To help combat tree inequity, nonprofit environmental advocacy organization Faith in Place was awarded $1.99 million by the U.S. Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Program to increase urban tree canopies in the Great Lakes region. Made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, these funds will allow Faith in Place to facilitate tree planning and workforce development projects at faith institutions and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations serving disadvantaged communities throughout Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin.

The 330-acre Coveyou Scenic Farm focuses on environmentally sustainable farming practices using solar power, geothermal cooling, collected rainwater, underground drip irrigation, and natural fertilizers.

The Village of Skokie, Illinois, is planting at least 450 trees by 2028, reducing heat islands and improving health outcomes for its 68,000 residents.

Improvements to the downtown Lakewalk in Duluth, Minnesota, are increasing climate resiliency, public safety, and accessibility, along the Lake Superior coastline.

Great Lakes supporters are in Washington, D.C., this week with the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, to urge members of Congress to continue their support for federal investments to protect the drinking water, public health, jobs, and quality of life for the millions of people in the eight-state region.

New bipartisan federal legislation would reauthorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, allowing the federal government to continue to accelerate its investment to restore and protect the Great Lakes – the source of drinking water for more that 42 million people – and to tackle serious threats, including toxic pollution, runoff, habitat loss, and invasive species.

Learn more about the work of Brown Faces Green Spaces, a nonprofit environmental education organization dedicated to helping People of Color connect with nature in Indiana and beyond.

The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition and 95 partner organizations submitted a letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan, urging the Administrator to consider three main principles to ensure the success of the GLRI program over the next five years.