The road to Sturgeon Bay being a part of a National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) stops in Green Bay on Tuesday as two agencies prepare to hold a joint public meeting.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and UW-Green Bay are taking comments on the significant issues related to the development of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed Bay of Green Bay NERR. NOAA gave the state its blessing on the proposed NERR in January after Governor Tony Evers submitted a site nomination package the month before. The nomination includes sites in the Sturgeon Bay, Peshtigo River, and Lower Bay portions of the Green Bay estuary. By having the public meeting, UW-Green Bay and NOAA officials can continue their efforts by conducting public outreach and developing a draft environmental impact statement and management plan. The public meeting will be held virtually at 10 a.m. via Zoom and in-person at UW-Green Bay’s STEM Innovation Center at 1:30 p.m.
Progress towards designating the NERR would also bring more clarity for Sturgeon Bay officials who have submitted a bid to have a visitor center built in the city. The Sturgeon Bay Common Council approved the NERR Advisory Committee’s 26-page prospectus document last May detailing several sites where the NERR Visitor Center could be built. Green Bay and Marinette are also vying for the visitor center as well.
