On Thursday night, Canada’s Ambassador to the U.S. hosted the Great Lakes Day Fireside Chat with discussion on creating a Canadian version of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and contributing more to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. Read the full story WWTV-TV – Cadillac, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220304-canada
Racine County, Wisconsin
CCO Meeting:
Tuesday, March 29, 2022
Open House:
Tuesday, March 29, 2022, from 4-7pm CT
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88052699805?pwd=cEp3bkI1d0ZGUGg5ZlZNRGMwRksyZz09
Great Lakes Coastal Flood Study
Great Lakes Coastal Flood Study
https://www.greatlakescoast.org/2022/03/04/lake-michigan-community-consultation-officers-meeting-and-open-house-for-racine-county-wisconsin/
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI1263E80AF8A8.SpecialWeatherStatement.1263E80C4320WI.GRBSPSGRB.e1ae724017be2a10443f5b652ce3656c
March is a big time for underwater storms. The combination of melting snow, saturated soils, and rain falling on frozen ground means that the most frequent and most severe floods typically occur in March here in Michigan. These floods may carry 100 or even 1000 times as much water as the stream carries on a dry summer day.
The post March: Stormy Weather first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/03/04/march-stormy-weather/
PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of widespread man-made chemicals that don’t break down in the environment or the human body and have been flagged as a major contaminant in sources of water across the country.
Keep up with PFAS-related developments in the Great Lakes area.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/pfas-wisconsin-weakened-state-standards-trout-contaminated/
It's part of an effort to increase visibility and experiment with news delivery.
The post Echo hits Instagram first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/03/03/echo-hits-instagram/
By Darlene Superville, Fatima Hussein and Chris Megerian, Associated Press
SUPERIOR, Wis. (AP) — President Joe Biden, struggling to regain his political footing as the midterm elections approach, visited the crucial state of Wisconsin on Wednesday to promote one of his top accomplishments, a bipartisan infrastructure measure that will distribute billions of dollars to fix roads, bridges and other public works.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/ap-biden-cabinet-domestic-agenda/
CHICAGO (AP) —
The Adler Planetarium in Chicago will open this week for the first time since it closed its doors nearly two years ago because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The famed planetarium on the shores of Lake Michigan will on March 4 reopen, joining the ranks of museums and other institutions that have opened their doors once again in recent days months after the pandemic forced them to close.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/ap-chicago-adler-planetarium-reopening/
Just like the atmosphere and the ocean, lakes can be subject to extreme spikes in temperature, and new research shows that the vast majority of these heatwaves over the past 25 years are the result of human-caused climate change.
Iestyn Woolway – a climate scientist at Bangor University in Wales – and his colleagues analysed satellite data of surface temperatures in lakes around the world, including the Great Lakes, to identify when and where heatwaves occurred since the satellites came online in 1995.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/lake-heatwaves-human-climate-change/
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay research supported in part by Wisconsin Sea Grant has now made it to publication, shedding valuable light on how the bay of Green Bay has changed over time.
“Benthos of Green Bay, Lake Michigan revisited after 40 years: A temporal update and assessment of environmental associations” was published in the Journal of Great Lakes Research and is available online. Until this effort, the benthos of lower Green Bay had not been comprehensively studied since 1978. (The benthos encompasses the organisms found on the bottom, or in the bottom sediments, of a body of water.)
From left to right, Cadie Olson, Chris Houghton and Brandon Falish are shown conducting research on Green Bay. Findings from this work were recently published in the Journal of Great Lakes Research. (Photo: Cadie Olson)
Cadie R. Olson, who worked with UW-Green Bay scientist Chris Houghton on this effort while she was a graduate student, is the paper’s first author. In addition to Olson and Houghton, other contributors include biology professor Patrick Forsythe.
“We are delighted that this collaborative effort among Wisconsin Sea Grant, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the EPA and UW-Green Bay is being shared through the Journal of Great Lakes Research,” said Olson. “This project has implications for water quality, ecosystem function and management of the Area of Concern. Green Bay continues to prove that is it is a complex and dynamic ecosystem, and benthos are no exception. We hope that this data will be used to help determine water quality criteria, prioritize areas of restoration, and develop our knowledge of benthic responses to introductions of non-native species.”
