“Millions of people are counting on the next president of the United States to stand up for the Great Lakes,” said Jeff Skelding, campaign director for the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “Great Lakes programs are producing results in communities around the region—but there is more work to do. Cutting restoration funding and failing to take action on the Asian carp will cost taxpayers more money because problems will only become more difficult and expensive the longer we wait.”

The pledge reads: “As a candidate for President of the United States of America, I will not put off addressing the nation’s most severe problems. Therefore, I pledge to make Great Lakes protection and restoration a priority within my administration.”

The “Great Lakes Protection and Restoration Candidate Pledge” asks all the candidates to support funding for the federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and action to separate the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins to protect U.S. waters from invasive species like the Asian carp. Read the full pledge at: http://bit.ly/2012GLpledge

Release of the pledge comes as Republican presidential hopefuls begin to compete for votes in Great Lakes states. Minnesota holds its caucus today, with Michigan holding its primary on February 28 and Ohio hosting its contest on March 6, Super Tuesday.

The Great Lakes region promises to play a major role in the 2012 elections, as candidates vie for votes in electoral-rich “battleground” states such as Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Pennsylvania.

Great Lakes restoration has played prominently in the last two presidential elections.

In 2004, in the heat of a challenging re-election bid, then-president George Bush signed an executive order declaring the Great Lakes a resource of national significance and established the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration. The effort brought more than 1,500 people together to craft a plan to restore and protect the Great Lakes. The $20 billion plan—the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy—has been widely credited with galvanizing support for Great Lakes restoration among conservation, business, industry and civic leaders in the eight-state region of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

In 2008, then-candidates Hillary Clinton, John McCain, Barack Obama and Mitt Romney all committed their support to restore the Great Lakes.  After candidate Obama signed the Great Lakes pledge, he released a 5-point plan to restore the Lakes. In his first year in the White House, President Obama launched the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a multi-year investment in the Great Lakes aimed at confronting urgent problems such as invasive species, habitat destruction, toxic pollution and dirty run-off from farms and cities.

“Presidential leadership,” said Skelding, “has been essential in the effort to restore and protect the Great Lakes.”

Support for restoration activities by the last two presidents has helped the country make strides in restoring the Lakes. Progress can be seen in communities across the region:

• Fish and wildlife are returning to places after decades-long absences;
• Businesses are emerging and thriving on restored waterfronts; and
• People are fishing, kayaking and swimming in restored waterways.

Despite the progress, there are continued signs that the Great Lakes need help:

• Algae blooms are returning in Lake Erie, hurting tourism, small businesses and fishing;
• Fish consumption advisories and beach closures still persist; and
• New threats like the Asian carp have been discovered within the Lakes.

The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition is dedicated to ensuring that the next president and Congress maintain the nation’s commitment to restore and protect the Great Lakes.

“We are making progress so the nation cannot let its guard down in the effort to protect the Great Lakes,” said Skelding. “We need the next president to show leadership on this issue. Great Lakes restoration is not a Democratic or Republican issue—it is an issue of national significance and utmost urgency. Standing up for the Great Lakes is like standing up for the Grand Canyon or Everglades. We’re asking each presidential candidate to commit to restoring a piece of America that helps define who we are as a people and nation.”

The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition consists of 120 environmental, conservation, outdoor recreation organizations, zoos, aquariums and museums representing millions of people, whose common goal is to restore and protect the Great Lakes. Learn more at: www.healthylakes.org

For Immediate Release:
February 7, 2012

Contact:
Jordan Lubetkin, 734-904-1589, Lubetkin@nwf.org

Related posts:

• Coalition Convenes in D.C. to Urge Action on Great Lakes Restoration, Economic Recovery
• Obama, Clinton Pick up the Gauntlet and Sign the Great Lakes Pledge
• Groups call for emergency action to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes
• Mr. President: The Asian Carp Crisis has hit ‘Code Red’
• We Want a Committment to Save the Lakes and We Want it Now!
• Action on Asian Carp
• Senate Action on Asian Carp
• Stop Asian Carp Act of 2011

Contact:
Jordan Lubetkin, Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, 734-887-7109

$200,000 in grants leads to more than $1.6 million in federal funds for restoration projects in high-priority areas

ANN ARBOR, MICH. (Jan. 23, 2012) —The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition today announced that $200,000 in grants it issued in 2010 to help local conservation groups participate in the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has resulted in more than $1.6 million in Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funds for restoration projects—an 8-to-1 return on investment.

