2017 Great Lakes Areas of Concern Conference
Date and Time
Wednesday 03/29/2017 8:30AM EDT to Thursday 03/30/2017 12:30PM EDTLocation
Registration Deadline
Friday 03/24/2017 5:00PM EDTDetails
Overview and Registration
Conference goals
The Annual Meeting of the AOC community provides the opportunity to discuss the work done in the program and to connect with a wide variety of partners to continue making progress.
- Provide a forum for AOC participants to
- share ideas
- review program status
- showcase successes
- discuss common challenges
- Review recent developments affecting the AOC program including
- the revised Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement and
- the FY2015-19 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Action Plan
- Review and discuss AOC program and project funding mechanisms including process and timing
- Strengthen linkages among federal, tribal, state and local AOC participants
NEW
Poster Session
To highlight AOC work, you or your colleagues may present your work in a special end-of-day Poster Session.
Who should attend
- Representatives of local Public Advisory Councils
- State agency AOC staff members
- Tribal agency AOC representatives
- Federal agency staff involved in implementing the AOC program
- Other AOC stakeholders (e.g., consultants, academics) who have an interest in the AOC progrm
Agenda
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All times are Eastern Time Zone
Day One: Wednesday, March 29
Conference Facilitators:
John Perrecone, Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Rick Hobrla, Office of the Great Lakes (OGL), Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ)
8:30 am to 9:30 am Registration and Light Refreshments
Morning Plenary
- 9:30 am Welcoming Remarks
Mayor Rosalyn Bliss, Grand Rapids, MI
Jon W. Allan, Director, OGL, MDEQ
- 9:45 am AOC Program Update
Tinka Hyde, Director, GLNPO, EPA
- 10:00 am Interactive Polling Session
This session will use interactive devices to poll the audience on key issues and concerns in the implementation of the AOC program.
Facilitator: Matt Doss, Policy Director, Great Lakes Commission
10:45 am Break
- 11:15 am Getting Work Done at AOCs
Marc Tuchman, Branch Chief, GLNPO, EPA
- 11:30 am AOC Showcase: Muskegon Lake AOC
Kathy Evans, Muskegon Lake AOC
- 12:15 pm AOC Success Stories:
Short videos of GLRI-funded AOC work in the Great Lakes Basin.
Moderators: John Perrecone, GLNPO, EPA and Rick Hobrla, OGL, MDEQ
12:30 pm Buffet Lunch
- 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm Breakout Sessions A
- Session 1: Outreach and Communication in the AOC Program
AOC work is a partnership effort, requiring outreach with multiple organizations and the community. Attend this hands-on, interactive training to improve your group communication skills, including facilitation techniques and stakeholder engagement strategies.
Moderator: Caitie Nigrelli, IL/IN Sea Grant and Chris Ellis, NOAA - Session 2: Maintaining AOC Habitat Restoration Projects
What steps are being taken to insure that completed habitat projects maintain their ecologic conditions long after the project has been completed?
Moderators: Derek Ager, EPA and Tony Friona, USACE - Session 3: BUI Analysis: Degradation of Benthos
The Benthos BUI will be analyzed to provide the audience with useful ideas on how to set realistic and achievable target and then implement projects that will lead to its removal.
Moderators: Elizabeth Hinchey Malloy, GLNPO, EPA and Michael Hennessey, ORISE Fellow
- Session 1: Outreach and Communication in the AOC Program
3:00 pm Break
- 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm Breakout Sessions B
- Session 4: Applying the Collective Impact Approach to the AOC Program: How this new framework for collaboration can support delisting and beyond
Is your AOC delisting approach approach firing on all cylinders? Are you gaining momentum in your push to delist? And what will you do with all the engagement, knowledge, and relationships built during the AOC program after delisting? This session will explore a new framework for collaboration called Collective Impact and how this may be useful setting the vision and goals for your AOC as you approach and move beyond delisting.
