Healing Our Waters Coalition

Cleanup removes tons of toxins from Milwaukee River

Jeff Alexander — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:26:34 +0000

State and federal agencies on Friday announced the completion of a $24.6 million sediment cleanup that moves the Milwaukee Estuary closer to being removed from a list of Great Lakes Areas of Concern.

The $24.6 million Great Lakes Restoration Initiative project removed about 140,000 cubic yards of sediment contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PCBs and PAHs. The contamination led to limits on eating fish caught in the river, as well as loss of habitat and other environmental problems.

Completion of the project was announced by officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Milwaukee County.

“Thousands of cubic yards of harmful contaminated sediment were removed to help boost human, ecological and local economic health,” said Cameron Davis, Senior Advisor to the EPA Administrator. “But we can’t stop here. We’re looking for new partners to match funds to accelerate cleanups in other Areas of Concern in Wisconsin and around the Great Lakes.”

Crews dredged 140,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment from the Milwaukee River. (Milwaukeee Riverkeeper photo)

The GLRI’s Legacy Act covered $16 million of the project cost; the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources contributed $8.6 million. The result was the cleanup of the largest known deposit of PCB-contaminated sediment in the Milwaukee River Area of Concern.

“We are making major strides cleaning up the Milwaukee River Estuary,” said WDNR Secretary Cathy Stepp. “With our partners we will continue to work to bring the Milwaukee River back to provide recreational and economic benefits for the Milwaukee area.”

The Milwaukee River section of the Area of Concern extends from Cedar Creek downstream through the Outer Harbor. It includes Cedar Creek, Lincoln Creek and portions of the Menomonee, Little Menomonee and Kinnickinnic rivers.

In the 1980s, the U.S. and Canada identified 43 highly degraded shoreline areas along the Great Lakes. Today there are 30 AOCs wholly in the U.S. or shared with Canada.

The Great Lakes are the largest source of surface freshwater on the planet. The lakes provide drinking water for 30 million people and support one of the world’s largest regional economies.

Past studies have shown that every $1 invested in restoring the Great Lakes produces $2 of economic activity in the region.

What a deal: $246,000 restores miles of trout stream

Jeff Alexander — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:44:42 +0000

The Conservation Resource Alliance in northern Michigan has proven yet again that restoring the Great Lakes is a bargain.

The Alliance recently removed a dam on a creek in northern Michigan and, in the process, restored natural conditions in seven miles of a once-thriving trout stream. The cost of this very significant project, funded in part by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, was $246,000.

That’s a significant chunk of change, but it’s a relative pittance when you consider the ecological and economic values of a healthy trout stream.

Removing the Wheeler Creek dam will increase the trout population, reduce soil erosion and liberate a stretch of water that was harnessed by concrete structures for close to two centuries. The project will also restore the creek’s natural relation to its receiving water: The Manistee River, which is a major tributary of Lake Michigan.

Wheeler Creek is flowing free again after an obsolete dam was removed. (Conservation Resource Alliance photo)

Go here to learn more about this project.

Coalition to Congress: ‘Do Not Waver in Support for Great Lakes Programs’

Jordan Lubetkin — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:08:48 +0000

Funding levels of federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. GRAPHIC / Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition

Days after the Obama Administration released its fiscal year 2013 budget, the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition is urging the U.S. Congress to hold the line against cuts to Great Lakes restoration programs that are producing results in communities across the region.

“President Obama’s budget keeps Great Lakes restoration on track,” said Jeff Skelding, campaign director for the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “Now we’re looking for the U.S. Congress to not waver in its commitment to restore a resource that more than 30 million people depend on for their drinking water, jobs and way of life.”

Listen to an audio recording of the coalition’s briefing on the budget for reporters.

In President Obama’s budget, the Great Lakes states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin are set to receive approximately $727 million in federal funds to support Great Lakes restoration and clean water programs. Historically the president’s budget request sets the framework for Congressional budget negotiations.

