The Underwater Cultural Resources Public Access and Research Conference is a
three-day event that examines public access to Michigan's underwater cultural
resources (UCRs) and the research potential they hold. The conference will
highlight current research using UCRs, engage constituents and stakeholders in
discussion of current issues fostering or inhibiting research, and develop an
action plan that will direct the future study of these fragile resources while
promoting public access, tourism, and management of water-dependent use in
coastal communities. Michigan has emerged as a leader in UCR management with
the addition of the first National Marine Sanctuary on the Great Lakes, which
is co-managed by the state and federal governments. Although this has helped to
better manage a finite group of underwater resources, it has also created new
issues and potential partnerships that are unique to Michigan, which this
conference will seek to further identify and solidify plans to address.
The conference is free of charge and open to the public. Held at the Courtyard by Marriott at Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, on February 25-27, 2020, each day has a
separate theme. Attendance may be for one day, one presentation, or the whole
conference. An up-to-date schedule may be found by clicking on the days listed in the right column.
Financial assistance for this project was provided, in part, by the Coastal
Management Program, Water Resources Division, Michigan Department of
Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, under the National Coastal Zone
Management Program, through a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.