Houghton expects the work to be widely cited into the future. Yet, he noted, “Our recently published research is really just the tip of the iceberg in understanding the Green Bay benthos and ecosystem. Now that we know how things have changed over the last 40 years, and what organisms are now present, we can do the work understanding how benthic communities support upper trophic levels, from bait fish to yellow perch and walleye, to muskellunge and pelicans. In the future, we will seek to finish our survey in the area north of Oconto and Sturgeon Bay, and continue the collaborations that were developed during this project.”
The Sea Grant-funded project from which the team’s paper sprang was titled “Spatial and temporal distribution of the benthic macro-invertebrate community of Lower Green Bay, 1938-present.” You can find our 2019 coverage of that work here. The team’s research built upon a trove of historical documents that had been assembled by UW-Green Bay professor emeritus Hallett J. “Bud” Harris and are now kept in the campus library.
Olson now works for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, having completed her master’s in May 2021. “It has been an adjustment going from large lakes to streams, but I’m thrilled that I’m continuing to apply my knowledge of macroinvertebrates and learn more about them in a different ecosystem,” said Olson of the transition.
Learn more about the Green Bay research in a Wisconsin Sea Grant presentation given by Olson and Brandon Falish on Oct. 22, 2020, as part of the “Lake Talks” series.
The post Sea Grant-supported work on the bay of Green Bay published in Journal of Great Lakes Research first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/sea-grant-supported-work-on-the-bay-of-green-bay-published-in-journal-of-great-lakes-research/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sea-grant-supported-work-on-the-bay-of-green-bay-published-in-journal-of-great-lakes-research
Ann Arbor, Mich. – The Great Lakes Commission today issued a request for proposals (RFP) for the 2022 Great Lakes Sediment and Nutrient Reduction Program grant program.
For more than 30 years, the Great Lakes Sediment and Nutrient Reduction Program has provided grants to reduce nutrients and sediments from entering the Great Lakes. This year’s program will continue to help local partners take action to reduce nutrient loads from agricultural watersheds, reduce untreated stormwater runoff, and restore shoreline and streambanks in the Great Lakes basin.
Through the program, nonfederal units of government, tribes, and incorporated nonprofit organizations are eligible to receive grants for up to $200,000, supporting work over a period of up to three years. Applicants are invited to submit proposals for activities associated with one of three project types: 1) agricultural nonpoint; 2) stormwater; and 3) Great Lakes shoreline or streambanks.
The due date for applications is 5:00 p.m. Eastern on April 22, 2022. Applications will be reviewed by representatives from the eight Great Lakes states, plus federal partners at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA). Final decisions on funded projects are anticipated in summer 2022. Selected projects would begin work not later than October 1, 2022.
The Great Lakes Commission has managed the Great Lakes Sediment and Nutrient Reduction Program for more than three decades. Since 2010, the program has benefitted from funding through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Funded projects support progress toward the achievement of GLRI Action Plan objectives and goals. The program is a partnership with NRCS, U.S. EPA, and the Great Lakes states. Please visit www.nutrientreduction.org for more information.
An informational webinar for applicants will be offered on March 24, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern to discuss funding priorities and the application process. To register for the webinar, visit https://bit.ly/3s746up.
For more information, please contact GLC Program Manager Nicole Zacharda at nzacharda@glc.org or 734-396-6084.
The Great Lakes Commission, led by chair Todd L. Ambs, deputy secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (retired), is a binational government agency established in 1955 to protect the Great Lakes and the economies and ecosystems they support. Its membership includes leaders from the eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces in the Great Lakes basin. The GLC recommends policies and practices to balance the use, development, and conservation of the water resources of the Great Lakes and brings the region together to work on issues that no single community, state, province, or nation can tackle alone. Learn more at www.glc.org.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/news/glsnrp-030322
New legislation in Ontario can result in a fine if boats are not cleaned properly when they are moved from one body of water and into another. Boaters are now required to drain water from their boat and equipment and remove aquatic plants, animals and algae from boats, equipment, vehicles and trailers, according to the new rules. It is now illegal to place a boat in any body of water if there are aquatic weeds, animals or algae still on it.
