Thursday, March 14, 2013

EPA Announces First GLRI Advisory Board

Mar 13: U.S. EPA announced on behalf of 16 Federal agencies the membership of the first advisory board to support implementation of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). EPA Acting Administrator and Acting Interagency Task Force Chair Bob Perciasepe said, "Protecting the Great Lakes -- the largest surface freshwater system on Earth -- is important for the health and well being of millions of people. Today I'm pleased to announce the membership of the first-ever Great Lakes Advisory Board. The scientists, business leaders, public servants, and representatives of non-profit organizations who make up the Advisory Board will help us build upon the success we've already seen and move forward into the next phases of Great Lakes restoration and protection."  The Interagency Task Force is in the process of scheduling next steps for the Great Lakes Advisory Board in the spring.

    The Great Lakes Advisory Board will provide advice and recommendations to the EPA Administrator, who serves as chair of the Federal Interagency Task Force. EPA considered candidates from a broad range of interests including business, agriculture, foundations, environmental justice groups, youth organizations, environmental groups, academia and state, local and tribal representatives.

    The first two-year appointments to the advisory board are: J. David Allen, Professor – University of Michigan; Patricia Birkholz, Founder – Great Lakes Legislative Caucus; Kathryn Buckner, President – Council of Great Lakes Industries; Naomi Davis, President – Blacks in Green; Molly Flanagan, Program Officer – The Joyce Foundation; Steve Galarneau, Director – Office of the Great Lakes, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; Jennifer Hill, Field Manager – National Wildlife Federation and Healing Our Waters Great Lakes Coalition; Roger Germann, Executive Vice President – John G. Shedd Aquarium; Bill Hafs, Director of Environmental Programs – Green Bay Metropolitan Sewerage District; Michael Isham, Tribal Councilman – Lac Courte Oreilles Tribal Government and Chair of the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission; Simone Lightfoot, Manager of Conservation & Sustainability – NAACP Detroit Branch; Joy Mulinex, Director – Public Policy and Great Lakes Land Conservancy Coalition – Western Reserve Land Conservancy; Jim Ridgway, Vice President – Environmental Consulting and Technology, Inc.; Joan Rose, Professor – Michigan State University; Richard Stewart, Co-Director – Great Lakes Maritime Research Institute; Matt Thompson, Environmental Resources Coordinator – Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe; - David Ullrich, Executive Director – Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative; and
Jim Wagner, City Administrator – Trenton, Michigan.

    Access a release from EPA (click here). Access more information on the GLRI (
click here). [#GLakes/GLRI]
 
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Final 15-Yr Plan For Great Lakes Islands Refuges

Mar 14: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS, Service), announced the availability of a final comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for the environmental assessment (EA) for islands that are part of the National Wildlife Refuge System in Lakes Huron, Michigan, and Superior [78 FR 16287-16288]. The CCP includes Gravel Island, Green Bay, Harbor Island, Huron, and Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuges (Great Lakes Islands Refuges). In this final CCP, FWS describes how it intend to manage the refuges for the next 15 years.
 
    The Great Lakes Islands Refuges are comprised of Gravel Island and Green Bay National Wildlife Refuges, Door County, Wisconsin; Harbor Island National Wildlife Refuge, Chippewa County, Michigan; Huron National Wildlife Refuge, Marquette County, Michigan; and Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge, Arenac, Alpena, and Charlevoix Counties, Michigan.

    Access the FR notice (click here). Access the final CCP and the EA/FONSI (click here). [GLakes/Islands]
 
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