Fall Newsletter 2021From the Office of the DirectorOctober 16, 2021Scott Faulkner Executive Director Muskegon River watershed Assembly I am proud to report that It has been a watershed summer at your Assembly! In the last few months, we formed strategic partnerships to explore a massive restoration project, while creating new key stakeholder relationships across nine counties.... Read More
Spring Newsletter 2021From the Office of the DirectorApril 22, 2021Marty Holtgren PHD Executive Director Muskegon River Watershed Assembly A few weeks ago as I began writing this article, it occurred to me that it would be my final communication as MRWA executive director. After three years leading the organization, I will transition to a new... Read More
Winter Newsletter 2020/2021From the Office of the DirectorJanuary 22, 2021Marty Holtgren PHD Executive Director Muskegon River watershed Assembly A Valued Partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Award winning American author and environmental activist, Wendell Berry said, “The Earth is what we all have in common.” and this is a call to us at... Read More
Marty Holtgren Ph.D. Executive Director Muskegon River Watershed Assembly A recent announcement from Lansing includes good news for anyone who cares about the Muskegon River. The department of Environment, Great lakes and Energy (EGLE) has awarded a grant totaling $108,000 to the Muskegon River Watershed Assembly (MRWA). The geographical areas of focus are four sub-watersheds: ... Read More
My Story: Muskegon River Watershed Assembly Collaboration & Growth By Jonathan Wilson, DTE Regional Manager Director, MRWA I joined the Muskegon River Watershed Assembly Board of Directors in 2016 because I felt, and still feel, that the Muskegon River is a huge economic asset, and I strongly connected to MRWA’s mission of preserving, protecting, restoring... Read More
Legislative Report Jon Bumstead Michigan State Senator Director, Muskegon River Watershed Assembly Dear Friends, Fall is often a busy time in the Michigan Legislature, and this is especially true in 2020. No one could have anticipated the COVID-19 pandemic and the negative economic impact that would come with it. Fortunately, the impact on Michigan’s budget... Read More
By Emma Costantino, Outreach Coordinator North Country Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area When people think about lakes and Michigan, the five Great Lakes likely come to mind but Michigan also has over 11,000 inland lakes. Unfortunately, these bodies of water are threatened by invasive species. Whether introduced intentionally or by accident, these non-native species present... Read More
Seven years ago a group of concerned citizens with the support of Ice Mountain Inc. launched the inaugural Muskegon River Trash Bash, an event in which volunteers spent the day removing discarded trash from the river. The project gained momentum and grew in scope until it became obvious that a dedicated project manager was required.... Read More
Final Words by George Heartwell Grand Rapids Mayor – Retired Director, Muskegon River Watershed Assembly “A River Runs Through It” Fountain Street Church Sermon (transcript) May 17, 2020 “In our family,” wrote Norman Maclean, author of the novel A River Runs Through It, “In our family, there was no clear line between religion and... Read More
