Burke Center Receives $184,000 State Grant

Coastal Management Funding to Support Fish Creek Restoration Work

The Burke Center for Ecosystem Research received a $184,199 grant from the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program to support the center’s ongoing restoration work in the North Fish Creek watershed outside Ashland. The Burke Center’s grant was part of $750,000 in Coastal Management funding announced by Gov. Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Administration yesterday.

“It is critical that we continue our state’s proud history of conservation, preservation, and stewardship,” Gov. Evers said in a news release. “I’m grateful that we can remain steadfast in our work to protect and restore coastal habitats as well as build coastal and climate resilience into the future.” 

The Burke Center’s long-term restoration project in North Fish Creek has prevented an estimated 7,800 tons of sediment from flowing into Lake Superior’s Chequamegon Bay annually, helping to protect fish habitat and improving water quality in the bay, Ashland’s drinking water source. This Coastal Management funding will be used for restoration success monitoring on the North Fish Creek project, which will help inform restoration techniques in other coastally important sites in the Lake Superior watershed and around the state.

“We think our work on North Fish Creek can become a model for reducing erosion and restoring streams throughout Wisconsin and the Great Lakes region,” said Matt Hudson, the Burke Center’s Associate Director-Great Lakes. “This grant funding is crucial in helping us share the restoration lessons we have learned—and are continuing to learn—so they can be used to restore other watersheds in Northwest Wisconsin and beyond.”

“This is the latest example of how Matt’s high-profile work on North Fish Creek is continuing to bring state and federal dollars to the Ashland area,” said Peter Annin, Burke Center Executive Director. “These dollars not only support our center, but they also pass through our center to numerous subcontractors and partners, which helps grow the Ashland area’s economy.”