HOW Coalition Launches GLRI Funding Assistance Program

Apr 6: The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition (HOW) launched a new program to help local conservation partners participate in the federal $475 million Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. HOW will be providing $200,000 to help groups jump-start restoration projects in five priority areas -- one on each of the Great Lakes. Jeff Skelding, HOW campaign director said, "Our top priority is to ensure that Great Lakes restoration succeeds. After decades of abuse, there is an enormous backlog of work that needs to be done. We're focusing our work on five priority areas where we believe we can make a difference for the Lakes and the
economy."

    Coalition grants to local conservation groups will help provide the tools, capacity and expertise to apply for Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) funds. The Federal initiative funds projects to clean up toxic pollution that threatens the health of people and wildlife; prevent and control invasive species that cost the region $200 million per year in damages and control costs; and restore wetlands that help improve water quality and provide the foundation for the region's outdoor recreation industry. The coalition will focus its efforts on 5 priority areas including: --Lake Superior: St Louis Bay and St. Louis River; --Lake Michigan: Chicagoland; --Lake Huron: Saginaw Bay; --Lake Erie: Western Lake Erie; and --Lake Ontario: Eastern Lake Ontario.

 

    Access a release and links to complete information (click here).

Coalition Pushes To Restore Great Lakes Restoration Funding

Feb 2: In his FY 2011 budget, the President proposed to cut funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) from $475 million to $300 million. In their initial reaction the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes (HOW) Coalition said they were analyzing the President proposal, and indicated, "The level of funding that the President committed indicates that he understands the plight of the Great Lakes and the urgency to do something about it." However, they said, "This is not the amount of funding we had hoped for, but coupled with this year's historic investment, the President's request will continue to advance Great Lakes restoration and economic recovery."

Following their analysis, HOW has now issued a statement on February 3, urging Congress to restore funding to last year's level of $475 million." Jeff Skelding, campaign director for the HOW Coalition said, "Although President Obama's budget makes Great Lakes restoration a priority, the proposed funding will make it difficult to keep pace with the urgent threats facing the Lakes. We're going to work with Congress and the White House to restore funding to Great Lakes programs before the problems get worse and the solutions get more costly. "Fully funding Great Lakes restoration will benefit people, businesses and communities. We have the solutions to these urgent problems. It is time to use them."

In EPA budget documents the Administration provides and explanation for the reduction in funding and says, "In 2009, the President announced a new Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, committing the Federal government to significantly advance Great Lakes protection and restoration. In FY 2011, EPA is increasing the relative funding for the Invasive Species focus area in recognition of anticipated new demands such as fighting incursion of Asian Carp. FY 2011 funding has been reduced to reflect ramp up period, allowing time for the program to absorb the initial influx of FY 2010 $475 million in resources."

In a related matter, on February 9, 2010, the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, Chaired by Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) will be holding a hearing on "Asian Carp and the Great Lakes."

Access the original Feb. 1 release (click here). Access the Feb. 3 release (click here). Access a 102-page EPA FY11 budget-in-brief detail on the EPA budget (click here). Access further details on EPA's FY 2011 budget including the FY 2011 Congressional Justification (999-pages) and the Verification and Validation (257-pages) (click here). Access information on the Asian Carp hearing (click here).

Groups Urge Full Funding For Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

Jan 25: The Great Lakes Commission (GLC) announced that 15 Great Lakes regional organizations are urging President Obama to maintain or exceed funding of $475 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) in the Federal budget for FY 2011. The initiative was proposed by the Obama Administration as a five-year, comprehensive restoration plan for the Great Lakes. The region’s congressional leaders secured $475 million in FY 2010, the initiative’s first year. Implementation is moving forward, with nearly $150 million currently being offered for projects that address critical problems facing the Great Lakes. In addition, the U.S. EPA is finalizing a five-year action plan for the GLRI that sets outcome-oriented performance goals and criteria for measuring progress.

