You will see more than $62,000 directly impact Door County as a result of the Wisconsin Department of Administration’s (DOA) Wisconsin Coastal Management Program. Governor Tony Evers announced a total of 34 grants worth $1.4 million that were distributed to Wisconsin’s coastal communities. Three of the grants will go towards planning efforts in the Village of Sister Bay, Washington Island, and the Town of Egg Harbor. The largest grant, which was worth $29,434, was received by the Wisconsin Historical Society for a study of settlement-era piers in Door County. According to the state, the Wisconsin Historical Society will expand Wisconsin’s documentation of maritime resources by locating, investigating, mapping, and evaluating the submerged and associated shoreline cultural resources associated with historic lumber and quarry piers of Door County. As a result, the grant will also allow the study to update its website and five area kiosks with new information. Governor Evers says it is important to highlight the area’s history to its visitors.
Door County will also see some of the benefits of a nearly $50,000 grant earmarked for the third phase of the Bay of Green Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) designation process. Not only are sites in Door County included in the NERR, but the City of Sturgeon Bay is also vying for the opportunity to be the home of its visitor center.
A LOOK AT THE DOOR COUNTY-CENTRIC PROJECTS FUNDED BY THE COASTAL MANAGEMENT GRANTS
Project Name Bay of Green Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve – Public Engagement and Preparation of the Draft Management Plan
Applicant Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin- Green Bay
Grant Amount $49,866
Category Great Lakes Education
The University of Wisconsin Green Bay will complete the third phase of the Bay of Green Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) designation process. This phase is the creation of the NERR Draft Management Plan, which will guide the operation of the NERR’s first five years of operation, and develop content (maps, plans, etc.) for inclusion within the DMP.
Project Name A Short Survey off of Long Piers: Settlement-Era Piers of Door County
Applicant Wisconsin Historical Society
Grant Amount $29,434
Category Great Lakes Education
The Wisconsin Historical Society will expand Wisconsin’s documentation of maritime resources by locating, investigating, mapping, and evaluating the submerged and associated shoreline cultural resources associated with historic lumber and quarry piers of Door County. The Wisconsin Historical Society website and five kiosks will be updated with the new information.
Project Name Town of Egg Harbor Long-Range Planning
Applicant Town of Egg Harbor
Grant Amount $9,000
Category Land Use & Community Planning
The Town of Egg Harbor will update four elements of the Town's comprehensive plan and will address topics that weren’t in the original comprehensive plan, including impacts due to fluctuating water levels, development in coastal areas, best management practices, invasive species control, and economic impacts of tourism.
Project Name Town of Washington: Planning for the Island Community
Applicant Town of Washington
Grant Amount $9,500
Category Land Use & Community Planning
The Town of Washington (on Washington Island) will prepare four elements of a comprehensive plan: Natural, Agricultural, and Cultural Resources; Housing and Economic Development; Land Use/Future Land Use; and Implementation, leading to a complete municipal comprehensive plan.
Project Name Village of Sister Bay: Vision 2044
Applicant Village of Sister Bay
Grant Amount $14,700
Category Land Use & Community Planning
The Village of Sister Bay will update four elements of their comprehensive plan: Natural, Agricultural, and Cultural Resources; Housing and Economic Development; Land Use/Future Land Use; and Implementation.
Click here to read about all of the grants distributed on Wednesday