The document provides an overview of the Graham Sustainability Institute, its mission to enhance sustainability through research and education, and its work on integrated assessments and the Planet Blue Ambassadors program. It describes the Water Levels Integrated Assessment, which examines options for adapting to changing Great Lakes water levels, and the multi-phase planning process. It also summarizes the Planet Blue Ambassadors program, which engages the University of Michigan community in sustainability efforts through training and pledges.

1. John Callewaert & Nicole Berg
October 21, 2015
WOLVERINE CAUCUS
Preserving Our Great Lakes:
How Do We Adapt As They Change?

2. Presentation Overview
• Graham Sustainability Institute
• Water Levels Integrated Assessment
• Local Application: Planet Blue Ambassadors Program

3. WHO WE ARE WHAT WE DO
Working to enhance quality of life for present and future generations
while safeguarding the planet's life-support systems
Provost unit founded in 2006
30 dedicated staff
3 strategic advisory bodies
Deans’ Council
Faculty Executive Committee
External Advisory Board
$13M/yr budget (Gifts, Grants, General Funds)
Lead U-M Presidential Initiative
Integrate across all U-M units
Influence real-world decisions
Cultivate future leaders
Extend U-M experience

4. Education
Undergrad Scholars & Fellows (MS, PhD, Postdoc)
Integrated Assessment
Solving Wicked Problems
Water
Great Lakes and Estuaries
Climate
Adaptation Planning, Literacy & Decision support
Campus Behavior
Cultural Indicators, Planet Blue Ambassadors
Scientifically Rigorous
Interdisciplinary
Local-to-Global Scales
Engaged with Practice
Collaborative
CENTERS & PROGRAMS COMMON PRINCIPLES

5. An Assessment…
• Or a review and analysis of research
and data related to a specific issue.
That Integrates…
• Policy or management context
• Diverse stakeholder perspectives
• Several disciplines
• An analysis of causes and possible
solutions
In order to….
• Build consensus
• Inform decisions
Integrated Assessment

6. Stakeholder
Input
Analysis
Teams
Develop Information and Tools to
Guide Decisions
Identify and Evaluate Options
Clarify the Issue
(History, Causes, and Consequences)
Define the Issue, Identify Challenges
Offer Direction
and Feedback
Provide
Background Data
Prioritize
Options
Evaluate New
Resources
Develop New
Resources
Evaluate
Options
Conduct
Analyses
Gather
Data
Integrated Assessment
Overview
Analysis of Strategies and Policy Options 6

7. • Scoping & development
– Stakeholder mapping
– Shoreline property owners survey
– Development of an advisory committee
Water Levels Integrated Assessment
MDEQ, Office of
the Great Lakes
U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers
Ducks Unlimited
Wisconsin Harbor
Towns Association
ODNR, Office of
Coastal Management
Environment
Canada
The Nature
Conservancy
W. Michigan Shoreline
Regional Dev. Comm.
Conservation
Ontario
Ohio Lake Erie
Commission
Georgian Bay
Forever
Save our Shoreline
International Joint
Commission
Wisconsin &
Michigan Sea Grant
Council of Great
Lakes Industries
Great Lakes Coalition

8. • Purpose
– To help equip the region with a robust set of water
level adaptive strategies that protect the ecological
integrity, economic stability, and cultural values of
the region
• Focus
– Lakes Michigan-Huron & Erie
– Identifying & evaluating adaptive management
other options (not lake level control structures)
Water Levels Integrated Assessment

9. • Guiding Question
What environmentally, socially, politically, and
economically feasible policy options and management
actions can people, businesses, and governments
implement in order to adapt to current and future
variability in Great Lakes water levels?
• Key Impact Areas
– Infrastructure − Shoreline economies
– Water Quality − Nearshore &
– Recreation & Tourism shoreland habitat
Water Levels Integrated Assessment

10. Planning
Grants
• March – August 2015: Planning grant teams explore
feasibility of an IA in a specific location & prepare
summary reports
IA
Phase 1
• November 2015 – April 2016: 4+ IA analysis teams each
provide an interdisciplinary overview synthesis and report
of status, trends, causes, and consequences
IA
Phase 2
• May 2016 – October 2016: With stakeholder input, each
analysis team develops a report analyzing viable policies
and adaptive actions
IA
Phase 3
• November 2016 – April 2017: Analysis teams work
together with Graham personnel to develop a final
comprehensive IA report of select options
Water Levels Integrated Assessment
Local
Regional

11. 1,815 Responses
70% Property owners
90% Residential
Owners/managers by
property locationQualtrics
Survey
Email
Distribution
(1,527)
Postal Mail
Distribution
(288)
22%
73%
2%
1% 1%
1%
Michigan (256)
Huron (851)
Erie (30)
Superior (13)
Ontario (11)
H-E Corridor (7)
Shoreline Property Owners Survey
Jacboson 2014

12. Results: Concern
25 44 33 74107
971
1300
838
323
12 11 17
1290
187
82
201
2
487
285
577
General Economic Environmental Social
Level of Concern
Not at all concerned Slightly concerned Concerned Very concerned Don't know
Jacboson 2014