Moderator: Either USGS or GLC - Session 5: BUI Verification Monitoring: How to monitor, evaluate & expedite removal of BUIs
Collecting the appropriate data is the first step to insure that a BUI can be removed. This session will delve into this topic and offer advice and suggestions on managing data to remove BUIs.
Moderator: Jeff Schaeffer, Great Lakes Science Center, USGS - Session 6: Citizen Support for Monitoring and Habitat Restoration at AOCs
How are the states and AOC groups engaging citizen volunteers to gather data for BUI removals, to support long-term maintenance of habitat restoration sites, or other purposes?
Moderators: Matt Steiger, WDNR
- Session 4: Applying the Collective Impact Approach to the AOC Program: How this new framework for collaboration can support delisting and beyond
5:00 pm: Formal Poster Session with light refreshments, Conference Center Lobby
6:00 pm: Adjourn
Agenda Day Two: Thursday, March 30
8:00 am Reconvene, Review Agenda and Prepare for Day two with light refreshments
- 8:15 am Plenary Session: TBD
9:40 am Break
- 9:55 am to 10:55 am Breakout Sessions C
- Session 7: Use of a New Data System at the St. Louis River AOC
This session provides an overview of the DIVER data system including identifying user needs/project goals, challenges, and how the data system functions meet management needs. The presentation highlights the successful collaboration among MN, WI and NOAA at the St. Louis River AOC. .
Moderators: Annie (Johns) Gibbs, NOAA, Office of Response and Restoration; Emily Punke, Wisconsin DNR; Kirk Wythers, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Session 8: Ask a Federal Agency Representative on Technical Assistance at AOCs
What are the resources available to help my AOC? A cadre of federal agency experts will be in the room to answer questions posed by the audience.
Participants of Federal Agencies - Session 9: Great Lakes Legacy Act
An update on recent activities taking place in the Great Lakes Legacy Act program.
Moderator: GLNPO EPA Representative
- Session 7: Use of a New Data System at the St. Louis River AOC
- 10:55 am Plenary Session: Fish Passage at AOCs and Beyond
This session will highlight AOC and non-AOC projects taking place in the Great Lakes basin and place them in the context of meeting the goals of Focus Area 1 (AOCs) and Focus Area 4 (Habitat Restoration) from the Great Lakes Action Plan II.
Moderators: Jessica Hogrefe, US FWS and Carl Platz, USACE
- 11:55 am AOC Program Question and Answer Forum
Facilitator: Marc Tuchman, GLNPO, U.S. EPA
- 12:10 pm Wrap-up, Immediate Evaluation via Interactive Poll and Follow-up Actions
Facilitators: John Perrecone, GLNPO, U.S. EPA and Rick Hobrla, Office of the Great Lakes, MDEQ
12:30 pm Adjourn
Accommodations
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Hotels are located either within walking distance of the conference center or near the Grand Rapids Airport which is approximately 10 miles from the conference center. Government rates require either appropriate identification or official travel orders. If applicable, you can also use a tax-exempt form to waive certain taxes. The Federal government rate for Grand Rapids is $109.00/night.
The following links exit the site Exit
Holiday Inn Grand Rapids—Downtown
310 Pearl Street, NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
616-235-7611
This is the closest hotel to the conference center and they include free parking. They are not offering a block of rooms at a certain rate but they will honor the federal government rate if rooms are available.
Homewood Suites by Hilton Grand Rapids Downtown
161 Ottawa Ave. NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
616-451-2300
20 room block available for two nights at $109.00/night. Ask for “2017 AOC Conference” when making your reservation. Includes hot breakfast. Parking is $31.00/day.
Note: Cut-off for this rate is Wednesday, March 1, 2017.
HOTELS NEAR THE AIRPORT (10 MILE DRIVE FROM DOWNTOWN)
Comfort Inn
4155 28th Street, S.E.
