The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Trash Free Waters Program paid for the UW-Oshkosh Marine Debris Mitigation Project boat that is helping to clear the waters of the Great Lakes. It’s Wisconsin’s first aquatic trash boat. Read the full story by Door County Pulse.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220805-boatcleansgreatlakes
Muskegon is one of 27 Great Lakes ports that are welcoming passengers back after cruises were grounded for two years due to the pandemic. Pent-up demand and the growing popularity of Great Lakes cruises are making this a record-breaking year and bringing millions of dollars to local communities. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220805-cruiseshipsmuskegon
As anyone who lives in Michigan knows, March and April are the wet months. But like so many things that Anyone knows, this is only about half true. The amount of precipitation (the water in rain and snow) doesn’t change much from month to month in Michigan.
The post August: Dibs on the Water first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/08/05/august-dibs-on-the-water/
Green Bay, WI
https://www.weather.gov/www.weather.gov/mkx/Drought
A federal judge has placed the ex-president of a Fort Wayne environmental services company – described in her lawyer’s sentencing memorandum as “kind, generous, hard-working and honest” and a “huge source of inspiration” for her children and grandchildren” – on probation for two years for illegally storing hazardous wastes and falsifying a document.
The post Indiana environmental services exec sentenced for mishandling hazardous wastes first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/08/04/indiana-environmental-services-exec-sentenced-for-mishandling-hazardous-wastes/
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will launch a robotic Uncrewed Surface Vehicle in Lake Erie to help with Great Lakes monitoring and is asking the public to keep their distance. Read the full story by The Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220803-drones
Advocates for the Mississippi River are hoping that a proposed federal funding program, modeled after the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, could assist with river restoration efforts. Read the full story by WWNO – New Orleans, LA.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220803-mississippi
In Ohio, decomposing algae at the bottom of Lake Erie has led to recurring problems with discolored water reaching the taps of some Cleveland Water Department customers, which is an issue the department is now looking to remedy. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220803-discolored-water
A Chicago man recently completed his 1,400-mile biking journey around Lake Superior, which is the last of the five Great Lakes he has biked since starting his journey twelve years ago. Read the full story by WLUC-TV – Negaunee, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220803-bike
Great Lakes’ water temperatures usually mimic summer air temperatures, but Lake Superior has remained cooler than average. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220803-water-temperature
With federal authorities limited in their ability to require power plants to substitute fossil fuels with other energy sources, state efforts in New York will need to ramp up to reduce future climate risks to the Great Lakes. Read the full story by Spectrum News Buffalo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220803-power-plants
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources reports that 73 nests were observed this year and 65 of those nests hatched, giving this threatened species hope for recovery. Read the full story by WZZM-TV – Grand Rapids, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220803-piping-plovers
The nonprofit organization Sturgeon for Tomorrow and a team of fishery biologists have been working together for seven years on the Sturgeon-in-the-Classroom program to engage students through community science to help reintroduce lake sturgeon in Great Lakes tributaries. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220803-sturgeon
As some species recover from past population declines, the rise in their population has the adverse effect on other Great Lakes threatened species. Read the full story by The Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220803-species
Michigan State archaeologist studies artifacts to learn about life for lighthouse keepers in remote locations around the Great Lakes.
The post Artifacts reveal human side of Great Lakes lighthouses first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/08/03/artifacts-reveal-human-side-of-great-lakes-lighthouses/
Humans, like all other animals, have an innate desire to find the right spot, an ideal place. Tim Mulherin, the author of Sand, Stars, Wind & Water found his sense of place in Northwest Lower Michigan during his first visit to the area 35 years ago.
