Great Lakes Day in DC

Were coming to your town, we'll help you party down: Healthy Lakes, Healthy Lives Tour

2008-03-07T08:09:00.000-08:00

The fastest boat on the great lakes, the Earth Voyager, has a mast 97 feet tall and moves pretty dang fast. She'll be touring the Great Lakes this summer as part of the Healthy Lakes, Healthy Lives Tour, which will highlight how healthy lakes equal healthy economies and drinking water for the region. The tour will include concerts, street fairs, and art exhibitions in a dozen Great Lakes cities. Make sure to contact the organizers if you're in one of the port cities and want to help get the word out on Great Lakes restoration.

Lakers v. Salties

2008-03-06T13:59:00.000-08:00

Matt from Ohio shared a useful bit of information he got from Great Lakes Day:

“I learned that Great Lakes shipping refers to vessels as being either "Lakers" or "Salties." Lakers are ships that stay within the GL ecosystem and Salties are ships that go to sea.... Never knew that before.”

Yep, Lakers (the ships, not Kobe or Magic) are the ones that stay in the Lakes. Salties are the ones that go to sea and pick up ballast water out there, along with nasties like the zebra mussels. When Salties dump their ballast water in the Great Lakes system, or enter the system without treating their ballast tanks, the non native animals and plants that come with the ship take over the ecosystems, threatening native species, water quality, and even industry. Legislation is in play at state and federal levels to regulate ballast water – you can learn more about those efforts at the Healthy Lakes website. Now you know...

Video: Jennifer Caddick of Save the River

2008-03-05T14:13:00.000-08:00

I demonstrate fantastic journalistic skills (<-sarcasm) speaking with Jennifer Caddick, Executive Director of Save the River, an organization dedicated to saving the St. Lawrence River, the front line in the War on Invasive Species:

Um... an article about uh... legislation to close loopholes in duh... ballast water legislation is here.

State-by-State Wrap Up: Illinois

2008-03-05T13:11:00.000-08:00

I’m following up with state leaders to get their thoughts after Great Lakes Day – finding out how the lobbying went and how everyone back home can get involved. Here’s my email interview with Joel Brammeier of Alliance for the Great Lakes:

How did it go? How were legislators and staff reacting to the Great Lakes message?

I’ve never seen members of Congress so anxious to demonstrate leadership on Great Lakes issues. From education to appropriations, legislators want a piece of the action and know that restoration is going to pay dividends for the Great Lakes
The Illinois coast is unique among the Great Lakes states – it’s almost all very urban and includes the Chicago diversion, which takes some of Illinois out of the watershed. What political and environmental issues does this bring up for Illinois activists for Great Lakes restoration?

Illinois residents should be aware of the tremendous benefits they already receive from being part of the Great Lakes watershed, but also what they’ve lost – clean healthy beaches, natural coastlines and native fish. Illinois is a Great Lakes state through and through and will benefit from the unique restoration projects possible in an urban setting.
Why is Lake Michigan important to the Chicago area? Why should we try to keep it healthy?
Number one, we drink it. Number two, it drives our economy. And after that, what more reason do you need? From booming coastal tourism in Chicago to charter boats to the anglers boaters to the family day at the beach, Lake Michigan defines metro Chicago.
What can people in Illinois do to get involved with Great lakes and wetland restoration?
Let your member of Congress know it’s a priority to you. If you live in a coastal community, ask your local parks department and municipal offices to join efforts like the Lake Michigan Watershed Ecosystem Partnership to help target public dollars toward restoration. Volunteer with the Alliance for the Great Lakes through its Adopt-a-Beach and Coastal Allies Network program, where you restore the Great Lakes on the ground as well as in Springfield and Washington DC.

If I’m a busy Chicagoan who loves the Lakes with time only for three letters or phone calls to legislators or newspapers, where should those go and what should they be about?

Write your member of Congress and ask for more money, cleaner water and better habitat for the Great Lakes. Write an editorial letter to a community newspaper or for your church, school or boat club. Finally, get involved with your local agency that manages land in the Lake Michigan basin, like the Chicago Park District. Restoration starts close to home.

