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Elk Rapids Leaders Approve Green Infrastructure Resolution

Elk Rapids is taking a big leap towards being environmentally friendly.

Leaders approved a Green Infrastructure Resolution for the village.

It’s one way they’re trying to make sure Grand Traverse Bay is clean for generations to come.

9 &10’s Megan Woods has details on what this resolution includes and how it will make a difference.

“Basically what it says is we are committing to green infrastructure whenever it is viable and affordable,” says village manager Bill Cooper.

A green infrastructure resolution to protect this precious resource.

Nathan Griswold, Inhabitect, LLC President says, “Another way to think about green infrastructure is thinking about living infrastructure so plants are involved in most green infrastructure elements. There’s many different types of technologies, green vegetated roof tops, living walls, permeable pavement, rain barrels, rain gardens.”

Elk Rapids already has their eye on their first green infrastructure project, a rain garden for storm water runoff from their harbor’s parking lot.

Cooper says, “The water will then come through the system it will go out and instead of going directly into the bay it will be diverted through this rain garden. The plants in there pick-up not only the water, but the bulk of the contaminates that might be in there.”

In order to pay for that, they’re applying for a $20,000 grant and this resolution is one of the requirements.

It’s a commitment many say will go a long way.

Griswold says, “Any major city in North America right now has some type of green infrastructure mandate or some program where they incentivize the building of green infrastructure and to see a community the size of Elk Rapids doing it, that’s great.”

Cooper says, “This is just one more way to insure that anything going back into the ecosystem is as clean as it can be and that’s what our goal is.” 

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