Updated: KBIC Natural Resources Department to host Tribal Water Day March 13

Poster courtesy Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) Natural Resources Department.

UPDATE: Unfortunately this event has been cancelled. See this announcement.

BARAGA -- The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) Natural Resources Department (NRD) will present a Tribal Water Day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, March 13, at the Ojibwa Casino Bingo Hall in Baraga. The event is free and open to the public.

Here is the Agenda:

8 a.m. - 9 a.m. -- Doors Open. Please take this time to view the display area and network.

9 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. -- Welcome and Importance of Protecting and Healing Our Waters. Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Tribal Council Leadership.
KBIC Water Walkers: Raising Awareness to Protect Nibi.

9:30 - 10:30 a.m. -- Developing Water Quality Standards. Alan Walts, Director, Tribal and Multi-media Programs Office, EPA.

10:30 - 11:10 a.m. -- KBIC Water Quality Standards Development. Cory McDonald, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Michigan Technological University.

11:10 - 11:50 a.m. -- KBIC Fisheries Program: State of the KBIC Fisheries Program, Past, Present and Future.
Gene Mensch, KBIC NRD, Fish Biologist
Karen Anderson, KBIC NRD, AIS Specialist.

Noon - 1 p.m.: Lunch Provided

1 - 1:30 p.m. -- Assessing Climate Vulnerability through Science and Ojibwa Knowledge. Rob Kroll, Policy Analyst, Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC).

1:30 - 1:50 p.m. -- KBIC Manoomin (Wild Rice) Current Restoration Efforts. Kathleen Smith, KBIC NRD Habitat Specialist.

1:50 - 2:10 p.m. -- Wetlands as the Ojibwa Medicine Cabinet. Karena Schmidt, KBIC NRD Ecologist.

2:10 - 2:40 p.m. -- Panel Discussion on Community Environmental Monitoring Program:

Geri Grant, Superior Watershed Partnership
Matt Johnson, Lundin Mining
Community Foundation of Marquette County
Evelyn Ravindran, KBIC NRD.

2:40 - 3 p.m. -- An Update on Perfluouroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). Tom Asmus, Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE).

3 - 3:20 p.m. -- Bridging Knowledge Systems and Expertise for Understanding Landscape Contamination. Judith Perlinger and Noel Urban, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Michigan Technological University.

3:20 - 3:40 p.m. -- National Marine Sanctuary -- a Keweenaw Lake Superior Designation?
Bill Rose and ERika Vye, Great Lakes Research Center, Michigan Technological University.

3:40 - 4 p.m. -- Closing Remarks.
For questions, please contact: Stephanee Cree at (906) 524-8700 or scree@kbic-nsn.gov