LINKS:
Alliance for the Great Lakes' Adopt-a-Beach Program Sign Up
Lake Michigan Ecosystem Partnership
Chicago Park District

State-by-State Wrap Up: Ohio

2008-03-05T07:32:00.000-08:00

I’m doing interviews with some state leaders to follow up with Great Lakes Day – finding out how it went and how everyone back home can get involved. Here’s my email interview with The Buckeye State’s Matt Misicka of League of Ohio Sportsmen and Central Ohio Anglers & Hunters Club:

How did it go? Where does the Ohio delegation stand with their support for Great Lakes restoration?

Representatives Kaptur, Tubbs-Jones, Sutton and LaTourette are all on board. Some other officials from outside the basin are iffy this year – some are locked in tough reelection campaigns and they don’t have it near the top of their lists.

The Ohio coast and watershed of Lake Erie has some urban areas that have problems that might overshadow an unhealthy watershed and Lake. How do you demonstrate Lake Erie’s importance in these areas?

Hit them over the head with the Brooking's Institute findings that suggest a 4 to 1 return on investment. Funding the Great Lakes Legacy Act and State Revolving Loan Fund will help create jobs and increase property values. If they are not interested in the environment, interest them in the economics.

A woman spoke passionately at the opening meeting about the fact that her constituents (single moms, working poor, etc) lack access to clean drinking water and from her perspective that need far outweighed the environmental issues that we seemed so occupied with. On that I had some thoughts:

A lack of clean drinking water in the USA is not the problem; rather it is the economics of getting affordable clean water to people. Clean water is, or can be, available if we can develop better infrastructure (state revolving loan fund) and create a stronger basin economy through increased appropriation of great lakes issues.

The group gathered in DC last week was primarily joined to one another by environmental issues. Indeed we are greatly fortunate that we are wealthy enough to take time out of our days to care about these things. However, our desire to focus on these keystone concepts of water and the ecosystem will in the long-run result in cleaner waters for more than just ducks and fish and plants – we ought to remember that when communicating with our public officials, the media, and our friends and neighbors.

What can people in Ohio do to get involved with Great lakes and wetland restoration?

Participate in opportunities like Great Lakes Days. Make it as inexpensive a trip as possible... by participating in these activities, you'll learn (and better appreciate) an incredible amount about the Washington process.

I’m originally from southern Ohio – what are some pretty places up in the Erie watershed I should take my family to fish and swim?

My favorites are MaumeeBay State Park and East Harbor. Add South Bass and Kelly's too. And don't forget all the great walleye and perch charters...

LINKS:
“Lakes cleanup would give $50B lift to economy” (Ann Arbor Business Review)
“Healthy Waters, Strong Economy” (PDF of Brookings Institution Report)
Maumee Bay State Park
East Harbor State Park
South Bass Island Lighthouse
Kellys Island

Photo of a catch by Ed Jefferson from walleye.com

Video: Charlie Bristol talks about friends getting together to save rivers and lakes

2008-03-04T16:52:00.000-08:00

I mentioned my discussion with Charlie Bristol a while back and promised some video. It's here.

Charlie is an engineer who works with his friends (Friends of the Detroit River, Friends of Belle Isle, Friends of Belle Isle Aquarium, Friends of the Rouge...) I talked with him about what they're all doing over in the Detroit area:

So if you're in Southeast Michigan and you aren't friendly with your rivers and lakes, check out Charlie's friends and get involved!

State-by-State Wrap Up: New York

2008-03-04T13:10:00.000-08:00

I'm continuing to follow up with some state leaders for the campaign about how Great Lakes day went and how folks back home can build on the momentum. Here's my email interview with Dereth Glance, Executive Program Director at Citizens Campaign for the Environment:

How did it go? How were legislators and staff reacting to the Great Lakes message?

Great Lakes Day was once again a great success. The NY delegation heard loud and clear from constituents and advocates about the urgent need to enact the comprehensive blueprint to restore and protect our Great Lakes. Key legislators and staff were familiar and passionate about halting Aquatic Invasive species hitching a ride in ballast water, reauthorizing and improving the Great Lakes Legacy act to remediate toxic mud that persists along our shorelines, and increasing funding for communities to deal with sewage fouling beaches. We recognize the competing interests for a small amount of money, but it was clear that NY delegation has a sophisticated understanding of the threats facing the Great Lakes, our upstate economy, and our recreational assets.
What are some political and environmental issues specific to New York that people there should know about if they want to get behind Great Lakes restoration?