In a letter to President Obama the groups said, “While the GLRI is off to a strong start we need sustained funding to fulfill your commitment, build on past investments and ensure the GLRI’s long-term success.” The letter acknowledged the broad support for the initiative within the region, noting that it has been endorsed by the Great Lakes governors, states, cities, tribes, conservation groups, business and industry. The letter noted that “substantial momentum is in place to carry the Initiative forward over its five-year timeframe.” The President is expected to submit his budget proposal to Congress on February 1.

The letter was signed by the following entities: Great Lakes Commission; Alliance for the Great Lakes; Chippewa Ottawa Resource Authority; Council of Great Lakes Fishery Agencies; Council of Great Lakes Industries; Council of Lake Committees; Ducks Unlimited, Great Lakes/Atlantic Region; Great Lakes Fishery Commission; Great Lakes Metro Chambers Coalition; Great Lakes United; Healing Our Waters - Great Lakes Coalition; National Parks Conservation Association; National Wildlife Federation, Great Lakes Regional Center; Natural Resources Defense Council, Midwest Regional Office; and The Nature Conservancy.

Access a release from GLC with additional information (click here).

Great Lakes Initiative Interagency Funding Guide

Jan 8: U.S. EPA's Great Lakes National Program Office announced that the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative’s (GLRI's) Interagency Funding Guide has been updated. It provides one-stop-shopping for applicants interested in applying for over $250 million in grants and project agreements available through the GLRI. The grants and project agreements are intended to jump-start achievement of the Initiative’s long term goals: safely eating the fish and swimming at our beaches, assuring safe drinking water, and providing a healthy ecosystem for fish and wildlife. The Interagency Funding Guide also includes status information on offerings which are open (offerings from EPA and Fish and Wildlife) and those which have closed (offerings from NOAA and through Sustain Our Great Lakes).

Access an overview and the 20 page guide in Scribd or PDF formats (click here).

ICR Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Accountability System

Jan 5: U.S. EPA has issued a Federal Register information collection request (ICR) for comments on the Great Lakes Accountability System [75 FR 362-364, 1/5/10]. In 2010, EPA, in concert with its Federal partners, will begin implementation of a new Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) which was included in the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 (Pub. L. 111-88). The GLRI will invest some $475 million in programs and projects strategically chosen to target the most significant environmental problems in the Great Lakes ecosystem.

The legislation calls for increased accountability for the GLRI and directs EPA to implement a process to track, measure and report on progress. As part of the process, Federal and non-Federal entities receiving GLRI funds will be required to submit detailed information on GLRI projects as part of their funding agreement. Recipients will be required to provide project-level information on the nature of the activity, responsible organization, organizational point of contact, resource levels, geographic location, major milestones and progress toward GLRI goals. The information is necessary to provide an accurate depiction of activities, progress and results. Information would be entered and updated on at least a quarterly basis.

A web-based Great Lakes Accountability System (GLAS) is being developed as the primary mechanism for collecting information on GLRI activities. The website will contain a user-friendly data entry interface for recipients to enter and submit project information directly into the GLAS. The data entry interface will consist of a series of screens containing pull-down menus and text boxes, where users can enter project specific information. The GLAS will provide the necessary information for reports to the President and will be accessible to the public via Internet.

Before submitting the ICR to OMB for review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection. Comments must be submitted on or before March 8, 2010.

Access the FR announcement (click here). Access the EPA docket for this action for background and to review and submit comments and (click here).

FY 2010 Request For Fish & Wildlife Project Proposals

Dec 21: The Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act of 2006 (GLFWRA) Grant Program provides Federal grants on a competitive basis to states, tribes and other interested entities to encourage cooperative conservation, restoration and management of fish and wildlife resources and their habitat in the Great Lakes basin. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is requesting project pre-proposals that focus on the restoration of fish and/or wildlife resources and their habitats in the Great Lakes Basin. Supported in part by President Obama’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), a total of $8 million will be available to support projects this fiscal year. This represents the largest amount appropriated for this effort since the grants program began in 1998. Pre-proposals are due on Friday, January 22, 2010, by 11 PM EST.

Access links to complete information including the RFP, releases and related information (click here).