The $200,000 in coalition grants also led to an additional $4.2 million in state, federal and private funds to support restoration work.

“The coalition’s grant program is producing results,” said Jeff Skelding, campaign director of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “The program is successfully helping local groups participate in the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and other state and federal restoration programs. Our seed grants, and the additional funds they leveraged, will accelerate restoration activities in the areas most in need of restoration and in places that can provide the most ecological benefit.”

A complete list of the coalition’s 2010 grants and evaluation can be found here.

For the past two years, the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition has awarded grants of up to $15,000 to local groups so that they can compete for federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grants, which support activities to clean up toxic sediments, restore habitat and wetlands, confront invasive species and reduce polluted run-off from cities and farms.

The coalition focuses its grants program in five geographic priority areas, as selected by scientists, where restoration dollars will be most beneficial: The St. Louis River and St. Louis Bay in Lake Superior; the waters of Lake Michigan in the Chicagoland area; Lake Huron’s Saginaw Bay; western Lake Erie and eastern Lake Ontario.

“The coalition grants have provided a boost for local groups that are on the front lines of Great Lakes restoration efforts,” said Jill Ryan, executive director of Freshwater Future, which acts as the Healing Our Waters Coalition’s Implementation Coordinator. “We’re glad to see high-priority areas receive funding and look forward to working with the U.S. EPA to continue investing federal dollars so that we get the most restoration bang for our buck.”

The coalition grants supported a variety of restoration projects that are addressing serious problems facing the Great Lakes, including: phosphorus pollution; noxious algae; failing septic systems; and the invasive reed Phragmites, which is crowding out native plant species at numerous sites across the region. The grants also supported efforts to remove dams, restore wetlands and other fish and wildlife habitat.

Among the coalition’s grant recipients, Alliance for the Great Lakes in Chicago, Ill., received a $15,000 coalition grant, which helped the group win $150,000 from Sustain Our Great Lakes and $226,950 from EPA through the competitive grants process under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

“With a jump start from HOW’s investment, communities up and down the Illinois shoreline are making the most of their unique glacial ravines,” said Angela Larsen, Coastal Program manager for the Alliance for the Great Lakes. “Great Lakes coasts are home to a stunning array of biodiversity, and we’re ecstatic to help landowners make the restoration connection to the lakes.”

Western Lake Erie Waterkeeper Association in Toledo, Ohio, received $15,000 from the coalition, which was leveraged to receive almost $500,000 from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

“Getting a grant for preliminary work to set up an invasive species early detection project in western Lake Erie was great,” said Sandy Bihn, Lake Erie Waterkeeper. “Invasive species pose a real threat to the Lake Erie and the other Great Lakes. The initial small grant helped establish new networks to connect research with Lake Erie community-based education and outreach—collaboration that will continue with the support of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant.”

The Bad River Watershed Association in Ashland, Wis., received a $3,000 grant from the coalition that helped the organization earn a $300,000 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant.

“The Healing Our Waters grant the Bad River Watershed Association (BRWA) received in 2010 was an important part of helping BRWA strengthen relationships with local natural resources partners” said Matt Hudson, Watershed Action Director for the Bad River Watershed Association. “These strong relationships helped BRWA receive a portion of a 2-year GLRI grant in 2011 and lay the foundation for much of our work to maintain and improve the health of the Bad River Watershed.”

The St. Louis River Alliance in Duluth, Minn., received two seed grants from the coalition. The first, for $10,000, led to $250,000 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The second award for $14,976 led to a Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for $268,401.

