Site Selection & Timeline
Overview
The multi-step process of selecting the natural areas for the Bay of Green Bay NERR is overseen by three committees: Site Coordination Committee, Site Development Committee, and Site Evaluation Committee. The process of selecting a site for the NERR visitor and education center will begin in 2023.
Public Engagement
A virtual Kickoff Event will launch the site selection process. This event will provide an overview of the process for selecting a site and be an opportunity for community groups, stakeholders, and landowners to ask questions about the reserve designation.
Site Development
The Site Development Committee will review the relevant geography being considered for the natural areas of the NERR, draft criteria to be used in the site selection process, and identify 3-5 optimal candidate site areas for the Bay of Green Bay NERR. This step was completed in Spring 2022.
Site Nomination & Boundary Delineation
The Site Evaluation Committee will agree upon a process for applying the site selection criteria. The committee will review the candidate site areas and recommend a final site for nomination. They will then delineate boundaries of the proposed site. This step was completed in November 2022.
Submission of Site Nomination to the Governor's Office
The Site Coordination Committee will prepare a Nomination Document for submission to the Governor's Office and NOAA. The Nomination Package will provide an overview of the process used to a make a final site nomination, the design of the proposed site relative to reserve requirements, the site's compatibility with existing land and water uses, and its alignment with regional stakeholders. The Site Nomination Document was submitted to the Governor's Office in December 2022.