Comments Wanted On Great Lakes Restoration Action Plan

Dec 14: In July 2009, U.S. EPA and the other members of the Great Lakes Interagency Task Force (IATF) released an outline for a Great Lakes Multi-Year Restoration Action Plan for the purpose of public consultation [See WIMS 7/21/09]. In July and August, a series of consultation meetings were held across the Great Lakes basin to get input on the outline from States, Tribes, local governments, and other Great Lakes stakeholders, as well as the public. Using information from these meetings, the Federal partners drafted the Great Lakes Restoration Action Plan.

The Plan provides information about how the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) will address specific high profile, basinwide issues (for example, aquatic invasive species) as well as critical but more localized issues (for example, contaminated sediments). EPA and the IATF will use the Plan to guide the overall direction and focus of GLRI and lays out the goals, objectives, measures, and actions that will help track our federal efforts from fiscal year 2010 through 2014.

EPA's Great Lakes National Program Office is now soliciting final input on the draft Plan. EPA said stakeholder input is crucial for the Plan to be "successfully developed into an accountable and actionable tool. We will consider your comments as wefinalize the Plan for release in February in conjunction with the President’s 2011 Budget." Comments must be submitted no later than noon CST on January 8, 2010.

As part of the Plan, the Task Force Chair and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson announced that $13 million in federal funding will be provided to prevent Asian carp from migrating further toward the Great Lakes. Jackson said, “The challenge at hand requires the immediate action we're taking today. EPA and its partners are stepping up to prevent the environmental and economic destruction that can come from invasive Asian carp. President Obama’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and Congressional support have given us what we need to significantly and immediately reduce the risk of Asian carp reaching the Great Lakes and destroying such a valuable ecosystem.”

According to a separate release from EPA Headquarters on December 14, the Army Corps of Engineers has identified more than $13 million in funding needs for measures to deter Asian carp from moving closer to Lake Michigan. The majority of funding announced will be used to close conduits and shore up low-lying lands between the Chicago Sanitary Ship Canal and adjacent waterways. Agencies remain concerned that during times of heavy precipitation water -- and therefore carp -- can wash from adjacent waterways into the canal. Initiative funding will support work by the Corps to reduce the risk of invasion from these collateral access points. Some of the funding will support more genetic testing to pinpoint where carp may be in the Chicago Area Waterway System. The agencies will continue to identify other mechanisms for keeping Asian carp out of the Great Lakes.

Access the Action Plan website for access to the complete 39-page Plan and online commenting links (click here). Access the complete release from EPA HQ (click here).

Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Request For Proposals

Nov 23: U.S. EPA has announced the issuance of a Request For Proposals (RFP) [79 pages, Announcement No: EPA-R5-GL2010-1] which solicits proposals from eligible entities for grants and cooperative agreements to be awarded pursuant to a portion of the $475 million Great Lakes Restoration Initiative included in Public Law 111-88, the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 which is in furtherance of President Obama’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (the Initiative) announced in February 2009. Proposals must be received by EPA by noon Central standard time on January 29, 2010.

The President and EPA, in conjunction with 15 other Federal agencies, have made restoring the Great Lakes a national priority. The Initiative builds on the prior efforts of agency, business, public interest, and other leaders which resulted in the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy (GLRC Strategy) and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Action Plan now being developed.

The RFP represents EPA’s major competitive grant funding opportunity under the Initiative and is one of several funding opportunities described in the Initiative’s Interagency Funding Guide. A portion of the funding will be through the U.S. Fish and wildlife Service. The RFP, in conjunction with other funding opportunities under the Initiative, will be used to competitively provide funding to address the most significant Great Lakes ecosystem problems and efforts in five major focus areas: Toxic Substances and Areas of Concern; Invasive Species; Nearshore Health and Nonpoint Source Pollution; Habitat and Wildlife Protection and Restoration; and Accountability, Education, Monitoring, Evaluation, Communication and Partnerships.

Access links to the complete RFP, and information on webinars and email lists to stay informed of opportunities (click here).

Sustain Our Great Lakes (SOGL) Website & Funding Opportunity

Aug 18: The Sustain Our Great Lakes (SOGL) program, a public–private partnership among ArcelorMittal, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. EPA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Forest Service has launched a new website and announced two major funding opportunities. Overall, the SOGL program is designed to support the implementation of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), an outcomes-focused initiative designed to protect, maintain and restore the chemical, biological and physical integrity of the Great Lakes ecosystem.

