Great Lakes Senators Urge $300 Million For GLRI

Dec 7: Senator Carl Levin (D-MI), and six other Great Lakes state senators, wrote to acting Office of Management and Budget Director Jeffrey Zients calling for robust funding of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) in the President's 2014 budget request. The Senators said, "Cleaning up and protecting the Great Lakes is not just about being good stewards of the environment; these investments are directly tied to the health of the economy." They urged the President to request no less than $300 million for the GLRI in his 2014 budget.

 

    The letter points out that, ". . . the GLRI is cleaning up toxics at Areas of Concern where industrial pollution continues to threaten public health, contaminate fish and wildlife, and make waterfronts unusable to lakefront communities resulting in lost revenues to local governments and sources of income for businesses. The GLRI is also working to prevent destructive invasive species such as the voracious Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes and destroying its $7 billion fishery. The program also works to protect wetlands and watersheds from polluted runoff which can lead to algae blooms resulting in beach closures, fish kills, and public health problems."

    In addition to Senator Levin, co-chair of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force, the letter was signed by Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI); Sherrod Brown (D-OH); Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY); and Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Al Franken (D-MN).

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RFP-P "Information Technology and Ecological Outcomes"

Dec 7: The Great Lakes Protection Fund (GLPF) has issued a request for preproposals (RFP-P) for "Information Technology and Ecological Outcomes." According to an announcement, many of the problems plaguing the Great Lakes are the result of "a large number of individual, seemingly inconsequential, disjointed decisions, the aggregate impact of which can be significant enough to drive either degraded or improved ecosystem conditions." GLPF believes that new or existing information technology can connect behaviors to ecosystem outcomes and push the collection of individual, seemingly isolated behaviors towards a tipping point that improves Great Lakes health. A five-page preproposal submission is due Midnight, February 3, 2013.
 
    The Fund seeks to support a suite of projects that design, deploy, and evaluate information technology-supported initiatives that permit individuals, institutions, and/or private corporations to make healthier choices for the Great Lakes ecosystem. "We want to support a number of project teams willing to test specific applications." Like all Fund supported work, these projects should be team-based, collaborative efforts that lead to meaningful actions to restore Great Lakes' health. The most successful teams will mobilize information technology skills, conservation leadership, and commercial partners willing to work together. The Fund has seen success in the information technology space with a suite of grants made in response to an RFP that was released in 2008. As with most things technological, the state-of-the-art has evolved and the Fund expects to capture ideas on the fringe of what is possible.

 

    Access an announcement from GLPF with links to the RFP-P, ideas, resources, FAQs, guidelines and more (click here).

 

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Controversial Provision On Ballast Water Removed From Funding Bill

Dec 5: Representative Louise Slaughter (D-NY), Co-chair of the Congressional Great Lakes Task Force, in a release said she "celebrated the defeat of flawed federal ballast water legislation that endangered the environmental and economic health of the Great Lakes." The House of Representatives agreed with the Senate amendments to HR2838, which will fund the U.S. Coast Guard for Fiscal Years 2013 and 2014. When originally considered, Rep. Slaughter said the legislation included a controversial proposal to set a nationwide standard for the discharge of ballast water. Such a standard would have prevented states like New York from enforcing more stringent ballast water standards and effectively protecting the Great Lakes from invasive species. As a result, Slaughter voted against the original legislation and offered an amendment removing the language from the bill. Although her original amendment failed in the House, the controversial proposal was removed before the passage of the bill.

    Rep. Slaughter said, "In this time of Congressional gridlock, I was pleased to work with my colleagues across the aisle to protect the Great Lakes. Previously proposed standards would have prevented New York and other states from effectively fighting invasive species like Asian Carp, which cost taxpayers billions. The Great Lakes provide 20% of the world's fresh water and directly support over 1.5 million jobs, generating $62 billion in wages every year. For those of us who live on its shores, we must be able to set effective standards to protect this valuable economic and natural treasure."

    In November 2011, Slaughter joined a bipartisan coalition and wrote to Admiral Robert J. Papp, Jr., Commandant of the United States Coast Guard, to urge the implementation of alternative standards that would provide states like New York flexibility to protect their waters. The Coast Guard's final rule was published on March 23, 2012 in the Federal Register, and became effective 90 days after publication on June 21, 2012. The bill will now return to the Senate, where it is expected to be cleared for enactment.

    Access a release from Rep. Slaughter and link to her letter and additional information (click here). Access legislative details for H.R.2838 (click here).

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Federal Judge Dismisses States' Asian Carp Lawsuit

Dec 3: U.S. District Court Judge, John Joseph "Jay" Tharp, Jr. for the Northern District of Illinois dismissed the case (Case No. 10cv4457) filed by Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette and Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ohio and Pennsylvania against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Chicago's Metropolitan Water Reclamation District in their attempt to force the Army Corps of Engineers to quickly develop and implement plans to permanently separate the Great Lakes from Asian carp-infested Illinois waterways [See WIMS 10/10/12].

 

    According to a report in Bloomber news, the Judge said in a 46-page decision, "It is not the province of the courts to order parties to take action that would directly contravene statutory mandates and prohibitions." A report in the Detroit Free Press indicated that the Judge said,  he couldn't order the agencies to do what the states want because Federal law requires the Corps to keep shipping channels open between Lake Michigan and one of the Chicago waterways -- the Des Plaines River -- and prohibits constructing dams in any navigable waterway without Congress' consent.

