MARQUETTE, MI (AP)-- An Upper Peninsula nonprofit says it's expanding a summer work program in which crews perform a variety of conservation services.
The Superior Watershed Partnership for years has helped U.P. communities through its Great Lakes Conservation Corps. Among projects planned for this summer are building new sections of the Iron Belle/North Country Trail, restoring habitat for the threatened Monarch butterfly and removing invasive plants.
Now, the partnership is establishing a separate Climate Conservation Corps, which will focus on projects that help coastal communities adapt to climate change and extreme weather. Coordinator Emily Goodman says they'll include coastal dune restoration, coastal wetland restoration and green infrastructure development.
The crews work in the watersheds of the three Great Lakes that adjoin the U.P. They are Lakes Superior, Huron and Michigan.