The funding opportunities through the Community Grants and Stewardship Grants program support habitat restoration, protection and enhancement projects, invasive species control, water quality improvements, and watershed planning and management within the Great Lakes basin. The Requests For Proposals (RFPs) are now available. Community Grants range from $25,000 to $150,000 and proposals due on October 15, 2009. Stewardship Grants range from $150,001 to $1,500,000 and pre-proposals are due on October 1, 2009, and invited full proposals will be due on December 15, 2009. Complete information is available from the links below.

The new website is designed to increase awareness of the SOGL program; Inform potential grantees about new funding opportunities and provide access to Requests For Proposals; Share information about previously funded projects and program accomplishments; Provide information on Great Lakes news and events; and Provide general information on the importance of the Great Lakes ecosystem.

Access complete information and RFPs for the funding opportunities (click here). Access the SOGL website for complete information (click here).

Eleven Soil Erosion & Sediment Control Grants

Jul 23: The Great Lakes Commission (GLC) recently announced eleven grants totaling almost $300,000 were recently announced by the Great Lakes Basin Program for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control. The awards went to applicants in six of the eight Great Lakes states and were selected by GLC's Sediment Task Force from 84 applications received during this year’s application cycle. Over $2 million was requested by 84 applicants but budget constraints limited total funding.

Basin Program grant awards included $30,000 to the Ullr Mountain Gully Erosion and Sediment Control Project in Grand Marais, MN; $35,000 to the Menomonee River Erosion Control Project in Milwaukee, WI; $30,000 to the Silver Creek Super Project in Grayling, MI; $12,459 to the St. Joseph River Watershed Soil Erosion/Sediment Control Project in Hillsdale, MI; $29, 891 to research on “Stabilizing Nutrient-Rich Cropland with Cover Crops and Targeted Zone-Tillage” by Michigan State University in East Lansing, MI; $30,000 to the “Cover it Green” project in Norwalk, OH; $10,500 to Lorain County Erosion and Sediment Control in Elyria, OH; $30,000 to Cascade Creek Watershed Improvements in Erie, PA; $30,000 to Eighteenmile Creek Streambank Restoration and Erosion Control in East Aurora, NY; $30,000 to the Genesee River Watershed Soil Erosion Control Project in Rochester, NY; and $24,200 to the St. Lawrence and Franklin County Ag Soil Erosion Sediment project in Canton, NY.

Access an announcement from GLC and link to further details on the projects (click here). Access the GLC Soil Erosion and Sediment Control program website for more information (click here).

$5 Million RFP For Atmospheric Deposition Network Operations

Jul 22: U.S. EPA's Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO) is requesting applications for an estimated $5 million in funding over five years for the management and operation of the Integrated Atmospheric Deposition Network (IADN) and to potentially conduct additional special studies and enhancements to IADN. Applications for the funding are due by August 17, 2009 by midnight, CDT.

GLNPO expects to make funding available for the management and operation of IADN October 1, 2009, to September 30, 2014, and for potential additional special studies and enhancements to IADN. EPA is requesting that applicants submit applications for up to $760,000 for Year 1, followed by four more years of funding, adjusted roughly for inflation, for an estimated total of up to $5 million over five years.

IADN is called for in Annex 15 of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) and the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. IADN is a binational cooperative effort between EPA and Environment Canada aimed at estimating atmospheric deposition of Persistent, Bioaccumulative, Toxic substances (PBTs) to the Great Lakes. It is used as a platform for conducting research, monitoring, and surveillance activities to assess the atmospheric deposition of PBTs to the Great Lakes. IADN presently collects data on the deposition of toxic pollutants (PCBs, PBDEs, organochlorine pesticides, and PAHs) to the Great Lakes at 15 sites (5 in the U.S.) through wet and dry deposition and gas exchange.

Access links to the complete application and related background information (click here).

