MARQUETTE — Marquette Township is in the infancy stages of pursuing watershed grant funding from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy in 2021.

The Marquette Township Board voted unanimously Tuesday to give Michael Springer, who chairs the Marquette Township Planning Commission, permission to work with township planning administrator Jason McCarthy and Supervisor Lyn Durant on proposed locations that could be eligible for an EGLE Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Grant.

Springer said he recently attended an EGLE webinar about the nonpoint source funding, and had also reached out to the Lake Superior Watershed Partnership for help in procuring the 25% to 37% grant match that could be required, as anticipated budget shortfalls due to COVID-19 and ongoing “dark store” tax tribunal cases have made township administrators leery of committing to a grant match.

“I understand that we do not have any money for match money. However, stick with me,” Springer told the board.

There is $4.3 million in grant funding available statewide for proposed watershed projects available to nonprofit organizations, universities and non-federal units of government.

The nonpoint source program is intended to help local stakeholders reduce NPS pollution and excessive runoff “by supporting efforts to develop and implement watershed management plans,” the EGLE website states.

Springer said SWP Director Carl Lindquist was “very interested in working with the township.”

According to the webinar, Springer said, there is $4.3 million in funding available for grants.

“So it is quite (possible) with the Superior Watershed on board and the township on board we can fund this without any cost to the township,” Springer said. “And any time we can bring money into the community to better the quality of our life, I think it’s a good opportunity.”

He said the watershed partnership had written a plan for the Dead River Basin in 2003 that could be updated to comply with the grant. The plan, Springer said, could address multiple issues in Marquette Township.

Trustee John Markes, who made the motion to begin pursuing the funding, said he was in full support.

“We’ll get the consensus from the board and let the chips fall where they may,” Markes said. “He (Springer) will come back and let us know whether this is a worthwhile thing for us to consider further.”

Time is of the essence for the grant opportunity, Springer told the board.

The notice of intent needs to be in by Aug.14, and the notice for full proposal is required to be in a week later. The final deadline for the grant applications is Nov. 6, Springer said.

Lisa Bowers can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 242. Her email address is lbowers@miningjournal.net.