The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and all eight Great Lakes states will execute a watershed study cost sharing agreement, initiating the Great Lakes Coastal Residency Study, on September 21, 2022.

This momentous signing event kicks off the Great Lakes Coastal Resiliency Study – a comprehensive watershed assessment of the Great Lakes coastal areas. This study will identify coastal areas vulnerable to future storms, flooding, low water elevations, erosion and accretion; identify a range of measures to improve coastal resiliency; and develop a collaborative risk-informed decision framework to support the identification and prioritization of coastal investments. This collaborative effort aims to maintain strong coastal economies, protect and restore coastal ecosystems, and develop more sustainable, resilient coastal communities prepared to adapt to future climate change.

Attendees include:

Mr. Michael Connor, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works

Brig. Gen. Kimberly Peeples, Commander, USACE Great Lakes and Ohio River Division

Col. Paul Culberson, Commander, USACE Chicago District

Lt. Col. Colby Krug, Commander, USACE Buffalo District

Lt. Col. Brett Boyle, Commander, USACE Detroit District

Mr. Loren Wobig, Director, Office of Water Resources, Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Ms. Jenny Orsburn, Lake Michigan, Coastal Program Manager, Indiana Department of Natural Resources

Dr. Tammy Newcomb, Senior Executive Assistant Director, Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Ms. Ronda Wuycheck, Coastal Program Manager, Michigan Department of Env., Great Lakes, and Energy

Ms. Amber Westerbur, Coastal Program Manager, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

Mr. Michael Snyder, Coastal Program Manager, New York Department of State

Mr. Scudder Mackey, Chief, Office of Coastal Management, Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Ms. Erin Wells, Northwest Regional Director, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection

Ms. Stacey Box, Coastal Program Manager, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection

Mr. Michael Friis, Resource Policy Team Leader, Wisconsin Department of Administration