Discover the Future of Environmental Stewardship: Ford House Invites Media to Explore Shoreline Habitat Restoration Project
The Edsel and Eleanor Ford House, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization and National Historic Landmark located in Grosse Pointe Shore, Michigan, invites members of the media to a learning session highlighting the transformative Shoreline Habitat Restoration Project.
This project, funded by the Transformational Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience Grant, part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, will restore the natural habitats of Ford Cove and along almost one mile of Lake St. Clair shoreline. This massive effort will benefit several native Great Lakes species. This project will reduce the impact of waves and flooding, reduce polluted runoff and nutrient loads, and increase recreational fishing opportunities. It will also increase public access to the inaccessible shoreline for future educational and recreational activities. NOAA considers this project one of Michigan’s top-priority coastal restoration projects.
This learning session will take place on Saturday, September 14, at Ford House from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., during which guests will hear about the planning for natural habitat restoration around Ford House’s shoreline. The presentation will include the site’s history and background on different techniques for managing lake shorelines, including naturalizing them. The session will also share visualizations of the design concepts, as well as construction timelines.
Special guests include Scott Dierks, GEI Consultants’ Senior Water Resources Engineer and Project Manager; Shannan Gibb-Randall, InSite Design Studio’s lead Landscape Architect; and Terry Heatlie, NOAA’s marine Habitat Resource Specialist and Technical Monitor.
The Shoreline Habitat Restoration Project represents a significant effort to revitalize and protect the natural landscape along Lake St. Clair. Attendees will be able to explore the innovative strategies and techniques employed to enhance biodiversity, improve water quality, and restore native habitats. This project is a testament to Ford House’s commitment to environmental stewardship and community engagement.
RSVP: To confirm your attendance, please respond by September 13, 2024, via the link below. Space is limited, so early confirmation is encouraged.
https://www.fordhouse.org/events/learn-about-shoreline-habitat-restoration-project/
Photos and early renderings are available at https://www.fordhouse.org/media/media-library/
We look forward to welcoming you to Ford House for this exciting and informative event. Your coverage will help share the impactful work being done to preserve and enhance our natural environment for future generations.
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About Project Partners
GEI Consultants is partnering with three Michigan-based businesses to support this transformational project. These include In-Site Design Studio and LimnoTech, both based in Ann Arbor, and Edgewater Resources, based in St. Joseph. This collaboration will support Ford House with the experience, creativity, and range of services this project deserves. This team has well over a century of experience working in the Great Lakes and more than 20 years working with NOAA, EGLE, and USACE. GEI has designed and helped implement more than 25 NOAA-funded Great Lakes Restoration projects over that period.
InSite Design Studio will lead the landscape design and has 25 years of experience creating ecologically sensitive, innovative designs through ongoing consideration of hydrologic, topographic, and vegetative systems.
Edgewater Resources will lead the hard infrastructure design, such as potential boardwalks, viewing platforms, and offshore wave breaks. The company specializes in planning, design, and implementation of sustainable waterfront environments and has many years of experience with local, state, and federal government agencies on shoreline, coastal, marina design, and other engineering issues.
LimnoTech will lead the hydrodynamic and wind-wave modeling. The company offers the latest water science and engineering expertise in numerous disciplines within the areas of watershed and waterway management, contaminated site and sediment evaluation and restoration, permitting and regulatory assistance, water sustainability and stewardship, ecosystem studies, and applied research.
In addition to the businesses working together with Ford House on this once-in-a-lifetime restoration, additional support and collaboration are provided by the following government agencies: Macomb County Planning and Economic Development; Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE); Michigan Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Division (MDNR); and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
About Ford House
Edsel & Eleanor Ford House is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization and National Historic Landmark dedicated to preserving and sharing the legacy of the Ford Family. Ford House is located at 1100 Lake Shore Rd. in Grosse Pointe Shores. The historic lakeside estate was the family home of Edsel Ford – Henry and Clara Ford’s only son – where he lived with his wife Eleanor and their children beginning in 1928. Since 1978, Ford House has welcomed hundreds of thousands of visitors to share Eleanor Ford’s vision of preserving the estate for future generations through interpretive tours, family activities, lectures, exhibits, gardens, and grounds events. It inspires, educates, and engages visitors by exploring its unique connections to art, design, history, and the environment while celebrating family traditions and community relationships. For more information, visit www.fordhouse.org or call (313) 884-4222, and connect with Ford House on Facebook (www.facebook.com/eefordhouse) and Instagram (www.instagram.com/eefordhouse).
Images
For high-resolution images of Ford House, visit https://www.fordhouse.org/media-room/
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