Restoration Initiative Interagency Funding Guide

Jul 20: In connection with U.S. EPA's recently announced Great Lakes Restoration Initiative meetings and comment opportunities on the Multi-Year Restoration Action Plan Outline [See WIMS 7/14/09], the Initiative has also released an Interagency Funding Guide, developed in order to provide one-stop-shopping for applicants interested in applying for over $250 million in grants and project agreements which would be expected to be available through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (if the full $475 million for the Initiative is appropriated). The comment period on the Restoration Plan extends until August 19.

These grants and project agreements are intended to jump-start achievement of the Initiative’s long term goals: safely eating the fish and swimming at our beaches, assuring safe drinking water, and providing a healthy ecosystem for fish and wildlife.

Access the Interagency Funding Guide (click here). Access the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative website with links to plan documents, commenting instructions and related information (click here).

5th Annual Great Lakes Restoration Conference

Jul 7: The Healing Our Waters - Great Lakes Coalition 5th Annual Great Lakes Restoration Conference will take place September 10-12, in Duluth, MN at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Downtown Waterfront. The Coalition will reunite with friends, celebrate successes, and develop strategies to achieve the Great Lakes restoration goals for 2010 and beyond. The conference agenda will address critical issues such as linking Great Lakes restoration to economic recovery, working with the Obama administration to fulfill the $5 billion Great Lakes commitment, and securing Congressional funding for on the ground restoration work.

Access details and online registration (click here).

Groups Urge Congressional Support For Great Lakes Funding

May 14: Local, state, industry and conservation leaders called for the U.S. Congress to act to fund a new Great Lakes restoration and economic recovery initiative, unveiled last week with President Obama's budget [See WIMS 5/11/09]. Groups issuing a joint release included: Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition; Great Lakes Commission; Council of Great Lakes Industries; and the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative.

In announcing his budget last week, President Obama released details of a $475 million Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to address some of the most urgent threats to the Great Lakes, including: $146 million to clean up toxic substances and Areas of Concern; $60 million to prevent or remove aquatic invasive species; $97 million to improve near-shore health and pollution prevention; $105 million for habitat and wildlife protection and restoration; and $65 million to evaluate and monitor progress.

Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition co-chairman Andy Buchsbaum said, "This is a precedent-setting restoration initiative from the president that will give the Great Lakes the medicine they need. Now, we need Congress to fund it." Great Lakes Commission Board Member Sean Logan, director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources said, "This new federal support will match the substantial funding that state and local governments are already investing in the Great Lakes. Protecting and restoring the Great Lakes requires a strong partnership with the federal government. Ohio and our fellow Great Lakes states urge Congress to provide the requested funding."

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative invests in priorities that track closely with a comprehensive clean-up strategy that has won the endorsement of the eight-state region's mayors, governors, businesses, industry and environmental leaders -- in part because of the growing awareness of the economic benefit of restoring the Lakes. The groups said Great Lakes Senators and Representatives can play an important role in helping fund the initiative in the annual Congressional appropriations process.

Access a release including statements from other supporters (click here).

More Details For $475 Million FY10 Great Lakes Restoration

May 11: Detailed EPA FY10 Budget documents have provided more information on the plans for the FY 2010 $475 million in the proposed Administration budget. As the lead agency for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, U.S. EPA has worked closely with the members of the Interagency Task Force to develop a provisional funding plan for 2010. Some details of the plan may change as EPA works with Federal partners to further refine 2010 activities; the summary below represents the latest plans as of the time this document went to press. Upon receiving the FY2010 appropriation for the Initiative, EPA will determine final funding targets and will develop a final 2010 funding plan, including grant programs, to present to the EPA Administrator. The Administrator, in consultation with the members of the Interagency Task Force, will select the programs and projects for funding and EPA will transfer the funds.

Some major activities proposed include: EPA will issue grants to states and other stakeholders to fund projects in the AOCs to restore beneficial uses. Through the Legacy Act, four to six sediment remediation projects will commence. EPA will award grants to states, tribes, and local governments to collect up to 10 million pounds of e-waste, 10 million pills of unwanted medicines, and 1 million pounds of hazardous waste, including mercury, PCBs, and unused pesticides. EPA will award grants and support contracts to define the extent of mercury and/or PCB contamination in 400 impaired Great Lakes subwatersheds and identify potential sources of mercury and/or PCB pollution in 400 impaired Great Lakes subwatersheds. EPA in cooperation with various federal agencies will establish an early warning system to detect new toxic threats to the Great Lakes utilizing enhanced monitoring programs for Great Lakes fish, birds, mussels, and human biomonitoring, as well as sediments, tributary source loads, and air deposition studies.

