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Binational Great Lakes panel honors coalition

Jeff Alexander — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 20:25:33 +0000

HOW Coalition Policy Director Chad Lord, center, receives the SOLEC 2011 Success Story Award from Canadian Consul General Marta Moszczenska and U.S. Consul General Kevin Johnson. (Environment Canada photo)

The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition was recently honored by the State of the Lakes Ecosystem Conference, known as SOLEC. The biennial conference, hosted by the U.S. and Canada to update efforts to restore the Great Lakes, declared the coalition a 2011 Success Story.

“The selection committee considered almost 30 nominations, and concluded that your project was one of the best in fulfilling the criteria,” SOLEC officials said in a letter to the coalition. Kevin Johnson, the U.S. Consul General in Toronto, and Marta Moszczenska, the Canadian Consul General in Buffalo. presented the award on Oct. 26, during the 2011 SOLEC conference in Erie, Pa. Chad Lord, policy director for the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, was on hand to receive the award.

The coalition was honored for its role in developing and advocating for passage of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. President Obama and Congress have approved $775 million in Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding since the program began in 2010.

The initiative is designed to speed the cleanup of toxic sites in the Great Lakes, restore fish and wildlife habitat, reduce polluted runoff and prevent new invasive species from colonizing the lake.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Environment Canada host SOLEC to fulfill one of the reporting requirements in the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.

The goal of SOLEC is help the U.S. and Canada comply with a Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement provision “to restore and maintain the physical, chemical and biological integrity of the Great Lakes Basin.”

Great Lakes Twitter Hashtags

Jordan Lubetkin — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 15:45:14 +0000

Are you using Twitter to share information or other details related to the Great Lakes Restoration and next week’s conference?

If so, tag your tweets with #healthylakes to join in the larger conversation of people tweeting and blogging about the conference.

Here are a few other hash tags we use on @healthylakes. What tags do you use or recommend?

Get connected to Healthy Lakes, Healthy Lives

Jordan Lubetkin — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 17:25:43 +0000

The HOW Coalition campaign, Healthy Lakes, Healthy Lives, is active across social media. Please join us on your favorite network to share your Great Lakes stories and to receive Great Lakes Restoration updates.

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The End of the Beginning Starts in Buffalo

tpache — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 20:50:45 +0000

Sunset over Lake Erie

Every turning point in the economic and cultural history of the Cities of Buffalo and Niagara have been defined by water, from their settlement as an integral part of a trade route around Niagara Falls, to the digging of the engineering marvel that was the Erie Canal, to the harnessing of the power of Niagara Falls for industrial use and to produce energy, and don’t forget, tourism. Now, this area, compelled by its connection to the Great Lakes is at the precipice of a new economy that incorporates restoration – and this makes it an ideal setting for the sixth annual Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coalition meeting.

“There is an absolute consensus from one end of the Niagara River to the other, from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario, that as goes the water resources so goes the economy of this region,” Niagara Falls Mayor Paul Dyster said at the opening session.

This paradigm shift is the result of the work of this coalition – we leveraged the Brooking Institute’s report “Healthy Waters Strong Economy” in such a way that we were able to illuminate the economic power that the Great Lakes possess. People now grasp that this region’s economy and the health of the lakes go hand-in-hand. We have come a long way over the last seven years when this coalition was first conceived of as a Great Lakes Magnus Opus, according to Andy Buchsbaum, Co-chair of HOW.

“I don’t think any of us could imagine we’d be sitting here today, and seeing hundreds of millions of dollars would be going to Great Lakes restoration – on the ground – and that the health of the Great Lakes would be truly in our hands,” he said and then reminded us that when we started out six years ago, this nation was in a deficit, at war in two countries, the President (Bush) was indifferent at best, “but you said, we can do this. Over the years, this coalition has built a powerhouse with a comprehensive plan with Congressional support, with Presidential support and we no longer say we can do this we can now say, we have done this, but we are clearly not done. There is an enormous amount of work. This is the end of the beginning rather than the beginning of the end.”

It took five years of deliberate education of Congress, persistently putting pressure on candidates and building strong partnerships with citizens, government, activists and businesses to get where we are today – and where exactly are we?

“We crossed the threshold last year,” answers Jeff Skelding, National Campaign Director for HOW. Last year, the President put $475 million into his budget for Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and Congress supported him by appropriated the full amount.

“The HOW Coalition was a primary force in generating significant new federal funding – $475 million – and more is to come. This is just an incredible amount of money for Great Lakes restoration in 2010 and I know a substantial amount of those dollars will find their way to Western New York,” said Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown.

