Appropriations Requests for : Alcona Township

1. Cosponsoring legislators:

• Michele Hoitenga

Recipient Information

2. Intended legislatively directed spending item recipient:

Alcona Township

3. Physical address of legislatively directed spending item recipient and the intended location of the project or activity:

Physical Location: Alcona Township Hall, 5576 US-23, Black River, Michigan 48721 Project Location: Mouth of the Black River at Lake Huron in Alcona Township

4. The recipient's employer identification number:

38-2183846

Funding Details

5. Requested amount of the legislatively directed spending item:

$1,500,000.00

6. What is the purpose and how does the legislatively directed spending item provide a public benefit that is an appropriate use of taxpayer money?

• Project Description: At their September 12, 2023 meeting, the Alcona Township Board approved the formation of the Black River Waterways Committee to aid in facilitating and advancing the proposal for improvements to the navigability of the Black River at Lake Huron. The committee is tasked with working on behalf of Alcona Township to achieve a permanent accretion abatement solution (the river mouth consistently fills with sand and becomes unnavigable). • History: The Michigan DNR supports this project & contracted GEI Engineering to conduct an initial study of the siltation / sediment issues at the mouth of the Black River. The study was completed and reported to the public in April of 2022. The study concluded that construction of a dual rock wall jetty would be the best solution to reduce the impact of accretion & sedimentation build up at the mouth of the river and along the shoreline. Since 2019 the Michigan DNR dredged the river many times only to have it become unnavigable again within 1-2 weeks. Subsequent studies have been conducted & paid for by the Michigan DNR & Alcona Township. This funding is being requested to enable completion of lake bottom and Black River mouth sediment sampling, bathymetry surveys, modeling of specific breakwater / jetty geometries, permit reviews with regulators and ultimately construction of the dual rock wall jetty. • The Black River is rich in history and in past years supported logging and commercial fishing industries both of which constructed makeshift jetties to support their operations (long since abandoned & submerged under the sand lake bottom but still visible via Google Earth). The Black River is also within & one of the Southern most points of access to the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Implementation of this initiative is valuable use of taxpayer funds because of its significant potential to restore this site to its former environmental vibrancy and capability of providing long term, safe, reliable, unobstructed access to Lake Huron supporting: life saving water rescue capability, recreational boating and fishing, recreational diving in the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and preservation of the natural fish habitat for the Black River Watershed. • This project has strong community support, and the Michigan DNR leadership has received letters of support for the project from : Representative Cavitt, Senator Hoitenga, Congressman Bergman, Alcona County: Sheriff, Board of Commissioners & Economic Development Committee, Alcona Township Fire Chief & Supervisor / Board. Your commitment to this project will contribute to a more proactive approach to managing this vital waterway. Thank you for your attention, and we look forward to witnessing the positive impact of construction of the dual jetty solution at the mouth of the Black River.

7. Has the legislatively directed spending item previously received or been awarded any of the following types of funding in the past 5 years?

✓ Yes: State Funding

Amount received: $78,000.00

8. Estimated time frame for completion of the legislatively directed spending item project:

12 months from start of construction

Additional Information For Nonprofit Corporations

9. Is the recipient a nonprofit corporation?

No

Certification By Sponsoring Legislator

• "I certify that my immediate family members, legislative staff members, and I have no direct or indirect pecuniary interest in the requested legislatively directed spending item."
• "I certify that the intended recipient of this legislatively directed spending item is not a for-profit entity."
• "I certify that the information in this form is true to the best of my knowledge."

Senator Michele Hoitenga