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The 'Green Infrastructure in MI Integrated Assessment Project' co-authored by DC is now available

Updated: Aug 18, 2020

The final report from a Michigan Sea Grant funded integrated assessment that investigated barriers and opportunities to wide-spread use of green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) across the state of Michigan has been uploaded to the project website along with other resources related to GSI.

https://www.michiganseagrant.org/topics/resilient-coastal-communities/green-infrastructure/

The investigation concluded key barriers to GSI implementation include conflicting codes/ordinances, cost, lack of financing, maintenance, municipal and public acceptance, lack of regional planning, and uncertainty in performance.  Opportunities for successfully removing those barriers include:

  • Revising local codes and ordinances to allow for and/or promote GSI and establishing funding mechanisms for both implementation and maintenance.

  • Determining local values (such as wildlife habitat, aesthetics, climate resiliency, infrastructure protection, etc.) and develop GSI implementation strategies that align the benefits of GSI with those values.

  • Identifying and cultivating local leaders (both elected and civic) who can advocate for GSI implementation.

  • Establishing guidelines and programs for simplified long-term monitoring and maintenance of GSI.

  • Developing a framework to integrate local and regional planning and policies to encourage coordination across agencies and jurisdictions.

  • Conducting public education and outreach projects to assist public works professionals and citizens with understanding the multi-purpose role of GSI in their communities.

The project team included professionals from Lawrence Technological University, Environmental Consulting & Technology, Inc. (ECT), University of Michigan, and Drummond Carpenter, PLLC.

For purposes of citation of this summary, please use the following: “Green Infrastructure in Michigan: An Integrated Assessment of Its Use, Barriers & Opportunities”, Donald D. Carpenter, Sanjiv K. Sinha, and Avik Basu, Michigan Sea Grant Report, MICHU-20-202, 61 pp, May 2020.

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