In fact, during the opening session, Cameron Davis, the Great Lakes Senior Advisor to the Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson, announced several GLRI grants that are going to the Buffalo-Niagara area. The entire state of New York can expect about $20 million in federal grants for GLRI projects.

Of those announced today, one will go to Buffalo Niagara River Keeper to help them fully restore the Buffalo River Area of Concern. Davis said that they had an impressive application, “it was very demonstrable…they used measurables that we want to see.”

Other grantees included the New York Department of Conservation to help homeowners and land care providers to ensure good water use and encourage the reduction of synthetic pesticides; the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe won two grants totaling $2 million to restore the St. Lawrence River Area of Concern and help lake sturgeon resurge.

“It is inspiring to see so many of you in our community and we applaud what you are doing,” said Mayor Brown, “I and my Administration will continue to partner with you in every way that we can.”

The morning session ended and the conference began with a thank you from Davis,”“Thank you for doing everything you do every day for the Great Lakes.”

Healing Our Waters Conference Opens This Week in Buffalo

tpache — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 12:25:43 +0000

Buffalo Skyline by Stephen Zimmermann

The Healing Our Waters Great Lakes Coalition is shuffling off to Buffalo (sorry, I couldn’t stop myself!) this week for the sixth annual restoration conference. Shovel-ready restoration projects and jobs will be the focus of this year’s meeting, because restoring the lakes goes hand-in-hand with reviving the region’s economy. President Obama’s $475 million Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has recently announced its first grantees and this initial infusion of grants couldn’t come at a better time.

(Read the conference agenda here.)

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown and Mayor of Niagara Falls Paul Dyster will welcome the more than 300 participants at the opening session on Wednesday morning. Cameron Davis, senior advisor to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson. While Asian carp won’t be showing up on the menu (would that be mild, medium or hot?) it will be a topic on the conference agenda, along with other critical issues affecting our lakes.

Conference sessions will be front-loaded with information on the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative: successful proposals, how to apply, how to implement, how to bring grant dollars home to local projects. This will be a time to evaluate the best strategies to ensure that the money is well spent on proven restoration programs.

Buffalo’s proximity to Canada will give the coalition an opportunity to address issues that affect both nations, such as the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement and the Great Lakes Compact.

In recent years, President Obama and the U.S. Congress have made Great Lakes restoration a national priority. For the first time in decades, the federal goverment is making sizeable investments in the Lakes–a shot in the arm to restoration efforts and a solid down-payment on President Obama’s $5 billion commitment to the Lakes.

To ensure that the nation maintains a strong commitment to the Lakes and that federal dollars continue to flow to restoration projects, it is critical that the region demonstrate to Washington that it can invest restoration dollars wisely and effectively. We’ve done it before, and we can do it again with the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Let’s show them! See you in Buffalo.

Carping for a Carp Commander

tpache — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 12:13:12 +0000

Since the announcement that the non-native Asian carp had breached an electric fence and were miles within Lake Michigan, advocates have called for a more effective, urgent and transparent response from the federal government. In recent months, there has been a call for a go-to person in the federal government who can coordinate efforts – and crack the whip when needed – to halt the advance of the fish.

Yesterday the Obama Administration appointed John Goss as new Asian carp director. Goss, executive director of the Indiana Wildlife Federation and former director of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, will oversee and coordinate plans to deal with the Asian Carp crisis.

“With a strong background focused on natural resources, John will be an excellent addition to our team as we continue to combat the spread of Asian carp,” said Nancy Sutley, Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality. Goss will report directly to Sutley.

Goss is a great pick for the post that will require someone to coordinate the government agencies to initiate a more efficient response. In his new role, Goss will chair the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee – a team of federal, state and local agencies working on the carp threat. His job will be to implement the Asian Carp Control Strategy Framework.

Conservation widely hailed the announcement. A joint statement from groups—including the Alliance for the Great Lakes, Environment Illinois, Freshwater Future, Great Lakes United, Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, National Wildlife Federation, Natural Resources Defense Council, Prairie Rivers Network, and Sierra Club—read:

“We need stronger federal leadership and more immediate and effective action if we are going to prevent Asian carp from establishing a breeding population in the Great Lakes. John Goss has had a distinguished career as a true public servant. We look forward to working with him to increase the pace at which federal and state agencies undertake the short-term actions necessary to stop Asian carp while keeping everyone – particularly the Army Corps of Engineers – focused on identifying the permanent solution that improves the outmoded infrastructure of the Chicago Waterway System and permanently prevents the travel of invasive species between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River.