New York is the gateway to the Great Lakes. Ocean going ships must traverse through the St. Lawrence and Lake Ontario before arriving to the ports of Toledo and Duluth. New York receives little economic benefit from shipping, but experiences all of the costs associated with aquatic invasive species that arrive in our waters unchecked by predators. New York's remaining 5 toxic hotspots must be cleaned up for current and future generations--Congress must strengthen and improve the Great Lakes Legacy act before it sunsets on Sept 30th of this year. Additionally, Congress must appropiate adequate resources to improve our aging and failing sewage systems that lead to foul beaches, contribute to algal blooms and low oxygen levels that choke aquatic life. Revitalizing the upstate economy is directly tied to restoring and protecting New York's freshwater coasts. Forty percent (40%) of New York's land mass is wholly located within the Great Lakes Basin, including the Finger Lakes and residents depend upon our amazing freshwater ecosystem for hydropower, drinking water, agriculture, industry, and recreation.

What can New Yorkers do to get involved with Great lakes and wetland restoration?

New Yorkers can sign up to receive timely action alerts at Citizens Campaign for the Environment (LINK) and join the Healing Our Waters Coalition at healthylakes.org.

If I’m a New Yorker who loves the Lakes with time only for three letters or phone calls to legislators or newspapers, where should those go and what should they be about?

Write to your local paper, a brief letter to the editor (200 words or less) about how much the Lakes mean to you and how important it is for Congress to protect the lakes by improving sewage treatment plants, stopping aquatic invasive species, and cleaning up toxic mud and restoring habitats. Drop a quick line to your Congressional member and Senators about the Great Lakes and what this amazing freshwater ecosystem means to the upstate economy and identity. Tell Congress to reauthorize the Great Lakes Legacy Act, enact a coast guard bill that stops aquatic invavise species from hitching a ride in the ballast of ships, and fund sewage treatment plants to keep our beach clean and safe!

LINKS:
Audubon New York
Save the River (Upper St. Lawrence River Keeper)

Photo courtesy of Finger Lakes Visitor Connection

State-by-State Wrap Up: Pennsylvania

2008-03-04T12:47:00.000-08:00

I'm following up with some state leaders for the campaign about how Great Lakes day went last week and how folks back home can build on the momentum. Here's my email interview with Pennsylvania's Tom Fuhrman of the Lake Erie Region Conservancy:

How did it go? How does Great Lakes restoration go over with Pennsylvania representatives?
Our meetings went well. We met with the staff of three congressmen and with Senator Casey who has signed onto all of the important Great Lakes legislation. Senator Specter also has signed onto the Restoration Implementation Act of 2007. Most legislators react positively to supporting restoration.
Pennsylvania doesn’t have a lot of coastline – how do you communicate the Lake’s importance to people in the area?

Although we don’t have a lot of shoreline, what we do have is very important to our lifestyles and economy. The fishery alone is well over $50 million annually. We also have Presque Isle State Park with its 13 miles of sandy beaches that attract over 4 million visitors each year. Boating is also a huge part of the economy. Of our 43 mile’s of shoreline, over 1/3 is open to public access. The media and the local Chamber does a very good job of reminding the public of the value of these resources.
What can Pennsylvanians do to get involved with Great lakes and wetland restoration?
We encourage Pennsylvanian’s to lobby their elected officials to support important legislation such as the Compact Agreement and Restoration.

