Gov. Evers Announces $1.5 Million in Grants for Wisconsin’s Coastal Communities

MADISON —​ Gov. Tony Evers today announced $1.5 million in grants to local, state and tribal governments, regional planning commissions, universities and nonprofit organizations through the Department of Administration’s (DOA) Wisconsin Coastal Management Program. In its forty-second year, the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program aims to protect and improve the Great Lakes resources across Wisconsin’s coastal communities. The thirty-nine grants awarded this year will be used by grantees to assist with projects totaling over $3.4 million.

“Wisconsin’s Great Lakes are some of our most important economic, cultural and natural resources,” said Gov. Evers. “From safe drinking water to tourism and recreation to commerce and transportation, we know that protecting the health of Lake Michigan and Lake Superior is a key to our state’s ability to thrive and support future generations.”

DOA’s Wisconsin Coastal Management Program assists intergovernmental collaborations, as well as public and private partnerships, to advance statewide and regional Great Lakes priorities. Initiatives funded as part of this year’s grants include enhancing public access to the Great Lakes, sustainable use practices, community development, habitat restoration, and pollution control. A complete list of this year’s grant recipients and project descriptions is available here.

“Balancing the protection of natural resources and sustainable economic development along our coastal communities is a delicate but necessary responsibility,” said DOA Secretary Joel Brennan. “Through these grants, communities along our state’s Great Lakes will have the ability to do just that, while also supporting the statewide coastal management goals.”

Recipients for this year’s grants were recommended by the Wisconsin Coastal Management Council, a Gubernatorially-appointed citizen and governmental advisory group. The program awards federal funds from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office for Coastal Management in the U.S. Department of Commerce, to local governments and other entities for innovative coastal initiatives.

The next Request for Proposals will be available August 2020. Staff will be holding application workshops in September where attendees will learn about the program, application process and discuss project ideas, with an application deadline early November 2020. Additional information about the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program can be found at http://coastal.wisconsin.gov.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.