A friendly reminder and invitation for you, your organization, and community for the MSU Extension/Sea Grant Tourism Summit for the Thumb on July 17th to be held at the Octagon Barn Agricultural Museum. Additional details can be found on the event flier as well as in the registration link here. The Summit will focus on providing community leaders and local stakeholders with specific tools to begin implementation of the tourism related work of the Lake Huron Integrated Assessment project that you all contributed to.

Registration is now open and will continue to be until July 5th! Please consider inviting any member(s) of your community to register and attend.

Read more here...

The Saginaw Metropolitan Area Transportation Study (SMATS) has developed a draft Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for 2014 – 2017. The Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) is a prioritized, multi-year schedule of federally funded transportation projects in Saginaw County.
The draft TIP is available on the SMATS web site at http://www.saginawcounty.com/Planning/SMATS.aspx.
We encourage you to review the draft TIP and advise us of your comments and concerns. The document is also available at the SMATS Office, located in the Saginaw County Planning Department, on the lower level of the Saginaw County Governmental Center,111 S. Michigan Avenue, Saginaw, Michigan 48602. You may also request a paper copy of the TIP by calling the SMATS Office at 989-797-6800 and one will be mailed to you.
Comments on the proposed 2014 – 2017 TIP may be submitted by regular mail to SMATS, County Planning Department, 111 S. Michigan Avenue, Saginaw MI 48602; by fax to 989-797-6809; or by e-mail to dmanley@saginawcounty.com. Please submit written comments so that they are received by June 18, 2013.
SMATS will hold Open Houses to discuss the draft TIP on the following dates:
Tuesday, June 4, 2013 Tuesday, June 18, 2013
3:00 to 5:00 p.m. (both dates)
Planning Dept. Conference Room
Saginaw County Governmental Center, Lower Level
111 S. Michigan Avenue
Saginaw, Michigan


Read more here...

Gratiot County — smack in the middle of the Lower Peninsula — comes out on top, propelled by large recent investments in wind energy farming.

Read more here...

The USDA is now accepting grant applications for the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). This competitive grant program supports renewable energy projects like wind turbines, solar arrays, or grain dryers. There is additional information regarding this program on the USDA's website at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/BCP_Reap.html

These opportunities and deadlines include:
•Renewable energy system and energy efficiency improvement grant applications and combination grant and guaranteed loan applications until April 30, 2013;
•Renewable energy system and energy efficiency improvement guaranteed loan only applications on a continuous basis up to July 15, 2013; and
•Renewable energy system feasibility study applications through April 30, 2013.


Read more here...

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Parks and Recreation Division recently announced that 2013-14 off-road vehicle (ORV) trail grant applications are available to public agencies and non-profit incorporated clubs and organizations.

Applications are available (from the ORV Trail Improvement Fund) for grants to maintain existing designated state ORV trails, routes and use areas; repair public lands damaged by inappropriate ORV use; and develop new ORV trails, routes and use areas. Grant funds also are available to pay for liability insurance, leases or easements.

Read more here...