GAYLORD — Close to a year after last year’s March ice storm, Michigan activist groups are holding a “people’s hearing” to raise awareness about ongoing challenges and future concerns.
The event will include conversations with Northern Michigan residents, farmers, small business owners and community members, generally about the storm and how its impacts are still being felt today.
Organizers of the event say that they hope to bring attention to not just the damage caused by last year’s storm, but also the risk of future extreme weather that’s being worsened by a changing climate.
“The goal really is just to create more resiliency in the community by understanding how climate is going to continue to impact us in different ways, whether that’s an ice storm or perhaps even droughts or fires and wildfire smoke,” said Zoe Zeerip, coordinator of the Great Lakes Business Network. “There’s so many different ways that Michigan can experience these extreme weather events that we expect to increase, and we just really want to start growing that awareness, because those conversations aren’t being had out in the open.”
The event will take place at Treetops Resort in Gaylord on Thursday, Feb. 26, from 6 to 8 p.m. More information and a signup link can be found here.
Those interested in potentially speaking at the event can sign up here.
Organizers of the event include the Business Network, the Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities, the Michigan League of Conservation Voters and more.
“I think this is a real opportunity for community members to feel like their voice is heard,” Zeerip said. “We don’t want this to be like a scolding of any sense against the public officials, but really creating more partnerships for the future events and opportunities, seeing where the gaps were and learning from those gaps — rather than just criticizing the mistakes or missteps, perhaps, that took place.”
Organizers also say representatives from the office of U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, (D), will be in attendance.