The post Protecting your place: one man’s tribute to Northern Michigan first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/08/02/protecting-your-place-one-mans-tribute-to-northern-michigan/
In the first six weeks of 2022, seven earthquakes were recorded in the eastern basin of Lake Erie. Over 200 earthquakes have been recorded since 1776 in Ohio, mostly around Lake Erie. Scientists are working on figuring out what is causing them. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220801-earthquakes
Of the many tools used in the fight to bring Great Lakes piping plovers back from the threat of extinction, the common household feather duster might be the most unexpected — and adorable — of them all. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220801-piping-plovers
The Monroe County Health Department received preliminary positive results this week from testing of a suspected blue-green algae bloom in Lake Erie at Michigan’s Sterling State Park and Luna Pier Beach. Read the full story by The Monroe News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220801-algal-bloom
This year’s annual Minnesota Department of Natural Resources fish survey of Lake Superior found a strong lake trout population and is a good sign of the lake’s reclaimed productivity after decades of damage caused by blood-sucking sea lamprey that are now being controlled. Read the full story by the Duluth News Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220801-lake-trout
Ohio’s Davis Aerospace and Maritime High School students spend classroom time on a barge, helping to make an impact on Lake Erie and the Cuyahoga River. Read the full story by WKYC-TV – Cleveland, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220801-argonauts
After six decades of being buried underground, Serson Creek, or one of Mississauga, Ontario’s “lost Rivers” once again flows into Lake Ontario. Read the full story by Insauga News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220801-mississauga-river
In addition to updating major infrastructure needs, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is more than halfway through a two-year pilot project that applies structured decision-making to assess the resilience of the Au Sable River in the face of existing and emerging threats. Read the full story by The Alpena News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220801-au-sable-river
The task force charged with finding a solution to a pollution problem threatening Lake Superior whitefish and lake trout has identified a plan that members said could save a valuable spawning reef off the Keweenaw Peninsula. But the plan already faces major obstacles. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220801-buffalo-reef
The Lake Michigan basin is down about eight inches from just one year ago (July 2021) but is currently still nine inches above its July average. Read the full story by WXMI-TV – Grand Rapids, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220801-water-levels
The Great Lakes Coalition will hold its annual membership meeting at 10 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 13 at the Haworth Hotel on the campus of Hope College, 225 College Ave. All persons interested in the Great Lakes, whether members of the Coalition or not, are invited to attend. Read the full story by the South Haven Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220801-great-lakes-coalition
The Advisor e-newsletter offers Great Lakes Commission news and information to keep our partners up to date on our work on behalf of our member states and provinces, and the 48 million people in the Great Lakes region. Subscribe today!
Published August 2022 | View E-Newsletter
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Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/library/2022-08-advisor-newsletter
An Ohio man who admitted fatally shooting a bald eagle will be banned from hunting for five years and has agreed to pay $20,000 as part of his sentence. Half the money will go to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, a nonprofit funder of conservation projects, as restitution. The other $10,000 is a fine.
The post Ohio man pleads guilty to illegally shooting bald eagle first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/08/01/ohio-man-pleads-guilty-to-illegally-shooting-bald-eagle/
In the fifty years since the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement was first enacted, large efforts have been made to clean up and restore the Great Lakes but there is still more to accomplish. Read the full story by Canadian Geographic.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220729-great-lakes
The Michigan Supreme Court has ruled in favor of a group focused on preservation of the areas around the mouth of the Kalamazoo River, allowing the group to argue in circuit court against a proposed development that would impact Michigan’s coastal dunes. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220729-dunes
As climate change continues to make a milder Michigan winter, more Canada geese are becoming full-time residents, opting to stay in cities over the winter rather than flying further south. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220729-geese
The newest freighter to ply the Great Lakes began her maiden voyage yesterday; a trip from Wisconsin to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to load stone that will be used to make ready-mix for making concrete. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220729-cargo-ship
A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service assessment crew will conduct work on the Oconto River to estimate the abundance of sea lampreys, as the river is considered a “regular producer” of sea lampreys which migrate out to Lake Michigan. Read the full story by the Green Bay Gazette.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220729-oconto
With major ports along the US east and west coasts struggling with cargo backlogs due to knock-on effects from supply chain issues, shippers are looking to long-ignored ports in the Great Lakes as a way to get supplies into and out of America. Read the full story by the BBC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220729-shipping
Thanks to a team effort among: Keep Ohio Beautiful, The Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Ohio Sea Grant and The Ohio Clean Marinas program — devices called “seabins” are being installed in marinas from Huron to Geneva, Ohio. Read the full story by WKYC-TV – Cleveland, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220729-seabins
Sustainable and inclusive development of the St. Lawrence River is precedent, as development in its current form will have a negative consequence for the people and the environment of North America. Read the full story by The Conversation.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220729-st.-lawrence-river
According to The Ohio Wetlands Association, Ohio has lost more than 90% of its wetlands, largely because of agriculture, real estate development and the expansion of recreational areas. The Nature Conservancy is working hard to protect the ones that are left. Read the full story by Spectrum News 1.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220729-wetlands
Mike Shoreman, who said he wants to become the first disabled man to cross all five Great Lakes on a paddleboard, crossed Lake Michigan on Tuesday and overnight into Wednesday and is now one step away from completing his quest. Read the full story WDIV-TV – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220729-paddleboarder
NCEI News Feed
http://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/sharing-standard-cmecs-action-web-map
ANN ARBOR, MICH. (July 29, 2022)—The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition is pleased to see climate legislation moving forward by way of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. At a regional level, this legislation would support Great Lakes restoration and protection, as well as help communities in the eight-state region prepare for, and adapt to, the threat of climate impacts, such as increased flooding, excessive heat and cold, and runoff pollution.
