Comment by kristin ransom - NOAA federal: do not change this title - this is a GMD requirement

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) awarded $827,841 in federal funding to the University of Wisconsin System (University of Wisconsin–Madison) on October 1, 2025, under the Coastal Zone Management Estuarine Research Reserves program (CFDA 11.420). This Project Grant supports the construction and furnishing of a headquarters expansion for the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve. The project involves building an office expansion designed by HGA that adds eight enclosed offices, six workstations for seasonal and student staff, a conference room, and storage space to meet immediate operational needs. The expansion also incorporates a 20-kilowatt solar roof array designed to generate approximately 44% of the reserve's energy requirements, reducing long-term energy costs to the University while improving facility resilience through energy retrofits that reduce carbon emissions and heating costs.

The award, with an ultimate completion date of September 30, 2027, represents an economical and sustainable approach to addressing the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve's operational capacity and environmental stewardship objectives. By expanding the headquarters facility on the existing building footprint and integrating renewable energy infrastructure, the project addresses staffing space constraints while advancing the reserve's commitment to sustainable operations and reduced environmental impact. Total obligations for the award are $976,284.00, with performance taking place in Madison, Wisconsin.

The national oceanic and atmospheric administration (NOAA) is providing $827,841 in federal funding to the state of wisconsin through the national estuarine research reserve system (nerrs) land acquisition and construction program for fiscal year 2025 (NOAA-NOS-OCM-2025-29258). This funding will build the ability of the lake superior national estuarine research reserve within the university of wisconsin-madison to build and furnish an already designed expansion to their headquarters based on updated construction costs while adding solar energy that generates nearly half of the buildings electrical needs. Construction of the office expansion would significantly expand available space to meet staffing needs while reducing environmental impact by utilizing the existing building. The HGA design for building expansion increases the available office space by eight enclosed offices and six workstations for seasonal and student staff, while adding a conference room and storage space that address immediate reserve needs. With support from university of wisconsin system and HGA, the design adds a 20KW solar roof array that is expected to generate approximately 44% of the reserves energy needs while reducing long term energy costs to the university. The project also improves the resilience of the facility by including energy retrofits that reduce carbon emissions and heating costs. The expansion is both an economical and sustainable approach to meeting future needs.