“The coalition grant program provided key funding that made it possible for us to seek Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding,” said Julene Boe, executive director for the St. Louis River Alliance. “I’m very pleased that these efforts were successful in receiving funding for two projects that will make a difference in the St. Louis River Area of Concern.”

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has provided $775 million for Great Lakes restoration projects in its first two years. The program received another $300 million in fiscal year 2012.

Restoring the lakes is good for fish and wildlife, tourism, human health and the economy.  A study by the Brookings Institution found that every $1 investment in Great Lakes restoration leads to $2 in economic benefit for the eight-state region of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

A recent study by Grand Valley State University economists found that a $10 million restoration project at Muskegon Lake in Michigan produced more than $66 million in economic benefits via increased property values, more tourism and higher tax revenues.

“Great Lakes restoration produces results,” said Skelding. “But there is more work to do. We look forward to working with the U.S. Congress and President Obama to maintain funding in the fiscal year 2013 budget for this essential work. Cutting funding will cost more money, because projects will only become more difficult and expensive the longer we wait.”

The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition consists of more than 120 environmental, conservation, outdoor recreation organizations, zoos, aquariums and museums representing millions of people, whose common goal is to restore and protect the Great Lakes.

For more information visit: http://healthylakes.org/

Related posts:

• Coalition Announces Grants to Help Groups Participate In $475 Million Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
• Coalition Awards $115,000 in Grants to Help Groups Participate In Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
• Coalition Awards $115,000 in Great Lakes Restoration Grants
• Coalition Submits Comments on Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, Calling for Accountability, Action, Urgency
• Coalition: EPA’s $30 Million in Great Lakes Restoration Grants will Produce Results for People across Region
• EPA Announces First of $30 Million in Great Lakes Restoration Grants
• Sustain Our Great Lakes Program Awards $8.5 Million in Restoration Grants
• Healing Our Waters Grants

$533 million for region to address sewage overflows

ANN ARBOR, MICH. (December 20, 2011) – The Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coalition is praising the 2012 federal budget bill, which has passed both chambers of Congress and is waiting to be signed into law by President Obama. The budget provides $300 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to clean up toxic pollution, restore wildlife habitat, stop invasive species and reduce polluted run-off from farms and cities.

The budget also includes $1.468 billion to help communities across the nation address the chronic problem of sewage overflows. Based on a fixed formula, the eight Great Lakes states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin will receive about $533 million through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, which provides low- and no-interest loans to communities to fix old sewers.

Funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative remains relatively unchanged, receiving $300 million in fiscal year 2012 compared with $299 million in fiscal year 2011. Funding for the Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund decreased by 3.5 percent. Congress approved $1.53 billion in fiscal year 2011 and $1.46 billion in fiscal year 2012. Great Lakes states will receive an estimated $533 million in fiscal year 2012, compared with $552 in fiscal year 2011.

“The 2012 budget represents a significant victory for the millions of people who depend on the Great Lakes for their drinking water, jobs and way of life,” said Jeff Skelding, campaign director for the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “This investment will help support programs that are delivering results in communities across the region.”

Read more about successful Great Lakes restoration efforts.

The House of Representatives passed the bill 296-121 on Friday. The Senate passed the bill 67-32 on Saturday. President Obama is expected to sign the budget into law this week.

Members of Congress from the Great Lakes states were instrumental in holding the line against cuts to Great Lakes programs, including appropriations committee members Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Dan Coats (R-Ind.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) and Herb Kohl (D-Wis.), and Reps. Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.), Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.), Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), Steve LaTourette (R-Ohio), Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), Jose Serrano (D-N.Y.), and Pete Visclosky (D-Ind.).

“We thank the region’s congressional delegation for stepping up to the plate to make Great Lakes restoration a priority in the federal budget,” said Skelding. “Great Lakes programs are producing results—but there’s more work to do. We look forward to working with the U.S. Congress and President Obama to continue supporting Great Lakes programs that offer some of the best returns on the dollar in the federal budget.”

The Brookings Institution found that restoration activities generate at least $2 for every $1 investment. Economists at Grand Valley State University in Michigan concluded that a $10 million investment to restore Muskegon Lake in Michigan is generating more than $66 million return on investment through higher property values, increased tourism and an expanded tax base.

