Peters Introduces Bill to Support Michigan's Waterfront Communities

For Immediate Release: August 7, 2015
Contact: Tom Hickner, Bay County Executive, Phone: (989) 895-4133, Fax: (989) 895-2094

Comprehensive Legislation Will Support Local Efforts to Revive Waterfronts and Promote Sustainable Development

U.S. Senator Gary Peters (Ml), a member of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force, announced today that he joined three of his colleagues to introduce a bill to help revitalize waterfront communities, including Michigan towns and cities along the Great Lakes, rivers and inland lakes. The Waterfront Community Revitalization and Resiliency Act will support community efforts to attract water-dependent industries and investments that leverage water sustainability, revitalize neighborhoods and enhance recreation and tourism.

"With four of the five Great Lakes at our borders, Michigan's waterfront communities are part of our state's identity and way of life," said Senator Peters. "Helping communities make the most of their local water resources is vital for the long-term health of the Great Lakes and the strength of Michigan's economy. This bill will help towns and cities along Michigan's coasts and waterways develop smart, forward-thinking strategies to adapt for the future."

Many waterfront communities were built around their water resources years ago, and are now working to reposition and overcome issues such as limited public access and poor alignment with modern development. In addition to adapting to economic shifts, waterfront communities are facing pressures to meet increasing demands on water resources; make resilient investments that can withstand weather extremes like storms, floods, and fluctuating lake levels; and adapt to changing ecosystem conditions that range from shoreline erosion to stresses on fisheries.

Bay County Board of Commissioners Chair Ernie Krygier, and President of Save Our Shoreline states "Our entire community mobilizes and we do more here in Bay County to improve our beaches and shoreline than most any other shoreline community in Michigan. Yes, we support this federal help that would advance our efforts." "Now we need help to streamline federal regulations at the beachfront that have locked us up and prevented public access along the shore."

Waterfront planning and implementation requires communities to navigate intergovernmental hurdles, work across constituent groups and agencies, and secure financing. Despite the economic returns from revitalization and the payoff that resiliency preparation can provide in the long-term, many communities lack the resources to make it from vision to reality.

"We know from our Brookings Institution work that every $1 dollar spent on water restoration, waterfront access, and connection leads to over $3 in economic development and increased property values," said John Austin, Michigan Economic Center Director and Brookings Institution Nonresident Senior Fellow. "l estimate across the Great Lakes states, more than a million jobs are already linked to water restoration, waterfront redevelopment and recreation. The Waterfront Community Revitalization and Resiliency Act will help more communities reconnect to their water and grow their "Blue" economies."

"Michigan's counties and smaller communities work hard to provide the basic infrastructure needed to keep our waters clean and our waterfronts amenable to both commerce and recreational use," said Thomas L. Hickner, Bay County Executive and Facilitator of the Saginaw Bay Coastal Initiative. "Our local economies are dependent on revitalizing our sense of place as coastal communities on the nation's Great Lakes shoreline. We need the assistance that would be provided through the passage of the of the Waterfront Community Revitalization and Resilience Act, and its passage would find willing partners who are ready to invest at the local level."

"We are supportive of the Senator's efforts and the proposed bill to assist waterfront communities toward revitalization. The Bay Area Community Foundation has been a key community leader in our own waterfront revitalization for the past 20 years, so we welcome this national recognition and support for our Bay County Road Map efforts to provide a robust economy with opportunities, a quality waterfront and sense of place for families and visitors to thrive. " said Eileen Curtiss, President and CEO of the Bay Area Community Foundation. "The Bay County area has been united in their desire to see the revitalization of our waterfront."

The Waterfront Community Revitalization and Resiliency Act aims to solve these issues facing waterfront communities by creating a Grant Program to provide funding to develop and implement a Resilient Waterfront Community plan. Grants could be used to advance various projects, such as improving waterfront access or acquiring easements from developers for public amenities and making infrastructure upgrades that improve coastal resiliency. We will see the establishing of a Resilient Waterfront Communities Network to support sharing of best practices, highlight Resilient Waterfront Communities, and help attract new investment. Reinvestment and resiliency can reduce long-term costs to taxpayers and spur economic growth. This bill would help projects in Resilient Waterfront Communities move forward more quickly and help maximize the value of federal investments in these communities.