Cities are on the frontlines when it comes to the protection and restoration of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River…literally. Cities along the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence are faced with threats to the resource, and their impact, on a daily basis. These threats hit very close to home. For many cities in the Great Lakes region, the Lakes and River are the foundation for their existence. The resource provides drinking water, a base for economy and industry, and an opportunity for recreation. Protection and restoration of this treasure is imperative to cities because they depend on it for their very livelihood.
Cities recognize the importance of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River and have been taking action to advance their protection and restoration. Every day cities are working to ensure they make a positive impact on the resource, from the work done in Goderich to separate the town’s sanitary sewer system; to Racine’s efforts to address sources of contamination at beaches; to storm water management projects like the McCormick Center storm water tunnel in Chicago; to Toronto’s work to restore and protect vital wetlands in the Lower Don River. And through the emergence of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, a coalition of U.S. and Canadian mayors and other local officials that work to protect and restore the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence, local government now has a prominent voice in federal, provincial and state arenas to impress the significance of this treasure.
Despite large municipal investments of time, effort, and money into the protection and restoration of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence, there is only so much local action can accomplish. Focused and committed federal attention is necessary to achieve adequate protection and restoration of this vital resource. For more information on what cities are doing, and what more needs to be done, please visit http://glslcities.org/.
David Ullrich is executive director of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Cities Initiative.
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