Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat News
The Newsletter of the Great Lakes
Aquatic Habitat Network and Fund
The Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat News is the newsletter of the Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat Network and Fund, published five times per year. The News is intended to provide a forum for the free exchange of ideas among citizens and organizations working to protect aquatic habitats in the Great Lakes Basin.
Volume 15, Number 2 • Summer2007
Basin-wide News
Great Lakes Water Conservation on the Move!
By Cheryl Mendoza, GLAHNF Regional Policy and Network Advisor
The development of laws solidifying the
Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin
Water Resources Compact and
Agreement is on the rise, thanks in part to
all of you who continue to put pressure
on decision-makers to make sure we
properly care for our Great Lakes. The
challenge now is to make sure the
Compact and Agreement result in the
strongest possible protections for the
Great Lakes. The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin Water
Resources Compact and companion Agreement are the product of
over four years of negotiations between the eight Great Lakes
Governors and Premiers of Ontario and Quebec.
With input of a 39-member advisory panel and thousands of
citizens, the Compact and Agreement provide guidelines for sound
water management, preventing harm to our magnificent water
resources and stopping far off diversions. For the Compact to
become legally binding, each of the eight Great Lakes state legislatures
must pass the Compact and gain approval from Congress. On
the Canadian side, the provinces have agreed to implement similar
laws to ensure the entire Great Lakes basin is protected. Here is
what's happening in each of the states and provinces, along with
contact information for getting involved.
New York - The Senate will be coming back in mid-July and is
expected to take up the Compact. To learn how to get involved,
contact Katherine Nadeau of Environmental Advocates of New York
(518) 462-5526 or knadeau@eany.org.
Pennsylvania - A stakeholder group is developing language
to implement the Compact, which could be introduced as early
as August. To learn how to get involved, contact Mark Gorman
of Pennsylvania Environmental Council at (814) 332-2946 or
mgorman@pecpa.org.
Ohio - The Compact is expected to be introduced in the House this
fall, for the second time. To learn how to get involved, contact
Kristy Meyer at the Ohio Environmental Council, (614) 487-7506 or
kmeyer@theOEC.org.
Indiana - There will be public meetings in lakeshore areas this
August and September. The Compact and implementing legislation
is expected to be introduced in January of 2008. To learn how to get
involved, contact Molly Flannagan at National Wildlife Federation at
(734) 769-3351 or Flanaganm@nwf.org
Illinois - The Compact has passed out of the legislature (see story on
page 5) and is awaiting the Governor's signature.To learn how to get
involved, contact Joel Brammeier of the Alliance for the Great Lakes
at (312) 939-0838 or jbrammeier@greatlakes.org.
Wisconsin - The Compact is expected to be introduced in September
or October. To learn how to get involved, contact Melissa Malott at
Clean Wisconsin, (608) 251-7020 or mmalott@cleanwisconsin.org.
Minnesota - The Compact was passed in February of 2007.
To learn how to get involved, contact Julie O'Leary at
Minnesota Environmental Partnership at 218-727-0800 or
julieoleary@mepartnership.org.
Michigan - The Compact has been introduced in the
House and Senate. To learn how to get involved, contact
Grenetta Thomassey at Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council at
grenetta@watershedcouncil.orgor 231-347-1181.
Ontario - Legislation was passed in June. To learn how to get
involved, contact Sarah Miller at the Canadian Environmental Law
Association, (416) 960-2284 or millers@lao.on.ca.
Quebec - A new law to implement the Agreement is under
development and expected to be completed in one year. To learn
how to get involved, contact Marc Hudon at Nature Quebec at
(418) 543-9681 or hudo@videotron.ca.
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