The post New Ontario watercraft regulations fight invasive species first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/03/03/new-ontario-watercraft-regulations-fight-invasive-species/
By Tracy Samilton, Michigan Radio
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/trial-lawsuit-engineering-flint-water-crisis/
Steadier federal funding instead of annual appropriations coming out of debates, direct investment for local communities to meet federal mandates, a dual focus on environmental clean up and economic development.
Those would be three benefits of a Great Lakes Authority, according to Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) who spoke today during the Great Lakes Week session organized by the Great Lakes Commission.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/great-lakes-authority-proposed-ohio-congress-marcy-kaptur/
The Great Lakes Commission and other partners will meet with Congress this week to discuss to talk about its priorities, including invasive species, maritime transportation, coastal resiliency, and coordination with Canada. Read and hear the full story by WDET – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220302-funding
The 2021 Michigan State of the Great Lakes report was released Monday by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy’s Office of the Great Lakes. Read the full story by the Manistee News Advocate.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220302-sogl-report
Researchers from U.S. and Canadian universities and government agencies have been collecting samples to boost knowledge of what happens in the five great lakes when they’re covered partially or completely with ice. Read the full story by The Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220302-ice-research
New York Governor Hochul announced the availability of $2 million of federal funding available for fisheries on the Great Lakes who were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the full story by WWTI-TV – Watertown, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220302-fisheries-funding
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources this week announced new fishing regulations which will begin to go into effect April 1. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220302-fishing-regulations
A major report from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released Monday finds that global warming is happening even faster than expected. In the Midwest, extreme flooding expected to increase in frequency and intensity. Read the full story by WXYZ-TV – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220302-climate-report
A retired 50-foot state research vessel will sail into a new mission as an educational tool in Alpena, Michigan. The vessel will help visitors can learn about aquatic invasive species in the Great Lakes and their effects on fisheries. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220302-research-boat
The Great Lakes, including areas like Manitoulin Island, are expected to see a major increase in cruise ship sailings compared to figures from 2019, the last year cruise ships sailed on the Great Lakes. Read the full story by The Manitoulin Expositor.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220302-cruise-ships
On March 1, Transport Canada said that it will soon ban Russian ships and fishing vessels from entering Canadian ports and internal waters, including the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway. Read the full story by WWTI – TV – Watertown, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220302-russian-ships
On the heels of his State of the Union address Tuesday, President Joe Biden will visit Superior, Wisconsin, to tout the federal infrastructure law that will bring billions to Minnesota and Wisconsin, including to the interchange that connects the two states. Read the full story by WCCO – TV – Minneapolis, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220302-biden-visit
An example of information provided by the Science Communications Toolkit.
Looking for help communicating about science to a nonscientist audience? A new publication is available to help students and researchers. Written by Amy Lentz, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s School of Freshwater Sciences professional master’s program and edited by Wisconsin Sea Grant Social Science Outreach Specialist Deidre Peroff, this free, downloadable “Science Communications Toolkit” offers tips to help make science more understandable to audiences such as elected officials, possible employers, grade-school students and reporters.
In addition, the publication contains suggestions for developing effective graphs, PowerPoint slides and social media messages. Funding was provided by Wisconsin Sea Grant in partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay in Manitowoc and the Southeastern Wisconsin Watersheds Trust, Inc.
Take a look and make your science stand out.
The post New science communication tool available first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/new-science-communication-tool-available/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=new-science-communication-tool-available
Researchers in Ohio are getting ready to expand one of seven treatments for a widespread disease that kills beech trees. The invasive beech leaf disease causes dark striping on leaves and makes them thick, leathery and disfigured before killing the tree.
The post Hope spreads for infected trees first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/03/02/hope-spreads-for-infected-trees/
News | U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit
News | U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit
https://toolkit.climate.gov/news/webinar-series-ecoadapt-monitoring-and-evaluation-progress-and-successes
By Kelly House, Bridge Michigan
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/michigan-global-report-climate/
By Zahra Ahmad, Bridge Michigan
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/dnr-fishing-regulations-michigans-2022-season/
Michigan Sea Grant recently announced four new research projects with one common goal — protecting the Great Lakes. It committed almost $1 million to the projects, including $225,000 from the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. In addition, university research partners contributed over $500,000 in matching funds. Their major topics are water use, walleye, invasive mussel larvae and harmful algae blooms.