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is supporting more than 900 local projects in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin aimed at restoring the Great Lakes, which provide drinking water for 30 million people and support one of the world’s largest regional economies. More than 1.5 million U.S. jobs are directly connected to the Great Lakes, generating $62 billion in wages annually, according to an analysis by Michigan Sea Grant at the University of Michigan.

The budget bill did not include an amendment offered by Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) that would have forced the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to complete in 18 months its study that examines options to separate the Great Lakes and Mississippi River. Completion of the study is essential in the effort to keep the non-native Asian carp out of the Great Lakes.

States will receive the following estimated funds through the Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund based on a set national formula.

 The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition consists of more than 120 environmental, conservation, outdoor recreation organizations, zoos, aquariums and museums representing millions of people, whose common goal is to restore and protect the Great Lakes.

For more information visit: http://www.healthylakes.org

For Immediate Release:
Dec. 20, 2011

Contact:
Jordan Lubetkin, Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coalition, 734-887-7109

Related posts:

• U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin, Sherrod Brown, Herb Kohl Help Secure $300 Million for Great Lakes in Draft 2012 Budget
• Coalition to EPA Administrator Jackson: Restore Great Lakes Funding in 2013 Budget
• U.S. House Passes Budget Bill that Slashes Programs to Restore Great Lakes and Prevent Sewage Overflows
• Coalition Sends Letters to House, Senate Leaders Urging $475 Million for Great Lakes Restoration Initiative in 2012 Budget
• Ohio’s Akron Beacon Journal to Congress: Support Great Lakes at $475 Million in 2012 Budget
• Tell the U.S. Senate to fund the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative at $300 million in the 2011 budget
• Coalition: EPA’s $30 Million in Great Lakes Restoration Grants will Produce Results for People across Region
• Coalition Awards $115,000 in Grants to Help Groups Participate In Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

In a Dec. 9  letter to leaders of the Senate Appropriations Committee, the groups urged passage of the Stop Asian Carp Amendment. Proposed by Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich, the amendment would direct the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to expedite its study of how best to stop the movement of Asian carp and other invasive species between the Mississippi River and Great Lakes basins.

The letter came as Minnesota is scrambling to keep Asian carp in the Mississippi River from invading some of that state’s most popular lakes. Minnesota officials recently discovered that Asian carp had spread beyond the Coon Rapids Dam near Minneapolis.

Asian carp decimate native fish species and threaten the safety of boaters.

“The Stop Asian Carp amendment is necessary if our nation is to prevent Asian carp and other invasive species from taking over our Great Lakes or Mississippi River,” the groups said in a letter to Sen. Daniel Inouye and Sen. Thad Cochran, the chairman and vice-chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. (Read the complete letter here).

The Corps plans to complete its Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study (GLMRIS)  in 2015. The Stop Asian Carp Amendment would require the Corps to complete it within 18 months.

Congress authorized the study in 2007 but the Corps didn’t begin working on it until 2009.  The Corps is studying the feasibility of options to prevent the inter-basin transfer of invasive species between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River.

The conservation groups said the Asian carp threat is too serious to allow the Corps to spend another four years studying the problem.

“Without the oversight this amendment brings, the Army Corps’ own deadline could easily slip, much as it has with other investigations and projects,” the groups said in the letter. “It took the Army Corps 15 years to study, build, and activate three electrical arrays to repel Asian carp from swimming towards Lake Michigan through the Chicago Waterway System – even as the urgency of the carp invasion had become obvious and too great to ignore.”

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and Akron Beacon Journal recently published editorials urging Congress to support the Stop Asian Carp Amendment.