LINKS:
Presque Isle State Park
Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership

Partying with Great Lakes heroes and our Canadian friends

2008-03-01T11:46:00.000-08:00

The night before everyone stormed The Hill, The Canadian Embassy hosted their fellow Lakers for a really nice party with good wine and delicious little fried hors d'oeuvre-y things (check out the Great Lakes Commision page for good photos of the party and other events in DC). Some legendary congressional Lakes champions were there to party with the folks from back home and tell stories about their efforts to explain the importance of the Lakes to their colleagues:

Longtime Great Lakes hero Senator George Voinovich of Ohio talked about collaborating with his Canadian counterparts through one of the "best kept secrets in government," the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group. He's participated with the group over the years to solve Lakes problems.
Republican Congressman Vernon Ehlers of Grand Rapids told a favorite story of his from early on in his career. After giving a floor speech about fighting zebra mussels, he had to correct one of his fellow congressmen when they were angry about spending taxpayer dollars on "the muscles of zebras."
Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar gave a fun speech about her first year in the Senate trying to explain invasive species to her colleagues. She uses YouTube videos of Asian Carp to illustrate the importance of keeping them out of the Lakes.

Check it out yourself - tell me the thought of these monsters attacking folks throughout the basin isn't horrifying:

So there you go - take page from Senator Klobuchar's book and use the power of The Tubes to win hearts and minds, because sometimes a YouTube video is worth a thousand press conferences...

Illinois fighting invasives on two fronts

2008-03-01T10:43:00.000-08:00

Illinois is interesting among the Great Lakes states - the Chicago River was reversed to flow out of the Lakes over a hundred years ago, taking much of the Illinois coast out of the watershed. But Lake Michigan is a big part of Chicago's identity, and invasive species don't stop at state lines, so the Illinois table was well populated with passionate folks gearing up to lobby their congresspeople. The Illinois delegation has Great Lakes champions in congressmen like Democrat Rahm Emanuel and Republican Mark Kirk, but not everyone is on board yet, so there's some work left to do.

I spoke with Melanie Napoleon, Elizabeth Latener, and Sandy Somodi from Chicago's Shedd Aquarium. The aquarium is very involved in lake issues - housing an exhibit featuring the dreaded Asian Carp and maintaining the site Listen to Your Lakes, which features educational materials and the Waterblog.

I asked the crew from Shedd about what Lakes issues affect Illinois the most and how they communicate them. They're focused on ballast water legislation that will keep more invasives from coming into the Lakes, and eventually further inland. Illinois is also important on another front in the battle against invasives, being home to the electric barrier keeping the leaping, freaky big Asian Carp from invading the Lakes from the southern and western waters where it was introduced. The Carp barrier is one of the only Lakes programs in President Bush's 2008 budget that didn't get cut.

While Illinoisan Lakers fight invasives and care about the ecology of the systems, Melanie made a good point:

I make sure to point out that it just isn't about fish. It's also about people. We aren't just getting involved because we want to save the brown fish or the silver fish - we want people to have clean water to drink and nice beaches to play in.

A good thing to remember when reaching out to a person who may not be the biggest fan of fish.

Video: Jeff Skelding explains the HOW Coalition and Great Lakes Restoration

2008-02-29T14:26:00.000-08:00

Do you want to know about the Healing Our Waters Coalition (HOW), but you hate reading? You are in luck, friend. Just click on the YouTube video below, and Jeff Skelding, campaign director for HOW, will give you the scoop.

Quick, before you have to read any more!

For you folks who are into the whole reading thing, there's also good news. HOW has an extensive website you can check out with all the news and advice you need to restore the Great Lakes. Check it out.

Michigan - Bringing Others On Board

2008-02-29T13:36:00.000-08:00

The entire Michigan delegation is already signed on to Great Lakes Restoration, April Bennett, tells me, so Michiganders used lobby day to ask their representatives to reach out and sign up two new legislators either from inside the basin or some other part of the country.

April was in DC representing the Michigan United Conservation Clubs (MUCC).

Other priorities included getting a commitment for reauthorization of the Legacy Act and educate other legislators on curbing invasive species through the Ballast Water legislation.

Contact MUCC for a great new DVD and fact sheets on Great Lakes issues.

New blood pitching in on Great Lakes Day

2008-02-29T10:53:00.000-08:00

Young people are the new hot voting bloc this year. Facebook debates, YouTube campaign videos, and throngs of twentysomethings screaming "yes we can!" are the most apparent images of this in the campaign season, but the numbers check out as well, with young voters turning the tide in key primaries, most notably the Iowa caucuses.