“We trust and expect that the Asian Carp Director will be able to use the authority of the White House to move the Army Corps and other agencies as quickly as possible to develop a solution that will stop invasive species transfers and invest in new, more sustainable water and transportation infrastructure that will benefit the economies of Chicago, the Great Lakes region, and the entire nation.”

Are You a Poster Child for Great Lakes Restoration?

tpache — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 16:29:09 +0000

The 2010 Healing Our Waters Coalition – Great Lakes Restoration conference is offering an innovative showcase for restoration projects. On September 23, 2010 during the conference in Buffalo, NY there will be a Happy Hour where firms and organizations engaged in on-the-ground restoration efforts in the Great Lakes region can highlight their projects with a poster.

The foyer of the HOW Coalition conference will be transformed into a sparkling show room accentuating successful restoration activities around the eight state region. This will be a tremendous opportunity to share resources and professional services among conference participants at the most important Great Lakes restoration event of the year.

Anyone interested in showcasing their restoration project by exhibiting a poster should contact Beth Wallace (wallaceb@nwf.org) by September 1, 2010. The fee is $200 per poster, but any sponsor donating $500 or more will have the fee waived.

The event will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 on the shores of Lake Erie at the Adams Mark Hotel in Buffalo, New York.

Results, Results, Results

tpache — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 19:30:10 +0000

Great Lakes Czar and Keynote Speaker Cameron Davis and HOW Co-Chair Andy Buchsbaum repeatedly urged attendees at the Healing Our Waters Annual Meeting to do everything possible to show Washington that investing in Great Lakes restoration gets results.

“It is incumbent upon all of us to make the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) a success,” Davis told the coalition.

For the first time, the US President and Congress have committed a significant amount of money to Great Lakes restoration. The American Recovery Act and Clean Water State Revolving Funds are providing $1 billion for sewage upgrades – a major element of the $20 billion restoration price tag – and Congress is on the verge of approving another half-million for restoration in the GLRI.

Davis lamented that we’re moving forward in unchartered territory when he said, “There is no play book right now – this has never been done in this region.” Davis will be responsible for coordinating the work of multiple federal and state agencies as well as local restoration efforts. But the HOW Coalition is committed to helping ensure that the federal dollars make it to on-the-ground projects.

“Our goal is not to get money for the Great Lakes, our objective is to make sure the Great Lakes are healthy,” Buschbaum emphasized. A feeling of zeitgeist filled the conference hall making it clear that the time is now, the constellation of leadership in the White House and Congress is setting the course for the destiny of Great Lakes restoration.

“We have studied the problems related to the Great Lakes,” Davis said, “the time for studies is largely over. Instead, now is the time to partner up with other projects to gain federal help with implementing our overall strategy. In an effort to help get the money out the door as quickly as possible, Davis encouraged partnerships – bundling projects together – “Partnerships get brownie points,” he said.

And HOW will work feverishly to try and keep the spigot on until the lakes are completely healed. Echoing and reinforcing Davis remarks, Buchsbaum said, “ We have to make sure Congress and the President’s investments in the Great Lakes gets results.” Amen.

Follow the Healthy Lakes Healthy Lives Campaign on Twitter

Jordan Lubetkin — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:25:12 +0000

Hey you guys – tweeting? Count us in, with your RTs and your @replies and your #hashtags. Follow @healthylakes on Twitter and help spread the word on efforts to protect and restore the Great Lakes.

Not on Twitter yet? It is pretty cool – you can keep in touch with your friends, make new ones, and engage in causes you believe in with less of a time commitment than other social networking websites.

Want to know how to get started on Twitter? The site itself is pretty self-explanatory. This video is also helpful.

Tweet you later!

Healing Our Waters Great Lakes Coalition – 100 Strong

Jordan Lubetkin — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 21:27:52 +0000

The Healing Our Waters (HOW) Great Lakes Coalition reached a milestone recently, growing to over 100 groups throughout the Great Lakes region. The HOW Coalition continues to grow and diversify. This growth symbolizes the importance of restoring the health of the Great Lakes, which are essential to the economic and cultural identity of our region.

HOW Coalition members recognize we have manageable solutions contained in the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy to Restore and Protect the Great Lakes. It is time to use them. Every day we wait, the problems get worse and the solutions get more costly. We must act now to restore the health of the Great Lakes.

For more information on how to join the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, contact Field Director Chris Grubb (grubbc@nwf.org) or Campaign Director Jeff Skelding (jskelding@nwf.org).