The groups that signed the letter included: Alliance for the Great Lakes; Freshwater Future; Great Lakes United; National Parks Conservation Association; National Wildlife Federation; Natural Resources Defense Council; Ohio Environmental Council; Prairie Rivers Network; Save The River; Friends of the Chicago River; Sierra Club; Save the Dunes; Great Lakes Environmental Law Center; Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council; The Lake Erie Center; Clinton River Watershed Council; River Alliance of Wisconsin; Flow for Water; American Rivers; Minnesota Conservation Federation; Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters; Milwaukee Riverkeeper; Ohio Division, Izaak Walton League of America; Nature Abounds; Shaker Lakes Garden Club; Clean Wisconsin; Michigan United Conservation Clubs; The Watershed Center – Grand Traverse Bay; Religious Coalition for the Great Lakes; Sisters of St. Joseph of Rochester Global Environment Committee; Citizens Campaign for the Environment; Audubon Ohio; Clean Water Action; River Network; Kalamazoo River Cleanup Coalition; Bull Moose Sportsmen’s Alliance; and Sierra Club Ontario.

Related posts:

• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Support Asian Carp Amendment
• Great Lakes Senators Rallying Around Asian Carp Amendment
• Newspapers calling for faster action on Asian carp
• Groups call for emergency action to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes
• Sen. Debbie Stabenow Offering Asian Carp Amendment in 2012 Budget
• Stop Asian Carp Act of 2011
• Senate Action on Asian Carp
• Action on Asian Carp

EPA Releases Vessel General Permit to Improve Regulations on Ballast Discharges

Conservation groups call for stronger federal regulations to protect the Great Lakes from aquatic invasive species

Late yesterday, the federal government took another tentative step toward protecting the Great Lakes and vulnerable coastal waters from the scourge of invasive species with proposed limitations on their chief delivery vehicle: ballast water dumping by commercial vessels. The Environmental Protection Agency proposed a new national permit to deal with discharges of ballast water that are a normal part of operating freighters and other large commercial vessels. As a result of a legal settlement, that permit will limit the number of invasive species that vessels can dump in the Great Lakes and other water bodies. Unfortunately, EPA’s new limits are pegged to standards established by the International Maritime Organization, which while supported by the shipping industry, are not strict enough to prevent the introduction and spread of invasive organisms which currently cost the eight Great Lakes states over $1 billion every five years.

“It is hard to see the movement of invasive species until it is too late,” said Thom Cmar, attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council. “Unfortunately, out of sight, out of mind has meant that we have not dealt with the problem of ‘living pollution’ as aggressively as other environmental threats like oil spills or toxic releases. The new proposed ballast water permit is par for that course–it is a start, but nowhere near what is needed to stop these uninvited critters from sapping our most valuable water resources.”

The permit update comes on the heels of a long legal battle to force EPA to regulate ballast water under the Clean Water Act.  Protective limits on invasive species in vessels’ ballast discharges are necessary to prevent the introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species carried in the ballast tanks from overseas ports. Species like the zebra and quagga mussels, spiny water fleas, and round gobies have all arrived to the Great Lakes via the unregulated discharge of contaminated ballast water.
   
“Since the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway, the Great Lakes has been ground zero for freshwater invasions from overseas vessels,” said Jennifer Nalbone, Director of Navigation and Invasive Species for Great Lakes United. “The EPA’s VGP is a real opportunity to advance protection for the Great Lakes and the nation. After decades of painfully slow progress, our waters deserve a leap forward in protection, not a baby step.”

While the new permit represents an improvement over previous versions, conservation groups and scientists are concerned that the weak international standards are not strict enough to prevent the next major invasive species threat. International Maritime Organization ballast water standards are not scientifically based and offer only a marginal improvement over the current practice of flushing ballast tanks with saltwater. 

The federal Clean Water Act requires EPA to give states an opportunity to add requirements to the proposed permit if the states find that more stringent provisions are necessary to protect against vessels’ pollution.  The states of New York and California have already adopted far more stringent standards, based on their own scientific determinations that anything less protective would leave their waters vulnerable to new species invasions.   As part of EPA’s permit update, all of the states will have the opportunity to decide whether they will adopt their own more stringent ballast water standards.  In addition, the Coast Guard has finally sent its final rulemaking to set standards for living organisms in Ships’ ballast water to the Office of Budget and Management. By contrast, recent legislation passed by the U.S. House of Representatives would also adopt the weak International Maritime Organization ballast water standards, but it would do so while also eliminating EPA’s authority to require more protection under the Clean Water Act, as well as states’ authority to create more stringent requirements under tougher state laws. 

