2016

NWI Partners included in Society of Innovators

The Society of Innovators of Northwest Indiana at Ivy Tech Community College recently announced 39 new individuals and teams to be inducted into the Society. Of the new inductees, several Urban Waters Partners were recognized, including: the Dunes Learning Center, Grand Calumet River Partners in Restoration, Miller Beach Arts & Creative District, and Trail Creek Watershed Partnership. The Society of Innovators recognizes individuals and teams that propose a new and different idea, implement the idea, and contribute to the greater good. These innovators strengthen the region's economy and quality of life, making Northwest Indiana a better place to live. 

Regional Urban Forestry Plan for Northwest Indiana

The Urban Waters Parners Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission, Northern Indiana Public Services Company (NIPSCO), the Indiana Lake Michigan Coastal Program, and USDA Forest Service met with members of the Chicago Region Trees Initiation (CRTI) to discuss developing a Regional Urban Forestry Plan for Northwest Indiana. The CRTI is a collaboration of Chicago region partners working together to develop and implement a strategy that builds a healthier and more diverse urban forest by 2040. By following their example and being guided under their leadership, Northwest Indiana Urban Waters Partners intend to develop the first urban forestry plan that spans the Indiana Lake Michigan watershed. This plan will include urban tree cnaopy goals for the region as well as for cities, field based inventories and assessments, and suggest best management practices. 

March 19

The Northwest Indiana Paddling Association hosted the 8th Annual Rendezvous. The event featured a sneak peak of the documentary "Shifting Sands - On the Path to Sustainability" followed by disscusion with Everglades of the North film-maker Patty Wisniewski and her team.

River Use Management Plan

In 2014, the National Park Service (NPS) initiated the planning and environmental assessment process for a River Use Management Plan for the East Branch of the Little Calumet River (EBLC) located within Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. The decision to initiate this planning effort resulted from discussions at some of the earliest URban Waters Partnership meetings. The plan, which will evaluate potential recreational uses of the EBLC for approximately eight river miles within the National Lakeshore to its Lake Michigan destination, is scheduled to be completed May 2016. Partners can anticipate a public meeting to review the draft document April 2016. This effort is made possible through collaborations among the National Park Service, the US Forest Service, Save the Dunes, Northwest Indiana Paddling Association, and the Urban Waters Ambassador.