Full Abstract =A St. Louis River Estuary Summit was organized to provide a venue for St. Louis River Estuary (SLRE) researchers and resource managers to share information, collaborate on projects and strengthen partnerships. Participants saw this as an opportunity to learn about current research and management priorities in the SLRE, and identify opportunities for collaboration. This workshop, entitled “St. Louis River Estuary Summit 2011: From Research to Management and Back Again” took place on the University of Wisconsin Superior campus on February 7 and 8, 2011.
Key partners in the planning and coordination of this event included: the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR), University of Wisconsin-Extension, US Environmental Protection Agency, US Fish and Wildlife Service, University of Minnesota-Duluth, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, MN and WI Sea Grant Programs. The target audience for this workshop was research and management professionals working in the St. Louis River Estuary. The agenda was developed to provide a mix of formal presentations, informal project mapping and networking opportunities. The first day set the stage with invited presentations that provided historical perspectives on the natural resource and social issues of the SLRE. Wisconsin and Minnesota management agency representatives presented an overview of the regulatory framework they work within when dealing with an Area of Concern on the Great Lakes. The day ended with the poster reception and time for networking.
Day two followed with several formal presentations, an interactive mapping exercise, issue-oriented break-out session and concluded with a discussion of next steps. The Great St. Louis River Estuary Data Slam, organized by George Host of the Natural Resources Research Institute and Tom Hollenhorst of the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, challenged participants to enter information about sources of St. Louis River Estuary data. More than 90 data records were entered by the time the Summit was over. The Data Slam remains open (www.tinyurl.com/slr-data-slam) for people interested in entering information or viewing the results. Prior to the summit researchers Jeff Gunderson (Minnesota Sea Grant) and Ted Angradi (EPA-MED) developed and distributed a survey to gauge participants’ perceptions about ecosystem services provided by the SLRE. Results were presented at the Summit. Lake Superior NERR staff created a summit website that included the agenda, abstracts, participant contact information, delisting targets for the beneficial use impairments for the St. Louis River Area of Concern and links to the data-slam and exit survey.
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Full Abstract = The 2012 St Louis River Estuary Science Summit was a great success. Over 150 people attended the summit this year, up from 140 last year. Although most participants were local, some travelled from Milwaukee, Madison, Wausau, Minneapolis, and Ashland to attend. We had 33 talks and 14 posters that presented information on research and restoration projects of relevance to the estuary. We also held a panel discussion “Building the Bridge Between Research and Management” where six researchers and managers discussed the challenges involved with promoting applied environmental research to address key management needs. We would like to thank all the presenters for bringing their exciting work to the summit, and the sponsors for helping make this event possible.
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Full Abstract = The St. Louis River Estuary Summit was once again a great success. Over 180 people attended the summit this year, up from 150 last year and 140 in 2011. Although most participants were local, some travelled from as far away as Boulder Colorado, Green Bay, and Milwaukee to attend. We had 23 talks and 10 posters that presented information on diverse subjects such as the Twin Ports harbor economy, science education, environmental research, mining, and Area of Concern restoration projects; all with relevance to the estuary. We also held group roundtable discussions this year, four each day, where interested individuals met around a predetermined subject during lunch. Discussion points were recorded and are added as an appendix to these proceedings. An exciting addition this year was the solicitation of summarizing remarks from attendees representing specific groups (research, port operations, public involvement, resource management, and education) at the closing of the Summit. It was great to hear what people had learned and how they expected to use this information, both personally and professionally. A common theme was that networking was a very important component of the conference; as people learned what others were doing they could then approach them and ask questions, develop ideas, and coordinate projects. A second repeated remark was that the amount of work being done in the estuary is incredible and that the Summit really helps to both deliver information and to remind us of the complexity of the environmental, economic, and social functions of freshwater estuaries. We would like to thank all the presenters for bringing their exciting work to the summit. Without their donation of time and expertise there would be nothing to see (literally). Also, thanks to the sponsors for helping make this event free of charge for attendees. Without their support registration costs would likely reduce the ability for students and the public to attend this event; some of the people we want more involved. Also, special thanks to Marie Zhuikov who brought us into the 21st century by “tweeting” the meeting. This year Twitter, next year webinar?
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