Formatted Title:

Restoring the Milwaukee Estuary: Prioritizing Environmental Justice and Community Engagement

Background/Objectives:

The Milwaukee Estuary was identified as one of 43 Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOCs) by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the 1980s due to severe environmental damage from human activities. This pollution degraded local waterways, restricting their use by both people and wildlife. In response, the Waterway Restoration Partnership (WRP) was formed in 2020, bringing together over 25 long-standing, trusted partners, including local, state, and federal agencies, academic institutions, utilities, nonprofits, and funding organizations. The WRP aims to restore the Milwaukee Estuary by leveraging the strengths of these partners.

Environmental justice (EJ) is central to WRP’s mission. The partnership is dedicated to involving historically marginalized communities—particularly those near polluted waterways—in decision-making processes. These communities face compounded health, education, and economic disparities due to environmental stressors. WRP’s efforts to integrate EJ principles into its projects and community engagement strategies aim to address these inequities and create long-lasting positive impacts.

Approach/Activities:

WRP’s commitment to EJ is built on meaningful community engagement and a focus on equity. Key strategies include:

Public Involvement in Projects: WRP has developed guiding principles for inclusive engagement to ensure that environmentally just practices are integrated across all projects. To effectively incorporate community voices, the partnership is establishing systems through collaboration with local organizations that already have established relationships within the community. Additionally, WRP is hiring an EJ Advisor to audit project practices, pinpoint areas for improvement, and hold all partners accountable for achieving equitable outcomes.
Creating Accessible Materials: WRP implemented inclusive engagement strategies, including newsletters, video updates, walking tours, and both in-person and virtual meetings. These efforts foster transparency, build trust, and keep the community informed and engaged. Toolkits with consistent messaging were created for community partners, allowing them to help raise awareness and increase participation in conversations and decision making.
Revamping the Community Advisory Committee (CAC): The CAC was restructured to ensure that historically excluded communities have representation in decision-making. This diverse group plays a vital role in ensuring all Milwaukee residents have a voice in the AOC delisting process. WRP began compensating CAC members for their contributions, promoting broader participation.

These key strategies will be exemplified through a detailed examination of the Dredged Material Management Facility (DMMF) project.

Results/Lessons Learned:

WRP's efforts have led to significant progress in promoting EJ within the Milwaukee Estuary AOC. The restructured CAC, with its diverse membership, has successfully prioritized community voices in decision-making processes. Public involvement initiatives, such as walking tours and video updates, have enhanced transparency and increased community understanding. Partnerships with community organizations have expanded outreach and created new educational opportunities.

Key lessons learned include the importance of persistence, patience, and maintaining clear communication and role definition among partners. Building a coalition of diverse perspectives takes time but is essential for fostering trust and creating long-term impacts in EJ. Ensuring equitable access to information and the ability to voice opinions —through language translation, digital and hard copy distribution, and diverse meeting formats—requires ongoing attention and dedicated resources. It’s also crucial to be mindful of the time demands placed on community partners and to provide fair compensation for their contributions, as this is critical to ensuring equitable participation and sustained engagement.

Anne Michalski

Affiliation

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Restoring the Milwaukee Estuary: Prioritizing Environmental Justice and Community Engagement