“Over the last three years, President Obama and the U.S. Congress have worked together in a spirit of bi-partisanship to support Great Lakes restoration,” said Chad Lord, policy director for the Coalition. “We want that to continue because restoration programs are producing results—and there’s more work to do. Cutting restoration funding will cost taxpayers more money because problems will only become more difficult and expensive to solve the longer we wait.”

In communities around the region, restoration projects are putting people to work to restore the Great Lakes and the rivers, harbor and wetlands that feed them. 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.

“Our message to congress is simple: keep the pedal to the metal and continue to support restoration programs that are working for people, communities and the Lakes,” said Skelding. “The bottom line is investments in the Great Lakes offer some of the best returns on the dollar in the federal budget.”

President Obama’s budget holds the line for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, recommending $300 million for the program—the same amount Congress appropriated in the fiscal year 2012 budget.

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative supports programs to confront the most pressing threats to the Lakes, such as toxic contamination, polluted runoff, destruction of wetlands and habitat and introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species such as the Asian carp.

Clean Water State Revolving Fund funding levels. GRAPHIC / Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition

The president’s budget cuts the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, which provides low-interest loans to communities across the nation to halt sewage contamination through traditional infrastructure and so-called “green” infrastructure, which restores natural systems like wetlands to absorb storm water before it overwhelms sewers.

The Obama Administration budget recommends $1.175 billion for the program—a reduction of nearly $294 million, or 20 percent, from the $1.468 billion Congress appropriated in the fiscal year 2012 budget.

Based on a fixed formula, the eight Great Lakes states stand to receive approximately $427 million through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund in President Obama’s budget—a decrease of approximately $110 million from the $533 million Congress appropriated last year.

State	Fiscal Year 2012 Enacted	President Obama FY 2013 budget request
Illinois	$66 million	$53 million
Indiana	$35 million	$28 million
Michigan	$63 million	$50 million
Minnesota	$26 million	$21 million
New York	$161 million	$129 million
Ohio	$82 million	$66 million
Pennsylvania	$58 million	$46 million
Wisconsin	$39 million	$32 million
TOTAL	$533 million	$427 million

The nation faces a staggering tab to deal with the chronic problem of sewage overflows caused by antiquated sewers. The U.S. EPA estimates that the nation faces a $298 billion backlog in wastewater infrastructure improvements—with communities in the Great Lakes basin facing a $23.3 billion tab.

“Restoring the Great Lakes and other U.S. iconic waters depends on the nation confronting the epidemic of sewage overflows,” said Lord. “The nation needs to be increasing—not cutting—these investments, which are good for the environment and economy.”

A $1 investment in Great Lakes restoration produces at least $2 in economic benefit, according to the Brookings Institution. A 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. The University of Michigan has found that more than 1.5 million people region-wide depend on the Great Lakes for their jobs — worth more than $60 billion in wages annually.

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

Coalition: President Obama’s Budget ‘Keeps Great Lakes Restoration on Track’

Jordan Lubetkin — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:11:26 +0000

ANN ARBOR (Feb. 13, 2012) – President Barack Obama released his 2013 budget today, which contains $300 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative –maintaining funds for the program at the level appropriated by the U.S. Congress in the fiscal year 2012 budget.

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative supports solutions to some of the most urgent threats to the Great Lakes, including toxic contamination, polluted run-off, aquatic invasive species, and loss of habitat and wetlands. The program is widely hailed as re-igniting the nation’s effort to restore the Great Lakes—a resource that more than 30 million people depend on for their drinking water.

Over the last three years, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has provided more than $1 billion to restoration programs in the eight states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Today, responding to the White House budget, Jeff Skelding, campaign director for the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, said:

“President Obama’s budget keeps Great Lakes restoration on track. The budget acknowledges that restoration programs are producing results—but there is more work to do. We applaud President Obama’s ongoing support for Great Lakes restoration, even in a difficult budget climate, and we look forward to working with the U.S. Congress to ensure the nation continues to make Great Lakes restoration a national priority.”