The post More money allocated for Great Lakes research first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/03/01/more-money-allocated-for-great-lakes-research/
By Brett Walton, Circle of Blue
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/02/water-systems-pandemic-relief-funds/
Ann Arbor, Mich. – The Great Lakes Commission (GLC) today released its 2022 federal priorities, urging the Biden administration and Congress to invest in projects and programs that will protect the lakes and accelerate the national economy. The priorities are being shared in advance of Great Lakes Day, an annual event that brings together regional leaders and members of Congress who play a critical role in shaping Great Lakes policies. New this year, in collaboration with regional partners, the GLC will host a series of topical sessions on regional priorities throughout the week of February 28 through March 4, featuring remarks from state and local government officials and members of Congress.
“Harnessing the historic investments made in Great Lakes infrastructure, resiliency, and restoration through last year’s infrastructure legislation will address longstanding needs while creating jobs, fostering equity, protecting public health, and strengthening local communities,” said GLC Chair Todd L. Ambs of Wisconsin. “The Great Lakes Commission looks forward to working with our federal partners to continue building a strong and resilient Great Lakes region.”
In FY 2023, the GLC urges Congress and the Biden administration to: build a resilient Great Lakes basin; fully fund the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative; protect against invasive species; expand efforts to address harmful algal blooms; strengthen the Great Lakes Navigation System; upgrade infrastructure to ensure equitable access to clean and safe water; support coordinated regional science and data collection; and fund the GLC to fulfill its unique role in the region.
The GLC will meet with members of Congress and the federal government throughout the week to share these priorities. The GLC organizes Great Lakes Day annually to bring together the states, members of Congress and the federal government to raise awareness of Great Lakes issues. For more information on the GLC and its work, visit www.glc.org.
The Great Lakes Commission, led by chair Todd L. Ambs, deputy secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (retired), is a binational government agency established in 1955 to protect the Great Lakes and the economies and ecosystems they support. Its membership includes leaders from the eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces in the Great Lakes basin. The GLC recommends policies and practices to balance the use, development, and conservation of the water resources of the Great Lakes and brings the region together to work on issues that no single community, state, province, or nation can tackle alone. Learn more at www.glc.org.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/news/federal-priorities-022822
As levels of chlorides continue to rise in Lake Michigan and exceed state limits in Chicago-area waterways, municipalities across the region are grappling with the urgent need to reduce the use of road salt in winter. Read the full story by Chicago Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220228-road-salt
Congress needs to heed the call of the Great Lakes governors and change the cost-share of the Brandon Road Lock and Dam project to make the carp prevention 100 percent federal, as opposed to the traditional cost-sharing arrangement between the Army Corps of Engineers and its local sponsor. Read the full story by The Hill.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220228-carp
Congress needs to heed the call of the Great Lakes governors and change the cost-share of the Brandon Road Lock and Dam project to make the carp prevention 100 percent federal, as opposed to the traditional cost-sharing arrangement between the Army Corps of Engineers and its local sponsor. Read the full story by The Hill.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220228-carp
Some futurists depict Michigan and the Great Lakes as “climate havens” that will lure people and businesses weary of worsening drought, wildfire, hurricanes and other disasters. Amid images of abundance lurk problems with pollution, overuse and deteriorating infrastructure. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220228-michigan
Some futurists depict Michigan and the Great Lakes as “climate havens” that will lure people and businesses weary of worsening drought, wildfire, hurricanes and other disasters. Amid images of abundance lurk problems with pollution, overuse and deteriorating infrastructure. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220228-michigan
Conservation groups and local governments are asking that a lock on the Champlain Canal be closed, to keep out a small non-native species, round goby, that has made its way from the Great Lakes into the Hudson River, putting it dangerously close to Lake Champlain. Read the full story by The Sun.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220228-round-goby
Coordinated efforts among local, state, and federal agencies are raising the possibility that new trails and amenities could be delivered along five miles of lakefront or major roads close to it starting within several years. Read the full story by the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220228-shoreline