 

    Attorney General Schuette did not issue a release on the latest decision, but a spokesperson indicated that they were disappointed with the decision and reviewing the case for further action.

 

    Access the Bloomberg news report (click here). Access the Detroit Free Press report (click here). Access more information on the AG's efforts on the Asian Carp issue (click here).

 

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Ohio Lake Erie Commission Issues Two RFPs

Dec 4: The Ohio Lake Erie Commission is currently soliciting grant proposals for the Lake Erie Protection Fund for two projects: "Internal Loading as a Source of Phosphorus in Lake Erie" and "Inventory of Water Conservation Measures by Industry Sector." Please see the attached RFPs for project details. Each grant will provide up to $30,000, with a 25% match requirement ($7,500). Proposals are due February 1, 2013. Projects must assist with the implementation of the Lake Erie Protection and Restoration Plan 2008.

    The role of the Ohio Lake Erie Commission is to preserve Lake Erie's natural resources, to protect the quality of its waters and ecosystem, and to promote economic development of the region by ensuring the coordination of policies and programs of state government pertaining to water quality, toxic substances, and coastal resource management. The Lake Erie Protection Fund, which is administered by the Commission, focuses on projects that improve environmental and economic management and development decisions. The Fund is supported by the voluntary contributions of Ohioans who purchase the Erie...Our Great Lake license plate, featuring the Marblehead lighthouse.

 

    Access a posted announcement from the Commission (click here). Access the Commission's website for application materials and to obtain more information about the Lake Erie Protection Fund (click here).

 

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NOAA Tool Offers Custom Views Of Great Lakes Water Level Data

Dec 3: The new NOAA Great Lakes Water Level Dashboard, to be presented this week at the American Geophysical Union annual fall meeting, offers interactive displays of any combination of historical, current and projected water levels for all of the North American Great Lakes. Environmental researchers, educators and students, and Great Lakes region residents are among those who can use this online tool to quickly access desired slices of water level data.

    The dashboard is designed to show the ups and downs of the world's largest freshwater system. It draws from both experimental and operational data sets and forecasts from a variety of regional sources. Among its other benefits, the dashboard allows users to gain a perspective on the relative magnitude of seasonal, year-to-year and decade-to-decade water level changes.

    Marie Colton, Ph.D., NOAA's Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) director said, "The Great Lakes water levels fluctuate more year-to-year than the water levels of other major coasts in the United States. The dashboard is expected to help resource managers communicate to the public about how water management strategies will change in an uncertain climate future. GLERL and the NOAA Cooperative Institute for Limnology and Ecosystems Research at the University of Michigan, both located in Ann Arbor, MI, developed the new tool with funding through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), administered by the U.S. EPA.

The Great Lakes dashboard can help users gain insight into the relationship between recent water level dynamics and long-term forecasts, as well as the relationship between climate trends and climate variability in the Great Lakes region. The severe drop in water levels (particularly for lakes Erie, Michigan and Huron) in the late 1990s, the current low levels on lakes Michigan and Huron, long-term declines in ice cover, and recent shifts in the seasonal water budget and water level dynamics of some of the lakes, are just a few examples.

Through its interactive framework, the dashboard allows users to investigate historical trends, and to use them as a reference point for evaluating forecasts of future water level conditions. Researchers plan to expand the dashboard by adding in other agency water level forecasts (including the operational forecasts developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Environment Canada) and water budget data such as precipitation, evaporation, and runoff. The NOAA Great Lakes Operational Forecasting System provides the official daily and hourly water level fluctuations for those who need shorter time-scale data. GLERL also offers its own Great Lakes Coastal Forecasting System which displays air temperature, cloud cover, wind and wave data.

    Access a release from NOAA with links to related information (click here). Access the water level dashboard (click here).

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Great Lakes Climate Adaptation Toolkit

Nov 30: Freshwater Future and EcoAdapt, have partnered to develop the Great Lakes Climate Change Adaptation Toolkit, with funding support from the Kresge Foundation. The toolkit includes:  A primer on climate change and adaptation;  Four case studies on how community groups are incorporating climate change into their work; Communications guidance; Fact sheets on specific Great Lakes climate impacts;  Approaches to addressing climate change with community leaders; and  A guide to assist with vulnerability assessments.

    Freshwater Future Executive Director Jill Ryan said, "The Great Lakes region is already seeing a number of impacts from climate change, including warmer air and water temperatures, less ice cover, changes in snowfall and rainfall, and extreme storm events like we experienced in many areas of the region this past summer. The toolkit provides a resource to help community groups develop a climate informed perspective on their own work and some approaches to help them bring that knowledge to issues their towns and cities may be addressing." Lara Hansen, Executive Director of EcoAdapt said, "Climate change is everybody's problem. By putting tools into the hands of groups working on a wide range of issues, we can engage many more people in preparing our communities to meet the challenges of climate change."

    The toolkit is one component of Freshwater Future's Great Lakes Community Climate Program, which includes workshops to train community groups how to consider climate change impacts in their work and a grants program to assist with implementation of on-the-ground projects.

    Access a posted announcement from Freshwater Future (click here). Access the Freshwater Future website (click here). Access the toolkit (click here).

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