“The bottom line is the nation cannot afford not to protect the Great Lakes—more than 30 million people depend on the Lakes for drinking water. If we cut funding now, it will only cost more later, because projects will only get harder and more 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: www.healthylakes.org

Coalition to Next President: Commit to Action on Great Lakes, Asian Carp

Jordan Lubetkin — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:48:26 +0000

ANN ARBOR, MICH. (February 7, 2012) – In a pledge sent to election committees of former Speaker Newt Gingrich, Rep. Ron Paul, Gov. Mitt Romney, former Sen. Rick Santorum and President Barack Obama, the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition is calling on White House aspirants to commit to supporting Great Lakes restoration and action on Asian carp.

“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

New Study: We Can Stop Asian Carp, Protect Great Lakes—and not Break the Bank

Jordan Lubetkin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:06:23 +0000

Doable, affordable: Conceptual rendering of Asian carp barrier on the Calumet River. Photo/ Great Lakes Commission

This just in: We have a solution to stop Asian carp for a price that will not break the bank.

A new study, released today by the Great Lakes Commission and the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, lays out solutions to stop invasive species like the Asian carp from using man-made canals connecting the Great Lakes and Mississippi River from spreading throughout U.S. waters, where they inflict damage on the environment and economy.

The report offers three different scenarios to sever the man-made connection between the two iconic waters by building a barrier (or barriers). The cost: between $3 billion and $9.5 billion.

Commenting on the report, here’s what the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition’s Jeff Skelding had to say:

“The study has the potential to be a game-changer in the effort to restore and protect the Great Lakes. It proves that we have affordable solutions to the Asian carp crisis that benefit both our environment and economy. This report should put an end to excuse-making and food-dragging and light a fire under the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to do its job so that the nation can move forward on a solution to protect the Great Lakes and the jobs which depend on them.”

The study underscores three things:

1. We can do this. The study lays out in black and white that we have the technology to block the spread of harmful aquatic invasive species. As Tim Eder of the Great Lakes Commission, explained on a Michigan Public Radio report, it’s like building an earthen dam to sever the artificial connection. The solutions outlined in the report are more than feasible, they are eminently doable. Look at the above artist rendering from the summary report issued today. Anyone familiar with modern ports will see that we can do this. Today.

2. We can afford this. The price tag will attract attention, and it should. Costs ranging from $3 billion to $9.5 billion are not cheap—but they’re not exorbitant either. In fact, I see it as a bargain for several reasons.

First, the Great Lakes are worth that—and so much more. The investment will go to protect a global resource that supplies drinking water to more than 30 million people. More than 1.5 million people depend on it for their jobs—worth more than $60 billion in wages annually. The sport fishing industry alone is valued at $7 billion per year. Recreational boating is valued at $16 billion. To be sure the Asian carp and other species don’t threaten all of that—but no one can argue that the non-native fish don’t present a clear a present danger to both the environment and economy.

Second, those costs are in-line with what cities need to do to maintain infrastructure and keep their cities functioning. Maintaining roads, bridges and sewers costs money. Midwestern cities such as Buffalo, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit and Milwaukee have multi-year, multi-billion plans to upgrade their sewers. The carp barrier can be viewed as a regional infrastructure investment that will benefit citizens in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York. In fact:

Third, the whole region benefits from stopping the spread of Asian carp and other invasive species. The region’s citizens, cities and businesses have paid a steep price for invasive species (see below). Similarly, the entire region will benefit from preventing further invasions. The study estimates that the region will save between $1.4 billion and $9 billion by erecting the barriers.

Fourth, if we don’t pay now, we’re going to pay a lot more later. Invasive species are living, breathing biological pollution. Once they take hold, they’re impossible to eradicate—as are their damages. Invasive species introduced via ballast water cost Great Lakes citizens, utilities and cities at least $200 million per year. What’s more, it costs roughly $20 billion to manage the invasive sea lamprey. (If you want to see an ecosystem turned on its head by invasive species, see reports by Washington Post and BBC on impacts from the Burmese pythons in Florida’s Everglades National Park.)