The City of Monroe’s Commission on the Environment and Water Quality and River Raisin Area of Concern’s mini documentary film, River Raisin Legacy Project, has won gold in the 2021 dotCOMM Awards. The film details the extensive remediation, restoration and revitalization efforts called the River Raisin Legacy Project, illustrates the cleanup work, habitat restoration, remediation and recreational enhancements for the Michigan river. Read the full story by The Monroe News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220228-river-raisin
In an earnings call last month, Canadian National Railway shared a desire to sell off its nine Twin Ports-based Great Lakes Fleet of ore carriers. The move comes as the freight rail company reviews its non-rail business, including a trucking firm. Read the full story by The Duluth News-Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220228-shipping-sell-off
Iron ore shipments on the Great Lakes totaled 2.5 million tons in January, a decrease of 4.7 percent compared to 2021, according to the Lake Carriers’ Association. Loadings were above the month’s five-year average by 17.6 percent. Read the full story by Business North.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220228-shipping
A chemical release in a tributary of the Huron River was ongoing Friday but contained to a back channel of the river as officials work to determine its source. State and federal officials have been working to contain the leak since Monday after anglers notified city officials of a “sheen” on the river. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220228-pollution
Love staring at a map and discovering something interesting? Then “Mapping the Great Lakes” is for you. It’s a monthly Great Lakes Now feature created by Alex B. Hill, a self-described “data nerd and anthropologist” who combines cartography, data, and analytics with storytelling and human experience.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/02/mapping-great-lakes-name/
By John Flesher, Associated Press
ALLENDALE, Mich. (AP) — Dale Buist knew running a commercial greenhouse would pose challenges. He just never expected a water shortage to be among them. Not in Michigan, with its vast aquatic riches.
Yet a couple of irrigation wells yielded only a trickle.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/02/ap-water-rich-michigan-no-guarantee/
Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition
Contact:
Lindsey Bacigal, BacigalL@nwf.org, (734) 887-7113
Jordan Lubetkin, Lubetkin@nwf.org, (734) 904-1589
Advocates Urge Congress to Support Great Lakes, Climate Priorities
Coalition meetings with D.C. lawmakers come as Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report underscores need to take aggressive action to confront climate crisis.
ANN ARBOR, MICH. (February 28, 2022)—Restoring the Great Lakes, fixing water infrastructure, and confronting climate change are top priorities for Great Lakes advocates, who will be meeting with members of Congress via dozens of virtual meetings this week as part of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition’s annual Great Lakes Days February 28-March 4.
“Our message to federal officials is simple: We’re making progress, but there’s a lot more work to do,” said Laura Rubin, director of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “We cannot let our guard down at a time when many communities are still struggling with polluted water, sewage overflows, toxic contamination, and dangerous flooding. Climate change is making these problems worse. We look forward to working with members of Congress to support solutions to restore our Great Lakes, protect our drinking water, and confront the climate crisis, while helping the communities that have been most impacted by health-threatening pollution.”
The annual week of meetings with members of Congress comes as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is releasing a new report emphasizing the serious damage climate change is causing. The report notes that the large-scale restoration of habitat, wetlands, and floodplains in regions like the Great Lakes can buffer communities from some of the impacts of a warming climate; although these actions must be accompanied by efforts to drive down carbon pollution to prevent the worst impacts. The severe storms and erratic weather are already impacting the Great Lakes and communities (read the Coalition’s climate factsheet for more information), and tackling climate change is a top priority for the Coalition.
“Federal support for restoring the Great Lakes must go hand in hand with national action to curb climate pollution,” said Rubin. “Both are needed if we are to protect our environment, economy, and public health. Unfortunately, the communities most impacted by water pollution also continue to be disproportionately impacted by climate change, from increased flooding to hazardous air pollution. We urge members of Congress who have championed Great Lakes restoration over the years to urgently take steps to confront the climate crisis. Inaction will only make the problems worse and more expensive to solve.”
The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition is asking members of Congress to:
Read the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition’s policy priorities list and the full list of funding priorities for more information.
Since 2004, the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition has been harnessing the collective power of more than 170 groups representing millions of people, whose common goal is to restore and protect the Great Lakes. Learn more at HealthyLakes.org or follow us on Twitter @HealthyLakes.
