Great Lakes Green Infrastructure Champions

Overview Great Lakes Green Infrastructure Champions Purpose: catalyze adoption of green infrastructure (GI) practices and policies by providing mid-sized municipalities with resources they frequently lack Funding: mini-grants Capacity building: mentoring network Address barriers: policy analysis Dequindre Cut, Detroit, MI

Mini-Grants Want to have lasting impact after grant funding ends U.S. or Canadian municipalities within the binational Great Lakes basin with fewer than 500,000 people Demonstrated commitment to participate as Emerging Champion in the Mentoring Network as mentees and will benefit from being paired with a Pioneer Champion Projects that remove barriers and build capacity expanding GI implementation in their community/sphere of influence Want to have lasting impact after grant funding ends

Awarded Mini-Grants City of Dearborn Sustainable Lawns 50/50 Cost-share Program Improving Green Infrastructure Policy & Planning in Ohio’s Central Lake Erie Basin (Chagrin River Watershed Partners) Rainwater Rewards for Michigan City, Indiana LID School Installations and Stream of Dreams Project (Upper Thames River Conservation Authority) Prairie Treatment System Installation (Oshkosh, WI)

Mentoring network Connects experienced green infrastructure practitioners with individuals that would like to bring green infrastructure to their communities Fosters the transfer of knowledge from experienced green infrastructure practitioners (Pioneer Champions) to a broader network of Emerging Champions who are eager to remove barriers and build capacity for GI but lack capacity or experience

Emerging Champion (Mentee) Pioneer Champion (Mentor) Building Better, ON REEP Green Solutions, ON Chagrin River Watershed Partners, OH Cleveland Water Alliance, OH City of Ashland, WI Genesee/Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council, NY City of Berkley, MI Friends of the Rouge, MI City of Dearborn, MI City of Southfield, MI City of Flint, MI City of Toledo, OH City of Huntington Woods, MI Tetra Tech, MI City of Oshkosh, WI Environmental Consulting and Technology, Inc. CJDL Engineering, ON Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, ON Friends of Grand Rapids Park, MI Drummond Carpenter, MI Long Point Region Conservation Authority, ON Credit Valley Conservation and Upper Thames River Conservation Authority, ON MTE Consultants, ON Sanitary District of Michigan City, IN Western Michigan Environmental Action Council, MI Southwest Michigan Planning Commission and Berrien County Drain Office, MI FTCH and Drummond Carpenter, MI Credit Valley Conservation, ON

Policy Analysis Targeted federal, state, and provincial policies that hinder or enable local GI adoption Recommendations developed with Advisory Team input and support Sharing findings to policymakers across the basin Congressional briefing; September 5 Great Lakes Legislative Caucus meeting September 22 Great Lakes Commission October 3 Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Cities Initiative webinar October 24

Looking forward – Phase 2 Second round of mini-grants, new focus RFP anticipated to prioritize local code/ordinance review, O&M training and development of procedures, establishing sustainable funding streams, and community-specific GI toolkit development Expand mentoring network Host workshops Targeted outreach to small and/or disadvantaged communities Highlight relationships/impact of network in a video Continue to develop partnerships, assess long-term sustainability of program

our new logo