December 2016

 

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$198,000 in New Grant Funding to Support Initiatives
MACC welcomes new Agricultural Technician!
2016 Watershed Stakeholder of the Year
FY2016 Transportation Program

$198,000 in New Grant Funding to Support Initiatives

Over the course of the last few months the MACC received four grants to support transportation and watershed initiatives:

Green Infrastructure Analysis

$21,000 – Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area

This funding will be used to develop a green infrastructure suitability map and additional analysis of cost and implementation priorities.

Sustainable Watershed Funding Study – Phase II

$64,655 – West Michigan Prosperity Alliance

This grant award will continue the work of refining four potential methods that could be used to fund implementation of watershed management plans.  This project is being done in collaboration with partners in Grand Rapids and Muskegon.

Transit Accessibility & Connectivity Analysis

$47,250 – Michigan Department of Transportation

This funding will support an analysis of the accessibility and connectivity of public transit service in the MACC area.  Areas currently providing transit service as well as those areas not currently providing transit service will be included.

Downtown Holland Traffic Circulation Study

$65,000 – US Department of Transportation

This funding will support an analysis of traffic circulation options for Downton Holland and nearby corridors.

More information on all these initiatives will be included in future editions of the MACC Monthly.

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MACC welcomes new Agricultural Technician!

Growing up in the heart of California’s Central Valley, Rob Vink was surrounded by a thriving agricultural community.  It was here that Rob developed a great interest and appreciation for the work and efforts of the region’s growers and dairymen. Rob left California to attend Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He spent a summer researching and making recommendations for the management of the Mt. Pisgah sand dune situated near Holland State Park. Rob graduated from Calvin College in 2007 with a degree in Environmental Geology. Rob is an avid outdoorsman and a father to two young boys. He enjoys hunting, fishing, camping, taxidermy, and spending time with his family in the outdoors. Most recently he has had the opportunity to work with one of West Michigan’s premier agricultural service providers. Rob provided assistance to the precision agriculture department and was responsible for dispatch and customer service. Rob’s experience working with West Michigan farmers has taught him that the key to being successful is by building long term, trusting relationships, and by providing innovative, creative, and sustainable solutions for growers and their operations.

At the MACC, Rob will continue working with farmers on sustainable options that benefit the farm and our water quality. He will provide technical assistance to plan and implement agricultural best management practices that reduce sediment and nutrient pollution. Rob will also assist farmers in seeking financial assistance through the MACC’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Grant and Project Clarity.
Rob can be contacted at rvink@the-macc.org or 616-395-2688.

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2016 Watershed Stakeholder of the Year

Several AWRI representatives were at the meeting to accept the award. From left are Michael Hassett, Lab Manager, Maggie Oudsema, Research Assistant and Emily Kindervater, GVSU Graduate Student.

The Macatawa Area Coordinating Council was pleased to name the Annis Water Resources Institute (AWRI) at Grand Valley State University its 2016 Watershed Stakeholder of the Year. The Watershed Stakeholder of the Year Award is given to an individual, organization or group that has made significant contributions to improving water quality in the Macatawa Watershed.

Many staff and students from AWRI have been involved in various aspects of the Macatawa Watershed Project for many years. Their participation in the watershed has increased in recent years due to Project Clarity. Dr. Alan Steinman’s Lab is conducting water quality monitoring in Lake Macatawa and in streams near significant restoration projects. Their 2016 report will be published after the first of the year. They are also monitoring streambank erosion using a remote sensing technique called LiDAR. Dr. Carl Ruetz has conducted fish surveys of Lake Macatawa the last three summers. Several students, including graduate student Emily Kindervater who presented her work at the December 15 meeting (see story inside), have conducted research in the watershed. The W.G. Jackson and its knowledgeable crew made six trips to Lake Macatawa since 2002, allowing 100’s of residents to explore water quality in Lake Macatawa and Lake Michigan. They also brought some of this hands-on learning to the Macatawa Water Festival the last two years. AWRI staff participated in other MACC projects including the urban tree canopy assessment completed in 2013 and the sustainable funding study completed earlier this fall.

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FY2016 Transportation Program

During the 2016 fiscal year (Oct. 1, 2015 – Sept. 30, 2016), 24 transportation projects within the Macatawa Area Coordinating Council area received $33 million in federal funds.  Total costs for these transportation projects were $42 million.  To learn more about these projects obligated in 2016, please see the newly published listing of FY 2016 Obligated Projects.