{"id":7,"date":"2018-03-11T06:25:09","date_gmt":"2018-03-11T06:25:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lakerlog.lssu.edu\/spring2018\/?p=7"},"modified":"2018-03-14T17:47:40","modified_gmt":"2018-03-14T17:47:40","slug":"million-dollar-support-garners-naming-of-center-for-freshwater-research-and-education-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lakerlog.lssu.edu\/spring2018\/million-dollar-support-garners-naming-of-center-for-freshwater-research-and-education-project\/","title":{"rendered":"Million-dollar support garners naming of Center for Freshwater Research and Education Project"},"content":{"rendered":"

Richard and Theresa Barch of Tecumseh, Mich., have presented Lake Superior State University with a second $500,000 gift for a total of $1 million towards the transformation of LSSU\u2019s Aquatic Research Laboratory into the Center for Freshwater Research and Education (CFRE)<\/a>, which will now bear their names.<\/p>\n

The $12 million project, slated for completion in 2021, will include an improved hatchery facility, expanded research and classroom space, state-of-the-art research and fish disease testing labs, a community visitor\u2019s center and K-12 discovery area, and offices for regional partners.<\/p>\n

LSSU\u2019s Foundation Office accepted the second $500,000 leadership gift from the Dick and Theresa Barch Foundation during a ceremonial check signing in January in Lansing, Mich.<\/p>\n

The Barches with their transformational support and advocacy over the years are helping us make this project come to fruition for our LSSU students, Sault Ste. Marie, and the entire Great Lakes Region<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cTheresa and I have been impressed with the hands-on work being done by the students in partnership with the faculty and staff at LSSU,\u201d said Richard Barch. \u201cWe are very pleased and proud to have our names associated with the research and improvements being made with stocking the Great Lakes Fishery with Atlantic salmon. We hope others will join us in forging ahead with this important project.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Barches, with their transformational support and advocacy over the years, are helping us make this project come to fruition for our LSSU students, Sault Ste. Marie, and the entire Great Lakes Region,\u201d said LSSU President Peter T. Mitchell. \u201cThere is no couple more worthy of having their names adorn the CFRE facility, a project that is so important to Sault Ste. Marie\u2019s and Michigan\u2019s future economy, our understanding of Great Lakes freshwater ecosystems and training future scientists and educators.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe feel so fortunate to have such great friends of LSSU like Dick and Theresa Barch,\u201d said Tom Coates, executive director of the LSSU Foundation. \u201cTheir passion and enthusiasm regarding this project is contagious and inspires us all to raise the remaining funds and reach our goal of $3 million.\u201d<\/p>\n

CFRE will be housed in a new facility at the east end of the Cloverland Electrical Cooperative power plant on the St. Marys River, in a unique partnership with Cloverland and the City of Sault Ste. Marie. Cloverland Electric is committing resources for the renovation of the current fish hatchery facility while an agreement is being developed for the facility to be built on city property in that vicinity.<\/p>\n

Since 1977, LSSU\u2019s current Aquatic Research Laboratory has been a model of a public-private partnership in research, education, and outreach, providing important economic, educational, and scientific benefits to the region. The lab\u2019s stocking of Atlantic salmon in the St. Marys River for more than three decades has created a world-class fishery in the upper Great Lakes that is valued at over $9 million annually to the Michigan economy. The educational impact is equally impressive as over forty per cent of Michigan DNR fisheries biologists and seventy per cent of Michigan DNR production staffers have been educated at LSSU.<\/p>\n

However, over the past decade ARL programs have dramatically outgrown the current facility\u2019s capacity. CFRE with a projected 20,000 square feet of space- will at least triple the ARL\u2019s space and capabilities, providing LSSU students and other researchers with a unique environmental and educational facility. It will also be a premier center for public outreach on issues of regional Great Lakes ecology.<\/p>\n

Dick Barch, an avid hunter, fisherman, philanthropist, conservationist, and traveler, discovered the LSSU Aquatic Research Lab during his pursuit of Atlantic salmon. He said he has hunted and fished in more than 60 countries on seven continents, and in his travels has found the fishing for Atlantic salmon in the St. Marys River to be the best he has seen anywhere.<\/p>\n

Barch founded his own business \u2013 Stauder, Barch and Associates \u2013 in 1968, which grew to be the largest municipal consulting firm in Michigan. The company under Barch\u2019s leadership became known throughout the industry as the \u201cschool districts\u2019 consultant\u201d for having provided services to more school districts than any other firm in the state.<\/p>\n

In 2001, LSSU presented him with an honorary doctorate in recognition of his work on behalf of public education in the state of Michigan.<\/p>\n

The CFRE gifts continue a legacy of generosity started when the Barches contributed $250,000 towards the opening of LSSU\u2019s Fine Arts Center in 2005.<\/p>\n

The Barches\u2019 CFRE gift moves the LSSU Foundation\u2019s capital campaign that seeks to raise $3 million for Lake State\u2019s share of the project more than half way towards the goal. In July 2016, Gov. Rick Snyder signed a capital outlay bill that earmarked $8.8 million in State support for CFRE construction.
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Would you like to support the Center for Freshwater Research and Education?<\/em><\/span><\/h3>
\r\n
    \r\n \t
  1. Use the Foundation Giving Form<\/a><\/li>\r\n \t
  2. Select \"Other Designation<\/strong>\"<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. Enter your donation amount<\/li>\r\n \t
  4. Enter the words \"Center for Freshwater Research and Education<\/mark>\" in the Gift Designation field<\/strong><\/li>\r\n \t
  5. Continue completing form ...<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
    \r\n
    Give Today<\/a><\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\n

    About the Author<\/span><\/h4>\"JohnJohn Shibley<\/a>
    Photographer\/Staff Writer<\/span>

    Shibley has been a writer, editor, photographer, and videographer in the public relations office since 1991, except for a five-year stint as hobby and planetary science editor at Astronomy magazine in the mid-90s, where he was a finalist for the American Astronomical Society\u2019s Jonathan Eberhart Planetary Sciences Journalism Award.<\/p>\r\n<\/div> <\/div><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Richard and Theresa Barch of Tecumseh, Mich., have presented Lake Superior State University with a second $500,000 gift for a total of $1 million towards the transformation of LSSU\u2019s Aquatic …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[5],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakerlog.lssu.edu\/spring2018\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakerlog.lssu.edu\/spring2018\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakerlog.lssu.edu\/spring2018\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakerlog.lssu.edu\/spring2018\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakerlog.lssu.edu\/spring2018\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lakerlog.lssu.edu\/spring2018\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakerlog.lssu.edu\/spring2018\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakerlog.lssu.edu\/spring2018\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakerlog.lssu.edu\/spring2018\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakerlog.lssu.edu\/spring2018\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}