It’s clear that if we don’t take action now, the problem will only get worse and more costly. Or, as Dave Ullrich of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative told the Associated Press: “Yes, it’s expensive. But the cost of doing nothing is greater.”

3. We need to move faster towards a solution. The Asian carp crisis has been brewing for years, yet federal action to solve the problem has moved at a snail’s pace. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been tasked with offering its own study of options to separate the Great Lakes and Mississippi River. It has dragged its feet since 2007—and claims, incredibly—that it won’t complete its own study until 2015 at the earliest.

That’s not acceptable. The U.S. Army Corps needs to expedite its study—and incorporate the findings of the new study.

Congress can help advance solutions to this problem in two ways:

1. Maintain strong support for interim measures. The Great Lakes congressional delegation needs to support policy action and necessary funding to support an aggressive, strategic short-term plan to beat back the Asian carp until a long-term solution can be implemented. It’s going to take years to solve this problem. The Great Lakes congressional delegation needs to remain united and vigilant so that we can buy time for a permanent solution.

2. Pass the Stop Asian Carp Act. The act mandates the U.S. Army Corps to complete its study by 2013 so that the nation can move forward on a solution that protect the Great Lakes and the millions of people which rely on them for their drinking water, jobs and way of life.

$50 million pollution cleanup aims to make Indiana’s Grand Calumet River grand again

Jeff Alexander — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:36:16 +0000

A few miles southeast of Chicago, in the shadow of an elevated toll road that links the Windy City to Indiana, crews are transforming one of America’s most polluted rivers into an oasis for wildlife.

The Grand Calumet River was abused for more than a century by cities and industries that used it as a sewer. Decades of toxic discharges blanketed the river bottom with a thick layer of poisonous mud that fouled the water, drove away every species of fish except carp and goldfish, and coated birds in oil.

A $50 million cleanup of the Grand Calumet’s west branch project aims to reverse the damage and restore life to a river and associated wetlands that once attracted scores of migratory birds.

“We’re returning this to a real river,” said Scott Ireland, a scientist with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “We’re already seeing some bird species returning.”

Before the cleanup, the Roxana Marsh was choked with cattails and Phragmites. (EPA photo)

Daniel Sparks, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist who has worked on the Grand Calumet River project since 1989, said aquatic life could return to the river’s west branch soon after the cleanup is finished.

“We’re making real progress; I’m excited,” Sparks said. “Fish could spawn again in this river someday.”

River is one of many Great Lakes toxic hotspots
The Grand Calumet River is one of 42 Great Lakes Areas of Concern. The river flows 13 miles through the heavily industrialized cities of Gary, East Chicago and Hammond, Ind., before flowing into Lake Michigan via the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal.

Roxana Marsh after contaminated sediments and invasive plants were removed. (EPA photo)

The river and harbor — which drain an area that is home to 57 severe pollution sites and wastewater treatment plants that still discharge untreated sewage into the river — contain between 5 million and 10 million cubic yards of contaminated sediment. About 150,000 cubic yards of that polluted sediment washes out of the river and into Lake Michigan annually, according to government studies.

The river’s toxic underbelly was fouled by a witch’s brew of toxic wastes, including oil and grease, heavy metals, PCBs, according to government records.

Cleaning up all of the Grand Calumet River and the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal will cost more than $100 million, according to federal officials.

Since last year, crews working for the U.S. EPA and Indiana Department of Environmental Management have dredged 232,000 cubic yards of toxic sediment from the west branch of the Grand Calumet and one of its largest wetlands, the 19-acre Roxana Marsh. Workers also removed several acres of invasive Phragmites and, in February, will begin depositing a layer of clean sand, clay and rugged fabric on the river bottom that will serve as a cap atop 345,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediments that will be left behind.

Ireland said the sand and clay cap would isolate the remaining pollutants from the river and allow the waterway to heal. He said there wasn’t enough money to remove all of the toxic mud.

“In some areas toxins are found 15 feet below the bottom of the river,” Ireland said.