“The proposed EPA permit is a step in the right direction, but it still doesn’t shut the door on invasive species,” said Andy Buchsbaum, Director of the National Wildlife Federation-Great Lakes Program Office. “On the positive side, it sets numerical limits for ballast water discharges and maintains the rights of states to add additional protections. But EPA’s proposed standard still allows the discharge of invasive organisms into the Great Lakes and the nation’s waters at significant levels. That’s simply not acceptable.”
 
EPA will entertain public comments on the draft permit for 75 days, before finalizing the permit in late 2012.  Conservation groups will submit written comments to EPA urging the permit be strengthened.

Great Lakes groups also express concern over the exemption of “Lakers,” ships operating only in the Great Lakes. While these boats may not be responsible for the introduction of new invasive species from overseas, they have been shown to facilitate the movement of foreign organisms between the Lakes. Additionally, the permit allows for a lengthy delay before vessels will be required to install new ballast technology, allowing some vessels to operate for more than a decade before meeting the new standards.

“The Great Lakes are more than ready for a strong national standard that can help win the war against invasive species,” said Joel Brammeier, President and CEO of the Alliance for the Great Lakes. “While EPA’s first draft does not go far enough to protect our waters, there is still time to craft a permit that truly puts us on track to eliminate devastating invasions of the largest freshwater resource on the continent.”

“Stopping the influx of invasive species is essential to restore and protect the Great Lakes,” said Jeff Skelding, campaign director for the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “The people, communities and businesses that have paid billions of dollars over the years to deal with the vast economic and environmental damage caused by invasive species deserve the strongest possible water quality protections.”

For more information contact:
Andy Buchsbaum, National Wildlife Federation, phone: 734-717-3665, buchsbaum@nwf.org
Josh Mogerman, Natural Resources Defense Council: phone: 312-651-7909, jmogerman@NRDC.org
Jennifer Nalbone, Great Lakes United: phone: 716-213-0408, jen@glu.org
Joel Brammeier, Alliance for the Great Lakes: phone: 773-590-6494, jbrammeier@greatlakes.org
Jordan Lubetkin, Healing Our Waters Coalition, phone: 734-904-1589, lubetkin@nwf.org

Related posts:

• Wisconsin’s Ballast Permit Could Inspire Washington to Act
• Coast Guard Releases Draft Ballast Plan
• Papp Says Ballast Standards Would Be His Top Priority
• Coalition to Congress: Ballast Provision Undermines Restoration, Economy, Battle against Invasive Species
• HOW Coalition’s Ocean-going Vessel Moratorium Letter to Congress
• Wetland Restoration near Buffalo, N.Y., to Improve Fish and Wildlife Populations
• Invasive Species
• Projects Working to Improve Fish, Bird Habitat on Detroit’s Belle Isle Park

Every year, more than 100 citizens from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin travel to our nation’s capital to educate public officials about the importance of the Great Lakes to the region’s economy and quality of life.

“Citizens have been instrumental in making Great Lakes restoration a priority with the U.S. Congress and President Obama,” said Jeff Skelding, director of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “Restoration activities are producing results—but there is more work to do. Great Lakes Days provide an important opportunity to underscore the importance of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to people, businesses and communities.”

The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition hosts Great Lakes Days in collaboration with the Great Lakes Commission and Northeast-Midwest Institute. The coalition hosts training sessions for Great Lakes advocates and help arrange meetings with Congressional staffers and public officials.

One of the key topics at the 2012 event will be educating members of Congress about the need for continued funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

Stay tuned for more details—including information on office visits with U.S. Senate and House offices.

