February 11, 2019 – Alpena, Mich. – Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan has partnered with shoreline community foundations and conservation partners from the United States and Canada to create a regional plan of action to help Lake Huron communities ensure the long-term health of the Great Lakes. Facilitated by Northeast Michigan conservation nonprofit Huron Pines, the Lake Huron partners are creating a plan of action with a set of community recommendations. Before the plan can move forward, the partners are seeking input from the residents and stakeholders of Lake Huron communities.

We encourage your input and invite your participation by February 28 in a short 10 question survey. TAKE THE SURVEY.

After public comment and committee review, the Lake Huron partners will secure a $300k seed grant from the Great Lakes Protection fund, Ralph Wilson Foundation and Kresge Foundation, along with raising an additional $200k match to support the proposed Great Lakes protection efforts.

The Lake Huron partners aim to reduce the amount of polluted water that enters inland lakes and streams and Lake Huron by providing resources and education related to stormwater management. Effective stormwater management reduces pollution and increases the amount of naturally-filtered water flowing into the groundwater supply.

By working closely with and alongside Ontario and Michigan residents, and First Nations partners, the recommended actions will bring additional resources and increase capacity for planning, identifying and completing nature-based solutions that connect the sunrise and sunset sides of Lake Huron and achieve large-scale positive change for our shared waters and our communities.

To learn more about the Lake Huron plan of action, read the full executive summary at, huronpines.org/glow.

The health of Lake Huron determines the environmental, economic and cultural health of the region. That’s why The Bay Area Community Foundation, Community Foundation Grey Bruce, Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan, along with Grey Bruce Sustainability Network, Grey Sauble Conservation Authority, Huron Pines, Michigan Department of Natural Resources-Office of the Great Lakes, Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy and The Conservation Fund-Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network are committed to using their shared knowledge to assess environmental and community needs in support of Great Lakes protection.

“Water is critical to every community, especially in the Great Lakes region, and regional foundations can be powerful catalysts for change," said Dave Rankin, Executive Director of the Great Lakes Protection Fund. “Water is everything to this region. We look forward to seeing their progress in building the capacity of the region to become leaders in resiliency planning and action.”

The Lake Huron partners are one of six regional teams surrounding the Great Lakes in the United States and Canada in the Great Lakes One Water Partnership. The effort is shepherded by the Council of Michigan Foundations and designed to help communities around the Great Lakes region develop and implement projects that will secure the region’s water future. To date, three funders have invested in the work of the Great Lakes One Water Partnership – with the Great Lakes Protection Fund leading the way, along with Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and Kresge Foundation.

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The Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan is a charitable organization committed to providing people who care about the future of our area with unique and effective ways of supporting their community now, and for generations to come. Led by a volunteer board of local citizens, the foundation oversees a group of permanently endowed funds from a wide range of donors. Gifts of all sizes from individuals, families, businesses and agencies are invested in a balanced, well-managed portfolio to build endowments, enabling support for students and local community nonprofits now and forever. Questions about CFNEM’s involvement with the Partnership can be directed to CFNEM Executive Director Patrick Heraghty.

The Great Lakes One Water Partnership is a multi-year, basin-wide initiative focused on engaging shoreline community foundations as a force multiplier to advance a new era of water infrastructure management for the benefit of people and businesses in the Great Lakes Basin. The Lake Huron region joins 5 other regional efforts on Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, Lake Superior, and two located on the northern and southern parts of Lake Michigan, in this initiative.