Principal actions proposed to prevent new introductions of non-native invasive species in the Great Lakes basin and stop the further spread of invasives in the Great Lakes basin include development of up to six ballast water sampling and treatment systems for use in fresh water ecosystems by supporting the use of laboratory, land-based, and ship-board testing and coordination with the maritime industry. Agencies will develop and begin implementation of coordinated monitoring surveys to detect new invaders in Great Lakes locations that have a high probability of invasion. Additional work will include enhanced education and outreach to prevent the introduction and spread of invasive species. Other projects are detailed including: Nearshore Health and Nonpoint Source Pollution; Habitat and Wildlife Protection; Accountability, Monitoring, Evaluation, Communication, and Partnerships.

Access the detailed plans and budget allocation tables in EPA's FY10 Congressional Justification document on Environmental Programs and Plans (click here, beginning p. 113 of 319). Access links to other CJ documents (click here).

Groups Applaud FY10 Budget Of $475 Million For Great Lakes

May 7: A number of organization applauded President Obama's $475 million for Great Lakes restoration funding, included within U.S. EPA's FY 2010 proposed budget [See WIMS 5/7/09]. The budget details indicate that the funding, "Accelerates the Restoration of the Great Lakes. The 2010 Budget includes a new $475 million inter-agency initiative to address regional issues that affect the Great Lakes, such as invasive species, non-point source pollution, and contaminated sediment. This initiative will use outcome-oriented performance goals and measures to target the most significant problems and track progress in addressing them. EPA and its Federal partners will coordinate State, tribal, local, and industry actions to protect, maintain, and restore the chemical, biological, and physical integrity of the Great Lakes."

Access the Great Lakes budget details (click here, page 2). Access a release from Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition (click here). Access a release from the Great Lakes Commission (click here). Access a release from Alliance for the Great Lakes (click here).

$1 Million In FY09 Budget For Invasive Species Program

Mar 12: According to a release from the Northeast-Midwest Institute (NEMW), the FY 09 Omnibus Appropriations bill (H.R. 1105), approved by Congress and signed by the President, includes nearly $1 million in new funds toward preventing the introduction of aquatic invasive species in the Great Lakes. The funds go to the Great Ships Initiative (GSI), a collaborative effort to hasten shipping free of invasive species on the Great Lakes.

Managed and implemented cooperatively by the Northeast-Midwest Institute and the University of Wisconsin Superior, GSI generates much needed independent evaluations of proposed ballast treatments performance and toxicity in fresh water. As regulatory authorities gear up to require ballast treatment prior to discharge into natural waters, the research outcomes are of keen interest regionally, domestically and internationally. As a result of this broad interest, the GSI works collaboratively with state and Federal agencies in the United States to generate important information for regulatory decision-making, and with international maritime groups to evaluate treatment effectiveness.

Meanwhile, NEMW reports that the International Maritime Organization (IMO) set deadlines for treatment systems to be operated by ships to a numeric performance standard, but there has been little or no testing in fresh water. Proposed treatment systems include ozone, ultra violet irradiation, chemical additives, deoxygenation, and filtration, usually in some combination. The new funds will help the Great Ships Initiative evaluate promising treatments during the 2009 testing season.

Access a release from NEMW (click here). Access legislative details on H.R. 1105 (click here).

$593,089 For Great Lakes Fish & Wildlife Restoration

Feb 25: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announced today $593,089 in federal funding for fish and wildlife restoration projects in the Great Lakes Basin. The projects will be matched by $278,810 in partner contributions, and will focus on the rehabilitation of sustainable populations of native fish and wildlife and their habitats. The grants are funded under the authority of the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act, which provides assistance to states, tribes and other interested entities to encourage cooperative conservation, and restoration and management of native fish and wildlife resources and their habitat in the Great Lakes Basin.

