MEC’s report on shoreline development, Developing Our Coastlines: Four Michigan Communities Take Stock of Their Great Lakes Assets, was released in August and is available at www.mecprotects.org.

No fair reading the report before taking the quiz!

1. There are 10,900 miles of Great Lakes coastline. What’s Michigan’s share?
A. 6,442 miles
B. 3,288 miles
C. 901 miles
D. Depends on whether Lake St. Clair is considered a Great Lake

2. Counties bordering coastline account for 17% of the nation’s land mass but are home to what percentage of the population?
A. 70%
B. 53%
C. 31%
D. 25%

3. Michigan’s Environment and Relative Risk, a report that identified the lack of land use planning as one of the highest risks to the environment and quality of life in the state, was commissioned by which governor?
A. Milliken, in 1977
B. Granholm, in 2004
C. Romney, in 1968
D. Engler, in 1992

4. Higher density development can protect water resources better than lower density development in instances where:
A. Clustered high-density development consumes less land than lower density, large-lot projects
B. Infill development and redevelopment projects reduce pressure to develop farmland or other open spaces
C. Low-density projects require more roads and bigger driveways to accommodate residences
D. Residents in high-density developments are bound by neighborhood covenants requiring them to live without any creature comforts

5. “Green infrastructure” refers to:

A. The algae that grows along the Great Lakes shoreline
B. Infrastructure that produces cash profits for developers
C. Any construction project that makes rival developers envious
D. Natural systems like wetlands, rain gardens, native plantings and plant-based roof coverings that accomplish the same work as manmade infrastructure like sewer pipes and wastewater treatment plants

ANSWERS:

1. B: 3,228 miles
2. B: 53%
3. D: Engler, 1992
4. A, B and C
5. D