The Lake Huron Forever Initiative, supported by several CMF members, has announced awards to four community projects in Michigan aimed at protecting and enhancing the water quality of Lake Huron.

The initiative, supported by CMF members the Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan, Bay Area Community Foundation (BACF), the Dow Chemical Company, Consumers Energy Foundation and the Great Lakes Protection Fund (GLPF), aims to support community conversation and collaboration in the design and implementation of on-the-ground work to strengthen the health and well-being of residents, as well as natural resources. 

The funds will support several of the communities that CMF members serve, including:

• City of Bay City, Destination Middlegrounds Renaturalization: Funding will support an ongoing shoreline restoration effort on Middlegrounds Island in the Saginaw River. The project will replace high-maintenance turf grass with a wildflower meadow, improving benefits to wildlife while capturing and filtering stormwater runoff in partnership with Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy.
• Northeast Michigan, Northeast Michigan Great Lakes Stewardship: The proposal will engage 15 northeast Michigan educators in professional development centered on green stormwater infrastructure, its relationship to water quality and its role in climate change mitigation.
• Harrisville, Alcona Community Schools: Funding will support a student-led effort to install at least one rain garden at Harrisville Harbor to benefit water quality. Also proposed are events to collect trash, remove invasive plants and install native species to beautify and enhance the public harbor.
• Rogers City, Michigan State University Extension: Funding will support the purchase of rain barrels, educational signage and rain garden planting at Sunrise Side Community Garden.

According to a BACF press release, funding for the Michigan projects is made possible by CMF member the Consumers Energy Foundation and its Planet Award program.

“The combination of these projects represents a region-wide commitment to the protection of Lake Huron,” Diane Mahoney, president and CEO of BACF said. “I’m particularly excited about the award for Bay City because it directly supports the efforts of a Lake Huron Forever Community and their commitment to water quality.”

Bay City became a Lake Huron Forever Community in November when the city commission pledged to protect the water quality of Lake Huron by curbing stormwater runoff, planting trees and improving natural areas while inspiring community members to take action.

“The initiative strives to engage communities and activate collaborations with the goal of sustaining Lake Huron. It can be tailored to support on-the-ground solutions to stormwater management and we’re seeing that in the projects which were awarded funding. It’s great to see the momentum that’s building up and down the Northern Michigan coast,” Patrick Heraghty, executive director of CFNEM said.

Want more?

Read the full press release.