July 25, 2007

By Claudia Capos

On June 8 University of Michigan students and faculty will meet with state and local stakeholders to kick off an innovative project intended to evaluate options for establishing sustainable eco-tourism in northeast Michigan. The Northeast Michigan Integrated Assessment project, coordinated by the Northeast Michigan Council of Governments and the Michigan Sea Grant program, is the largest collaborative effort of its kind in the state, according to Don Scavia, professor and associate dean of the University of Michigan's School of Natural Resources and Environment.

"The residents of northeast Michigan want to develop eco-tourism, but they don't want to turn their parks and access to the Great Lakes into a major problem," explains Scavia, who also is director of Michigan Sea Grant, a joint University of Michigan and Michigan State University research, outreach and educational program focusing on the Great Lakes. "They want eco-tourism to be sustainable for the long term. At the University, we have the expertise in ecological and governance analysis, as well as the experience in collaboration and stakeholder processes that can help them achieve this goal."

Initial discussions began in September 2005 when Northeast Michigan Council of Governments and Michigan Sea Grant convened a meeting of University students and faculty, township supervisors, county commissioners, state park and sanctuary managers, Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Department of Environmental Quality officials, tourism promoters and other stakeholders to formulate a common vision and identify information needs for sustainable eco-tourism in the coastal portions of a three-county area comprising Presque Isle, Alpena and Alcona counties. At the upcoming June 8 meeting, University faculty and students and economists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) plan to describe the information needs they have identified and outline the next steps in the assessment.

One Natural Resources and Environment graduate student will facilitate the overall process by bringing stakeholders' views to the discussion table, and over the summer two others will conduct an ecological analysis of the coastal region, including natural features, plant and animal life, habitats and environmentally sensitive areas that require protection. These students will be assisted by Scavia and Jennifer Read, assistant director of Michigan Sea Grant.

In addition, two doctoral students and Professor Richard Norton from the A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning will examine the governance processes in the three counties and the role these processes play. Separately, a socio-economic analysis will be conducted by NOAA, and a study of cultural resources in the target areas will be performed by another stakeholder.

The assessment results will be reported to stakeholders this fall, and the final analysis of options for creating environmentally and economically sustainable eco-tourism in northeast Michigan will be made in December. Scavia calls the project a win-win for everyone.

"Local communities benefit from the expertise and analysis a major university provides, and Michigan students gain experience in applying fundamental knowledge and analytical skills to a real-world situation," he says.