
inventory/information to gather/potential water trails
4. Identify Best Practices Available Locally (National
Water Trail Designation Criteria).
5 Develop Standardized Language for the Water
Trails as well as Specific Recommendations for
County and/or Jurisdictional Recreation Plans
6. Start collecting historical/cultural
stories/inventory/ Local meetings
7. GIS Maps/Product development/Website
development
8. Data verification/revisions
9. Promotion/Products produced/distributed/Final
Meeting
Oct. - Dec, 2014
Jan.-Mar, 2015
Apr.-June, 2015
July-Sept., 2015
Oct.-Dec, 2015
Project Partners
Roles & Responsibilities
 Identify/Verify/Assessment local access points
 Historical/Cultural Information and Stories
 Safety/Environmental/Sensitive Areas Concerns
 Local planning committees set up to advise on website
information and sustainability, promotional brochure,
branding
 Identification of local nearby attractions to include –
hiking trails, museums, shopping, lodging, eating, etc.
Project Outcomes
 GIS Database on water access sites
 Interactive Web-site
 Sample language to use in local recreation plans
 Development of “Best Practice” Standards
 A basis for future planning and recreation
development
Conclusion
 Sign In Sheet/Contact Information
 EUPRP&DC Website address:
eup-planning.org
Contact information
Ellen Benoit – [email protected]
(906) 635-1581
Wendy Hoffman – [email protected]
(906) 635-6050
Thank you.