The proposed Green Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve has moved into a public review stage.
NOAA has released a draft environmental impact statement and a draft management plan for the proposal and opened a 45-day comment period. The step does not designate a reserve, and NOAA says designation itself would not add new state or federal regulations.
The proposed reserve would have three components in northeastern Wisconsin — the Peshtigo River, the Lower Bay and Sturgeon Bay — made up entirely of publicly owned or land-trust-held land. UW-Green Bay would lead reserve programs if designation is completed.
The draft review considers a no-action option and two designation options, one using the originally nominated boundary of about 37,714 acres and another using a revised boundary of about 36,502 acres.
Two hearings are scheduled for Dec. 10, a virtual session from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and an in-person session from 2:30 to 4 p.m. in Room 136 of the S.T.E.M. Innovation Center at UW-Green Bay. Written comments are due by 11:59 p.m. Central on Dec. 21.