Related posts:

• Great Lakes Day
• Asian carp, GLRI are focus of Great Lakes Days 2012
• Great Lakes Days Set for February 28-29, 2012
• Coalition to hold 2012 Great Lakes Restoration Conference in Cleveland
• Signup for Great Lakes Day 2008
• Join Us for Great Lakes Day March 1-2 in Washington, D.C.
• Great Lakes Day Was A Success!
• Join Us for Great Lakes Day March 1-2 in Washington, D.C.

“I am delighted that so many people are in Detroit this week to celebrate the Great Lakes and work to protect them. The lakes are central to our economy, our history, our culture, and our future. Millions of people depend on these lakes for their drinking water, transportation, trade, employment and recreation. We need to ensure that our best efforts and most innovative solutions focus on the restoration and protection of these jewels.”

Related posts:

• Detroit Public TV to Offer Unprecedented Access to Great Lakes Week
• Prevention is the Name of the Invasive Species Game, According to Sen. Carl Levin
• Calling All Media: We Want You to Participate in Great Lakes Week!
• We’d Like to Thank You, Sen. Carl Levin
• Read All About It: Great Lakes Week in the News
• Detroit Public Television to Deliver Unprecendeted Access to Great Lakes Week
• Great Lakes Ecosystem Protection Act
• Great Lakes Restoration Funds Helping Community in Oakland County, Michigan, Remove Old Dam

DETROIT (October 12, 2011) — Some of North America’s most dramatic examples of ecosystem restoration will be featured in Detroit Oct. 11-14 at the 7^th annual Great Lakes Restoration Conference hosted by the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition.  The meeting—attended by more than 330 activists from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin—comes as the U.S. Congress debates the fate of restoration programs in the upcoming federal budget.

“Our message to Congress is simple: Don’t let Great Lakes funding dry up—more than 30 million depend on the lakes for drinking water,” said Jeff Skelding, director of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “Restoration activities are producing results, but there is more to do. If we cut the funding now, it will only cost more later because projects will only get harder and more expensive the longer we wait.”

Follow Great Lakes conference proceedings, look at pictures, watch video and read updates throughout the week at http://conference.healthylakes.org/

The conference will highlight successful restoration projects and focus attention on the critical need to remove more toxic sediments from the Great Lakes, restore fish and wildlife habitat and prevent Asian carp and other invasive species from entering the lakes.

Read the conference agenda: http://bit.ly/11HOWagenda

Three years after President Obama and Congress passed the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the federal government has invested $775 million in restoration programs to clean up toxic pollution, restore habitat, reduce polluted run-off and combat invasive species. In short, the promise of Great Lakes restoration has started to become reality.

But there are looming challenges to Great Lakes restoration efforts. Against this backdrop, advocates, experts, researchers and public officials tackle the latest issues, including:

• Asian carp and the Chicago Waterway System;
• prioritizing restoration efforts;
• Great Lakes restoration success stories;
• environmental justice issues; and,
• rural conservation projects help the lakes and farming communities

The 7^th annual conference is part of “Great Lakes Week” in Detroit, an unprecedented gathering of U.S. and Canadian organizations working to restore and protect the lakes. Detroit Public Television is offering week-long coverage of “Great Lakes Week”—including live streaming—at http://www.greatlakesnow.org

Detroit is home to several of the nation’s most dramatic restoration projects:

• reductions in pollution discharges have improved water quality in the Detroit River;
• whitefish, sturgeon and bald eagles have returned to the Detroit river system after being absent for decades;
• the Rouge River, which was so polluted in the 1960s it caught fire, now supports a burgeoning fishery;
• the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge is North America’s first international wildlife refuge; and,
• the Detroit Riverwalk has transformed the city’s waterfront from an industrial wasteland into a popular gathering spot and a catalyst for economic development.

Read about Detroit-area restoration stories at: http://bit.ly/DetroitRestoration

Ecosystem restoration is one of many aspects of  “Great Lakes Week,” which encompasses conferences hosted by the International Joint Commission, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Areas of Concern Program, the Great Lakes Commission, The Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coalition and Environment Canada – the leading organizations that deal with Great Lakes issues.  For the first time, these events are being hosted in the same city in the same week.

