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)

• Agenda (Updated 10/29/07)
• Registration Form
• Map and Directions

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.

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.