13. Results: Impacts
499
247
172
140
29
Erosion
Recreational
Flooding
Operating expenses
Business revenue
Number of responses
High Water Level Impacts
1181
849
602
169
5
Recreational
Water quality
Operating expenses
Business revenue
Boat damage
Number of responses
Low Water Level Impacts
Jacboson 2014

14. Outreach: Water Budget & Fluctuations
e = evaporation
p = precipitation
r = runoff
Figure revised from
original, used with
permission from Sea
Grant.
This graphic shows the
amount of precipitation
compared to the amount
of diversion in Lake
Michigan-Huron, per
minute. Developed by
the Graham Institute.
Data from GLERL
• Elizabeth LaPorte

15. Planning Grants
• Land-use regulation and infrastructure policy
Richard Norton , University of Michigan (PI); Guy Meadow, Michigan
Technological University

16. Planning Grants
• Stakeholder perceptions
Hans VanSumeren (PI) and Constanza Hazelwood, Northwestern
Michigan College

17. Planning Grants
• Threatened and endangered species habitat
Dennis Albert, Oregon State University (PI); Paul Drevnick, University of
Michigan

18. Planning Grants
• Tribal fisheries
Frank Marsik (PI) and Richard Rood, University of Michigan; Kyle Whyte,
Michigan State University

19. Planning Grants
• Coastal bluffs & shoreline planning
David Hart (PI), Jane Harrison, and Adam Mednick, Wisconsin Sea Grant;
Bruce Bessert, Concordia University; John Janssen and Jenny Kehl ,
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Jim LaGro, David Mickelson, Brian
Ohm, and Chin Wu, University of Wisconsin-Madison

20. Planning Grants
• Coastal bluffs & shoreline planning
George Arhonditsis (PI) and Vincent Cheng, University of Toronto at
Scarborough; Lynne Peterson, Consultant; Agnes Richards, Environment
Canada

21. Planning Grants
• Visualization & scenario planning
Adam Fenech, University of Prince Edward Island; Daniel Scott, University
of Waterloo; Colin Dobel, Ontario Water Center

22. Planning
Grants
• March – August 2015: Planning grant teams explore
feasibility of an IA in a specific location & prepare
summary reports
IA
Phase 1
• November 2015 – April 2016: 4+ IA analysis teams each
provide an interdisciplinary overview synthesis and report
of status, trends, causes, and consequences
IA
Phase 2
• May 2016 – October 2016: With stakeholder input, each
analysis team develops a report analyzing viable policies
and adaptive actions
IA
Phase 3
• November 2016 – April 2017: Analysis teams work
together with Graham personnel to develop a final
comprehensive IA report of select options
Next Steps
Local
Regional

23. Planet
Blue
Ambassadors

24. Planet Blue Ambassadors
• “Pursue stakeholder engagement, education, and
evaluation strategies toward a campus-wide ethic of
sustainability.”
• Engage and empower any interested member of the
U-M community in sustainability.
• Foster a boots-on-the-ground network to create a
culture of sustainability at U-M and support fulfillment
of our campus sustainability goals.

25. theme guiding principle goals
climateaction
communityawawareness
healthyenvironments
wasteprevention
We will pursue energy efficiency and
fiscally-responsible energy sourcing
strategies to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions toward long-term carbon
neutrality.
We will pursue
purchasing, reuse,
recycling, and composting
strategies toward long-
term waste eradication.
We will pursue stakeholder
engagement, education,
and evaluation strategies
toward a campus-wide
ethic of sustainability.
We will pursue land and water
management, built environment,
and product sourcing strategies
toward improving the health of
ecosystems and communities.
Reduce scope 1 & 2 greenhouse gas emissions by
25%.
Decrease carbon intensity of passenger trips on U-
M transportation options
by 30%.
Purchase 20% of U-M food in accordance with U-M
Sustainable Food Purchasing Guidelines.
Protect Huron River quality by reducing runoff from
impervious surfaces and reducing the volume of land
management chemicals used on campus by 40%
Reduce waste tonnage
diverted to disposal
facilities by 40%
No formal goal adopted, but
U-M will invest in programs to
educate our community, track
behavior, and report progress
over time.

28. Water Training Module
• Importance of the Great Lakes to area
ecosystems, recreation, and economy
• Breadth of U-M research in this area
• Individual and U-M action on reducing
pollution and increasing water conservation
• Energy module focuses on climate change
affects on the Great Lakes region

29. Ongoing Developments
• We use U-M research such as SCIP and the
Water Levels IA to:
– Update the training modules
– Create new action pledges where individual
actions are available
– Ongoing training, workshops, discussions, and
information

31. PBA Current Activity
• Over 3151 people have participated
• 2416 people have completed the training (2/3
staff/faculty, 1/3 students)
• Over 19k pledges completed
• 5,891,864 gallons of water saved
• Over 5 million pounds of greenhouse gas
emissions prevented