“This bill will help ensure an expeditious transition towards a better, more resilient future that protects our environment and our communities,” said Laura Rubin, director of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “Investing in the communities most impacted by pollution and climate change can put people to work, set the stage for economic revitalization in our towns and cities, and ensure the long-term health of our communities and the Great Lakes we all rely on. We encourage the Senate and House to pass this bill without delay.”
The total package size of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 is $369 billion. Important line items within this include:
Comprehensive legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act is essential to confront the climate crisis, advance environmental justice, and bolster resilience and natural infrastructure solutions in coastal restoration, forest management, and soil conservation. Federal investments to restore and protect the Great Lakes have been producing results for over a decade, yet serious threats remain and are being exacerbated by climate change, making them worse and more expensive to solve.
The Great Lakes region – like our nation – faces a web of compounding crises impacting the health of people and communities. The region has seen the direct result of underinvestment in community resilience and a lack of action on climate change, as communities face disastrous impacts from flooding, extreme weather, and heat waves. With climate change pushing our current infrastructure past its limits, the time to act is now.
Investing in climate action not only protects our Great Lakes ecosystem and public health but improves the resiliency of our communities and creates good-paying, local jobs. There are many examples of communities across the region acting to adapt to climate impacts, from the restoration of habitat that absorbs stormwater to prevent flooding to farm conservation actions that prevent animal waste and fertilizer from polluting local drinking waters. Now is the time to support these actions at a much larger scale, commensurate with the climate crisis before us.
The post Coalition Celebrates Climate Legislation and its Support of Great Lakes Restoration appeared first on Healing Our Waters Coalition.
Healing Our Waters Coalition
https://healthylakes.org/coalition-celebrates-climate-legislation-and-its-support-of-great-lakes-restoration/
NCEI News Feed
http://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/2022-young-summer-scholars
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy announced that the City of Flint’s water system’s lead level is higher than the previous 6-month period result. Despite this, the lead level is still below the federal action level of 15 parts per billion. Read the full story by WPBN-TV – Traverse City, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220727-flint-lead
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources recommended that all water systems in the state be tested for PFAS chemicals. The DNR is providing free, voluntary sampling projects for municipal water systems across the state. Read the full story by WKBY-TV – La Crosse, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220727-pfas-testing
American eels, once abundant in tributaries to Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, are now listed as endangered under Ontario’s Endangered Species Act. Known to the Algonquin people as Kichisippi Pimisi, the American eel has been an essential part of Algonquin culture. Restoring the Kichisippi Pimisi is essential to re-establish the ancestral connection between them and the Algonquin people. Read the full story by MuskokaRegion.com.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220727-eel-restoration
While tourism helps the Northern Michigan economy thrive, the region’s popularity can have an impact on its lakes. Solutions such as boat cleaning stations are helping the region’s residents take care of their water systems. Read the full story by The Petoskey News-Review.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220727-tourism-impacts
The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and the U.S. Forest Service signed a memorandum of understanding in 2019 for shared stewardship of the Chippewa National Forest; now, with more diverse trees and shrubs and less underbrush, the forest has responded to this holistic management approach incorporating traditional ecological knowledge. Read the full story by MPR News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220727-indigenous-management
Wisconsin’s Mary Solokas is among them
Continuing the tradition of placing early career professionals in Washington, D.C. federal government offices, NOAA and the National Sea Grant College Program are pleased to announce the finalists for the 2023 class of the Sea Grant John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship program. (Read Sea Grant’s full announcement here.)
Members of the 2023 Knauss class. Together, they represent 29 of the 34 Sea Grant programs. (Image credit: Sea Grant)
The 2023 class represents the largest in recent years, with 86 finalists. Among them is Mary Solokas of Wisconsin, a recent master’s graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. (Learn more about Solokas in our profile below).
