Two Rivers’ Environmental Advisory Board focused on keeping its education and outreach work going — but the meeting also surfaced a looming money problem for tree work as state grant funding gets harder to land. The board also heard a resignation from a member who has moved away.
Key Decisions
The city’s urban forestry program is leaning heavily on WDNR grants, and staff warned future grant funding will be tougher — raising the city’s Environmental Fee was floated as one possible way to pay for ash tree removal and keep the work moving.
On the Lake Michigan/shoreline resiliency grant work, Stantec is expected to advance some projects to 30% concept plans, with “Option 4” near the wastewater plant described as the preferred target — but more funding will be needed to move beyond early concepts.
The board set a 2025–26 public educational series at the Lester Public Library (third Thursday evenings), lining up topics from organic farming to rain gardens, with one open slot still to fill.
Public Input · 1 speaker
Heather Gross
She told the board this was her last meeting and she needs to resign because she relocated outside the area.
Agenda Items
Urban Forestry Budget
Staff reviewed the 2025 urban forestry and tree planting budget and said a large share has come from WDNR grants — and that those grants are expected to be harder to get going forward. That matters because ash tree removal and ongoing tree work don’t go away just because grant money does; the board discussed the possibility of raising the city’s Environmental Fee to help cover costs, with contracting likely since staff capacity is limited. This is an early warning sign residents should track before it turns into a rushed fee increase later.
NWFW, Great Lake and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative Grant Update
The board recapped a July joint meeting and noted the presentation format was hard to follow with both in-person and virtual presenters — a process issue that can undercut real oversight on complex projects. Stantec is moving some shoreline-related projects to 30% concept plans, with “Option 4” near the wastewater plant described as the concept to aim for. The catch: the city will need to keep chasing additional funding to move from concepts to construction-ready plans, so residents should expect more grant applications and staged decision points.
The chair set an initial 2025–26 schedule for monthly environmental education talks at the Lester Public Library (third Thursday at 6:00 p.m.), with topics including organic farming, Great Lakes fish, and pollinator/rain gardens. This is low-stakes but useful: it’s one of the board’s few direct ways to reach residents without a vote at City Council. One month (March) is still open, which is a chance to pick a topic that matches what residents are actually dealing with locally.
The board discussed whether to keep posting videos on the city website, with an offer of equipment and training to continue the effort. A board member asked how many views the videos are getting — a basic accountability question that should be answered before spending more time on production. Without usage data, it’s hard to know if this outreach is reaching anyone beyond the already-engaged.
The board revisited its plan to feed short environmental tips to the City Manager’s report, but noted it needs a new approach with a new city manager. One alternative mentioned was including tips as an insert with the monthly utility newsletter, which could reach more households than a meeting report. This is still in the “figuring it out” stage, but it’s a practical question: where will residents actually see this information?
The board discussed compiling native plant resources, focusing on public sources like WDNR and similar agencies and avoiding private business materials. They also planned to check whether Parks & Recreation already has resources available. This is a small but concrete step toward consistent, non-salesy guidance for residents who want to plant natives.
Board members recapped attending Lake Michigan Day and said it was focused on improving water quality along the shoreline, with networking opportunities and invasive-species identification materials. This was mainly informational, with no next steps spelled out for Two Rivers. Residents should expect this to matter only if it turns into specific local actions or partnerships.
Program and Event Updates (Parks & Recreation) Faith in Place Grant Update
Staff listed upcoming volunteer events and programs tied to the Faith in Place grant, including Paddle Palooza, native planting, tree planting, and a pruning workshop, and encouraged participation. This is a straightforward community engagement update, with sign-up links provided for some events. It’s useful for residents who want hands-on ways to help, but it didn’t involve board action.