Wetlands Working For Your Community
Planning and Zoning for Clean Water
Thursday, June 18
4:00 - 5:30pm - Optional Walking Tour of the Wetlands at
Harbor Shores, Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course
*Note– For the tour please meet/park at M-TEC 400 Klock Rd, Benton Harbor, MI 49022
5:30 - 9:00 pm - Workshop
The Inn at Harbor Shores, 800 Whitwam Drive, St. Joseph, MI
Special thanks to The Inn at Harbor Shores for providing a wonderful venue overlooking the St. Joseph River harbor!
Cost: $15 includes light dinner and meeting materials ($20 after June 12).
Register and view full agenda here or call (269) 925-1137 x 1521.
Master Citizen Planner credits are available. AICP CM credits are pending.
The county or municipality within the St. Joseph River Watershed (Lake Michigan) with the most attendees will receive custom wetland maps.
The GIS shapefiles for the wetland function assessment will be available.
Learn about the status of wetlands (existing and historic), the benefits and functions wetlands provide in your community, new wetland data that is now available for informing planning and zoning decisions, zoning techniques for protecting wetlands and water quality. Bring your master plan and zoning ordinance to review if wetlands and water quality are being addressed!
Come to this workshop to learn how to keep your community’s rivers, streams, lakes, wetlands and drinking water clean and healthy!
Agenda:
4:00 – 5:30 pm - Walking Tour of Wetlands at Harbor Shores, Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course (optional and will begin at MTEC, Benton Harbor)
5:30 – Registration/Dinner/Networking (at the Inn at Harbor Shores)
6:00 pm - Welcome/Introductions/Overview – Marcy Colclough, Southwest Michigan Planning Commission (SWMPC)
6:15 - Wetlands and Function Assessment (definition, what a wetland looks like, functions/benefits, existing/historic, current protection limitations and need for local protection, level 1 assessment, acreage (quantitative) vs. function (qualitative), how the data can be used) – Matt Meersman, Friends of the St. Joseph River
7:00 - Wetland Protection Options (master plan language, need for local protection, zoning options – building setbacks and vegetative buffers, wetland protection ordinance (permitting), site plan review standards, building restrictions for hydric soils, overlay districts, open space developments, etc.) - Marcy Colclough, SWMPC
7:45 - Local Example(s) - Fabius Township Wetland Ordinance – Challenges and Successes
8:30 - Discussion and Review of Checklist for Protection
9:00 - Adjourn
This workshop is hosted by Friends of the St. Joe River Association and the Southwest Michigan Planning Commission in partnership with:
· Michigan State University Extension, Citizen Planner
· St. Joseph River Basin Commission
· Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy
· Southcentral Michigan Planning Council
· Two Rivers Coalition
· Berrien County Community Development/Harbor Authority