The post Advocates Urge Congress to Support Great Lakes, Climate Priorities appeared first on Healing Our Waters Coalition.
Healing Our Waters Coalition
https://healthylakes.org/advocates-urge-congress-to-support-great-lakes-climate-priorities/
Last year, the U.S. ski industry had its fifth-busiest season, according to the National Ski Areas Association, and interest in the slopes shows no signs of slowing down in Michigan for the 2021-22 season.
The post Downhill ski business booming in Michigan first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/02/28/downhill-ski-business-booming-in-michigan/
SUPERIOR, Wis. (AP) — President Joe Biden travels to Wisconsin next week, the day after delivering his State of the Union speech in Washington.
According to the White House, Biden and first lady Jill Biden will stop in Superior on Wednesday to discuss how the $1 trillion infrastructure law will improve the state’s roads and bridges, among other things, and create jobs.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/02/biden-state-union-address-wisconsin/
Communications Grants Filling the Gap + All About Water Convening + Ontario’s Water Infrastructure, Much Like in the U.S., Needs Support + Your Voice on Michigan’s Healthy Climate Plan + Save the Date-Freshwater Heroes Celebration, March 22, 2022
A new website created for the Benton Harbor Community Water Council will help them reach even more people in the community to provide information on how to stay safe from lead in drinking water. Now residents can sign-up to receive emails about where to get bottled water or filters. The new website will help the Community Water Council build a stronger voice for ensuring Benton Harbor residents have clean water! This is just the first of many new websites to come through our Community Based Communications Grants program. Alexis Smith manages this program for Freshwater Future and when asked about the program shared, “What I enjoy most about this project is being able to fill the gap that the technological divide has created between grassroots organizations and their opportunities. Now, even groups with smaller capacities can have their voices heard and their work given the platforms they deserve.”
In the next five years, there will be billions in federal funds to help communities upgrade water infrastructure. Thanks to the dynamic speakers at the All About Water Session last week for inspiring participants to take actions to ensure their communities can access these funds to improve the safety of drinking water.
Missed the event? Watch the recording on Freshwater Future’s YouTube Channel.
Ohio’s Deadline for Communities to Submit Application for State Revolving Funds Approaching–March 4
Ohio municipalities have until March 4, 2022 to nominate local water infrastructure projects for the annual State Revolving Fund. Certain project types, such as lead service lines, PFAS, and Harmful Algal Blooms, are accepted at any time. Talk to your neighbors and encourage your local government to pursue this record-level clean water funding soon – the process can take time and the extra funding ends in 5 years.
In Toronto, there was an oil spill into the Don River as well as water flooded streets and transit stations. In Brampton there were floods requiring evacuations. There were ice jams and flooding in Port Stanley, and a water main break in Guelph. Together these stories highlight the need for Ontario Helping Municipalities Build Storm and Wastewater Infrastructure. Currently the provincial government is investing $25 million to build clearly needed infrastructure. These funds are split with $15 million going to improve aging and outdated storm and wastewater infrastructure and $10 million going to upgrade sewage monitoring and public reporting. This investment should help improve Ontarians’ access to clean water, but much more will be needed.
In January, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) released the draft MI Healthy Climate Plan that lays out a broad vision on how the state can reach carbon neutrality by 2050, a goal set by Governor Whitmer. While there are many positive elements of the plan it lacks the urgency and details to turn the vision into reality. Please share your support for the Climate Plan and the need for more swift timelines and bolder actions by emailing EGLE today through our online take action form. (Deadline for comments is March 14, 2022).
You are invited to the 2021 Freshwater Heroes Celebration! Please join us on World Water Day, Tuesday, March 22nd at Noon (ET) as we honor several people, organizations, and communities throughout the Great Lakes Region who are committed to protecting our earth’s precious freshwater resources. This live virtual celebration is open to the public! This is a free event, but pre-registration is required.
Blog – Freshwater Future
https://freshwaterfuture.org/freshwater-weekly/freshwater-future-weekly-february-25-2022/
By Brett Walton, Circle of Blue
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/02/drinking-water-pathogen-effect-black-americans/
