With financial assistance provided by the Michigan Coastal Management Program, Water Resources Division, EGLE, with funding through the National Coastal Zone Management Program along with the Van Buren Conservation District (VBCD) Operations millage, the VBCD connected with Van Buren County’s coastal communities to learn more about the unique challenges they face.
The Van Buren District Library Covert Branch hosted a display to share what we learned and highlight what’s so special about living in Covert and South Haven. Together, we have the opportunity to protect what’s unique about coastal spaces. Below is a poster highlighting places that are unique to these coastal areas along with the sources we used when putting together the project.
EGLE produced a series of videos that are available for free on YouTube entitled, “Building Coastal Resilience.”
Part 1 : Building Coastal Resilience: Introduction to the Michigan Coastline
Part 2: Building Coastal Resilience: The Impacts of Water Levels and Weather
Part 3: Building Coastal Resilience: Protecting the Coast for Everyone
Part 4: Building Coastal Resilience: Data and Tools for Making Informed Decisions
Part 5: Building Coastal Resilience: Adaptation Strategies
Part 6: Building Coastal Resilience: Planning for a Resilient Future
Looking to learn more? The Michigan Sea Grant Great Lakes Coastal Planning & Zoning Email Course is a learning opportunity for coastal land use decision makers and interested residents. Through a series of five lessons, delivered to your email inbox, you will learn about Michigan’s Great Lakes shorelines and how communities can plan and zone for those shorelines. This course is meant as an introduction to coastal planning and zoning topics of interest. Each lesson provides some general information with plenty of links to more content to explore. You can learn more about the free course and register here: https://www.canr.msu.edu/courses/great-lakes-coastal-planning-zoning-email-course.
The Critical Dune Areas (CDA) program is administered under the authority of Part 353, Sand Dune Protection and Management, of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act, 1994 PA 451, as amended. The CDA program protects the extremely fragile areas of Michigan’s unique dunes by promoting the use of design and construction techniques to minimize impacts of uses on the dunes. As defined in part 353, “use” means “a developmental, silvicultural, or recreational activity done or caused to be done by a person that significantly alters the physical characteristic of a critical dune area or a contour change done or caused to be done by a person.”
A Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, & Energy (EGLE) permit is required for any use within a CDA. Regulated activities include construction of buildings, septic systems, water wells, driveways, all excavation and filling, and vegetation removal within the CDAs. These areas can be identified by EGLE staff based on the “Atlas of Critical Dune Areas” dated February 1989, and adopted by the Michigan Legislature under Part 353. You can learn more about Michigan’s CDA program and begin the permitting process on EGLE’s website.
Coastal Communities: Challenges & Actions
Southwest Michigan is home to many coastal communities. All coastal communities are special and deserve to be protected. Read more to learn about the unique challenges coastal communities like ours are facing, why they matter, and what you can do to help!
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Find Your Adventure on the Coast!
Discover coastal areas open to the public in Van Buren County!