I caught up with three fellow Gen Yers (or is it Millenials?) at Great Lakes Day: William Ellison, who just graduated from Claremont McKenna College, Seth Buchsbaum, a freshman at the University of Michigan, and Marco Tori, A High School Senior involved with Ducks Unlimited. Their voices were welcome in planning discussions, and their activism key in a political season in which politicians will be paying attention to the youth vote again. Note to other young activists: notice the jackets, slacks, button-down shirts in the photo - looking sharp never hurts when you're speaking to power.

So for alla youse kids with your bloggy mumbo jumbo and your internets chat feeds, check out some Great Lakes social networking and other online stuff:

Excellent blogs The Political Environment, Black Bear Speaks, and Great Lakes Blogger
Healthy Lakes, Healthy Lives blog, Facebook group, and MySpace Page

Friend you later!

Perform routine acronym checks

2008-02-28T14:38:00.000-08:00

GLRC, AOC, USEPAGLNPO, ... looks like a tray of Scrabble tiles. It's enough to confuse even the wonkiest Great Lakes wonk.

"Be sure to do an acronym check," was a great tip coming out of the New York round table yesterday, "you never do know how familiar a official or staffer is with the issue."

It's a good tip for a lot of activists, whether you're talking to a congressperson or media or your grandma. Spell out what your saying, explain what the groups or concepts you're discussing are about, and most importantly, how they effect the person to whom you're explaining them. Running around rattling off acronyms and legalese West Wing-style should be done back at home or the office, safely in the company of other wonks.

BTW: Those letters? Great Lakes Regional Collaboration, Area of Concern, and U.S. EPA's Great Lakes National Program Office. Triple word score! Take that, Grandma!

Nice stuff in Ohio

2008-02-27T17:22:00.000-08:00

I sat in on the tail end of the Ohio coalition member breakout session today - they were discussing the pretty interesting political climate in which they're operating. They have a new governor and senator, both Democrats taking the helm after multiple term Republicans who made it a point to keep Great Lakes issues at the top of their list. They're working hard to get the new guys on board.

I talked to Sandy Bihn, the Waterkeeper for Western Lake Erie, about getting the point across in the Buckeye State. She pointed out that Ohio's Lake, Lake Erie, is the most biologically productive but also the most vulnerable of the Great Lakes - it's the shallowest and the only one above sea level. She rightly suggested that Ohioans should be leaders for the region in the restoration effort But with the compact threatened in the state legislature, and most of the state outside the watershed and not totally plugged into Lakes issues, they've got some storytelling to do to get folks on board.

Sandy explained how she tries to "point out the nice stuff - why people care so much about the Lakes, not to only be all doom and gloom." Good advice - for some stories absent of doom and gloom, check out the HOW story and photo contest from last year - it's good to remember why everyone is working so hard.

Minnesotans fight invasive species

2008-02-27T14:10:00.000-08:00

There's still more to report from Great Lakes Day in Washington, DC. As I write this, people are lobbying on the Hill to tell their legislators what the Great Lakes need.

Some common sense advice for lobbying all day? Wear comfy shoes! says one Minnesota advocate.

I listened in yesterday as Great Lakes supporters from Minnesota prepared for their visits. They'll be pushing for Great Lakes restoration and specifically the passage of the ballast water bill--legislation that could deal a blow to invasive species that find their way into the Lakes on ocean-going ships and cost the region billions of dollars as they wreak havoc on native fish, beaches, power plants, and municipal water infrastructure.

Minnesotans will be extending a big thanks to their own Rep. Oberstar, one of the longest-serving members of the House and a long-time Great Lakes champion as well.

Oberstar is the co-author of the critical ballast water bill that will be voted on in the House next week. Passing a strong ballast water bill that regulates how ships empty and clean their ballast tanks and ensures that there's strong enforcement and oversight is key to the health of the Great Lakes, say supporters.

Indiana Delegation--Building on The Compact

2008-02-27T13:41:00.000-08:00

Even though Indiana has a reputation for being unfriendly to environmental issues, it was the first state to win passage for The Compact, an agreement among Great Lakes states to jointly manage future water diversion requests.

That's because industry backed the measure, says Steve Barker from LaPorte County. Lobbying on restoration in Indiana needs to build on that success, Barker says, by showing the connection between the funding for restoration and the economic issues.

