resources

Beginning January 2010, Wisconsin's local and regional governments must base decisions that affect zoning, official mapping, and subdivision regulations on an adopted comprehensive plan [s.66.1001 Wisconsin Statutes]. As a result, an increasing number of communities are adopting new plans or updating existing plans to be consistent with the new laws. The Great Lakes Coastal Community Planning site is meant to be used a tool to support planning efforts along the Lake Michigan and Lake Superior coasts of Wisconsin.

Master Plans are a community driven documents that provides leaders and residents with a vision of their future physical development. These plans guide decisions and are regularly evaluated as conditions within the community change. In Michigan, Master Plans are the basis for zoning ordinances which are laws. Zoning must be based on a reasonable community plan. So while Master Plans are guides, they are also the legal foundation for local land use laws. Most St. Clair County communities use Master Plans. A compendium of these plans can be found at the link below.

This Watershed Management Plan (WMP) was developed for the purposes of fulfilling Phase II storm water requirements for local public entities and to provide a comprehensive storm water management plan that will improve and protect water quality across the land area known as St. Clair County's Northeastern Watersheds (NEW).

The National Park Service Coastal Adaptation Strategies Handbook summarizes the current state of NPS climate adaptation and key approaches currently in practice or considered for climate change adaptation in coastal areas in order to guide adaptation planning in coastal parks. The chapters focus on policy, planning, cultural resources, natural resources, facility management, and communication/education. The handbook highlights processes, tools and examples that are applicable to many types of NPS plans and decisions.

Part of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, the Nearshore Framework is intended to address ongoing and emerging challenges to the nearshore waters of the Great Lakes, where restoration, protection and prevention activities are critical to improving and sustaining the ecological health of Great Lakes coastal areas and enhancing attendant social, cultural, recreational and economic benefits.

The mission of the Upper Mississippi River and Great Lakes Region Joint Venture (UMGL JV) is to deliver the full spectrum of bird conservation through regionally based, biologically driven, landscape-oriented partnerships.

The Great Lakes Coastal Reporting Tool is a simple way for people to provide information about coastal problems including: erosion sites, habitat impacts, polluted runoff, dumping sites and improper off-road vehicle use. The inventory is designed for the entire shoreline of Lake Superior, as well as all Great Lakes coastal areas in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan; Lake Superior, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. The Superior Watershed Partnership, along with other partners, will use the inventory to prioritize sites and seek resources to address coastal impacts.

The Great Lakes Shoreviewer is a risk assessment and climate adaptation planning tool. It provides stunning, oblique-angle color photography plus multiple layers of additional analysis for prioritized sections of Great Lakes coastline in Michigan (Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron). It also provides potential risk rankings (high, medium, low) for coastal property, buildings, roads and infrastructure.

The Alliance for Water Efficiency assessed five representative industries within the Great Lakes watershed that are supplied with treated drinking water and that discharge to a local wastewater utility. The assessments that were conducted focused on four factors: Potential water conservation opportunities; Benefits and costs from the water user s perspective; The environmental benefits of undertaking those conservation opportunities; and A strategy for providing funding assistance to industries.