Resilient Infrastructure Sustainable Communities (RISC)

3/6 Webinar registration is now open! Learn about the state of public sector green stormwater infrastructure from Barbara Hopkins of the Green Infrastructure Leadership Exchange.

A new study by Team CIS commissioned by the Green Infrastructure Leadership Exchange with funding by the Great Lakes Protection Fund (GLPF) to the Resilient Infrastructure Sustainable Communities (RISC) initiative underscores the multifaceted resilience approaches needed across the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes Region faces mounting challenges from climate change and urbanization. Over the past three decades, extreme rain events have risen by 45% while the average annual precipitation in the region has increased by 5–15%. This ecosystem is vital for drinking water, recreation, and commerce contributing $52 billion annually to the economy and supporting 1.5 million jobs. The report shows that to scale green infrastructure solutions (GSI) in the Great Lakes Region, a multifaceted approach is essential. The report identifies sustainable funding, workforce development, equitable planning, as well as regional planning and collaboration to be critical in accelerating the adoption of GSI across jurisdictions. The report features case studies from Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) on efficient use of private financing, Buffalo Sewer Authority on smart sewer technologies, City of Ann Arbor on resilience-oriented planning, and the City of Brampton on proactive Asset Management Plan. Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/gcefwC4x. The report is authored by Sri Vedachalam, Ph.D., Lisa O'Fiesh, Sarah Dobie, Ph.D., and Jaela Alvarez of CIS. #GSI #Resilience #GreatLakes #Workforce #Collaboration

The Great Lakes delegation within the U.S. House of Representatives has introduced the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative of 2025, a bill that would reauthorize the GLRI program for another five years at $500 million a year starting in 2027: https://lnkd.in/ebPxqG7Z

Report urges State protection of Wetlands in Wisconsin and across the midwest: https://lnkd.in/gjzKABTg

Why the Michigan Legislature must pass?Senate Bill 660, which authorizes local governments to create stormwater utilities and provides a clear legal roadmap for their adoption: https://lnkd.in/euQ8SQRu

Highlights of StormServe, the Lake Michigan Funding Resiliency Dashboard and more, as we recap the annual in-person meeting of RISC in Chicago last month: https://lnkd.in/eTfjBaqD

Efforts to restore wetlands in metro-Detroit: https://lnkd.in/eCS29_Xh

Excited to be attending the annual in-person meeting of RISC, where members from Cook County Government and Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago kicked off our day with a presentation on the many faces of GSI in metro Chicago:

Controlled study finds that people living in neighborhoods where the number of trees and shrubs was more than doubled showed lower levels of a blood marker of inflammation than those living outside the planted areas: https://lnkd.in/eDaHkxwP

Grant applications be received thru Sept. 20 for projects that address the urban forestry needs of municipal governments, schools, nonprofit organizations and volunteer groups throughout Michigan: https://lnkd.in/eHXYWYdY