About

Resource Hub History

The Michigan Coastal Resilience Resource Hub arose from the realization that many communities needed guidance to respond to rapidly changing coastal conditions. After record high water levels in 2019-2020, coastal managers and private property owners scrambled to identify solutions and make decisions regarding their coasts, as outlined in the 2022 study: “An Assessment of Coastal Resilience in Great Lakes Communities: Basinwide Resources & Local Efforts in Response to a Changing Coastline”:

“Coastal municipalities also struggled to carry out resilience actions due to a lack of staff capacity to identify funding, evaluate resource options, and prepare effective applications…Balancing many responsibilities, municipal staff often do not have the time, energy, nor training required to properly manage coastal projects. Other constraining factors included information overload – municipal staff not knowing what resources to use or who to contact for assistance – and the siloing of information across different agencies in the Great Lakes basin.”

Taking advantage of the critical window opened by the passing of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Michigan Sea Grant (MISG) launched a multi-year effort to build capacity and undertake innovative projects. After convening a meeting in Fall 2023 for over 50 coastal resilience managers and supporters (including Sea Grant Extension program and NGO staff), researchers, and state and federal employees, MISG identified significant barriers to coastal resilience planning and outlined potential solutions (emphasizing nature-based approaches). The workshop identified knowledge and resource gaps where training, funding, and technical assistance are needed, and participants brainstormed overarching structures for providing necessary support to coastal communities in Michigan and across the Great Lakes basin. Read the Workshop Summary.

One of the initial core products, this Resource Hub, is designed to help coastal managers understand climate data and forecasts, find funding, and use resources from project partners. As this is a brand-new resource, we’d love to hear your thoughts about the Resource Hub. Email us: coastalresourcehub@umich.edu