As heard on Friday. Aug. 26, 2011, on Delta College Q-90.1 FM …

1.

If you’re unemployed, you may be able to get a job cleaning up the Great Lakes.

The federally funded Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is setting aside about $6 million for federal agencies that propose restoration work in federally-protected areas, on tribal lands and in Areas of Concern in the Great Lakes basin.

A key requirement for projects is that they must put at least 20 unemployed people to work, according to EPA officials.

The Saginaw River and Bay is a Great Lakes Area of Concern.

Funded projects must be aimed at advancing the goals and objectives of the initiative. That is, they must provide immediate, direct ecological benefits; be located in areas identified as federal priorities such as national lakeshores or Areas of Concern; include a detailed budget, and produce measurable results, according to EPA.

The agency plans to award funding for selected projects by the end of September. EPA will fund individual projects up to $1 million.

For more information, see www.glri.us.

2.

Speaking of Saginaw Bay, a public meeting is planned for Thursday, Sept. 1, on the Saginaw Bay Coastal Initiative.

The SBCI, as it’s called, was started by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality a number of years ago, partially in response to complaints about shoreline muck. The meeting is from 1-3 p.m. on Sept. 1 at the Pere Marquette Depot at 100 Adams St. in downtown Bay City.

On the agenda are appearances by U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow and David White, chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

They are due to speak on ‘Agriculture, Conservation and Great Lakes.’

Bay County officials are encouraging interested residents to attend the Sept. 1 meeting and express their support for bay improvements.

Local government officials involved with SBCI have been coordinating with interested people, businesses and other organizations in Arenac, Bay, Huron, Iosco, Midland, Saginaw and Tuscola counties to advocate for Saginaw Bay and inform state and federal agencies on needs, priorities, and concerns for the region.

– Photo via vespar avenue.
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