"Imperiled Shores" Panel and discussion

2041 Michigan Street,Sturgeon Bay WI 54235

04 November, 2021

Description

Panel of experts and discussion about the future of Lake Michigan lake levels and what we need to know, and how we can weigh in about them. The Great Lakes region will spend nearly $2 billion over the next five years combating coastal damage exacerbated by climate change, according to a recent survey of local governments. Wisconsin will bear an estimated burden of at least $245 million as a climate “tug of war” — evaporation from warming temperatures and increasingly intense storms — drives extreme shifts in water levels. Low-water years require expensive dredging of waterways so boats can reach their destinations. But high water brings destructive storm surges that swallow beaches, swamp docks, erode lakeside bluffs and shutter businesses. Shoreline erosion — and how to afford infrastructure improvements needed to protect against damage from high water — challenges urban centers and small towns along the Great Lakes. This event will explore the ways Northeast Wisconsin communities can protect their shorelines from Lake Michigan’s volatile waters in the coming years. And it will feature insights gathered during the reporting of Wisconsin Watch's upcoming series: Imperiled Shores. Look for the first two stories from that series on Oct. 30 and Nov. 4 at WisconsinWatch.org. Vaccinated persons are welcome to join us at Crossroads at Big Creek for a panel discussion followed by a deeper dive conversation. The panel will be live-streamed and recorded. Among confirmed experts are: Ryan Sorenson, Mayor of Sheboygan and board member of the Great Lakes and St Lawrence Cities InitiativeMike Friis, Manager of the Wisconsin Coastal Management, Land Information and Comprehensive Planning ProgramsTony Wilkin Gibart, Executive Director Midwest Environmental AdvocatesModerator: Wisconsin Watch reporter Mario Koran Registration for this in-person free event is required as the venue has limited capacity. This discussion is sponsored by Beyond the Headlines: Wisconsin’s Water Future, a program of Wisconsin Humanities in partnership with Wisconsin Watch and NEW News Lab, a consortium of news media in northeast Wisconsin. Beyond the Headlines is funded in part by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation as part of its "Democracy and the Informed Citizen initiative" and the National Endowment for the Humanities. For more information about Beyond the Headlines, please visit: https://beyondtheheadlineswisconsin.org/ Wisconsin Humanities strengthens the roots of community life through educational and cultural programs that inspire civic participation and individual imagination.Founded in 1972 to share stories, explore our world, and find ourselves in it, WH is an independent non-profit supported by federal, state and private funds.