UW-Green Bay to Host Webinar on Designation Efforts of the NERR
Green Bay, Wis.—The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay is hosting a technical webinar to discuss progress on designation efforts of the Bay of Green Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR), and to share details on the site selection criteria and the candidate sites for the natural areas of the NERR.
The National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERR) is a national network of 30 sites across the coastal US, including the Great Lakes, designed to protect and study estuaries and their coastal wetlands. The mission of the NERR System is, “To practice and promote stewardship of coasts and estuaries through innovative research, education, and training using a place-based system of protected areas.”
Established through the Coastal Zone Management Act, the reserves represent a partnership program between NOAA and the coastal states. NOAA provides funding and national guidance, and each site is managed on a daily basis by a lead state agency or university with input from local partners. For the Bay of Green Bay NERR, UW-Green Bay is leading the designation process. At the local level, a Green Bay NERR will offer a coordinating force to manage, restore, and protect the Green Bay ecosystem, with a programmatic focus on four sectors: research, education, stewardship, and training.
The webinar is free and open to both media and the public. The same webinar will be offered on two dates: Tuesday, May 10th, 2022 from 2pm to 3pm (CST), and Wednesday, May 11th, 2022 from 6:30pm to 7:30pm (CST).
The webinar will be of interest to local government officials, residents in areas near candidate sites that may have questions about what designation means, organizations focused on coastal and water issues, and friends of UW-Green Bay.
Further information about the candidate sites can be found HERE, including a MAP of the areas. Candidate sites range from the tip of Door County to Point Au Sable and Wequiock Creek in Brown County and includes potential sites in Suamico, Oconto and Marinette. Only publicly owned or lands open to the public are eligible to be included in the NERR and no new land will be purchased for the designation.
Contact Emily Tyner ([email protected]) with any questions.