Grand Rapids, MI 49512(616) 957-2080 or (616) 957-9712
25 room block available for two nights at $83.00/night plus tax. Ask for “2017 AOC Conference” when making your reservation. Includes WiFi, parking, airport transportation and breakfast.
Note: Cut-off date for this rate is Wednesday, March 8, 2017.
Crowne Plaza Grand Rapids
5700 28th Street SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49546
616-957-1770
50 room block available for two nights at $105.00/night. Ask for “US EPA Region 5” when making your reservation. Includes WiFi, parking and airport shuttle.
Note: Cut-off date for this rate is Wednesday, March 8, 2017.
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Grand Rapids Airport
5401 28th St. Ct. SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49546
616-940-8100
40 room block available for two nights at $109.00/night. Ask for “US EPA Region 5 group block” when making your reservation.
Note: Cut-off date for this rate is Wednesday, March 8, 2017.
OTHER HOTELS IN GRAND RAPIDS
There are other hotels that are available in and around Grand Rapids, and there may be some downtown hotels that offer government rate.
Contact ExperienceGR for more information on hotels and other activities in the Grand Rapids area.
Conference Contact: John Perrecone (perrecone.john@epa.gov) 312-353-1149
Directions
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Robert C. Pew Grand Rapids Campus:
L. V. Eberhard Center
A301 West Fulton Street, Ste. 210
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
Complimentary Parking is located in the Fulton Street Parking Lot, 312 Fulton Street, Grand Rapids, MI 49504
From Detroit/Lansing (approximately 2 hours from Detroit, and 60 minutes from Lansing):
- I-96 West to I-196 West (Gerald R. Ford Freeway) to US-131 South.
- Take US-131 South to the Pearl Street exit (keep to the right of the on-ramp to US-131 as this becomes the off-ramp for Pearl Street).
- Merge onto Mt. Vernon Ave.
- Continue on Mt. Vernon until you come to a light at Fulton St and turn left.
- Under the US-131 Overpass, the Fulton Lot will be on your right.
From Holland (approximately 30 miles from Holland):
- I-196 East to US-131 South.
- Take US-131 South to the Pearl Street exit (keep to the right of the on-ramp to US-131 as this becomes the off-ramp for Pearl Street).
- Merge onto Mt. Vernon Ave.
- Continue on Mt. Vernon until you come to a light at Fulton St and turn left .
- Under the US-131 Overpass, the Fulton Lot will be on your right.
From Kalamazoo (approximately 50 miles from Kalamazoo):
- US-131 North to the Pearl Street Exit, #85B.
- Turn left onto Pearl Street and proceed one block beyond the US-131 overpass to Mt Vernon Ave and turn left
- In two blocks turn left on Fulton St.
- The Fulton Lot will be on your right.
From Muskegon (approxi)mately 45 miles from Muskegon):
- I-96 East to US-131 South.
- US-131 South to the Market Ave Exit.
- Turn Left on to Market
- Turn left on Fulton St.
- The Fulton Lot will be on your left.
From Northern Michigan (approximately 150 miles from Traverse City):
- US-131 South to the Market Ave Exit.
- Turn Left on to Market, and then Left on Fulton St.
- The Fulton Lot will be on your left.
From Chicago (PLEASE NOTE: Michigan (EDT) is one hour ahead of Illinois and approximately 200 miles from Chicago) :
- I-94 East to I-196/US-31 (Exit 34) at Benton Harbor.
- Take I-196 toward Grand Rapids to US-131 South.
- Take US-131 South to Pearl Street exit (keep to the right of the on-ramp to US-131 as this becomes the off-ramp for Pearl Street).
- Merge onto Mt. Vernon Ave. Continue on Mt. Vernon until you come to a light at Fulton St, and turn left.
- Under the US-131 Overpass, the Fulton Lot will be on your right.
Join us on Instagram & Twitter: #AOC2017
Conference Contacts:
John Perrecone (perrecone.john@epa.gov) 312-353-1149
Rick Hobrla (HOBRLAR@michigan.gov) 517-284-5043