One important point may be that just one invasive species, zebra mussels, has cost $3 billion so far.

Key to reaching the Indiana delegation also will be demonstrating that the northwest corner of Indiana that touches Lake Michigan is important to the state as a whole.

First interview of the day: Jennifer Nalbone of GLU

2008-02-27T11:56:00.000-08:00

Witness our fantastic teevee reporting skills with the first video of the day - Valerie's interview about invasive species with Jennifer Nalbone of Great Lakes United (GLU). Earlier this morning Jennifer told everyone about legislation in Congress written to curb the spread of invasive species and gave everyone tips on talking to their Congresspeople about it.

For all of you back home, go ahead and pick up the phone, as NWF's communications guru Jordan Lubetkin suggests at the Healthy Lakes blog.

Busy Great Laker: Charlie Bristol

2008-02-27T11:01:00.000-08:00

I just had a great conversation with Charlie Bristol, an engineer who does work with a lot of groups in southeast Michigan. An interesting problem he and the groups he works with face is that the water in the Lake St. Clair and the rivers are nice and blue - people don't think they need cleaning up.

He explained to me that even though the water looks nice, harmful runoff and sediments from dredging settle on the bottom and work their way through the system, even though isn't visible on the surface. Even more education than usual has to happen in cases like these.

Anyway, we talked about all sorts of great ideas he's implemented with groups in Michigan, which will be available on video as soon as possible - our internet connection here is pretty cranky.

In the meantime, he made sure to tell folks in southeast Michigan to check out detroitriver.org to find out what you can do to help.

Inside the National Press Club

2008-02-27T10:55:00.000-08:00

For those of you who have never had a chance to attend a press conference at the venerable National Press Club in Washington D.C., it's a venue that provides rooms for press events (for a fee) and is where most organizations hold press conferences.

The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative held its press conference there today to release a report on spending by local governments on the Great Lakes.

This morning's event was attended physically by a handful of reporters, but 15 reporters also attended by conference call. This is a good turnout for this type of event.

Reporter interest was heightened by a front page New York Times story, provided to the paper as an "exclusive" for publication this morning. Exclusives are often a good tactic for stimulating reporter interest, particularly when a story is complicated.

The press conference format was simple. Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence Cities Initiative members made brief presentations lasting approximately 15 minutes in all. Then reporters asked questions. The lead question from Bloomberg News was a common one for people working on Great Lakes issues: What kind of pressure are Great Lakes states getting to divert water to western U.S. states. The answer: None, for now, but it's coming.

Associated Press, attending by conference call, followed up with a question about the amount of money the federal government is investing in Great Lakes projects.

And that was it. Watch your paper for tomorrow's news.

Big News: Great Lakes cities spend $15 billion on restoration - where's Washington?

2008-02-27T10:24:00.000-08:00

A New York Times article this morning has a story on a new report, detailing the amount of money Great Lakes cities and local governments are spending to protect and restore the Great Lakes - more than 15 billion dollars annually.

The report points out that the federal government's role pales in comparison - approximately $350 million annually, according to Jordan Lubkin, communications director for the Healing Our Waters coaltion.

Given that the Great Lakes comprise one-fifth of the world's fresh water and are critical to the region's economy both in terms of jobs and quality of life, the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, which released the report, believes that the federal government can and should do much more.

Great Lakes municiple leaders believe that the federal government needs to step up to the plate and help local governments maintain adequate sewage facilities, fight toxic pollution and ward off invasive species, among other problems.

"Municipalities in both the U.S. and Canada are spending billions of dollars on stewardship, protection, cleanup, to reduce and prevent pollution, and to buy and protect shorelines. Local government is pulling its weight and more. But federal funding has not kept pace," said James Ulich, Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative.

Biggest Great Lakes Day ever

2008-02-27T09:43:00.000-08:00

Pam Goddard (pictured), grassroots organizer for the National Wildlife Federation Great Lakes Resource Center and co-planner for this third ever Great Lakes Day in DC, just told me that this year's event is the most highly attended ever at 150 concerned Lakers. We're seeing some younger faces, some regional and local leaders, and folks who just want to drink clean water and fish the way they used to.

