Regional Resources
The resources below provide information on a range of state-specific coastal resilience topics in the Great Lakes beyond Michigan.
Don’t forget to browse the other available resources in the drop-down Resources menu. Many listed resources are applicable Great Lakes-wide. See a resource we’re missing? Email us: coastalresourcehub@umich.edu
Ohio
Ohio Sea Grant
Ohio Sea Grant Extension Agents
Sea Grant extension educators are available to connect you to the latest Lake Erie science and resources. These agents support both public and private groups and work closely with agencies and organizations such as the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, and the Ohio Lake Erie Office, to name a few.
Ohio Sea Grant Extension
Scott Hardy
Extension Educator
hardy.116@osu.edu
Areas of Focus:
- Coastal Storm Hazards
- Watershed Management
- Cuyahoga River Area of Concern (AOC)
- Environmental Social Science
Julie Kastanis
Continuing Education Specialist
kastanis.1@osu.edu
- Coastal resilience
- Coastal Adaptation
- Environmental Justice
Climate Check
Ohio: Top Climate Change Risks: Precipitation, Heat, Flood
This tool explores some of the most pressing climate change threats in Ohio: precipitation, heat, and flood. The analysis explores historical data and trends into the future. The website provides other tools to explore climate risk and support communities.
Office of Coastal Management – Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Coastal Guidance for construction or development along Ohio’s Lake Erie shore
This document breaks down coastal regulations in a concise and digestible manner. This resource contains information necessary for shoreline projects including shore structure permits, submerged land leases, and coastal erosion permits, to name a few. Additionally, there is a list of engineering and surveying contacts as well as erosion control loan information.
The Ohio Coastal Design Manual
This resource supports coastal managers seeking to implement safe and successful erosion control along Ohio’s Lake Erie coastline. The manual covers a wide array of topics and focuses on structure types suited to the Ohio coastline’s unique environment.
Ohio Lake Erie Commission
This resource includes links and descriptions of state-wide initiatives to support Lake Erie and the Ohio coastline. The resources are divided into Planning and Priorities, Funding and Opportunities, and Programs and Projects for you to explore based on your needs.
Great Lakes Restoration Initiative in Ohio
A federal program to support restoration along Ohio’s Lake Erie coastline. This webpage provides links to ongoing projects and funding information.
New York
New York Sea Grant
New York Sea Grant Extension Specialist
New York Sea Grant conducts high-quality research with a strong focus on practical applications. Their extension program staff communicates research results to stakeholders to address issues with various techniques. With one of the largest and most respected extension programs in the network, New York Sea Grant employs fifteen professionals across nine offices in New York, each with specific expertise to meet regional, statewide, and national responsibilities.
New York Sea Grant Extension
Mary Austerman
Great Lakes Coastal Community Development Specialist
mp357@cornell.edu
Area of Focus:
- Floodplain management
- Community planning
- Training
Lauren Darcy
Great Lakes Coastal Resilience Specialist
led222@cornell.edu
Area of Focus
- Coastal resilience
- Planning and Development
New York: Top Climate Change Risks: Precipitation, Heat, Flood
This tool explores some of the most pressing climate change threats in New York: precipitation, heat, and flood. The analysis explores historical data and trends in the future. The website provides other tools to explore climate risk and support communities.
Long Island Sound Resilience Resource Hub
Learn about environmental challenges, planning solutions, and how to implement and sustain projects now.
Illinois-Indiana
Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant
Situated along the southern coast of Lake Michigan, the industrialized region faces unique challenges at the intersection of climate change, pollution, and ecological concerns. Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant brings the latest science to those who can best use the information and serves a critical role in empowering people to solve problems in sustainable ways.
Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Outreach
The above link will connect you to outreach specialists, a few we’d like to highlight for Great Lakes coastal resiliency are listed below:
Pat Charlebois
Assistant Director for Outreach
charlebo@illinois.edu
Areas of Focus:
- Community outreach
- Ecological restoration
Kara Salazar
Assistant Program Leader for Community Development and Sustainable Communities Extension Specialist
salazark@purdue.edu
Areas of Focus:
- Environmental planning
- Community development
- Social science
Wisconsin
Wisconsin Sea Grant
Wisconsin Sea Grant is a statewide program of basic and applied research, education, outreach and technology transfer dedicated to the stewardship and sustainable use of the nation’s Great Lakes and ocean resources.
Julia Noordyk
Water Quality and Coastal Communities Outreach Specialist
noordykj@uwgb.edu
Areas of Focus:
- Community engagement
- Social Science
Adam Bechle
Coastal Engineering Outreach Specialist
bechle@aqua.wisc.edu
Coastal Engineering publications page
Helpful resources like the Property Owner’s Guide to Protecting Your Bluff and Nature Based Shorelines for Great Lakes Coasts. Also includes Adapting to a Changing Coast, Living on the Coast, Great Lakes Coastal Shore Protection Structures fact sheet, and a publication about Green Infrastructure audits.
Resources for property owners
List of resources for property owners.
Wisconsin Coastal Resilience “Resource of the Month” collection
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Sea Grant
Pennsylvania Sea Grant connects science with those who manage, conserve, and enjoy the state’s waterways and lakes. They conduct research, outreach, education, and communication programs in the Lake Erie watershed, and the Delaware and Susquehanna River Basins.
Pennsylvania Sea Grant Outreach and Extension
The outreach and extension professionals at Pennsylvania Sea Grant are ready to collaborate and support your project and community needs!
Sara Stahlman
Extension Leader
sng121@psu.edu
Areas of focus:
- Community engagement
- Community resilience
- Hazard planning
Minnesota
Minnesota Sea Grant
Minnesota Sea Grant serves as a connector between scientific research and knowledge and the community, policymakers, community organizations, and beyond. They also support new research to address the most pressing issues of our time along Lake Superior’s western coast.
Madison Rodman
Resilience Extension Educator
mrodman@umn.edu
Areas of Focus:
- Community engagement
- Coordination
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain Sea Grant
The Lake Champlain Sea Grant Institute, a collaboration between the University of Vermont and the State University of New York College at Plattsburgh, develops and shares science-based knowledge to benefit the environment and economies of the Lake Champlain basin. It partners with UVM Extension, government agencies, and local organizations.
Lake Champlain Sea Grant Extension Specialists
Aude Lochet
Water Resources Extension Specialist
aloch001@plattsburgh.edu
Areas of Focus:
- Educational outreach
- Applied research, specifically about water resources and human use of Lake Champlain and its shoreline
Sarah Noyes
Flood Resilience Educator
spnoyes@uvm.edu
Areas of Focus:
- Flood Resilience
- Community Engagement
- Educational outreach
Resources Page
The Lake Champlain Sea Grant office has a resource page where users can easily search peer-reviewed scientific publications on the Lake Champlain basin region. There is also a video database that serves to help people understand the lake and its processes and the actions people can take to protect and improve water quality.
University of Vermont extension
The extension team at the University of Vermont spans many expertise, you can search their directory page to find a specialist to assist with your needs.
Other:
Lake Ontario Resiliency and Economic Development Initiative (REDI)
The Lake Ontario REDI Commission was designated by Governor Cuomo in response to extended flooding along the shores of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. REDI was established to identify local priorities, at-risk infrastructure and other assets, and public safety concerns. The State has committed up to $300 million, to benefit communities and improve resiliency in flood-prone regions along Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. This resource has information on previous projects and assistance programs for those affected by the 2019 flood event.
Climate Check
Tool allows property buyers, owners, and brokers to quantify the risks related to the climate crisis through their proprietary risk assessment and report.