UW-Green Bay: To host a technical webinar to discuss progress on designation efforts of the Bay of Green Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR)

Green Bay, Wis.—The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay is hosting a technical webinar to discuss progress on designation efforts of the Bay of Green Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR), and to share details on the site selection criteria and the candidate sites for the natural areas of the NERR. The webinar is free and open to both media and the public. The same webinar will be offered on two dates: Tuesday, May 10, 2022 from 2 to 3 p.m. (CST) and Wednesday, May 11, 2022 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. (CST). Sign-up for the webinar here. The webinar will be of interest to local government officials, residents in areas near candidate sites that may have questions about what designation means, organizations focused on coastal and water issues, and friends of UW-Green Bay.

Further information about the candidate sites can be found here,including a map of the areas. Candidate sites range from the tip of Door County to Point Au Sable and Wequiock Creek in Brown County and includes potential sites in Suamico, Oconto and Marinette. Only publicly owned or lands open to the public are eligible to be included in the NERR and no new land will be purchased for the designation.At a date following the technical webinars, the UW-Green Bay and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will host a virtual question-and-answer session to provide an opportunity for more in-depth discussion. A formal date and time for the question-and-answer session will be announced at the webinar, shared via email, and posted on the Green Bay NERR website. A recording of the webinars, and a summary of questions and answers asked during the webinars and at the follow-up session will be posted to the Green Bay NERR website.

Contact Emily Tyner (tynere@uwgb.edu) with any questions. 

What is a National Estuarine Research Reserve?
The National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERR) is a national network of 30 sites across the coastal US, including the Great Lakes, designed to protect and study estuaries and their coastal wetlands. The mission of the NERR System is, “To practice and promote stewardship of coasts and estuaries through innovative research, education, and training using a place-based system of protected areas.” Established through the Coastal Zone Management Act, the reserves represent a partnership program between NOAA and the coastal states. NOAA provides funding and national guidance, and each site is managed on a daily basis by a lead state agency or university with input from local partners. For the Bay of Green Bay NERR, UW-Green Bay is leading the designation process. At the local level, a Green Bay NERR will offer a coordinating force to manage, restore, and protect the Green Bay ecosystem, with a programmatic focus on four sectors: research, education, stewardship, and training.
About the University of Wisconsin-Green BayEstablished in 1965, UW-Green Bay is a public institution serving 9,276 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students and 95,000 continuing education learners each year. We educate students from pre-college through retirement and offer 200+ degrees, programs and certificates. UW-Green Bay graduates are resilient, inclusive, sustaining and engaged members of their communities, ready to rise to fearlessly face challenges, solve problems and embrace diverse ideas and people. With four campus locations, the University welcomes students from every corner of the world. UW-Green Bay is the fastest-growing school in the UW. For more information, visit www.uwgb.edu.