Leaders from throughout the region and state recently met at SEMCOG for the first meeting of the SEMCOG GREEN Task Force. GREEN stands for Growing our Resilience, Equity, and Economy with Nature, and the initiative is being led by co-chairs Bryan Barnett, Mayor of Rochester Hills, and Abdullah Hammoud, Mayor of Dearborn.
To kick off the meeting, Mayor Hammoud shared about the critical role of nature in improving public health and the impacts that air and water quality have on daily life for Dearborn residents. He also discussed the catastrophic flooding the city experienced in 2021, which affected more than 20,000 homes – and the ongoing ways that these events affect people’s lives and livelihoods long after they occur.
Mayor Barnett shared about the value of connecting people with nature in Rochester Hills, demonstrated by the development of a new signature park, Innovation Hills. This regional attraction celebrates the community’s natural environment and provides education and engagement opportunities for residents and visitors of all ages. Together, the mayors emphasized the actions that communities can take throughout the region to achieve benefits that reach beyond their own borders.
The GREEN Team
Task force members include representatives from local governments and state agencies, land conservancies, and recreation providers, along with healthcare, utilities, and business leaders. They discussed their visions for the region’s future and current efforts to implement GREEN strategies. Over the course of future meetings, the task force aims to establish regional metrics and targets for all aspects of the region’s green infrastructure network, including green stormwater infrastructure, resilient natural landscapes, and protected public land.
This undertaking would not be possible without input from diverse stakeholders, and widespread engagement will continue to be a driver of its success. As the task force was developing, SEMCOG engaged a focus group of regional business leaders about how their corporate stewardship and ESG initiatives could align with the process and support its outcomes. We also presented our early plans to the Southeast Michigan Communicators Network, to discuss public perceptions and develop effective messaging strategies.
As the initiative moves forward, there are many opportunities for regional stakeholders to represent their community’s experience and share their expertise. SEMCOG is currently conducting two surveys and planning additional focus group discussions around GREEN topics to supplement the work of the GREEN Task Force:
- The Pulse of the Region Survey targeted to the general public, aims to reveal perceptions about green infrastructure from Southeast Michigan residents. Please take this survey to share your input and share the link with the public through your networks.
- Identifying Green Infrastructure in Your Community is a separate survey for SEMCOG member communities and partner organizations that are implementing nature-based approaches. This is to understand how the green infrastructure network has developed in recent years. Please take or share this survey with representatives from these projects in your community.
- Outdoor Recreation Focus Group – Friday, December 16; 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
- Land Conservation Focus Group – Friday, December 16; 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
- Green Stormwater Infrastructure Focus Group – Friday, January 13; 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
- Resilient Landscapes Focus Group – Friday, January 13; 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
The GREEN Focus Groups will be held at SEMCOG’s office in Detroit and are open to all SEMCOG members and partners. Please use the links above to register for your areas of interest and expertise, or share with other representatives from your community or organization. We’re looking forward to hearing from you!
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