Federal program is cleansing the lakes
Funding for the cleanup came from the EPA’s Great Lakes Legacy Act program and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. State and federal agencies collected $72 million from companies that polluted the river, Ireland said.

The Great Lakes Legacy Act, which is now implemented through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, has proven to be one of the region’s most effective cleanup programs since it was established in 2002. Money from the program has cleaned up 1.5 million cubic yards of contaminated sediment at sites in Indiana, Michigan, New York, Ohio and Wisconsin. Go here to learn more about the program.

This map shows the location of all 42 Great Lakes Areas of Concern.

U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky, a Democrat who represents northern Indiana, championed the Great Lakes Legacy Act in Congress and helped secure funding to clean up the Grand Calumet River.

Visclosky in 2008 told the Post Tribune of Gary, Ind., that the benefits of cleaning up the Grand Calumet extend far beyond the boundaries of the river’s basin.

“It will help improve water quality in all areas downstream, including the Indiana Harbor Ship Canal and Lake Michigan,” Visclosky said. “It is one in a series of historic efforts to clean up over a century of contamination in those waters and return them to their natural purity.”

Ireland, who has worked on the Grand Calumet project for 20 years, said he wasn’t sure the cleanup would ever get off the ground.

“If you had asked me 15 years ago if I thought this river would ever be cleaned up, I would have been hard pressed to say yes,” Ireland said recently. “People thought this river would be polluted forever.”

Cornell Davidson, a lifelong resident of East Chicago, Ind., called the Grand Calumet River cleanup “a very good thing.”

“I’m hoping they can get rid of all of the pollution,” Davidson said. “Maybe it will improve our quality of life and we can live longer.”

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Coalition Grants Helping Groups Participate in Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

Jordan Lubetkin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:24:44 +0000

For Immediate Release:
January 26, 2012

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.”

Total 2010 Coalition Grant Awards	$200,000
Total GLRI Applications	12
Total GLRI Awards	6
Total GLRI Funding Leveraged	$1,693,963
Return on Investment (GLRI)	8-to-1
Additional Funding Leveraged	$4,215,832
Total Restoration Funding Leveraged	$5,909,795
Return on Investment (All restoration programs)	29-to-1

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.”

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

Dam removal resurrects a trout stream

Jeff Alexander — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:52:15 +0000

A northern Michigan trout stream that was used for years to support a commercial fish farm is flowing freely again after a dozen small dams were removed.

The Flowing Well Trout Farm, built near Kalkaska, Michigan the mid-1900s, erected 12 small dams to create fish rearing ponds. The dams diverted the north branch of the Manistee River and the Flowing Well Creek, which caused unnaturally high water temperatures, blocked fish passage and disrupted the natural movement of sediment and woody debris in the coldwater trout streams.

Removing the dams restored natural conditions in 37 miles of the streams, which increased the native brook trout population.

Go here for more details on the project.

President Obama to Release Budget February 13

Jordan Lubetkin — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:34:18 +0000

The Obama Administration will release its fiscal year 2013 budget Monday, February 13, according to reports in media including the Washington Post, National Journal, USA Today, Politico, Bloomberg News and Reuters. By law, the president is to release its budget the first Monday in February.

The president’s budget serves as a framework for congressional budget process and helps set national priorities. The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition will analyze the budget to determine the support of Great Lakes programs such as the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

The coalition will host a briefing for reporters on the budget Wednesday, February 15. (Time to be determined.)

The coalition has worked to maintain funding for essential clean water programs. Congress approved $300 million for the fiscal year 2012 budget. President Obama’s previous three budgets have contained substantial funding for Great Lakes programs.

Commenting on the upcoming release of the President Obama’s budget, Jeff Skelding, campaign director of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, said:

“The nation cannot afford not to protect the Great Lakes—they supply drinking water to more than 30 million people. Great Lakes restoration programs are already producing results, but there is more to do. If we cut funding now, it will only cost more later because projects will become more difficult and expensive the longer we wait.”