Cooperative Agreement for Coastal Management in Great Lakes National Parks

Description

This Agreement serves to engage the Recipient, partners, communities, and park visitors in shared environmental stewardship, and to ensure that NPS and Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) are maximizing collaborative potential with respect to management of coastal resources in and near Great Lakes national park units. Additionally, the proposed agreement facilitates innovative monitoring and adaptive management activities at Good Harbor Reef; results will be circulated widely to the Great Lakes scientists and managers. Finally, the Agreement promotes public understanding of Great Lakes coastal waters and parks. Project activities are integrated into a larger NPS monitoring and outreach effort addressing coastal waters, and will be closely communicated with NPS interpretive staff and the public through on-site NPS interpretive programs, distance learning programs, and social media posts by NPS and local outreach partners. Via this Agreement, the MDNR and NPS will jointly identify coastal issues of mutual interest, and, where appropriate, develop plans to address them through collaborative projects. Initial efforts will focus on the issue of Lake Michigan ecosystem changes, species invasions, and adaptive management at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore – in particular, understanding fish habitat requirements and use on Good Harbor Reef.

Agency Contact

More from National Park Service