U.S. Great Lakes Basin Update
U.S. Great Lakes Restoration Plan Signed in Chicago
Coalition’s challenge is to keep the dust away!
By Chris Grubb
Scanning the shelves of most Great
Lakes institutions - be they government,
academic, non-profit, or otherwise - one
is likely to be struck by the prevalence of
large, black binders looking unopened
and covered in dust. Over the past 12 months, more than 1,500
people have been deeply involved in a process, called the Great
Lakes Regional Collaboration (GLRC), which has produced an
“Action Plan to Protect and Restore the Great Lakes” that will
undoubtedly be delivered to these same Great Lakes institutions
in big black binders. The Action Plan contains many strong
recommendations for restoring the health of the Great Lakes.The
challenge for grassroots advocates now becomes persuading
state and federal governments to act on the plan and not let it be
filed and forgotten.
A Look at the Plan
Kicked off in December 2004, the GLRC has included representatives
from government, industry, agriculture, shipping,
environmental/conservation groups, and other stakeholders.
Eight issue area strategy teams focused on things like invasive
species, habitat/species, polluted runoff, and coastal health.
These Great Lakes stakeholders developed consensus recommendations
to address the most pressing restoration needs in the
region. Some of the major consensus recommendations that are
included in the final plan are:
- Substantial new investments to upgrade sewage systems
and stop the dumping of raw sewage that closes our
beaches and fouls our waters;
- Passing federal legislation with the provisions contained
in the pending National Aquatic Invasive Species Act to
prevent the spread of invasive species that are destroying
the Great Lakes food web;
- Restoring 550,000 acres of wetlands to provide habitat
and filter polluted runoff;
- Increasing authorizations of the Great Lakes Legacy Act
that helps pay for cleanup of Great Lakes Areas of
Concern (the most toxic areas in the Great Lakes Basin).
Keeping the Dust Away
The Healing Our WatersSM– Great Lakes Coalition has formed this
year to make sure that we not only plan for restoring the Great
Lakes, but that we actually do it! Led by the National Wildlife
Federation and the National Parks Conservation Association, and
with over 70 member organizations, the coalition aims to build a
regional and national campaign to restore the Great Lakes for our
children and future generations.
Next year will be critical for the campaign to restore the Great
Lakes. Early in 2006 we expect to see the Great Lakes
Congressional delegation get behind a single Great Lakes
Restoration bill that will invest in implementing the consensus
recommendations of the GLRC plan. In addition, the entire House
of Representatives is up for re-election in 2006; and, six of the
eight Great Lakes states could have new Governors.
Passing Great Lakes restoration legislation will not be easy, and
we need the support of grassroots groups across the region. The
Healing Our WatersSM– Great Lakes Coalition is currently
working with the Biodiversity Project to create a Great Lakes
restoration message kit that will contain a number of fact
sheets and other materials to help you communicate the
importance of restoring the Great Lakes in your community.
The message kit will be available in 2006 – in the meantime if
you would like to learn more about Great Lakes restoration,
please visit www.restorethelakes.org.
For more information:
Chris Grubb, GLAHNF Lake Advisor
National Wildlife Federation
213 W. Liberty, Suite 200, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
(734) 769-3351 • grubbc@nwf.org
Disclaimer:
The interpretations and conclusions presented in this newsletter represent the opinions of the individual authors. They in no way represent the views of the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council, the C.S. Mott Foundation, subscribers, donors, or any organization mentioned in this publication.
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