Friday, January 31, 2014

Great Lakes News

<> Additional Meetings & Comment Extension On GLMRIS Report - USACE has confirmed two additional public meetings and is extending the comment period on The GLMRIS Report until March 31, 2014. Due to public request meetings will be held in Northwest Indiana and Buffalo, New York. Meetings will begin at 4:00 pm local time with a presentation by the Council of Environmental Quality and USACE.

<> Study measures how well Asian carp prevention effort will work - Scientists from the University of Notre Dame, Resources for the Future and the U.S. Forest Service presented their findings of the effectiveness of different Asian carp prevention barriers in a study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Great Lakes News

<> Proposed Farm Bill is Good News for Great Lakes Health - On Monday evening, the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate released the compromise Farm Bill agreed upon by members of both bodies. The five-year Farm Bill must still be voted on by the Senate, having passed the House Wednesday morning. The Farm Bill is a victory for conservationists around the country, including those within the Great Lakes region. 

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Great Lakes News

<> Ice cover affects lake levels in surprising ways - The recent Arctic blast that gripped much of the nation will likely contribute to a healthy rise in Great Lakes water levels in 2014, according to a new study. But the processes responsible for that welcome outcome are not as simple and straightforward as you might think.

Friday, January 24, 2014

Great Lakes News

<> Lake Michigan Yellow Perch Summit - The Lake Michigan Committee of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission is holding a multi-jurisdictional yellow perch summit. The summit will be on March 22nd, 2014 in Chicago, Illinois.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Great Lakes News

<> In Lansing, Sen. Stabenow Calls for More Action to Stop Asian Carp -

U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow today called for more action to stop Asian carp following a meeting hosted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Lansing. Asian carp pose a serious threat to the Great Lakes ecosystem 

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Great Lakes Water Levels Subject of Recent Reports

<> Great Lakes Water Levels Subject of Recent Reports - Rising and falling water levels in the Great Lakes are influenced by evaporation, rain and snowfall in ways that aren't fully understood and are becoming less predictable as the climate warms, according to scientific reports made public Tuesday. This winter's bitterly cold weather is forming ice on areas of the lakes that will reduce evaporation by blocking water vapor from rising 

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Great Lakes News

<> Breaking News: Enbridge Oil Spill - According to reports, Enbridge has shut down its Alberta Clipper pipeline in Canada following a spill at one of its pumping stations. Enbridge claims the spill is contained and claims "no impacts to water or people." We'll see. Why should residents of Great Lakes states find this news of particular concern? Beth Wallace explains.

<> Great Lakes evaporation study dispels misconceptions, points to need for expanded monitoring program - The recent Arctic blast that gripped much of the nation will likely contribute to a healthy rise in Great Lakes water levels in 2014. . . But the processes responsible for that welcome outcome are not as simple and straightforward as you might think.

Friday, January 17, 2014

Great Lakes news

<> Illinois pols won't back separation; environmental groups whiff on carp report - Opportunities of this magnitude to protect the Great Lakes are rare and don't last forever.

<> Sustain Our Great Lakes funding opportunities - On Jan. 15, Sustain Our Great Lakes hosted a webinar to share information on their 2014 grant funding opportunities. A recording of the webinar is available online. Viewers will learn about funding priorities and the application process, see examples of past projects, and receive tips for submitting competitive proposals.

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Coalition Comments On Spending Bill

<> Coalition: Spending Bill 'Significant Victory for Millions Who Depend on Great Lakes' - The Clean Water State Revolving Fund is set to receive $1.44 billion for fiscal year 2014; the program received $1.37 billion in 2013

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Great Lakes News 1/9/14

<> Advisory Board Releases Final Recommendations for 2015-2019 GLRI Action Plan - The Great Lakes Advisory Board (Board) recommends that the Federal Interagency Task Force (IATF) take a balanced approach that will result in achieving the maximum ecosystem improvements under the next generation of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI).

<> Grants between $25,000 and $1,000,000 available from Sustain Our Great Lakes - Sustain Our Great Lakes  has announced a call for proposals for their grant program. Grant funding is available for projects that work on habitat restoration, or delisting beneficial use impairments that are related to habitat. Pre-proposals will be due February 17, 2014. The grant application can be found here. On January 15, the group will host a webinar that discusses the details 

·   Sustain Our Great Lakes is now accepting applications for competitive funding through its 2014 grant cycle.  

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

GLMRIS Report to control Asian Carp

<> USACE submitted to Congress the GLMRIS Report to control Asian Carp and other invasive species – The report presents a range of options and technologies available to prevent aquatic nuisance species (ANS) movement between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins through aquatic connections. Comments will be accepted until 30 days following the last public meeting, or March 3, 2014. 

Monday, January 6, 2014

Multiple Postings January 6, 2014

<> GLMRIS Interbasin Study Being Released - On January 6, 2014, the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study (GLMRIS) Report will be released to the public and submitted to Congress. The GLMRIS Report presents a range of options and technologies to prevent aquatic nuisance species (ANS) movement between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins through aquatic connections.

<> Projects Wanted - Funding Opportunity - The Great Lakes Protection Fund seeks to support a suite of projects that will design, develop, test and evaluate innovations to advance the next generation of actions to protect and restore the ecological health of the Great Lakes. Preproposals received by February 3, 2014 can be considered for support at the Fund's June 2014 board meeting.

<> Recent gain in Great Lakes coastal wetlands shadows impending losses, experts warn - The Great Lakes region gained 13,000 acres of coastal wetlands from 2004-09, due to low lake levels - and experts warn that this gain may obscure much larger, longer-term losses that are likely to continue. 

<> Making Great Lakes wind power 'bird friendly' - A $2 million project funded by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative used radars to track bird migration and bat populations in the Great Lakes basin. The project could make Great Lakes wind power more 'bird friendly' by guiding wind power projects to areas where birds are less likely to fly into the spinning blades of wind turbines.