West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission (WMSRDC)

06/19/2026

🌱 Check out the amazing progress of the Marquette Micro Forest!

What started in 2023 as a community-driven vision is now growing into Muskegon’s very first micro forest. Developed through a partnership between the City of Muskegon Government, Muskegon Rotary Club, United Way of the Lakeshore, Community Foundation for Muskegon County, and WMSRDC, this innovative project is transforming a small neighborhood space into a thriving, multi-species native forest.

Using the Miyawaki method, over 2,000 trees, shrubs, and groundcover plants were densely planted to create a fast-growing ecosystem that will provide long-term environmental benefits like reducing stormwater runoff, lowering noise pollution, cooling urban heat, and creating more accessible greenspace for the community.

From the first volunteer workday in 2023 to major planting efforts in 2024, nearly 200 volunteers dedicated over 400 hours to bring this project to life.

We’re excited to watch this forest continue to grow and strengthen the Marquette neighborhood for years to come! 🌳💚

06/18/2026

Go Lauryn! She is an amazing asset to the West Michigan Clean Air Action Coalition!

Lauryn joined the West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission (WMSRDC) Transportation Department in March of 2024 and serves as the coordinator of the West Michigan Clean Air Action Coalition (WMCAC) for Muskegon County. Lauryn graduated from Grand Valley State University in 2023 with a BS in Geography with an emphasis of GIS, Environmental Remote Sensing, and Sustainability Planning. Lauryn combines her educational background with her passion for community engagement to educate residents about actions they can take to improve air quality in West Michigan. Through WMCAC, she works with local governments, organizations, and residents to promote air quality awareness in the region.

One of the things Lauryn loves about the program is the way it brings people of all ages and backgrounds together. Through the events she has attended, she has seen everyone from teenagers to older adults actively engage in conversations about air quality awareness. She enjoys seeing participants discover simple steps they can take in their daily lives to help improve air quality, save money, and support community members who are especially vulnerable to poor air quality. These experiences have reinforced her belief that education and community involvement can play a powerful role in creating healthier, more sustainable communities for everyone.

When asked what clean air means for the community, Lauryn said:
“Clean air isn't something that gets talked about enough, at least not until it lowers visibility while driving or during a beach day. Seeing is believing, but you don't have to see bad air quality to believe in the damage it causes to our lungs, skin, eyes, and even our infrastructure and vehicles. We may never see the day where there isn't at least one clean air action day during the summer, but we can still strive to improve our current situation. The smallest action can help, and if everyone starts doing those little things, they become bigger and more impactful. Cleaning our air requires a community effort. Young or old, it doesn't matter who you are; people need air to live, but having clean air will allow us to thrive."

Thanks for all that you do, Lauryn!

06/16/2026

In 2025, WMSRDC received funding through the Michigan Department of Natural Resources's Urban & Community Forestry Grant Program to complete a citywide tree inventory for the City of Muskegon Government. Using that inventory, the city is removing the most hazardous dead trees this summer.

If you know of a dead city tree in your neighborhood, local park, or cemetery, you can help keep the inventory up to date and request a tree removal through the link below.

🔗 https://seeclickfix.com/web_portal/NjxkiyDZTGDwkaeCxBtb3gVj/issues/map?lat=43.2342259&lng=-86.24656080000001&max_lat=43.24479302185468&max_lng=-86.22143386594853&min_lat=43.22365694549134&min_lng=-86.27168773405148&zoom=14

06/15/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us at Oceana County's Marshville Dam Park this past weekend for Free Fishing Saturday held by the Disability Network West Michigan!

It was a great day of fishing, community, and celebrating improved access to the outdoors. A special thank you to Conservation Resource Alliance - CRA, whose grant funding helped make the new fishing pier possible.

06/11/2026

✨ Employee Spotlight ✨

Shoutout to Erin Kuhn, our Executive Director and fearless leader. She leads with strength and purpose and helps keep everything moving forward while making a real impact every day!

06/10/2026

Last week, WMSRDC’s ERC Fellow attended La Colombe Coffee Roasters groundbreaking on a $567 million expansion at the company’s factory at 6366 Norton Center Drive in Norton Shores. One of Muskegon County's largest-ever economic development projects, the expansion will more than double the facility's workforce, creating at least 337 new jobs paying an average of $29.50 per hour for unskilled positions and $69.75 per hour for professional roles. The company will also increase its milk purchases from Michigan dairy farmers from 30 million pounds per year to 615 million pounds.

This substantial increase in dairy purchases aligns directly with findings from WMSRDC’s EDA-funded West Michigan Agriculture Cluster Economic Impact Analysis (completed August 2025) which identified dairy manufacturing as a top growth opportunity for WMSRDC’s 5-county region. Milk is the region's single most valuable agricultural product with ~$140M in annual sales, and the region’s moderate climate reduces heat stress and contributes to industry-leading milk yields per cow. With increasing drought frequency and water regulation in the west, more dairy operations are expected to migrate toward water-rich regions like the Great Lakes over the coming decades.

Groundbreaking attendees also packed over 500 meal kits for local food pantries alongside students from the "Creating Healthy Schools" program, a first-of-its-kind food processing kitchen in Muskegon that transforms locally-grown produce into meals for over 28,000 students in Muskegon and Oceana counties. The program, supported by a grant from Chobani and La Colombe, supports youth workforce development and a new outlet for local farms.

06/08/2026

The Clean Air Action booths are back and better than ever!

Feet on the Street provided an opportunity to connect with and educate the Whitehall community about the Clean Air Action program, the West Michigan Clean Air Coalition, and voluntary emission reduction activities. People of all ages participated in Air Quality Bingo, where they learned to identify sources of emissions around them for a chance to spin the wheel and win Clean Air Action prizes. Thank you, Whitehall, for having us!

06/08/2026

Last week, WMSRDC staff attended the Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce Leadership Summit Breakfast.

During the event, Executive Director Erin Kuhn presented on the Near Miss Survey and the Regional Infrastructure Coordinating Hubs (RICH), highlighting efforts to improve regional collaboration, infrastructure planning, and transportation safety.

Learn more:
Near Miss Survey: https://wmsrdc.org/project/near-miss/

Regional Infrastructure Coordinating Hubs (RICH): https://wmsrdc.org/project/regional-infrastructure-coordinating-hubs/

06/08/2026

Great to see this project getting underway. Looking forward to the improvements!

06/06/2026

Happy National Trails Day! 🌲🚶‍♀️🚴

Trails are a great way to get outside, stay active, and explore our communities. Whether you're taking a walk, going for a bike ride, or trying out a new trail, today is a great day to get outdoors and enjoy it.