Six Coastal Management Grants Awarded in Door County

The County of Door, the Towns of Jacksonport and Gibraltar, and the Village of Ephraim have all received Coastal Management Program grants, announced in February, for the 2023-2024 round.

Rep. Joel Kitchens (R-Sturgeon Bay) is the only member of the Wisconsin Assembly who serves on the Coastal Management Council, which acts as an advisory board and sets policy direction for the program. Another Door County resident, Bill Schuster, is also on the council.

Created in 1978, the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program is only for the state’s 15 coastal counties and supports projects that focus on wetland protection, habitat restoration, nonpoint pollution control, land-use planning, Great Lakes education, public access, historic preservation and land acquisition.

“The whole goal is sustainable development and to protect the resources,” Kitchens said.

The grants require a match and are useful in drawing additional dollars, extending the reach of the roughly $1.5 million that’s available annually. 

“The impact is more than $1.5 million because very often with that money, you can leverage for other grants,” Kitchens said.

Some of the more well-known projects partially funded with the grants include Sister Bay’s purchase of Pebble Beach, the Village of Egg Harbor’s public-beach expansion and the Town of Liberty Grove’s construction of a staircase at Porte des Morts Park from the top of the bluff to the water below.

The Door County awards granted for this cycle are as follows:

• The Door County Facilities and Parks Department received $12,525 to develop informational signs pertaining to the geological, cultural and historical significance of the Niagara Escarpment and install the signs at the Door Bluff Headlands County Park. The total project cost is $25,050.

• The Door County Soil and Water Conservation Department received $24,597 to update and translate nine brochures/pamphlets to Hmong and Spanish. The total project cost is $49,194.

• Jacksonport received $9,000 to complete its comprehensive-plan update. The total project cost is $18,000.

• The Town of Gibraltar received $23,000 for its comprehensive-plan update. The total project cost is $46,000.

• The Village of Ephraim received $26,560 to reconstruct 360 feet of boardwalk bridges in the Village Wetland Preserve to provide ADA-compliant public access. The total project cost is $66,400.

• The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay received $24,957 to implement a pilot initiative in Door, Marinette and Oconto Counties to develop and test a set of protocols for assessing wetland quality using bryophytes (mosses, liverworts and hornworts). This will include identification and listing. The total project cost is $49,924. Kitchens said applications have been declining during the past few years. The 2024-25 requests for proposals will be announced in August 2023. Applications will be due the first week of November. Find more information at doa.wi.gov/Pages/LocalGovtsGrants/CoastalGrants.aspx.