Valerie and I have been taping interviews with experts on invasive species and pollution and what we can do about it. I'll be uploading those now, so make sure to keep an eye on our YouTube page.

Great Lakes threats and solutions

2008-02-26T19:46:00.000-08:00

Newcomers to the Great Lakes restoration movement may need a little primer on what we're talking about here. The Lakes are still big and beautiful - they are crucial to the region's culture and economy, from fishing to shipping to tourism and drinking water.

But this treasure we share is threatened by a host of foreign creatures, chemicals, and other problems that sound like they're from a post-apocalyptic science fiction movie:

Aquatic invasive species like the sea lamprey, zebra mussel, and spiny water flea have hitchhiked in the ballast water of seagoing ships and are decimating fisheries and from Duluth to Niagra and deep inland into the watershed. Hundred-pound Asian carp are making their way up the Mississippi, leaping around, eating half their weight daily, only kept at bay by one electric barrier. One of the most ghoulish of invasives, VHS, is a virus that infects fish like the bubonic plague, causing schools of them to bleed to death and wash up on the shore.

Sewage run-off, also known as poop, is dumped into the Lakes by cities all over the lakes by the billions of gallons every year. Outdated sewer systems can't handle big rain storms, which drain into the Lakes instead of water treatment plants when overwhelmed.

Toxins, generated by large farms and factories, make their way into the lakes constantly. Fertilizers and pesticides make their way through the watershed from farms, and sometimes factories like the BP plant in Whiting, Indiana, just go ahead and dump their chemical trash right in the lake.

So there's good news and bad news about fixing this.

The good news is, there's a Federal commitment and a plan for restoration. In 2004 President Bush issued an Executive Order recognizing the Great Lakes as a "national treasure" and created a federal Great Lakes Interagency Task Force to improve federal coordination on the Great Lakes. The Order also directed the U.S. EPA Administrator to convene a "regional collaboration of national significance for the Great Lakes." This collaboration process was needed to develop, by consensus, the national restoration and protection action plan for the Great Lakes. That collaboration, the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration (GLRC), created that action plan, the Strategy to Restore and Protect the Great Lakes, which was released on December 12, 2005. The bad news is, it's been awhile, and the Lakes are still threatened by monster invaders and nasty chemicals. The funding for this commitment has been cut from budgets consistently since it was proposed, and the problem gets more costly with every delay. State and local governments are doing what they can to mitigate damage, but the only hope for a healthy body of water is with implementing with the comprehensive restoration plan outlined by the GLRC.

Which is why people who love the Great Lakes are in DC this week making it clear to leaders in Washington that the Lakes are important, in trouble, and voters in the region are going to be asking about it and voting on it. No one, not Republican, Conservative, rich, poor - Packer, Viking, or Bear fan, likes swimming in and drinking water full of human poop and bleeding schools of dead fish. This cause is something everyone in the region can get behind.

What about you? Why are the Lakes important to your area and to your life?

Great Laker gathering

2008-02-26T12:38:00.000-08:00

Welcome HOW folks, GLUE folks, and other friends of the Great Lakes - thanks for checking out the blog. We hope to take advantage of Great Lakes Day this year to spread the word online about Great Lakes Restoration and how people in the region can help out. We'll be hearing from campaign leaders about legislative efforts, reports and new findings, and what people in specific cities and areas are doing for the cause. We'll also be covering a report from Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative that examines how much local governments are spending to clean up the Lakes versus how much the federal government is spending.

For even more detailed information about restoration efforts and threats to the Great Lakes, check out Tiffany Pache's blogging at the Healthy Lakes, Healthy Lives campaign site. Tiffany will also be reporting from DC this week, and we'll be linking back and forth often.

So grab our RSS feed, check out our YouTube page, and check back here throughout the next few days. Also leave some comments and let us know what you'd like to hear about.

Stay tuned for Great Lakes Day coverage

2008-02-22T11:49:00.000-08:00

We'll be reporting live from Great Lakes Day in Washington, DC. We'll talk to volunteers and leaders from Duluth to Niagra Falls about what you can do to promote Great Lakes restoration on a local, state, and national level.

Stay tuned.