Ten projects were selected for funding with 2008 funds. Grant recipients include Ducks Unlimited, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Michigan DNR, Michigan State University, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Superior Watershed Partnership and the University of Illinois. Project proposals are developed by interested entities and sponsored each year by tribes and states in the Great Lakes in response to a request for proposals from the Service. The Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Proposal Review Committee, a 25-member body representing states and tribes in the Great Lakes Basin, reviews project proposals and develops recommendations on projects and funding for approval by the Service.

Access a release from FWS (click here). Access more information on grants under the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act (click here).

Cities Initiative Applauds Obama Great Lakes Funding

Mar 4: The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative (GLCI) applauded the recent steps by President Obama and Congress to invest in the Great Lakes, the economic and natural resource foundation for a large part of the United States and Canada. They said these include the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) [See WIMS 2/17/09] passed by Congress and the President’s 2010 budget provisions, which include $475 million for the Great Lakes and large increases for water infrastructure [See WIMS 2/26/09].

Mayor Richard Daley, Mayor of Chicago and Founding U.S. Chair of the Cities Initiative, "We have been working hard to get Washington to understand how vital the Great Lakes are to the quality of life and economic well being of tens of millions of people. These investments will not only go a long way towards protecting and restoring this important natural resource, but will also put people back to work and spur economic development." GLCI said that the ARRA would provide $6 billion in water and wastewater infrastructure money, over 30% of which is likely to come to the Great Lakes region. This funding begins the process of reducing the $70 billion plus wastewater infrastructure deficit estimated by U.S. EPA.

The President’s Budget for FY 2010 includes $475 million for the Great Lakes specifically, and increases the funding for water infrastructure nationally to $3.9 billion. The funding for the Great Lakes would be by far the largest amount ever dedicated to the global freshwater resource. The Great Lakes funding is designed to help implement the 2005 Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy. Included would be work on invasive species, non-point source pollution, and contaminated sediments. The Cities Initiative plans to work with federal, state, and tribal representatives to steer the funding to those areas most needing attention and where it can do the most good for the resource.

In a related matter, GLCI has announce that registration is now open for the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, 2009 Annual Member Meeting & Conference to be held at Trois Rivières, Québec, June 17-19, 2009.

Access a release from GLCI (click here). Access complete program and registration information for the GLCI conference (click here). Access the GLCI website for more information (click here).

Canadian Enviros Decry Lack Of Great Lakes Funding

Mar 2: Canadian environmental organizations are applauding the Obama Administration leadership on Great Lakes issues on the U.S. side of the border, while harshly criticizing the Canadian Federal government. They say the last Canadian Federal budget did not even mention the Great Lakes.To the contrary, the point out that the White House announced its proposed budget for 2010 last week, including a 34 percent increase in funding for U.S. EPA and an extra $475 million in Great Lakes restoration [See WIMS 2/26/09]. Derek Stack, Executive Director of Great Lakes United, responding to Prime Minister Harper’s recent publicity blitz of New York City said, “What we need to see from Stephen Harper is a national investment in the Great Lakes, not the Manhattan theatrics that he is passing off as Canada-U.S. relations. This is the same cycle we’ve seen for years -- the U.S. commits hundreds of millions of dollars to the Great Lakes and Ottawa does nothing.”

They said, during the presidential campaign, Obama pledged to create a $5 billion fund to jumpstart the recovery of the Great Lakes [See WIMS 9/16/08]. The budget package signals a commitment to following through on this pledge. It also comes in the wake of Great Lakes Day [See WIMS 2/26/09], an annual event that brings environmental and conservation groups to Washington DC, to press the need for renewal of the region. Aaron Freeman, Policy Director of Environmental Defence said, “This is a serious budget commitment, and one that is in stark contrast to that of our own Federal government, which has earmarked virtually nothing for Great Lakes clean up. It is clear that the Obama administration understands that environment and economy are two sides of the same coin. In Canada, our federal politicians seem mired in a totally outdated ‘environment versus economy’ mentality.”

Access a joint release from the groups (click here).