Gov. Tony Evers visits Little Manitowoc River as city receives grant for restoration work and kayak launch installation

MANITOWOC – Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers and Department of Administration Secretary Kathy Blumenfeld visited the Manitowoc Lincoln Park Zoo July 17 to tour the Little Manitowoc River.

The visit was part of the governor's efforts to meet with grant recipients of the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program . They were joined by Manitowoc Mayor Justin Nickels, Council President William Schlei and other city leaders.

City of Manitowoc received $121,449 from the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program to support two projects on the Little Manitowoc River.

The first project is to restore part of the shoreline near Lincoln Park to create habitat for coastal and wetland birds. The city was granted $95,375 for this project.

The second is to install an accessible kayak launch on the river and educational signage at Lincoln Park. The city was granted $26,074 for this project.

"There's no overstating the importance of our Great Lakes and how these vital natural resources have shaped the culture and economy of our coastal communities and our state's history," Evers said in a news release. "... These investments will go a long way toward helping ensure we protect our shoreline communities, address the unique challenges we face and promote long-term growth and success."

The state distributed $1.3 million through 31 individual grants statewide to projects designed to support quality of life, economic development and support Great Lakes resources, a news release said.

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"The collaborative public and private projects aided by our coastal programs do so much to expand public access, sustainable use practices, community development, habitat restoration and to address pollution," Blumenfeld said. "This is a key program with lasting benefits for our state in too many ways to count."

The funds for the Wisconsin Coastal Management Council are part of Wisconsin's federally-funded Coastal Management Program .

Alisa M. Schafer is a reporter for the Herald Times Reporter in Manitowoc. She can be reached by email at aschafer@gannett.com .

This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Gov. Tony Evers visits Little Manitowoc River as city receives grant for restoration work and kayak launch installation