Information about the Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coalition’s Great Lakes Restoration Conference can be found at http://conference.healthylakes.org.

The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition consists of more than 115 environmental, conservation, outdoor recreation organizations, zoos, aquariums and museums representing millions of people, whose common goal is to restore and protect the Great Lakes. Learn more at: http://healthylakes.org/

Related posts:

• HOW hosts Great Lakes Week reception at the Detroit Institute of Arts
• Detroit Proving to be a Leader in Great Lakes Restoration
• Detroit Public TV to Offer Unprecedented Access to Great Lakes Week
• Detroit Public Television to Deliver Unprecendeted Access to Great Lakes Week
• Great Lakes Advocates Urge Congress to Act Quickly on Historic Protections for Lakes
• Coalition Supports New EPA Effort to Prioritize Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Funding in 2012
• Detroit Embraces Great Lakes Restoration
• Preserving Humbug Marsh, Centerpiece of Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, Receives Global Recognition

• New York – WNET-TV
• Chicago – WTTW-TV
• HoustonPBS
• Phoenix – KAET-TV
• Twin Cities Public Television
• Lakeland Public Television (Minnesota)
• Pioneer Public Television (Minnesota)
• Miami – WPBT-TV
• Cleveland – WVIZ-TV
• St. Louis – KETC-TV
• Indianapolis – WFYI-TV
• Milwaukee – WMVT/WMVS-TV
• Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo – WGVK/WGVU-TV
• Central Michigan University Public Television
• Toledo – WGTE-TV
• Rochester,  New York – WXXI-TV
• Illinois Public Media   
• Penn State Public Broadcasting
• Lansing, Michigan – WKAR-TV
• Prairie Public Television (North Dakota)
• Duluth, Minnesota – WDSE/KRPT-TV
• Rochester, Minnesota – KSMQ-TV
• Windsor, Ontario – CTV

Great Lakes Now streamed content will be available to viewers everywhere starting on October 11, at www.greatlakesnow.org.  There’s still time for news outlets and other  websites to stream coverage. Contact Matt Friedman at mfriedman@tannerfriedman.com if you’re interested.

You can also follow proceedings of the 7th Annual Great Lakes Restoration Conference on this site. We’ll be offering live streaming, as well as photos, video and updates throughout the week.

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• Calling All Media: We Want You to Participate in Great Lakes Week!
• Detroit Public Television to Deliver Unprecendeted Access to Great Lakes Week
• Great Lakes Advocates Gather in Detroit: ‘Don’t Let Great Lakes Funding Dry Up’
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• Information for Participating Outliets in Great Lakes Now
• Annual Conference

The Detroit River and Detroit's skyline (Photo by Detroit Riverkeeper Robert Burns)

Detroit is the place to be this week, and not just because the Detroit Tigers are battling for a spot in the World Series and the Red Wings are hosting their first home game of the season. The first ever Great Lakes Week is also taking place this week in the Motor City.

It is fitting that this monumental event — which will feature the annual meetings of several Great Lakes organizations, including the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition’s 7th annual Great Lakes Restoration Conference — is taking place in Detroit.

The city best known for churning out cars and rock stars is gaining a reputation as a national leader in ecosystem restoration. We’re highlighting a few of Detroit’s Great Lakes restoration success stories on our site.
In the coming months, the coalition will release a larger report about Great Lakes restoration projects that are improving the lives of Detroit residents and bolstering efforts to revitalize the city’s economy.

Detroit’s budding environmental renaissance is proof that federal environmental programs — such as the Great Lakes Legacy Act, Safe Drinking Water Act and Great Lakes Restoration Initiative — deliver results and can bring about profound changes in distressed communities.

We’ve been following the effort to restore the Great Lakes and have been chronicling successful restoration projects from across the region.

You can read about them here.

Or, contact us if you have a restoration story you’d like to share.

Related posts:

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• Great Lakes restoration attracting cruise ships to Detroit
• HOW hosts Great Lakes Week reception at the Detroit Institute of Arts
• Restoration Success Stories
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