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Saving Buffalo Reef

Buffalo Reef Project Area Map

Committee & Upcoming Meetings

  • In 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency agreed to provide $3.1 million requested by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to dredge in a natural trough area north of Buffalo Reef in summer 2019.

    The dredging is intended to buy five to seven years for the multi-entity Buffalo Reef Task Force, which was created by the EPA to develop a long-term management plan to protect the reef, Grand Traverse Bay Harbor and associated resources including lake trout and lake whitefish spawning and rearing areas.

    A steering committee was named for the task force, including Stephanie Swart, lake coordinator, Office of the Great Lakes, Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy in Lansing, Michigan; Evelyn Ravindran, natural resources director, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community in L'Anse, Michigan; and Tony Friona, liaison to the Great Lakes for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center in Buffalo, New York.

    In early 2018, the committee organized a public meeting in Lake Linden and a meeting of scientists at Michigan Technological University in Houghton, to organize efforts to save Buffalo Reef. More meetings have taken place since. See Upcoming Meetings and Events for the latest public outreach.

    See the Task Force timeline

    STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS

    Stephanie Swart, 517-284-5046

    Lake Coordinator

    Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, Office of the Great Lakes

    Lansing, Michigan

     

    Carl Platz, 616-842-5510, ext 25521

    Great Lakes Program Manager

    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

    Great Lakes and Ohio River Division

     

    Evelyn Ravindran, 906-524-5757, ext. 11

    Natural Resources Director

    Keweenaw Bay Indian Community

    L’Anse, Michigan

     

     

  • The Buffalo Reef Task Force had planned summer 2020 meetings to update the public on the latest developments. Those open house forums were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, the task force released an update newsletter for the public in August, which is available on this website.
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