Since 1979, over 1,550 fellows have completed the one-year Knauss fellowship program, applying their experience to lasting careers in science, policy and public administration.
“The Knauss Fellowship offers graduate students the invaluable opportunity to put their academic knowledge to practice in tackling marine, coastal and Great Lakes management and policy challenges at the federal level,” said Jonathan Pennock, Ph.D., National Sea Grant College Program director. “We look forward to welcoming the 2023 class of Knauss fellows and seeing how they will apply their unique insights to developing solutions to some of the most important challenges facing the country.”
Knauss finalists are chosen through a competitive process that includes comprehensive review at both the state Sea Grant program and national levels. Students that are enrolled in or have recently completed master’s, Juris Doctor (J.D.), and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) programs with a focus and/or interest in marine and coastal science, policy or management apply to one of the 34 Sea Grant programs. If applicants are successful at the state program level, their applications are then reviewed by a national panel of experts.
This fall, the finalists will participate in a virtual placement week to get to know each other and interview with potential host offices. Following placement, they will begin their fellowships in February 2023. (Placement of 2023 Knauss finalists as fellows is contingent on adequate funding in Fiscal Year 2023.)
Learn more about the 2023 Knauss class, including finalists from other states, in the full news story on the NOAA website.
Wisconsin’s Knauss Finalist, Mary Solokas, may not originally hail from the Great Lakes region, but she’s developed an appreciation for these vital inland seas.
As she recounted of a camping trip in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula along Lake Superior, “It was just the clearest water, the most pristine shoreline I’ve seen. Just the vastness of it… It’s just mind-blowing to see a lake like that.”
Mary Solokas is among the newly announced class of Knauss Finalists. (Submitted photo)
A recent master’s graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Solokas will continue working in the lab of her mentor, Dr. Olaf Jensen at the UW Center for Limnology, as a research assistant until her Knauss experience begins. (Jensen is a former Knauss Fellow himself.) Solokas’ master’s thesis focused on body size changes in freshwater salmonids over the last few decades and how those changes relate to climate change.
“Many species, including many marine fish species, have been shrinking with warming but we found that the body size of the freshwater salmonids in our study were not getting smaller, which leads to many more questions about what is driving these changes in body size,” said Solokas.
She’s excited for the opportunities for professional development and growth that the Knauss program will bring. “I’ve gotten a lot of experience with research on the academic side, so I’m excited to be able to see research translate into on-the-ground action. I’m eager to learn how research influences management and policy through federal agencies.”
The New Jersey native also has a strong interest in science communication and reaching a broad public. Said Solokas, “As a member of the outreach committee in my department in grad school, I worked with others throughout the pandemic to keep people engaged with science from the Center for Limnology.” She’s also shared her passion for science through community events like the Frozen Assets Festival organized by the Clean Lakes Alliance in Madison, where she taught kids how to ice fish and talked with the public about fisheries research.
When not engaging in research or other professional activities, Solokas enjoys outdoor pursuits like hiking, camping and running, as well as curling up with good fiction. Her more unusual skills include juggling and unicycle riding.
We’ll share more about her Knauss experience once she receives her placement.
The post Finalists announced for the 2023 John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Program first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/finalists-announced-for-the-2023-john-a-knauss-marine-policy-fellowship-program/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=finalists-announced-for-the-2023-john-a-knauss-marine-policy-fellowship-program
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-Mich.) authorized $45.6 million in Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grants to create more opportunities for outdoor recreation. The Fund was created in 1976 to provide funding for public acquisition of land for resource protection and outdoor recreation. Read the full story by The Daily Mining Gazette.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220727-recreation-grants
After a 5,300-gallon oil spill in the St. Marys River on June 9, Lake Superior State University’s Center for Freshwater Research and Education and LimnoTech placed sensors to monitor its containment. As of the end of July, the sensors continue not to detect any signs of lingering hydrocarbons from the spill. Read the full story by SooToday.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220727-oil-sensor
Lake Erie Awareness Day will take place in Put-in-Bay, Ohio, on Thursday, August 11. This event will feature activity stations to explore the cultural, historical, and ecological importance of the islands and draw attention to aquatic and terrestrial conservation efforts. Read the full story by WTOL-TV – Toledo, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220727-erie-awareness
